Computer Shopper

Transcription

Computer Shopper

GREAT DEALS ON
BIG HARD DRIVES
ULTIMATE POWER:
CUSTOM-BUILT PCs
THE RIGHT DIGITAL
CAMERA FOR YOU
º
THE MOST COMPREHENSIVE GUIDE TO TODAY’S TECHNOLOGY
COMPUTERSHOPPER.COM
20TH
ANNUAL
SHOPPERS’
CHOICE
AWARDS
YOU PICKED
+
THEBEST
READERS PICK
THEIR FAVORITE
• HARDWARE
• SOFTWARE
• GADGETS
• PC SUPPORT
PLUS THE
TOP WEB
STORES &
SERVICES
MAKE YOUR
PC START
FASTER
15
WAYS
TO RECYCLE
OLD TECH
PRODUCTS
KEEP YOUR
KIDS SAFE
ONLINE
HOW TO
CONTACT
EVASIVE
E-TAILERS
2
70992 06900
0
A CNET Publication
U.S. $4.99 | CANADA $5.99
0 2>
FEBRUARY 2006 | DISPLAY UNTIL FEB. 13, 2006
20 BLAZING
GRAPHICS
CARDS
CONTENTS ,
140 What you should know about
PC makers’ warranties before you
buy your next desktop or notebook.
FEBRUARY 2006 VOLUME 26 NUMBER 2 ISSUE 311
DESKTOPS
24
26
26
27
27
20TH
59
Velocity Micro Gamers’
Edge DualX T1300
HP Pavilion s7220n Slimline
Vigor Hornet
Bully Surgeon
Sony VAIO VGC-RC110G
NOTEBOOKS
ANNUAL
28
28
32
32
32
HP Pavilion DV8000z
Dell XPS M140
Asus W2V
Averatec 3715-EH1
Sony VAIO FJ170/B
32
COMPONENTS
25
34
34
Features
34
READERS’ PICKS OF 2005
59
Annual Shoppers’ Choice Awards
The savviest tech shoppers speak
out! Our readers pick their favorite
products of the past year in our
annual awards survey. Plus, we
look back at some past picks from
the last two decades.
DISPLAYS
38
38
38
Hand-Crafted Computers
If you’re after personalized service,
a wide variety of components, or
unique hand-finished detailing, a
PC from a custom builder is the
way to go.
Canon Pixma iP4200
Epson PictureMate Express Edition
Lexmark T640
34
HOME NETWORKING
71
42
42
42
APC 3-in-1 Wireless Mobile Router
Belkin Wireless G Plus MIMO Router
Netgear SC101 Storage Central
MOBILE PRODUCTS
44
44
RECYCLE YOUR TECH
83
BenQ FP91E
LaCie 319
Sony SDM-S75A
PRINTERS
40
40
40
PCs FROM CUSTOM BUILDERS
71
Logitech Z-5450 Digital
ATI Radeon X1600 XT
Logitech Cordless Desktop
MX5000 Laser
Pioneer DVR-R100
48
Dell Axim X51v
Archos AV500
DIGITAL CAMERAS
Give or Go Green
Has a new holiday PC left you
tripping over the old one?
Find out the right way to
donate or recycle your
retired tech.
48
48
48
Kodak EasyShare One
Konica Minolta DiMage Z6
Sony Cyber-shot DSC-R1
DIGITAL AUDIO
49
49
49
Iriver U10
JVC Alneo XA-HD500
Sennheiser PXC300
DIGITAL LIVING
50
83
50
50
Page 98
Page 92
Page 83
Page 96
Page 115
Page 134
50
SOFTWARE
Page 71
Page 152
Page 59
Bose 3-2-1 Series II Home
Entertainment System
HP PL4200N
Panasonic PT-52LCX65
44 Archos AV500
Want television to go?
The capable AV500 is a
portable video recorder
that puts your favorite
programming in the
palm of your hand.
52
52
54
54
54
55
55
55
Acronis True Image 9.0
Norton Ghost 10.0
BeInSync 1.6
CrazyTalk Media Studio 4.0
System Mechanic 6 Professional
EZ Photo Calendar Creator 4.0
IronTrainer 2
MediaMonkey 2.4
TOP 25
56
The best Media Center PCs, thin-and-light
notebooks, MP3 players, 17-inch LCDs, and
home-PC software.
computershopper.com February 2006
9
Help & How-To
COMPUTER CURES
89
Alfred dispenses some smart registry advice and
helps a reader partition a hard drive within
Windows. Plus, find out how to boot up your PC in
an emergency—using Linux. By Alfred Poor
92
Kick-Start Your Bootup
Time and OS-clogging apps are the enemy of a
fast-booting PC. We help you trim the fat and
get a leaner, faster-starting system.
Safety Net
Keeping your kids safe online is a 24/7 job. Find
out how to help your child elude cyber predators
with our collection of tips and child-friendly
software.
WEEKEND PROJECT
96
96
TechMarket
COMPLETE PRODUCT MARKETPLACE GUIDE
BUYING ADVISOR
98
2006: A Storage Space Odyssey
Space is finite, but data is forever expanding. The
Advisor rounds up five new roomy, economical
Serial ATA hard drives for a speed and feature test.
By John A. Burek
CONSUMER ALERT
115 Whom to Call When Things Go Wrong
It’s almost impossible to find phone numbers for
many of the largest online merchants. We provide
customer-service numbers for some popular etailers, and tips on how to contact the rest.
BUYING BASICS
152 How to Buy the Right Digital Camera
117
122
132
134
136
138
140
SOHO Desktops
Desktop-Replacement Notebooks
Home and Small-Office Laser Printers
Performance Graphics Cards
External DVD Burners
Smartphones
PC Service and Support Plans
Web Buyer
THE BEST SITES FOR ONLINE SHOPPING
143
143
144
145
146
146
Tech Products
Apple Hardware and Software
Input Devices
Direct PC Vendors
Software
Blank Media
138
Also in This Issue
TRENDS
17
20
Dell tests the retail waters by selling PCs at Costco.
Plus, Samsung looks to brighten up cell-phone
screens, and TiVo adds support for the Apple iPod
and Sony PlayStation Portable.
GEAR
20
• Asus MyPal A636 Pocket PC
• Buffalo MiniStation
• Linksys WUSBF54G Wireless-G
USB Adapter With Wi-Fi Finder
• Nokia 7380
• Shure E4g Sound Isolating
Earphones: Gaming Edition
• Targus Urban Messenger
20
DEPARTMENTS
12
12
147
151
Editor’s Note
Letters
Spotlight
Ad Index
Computer Shopper (ISSN 0886-0556) is published monthly, for $24.97 per year in the U.S. and $54.97 per year outside the U.S., by CNET Networks, Inc., 28 E. 28th St., New York, NY 10016-7942. Periodicals Mail postage paid at New York, NY, and additional mailing offices.
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PRINTED IN THE U.S.A.
11
EDITOR’S NOTE JANICE CHEN
are far from unique among technology and gadget magazines. Plenty of editorial staffs
present a “best of the year” to help you sift through
gazillions of new products released by tech manufacturers. Of course, my biased opinion is that Computer
Shopper’s annual Top 100 (in our November issue) is
TOP-PRODUCT LISTS
a standout in the game of cataloging superlatives. But this
month, we bring you a list that’s truly peerless: our annual Shoppers’ Choice Award winners (p. 59). Unlike the rest of the bestofs, this honor roll was decided by you, our readers. And that’s
what makes it so valuable: No matter what the experts tell you,
there’s nothing like hearing it from the buyer’s mouth.
This year marks the 20th anniversary of our readers’ choice
awards, and while much has changed since we started surveying
our audience back in 1985, some things remain constant. You continue to be savvy shoppers, not only
choosing products for their technical prowess and
innovative design, but also keeping price and
20TH
overall value top of mind. This year’s winners
ANNUAL
include high-performance picks such as Western Digital’s Raptor Series of 10,000rpm hard drives,
as well as value-oriented options like the HP Photo-
LETTERS
AN EASIER WAY TO DVD
John Burek did a nice job answering the
challenge of turning old VHS cassettes
into DVDs (“Exit Videotapes, Enter
DVDs,” December, p.128). I recently
faced the same daunting task. But the
solution I recommend doesn’t involve a
computer at all. I used a VCR and a
DVD recorder unit from GoVideo. With
this device, you simply insert the tape
and a blank DVD, set it to copy, and go
do something else. I could even watch
TiVo while it was recording. Copying
about 100 VHS tapes took more than
three months, so I’m glad I didn’t have
to sit in front of my PC for all that time.
Dan Connors
GREAT GIFT SHORTLIST
I found the “Thrifty Gifts” sidebar in your
December issue to be worth the price of
smart 375 snapshot printer, which beat out
pricier, full-service inkjets for best photo printer. And Newegg.com, a runaway winner in the
Best Place to Buy categories, stands out among
e-tailers by offering extremely competitive
pricing and a huge selection.
While finding out what everyone else wants can certainly be
edifying, those who aren’t satisfied with cookie-cutter configurations churned out by top-tier desktop vendors won’t want to
miss “Hand-Crafted Computers,” (p. 71), which covers fully customized desktop rigs. Custom PC builders like All American
Computers, Overdrive PC, and Puget Custom Computers deliver
practically anything you can dream up, whether it’s a custom
paint job, liquid cooling, or even a cherry-red see-through case.
Before you make your next high-tech purchase,
chances are you’ll need to clear out the old to make
room for the new. It may be tempting to take a sledgehammer to your old clunker and toss it in the trash,
but you’ll do the environment a favor by recycling or
donating old electronics. And you might even be able
to get some cash in return. Check out “Give or Go
Green” (p. 83) to find out how.
janice.chen@cnet.com
D
WIN!
A 60GB Apple iPod and a
$25 iTunes Gift Card
Go to computershopper.com/survey.
sweepstakes rules on p. 150.
the magazine
See
(“Present Tech,”
p. 91). Your recommendations for simple, affordable gifts
are universal, and any tech geek would
love to have them.
David Carson
TRULY FREE FAXING
In regards to Nancy Lang-Feldman’s
January column (“eFax Eats Your Free
Lunch,” p. 108), eFax also threatened
to cut off my service when I went
over the 20-page incoming-fax limit. I
found another free fax service, K7.net
(www.K7.net). There is no 20-page limit; you just need to use the service at
least once a month to avoid losing your
number. They also have a very affordable paid service that has unlimited
incoming faxes and permits you to send
outgoing faxes.
Tom Lovely
CORRECTIONS
We incorrectly stated the editors’ rating for
the Dell Inspiron 6000 as 6.3 in “More Go,
Less Dough,” (December, p. 94). The correct rating is 6.1, as stated in the Feature
Comparison table on p. 100 of that story.
We reviewed two different configurations
of the same notebook, the HP Compaq Presario V2000Z, in our December issue. The
configuration reviewed in “More Go, Less
Dough” (p. 94) provided a better value-toperformance ratio than the configuration in
our Notebook Reviews section (p. 38) did,
resulting in a higher rating.
We want to hear from you.
Letters, Computer Shopper
28 E. 28th St., 10th Fl.
New York, NY 10016-7922
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Letters may be edited for length and clarity,
and may be published in any medium.
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12
February 2006 computershopper.com
TRENDS
18 TiVo Adds iPod, Sony PSP Support
18 Samsung Hopes to Brighten Up
Cell-Phone Screens
18 iPod Competitors Look to Build a
Common Port
20 Gear
UPCOMING TECHNOLOGIES AND PRODUCTS
Dell Tests the Retail Waters
By Offering Systems at Costco
COULD DELL’S burgeoning
relationship with big-box
retailer Costco lead to more
retail channels for the
computer giant?
Recently sighted at some
Costco warehouse outlets
were $899.99 Dell
2200 15-inch laptops with 1.7GHz
540-series Pentium 4 processors,
DVD±RW drives,
and 80GB hard
drives, prompting
some analysts to
ask if Dell is
breaking out of its
online-only business model.
Mike Maher, a Dell
spokesperson, says the company isn’t planning similar
retail partnerships outside of
Costco. Analysts suggest,
however, that additional retail partners could help spice
up Dell’s online sales, which
in the past have been boost-
How Much Do You
Spend on a New PC?
More than $2,000
$1,500 to
$2,000
12.7%
19.8%
$1,000 to
$1,500
28.6%
Less than
$500
6.9%
$500 to
$1,000
32%
ed by appearances at shopping-mall kiosks.
Roger Kay, an industry
analyst at Endpoint Technologies Associates, says that Dell
may be testing the retail waters the way it did in the late
’90s with Price Club, which
was later acquired by Costco.
“Right now, Dell is struggling with consumers, and
when a company has that
problem, it tends to experiment with its business models,” Kay says. “They make a
small commitment to a new
• TRENDSPOTTING
business method and then see
how it goes, and if things seem
good, then the company can
pump up the volume.”
Dell’s relationship with
Costco is a logical fit, according to Kay, because Costco is a
buyer’s club
that draws in
small to midsize businesses, a core demographic for
Dell.
Costco has
also been featuring $1,299
Dell 6000 laptops and
$2,499 Dell
XPS 600 desktop Media Center
PCs with 20-inch wide-screen
LCDs. Both models come with
a three-year warranty, which
Toni Duboise, a Current Analysis analyst, says is a good incentive for the business customers that frequent Costco.
A few years from
now, you might be
able to carry a home
theater system in
your pocket.
Finland’s Upstream
Engineering is working on a light-emitting diode (LED) projection system that
could potentially,
because of its small
size and relatively
low cost, allow
manufacturers
to put projectors
inside MP3 players
or other portable
electronics for just
a few dollars.
Upstream’s current optical-engine
prototype is about
the size of a matchbox. An accompanying projector would
be about the size of
a cell phone.
—Michael Singer, News.com
—Michael Kanellos, News.com
Consumers Learning to Love New Tech
Are tech phobias fading? Acceptance of
new technology among consumers is on
the rise, a new survey shows.
About 28 percent of consumers say
they are more inclined to accept new
technology now versus a year ago, while
only 4 percent are now more skeptical of
it, according to a study conducted by
Harris Interactive. The other 68 percent
said their attitudes toward technology
have remained unchanged.
Nearly 39 percent of consumers polled
say they are likely to buy home technology products over the next six months.
The top five product categories in the
home segment include computers,
printers, home theaters, TV content
providers, and game consoles. The
mobile products most likely to be purchased include cell phones, cameras,
laptops, personal music devices, and
video cameras.
Ease of use and warranties were key factors in influencing purchase decisions. Only a
few consumers noted that comparisons with
what they have now and the brand of the
new product would affect their decisions.
—Dinesh C. Sharma, Special to News.com
Source: Computer Shopper reader survey
17
TRENDS TECH NEWS
TiVo Adds iPod, PlayStation Portable Support
TIVO IS looking to attract
more customers by collaborating with Apple Computer
and Sony, makers of the two
most popular mobile devices
on the market: the iPod and
the PlayStation Portable.
The company, whose
box has become synonymous with digital TV
recording, plans to roll out
a version of its TiVoToGo
mobile service for the
popular devices. In
the coming
months, customers will
be able to synchronize downloads of their programs from their TiVo
Series2 boxes and transfer them to the portable
devices via their PCs. To use
the new service, subscribers
will have to purchase lowcost software that will en-
able the transfer of content.
“The service will automatically prepare and transcode
the television show to one of
these portable devices using
industry-standard format
designs,” says Jim Denney,
director of product market-
ing at TiVo.
The rollout will increase
the number of devices with
which TiVoToGo can interact. Introduced in January
2005, TiVoToGo lets you
transfer TV shows from your
DVR to a laptop or PC over
your home network. Last
April, TiVo added support for
devices compatible with the
Microsoft Portable Media
Center format.
To discourage abuse or
unlawful use
of this feature, the
company will
apply “watermark”
technologies to programs transferred with
TiVoToGo, enabling it to
track the account from
which a transferred program
originated.
—Michael Singer, News.com
Samsung Sees the Light on Mobile Screens
SAMSUNG is applying its
expertise in manufacturing
oversize flat screens to
a much smaller
arena: handheld
displays.
With hopes of
replicating the
success it’s had
with large LCD
screens, the company is converting
its televisions’
high-definition image rendering for use in mobile phones in camera mode,
according to Joe Virginia,
vice president of TFT/LCD
marketing and business development.
Another picture-quality
improvement underway:
adding white pixels to the
standard RGB alignment (the
three colors used to translate spectral light in displays
18
by as much as 70 percent,
thus reducing the amount of
power it requires.
Other upgrades
Samsung expects
to roll out over the
year include broadening its handhelds’ color palette
from 262,000 to
16.7 million colors
and improving
screen resolution
to a WVGA-quality
852x480, Virginia says.
The improvements will
have a slimming effect on
the devices, reducing their
depth from 2.1mm to
1.6mm. Samsung is also investing in slimmer, hybrid
touch-screen panels, which
it expects to include in its
Future Samsung cell phones
lineup of display technolocould have much-improved resogies in the fourth quarter of
lution over new QVGA-quality
phones like the SCH-B200.
this year.
—M.S., News.com
and digital cameras), which
Samsung claims will increase a screen’s brightness
Competitors
To iPod Seek
A Common
Connection
Hoping to loosen Apple
Computer’s grip on the
market for digital music
players, Microsoft is rallying consumer-electronics
companies to foster a
connection they would all
share—literally.
The software maker is
part of a working group recently launched by the Consumer Electronics Association (CEA) to develop a
standard port for connecting gadgets such as music
players to audio systems in
homes and cars.
Apple’s popular iPod already has a standard dock
connector that connects its
recent models to speakers,
car kits, and other devices.
Other music-player makers,
such as Creative Labs, Dell,
and Iriver, however, employ
their own nonstandard
ports, making it difficult
for accessory manufacturers to create add-ons that
will work with multiple formats. Most accessories are
geared toward the iPod, the
market leader, and Apple
collects a cut from each
“made for iPod” add-on
that works with the music
player.
So far, over 40 companies have signed up to be
part of the working group,
according to the CEA. They
include representatives
from Belkin, Best Buy,
Bose, Creative Technology,
Nokia, Philips, and Sirius.
(Apple is not a member of
the group.)
Dave Wilson, the CEA’s
director of technology and
standards, says the group
hopes to have a standard
port completed by midyear.
—M.S, News.com
GEAR NEW PRODUCTS
BY BRIAN BENNETT
PlayStation isolation
Designed to shut out disruptive
external sounds, the $299 Shure
E4g Sound Isolating Earphones:
Gaming Edition really get you in
the game. Intended for use with
handheld audio/game devices
such as the Sony PlayStation
Portable, the stereo headset
comes in console-coordinating
black. Shure also claims the E4g’s
sound-isolating technology is
just as effective as the active
noise-canceling techniques of
competing headphones.
Shure, www.shure.com
Tank drive
Dialing in style
Crafted with sleek lines sure to please tech
fashionistas, the model-thin Nokia 7380 eliminates the traditional phone keypad in favor of
a circular dialer. Beyond the attractively
etched chassis, the $649 handset also features
a 2-megapixel camera (with 4x digital zoom),
Bluetooth connectivity, and the ability to play
MP3 files. Nokia, www.nokiausa.com
20
Toss the Buffalo MiniStation
into your bag or pocket, and
you’ll always be ready to grab or
share important files. Not only
does this portable hard drive
connect to PCs via USB 2.0, it
also features a nifty shockabsorbing case and floating internal supports for riding out
minor bumps and falls with
minimum damage. The 40GB
model costs $149, and the 80GB,
$199. Buffalo Technology,
www.buffalotech.com
Tech pack
The $59.99 Targus Urban Messenger bag will get you
noticed for your sense of style, not for a bulging notebook. Tailored to fit laptops with screens measuring
up to 15.4 inches, the satchel features distinctive
black-and-orange accents and plenty of pockets to
carry your cell phone, identification, MP3 player, and
documents. You even get a six-slot CD/DVD sleeve.
Targus Group International, www.targus.com
PDA pilot
The $599 Asus MyPal A636 Pocket PC runs Microsoft’s latest Windows Mobile operating system,
version 5, and has a speedy 416MHz CPU. The PDA
also features both Bluetooth and 802.11b Wi-Fi wireless networking. And in case you get lost, the integrated GPS receiver will help you get back on track.
Asustek Computer, usa.asus.com
Detect and connect
Sniff out wireless networks wherever you roam
with the Linksys WUSBF54G Wireless-G USB
Adapter With Wi-Fi Finder. Powered by an internal
rechargeable battery, the $79 device enables you to
search for, identify, and filter available access points
by security, name, and signal strength. Better still,
the gadget adds 802.11b/g connectivity to any PC.
Linksys, www.linksys.com
21
REVIEWS
THE LATEST HARDWARE AND SOFTWARE PRODUCTS
Velocity Micro Gamer’s Edge DualX T1300
Boutique brings handcrafted PC to retail buyers
THE GAMER’S EDGE DualX T1300 is Velocity Micro’s entry
into the electronics retail channel. Available in Best Buy’s retail
outlets and on its Web site (www.bestbuy.com), the $1,990
T1300 is a serious gaming machine. It’s one of three configurations offered by the retail
7.2
giant
(but the only one you’ll
EDITORS’ RATING
see in stores).
0 BETTER >>
10
The T1300 is housed in Velocity Micro’s Signature LXPROS Highly upgradable;
strong overall performer; overW case. The interior is wellclocked graphics card
organized and bathed in blue
CONS Monitor, speakers cost
light. A door conceals a douextra; no flash-card reader
ble-layer DVD burner and a
DVD-ROM drive, as well as a
SPECS 2.4GHz Athlon 64
3800+; 1GB DDR; 250GB hard
floppy drive, but the PC lacks
drive; double-layer DVD±RW;
a memory-card reader.
DVD-ROM; no monitor; nVidia
Two USB 2.0
GeForce 7800 GT graphics
ports and a
(256MB); Windows XP Home
Edition
FireWire
port share
Velocity Micro, 800-303-7866
space on the lower-front
www.velocitymicro.com
bezel with headphone and
Direct Price $1,990
microphone jacks. Rear-
What’s the Deal?
Velocity Micro jumps into the retail game with the
Gamer’s Edge DualX T1300, a smart configuration and
a good value for a gaming PC.
What it’s for: Intended for gaming, the T1300 is
stocked well enough to make quick work of most consumer activities, including digital media work.
Who it’s for: Anyone seeking an off-the-shelf gaming
rig, or those just looking for more performance and
customization in their next PC.
Business use: Productivity applications such as
Microsoft Office, as well as graphics work.
What’s included: One year of parts-and-labor coverage,
onsite service, and toll-free phone support; standard
Microsoft Internet keyboard and optical scroll mouse;
assorted bundled software, including Cyberlink PowerDVD 5, the Nero CD/DVD burning suite, Ubisoft’s Far
Cry, and a system-restore CD.
Extra essentials: 5.1- or 7.1-channel speakers; monitor
for work and 3D gaming; games.
The bottom line: Velocity Micro successfully brings
high-end, overclocked components and handcrafted
workmanship to retail buyers.
24
accessible connections include four USB 2.0 ports, a FireWire
port, an Ethernet connection, and jacks for audio from the
Creative Sound Blaster Audigy 2 ZS sound card.
The T1300’s 2.4GHz Athlon 64 3800+ processor runs on an
Asus A8N SLI motherboard with 1GB of memory. A 250GB hard
drive provides ample storage, and the removable drive-bay
cage has room for four additional hard drives. The PC comes
with a single, overclocked 256MB nVidia GeForce 7800 GT
graphics card; a second x16 PCI Express (PCIe) slot maintains
space for an identical card should you opt for a dual-card
performance boost.
On the BAPCo
SYSmark 2004 test,
the component
combination managed a respectable
score of 198. The
CPU is fast enough
for most users, and
the graphics card is
close to top-of-theline, flipping
frames at a rate of
80 per second on
our 1,600x1,200
Velocity Micro uses the same custom
Half-Life 2 test.
—John R. Delaney
detailing in its retail entry for Best Buy
as it does on its own site.
in this section
Logitech Z-5450 Digital
Wireless rear speakers provide clutter-free surround sound
THE TROUBLE WITH surround-sound
setups is that their wiring, well, surrounds
you. Logitech’s Z-5450 Digital untangles the
mess by adding two wireless rear speakers
to an otherwise typical 5.1 setup. How do
they sound? Like music to our ears.
The $499.99 Z-5450 consists of six
speakers (two front satellites, two rearchannel satellites, a center-channel
speaker, and a subwoofer) for a total of
315 watts RMS. You can operate the Z-5450
either via a wired control module, which
EDITORS’ RATING
0
7.5
BETTER >>
10
PROS 2.4GHz wireless surround speakers;
surround-sound decoder; wireless remote
control; multiple digital inputs
CONS Loose-sounding subwoofer; wireless
transmitter can interfere with cordless phones
Logitech, 800-231-7717
www.logitech.com
Direct Price $499.99
functions as a preamp and a wireless
transmitter, or with the included remote
control. The control module incorporates
Dolby Digital, Dolby Pro Logic II, DTS, and
DTS 96/24 processing, and it allows you to
directly connect the system to devices
such as sound cards, DVD players, and
game consoles.
Shaped like a wireless router, the control module has a luminescent text display
with a large front-panel volume knob. Its
assortment of A/V-receiver-style connections includes two optical digital-audio in-
puts, one coaxial digital-audio input, and
three 1/8-inch analog mini-jack inputs.
We plugged our system into a Sound
Blaster Audigy 2 ZS sound card and placed
the two wireless rear speakers behind us.
Each rear speaker has a hardwired power
cord (meaning the rear speakers aren’t 100
percent wireless), but we’re of the opinion
that connecting directly to a power outlet
is better than using batteries.
The control module employs 2.4GHz
digital wireless transmission to send the
signal to the surround speakers. When our
2.4GHz cordless phone was in the same
room as the speakers, interference from
the Z-5450 rendered the phone unusable.
On the other hand, the speakers didn’t
cause any interference with our Wi-Fi
network and were able to deliver clear,
hiccup-free rear-channel sound.
During intense deathmatch battles in
Half-Life 2, the subwoofer drove grenade
explosions home with satisfying boom.
When we played Outkast’s “Ms. Jackson,”
however, the bass line was a little more
lumbering and loose than we would have
liked. A viewing of Star Trek: Insurrection
presented perfectly clear center-speaker
dialogue. Treble and midrange also sounded smooth and balanced.
26 DESKTOPS
Vigor Hornet
Bully Surgeon
28 NOTEBOOKS
HP Pavilion DV8000z
Dell XPS M140
Asus W2V
Averatec 3715-EH1
Sony VAIO FJ170/B
34 COMPONENTS
ATI Radeon X1600 XT
MX5000 Laser
Pioneer DVR-R100
38 DISPLAYS
BenQ FP91E
LaCie 319
Sony SDM-S75A
40 PRINTERS
Canon Pixma iP4200
Epson PictureMate Express
Edition
Lexmark T640
42 HOME NETWORKING
APC 3-in-1 Wireless Mobile Router
Belkin Wireless G Plus
MIMO Router
Netgear SC101 Storage Central
44 MOBILE PRODUCTS
Dell Axim X51v
Archos AV500
—Nathaniel Wilkins
The Z-5450’s router-like
control module doubles as a
wireless transmitter to the rear
speakers, which operate on a
2.4GHz frequency.
48 DIGITAL CAMERAS
Kodak EasyShare One
49 DIGITAL AUDIO
Iriver U10
JVC Alneo XA-HD500
Sennheiser PXC300
50 DIGITAL LIVING
Bose 3-2-1 Series II Home
Entertainment System
HP PL4200N
52 SOFTWARE
Acronis True Image 9.0
Norton Ghost 10.0
System Mechanic 6 Professional
BeInSync 1.6
CrazyTalk Media Studio 4.0
IronTrainer 2
MediaMonkey 2.4
For details on how we test the hardware
we review, visit computershopper.com/
HowWeTest.
25
REVIEWS DESKTOPS
Compact box is quiet, affordable
HEWLETT-PACKARD’S tiniest small-form-factor PC yet, the
$569.99 Pavilion s7220n Slimline is a stylish, quiet, and able
budget performer. Its lack of expandability makes it better suited
for use as a second PC, however.
The s7220n’s case, like that of Apple’s Mac Mini, isn’t meant
to be opened (or its insides tinkered with), so HP has
EDITORS’ RATING
0
6.8
BETTER >>
10
PROS Highly affordable;
compact design; quiet operation;
roomy hard drive
CONS Cannot be upgraded,
customized
SPECS 1.5GHz Celeron M 370;
512MB DDR2; 200GB hard drive;
double-layer DVD±RW; no monitor; Intel integrated graphics;
Windows XP Home Edition;
Microsoft Works 8
Hewlett-Packard, 877-801-7183
www.hp.com
Direct Price $569.99 (before
a $50 mail-in rebate)
smartly outfitted the
PC with a relatively robust
feature set. You get 512MB of
RAM, a flash-card reader, a
spacious 200GB hard drive,
and a double-layer LightScribe DVD burner. Connectivity options include five
USB 2.0 ports (four in the
back, one in front), one
FireWire port, and jacks for
six-channel audio.
The PC achieves its tiny
Vigor Hornet
A well-priced, entry-level 3D gamer
size thanks in
part to the use of
a notebook
processor, the
1.5GHz Celeron
M 370, which
runs more efficiently than a
desktop chip. This
allows the s7200n
to run cool and
quiet in a compact case. Besides the
CPU, the s7220n uses no other mobile technology—the optical
drive and motherboard, for example, are full-size and as
durable as those on a traditional desktop. HP even managed to
fit the power supply inside the box, so the unit requires no
external power brick.
In our tests, the PC’s processor kept up with budget competitors. The s7220n managed a 125 score on BAPCo SYSmark 2004,
proving it can handle the basics, but not much else. And while
its integrated graphics chip isn’t capable of heavy chores—it
couldn’t complete our Half-Life 2 tests—it will suffice for DVD
viewing or the occasional photo edit.
—Asa Somers
EDITORS’ RATING
0
7.4
BETTER >>
10
PROS Solid 3D performance;
lots of expansion room; three-
VIGOR GAMING is a relative newcomer to the boutique-PC
market, and its Hornet desktop ($1,577 as configured, without
monitor or speakers) is a serious 3D-gaming rig that won’t
overtax your budget.
A huge, gloss-black custom chassis with silver-aluminum
trim, the Hornet’s case is quite attractive. A windowed leftside panel provides a view of the
unique Super Monsoon Active Cooling System (MACS) CPU assembly.
The MACS is regulated by thermoelectric chips that use the CPU fan
to draw heat away from the CPU.
Vigor claims this process provides a
10 degree Celsius reduction in heat
at full loads, allowing for safe overclocking without the need for water-cooling components. The CPU
fan is lit by bright green or blue
LEDs that complement the three
blue-lit system fans, resulting in a
dazzling light show.
The Hornet’s
case holds
lots of expansion
26
room for optical drives,
year warranty
hard drives, and PCI cards.
CONS Monitor, speakers cost
Ports—both front and
extra; huge tower; cable routing
could be neater
back—abound for peripherals. Vigor tie-wrapped
every cable inside, but the
4000+; 1GB DDR; two 160GB
hard drives; double-layer
routing scheme isn’t as
DVD±RW; no monitor; nVidia
tidy as it could be.
GeForce 7800 GT graphics
The Hornet’s
(256MB); Windows XP Home
overclocked
Edition
2.4GHz Athlon 64
Vigor Gaming, 866-907-3536
4000+ processor
www.vigorgaming.com
and 1GB of memDirect Price $1,577
ory performed
more than admirably, with the PC scoring an impressive 221 on BAPCo SYSmark 2004. Graphics
performance, driven by a 256MB nVidia GeForce
7800 GT card, was also respectable, at 115 frames
per second on our 1,024x768 Half-Life 2 test.
Vigor offers a three-year parts-and-labor warranty standard, along with toll-free phone support for
the duration of the PC’s life. The company’s Web
site, on the other hand, offers little support beyond a
—John R. Delaney
FAQ page.
REVIEWS DESKTOPS
Bully Surgeon
Liquid-cooled midrange PC has room to grow
AIMED AT USERS who want a fully customizable, hand-built
PC without shelling out for a high-cost machine, the Bully Surgeon offers midrange performance for a similarly midrange
$1,499 (without speakers or a monitor).
The Surgeon’s anodized-aluminum case features a side-panel window that provides a
view of the blue-lit interior,
EDITORS’ RATING 6.5
well-organized sheathed
0 BETTER >>
10
cabling, and a small waterPROS Water-cooling system;
cooling unit for the CPU.
generous software bundle; threeBehind a flimsy front-panel
year standard warranty
door are a double-layer
CONS Mediocre 3D perforDVD±RW burner and a floppy
mance; monitor, speakers not
drive. An optional second opincluded; no option for mediatical
drive is available, but a
card reader
flash-card reader is not. A
small removable drawer,
3000+; 1GB DDR; 160GB hard
handy
for storing small tools,
drive; double-layer DVD±RW; no
is built into the case. Audio
monitor; nVidia GeForce 6600 GT
graphics (128MB); Windows XP
jacks and two USB 2.0 ports
Home Edition; Microsoft Works 8
are on the front face, with
Bully Computers, 847-891-0085
jacks for the integrated 7.1
www.bullypc.com
audio and four more USB 2.0
ports on the rear. Internal exDirect Price $1,499
A quiet, attractive, well-rounded Media Center
pansion is abundant.
Our test unit was
stocked with a 1.8GHz
Athlon 64 3000+
processor, 1GB of
RAM, a 160GB hard
drive, and a 128MB
GeForce 6600 GT
graphics card. You can
order the Surgeon
with different processors
(AMD or Intel), hard drives, and graphics cards (including nVidia Scalable Link Interface setups).
Considering most of its components barely qualify as
midrange, the Surgeon performed as it should. Its 148 score on
BAPCo SYSmark 2004 indicates the PC is adequate for mainstream tasks. Although its 3D performance isn’t terrible, the
Surgeon won’t blow you away; it delivered 26 frames per second on our 1,600x1,200 Half-Life 2 test.
Bully bundles an assortment of software, including Microsoft Works 8 and Panda’s Antivirus Titanium 2005, and provides a generous warranty: three years on parts and labor.
Note that phone support is not toll-free, however.
—John R. Delaney
EDITORS’ RATING
0
THE $1,299 Sony VAIO VGC-RC110G is a mainstream Media Center PC that earns points for its attractive case, quiet operation,
and generous A/V-connectivity options, though having a manual
or two in the box would greatly aid setup.
This living-room-friendly PC operates in near-silence, thanks
to its liquid-cooling system, which kept noise to a barely audible hum. The illuminated VAIO logo on the front of the striking
tower is one of the only
indications that it’s on.
Two optical drives reside up front: a doublelayer DVD±RW, and a
DVD-ROM. A versatile
array of ports is available, too, including the
aforementioned
A/V jacks, seven USB 2.0
ports (three in front,
four in the back), two
FireWire ports, and a
6.7
BETTER >>
10
PROS Quiet operation, thanks
media-card reader.
to liquid cooling; attractive case;
The dual-core 3GHz Penwide array of ports; generous
tium D 830 CPU and 1GB of
software bundle
DDR2 memory offer reCONS Application, systemspectable performance, derecovery discs not included;
no printed setup instructions,
livering a fairly high 206 on
manuals
our BAPCo SYSmark 2004
benchmark test. The 128MB
SPECS 3GHz Pentium D 830;
1GB DDR2; 250GB hard drive;
ATI Radeon X300 isn’t
double-layer DVD±RW; DVDmuch of a graphics card,
ROM; no monitor; ATI Radeon
however, and the PC manX300 graphics (128MB); Winaged a barely playable 23.2
dows XP Media Center Edition
2005; Microsoft Works 8
frames per second on our
1,024x768 Half-Life 2 test.
Sony Electronics, 877-865-7669
Like most VAIOs, the
www.sonystyle.com
VGC-RC110G comes with a
Direct Price $1,299
vast bundle of media apps
and other software. The assortment includes Adobe’s Photoshop Elements 3 and Premiere Standard Edition, Microsoft
Works 8, and Roxio’s DigitalMedia SE. Sony doesn’t provide the
software on CD, however, nor any kind of system-restore disc.
Sony is good at providing service, but printed documentation
for this PC is conspicuously absent. You do get around-the-clock
phone support for one year, though.
—Troy Dreier
27
REVIEWS NOTEBOOKS
HP Pavilion DV8000z
A multimedia-friendly machine, but no 3D pro
HEWLETT-PACKARD’S $1,699 Pavilion DV8000z is a featurerich yet competitively priced desktop replacement with
enough performance for basic home use.
Instead of the Intel Pentium M processors most laptops
have, the notebook features a 2.2GHz AMD Turion 64 ML-40
processor. You also get 1GB of DDR RAM, a roomy (100GB)
but sluggish (4,200rpm) hard drive, and a doublelayer DVD
burner. The
17-inch
0 BETTER >>
10
wide-screen
PROS Affordable; excellent
display, which has a
keyboard; solid multimedia
sharp native resolution of
features, performance; double1,680x1,050 (WSXGA+), isn’t
layer DVD burner
as bright as other screens
CONS Dim display; weak 3D
we’ve seen.
graphics
The DV8000z is svelte for a
SPECS 2.2GHz Turion 64 MLdesktop-replacement laptop
40; 1GB DDR; 100GB hard drive;
and weighs a reasonable 8.3
DVD±RW; 17-inch TFT; Windows
pounds (9.1 pounds with AC
XP Professional
adapter). A touch pad (with
vertical- and horizontalwww.hp.com
scrolling capabilities) and a
Direct Price $1,699
separate number pad supple-
Dell XPS M140
Luxe laptop is an impressive performer
ment an already excellent
keyboard. Plus,
you can use the
multimedia controls to operate
the laptop’s Quick
Play software,
which plays CDs
and DVDs without
booting up Windows.
Notable connections include one four-pin FireWire
port, four USB 2.0 ports, a sixformat media-card reader, one
ExpressCard slot, and an integrated 802.11b/g Wi-Fi radio.
The DV8000z mustered a decent, though not stellar, BAPCo
SYSmark 2004 score of 144. The weak ATI Radeon Xpress 200
graphics won’t power 3D games well, however. One upside:
While the laptop’s size may impede portability, the battery life
of 3 hours and 32 minutes is comforting.
HP provides a one-year warranty for the DV8000z, including
toll-free 24/7 phone support and the cost of hardware repairs.
—Justin Jaffe
EDITORS’ RATING
0
7.7
BETTER >>
10
PROS Fast performance;
lengthy battery life; can play
THE NEWEST member of Dell’s XPS luxury laptop line, the
XPS M140 delivers speedy mobile performance and lengthy
battery life.
Our $2,049 test configuration came with top-shelf parts for
its high price, including a 2.13GHz Pentium M 770 processor,
1GB of fast 533MHz memory, and a 5,400rpm 80GB
hard drive. An integrated Intel
915GM graphics chip
borrows up to 128MB
of main memory, so
you can forget about
playing graphically
demanding games. To
burn DVDs and CDs, the
notebook features a double-layer DVD±RW drive.
In addition, the crisp
14.1-inch wide-screen LCD
features a 1,280x800 native
resolution.
Running Windows XP Media
Center Edition 2005, the laptop also
comes with Dell’s Media Direct software, which lets you play CDs and DVDs
without booting up.
CDs/DVDs without booting up;
double-layer DVD burner
The XPS M140 measures
1.5x13x9.6 inches and
CONS Weak 3D graphics; pricey
weighs 5.9 pounds (the
SPECS 2.13GHz Pentium M 770;
three-prong AC adapter adds
1GB DDR2; 80GB hard drive;
just under a pound more),
double-layer DVD±RW drive;
14.1-inch TFT; Windows XP Media
average for a thin-and-light
Center Edition 2005
notebook. We enjoyed typing
Dell, 800-999-3355
on its spacious keyboard,
www.dell.com
and the machine’s touch pad
and two mouse buttons are
Direct Price $2,049
also sizable.
On our BAPCo MobileMark 2005 benchmark test, the XPS M140
proved itself nimble, scoring a high 238. Also impressive: its long
battery life of almost 6 hours using a nine-cell battery.
For a thin-and-light laptop, the XPS M140 offers plenty of
connections, including an ExpressCard slot, a fiveformat flash-memory reader, and four USB
2.0 ports. An integrated 802.11b/g Wi-Fi
radio handles wireless networking.
The XPS M140 ships with a one-year
warranty; repairs are handled by mail-in service.
You also get toll-free, 24-hour tech support for a year.
—Stephanie Bruzzese
SECTION CONTINUES ON PAGE 32
28
REVIEWS NOTEBOOKS
Asus W2V
One stylish Media Center machine
THE $2,599 Asus W2V is elegantly designed and features
impressive multimedia capabilities.
With a brushed-aluminum chassis measuring
1.4x17.6x12.7 inches, the W2V is wide but possesses a
sleek, high-end look. Weighing a reasonable 7.5
pounds,
the laptop feels
>
>
0 BETTER
10
extremely
PROS Elegant design; gorsturdy. An expansive
geous screen; impressive feature
keyboard and average-size
set
touch pad provide plenty of
CONS Slow 3D-graphics
room for typing and navigatperformance; below-average
ing documents with comfort.
support
Connectivity includes one
SPECS 2.13GHz Pentium M
FireWire port, four USB 2.0
770; 1GB DDR2; 100GB hard
ports, and built-in Wi-Fi
drive; double-layer DVD±RW
802.11a/b/g and Bluetooth
drive; 17-inch TFT; Windows XP
Media Center Edition 2005
wireless networking.
Our test system paired a
Asustek Computer
888-678-3688
2.13GHz Pentium M 770
usa.asus.com
processor with 1GB of fast
533MHz DDR2 RAM, and
List Price $2,599
came with a large
100GB hard drive and
a slot-loading doublelayer DVD burner. The
system’s crisp 17-inch
wide-screen display is
great for video, delivering rich colors, smooth
playback, and excellent offaxis viewing. Driving the screen
was a 128MB ATI Mobility Radeon
x700 3D-graphics chip, which is robust, if not the fastest solution available. Running Windows XP Media Center Edition 2005,
the laptop also came with a wireless mouse, a remote control,
a USB radio-frequency antenna for catching TV broadcasts, and
a dongle for connecting cable and satellite boxes.
The W2V scored a strong 163 on BAPCo SYSmark 2004. The
machine isn’t great for gaming, however, posting a slow 20.9
frames per second on our Doom 3 test.
Asus provides a standard one-year warranty for the W2V,
but you’ll have to pay to ship the laptop back to a repair depot.
Also, phone support—available during limited hours through
the week—is not toll-free.
—Asa Somers
Averatec 3715-EH1
Sony VAIO FJ170/B
Affordable portable is no powerhouse
Swift lightweight has a sharp screen
THE $949.99 Averatec 3715-EH1’s light weight and low
price can’t completely make up for its slow performance and short battery life.
Our test model carried a 1.8GHz AMD Sempron
3000+ processor, 512MB of slow 333MHz memory, a 12.1-inch 1,024x768 (XGA) display,
and an integrated Via S3G graphics
chipset that takes 32MB from main memory.
Averatec also includes a DVD±RW burner and a big (if
slow) 4,200rpm 80GB hard drive.
Weighing 4.1 pounds (4.8 pounds with AC adapter) and
measuring 1.3x10.8x8.8 inches, the notebook is demurely
compact. Its keyboard is wide
enough for comfort, however.
Along with built-in 802.11b/g
0 BETTER >>
10
Wi-Fi, connections include a
PROS Inexpensive; compact
FireWire port, three USB 2.0
design; DVD burner
ports, and a four-format
CONS Slow mobile perforflash-memory slot.
mance; short battery life
The 3715-EH1 scored a low
SPECS 1.8GHz Sempron
146 on BAPCo MobileMark
3000+; 512MB DDR; 80GB hard
2005. Battery life also disapdrive; DVD±RW; 12.1-inch TFT;
pointed—just 2 hours and 30
Windows XP Home Edition
minutes. Averatec supplies a
Averatec, 877-841-7423
standard one-year warranty
www.averatec.com
with 24/7 toll-free tech supDirect Price $949.99
port.
SONY’S reasonably priced
VAIO FJ170/B satisfies with its
strong performance and good0 BETTER >>
10
enough battery life.
PROS
Lightweight
case;
fine
Our $1,499 test model came
performance; sharp wide-aspect
configured with a 1.73GHz Pendisplay
tium M 740 processor, a mamCONS Heavy AC adapter
moth 100GB hard drive, a douSPECS 1.73GHz Pentium M
ble-layer DVD burner, and
740; 512MB DDR2; 100GB hard
512MB of DDR2 RAM. The 14.1drive; double-layer DVD±RW;
inch, 1,280x800 wide-screen
14.1-inch TFT; Windows XP
display made colors pop.
Home Edition
We like the laptop’s attracSony Electronics, 877-865-7669
tive, light case, which measwww.sonystyle.com
ures 1.3x13.4x10 inches and
Direct Price $1,499
weighs 5.3 pounds. (The heavy
AC adapter, however, adds another pound.) The wide keyboard is
comfortable, as are the touch pad’s mouse buttons. Connections
include a four-pin FireWire port, three USB 2.0 ports, built-in
802.11b/g Wi-Fi connectivity, and a Memory Stick slot.
The FJ170/B scored a high 203 on
our BAPCo MobileMark 2005 benchmark test, and an adequate battery life
of 3 hours and 48 minutes.
Sony covers the notebook with a standard one-year warranty that includes
—S.B.
toll-free, 24/7 phone support.
32
REVIEWS COMPONENTS
ATI Radeon X1600 XT
Next-gen card falls short on 3D performance
WE FIND IT hard to recommend ATI’s 256MB Radeon X1600
XT when nVidia’s GeForce 6800 and 6800 GT cards remain on
the market. Chances are, you can find a better-performing
nVidia card for less than ATI’s $249 asking price. If upgrading
your home theater PC is your primary objective, however, and
your card has to be only semicompetent at gaming, this ATI
midrange board is your best bet.
The X1600 XT incorporates the same key 3D features
found in ATI’s new Radeon X1000 family, such as Shader
Model 3 and support for
High Dynamic Range (HDR)
lighting. Also onboard is
ATI’s Avivo video technolo0 BETTER >>
10
gy—the card’s saving grace.
PROS Supports Shader Model
Avivo supports the H.264
3, HDR lighting; Avivo video
standard, which is impordecoding
tant if you plan to switch to
CONS Performance lags on
the new Blu-ray or highgame tests; pricier than competdefinition-DVD formats
ing nVidia cards
anytime soon. At press
ATI Technologies, 888-974-6728
time, no other card offered
www.ati.com
this support. You also get a
Direct Price $249
series of video-quality
MX 5000 Laser
A wireless media manager for your PC
WE DON’T NORMALLY get weak in the
knees over keyboard-and-mouse bundles,
but Logitech’s MX 5000 Laser had us
blushing at the mere mention of its name.
The $149.99 kit consists of the MX1000
mouse, which tracks more accurately than any mouse we’ve
tested, and the newly designed MX 5000 keyboard. The keyboard features a built-in LCD that not only lists the time, date,
and temperature, but also can be set to chime whenever you
receive e-mail or an instant message (IM).
Both the keyboard and the mouse support Bluetooth 2.0 EDR
and require no configuration,
though you’ll have to install
Logitech’s bundled MediaLife
0 BETTER >>
10
software. The keyboard has
PROS LCD, touch-sensitive
four programmable function
media controls built into keybuttons and a strip of touchboard; mouse provides excellent
sensitive media controls.
traction; Bluetooth 2.0 support
Our only quibbles: The notiCONS Occasionally slows your
fications of incoming e-mail
system; slow to notify of new
and IMs were tardy and moe-mails, IMs
mentarily slowed our system.
Logitech, 800-231-7717
We experienced no other
www.logitech.com
performance lag or disconDirect Price $149.99
nects, however. —Louis Ramirez
tweak
options
with ATI’s
drivers, making the X1600
XT a good
choice for any
media-centric PC.
In our gaming
benchmark tests,
however, nVidia’s cards
ran circles around the
X1600 XT. Even on HalfLife 2, a Direct3D-based
game in which ATI usually
dominates, the X1600 XT’s 40
frames per second (fps) lagged behind the GeForce 6800 by 23
percent. You could dial down the anti-aliasing and anisotropic filtering and get 63fps on the X1600 XT, but a similarly
tweaked GeForce 6800 still outstripped it by an embarrassing
44 percent. ATI’s card did surpass the GeForce 6800 GT in our
Futuremark 3DMark05 test, but by only a paltry 6 percent.
—Rich Brown
Pioneer DVR-R100
FIRST
The next-generation DVD-format wars are raging, but
TAKE Pioneer briefly sidestepped the battle to announce the
DVR-R100, a high-speed internal CD/DVD burner that may
give your music and movies a new lease on life.
Upside: Available in black or beige, the $89 drive can write to
double-layer DVD±R media at up to 8x speed. It writes to single-layer DVD±R discs at 16x, DVD-RW at 6x, and DVD+RW at
8x. Pioneer claims the drive is 75 percent quieter than its predecessors, making it ideal for any media-centric PC that will reside in your living room. The drive comes with a comprehensive Ulead software package that includes DVD MovieFactory
4, Photo Explorer 8.5 SE, and VideoStudio 9 SE DVD.
Downside: Although we like the drive’s support for both
DVD+R and DVD-R double-layer media, the discs themselves
are still pricey. Also, those who don’t like
to tinker with the dusty innards of
their PC are out of luck—Pioneer
doesn’t offer an external
version of the drive.
Outlook: It’s hard to distinguish one optical drive from another,
but the DVR-R100’s noteworthy speeds, generous software
bundle, and attractive price make it difficult to resist, especial—L.R.
ly if you’re in the market for an affordable upgrade.
p Pioneer Electronics U.S.A., 800-421-1404,
www.pioneerelectronics.com
List Price $89
34
REVIEWS DISPLAYS
Sony SDM-S75A
A no-frills display suitable for office use
WITH THE 17-inch SDM-S75A, Sony
trades the glitzy look of its flagship
LCDs for a more restrained design. At
0 BETTER >>
10
$315.99, the monitor is an entry-level
PROS Sharp text rendering
display fit only for office use.
CONS Hard-to-read button
The screen’s bottom edge is fixed 5.75
labels; no digital input; ghosting
inches from the desk, a good height for
when displaying video
most people. You can tilt the display
back 20 degrees and forward 5 degrees,
b2b.sony.com
and it swivels from side to side. Keeping
with the display’s streamlined look are
small black buttons, embedded in the right bezel, used for navigating the
onscreen menu. Their tiny labels are hard to read, however.
The SDM-S75A has a native resolution of 1,280x1,024 and only a VGA
input—no digital connectivity. The
display excelled at rendering text,
but it didn’t impress us as much
with color. We noted compressed
shades at the bright end of their
ranges, and solid colors showed
traces of other tints. Also, despite its
reasonably zippy 12-millisecond pixel-response rate, the LCD exhibited
ghosting in our DVD-playback and
gaming tests.
—Dan Littman
EDITORS’ RATING
LaCie 319
Pricey LCD offers advanced features
A LOT OF people are in the market for a svelte,
high-performing LCD. Unless you’re a graphics pro,
however, LaCie’s 319 might be out of your range.
Sure, its color performance is excellent, but at $999,
the display costs twice as much as a layperson’s 19inch LCD.
The black-clad 319
doesn’t break any
0 BETTER >>
10
ground in LCD design.
PROS Outstanding color
It is, however, very
performance; lots of adjustment
flexible, with a neck
potential; optional color-calibrathat telescopes betion software, colorimeter
tween 1.5 and 6.5
CONS Expensive; unwieldy
inches, and a lazy Sutilt adjustment; disappointing
san that lets it swivel
gaming performance
90 degrees right and
LaCie, 503-844-4500
left. Besides rotating
www.lacie.com
between portrait and
Direct Price $999
landscape modes, the
screen can tilt forward and back, though adjusting
the stiff ball-and-socket-style joint on our unit required two hands and near-superhuman strength.
The display supports VGA and DVI connections.
Additionally, you can fit a metal hood to keep out
ambient light. A little hook in the center enables
you to hang LaCie’s optional $349 Blue Eye Pro colorimeter for performing advanced calibrations on
white-point temperature, gamma, and brightness.
Alternatively, you can buy the 319 bundled with the
colorimeter for a hefty $1,199.
The 319 did an excellent job in our color tests. It
displayed a wide range of colors that looked very
rich and didn’t shift in tint as the display progressed up and down the intensity scale. Grayscale performance was also satisfactory, with only
slight introduced color in the midlevel grays. Although the screen performed well in our DVDplayback tests, gaming performance was jerky
and blurry.
—Kristina Blachere
38
6.5
BenQ FP91E
Stylish screen delivers subpar performance
THERE’S NO denying the visual appeal
of the $479 BenQ FP91E, but this 19-inch
LCD’s image quality doesn’t justify the
0 BETTER >>
10
asking price. The display is adequate for
PROS Attractive design; intebasic tasks such as word processing and
grated speakers; includes preset
Web surfing, but graphics enthusiasts
brightness/contrast levels
should look elsewhere.
CONS Lackluster image qualiDespite our test unit’s 8-millisecond
ty; limited adjustability; cramped
cable connectors
response time, we experienced digital
noise and ghosting during DVD playBenQ America, 949-255-9500
back. On the plus side, the FP91E comes
www.benq.us
with two integrated 2-watt speakers, its
Mfr. Est. Price $479
onscreen menu is easy to navigate, and
preset modes for brightness and contrast are built-in. You can easily calibrate the screen by connecting it via an
analog interface. (DVI is also supported.)
The display offers little adjustability,
however, and its fixed height may require a monitor riser for comfortable
viewing. Another quibble: Its tightly
spaced cable connectors make it difficult
to connect cables behind the monitor.
—K.B.
REVIEWS PRINTERS
Lexmark T640
An office laser with room for extreme expansion
Canon Pixma iP4200
Versatile inkjet for the budget crowd
CANON’S PIXMA iP4200 may not be perfect, but
considering it costs just $129.99, it has plenty to
offer. Featuring automatic duplexing (doublesided printing), this four-color inkjet prints bordered or borderless color photos, and it’s relatively
fast for the money.
In our tests, the iP4200 produced adequate-looking printouts. Text showed some artifacts and
jagged lines, but these were noticeable only under
close magnification.
Bargain-hunting s
hoppers will find the
0 BETTER >>
10
text and photo quality
PROS Respectable print qualiquite acceptable.
ty; automatic duplexing; two
The printer impaper-input trays
pressed us a bit more
CONS Easy to direct output to
with its speed. Six
wrong paper tray
pages of text took
about a minute to
Canon U.S.A., 800-652-2666
usa.canon.com
print, and a duplexed
sheet with text, about 3
Mfr. Est. Price $129.99
minutes. An 8.5x11inch color print took 4 minutes and 9 seconds, and a
4x6-inch print, 74 seconds. While these aren’t the
fastest times we’ve seen, they’re decent for the price.
We appreciated the iP4200’s dual paper-input trays,
which enable versatile paper-feeding options. (For example, you can load 8.5x11-inch paper into one tray
and keep a supply of 4x6-inch sheets in the other.)
This arrangement makes it easy to accidentally direct
output to the wrong tray, however, so we recommend
using the driver’s Paper Allocation feature to specify
the type of paper in the cassette.
Ink costs about $14.25 per color tank for refills,
while a black tank retails at $16.25. Based on the company’s claim of 300 pages per cartridge, we estimate
printing costs of about 19 cents per page of graphics,
30 cents per 4x6 photo, and 5 cents per page of text.
—David D. Busch
40
7.5
THE MODEST-LOOKING Lexmark T640
laser printer hides big potential for
0 BETTER >>
10
growth. If you’re willing to shell out for
extras atop its $699 price, you can get
PROS Fast printing; highly expandable; direct printing from
add-on paper drawers that hold as many
USB flash drive; low per-page
as 3,850 sheets in total, or an optional
cost
duplexer for double-sided printing.
CONS Merely fair graphicsThat’s not to say the T640 isn’t a
print quality; expansion options
good monochrome laser right out of
inflate price
the box, however. It comes with unusuLexmark International
al features such as a plug-in USB port
800-539-6275
that lets you print PDFs from a flash
www.lexmark.com
drive. Plus, thanks to its 400MHz
Direct Price $699
processor, the printer keeps pace with
other fast office workgroup models. In our tests, it cranked out text at
an average of 26.4 pages per minute
(ppm), and graphics at 23ppm.
The quality of the output was less
impressive, however. Fonts below 5
points looked rough when examined up-close, and graphics prints
showed uneven blending. Still,
printing costs should work out to
a low 1.8 cents per page, or 1.6
cents per page if you trade in your
Lexmark cartridge.
—Kristina Blachere
EDITORS’ RATING
Epson PictureMate Express Edition
FIRST
When we first reviewed Epson’s PictureMate Deluxe Viewer, we
TAKE found it delivered great all-around 4x6-inch prints. It was somewhat
slow, but unlike its precursor, the PictureMate, the Deluxe had a 2.4-inch color LCD and supported all our favorite memory-card formats. Now, Epson’s
hoping to pull a hat trick with the PictureMate’s third incarnation, the Express Edition.
Upside: The Express should be faster than its sluggish predecessors—Epson
estimates it should print a 4x6-inch print in 80 seconds. Though it doesn’t
have a color screen, the six-color printer retains the rest of the features we
liked about the Deluxe. Plus, a new 270-sheet PictureMate Print Pack means
cheaper per-print costs, though its $64.99 price may send seismic waves
through your budget.
Downside: Epson’s speed claims are promising, but in most cases, printers
rarely meet their manufacturers’ estimated speeds. Despite the increased
print speed, keep in mind the Express won’t be the fastest printer available,
and it could even lag behind other stand-alone snapshot printers.
Outlook: Aside from the bumped-up
speed and lack of a color LCD, the Express
is identical to the Deluxe. Is it worth buying
if you don’t already own a PictureMate?
—Lori Grunin
Stay tuned for our review.
p Epson America, 800-463-7766,
www.mypicturemate.com
REVIEWS HOME NETWORKING
Belkin Wireless G Plus MIMO Router
MIMO on the cheap, but with a performance hit
BASED ON Airgo Networks’ True MIMO chipset and featuring
dual antennas, the value-price Belkin Wireless G Plus MIMO
Router bested or tied with some of its pricier three-antenna
multiple input, multiple output (MIMO) competitors in our
testing. That’s impressive, considering its low $97.99 price.
Belkin does a great job with the Wireless G’s documentation and setup. The router ships with both hard and electronic copies of the well-written manuals. Its browser-based configuration tool lets you alter the device’s ample security
features, which include Wired Equivalent Privacy (WEP) and
Wi-Fi Protected Access (WPA) encryption, as well as Media Access Control (MAC) address
filtering and a built-in firewall. The Wireless G also of0 BETTER >>
10
fers a demilitarized zone
PROS MIMO technology at a
(DMZ) outside of the firewall,
low price; excellent documentaand a quality-of-service
tion, warranty
feature, should you use the
CONS Mediocre throughput at
router to stream Voice over
long range
Internet Protocol (VoIP) or
Belkin, 800-223-5546
multimedia packets.
www.belkin.com
The unit’s performance in
Direct Price $97.99
our testing couldn’t match
that of its pricier,
three-antenna sibling,
the Belkin Wireless Pre-N
Router. In fact, its long-range
throughput of 18.2Mbps at 200 feet was
precisely half that of the Pre-N Router’s. The Wireless G nearly matched the Pre-N Router’s outstanding score on our maximum-throughput test, however. It also compared favorably
with three-antenna MIMO competitors such as the
Buffalo AirStation WZR-G108 and Linksys WRT54GX in
maximum-throughput and mixed-mode testing.
With the Wireless G, Belkin provides the best warranty
coverage we’ve seen for a wireless router: an unlimited warranty that lasts for as long as you own the device, along with
around-the-clock toll-free tech support.
Netgear SC101 Storage Central APC 3-in-1 Wireless
Do-it-yourself network storage
Mobile Router
IF YOU’RE LOOKING for a network storage device but have
been stymied by the high price
per gigabyte, Netgear’s $149.99
SC101 Storage Central may just
be what you’re after. An unpopulated box with two easy-access
drive bays for standard ATA
drives, the SC101 offers drivespanning and volume-sharing
features.
You can install a single hard drive in the box, but you’ll
need two if you want RAID mirroring (data stored simultaneously to two drives for redundancy). While the SC101 connects to your network via Ethernet, it isn’t accessed via an IP
address like many NAS boxes—it appears as a normal drive
letter, not a mapped network
drive.
The included utility soft0 BETTER >>
10
ware is easy to use and
PROS Inexpensive; easy
guides you nicely through
setup; drive spanning
the drive-configuration
CONS Need to add your own
process. For users who don’t
hard drives
already have a favorite backNetgear, 888-638-4327
up program, Netgear inwww.netgear.com
cludes Storage Sync Pro.
42
—Jon L. Jacobi
Not the friendliest travel companion
AMERICAN POWER ConverEDITORS’ RATING 5.1
sion’s $69.99 3-in-1 Wireless
Mobile Router can transform a
0 BETTER >>
10
hotel-room Ethernet jack into
PROS Compact design; WPA
an 802.11b/g wireless hot spot.
security; SPI firewall
Toting this small, light device
CONS Slow throughput at long
along on your travels is easy,
range; confusing documentation;
and its support for Wi-Fi Procan’t draw power from a laptop
tected Access (WPA) encryption
USB port
and a stateful packet inspecAmerican Power Conversion
tion (SPI) firewall helps your
877-272-2722
data remain secure.
www.apc.com
Installing the router is an exDirect Price $69.99
ercise in frustration, however,
due to its poor documentation. In addition, you can’t plug the
included USB cable into your laptop’s USB port to draw power.
Instead, the cable connects the router to APC’s optional TravelPower Adapter, another device you have to carry.
The device performed decently in our maximum-throughput test but poorly on our long-range
tests. The latter might not matter in
a hotel room, but if you need a mobile router for situations where range
is a factor, 3Com’s OfficeConnect Travel
Router is a better bet.
—S.B.
REVIEWS MOBILE PRODUCTS
Dell Axim X51v
Features galore, but needs more pep
THE $499 Dell Axim X51v offers an agreeable combination of
functions and a big software bundle, but we were unimpressed by the PDA’s performance and subpar battery life.
At 4.7x2.9x0.7 inches and 6.2 ounces, the X51v won’t
weigh you down. Still, it’s solidly built and comfortable to
hold. The star attraction, though, is the 3.7-inch VGA
screen—thanks to its 640x480 resolution and 16-bit-color
output, it displays sharp text and images. In addition, the
handheld’s battery is user-replaceable, and you’ll find
CompactFlash and SD slots, as well as a 3.5mm jack that
accepts Walkman-style headphones.
Running Microsoft’s latEDITORS’ RATING 7.4
est OS for handhelds, Windows Mobile 5.0, the X51v
0 BETTER >>
10
comes powerfully equipped
PROS Integrated Wi-Fi, Bluewith a 624MHz Intel XScale
tooth; solid software bundle;
PXA270 processor, a 16MB
dual memory-card slots; userIntel 2700G graphics engine,
replaceable battery
64MB of RAM, and 256MB of
CONS Sluggish performance;
ROM. Bluetooth and 802.11b
short battery life
Wi-Fi radios are built-in.
Dell, 800-388-8542
Outfitted with a generous
www.dell.com
software bundle, the device
Direct Price $499
includes handheld versions
Archos AV500
Pricey pocket-size video device is highly capable
of Word, Excel,
and PowerPoint.
You also get a
bunch of handy
utilities, a few
games, and
Windows Media
Player 10 Mobile,
which can play
MP3/WMA audio
and WMV video
files.
The X51v’s
performance fell
below our expectations. The PDA
responded sluggishly to taps of the
stylus, and lagged
when multiple
applications were running. Also, while playing a looped
video clip with all wireless connections off and the backlight
set to high, the X51v lasted barely more than 4 hours.
—Bonnie Cha
EDITORS’ RATING
0
THE COSTLY ($499.95) Archos AV500 puts high-quality widescreen video in the palm of your hand, but getting viewable
content onto the device isn’t quite a point-and-click process.
With its brushed-metal exterior, the 9-ounce AV500 has an
industrial look and is bigger than most MP3 players. Its 4-inch
wide-screen LCD is bright and has a resolution of 480x272.
Another plus is the included user-removable battery.
The AV500 saves digital content to a 30GB hard drive.
(A 100GB version
is available for
$699.95.) The device
can serve several
functions: audio
player/recorder,
video player/
recorder, voice
recorder, photo
viewer, and portable
hard drive. Attaching to your PC via a
USB 2.0 port, it
shows up as a drive
visible by Windows or as a
Microsoft PlaysForSure media device,
44
8.3
BETTER >>
PROS Extensive audio/video
10
autosyncing with Windows
recording features; bright display;
Media Player 10. The device
long battery life; excellent sound
natively plays DivX, MPEGquality; DivX support
4, and WMV video files, but
CONS Expensive; unintuitive
it can’t display videos from
controls; no support for iTunes
video downloads
Apple’s easy-to-use iTunes
Music Store.
Archos, 949-609-1483
Archos supplies a dockwww.archos.com
ing pod,
Direct Price $499.95 (30GB);
which can
$699.95 (100GB)
connect to a
television or home theater system and allows
you to record shows to the AV500 in real time.
The hardware setup is complicated, however,
and you have to schedule recordings using
an awkward, VCR-like onscreen menu. Even
though the AV500’s controls aren’t intuitive,
operating the device is relatively simple,
thanks to its attractive, icon-driven interface.
The player delivered superb-looking video,
and audio quality was excellent. Files also
transferred quickly, and battery life was impressive—the AV500 lasted 21.1 hours playing audio
and 8.2 hours screening video.
—Rick Broida
REVIEWS DIGITAL CAMERAS
Kodak EasyShare One
Wi-Fi camera shares better than it shoots
WITH ITS 3-inch touch-screen LCD and Wi-Fi transfer capabilities, Kodak’s $599.95 EasyShare One enables photographers to
instantly share pictures. If only the 4-megapixel camera were
as adept at shooting them.
The EasyShare One can transfer images directly to a PC using
802.11b Wi-Fi. It can also print wirelessly to Kodak’s EasyShare
Printer Dock Plus Series 3 or the EasyShare Photo Printer 500 if
the printer is equipped with an optional Wi-Fi card. Additionally,
via a Wi-Fi hotspot, you can upload your images to the Kodak
EasyShare Gallery (www.kodakgallery.com, formerly Ofoto) directly from the camera, and
then view them.
Changing the EasyShare
0 BETTER >>
10
One’s settings (using the
PROS Easy wireless photo
LCD touch screen or a foursharing; 3-inch LCD; generally
way directional pad) can be
quick performance
slow and tedious. Switching
CONS Subpar image quality;
from Auto ISO to ISO 400, for
slow wake-up time; cumbersome
instance, required a whopinterface
ping 13 button presses. UnEastman Kodak, 800-235-6325
surprisingly, the camera
www.kodak.com
worked best when in fullDirect Price $599.95
automatic mode.
Wake-up time was an interminable 8 seconds, but the
camera trounced most of its competition in other performance tests, clocking a shutter lag of only 0.4 second (including autofocus time), even in low light. Also, it’s a good
thing the EasyShare One comes with two battery packs, because the oversize LCD (there’s no optical viewfinder) and
the Wi-Fi antenna both drain power quickly.
While the camera can produce images of sufficient quality
for casual snapshots, its photos fall short of those from similarly priced competitors. Dynamic range was a bit compressed, and we noted blown-out highlights. The EasyShare
One’s 3x optical zoom lens also produced obvious purple
fringing around backlit objects under normal conditions.
—Shams Tarek
Appealing 12x zoom lens, but so-so images
Advanced shooter snaps 10-megapixel photos
KEEN-EYED photographers may fuss over
its image quality, but Konica Minolta’s
$399.99 DiMage Z6 offers enough to
attract enthusiasts who want the
feel of a single-lens-reflex (SLR)
camera and a long-reach lens.
The 6-megapixel Z6’s main attraction is its 12x zoom lens.
Konica Minolta’s Anti-Shake technology complements the camera’s
extended telephoto range and macro abilities. Macro lovers
will also appreciate the Super Macro mode, which lets you
focus as close as 0.4 inch.
Although the Anti-Shake technology worked extremely well,
some of our images came out softer than we had hoped, particularly with the zoom extendEDITORS’ RATING 6.7
ed to its full range. Details,
while visible, were also less
0 BETTER >>
10
than crisp throughout the foPROS 12x zoom lens; Antical range. Colors were generShake image stabilization;
ally accurate, if not vibrant.
extremely close macro focus
While the Z6 trailed comCONS Less-than-stellar photo
petitors in typical shot-to-shot
quality; slow shot-to-shot times
times, it was perkier in its conKonica Minolta, 800-285-6422
tinuous-shooting modes. The
kmpi.konicaminolta.us
camera’s battery life was also
—Theano Nikitas
impressive.
WITH ITS crisp 5x zoom lens,
the $999.95 Sony Cyber-shot
DSC-R1 makes a worthy com0 BETTER >>
10
petitor to the digital singlePROS Excellent 10-megapixel
lens-reflex (dSLR) cameras in
image quality; crisp 5x zoom
its price range. It’s a handy,
lens; fast burst-mode
versatile camera with excelperformance
lent image quality.
CONS Can’t shoot RAW files
The DSC-R1 offers a broad
in burst mode; limited macro
capability
range of features, but its highlights are the wide-angle zoom
lens, which runs from 24mm
www.sonystyle.com
to 120mm (35mm equivalent),
and the large 10.3-megapixel
complementary metal-oxide semiconductor (CMOS) sensor.
Macro photographers will be disappointed by the camera’s inability to focus closer than 13.7 inches, however.
The camera’s 1.2-second shutter delay in dim lighting was relatively long. In continuous-drive mode,
however, we measured a blazing capture rate of 4.3 frames per second—
but you can’t use the continuousdrive mode with RAW files.
The DSC-R1 produced excellent images, particularly at lower
ISO ratings, with crisp details and
nicely balanced colors. —Lisa Gidley
48
REVIEWS DIGITAL AUDIO
Sennheiser PXC300
Noise-canceling headphones are travel-friendly
Iriver U10
Unique player is packed with features
IRIVER’S U10 is a superbly designed flash-memory
player that’s easy to use and feature-rich. The sleek
and stylish, if pricey, device comes in 512MB
($199.95) and 1GB
($249.95) capacities.
Shaped like a
0 BETTER >>
10
miniature television
PROS Unique design, interwith a vibrant 2.2-inch
face; supports WMA-based
display, the compact
subscription content; includes
U10 measures
FM radio, voice recorder; sup2.7x1.8x0.6 inches and
ports photo, video, text viewing;
long battery life
weighs 2.5 ounces. You
navigate the player’s
CONS Expensive; no album-art
interface
by pressing
support
buttons on the sides of
Iriver, 800-399-1799
the display. Although
www.iriveramerica.com
this tactile control
method is both intu(512MB); $249.95 (1GB)
itive and logical, it
makes one-handed operation awkward.
Compensating for the U10’s limited capacities
and high price is a cornucopia of features, including
an FM tuner, a voice recorder, a text viewer, and linein recording via an optional cradle. The U10 supports
MPEG-4 video, but video conversion is necessary
before playback is possible. The good news: Videos
looked sharp, though small, on the bright color
screen. The player can also display photos and slide
shows while playing music and Iriver claims that it
will support album art by the time you read this.
As for digital music, the U10 can play MP3, OGG,
and WMA files, including songs purchased from online stores or on-the-go subscription services such
as Napster To Go. Capable of pounding out plenty of
decibels, the player sounded great, offering clear
highs, a defined midrange, and tangible lows. Another bonus: The rated battery life is 28 hours, but
our testing surpassed that by over 3 hours, squeezing out 31.5 hours of music-only playtime.
7.7
FEATHER-LIGHT and comfortable,
Sennheiser’s $219.95 PXC300 noise-can0 BETTER >>
10
celing headphones produce sound qualiPROS Comfortable on-ear
ty approaching that of some full-size
design; highly effective noisemodels. The road-ready headphones fold
canceling circuitry; lightweight,
flat for easy storage in the supplied soft
compact
travel case, and come with batteries and
CONS Noise canceling can’t
airline-audio adapters.
quite compare with full-size
While the PXC300’s earpieces don’t
headphones
completely cover your ears, their
Sennheiser, 860-434-9190
leatherette ear cushions block out a sigwww.sennheiserusa.com
nificant amount of noise. Plus,
the headphones employ
Sennheiser’s proprietary, spiral-embossed Duofol diaphragms
and bass-tube technology for improved sound quality.
The PXC300’s sound-buffering performance isn’t up to
the standard of full-size headphones, but it’s definitely
within the ballpark. In our tests, engaging the PXC300’s
noise-canceling circuitry (housed in a separate plastic
tube and powered by two AAA batteries) significantly
boosted the volume level and accentuated midrange
frequencies. Sound quality was above-average, with
satisfactory bass power and definition. And as for
mileage, the batteries power up to 80 hours of noise—Steve Guttenberg
canceled bliss.
EDITORS’ RATING
JVC Alneo XA-HD500
FIRST
Apple may have killed off its iPod Mini, but micro-hard-drive MP3
TAKE players are still alive and playing. Just ask JVC—in an effort to shore
up its digital-audio credibility, the company has released the $249.95 Alneo
XA-HD500, a 6GB player that aims to top its more established competitors
with its superior battery life and sound quality.
Upside: Instead of packing too many multimedia features, the 3.2-ounce
Alneo is audio-focused, offering MP3, WMA, and WMA DRM playback, as
well as on-the-go playlists and an impressive 30-hour battery life.
Sound quality was excellent, thanks to a host of adjustable audio
options—including digital-surround modes and a bass-boost feature—which enhanced our listening experience even in noisy environments. Plus, the Alneo comes bundled with an infrared remote and a docking/charging station that also provides a
line-out connection.
Downside: Though the player features JVC’s proprietary audioenhancement technology, its sound quality couldn’t top that of the
SRS-Wow-enabled players we’ve heard. The Alneo also lacks coveted
extras such as an FM-radio tuner, line-in recording, and JPEG support.
Outlook: While the Alneo is an admirable effort in a saturated market,
we’re not certain that JVC’s stripped-down MP3 player can compete with
similarly priced, feature-loaded devices from brand names such as Apple,
—Erin Kandel
Creative, and Iriver.
p JVC Company of America, 800-247-3608, www.jvc.com
—Jasmine France and James Kim
49
REVIEWS DIGITAL LIVING
HP PL4200N
PC maker turns out a worthy plasma television
WE’VE HAD mixed results with computer-branded high-definition televisions (HDTVs) in the past from Dell and Gateway,
but Hewlett-Packard’s $3,299 PL4200N 42-inch plasma panel is
the first we can heartily endorse. This full-featured set isn’t
just slick-looking—it delivers image quality that nearly bests
our current favorites from plasma leader Panasonic.
The PL4200N’s native resolution of 1,024x768 isn’t high
enough to display every pixel
of HD material, but it’s still
significantly finer than en0 BETTER >>
10
hanced-definition television
(EDTV). For receiving HD sigPROS Excellent black-level
performance; solid video pronals, an ATSC off-air HDTV
cessing with 2-to-3 pull-down;
tuner is built-in for local reincludes SD-card reader, PC Card
ception. You also get a Cableslot
Card slot for Digital-CableCONS Poor color decoding;
Ready compliance.
somewhat limited connectivity;
Aspect-ratio controls incan’t change aspect ratio with
clude four choices for stanHD sources
dard-definition sources.
You can’t change modes
www.hp.com
while watching HD material,
Direct Price $3,299
however.
Connections include one High-Definition Multimedia Interface (HDMI) input, two component-video inputs, two A/V inputs with a choice of S-Video or composite video, a VGA input
for hooking up a PC, and a digital optical audio output. Considering the panel’s price, we’d have liked a second HDMI input.
The set also has an SD-card reader and a PC Card slot, both of
which enable you to view digital photos directly on the screen.
Overall, we were pleased with the PL4200N’s above-average picture quality and black-level performance. Also, the
set’s video processing incorporated solid 2-to-3 pull-down
detection. In terms of color reproduction, however, the unit
fell a bit short of the Panasonics we’ve tested, and its color
decoding was far from accurate.
—Kevin Miller
Bose 3-2-1 Series II
Low-cost projection set is no bargain
A novel surround-sound solution
PANASONIC’S budget-price PT52LCX65, a 52-inch LCD-based rearprojection high-definition television (HDTV) that sells for $2,299,
proves that you get the image
quality you pay for.
The PT-52LCX65 includes a builtin ATSC tuner for receiving off-air
HDTV, and a Digital-Cable-Ready CableCard slot for cableHDTV reception. Connection options are fairly generous, including one High Definition Multimedia Interface (HDMI) input, three component-video inputs, a VGA input, and an
SD-card slot for displaying images from digital cameras.
With a native resolution of 1,280x720, the set should be able
to fully resolve 720p HD
sources. Its overall performance, however, leaves much
0 BETTER >>
10
to be desired. The 2-to-3 pullPROS Inexpensive; versatile
down processing operated inconnectivity
correctly in our tests, and the
CONS Poor black-level
unit’s out-of-the-box grayperformance; inaccurate color
scale rendering is among the
decoding; incorrect 2-to-3
least accurate we’ve seen.
pull-down detection
Blacks appeared a muddy
Panasonic, 800-405-0652
dark gray, and color decoding
www.panasonic.com
was also largely inaccurate.
THE PRICEY $999 Bose 3-2-1
Series II Home Entertainment
System uses digital signal
0 BETTER >>
10
processing to simulate surPROS Delivers simulated
round sound with just two
surround-sound effects without
small satellites and a subrear speakers; decent audio
connectivity
woofer. Its sparse video connectivity, however, makes it
CONS Expensive; no HDMI
less versatile than many
output; lackluster music
playback
competing home-theater-ina-box systems.
Bose, 800-999-2673
www.bose.com
Besides the speakers, the
3-2-1 includes a DVD player/
Direct Price $999
tuner unit. You get standard
analog video outputs, but no High Definition Multimedia
Interface (HDMI) output. The system’s audio-input connectivity is a bit more robust, and it can decode Dolby Digital
and DTS surround soundtracks.
We were surprised by the 3-2-1’s broad, expansive sound field, even if surround-channel
sonic elements weren’t as localized as they
would have been with an actual 5.1channel speaker setup. Music we
played, on the other hand,
had less texture and detail
than we’ve heard from better
speakers.
—Nathaniel Wilkins
Direct Price $2,299
50
—K.M.
REVIEWS SOFTWARE
Safeguard Your Data
Two top-notch backup utilities face off
AFTER YEARS OF watching Symantec do little to improve its
venerable Norton Ghost program (version 8.0, for example,
still ran in DOS long after its competitors had switched to
Windows), we were delighted to discover Acronis’ True Image
last year—so much so, we made True Image 8.0 an Editors’
Choice. But what a difference a year makes.
For 2006, Symantec has completely revised Norton Ghost
10.0 (and returned to its backup-assistant roots) by absorbing
tools from Norton GoBack. Ghost’s interface is now more intuitive, making it easier for anyone to clone disk data or back
it up without exiting Windows. In comparison, True Image
9.0, while still a sound product, lacks some of Ghost’s ease of
use. Though True Image remains our choice for advanced or
experienced users, we recommend Ghost if you haven’t
backed up before or are planning to migrate to a new hard
drive soon.
NORTON GHOST 10.0
Symantec has transformed Norton Ghost 10.0 from a mere disk
utility to a general-purpose backup solution, clearly distinguishing it from Acronis True Image 9.0. Ghost looks and feels
like other Symantec products, and its usability and feature enhancements make it a unique and powerful application, suitable even for novices.
Install the app, and a wizard helps you create a backup schedule. You can use the console to explore and restore files and
ACRONIS TRUE IMAGE 9.0
One of last year’s Editors’ Choice recipients, Acronis True Image
8.0 took the lead in disk-imaging technology. Version 9.0 continues to innovate, but in terms of usability, it falls behind rival
Norton Ghost 10.0.
True Image 9.0 installs easily. Launch the program, and it
greets you with an organized display of its features. Disk-imaging
novices may find various functions, such as incremental versus
differential backup, somewhat bewildering, however. Another potential source of confusion is managing backups you’ve already
created—True Image retrieves backups by filename, which can
get tricky if you create daily system backups and manually delete
old ones to free up space.
Version 9.0 offers power users several features lacking in other disk-imaging utilities, such as the ability to save data to a
hidden partition on your hard drive. Another worthwhile feature, Plug Image, makes a disk image appear as a separate virtual hard drive. Better still is the program’s capacity to back up specific files and folders. While this may seem out of place in a
product that specializes in backing up entire drives, it’s actually
very useful. Also, the app offers password protection for archives,
though it doesn’t support strong data encryption.
The boxed version comes with a detailed, though poorly organized, printed manual and a detailed Windows help file. Filling
out a support ticket at the company’s site gets you free technical
support. Acronis also offers fee-based phone support.
52
folders from backups you’ve made. Version 10.0 includes easyto-use tools for managing backups—you can manually delete
or archive backups onto removable media, or have the software
automatically delete old backups to save disk space.
Ghost’s complete-image backup is both its greatest strength
and its greatest limitation. Unlike many backup solutions,
Ghost doesn’t let you specify which folders or file types to
back up; it only works with complete drive partitions.
New features and usability enhancements help you recover from minor troubles, such as accidentally deleting a file,
or more serious mishaps, such as a hard drive crash. Also
new is Ghost’s optional password-based Advanced Encryption Standard 128-bit, 192-bit, or 256-bit security. Plus, a Copy
My Hard Drive function will copy the contents of one hard
drive onto another.
Included with the boxed version is a detailed printed manual, which guides you through installation and, if things go
wrong, recovery. Symantec offers free support via its Web site,
but it charges $29.95 per incident for its phone tech support.
—Ken Feinstein and Robert Vamosi
Product Summary
Acronis True
Image 9.0
Symantec Norton
Ghost 10.0
EDITORS’ RATING
6.5
7.0
PROS
Creates complete disk-image
and folder-based backups;
builds virtual hard drives
Creates a complete backup
of hard drive; easy to use, even
for novices; supports encryption
CONS
No free phone tech support;
no encryption
No free phone tech support;
no way to back up specific
folders or file types
COMPANY
Acronis
650-875-7593
www.acronis.com
Symantec
888-810-9896
www.symantec.com
DIRECT PRICE
$49.99 (download);
$59.99 (boxed version)
$69.99 (download or boxed
version)
REVIEWS SOFTWARE
BeInSync 1.6
Simple, Web-based remote access
System Mechanic 6
Professional
Top of the PC-maintenance heap
THE MAIN INTERFACE is overly complex, but the
$69.95 System Mechanic 6 Professional still remains
the best package of utilities for optimizing and protecting your Windows PC.
The program launches quickly. Its various utilities are accessible from one of five category buttons: Optimize, Clean, Repair, Protect, and Maintain. Clicking on Clean, for instance, brings up a
screen with Junk File Removal, Uninstall Software,
Duplicate File Inspector, and Internet Cleanup and
Privacy. Iolo made some changes to the interface
in this release, adding features such as wizards,
but in the process made the interface more cluttered. Because you can’t customize it, you’re stuck
with any elements
you don’t use.
Iolo has added
0 BETTER >>
10
and improved a
PROS Excellent, deep range of
number of tools.
utilities; thorough help; helpful,
Disk defragmentafree tech support
tion is much faster,
CONS Busy interface; no printed
and Registry optior electronic manual
mization is more
Iolo Technologies, 877-239-4656
detailed. The packwww.iolo.com
age also includes a
Direct Price $69.95
long-overdue tool,
Drive Medic, which finds hard drive problems and
offers to repair them. Plus, the Startup Manager is
expanded with better analysis to help determine
if any startup files are obsolete, spyware, or
potential viruses.
You’ll also find the Advanced Process Manager,
an offshoot of the Advanced Startup Manager’s improvements. Think of it as a juiced-up Windows XP
Task Manager, with all processes showing publishers, startup mode, descriptions, summaries, and
dependencies.
System Mechanic lacks a printed or PDF manual, which is important in a complex product like
this. The context-sensitive help is first-rate, however, as is online support. The company offers
helpful, live, no-charge phone support, but the
number isn’t toll-free.
—Barry Brenesal
54
BEINSYNC redefines file-sharing technology by turning it into a secure collab0 BETTER >>
10
oration and remote-access tool. The serPROS Intuitive interface; secure
vice’s clean, intuitive wizard-based
Web-based remote access
interface is a definite plus, but it lacks
CONS Lacks configurable folder
some important features—including
permissions; no Mac support;
configurable user permissions on
limited synchronization of
shared folders—to make it outstanding.
e-mails, contacts
The program works only with WinBeInSync
dows-based PCs. The free version is fairwww.beinsync.com
ly limited, but the $59.95-per-year Pro
Direct Price Free (Basic);
version enables you to share up to 15
$59.95 per year (Pro)
folders, have unlimited file access, and
get Web-based remote access protected by 256-bit SSL encryption. Plus, the
app’s byte-level file-transfer functionality means that it can transfer just the
bytes that have changed, instead of syncing the whole file.
While BeInSync offers synchronization of e-mail and
contacts, this feature works
only with Outlook. Also, the
app won’t sync with Outlook,
as it makes e-mail messages
and contacts from your main
PC available on a second PC.
—Ken Feinstein
CrazyTalk Media
Studio 4.0
Animation app misses the mark
EDITORS’ RATING
0
6.0
BETTER >>
10
PROS Credible job creating
animated faces from still images
CONS Frustrating need to
REALLUSION’S $149.95 CrazyTalk Media
guess-and-test animation
Studio 4.0 takes a still image of a face (or
settings; only supported in IE
almost any object you choose) and digiReallusion, 408-573-6107
tally manipulates it to lip-sync prerecord- www.reallusion.com
ed or synthesized speech. In our tests,
speech synchronization was, at best,
modestly convincing. Crystal-clear and slowly spoken scripts produced
the best results, while a stepped-up pace resulted in a quivering mouth
in a permanently open position.
Controls are largely intuitive, but not all of the slider settings have a true
numerical value, making it difficult to gauge a special effect’s impact. The
app’s depth of controls, however, is impressive, allowing for details such as
individual-eye controls and
customizable teeth.
You can export animations
to several formats, including
Multimedia Messaging Service (MMS) messages for
compatible cell phones. Web
playback works only with
Internet Explorer browsers,
however.
—Jason Compton
REVIEWS DOWNLOADS
MediaMonkey 2.4
A tool to manage your music
DESPITE A GLUT of free music players/
encoders, it’s tough to find one that meets
our expectations. Formerly known as
Sound DB, the rechristened MediaMonkey
from Ventis Media has excellent librarymanagement tools to keep the largest digital music collections well-organized. Stir
that up with tight Winamp and Nero CDburning integration, a stellar interface, a
full-featured encoder, and the ability to
sync with
DOWNLOAD.COM EDITORS’ RATING
portable
audio devices such as the iPod,
PROS First-rate tools for
and you have a pretty
big music collections; superb
compelling product.
interface
Launching the program
CONS More than the average
summons up a prompt to
music maven needs
scan your drive for any supVentis Media
ported digital media files
www.mediamonkey.com
you can add to the library.
Direct Price Free to try;
The app sorts files based on
$19.99 (Gold Version 2)
ID3 tags, and the helpful
Auto-Rename and
Auto-Tag
From Filename features keep
untagged
tracks from
falling
through the
cracks. Thirdparty plugins are available from the site if you want to tinker with the playback and
encoding engine or add sound-processing effects. The interface is well-designed, with clean, colorful icons throughout.
Considering how polished this application is, you’d be
hard-pressed to find anything you don’t like. Although it’s
definitely geared toward managing large collections, just
about anyone will appreciate the comprehensive feature
set. For $19.95, MediaMonkey Gold adds advanced features
such as a sleep timer, unlimited MP3 encoding, and track
previews.
—Download.com Staff
IronTrainer 2
Keep your workouts on track
Turn memories into months
IRONTRAINER 2 is a comprehensive workout, weight, and
dietary log that helps you track your progress on your way to a
healthier body. Through its tabbed interface, you can follow your
SPECTRUM SOFTWARE’S
EZ Photo Calendar Creator
4.0 allows you to design basic photo calendars. CreatPROS Straightforward design
ing a calendar with your
tools; defined sets of holidays;
own photo collection is a
wide control over fonts, colors
no-brainer. Simply select
CONS Free version has waterone of six calendar formats
mark on output; can’t design
(including wall and desk),
your own templates
choose a style, and browse
Spectrum Software
your PC to add images. You
www.spectrumsoftware.com
can generate annual or
monthly calendars with a
$17.95 (full version)
number of predesigned
templates and 10 tweakable color schemes. You can’t design
your own from scratch, however.
You can edit the names of
months or days so calendars
can be printed in different
languages. The settings
screen also enables you to
define sets of holidays and
events to a calendar, from
U.S. holidays to NASCAR
races, and adding your own
special dates is easy.
#####
progress in a number of areas, including detailed workouts, food
intake, cardio training, and body measurements.
The program graphs your progress over time for a full analysis
you can print out. Another
great detail is the ability to
print out workout plans to
bring to the gym, enabling you
PROS Tracks a broad range of
to check off each exercise as
exercise-, health-related informayou complete it.
tion; printable workout plans
The program lacks mouseCONS Interface, terminology
over information to clarify
can be confusing
some of the confusing interPS Workshop
face aspects, terms, and
www.psworkshop.com
acronyms, but a help guide
and glossary are just a click
$39.99 (full version)
away.
#####
#####
Download these applications and more at www.computershopper.com/download.
55
Top25
This month’s best desktops, notebooks, flash-memory
MP3 players, 17-inch LCD monitors, and home-PC software.
MEDIA-CENTER DESKTOPS
>> Slick PCs that add brains to your home entertainment system.
PRODUCT
PRICE
SPECS/REQUIREMENTS
BOTTOM LINE
WinBook PowerSpec MCE
410* www.winbook.com
$999
3GHz Pentium 4 530; 512MB DDR;
160GB HDD; Radeon X300 LS
We love this PC’s rack-mount case, solid specs, and bargain price. Pair it with
WinBook’s $899 30-inch LCD for a sweet sub-$2,000 home-theater setup.
8.2
Creature Scylla S301
www.creaturehtpc.com
$4,650
2.4GHz Athlon 64 3800+; 1GB DDR;
120GB, 1TB HDDs; GeForce 7800 GTX
This monster of a Media Center has an equally monstrous price. But your money buys
top-notch gaming performance and more than a terabyte of storage space.
7.5
Dell XPS 600
www.dell.com
$2,849
3GHz Pentium 4 830; 1GB DDR2;
160GB HDD; two GeForce 6800 GTs
Equipped with two SLI graphics cards, the XPS 600 not only functions as a powerful
home theater system, it also plows through games and demanding consumer apps.
7.4
Niveus Media Center Denali
Edition www.niveusmedia.com
$4,799
3.2GHz Pentium 4 640; 1GB DDR;
500GB HDD; GeForce 6600 GT
The Denali Edition is designed exclusively for home theater operation. It’s pricey, but
A/V enthusiasts will appreciate its unique case and solid construction. (See p. 72.)
7.3
Alienware DHS 2*
www.alienware.com
$1,659
3GHz Pentium 4 530; 512MB DDR;
80GB HDD; Radeon X300
More powerful than Alienware’s previous Media Center PCs, the DHS 2 packs Wi-Fi, a
faster processor, and a bigger hard drive into its slim, living-room-friendly case.
7.2
THIN-AND-LIGHT NOTEBOOKS
>> Laptops that let you take performance on the road.
Apple iBook G4*
www.apple.com
$1,299
1.42GHz PowerPC G4; 512MB DDR2;
60GB HDD; DVD±RW; 14.1-inch TFT
The refreshed 14-inch iBook G4 is a clean, white, minimalist notebook with many
welcome upgrades, including a faster CPU, more RAM, and AirPort Extreme Wi-Fi.
7.4
Apple PowerBook G4*
www.apple.com
$2,499
1.67GHz PowerPC G4; 512MB DDR;
120GB HDD; DVD±RW; 17-inch TFT
As powerful as a desktop replacement, yet light enough for the road, Apple’s 17-inch
PowerBook delivers performance and features to satisfy home and small-office users.
7.3
Sharp M4000 WideNote
www.sharpsystems.com
$1,799
1.73GHz Pentium M 740; 512MB DDR2;
80GB HDD; DVD/CD-RW; 13.3-inch TFT
With its 13.3-inch wide-screen display, midrange Pentium M CPU, and high-capacity
battery, the M4000 is just right for business travelers looking to lighten their loads.
7.2
HP Pavilion DV1000*
www.hp.com
$1,094
1.6GHz Pentium M 725A; 512MB DDR;
80GB HDD; DVD/CD-RW; 14-inch TFT
There’s a lot to like about the Pavilion DV1000, including its attractive 5.5-pound case,
abundance of handy buttons with slick blue backlights, and decent overall performance.
6.7
Lenovo ThinkPad T42*
www.lenovo.com
$1,499
1.8GHz Pentium M 745; 512MB DDR;
60GB HDD; DVD/CD-RW; 14.1-inch TFT
With its tough construction and updated components, the ThinkPad T42 is an
attractive choice for professionals who want a top-notch laptop at a reasonable price.
6.6
FLASH-MEMORY MP3 PLAYERS
>> Portable audio players small enough for a shirt pocket.
Apple iPod Nano
www.apple.com
$199/
$249
2GB/4GB capacity; AAC, AIFF, Apple
Lossless, Audible, MP3, WAV; 1.5 oz.
The iPod Nano is a forward-thinking flash-based player with a gorgeous, superslim
design, a bright color screen, and an unprecedented 4GB of flash memory.
8.3
Cowon iAudio U2
www.jetaudio.com
$99 to
$159
256MB/512MB/1GB capacity; ASF, MP3,
WAV, WMA; 1.2 oz.
The stylish iAudio U2 crams tons of features—including great sound quality, an FM
radio, a readable LCD, and line-in recording—into a tiny, pocketable package.
8.3
Samsung Yepp YP-T7
www.samsung.com
$149.99/
$199.99
512MB/1GB capacity; ASF, MP3, WMA,
WMA DRM; 1.3 oz.
A top choice for feature-hungry music aficionados, the YP-T7 offers great sound and
lots of audio options, plus a glorious, if small, color screen for displaying photos.
8.3
iRiver U10
www.iriveramerica.com
$199.99/
$249.99
512MB/1GB capacity; ASF, MP3, WMA,
WMA-DRM; 2.5 oz.
The superbly designed U10 is easy to use and packed with audio features. Plus, it
plays MPEG-4 video on its miniature, TV-like screen. (See p. 49)
8.3
Samsung Yepp YP-MT6
www.samsung.com
$99.99 to
$179.99
256MB/512MB/1GB capacity; ASF, MP3,
WMA, WMA DRM; 1.6 oz.
For Windows users, the Yepp YP-MT6 is superior to the featureless Apple iPod Shuffle,
incorporating an FM tuner, a voice-memo function, and line-in recording.
8.0
17-INCH LCD MONITORS
>> Space-saving displays that improve your view.
Samsung SyncMaster
711T www.samsung.com
$379
1,280x1,024 native resolution; 25ms pixelresponse rate; DVI, VGA inputs
Though it costs a bit more than other 17-inch LCDs, the SyncMaster 711T is a stylish,
highly adjustable display with a high contrast ratio and solid image quality.
7.3
Sony MFM-HT75W
www.sonystyle.com
$599.99
1,280x768 native resolution; 16ms pixelresponse rate; DVI, VGA inputs; TV tuner
The MFM-HT75W is a snazzy, well-designed LCD/TV-tuner combo for those who want
a display that can work and play simultaneously.
7.3
Envision EN7220
www.envisiondisplay.com
$249
1,280x1,024 native resolution; 16ms pixelresponse rate; VGA input
Inelegant pencil cups and photo clips notwithstanding, the EN7220 is a simple, highly
adjustable flat panel that performs well and costs less than many 17-inch LCDs.
6.7
Sharp LL-172G-W
www.sharpsystems.com
$349
The LL-172G-W is a handsomely designed LCD, with decent adjustability, built-in
speakers, and both analog and digital ports. Its image quality is mediocre, however.
6.7
Sony SDM-HS75P/B
www.sonystyle.com
$399.99
If you like a glossy screen (and don’t mind a little glare), you’ll appreciate the
SDM-HS75P/B, a sleek LCD that produces rich, brilliant colors with accuracy.
6.5
HOME-PC SOFTWARE
>> Essential apps to optimize your computing experience.
Copernic Desktop Search
www.copernic.com
Free
Windows 98 SE, Me, 2000, or XP
Though it doesn’t search the Internet, Copernic Desktop Search locates all file types on
your hard drive. It’s fast and easy to navigate, and, best of all, it doesn’t cost a dime.
8.3
Microsoft Encarta Premium
2005 www.microsoft.com
$49.99
333MHz CPU; 128MB RAM; 385MB hard
drive space; Windows 98, Me, 2000, or XP
With Encarta’s latest update, Microsoft has made it easier for children to use the library.
In addition to updated information, improvements include an integrated search bar.
8.3
Adobe Photoshop
Elements 4.0 www.adobe.com
$99.99
drive space; Windows XP
No longer a watered-down version of Photoshop, this hobbyist-friendly imaging
program offers improved editing and organization features for amateur photographers.
8.1
Nero 7 Ultra Edition
www.nero.com
$99.99
drive space; Windows 98, 2000, Me, or XP
Still an excellent value, version 7 of this versatile, comprehensive DVD- and CD-burning
suite has a new media-browsing interface that offers remote control from the couch.
8.0
Quicken Premier 2006
www.quicken.com
$69.99
drive space; Windows 98, Me, 2000, or XP
It isn’t a big step up from the 2005 edition, but we like the latest Quicken’s tweaks,
including its new minireports feature and the ability to attach images to Quicken records.
8.0
= Editors’ Choice
56
RATING
* = Configuration changed from original review.
ANNUAL
2005
20TH
SHOPPERS’ CHOICE AWARDS
Our readers pick
the year’s best
products, services,
and places to buy.
TWO DECADES AGO, when Microsoft
and Dell were fledgling companies and
Computer Shopper was printed on newsprint,
we launched our annual readers’ choice
awards. This poll gives our readers the
chance to tell us what they consider the
most outstanding products on the market
each year. Thousands of readers visited our
Web site in 2005 to cast their votes for the
best hardware, software, gadgets, Web
services, and shopping sites.
In editing the piece, we were reminded of
just how much has changed in the tech
world since the first Shoppers’ Choice
Awards. In 1985, for instance, digital cameras had yet to burst onto the scene, and the
Internet was practically a private party.
Some things have remained constant,
however. We’re still buying desktops, monitors, hard drives, and software, although today’s versions are incredibly advanced compared with those of yesteryear. To illustrate
the extraordinary evolution of personal
technology, we’re mixing in a few past
winners with the best of 2005. Cast in that
perspective, your choices for 2005 represent
not only the year’s best products, but also
astonishing achievements in technology.
59
BEST COMPUTER SYSTEMS
PERFORMANCE
DESKTOP
Alienware Aurora
ALX SLI
Expert assembly, silent liquid cooling, and a high-end
configuration that reads like
a computer geek’s wish
list—the Aurora ALX SLI is
PASTPICKS
for family computing. The
5100 adds modern essentials,
such as a BTX motherboard
and a 64-bit CPU, that should
hold obsolescence at bay for
a few years. Its similarly configured replacement, the Dimension E510, now features
the Windows XP Media
Center Edition 2005 OS, giving you a sweet, affordable
entertainment station.
Dell • www.dell.com
877-886-3355
Direct Price: $699 (base price,
Dimension E510)
Runner-Up:
Sony VAIO VGC-RB38G
Alienware
Aurora
ALX SLI
BUDGET DESKTOP PC
(UNDER $1,000)
Dell Dimension 3000
(Replaced by the Dimension
E310)
undoubtedly worthy of its
Best Performance Desktop
ranking. But what really
gives the ALX the edge is
Alienware’s dedicated service-and-support staff, ready
to provide the one-on-one
attention you deserve when
you lay out more than $4,000
for a PC.
Alienware
www.alienware.com
800-254-3692
Direct Price: $4,449 (base price)
Runner-Up:
Dell Dimension XPS Gen 5
MIDRANGE DESKTOP
Dell Dimension 5100
(Replaced by the Dimension
E510)
Well-priced and decently
powered, Dell’s Dimension
5100 looks good inside and
out, and is a reliable choice
The Dimension 3000 is our
readers’ favorite mainstream
option because its balance between parts and performance
is perfect for families, students, and small businesses
with basic needs. And, with an
under-$600 price tag that includes a 17-inch LCD, this
budget system—since replaced by the Dimension
E310—is tough to beat.
877-886-3355
Dimension E310)
Runner-Up:
HP Pavilion a1030n
1988
BEST COMPUTER SYSTEM
Northgate 386 Power System
We hailed Northgate’s 386 Power System
for its excellent specs: an Intel 80386
processor with a 64K cache, 1MB of RAM,
and a 65MB hard drive—all for $3,899.
Desktops sure have come a long way since.
SMALL-FORMFACTOR DESKTOP
Dell Dimension 5100C
(Replaced by the XPS 200)
While the Dimension 5100C
isn’t a traditional small-formfactor PC, you have to admit
that this desktop is tiny. And
despite the PC’s smallerthan-a-briefcase size, Dell is
still able to load it with top
components. (The 5100C has
been replaced by the equally
space-saving XPS 200.)
877-886-3355
XPS 200)
Runner-Up:
Shuttle XPC G5 9500g
MEDIA CENTER PC
Dell Dimension XPS
Gen 5
DESKTOPREPLACEMENT
NOTEBOOK
Dell Inspiron XPS
Gen 2
(Replaced by the XPS M170)
Astonishingly fleet-footed
performance on our benchmark tests and 16 eye-popping LEDs are no doubt two
of the reasons you overwhelmingly chose the Dell
Inspiron XPS Gen 2 as the
best desktop-replacement
notebook. Even better,
Dell has now replaced the
XPS Gen 2 with the XPS
M170, which features a
more robust 3D-graphics
chip, the nVidia GeForce
Go 7800 GTX.
877-886-3355
Direct Price: $2,699 (base
price, XPS M170)
(Replaced by the XPS 600)
Runner-Up:
Sony VAIO VGN-A790
Maybe it’s the 1.5 terabytes of
hard drive space, or this PC’s
ability to pack two of the
fastest nVidia graphics cards
available. Or perhaps it’s the
superior multimedia-handling
abilities of Intel’s Pentium D
dual-core processor, or the
dual TV tuners. Whatever the
reason, you chose the Dimension XPS Gen 5 to anchor your
digital-media world. The Gen
5’s replacement, the XPS 600,
gives you the power of a gaming PC with the controls of
Windows XP Media Center
Edition 2005.
877-886-3355
Direct Price: $1,749 (base
price, XPS 600)
Readers are attracted to the
Inspiron 700m for its slick
design, minute size, and
bright, wide-aspect 12.1-inch
screen. Weighing just over 4
pounds, the 700m strikes a
great balance between extreme portability and swift
application performance. It
also doubles as a good DVD
player to help you endure
those long flights.
877-886-3355
Direct Price: $1,349 (base price)
Runner-Up:
HP Media Center PC m7070n
Runner-Up:
Dell Latitude D610
Dell Dimension
E510
THIN-AND-LIGHT
NOTEBOOK
Dell Inspiron 700m
BEST COMPONENTS AND PERIPHERALS
ULTRAPORTABLE
NOTEBOOK (UNDER
4 POUNDS)
Sony VAIO VGN-T350P
Your favorite ultraportable
tips the scales at just 3.1
pounds, yet it still finds
room to squeeze in an Ultra
Low Voltage Pentium M CPU,
a gorgeous 10.4-inch widescreen display, a 60GB hard
drive, and a DVD±RW burner.
To stay connected in the
field, the VGN-T350P includes a special antenna
that lets you connect to
EDGE cellular data networks.
Sony Electronics
www.sonystyle.com
877-865-7669
Direct Price: $2,199
Runner-Up:
Dell Latitude X1
PDA OR
HANDHELD PC
Palm Tungsten T3
(Replaced by the Palm TX)
Many a mobile user was
swayed by the Tungsten T3’s
seductively
thin design
and powerful
feature set. If
you can live
without Wi-Fi
or a keyboard,
the T3 offers a
fast 400MHz
CPU and 64MB
of RAM, plus
an SD-card
slot, at a reasonable price.
Palm TX
Be sure to
check out the T3’s replacement model, the Palm
TX, which has the same
sleek design but offers
better specs and built-in
802.11b Wi-Fi and Bluetooth
networking.
Palm • www.palm.com
800-881-7256
Direct Price: $349 (Palm TX)
Runner-Up:
HP iPaq HX4700 Pocket PC
MAINSTREAM LCD
MONITOR (17 INCHES
OR SMALLER)
Samsung SyncMaster
711T
Another in the company’s long
line of stylish LCDs, Samsung’s
SyncMaster 711T displays the
kind of high-end looks you’d
expect from a fine-tailored
suit. Clad entirely in black, the
display has a slim bezel that
frames the 17-inch screen.
With its 1,280x1,024 native
resolution and 1,000-to-1
contrast ratio, this is one
LCD you’ll want for more
than just its looks.
Samsung
www.samsung.com
800-726-7864
List Price: $379
Runner-Up:
NEC MultiSync LCD1770NX
DVD-RECORDABLE
DRIVE
Plextor PX-716A
Our readers opt for fast optical
drives, which is why they selected the high-performance
PX-716A. This drive delivers
burning speeds of 24x CD-RW,
8x DVD+RW, 4x DVD-RW, and
6x double-layer DVD±R. These
specs enable the PX-716A to
burn a double-layer 7.9GB DVD
movie in as little as 17 minutes, or rip the same capacity
from a double-layer disc in
less than 12 minutes.
Plextor • www.plextor.com
888-999-4700
Direct Price: $139
Runner-Up:
Sony DVDirect VRD-VC10
HARD DRIVE
WD Raptor Series
Its predatory name may
sound fearsome to some, but
it’s music to our ears. Western
Digital’s Raptor series is the
company’s fastest family of
drives,
spinning
Watch movies,
at a blazing
surf the Net, and
10,000rpm.
play Quake 4 in
Although
all its glory with
the line curDell’s giant
rently tops
UltraSharp
out at 74GB
2405FPW. This
capacity, this
24-inch LCD has a
Serial
pixel-packed
ATA drive
1,920x1,200 resolution,
Dell UltraSharp
delivers topand features built-in
2405FPW
notch perforUSB ports, a flash-card
mance if it’s speed you need.
reader, and picture-in-picWestern Digital
ture (PIP) capability. The
www.wdc.com
2405FPW impressed us as
800-275-4932
much as it did our readers
Direct Price: $169.99 (74GB,
with its crisp colors and
bare drive)
deep, dark blacks. Multiple
video inputs and a full range
Runner-Up:
of adjustability options
round off its covetable
Seagate Barracuda Series
feature list.
GRAPHICS CARD
800-999-3355
nVidia GeForce 7800 GTX
Direct Price: $1,199
In our tests, the GeForce 7800
GTX proved itself the best
graphics chipset for gameplay.
Runner-Up:
Cards based on it delivered
Samsung SyncMaster 915N
PERFORMANCE LCD
MONITOR (18 INCHES
OR LARGER)
Dell UltraSharp
2405FPW
faster frame rates, more
throughput, and all-around
better performance than any
we’ve seen. nVidia doesn’t
manufacture retail
nVidia GeForce
7800 GTX
cards itself, so if you want a
card based on the 7800 GTX,
check out www.nvidia.com/
page/7800_partners.html.
nVidia • www.nvidia.com
408-486-2000
Price: Varies by manufacturer
Runner-Up:
ATI Radeon X850 XT Platinum
Edition
INKJET PRINTER
HP Photosmart 8750
Professional Photo
Printer
Using nine dye-based colors
(in three tricolor cartridges),
the Photosmart 8750 Professional features all the extras
we’re accustomed to seeing in
photo printers: flash-memory
slots, PictBridge compatibility,
and support for a variety of
paper formats. It seals the deal
by giving you control of ink
saturation, brightness, and
tone, and it even lets you print
stills as big as 13x19 inches.
Hewlett-Packard
www.hp.com • 888-999-4747
Direct Price: $499.99
Runner-Up:
Canon Pixma iP5000 Photo
Printer
MULTIFUNCTION
DEVICE
HP Color LaserJet 2840
All-in-One
Whoever said that a jack of all
trades was a master of none
never powered up the Color
61
BEST COMPONENTS AND PERIPHERALS
LaserJet 2840 All-in-One. This
colossal multifunction device
scans, prints, faxes, and
copies, letting you replace the
platoon of devices you’d otherwise need to complete dayto-day tasks. The flatbed scanner accommodates most
media, and small offices
will appreciate the 50-page
document feeder. HP even
fitted the 2840 with slots
for popular media cards.
Hewlett-Packard
www.hp.com
888-999-4747
Direct Price: $899
automatic red-eye removal.
Hewlett-Packard
www.hp.com • 888-999-4747
Direct Price: $199.99 (Photosmart 385)
Runner-Up:
HP PSC 2355 All-in-One
Runner-Up:
Canon Pixma iP8500 Photo
Printer
PERSONAL LASER
PRINTER
HP Color LaserJet 3550
It may be white on the outside, but this printer creates
black output that commands
your attention. The Color
LaserJet 3550 does a great job
of delivering sharp, clean
monochrome text. In addition,
the printer moves pages
through the device only once
to print all four colors. As a result, it can print as fast in color
as it does in monochrome.
Hewlett-Packard
www.hp.com • 888-999-4747
Direct Price: $699
Runner-Up:
HP LaserJet 2420d
PHOTO PRINTER
HP Photosmart 375
Photo Printer
(Replaced by Photosmart 385
GoGo Photo Printer)
This PC-independent photo
inkjet has a lunchbox-like design that invites you to take it
wherever you go. It offers direct printing from any PictBridge-compatible camera,
and it accepts most flashcard formats. A generous 2.5inch LCD lets you browse
photos and perform light
edits. The discontinued 375’s
replacement, the 385, adds
62
range, in our tests delivering
more than four times the
throughput of 802.11g routers
at 200 feet. The WRT54GX also
features a stateful packet inspection firewall for extra
security, not to mention a
generous three-year warranty.
Linksys • www.linksys.com
800-546-5797
Mfr. Est. Price: $199
Runner-Up:
D-Link AirPlus G High-Speed
2.4GHz Wireless Router DI-524
HP Photosmart 385
SCANNER
Epson Perfection 4990
Photo
The Perfection 4990 Photo
might look like a typical
desktop scanner, but if it’s
high-quality scans you’re after, search no more. The 4990
offers a dynamic range of 4.0
DMax, with a 4,800x9,600dot-per-inch (dpi) optical
resolution. The unit’s
8.5x11.7-inch scanning area
accepts both prints and film,
and the bundled software includes Adobe Photoshop Elements, as well as scanning
and copying utilities.
Epson America
www.epson.com
800-463-7766
Runner-Up:
Canon CanoScan 9950F
HOME NETWORKING
DEVICE
Linksys Wireless-G
Broadband Router with
SRX WRT54GX
The Linksys entry into the
world of multiple input, multiple output (MIMO) devices is
our readers’ router recommendation. The WRT54GX
lived up to Linksys’ claim of
better throughput at longer
INPUT DEVICE
Logitech MX1000 Laser
Cordless Mouse
Thanks to Logitech’s futuristic
design, the humble computer
mouse has finally managed to
shrug off its ho-hum image.
The MX1000 enables precise
mousing, courtesy of its
800dpi optical sensor and a
deeply contoured body that allows for better handling. If you
want to feel the future,
this is it.
Logitech • www.logitech.com
800-231-7717
Mfr. Est. Price: $899 (body
only); $999 (kit, with lens)
Runner-Up:
Nikon Coolpix 8800
DIGITAL CAMCORDER
Sony DCR-HC90 MiniDV
Handycam
With its large 1/3-inch CCD
sensor, the DCR-HC90 MiniDV
Handycam positively shines
when the lights are low, and it
also offers wide-screen recording and a 2.7-inch wide-screen
LCD. What’s more, it snaps 3.3megapixel still photos and includes options such as a burst
mode, exposure bracketing,
red-eye reduction, and half a
dozen scene modes. Despite
all these features, the DCRHC90 has the pocket-friendly
proportions of an entry-level
camcorder.
Sony Electronics
www.sonystyle.com
877-865-7669
Runner-Up:
Panasonic
PV-GS250
Runner-Up:
MX 3100
DIGITAL STILL
CAMERA
Canon EOS
Digital Rebel XT
The EOS Digital Rebel XT is a
shot ahead of its predecessor,
the original Digital Rebel. It
Sony DCR-HC90
MiniDV Handycam
offers more creative control,
an 8-megapixel CMOS sensor,
and Canon’s DIGIC II processCELL PHONE
Motorola Razr V3
ing engine for zippy snapping.
The Rebel XT’s smaller, lighter
Undeniably the coolest mobile
body is about as compact as
phone released last year, the
possible for a digital single
Razr V3 made a big splash
lens reflex (dSLR) camera.
with its strikingly thin profile
Though designed for amaand slick features. Remarkably,
teurs, it delivers the responintegrated within the phone’s
siveness and image quality
trim chassis is a Bluetooth
you’d expect from a semipro
transmitter, a VGA camera,
model.
and a beautiful 2.5-inch,
Canon U.S.A. • usa.canon.com
260,000-color display. The V3
800-652-2666
can replenish its battery via a
PASTPICKS
standard AC adapter or
through a PC’s USB port.
Motorola
www.motorola.com
866-289-6686
Direct Price: $199 (with
two-year contract)
Runner-Up:
LG VX8000
WIRELESS COMMUNICATIONS DEVICE
RIM BlackBerry 7510
the Shuffle syncs seamlessly
with Apple’s iTunes 6, which
can be set to automatically
preshuffle your playlist for
a truly random listening
experience.
Apple Computer
www.apple.com
800-692-7753
Direct Price: $99 (512MB);
$129 (1GB)
1997
BEST DIGITAL CAMERA
Kodak Digital Science
DC120 Zoom
“High resolution is what the
DC120 is all about,” we wrote.
Of course, high resolution in
1997 meant 1.2 megapixels
with interpolation. Now you
can buy a 10-megapixel camera
such as the Sony Cyber-shot
DSC-R1 for roughly the same
price ($1,000).
Runner-Up:
Creative MuVo Micro N200
(Replaced by RIM BlackBerry
7520)
DIGITAL AUDIO
PLAYER (HARD
Our readers singled out the
DRIVE)
Blackberry 7510 as their
handheld communicator of
Apple iPod
choice, a surprise victory
No one is close to knocking
over Palm’s Treo 600. Featurthe iPod from the top of the
hard drive player heap. The
ing a tactile, backlit QWERTY
fifth-generation iPod makes
keyboard, the Blackthat task even more daunting.
Berry 7510 supports
It’s thinner, lighter,
real-time wireless access to up to 10 perand sexier than ever,
sonal or corporate ewith a bigger (2.5mail accounts, and it
inch) color screen
can connect to a PC
that plays video and
to sync contacts and
displays digital phoappointments. It’s
tos. And, of course,
been replaced by the
only Apple portable
BlackBerry 7520,
players support
which adds Bluetooth
tracks and videos
RIM BlackBerry
7520
and GPS support to
purchased from
the feature set.
Apple’s iTunes Music Store.
Research in Motion
Apple Computer
www.blackberry.com
www.apple.com
519-888-7465
800-692-7753
List Price: $449.99
Direct Price: $299 (20GB); $399
(BlackBerry 7520)
(60GB)
Runner-Up:
Palm Treo 600
Runner-Up:
Apple iPod Photo
DIGITAL AUDIO
PLAYER (FLASH
MEMORY)
Apple iPod Shuffle
PORTABLE MEDIA
PLAYER/GAMING
DEVICE
Sony PlayStation
Portable
Although the market is full of
flash players that have more
features, our readers prefer
the stripped-down simplicity
of Apple’s iPod Shuffle. It
weighs less than an ounce
and includes a built-in USB 2.0
interface (but no LCD). It
comes in 512MB and 1GB capacities at affordable prices.
Your tunes will never skip, and
The undisputed king of
portable game machines, the
PSP isn’t just for playing its action-packed, PlayStation 2-caliber game titles. The compact
device also screens movies on
its 4.3-inch color LCD using
Sony’s Universal Media Disc
(UMD) format. You can even
play digital audio and display
snapshots stored on Memory
Stick flash media. And integrated 802.11b wireless networking allows you to play
games online or surf the Web.
Sony Computer
Entertainment America
us.playstation.com
800-345-7669
Mfr. Est. Price: $249.99
Runner-Up:
Nintendo Game Boy Advance
GAMING CONSOLE
Sony PlayStation 2
The best-selling video-game
console of all time, the
PlayStation 2 underwent a
slick restyling last year that
yielded a slim, less-intrusive
design. Other strengths
include its extensive game
library and ability to handle
titles for the original PlayStation. Bonus: It includes
built-in dial-up and Ethernet
support for online gaming.
Sony Computer
Entertainment America
us.playstation.com
800-345-7669
Mfr. Est. Price: $149.99
Runner-Up:
Nintendo GameCube
HOME ENTERTAINMENT DEVICE
TiVo Series2 DVR
Many cable companies and
consumer-electronics manu-
facturers market digital video
recorders (DVRs), but none
has anything quite like the
TiVo. Yes, you do have to pay
a monthly fee to use TiVo’s
services, but its features include an intuitive interface
that lets you pause and
rewind live television, as well
as search for upcoming
shows by title, subject, actor,
director, time, and channel.
Plus, the Series2 DVR can
connect to an Ethernet or
wireless adapter to share
recorded video programming
with other TiVos on your
home network.
TiVo • www.tivo.com
877-289-8486
Direct Price: $199.99 (40hour); $299.99 (80-hour);
$349.99 (300-hour)
Runner-Up:
Sony RDR-HX900
FLAT-SCREEN
TELEVISION
Samsung HL-P5085W
(Replaced by HL-R5087W)
Samsung’s radical-looking
Digital Light Processing
(DLP) offering, the 50-inch
HL-P5085W, has a unique
pedestal-style design that
makes for an eye-catching
television with a small footprint. The set has a native
resolution of 1,280x720,
which means it should deliver all of the detail of 720p
high-definition programming. With calibration, the
HL-P5085W can be made to
perform extremely well,
showing deep blacks that
most DLP sets have trouble
displaying. The HL-P5085W
has been replaced in Samsung’s DLP lineup by the
HL-R5087W.
Samsung
www.samsung.com
800-726-7864
Mfr. Est. Price: $3,699
(HL-R5087W)
Runner-Up:
Pioneer PDP-5050HD
63
BEST SOFTWARE/ONLINE SERVICES
OFFICEPRODUCTIVITY
SOFTWARE
Microsoft Office XP
(Replaced by Office 2003)
While all the other productivity suites are busy emulating it,
Microsoft Office has been busy
leading the way. This comprehensive work suite continues
to be tops among our readers,
most likely because it contains
basics that every business
needs. The current version is
Office 2003; later this year,
Office 12, a new version, will
debut.
Microsoft
www.microsoft.com
888-218-5617
Direct Price: $399 (2003
Standard Edition); $499 (2003
Professional Edition)
Runner-Up:
Corel WordPerfect Office 12
HOME-PRODUCTIVITY SOFTWARE
Microsoft Works Suite
2005
fact, calling it a disc-authoring
app is a disservice, because
the suite also provides a capable backup program, a DVDauthoring app that compares
favorably with all but its professional-level competitors,
and a movie-playback program that supports Video CD
(VCD), DVD, and MPEG-4.
Nero • www.nero.com
818-956-7551
Direct Price: $99.99 (Nero 7
Ultra Edition)
Runner-Up:
Easy Media Creator 7
Runner-Up:
Quicken Premier 2005
DVD/CD UTILITY
Nero 6 Ultra Edition
(Replaced by Nero 7 Ultra Edition)
Nero’s Ultra Edition, now in
version 7, is the most comprehensive, versatile CD- and
DVD-mastering and packetwriting suite on the market. In
66
(Replaced by SystemWorks 2006
Premier)
The yellow box comes in tops
again with our readers as the
best tool for keeping PCs up
and running smoothly. Norton
SystemWorks is that do-everything suite everyone should
have for restoring PCs to a
healthier state, performing
preventative maintenance,
and shutting out viruses. The
PHOTO EDITING/
ORGANIZING
Adobe Photoshop CS2
When it comes to digital image editing, Adobe Photoshop CS2 stands above the
competition. This latest version adds support for Camera Raw 3.0 and Digital Negative (DNG) images, plus
tools to reduce noise and optical lens distortion. Web designers will appreciate the
integration of additional ele-
(Replaced by Works Suite 2006)
Designed for home users, Microsoft Works Suite contains
all of the tools to plan and
budget a family vacation, then
edit the digital images afterward. The suite now packs
Word 2002, along with 2006
versions of Money, Digital
Image, Encarta Encyclopedia,
and Streets & Trips.
Microsoft
www.microsoft.com
888-218-5617
Direct Price: $99.95 (Works
Suite 2006)
UTILITY PACKAGE
Norton SystemWorks
2005 Premier
Norton SystemWorks
2006 Premier
new 2006 Premier release
adds spyware protection and
enhanced Internet privacy
controls.
Symantec
www.symantec.com
800-441-7234
Direct Price: $99.99 (SystemWorks 2006 Premier)
Runner-Up:
System Mechanic 5
Professional
latest version, Norton Internet
Security 2006, adds a Security
Inspector tool that uncovers
unsafe browser settings and
Windows passwords.
Symantec
www.symantec.com
800-441-7234
Direct Price: $69.99 (Norton
Internet Security 2006)
Runner-Up:
Spybot—Search & Destroy
COMMUNICATIONS
SOFTWARE
Microsoft Outlook 2003
Soon to be replaced by Outlook
2006, Outlook 2003 represented a huge improvement over
its predecessor when first introduced. It was the first iteration to let users group messages and replies of backand-forth exchanges, flag
messages with a single click,
and customize Search folders
to create new views. Although
its antispam features aren’t
the most powerful you can
find, they let you identify junk
mail and either drop it into a
special folder or automatically
delete it.
Microsoft
www.microsoft.com
800-642-7676
Direct Price: $109
Runner-Up:
Google Gmail
MEDIA PLAYER
Adobe Photoshop CS2
ments of Adobe ImageReady
CS2. It’s overkill for casual
snapshooters, but advanced
users frustrated by the limitations of basic photo applications consider Photoshop
CS2 worth the price.
Adobe Systems
www.adobe.com
800-833-6687
Direct Price: $599
Runner-Up:
Adobe Photoshop Elements 3.0
INTERNET SECURITY
Norton Internet
Security 2005
(Replaced by Internet Security
2006)
Our readers picked this suite
of four utilities as their top
choice to keep PCs safe from
criminal hackers and malicious code. Its components include Norton’s AntiVirus, Personal Firewall, AntiSpam, and
Parental Control apps. Outbreak Alert informs users of
rapidly spreading virus
threats and recommends
downloadable updates. The
Windows Media Player 10
We were a bit surprised to see
that Windows Media Player 10
received more than twice as
many votes as the runner-up
for this category. Of course, it
doesn’t hurt that the stellar
jukebox software comes
Windows Media Player 10
PASTPICKS
loaded on every new PC.
Nonetheless, Media Player 10
can stand on its own merits:
The easy-to-use, streamlined
version 10 integrates compatible music stores and
movie-download services, including MSN Music Service
and Napster. Plus, it syncs
with more than 75 portable
devices.
Microsoft
www.microsoft.com
888-218-5617
Price: Free
1993
BEST OPERATING
SYSTEM
IBM OS/2 2.1
According to our effusive
write-up on IBM’s bid for OS
supremacy, “this version has
broken Microsoft’s iron grip
on today’s computers.” Oops.
A faithful follow-up to one of
the greatest PC games of all
time, Half-Life 2 has gorgeous 3D graphics, an amazingly realistic physics model,
and a familiar story line
packed with plenty of paramilitary bad guys and aliens
to plug. The fun doesn’t stop
there. It also has a strong
multiplayer component and
Store offers a ton of advantages: flexible usage rights,
high-quality tracks, a simple
pricing scheme, and a monstrous catalog of more than
2 million songs, 25,000 podcasts, and 11,000 audiobooks. Since the debut of the
new video iPod last fall, the
one-stop music shop also
features more than 2,000
music videos, Pixar animation shorts, and television
shows for $1.99 a pop.
Apple Computer
www.apple.com
800-692-7753
Direct Price: 99 cents per
song; $1.99 per video
Runner-Up:
Napster 3.0
Half-Life 2
includes free mods such as
Counter-Strike: Source, a visceral terrorist/counter-terrorist combat sim, and Day of
Defeat, a fast-paced World
War II shooter.
Valve • www.half-life2.com
425-889-9642
Runner-Up:
Doom 3: Resurrection of Evil
ONLINE MUSIC
SERVICE
iTunes Music Store
Built into its iTunes application, Apple’s iTunes Music
the intuitive Web site is a
delight to use.
Netflix • www.netflix.com
Direct Price: $9.99 to $47.99
per month
Runner-Up:
Kodak EasyShare Gallery
VOIP SERVICE
Vonage
Runner-Up:
iTunes 4.9
PC GAME
Half-Life 2
BEST PLACES TO BUY
The granddaddy of Internet
phone services, Vonage offers
a wealth of calling features,
extensive coverage, and strong
support. While some Voice
over Internet Protocol (VoIP)
services are best used as a secondary line or for saving money on especially expensive
long-distance calls, clear calling makes Vonage a suitable
replacement for your primary
phone line.
Vonage • www.vonage.com
866-243-4357
Direct Price: $24.99 per month
Runner-Up:
Skype
Dell is the No. 1 seller of
computers worldwide, so it’s
no surprise that its online
store once again nabs the top
spot. The company’s lineup
of eminently configurable
desktops ranges from bargain models (starting at $349)
to its new premium XPS line.
No matter your budget, Dell
enables at-a-glance comparisons of its product lines in a
format that’s clean and accessible. When you’re ready
to customize, Dell’s configuration pages provide an
exhaustive combination of
options. And its revolving
carousel of special offers
keeps shoppers coming
back for free shipping and
upgrades.
800-999-3355
Runner-Up:
Newegg.com
FREE DOWNLOAD
Firefox
Mozilla’s Firefox is your dream
Internet browser. With features like tabbed browsing,
customizable search bars,
and a built-in Really Simple
Syndication (RSS) reader, Firefox is finally putting a dent in
BEST PLACE TO BUY
NOTEBOOKS
Dell
Microsoft Internet Explorer’s
unrivaled market dominance.
Firefox is fast and stable, and
it displays an impressive range
of browsing options.
Mozilla Foundation
www.mozilla.org
Laptops are, by nature, more
personal than their lessportable counterparts, and
selecting that just-right model can be challenging. Our
readers opt for the Dell solution: Its product-comparison
tool enables you to narrow
down choices by lining up a
range of notebooks, then
checking off the models you
wish to compare. After
you’ve identified the one that
best fits your needs (remember to check out the 360degree images), you can upgrade the notebook’s components to yield a customconfigured machine that
fits you like a glove.
800-999-3355
Runner-Up:
Ad-Aware SE Personal Edition
Runner-Up:
Newegg.com
ONLINE SERVICE
Netflix
Netflix’s model of renting
DVDs by mail for a flat
monthly fee is so brilliant
that it has spawned lots
of copycats. But none—
not even Blockbuster—
has been able to best the
originator of the concept.
A variety of Netflix plans
lets you have from one
to eight discs out at a
time. You keep them as
long as you like and mail
them back in prepaid envelopes without incurring
late fees. Turnaround is
swift, titles are plentiful, and
BEST PLACE TO BUY
DESKTOPS
Dell
Firefox
67
BEST PLACES TO BUY
BEST PLACE TO
BUY CORE
COMPONENTS
Newegg.com
Our readers know that
Newegg.com is the place to go
for a comprehensive array of
components that ranges from
utilitarian heatsinks to blistering 64-bit dual-core processors. You can also get just
about anything you need to
upgrade, trick out, rejuvenate,
or repair your PC. On top of
the company’s extremely
competitive pricing, it also
provides speedy delivery and
reliable service.
Newegg.com
www.newegg.com
800-390-1119
PASTPICKS
home productivity, games,
business basics, and utilities.
The store also offers software
licenses for various versions of
Microsoft Windows, as well as
OEM versions of selected titles. And for those who simply
can’t wait, the site offers more
than 500 downloadable software and game titles. Shipping is typically $1.49 or less, if
not free.
Newegg.com
www.newegg.com
800-390-1119
1995
BEST SERVICE AND
SUPPORT, HARDWARE
Gateway 2000
Before Dell started sweeping this award every year (and before
Gateway changed its name), Gateway 2000 took top honors for
its customer service and tech support. All of its desktops came
with a three-year warranty, including a year of onsite service.
Ah, the good old days.
provements with each iteration. Our readers voted the recently video- enabled iPod
(30GB, $299; 60GB, $399) the
most innovative product of the
year. With its ability to
smoothly play
Runner-Up:
back videos and
Best Buy
select TV programming, the
BEST PLACE TO
fifth-generation
BUY CONSUMER
iPod may finally
ELECTRONICS
kick-start the
Best Buy
market for
Runner-Up:
Best Buy is doubly
portable video
Best Buy
tempting: If one of its
devices. Even if
714 U.S. retail locations
it doesn’t, the
isn’t near you, the
BEST PLACE TO BUY
Apple iPod
iPod continues
chain’s comprehensive
PERIPHERALS
to define the market for
Web store is just a click away.
Newegg.com
portable digital-audio players.
Either way, Best Buy delivers
When you’re shopping for a
Apple Computer
an unbeatable selection of flatperipheral—a flat-panel diswww.apple.com
panel televisions, digital camplay, hard drive, or printer, to
800-692-7753
eras, digital audio players,
name a few—the sheer volgaming devices, and home
ume of choices can be dauntRunner-Up:
theater equipment. You can
ing. Newegg.com makes it
Firefox
save time by
easy by organizpicking up
ing its sweeping
your online orinventory of prodBEST SERVICE AND
der at a nearby
ucts in a store
SUPPORT
store. Bonus:
that’s logically orDell
Best Buy also
ganized and easy
Tech support may be getting a
offers in-home
to browse. If
bad rap these days, but Dell
Newegg.com
service, reyou’re looking for
still tops your list as the best
pairs, and installations.
opinions, the e-tailer has postsource of PC-related help. BeBest Buy • www.bestbuy.com
ed more than 225,000 product
sides offering its customers
888-237-8289
reviews from its customers, all
excellent extended warranties
searchable by keyword.
on its products, the computer
Runner-Up:
Newegg.com
giant has recently taken a
Newegg.com
www.newegg.com
leading role in fighting online
800-390-1119
threats such as viruses and
spyware. Its downloadable
MOST INNOVATIVE
Runner-Up:
Dell Support application, prePRODUCT OR
Best Buy
installed on many of its comSERVICE
puters, also helps to maintain
Apple iPod
PCs in optimum health.
BEST PLACE TO BUY
Has any other company conDell • www.dell.com
sistently outdone itself with
SOFTWARE
such a succession of awe-inNewegg.com
800-999-3355
spiring products? Apple’s iPod
Newegg.com covers the softhas demonstrated solid—
ware spectrum with a selecRunner-Up:
tion of titles that includes
Newegg.com
sometimes amazing—im-
68
BEST PLACE TO BUY
RETAIL
Best Buy
Sometimes you just want to
try out a tech product before
you buy. Our readers think
electronics superstore Best
Buy is the best place to visit if
you want to compare picture
quality on high-definition televisions or how different digital cameras feel in your hands.
While it has plenty of big-ticket items, Best Buy is also great
for finding deals on CDs,
DVDs, and tech accessories.
Best Buy • www.bestbuy.com
888-237-8289
Runner-Up:
CompUSA
BEST PLACE TO BUY
ONLINE
Newegg.com
With its three other first-place
finishes and five runner-up
positions, it shouldn’t be surprising that Newegg.com takes
overall honors as the place to
buy tech products online. Offering substantially more selections than any brick-andmortar store could ever hold,
Newegg.com trounces the
competition with competitive
pricing, excellent service, and
first-rate delivery options. The
site also posts extensive feedback on the products it stocks
from its legion of customers.
What more could you ask for
in an online seller?
Newegg.com
www.newegg.com
800-390-1119
Runner-Up:
Tiger Direct
HAND-CRAFTED COMPUTERS
DON’T SETTLE FOR A
COOKIE-CUTTER PC—
GET EXACTLY WHAT
YOU WANT FROM A
CUSTOM DESKTOP
BUILDER.
Edited by
Joshua Goldman
71
buying a PC means heading to the online configurators of Dell, Gateway, and Hewlett-Packard,
and choosing among the components listed in the dropdown menus. While these offerings will please most PC buyers most of the time, what happens if you’re picky about
certain components? (Say the graphics card or case you really want is not an option.) The solution: a small, custom PC
builder that can give you exactly what you want, à la carte.
FOR MOST SHOPPERS,
A couple of the vendors we send you
to this month may be completely new to
you, but that’s just the point. These are
small, boutique vendors that build custom PCs to your exact specifications, so
their prices are high and their volume
low.
We requested a high-end configuration from All American Computers
(AAC), NiveusMedia, Overdrive PC, and
Puget Custom Computers. Although the
PCs we received ranged in price from
just under $5,000 to nearly $6,500, that
doesn’t mean these companies aren’t
capable of building more-economical
machines. Most small, boutique manufacturers offer customers personal attention so they come away with the PC
they want, not simply the one that’s
available. Overdrive offers modest configurations of its overclocked computers,
and AAC and Puget Custom will build to
order everything from budget desktops
to the loaded ones we feature here. The
exception is NiveusMedia, which sticks
to high-end Media Center PCs for A/V
enthusiasts and doesn’t offer many customization options. But the build quality
is superior to anything you’d find
from a mainstream maker.
Each PC we tested for this
AAC
LiquidXS
ATI
Crossfire
roundup has unique features, such as
carefully assembled liquid-cooling systems or distinctive case designs. And although peak performance wasn’t our
main goal, none of these boutique boxes
disappointed in that regard.
AAC LiquidXS ATI Crossfire
Editors’ Rating: 7.3 out of 10
Pros: Attractive design; attention to detail;
lots of component options; solid warranty
Cons: Top performance held back by older
components; limited expansion options;
no accessories
THE COMPANY: Indiana-based AAC
will build just about any configuration
you want and talk you through the
whole process, if need be. And if you
seek a unique gaming box that’ll drop
jaws at your next LAN party, consider
AAC’s LiquidXS PCs for their incredible
appearance and performance.
THE COMPUTER: AAC sent us a $4,889
(without monitor, speakers, keyboard,
or mouse) limited-edition Crossfire
dual-graphics-card desktop, the first
ATI dual-graphics-card combination
we’ve seen. The cherry-red acrylic case
is stunning, and surprisingly sturdy
considering it’s reasonably lightweight. ATI’s Crossfire logo is laser-
etched into the left panel, but AAC will
inscribe whatever design you choose
for an additional fee. The clear removable panel on the other side offers easy
component access while showing off
the AMD Athlon 64 FX-55 processor’s
liquid-cooling system and the organized interior cable routing. Two ultraviolet lights make the coolant glow blue,
while three 120mm white-LED fans
enhance the light show.
Up front, you’ll find audio jacks, a
double-layer DVD±RW drive, and two
USB 2.0 ports. The interior is tight, with
unusable PCI slots, a single open 5.25inch bay, a couple of RAM slots, and
nothing more—not that you’d need
much else.
Two 10,000rpm 74GB hard drives set to
RAID Level 0 back up a 200GB drive, and
a superb Creative Sound Blaster Audigy 2
ZS sound card handles audio. But the
stars here are the 256MB ATI X850 XT
graphics card and its Crossfire companion card. (AAC also offers nVidia SLI
builds.) The cards performed as expected: great at our tested 1,024x768 resolution, but not as good as the newer 256MB
nVidia GeForce 7800 GTX at higher resolutions. On our Half-Life 2 test, the combo cards hit 111.6 frames per second
(fps). Although the GPU fans are loud,
the case dampens the din.
The 2.6GHz FX-55 CPU we received is
no longer AMD’s top of the line, but it’s
still powerful, and when coupled with the
PC’s 1GB of high-performance memory,
produced strong results, scoring 216 on
our BAPCo SYSmark 2004 test. Of course,
you can always choose a faster CPU.
THE WARRANTY: AAC covers parts for
one year and labor for three. Also, component upgrades are installed free of charge.
NiveusMedia Media Center
Denali Edition
Pros: Unique fanless case; four TV tuners
include two high-definition; solid construction
Cons: Hard to upgrade; outdated components;
large; expensive; meager warranty
THE COMPANY: Unlike other vendors
that build Media Center PCs as a line extension, San Jose, Calif.-based NiveusMedia offers PCs strictly for the A/V
crowd. The company does not allow for
much customization, but the audio and
video quality you get is top-notch.
THE COMPUTER: PC enthusiasts will
quibble about the part-to-price ratio of
CONTINUES ON PAGE 78
72
CONTINUED FROM PAGE 72
NiveusMedia
Media Center
Denali
Edition
izes in overclocking to provide the most
performance for your money, whether
your setup costs $2,000 or $5,000.
THE COMPUTER: At $4,924 without a
monitor or speakers, the Torque.SLI we
tested isn’t for everyone. But if you absolutely must have the fastest PC on
the block, this one comes with bragging
rights.
e-mail support. That’s a little stingy for
Our test unit’s simple black Lian Li
the $6,298 Media Center Denali Edition,
PC-6070 midtower is also available in
but A/V fanatics will see value in its
a high-end model, but it’s still in line
silver or with a custom paint job. The
stable component mix, Imaging Science
with A/V-component manufacturers.
clean-cut image dissolves once you
Foundation certification (a videoApplication Performance: BAPCo SYSmark 2004
crack open the case, however. The
quality stamp of approval), and its
AAC LiquidXS
side panels are coated with a foamnear-silent operation.
216
ATI Crossfire
rubber sound-damping material, and
At 15x25x8.3 inches (HWD) and 60
NiveusMedia Media
191
Center Denali Edition
the motherboard, hard drives, and
pounds, the black, anodized-alu255
Overdrive Torque.SLI
expansion cards are fitted with stainminum case is a behemoth. It reless-steel screws and rubber washers.
sembles a large amplifier, with side
235
Puget Liquid Cooled SLI
fins that act as giant heat sinks to
Cables are carefully routed and
0
100
150
200
250
300
enable fanless operation. These fins
clipped to maximize airflow, and qui3D-Gaming Performance: Half-Life 2 (1,024x768)
get hot, so give this monster suffiet fans help reduce noise output. You
cient space in your A/V cabinet.
even get a small flashlight clipped to
AAC LiquidXS
111.6
ATI Crossfire
The minimalist front panel holds
the drive cage. And despite a case
NiveusMedia Media 60.5
Center Denali Edition
just two USB 2.0 ports and a slot for
packed with state-of-the-art hard128.9*
the double-layer DVD burner. Aside
ware running at beyond-default
from one FireWire and four USB
speeds, the Torque.SLI’s fans stayed
110.6
ports, rear-panel connections are all
so quiet during testing we could hear
60
75
90
105
120
135
(frames per second)
A/V-oriented, and they’re abundant.
the hard drive heads moving.
* = Running an older version of our Half-Life 2 test.
Connections for the nVidia GeForce
With a pair of 256MB XFX GeForce
For details on how we test desktop PCs, visit
6600 GT video card and onboard Intel
7800
GTX graphics cards and a Crecomputershopper.com/HowWeTest and click
“Windows desktops.”
High Definition 7.1 audio are routed
ative Sound Blaster Audigy 2 ZS
to a series of plugs home-theater buffs
sound card, you’ll find little room for
will love. You get four TV tuner cards—
expansion—only a single PCI slot and a
two standard-definition and two overcouple of memory slots. External exEditors’ Rating: 8.4 out of 10
pansion is more promising, with six
the-air high-definition (HD)—but you’ll
Pros: Unmatched performance; quiet
USB 2.0 ports, two of which are fronthave to supply your own HD antenna.
operation; variety of configuration options
mounted.
With 16 bolts securing the top, the
Cons: No onsite service; limited expansion
The Torque.SLI came with a doublecase clearly isn’t designed to be
room; $5,000 gets you only one year of
layer DVD burner and a DVD-ROM, plus
opened. Initial configuration options
warranty coverage
a pair of 10,000rpm 74GB hard drives
are limited to RAM (up to 4GB) and
EDITORS’ THE COMPANY: Box after
CHOICE box, Georgia-based Overhard drive space (up to 800GB); our test
configured in a RAID Level 0 array to
PC came with 4GB of RAM and two
drive PC continues to imaugment the removable 200GB drive.
400GB SATA hard drives. You can call to
press us. The system builder specialThe PC also had a floppy drive with a
discuss other options, but NiveusMedia
prefers to ship its computers with
Overdrive
slightly older but proven parts, such as
Torque.SLI
a 3.2GHz Pentium 540 CPU.
The Denali hit a competent 191 on
our BAPCo SYSmark 2004 tests. A dualcore processor would offer improved
media performance, and at press time,
NiveusMedia said dual-core systems
were in the works. Although not designed as a gaming machine, the Denali
can handle most of today’s games at
moderate resolutions; at 1,024x768,
Half-Life 2 ran at 60.5fps.
THE WARRANTY: The standard oneyear warranty includes phone and
78
Puget
Liquid
Cooled SLI
built-in media-card reader.
Overdrive’s overclocking efforts go
beyond just toggling a few settings. In
addition to overclocking the 2.8GHz
Athlon 64 FX-57, graphics cards, and
RAM, it optimizes the BIOS and Windows settings for maximum performance. The results were an impressive Half-Life 2 score of 128.9fps at
1,024x768. (This test was recently altered, due to changes made by the
game manufacturer, and this should
push scores even higher.) The application score of 255 on BAPCo SYSmark 2004 was equally inspiring.
THE WARRANTY: Overdrive provides
one year of parts-and-labor coverage
and toll-free tech support. That’s meager considering the PC’s price. A warranty upgrade costs $100 per year. No
onsite service is available, but Overdrive covers shipping both ways while
the PC is under its Platinum warranty.
Puget housed its creation in the Silverstone Temjin TJO7 chassis, which is
massive at 25.5x8.6x22.2 inches (HWD)
and hefty at more than 50 pounds with
all the hardware installed. Beneath the
slot-loading double-layer DVD±RW burner, you can watch the water from the liquid-cooling system flow through a reservoir, which glows blue from the light of
an LED. The other available external bay
is occupied by Creative’s X-Fi Fata1ty FPS
audio control panel. All other bays are
occupied by internally mounted devices,
including a water-pump assembly and a
special watercooled cage for the two
10,000rpm 74GB hard drives, which are
set to RAID Level 0.
Because nearly every component is
watercooled, the interior is loaded with
tubing, radiators, pumps, shielded cables, and special waterblock fittings.
This hardware added more than $1,100
to the price of the computer.
Puget offers desktops based on AMD
Pros: Strong 3D performance; liquid cooling
provides plenty of headroom for overclocking;
well-built; includes top components
Cons: One-year warranty; large; expensive;
monitor, speakers, keyboard, mouse cost extra
THE COMPANY: Seattle-based Puget is
a build-to-order shop that specializes
in custom-made desktops, servers, and
laptops.
THE COMPUTER: The tricked-out Liquid
Cooled SLI we tested proved to be a top
3D performer. It’s pricey at $6,438 without any accessories, but its wow factor
is high.
Feature Comparison
EDITORS’ RATING
CONFIGURATION
Processor
System Memory
Graphics
Hard Drives
First Optical Drive
Second Optical Drive
Monitor
Speakers
Operating System
Warranty (Parts/Labor)
COMPANY
DIRECT PRICE
80
and Intel processors, with a variety of
motherboard choices. If you don’t see
the part you want while configuring online, fill out the comments section and
someone from Puget will contact you to
review your request and order the part.
Our PC came with a 2.8GHz Athlon 64
FX-57 processor and 2GB of DDR memory. A pair of 256MB nVidia GeForce 7800
GTX graphics cards provides the 3D
muscle. Missing from the configuration
was a sizable hard drive, but you’ll find
plenty of room to add one.
This wasn’t the fastest 3D system
we’ve seen, but it’s close at 110.6fps on
Half-Life 2 at 1,024x768 resolution. Its
application-performance mark of 235
on BAPCo SYSmark 2004 was equally
impressive.
Although the Puget was configured
to run at default settings, bumping up
the processor speed and GPU timings
will result in improved performance,
possibly better than the Overdrive PC’s.
Its elaborate watercooling system qualifies it for overclockPuget Liquid Cooled SLI
ing, as does its
7.5
warranty.
THE WARRANTY: A
2.8GHz Athlon 64 FX-57
short one-year war2GB DDR
Two nVidia GeForce
ranty covers this
7800 GTX (256MB)
costly PC, but Puget
Two 74GB
pays for shipping in
DVD±RW (double-layer)
both directions if you
None
None
need service, and exNone
tensions are reasonWindows XP Professional
ably priced.
AAC LiquidXS ATI
Crossfire
NiveusMedia Media Center
Denali Edition
7.3
7.3
8.4
1GB DDR
Two ATI Radeon X850 XT
(256MB)
Two 74GB, one 200GB
None
None
None
Windows XP Professional
Edition
One year/three years
3.2GHz Pentium 4 540
4GB DDR
nVidia GeForce 6600 GT
(128MB)
Two 400GB
None
None
None
Windows XP Media
Center Edition 2005
One year/one year
1GB DDR
Two nVidia GeForce
7800 GTX (256MB)
Two 74GB, one 200GB
DVD-ROM
None
None
Windows XP Professional
Edition
One year/one year
All American Computers
866-468-2819
www.aacdirect.com
NiveusMedia
866-258-2929
www.niveus.com
Overdrive PC
866-410-9958
www.overdrivepc.com
Puget Custom Computers
425-458-0273
www.pugetsystems.com
$4,889
$6,298
$4,924
$6,438
Edition
One year/one year
Reviews by Dan
Ackerman, Denny Atkin,
John Delaney, and
Joshua Goldman
Illustrations by David Flaherty
GiveorGoGreen
DONATE OR RECYCLE THOSE OUTDATED TECH
PRODUCTS IN EXCHANGE FOR SOME GOOD KARMA—
AND MAYBE A DISCOUNT ON FUTURE SHOPPING.
pounds. You’ll receive a prepaid UPS mailing slip, and all you have to do is pack up
the parts and take them to the nearest
UPS drop-off site for recycling.
by Kevin Savetz
DISPOSAL WITH BENEFITS
IF YOU STARTED OFF THE NEW YEAR
with a shiny new computer, chances are
you didn’t even get it plugged in before
the question hit: “What am I going to do
with the old one?” It might seem tempting
to dispatch that bulky tower and huge
CRT to a dusty corner in the basement
and promptly forget about them, but it’s
more responsible to dispose of yesterday’s
technology by recycling it or donating it to
charity.
Whatever you do, don’t park the old
equipment on the curb. Besides taking up
landfill space, computers and peripherals
contain lead, mercury, and other toxic
materials that can leach into the ground
and water table. In fact, some components are considered hazardous waste,
making it illegal to toss them out with
household trash.
If there’s life left in those components,
you’ll find plenty of organizations that
specialize in getting them to people who
really need them. (More on that later.)
But if your old tech isn’t usable, the right
thing to do is to make sure it’s disposed of
properly.
A good first step on the road to ecoresponsibility is to check with your PC’s
manufacturer to see if it offers a recycling
program. For a small fee, some big computer makers will take your old PC and
other components (no matter who manufactured them, in most cases) and recycle
what can be reused, before properly disposing of the rest.
Hewlett-Packard’s hardware recycling
program (www.hp.com/recycle) covers
any piece of computer hardware from any
manufacturer. The company charges $13
to $34 per item: Recycling a typical desktop PC and CRT monitor will cost around
$46. Once you pack up the old equipment,
HP will arrange for it to be picked up from
your home or business.
For $29.99, IBM’s Recycling Service
(www.ibm.com/ibm/environment/
products) will take your retired PC, display, printer, and other components—as much as you can
fit into a 26-inch-square
box. The company will either recycle or refurbish
the equipment, depending on its age and condition. Refurbished items
are donated to Gifts In
Kind International, an organization that links corporate donors and various
recipient charities; you’ll
receive a receipt for tax
purposes.
Apple’s program
(www.apple.com/
environment/recycling)
is similar: For a $30 fee,
the company will accept
a 26-inch-square box of
components up to 60
If you’re just not willing to pay to recycle,
you may be able to find a program that
pays you. Dell (www.us.dell.com/recycle)
offers free recycling of an old PC when
you buy a new Dell. The company provides prepaid airbills for shipping the old
equipment and allows you to recycle two
large items—such as the PC and monitor—plus smaller parts such as a keyboard and speakers.
Data Wipeout
NO MATTER HOW you dispose
of that retired PC, it’s critical to
remove any sensitive personal
data on its hard drive. Simply
tossing files into the Recycle Bin
or reformatting the drive is not
enough. Instead, you should wipe
the hard drive to remove all traces
of your financial information,
passwords, e-mail messages, and
other private data.
Darik’s Boot and Nuke (dban.
sourceforge.net) is a free, easy
solution for destroying data. The
utility creates a self-contained
boot floppy or CD-R that securely
erases the hard drives of most
Macs and PCs. Active Kill Disk,
also free, (www.killdisk.com) is
another option. It only works on
PCs, however.
Dell also offers the option of giving
your old equipment to the National Cristina Foundation, a nonprofit group that
provides technology and training to disabled and economically disadvantaged
children and adults. In addition to the
good feeling you’ll get, you may be eligible
for a tax deduction. And as a bonus, Dell
will give you 10 percent off a future software or peripheral purchase. (You can also
83
donate to the National Christina Foundation directly. For more information, go to
www.christina.org.)
If you previously purchased a Gateway
or eMachines PC, you may be able to get
cash back for your old technology through
Gateway’s Trade-In & Recycle program
(gateway.eztradein.com). The amount
you’ll receive depends on the condition
and age of your items. An online trade-in
estimator (gateway.eztradein.com/
gateway/calculators.cfm) makes an educated guess at your old machine’s value.
A typical 1.3GHz Pentium 4 PC, for instance, could earn you $85 back. An older
machine, such as a Pentium III, might
have no trade-in value, in which case you
can opt to pay a per-pound recycling fee.
Regardless of where you purchased
your PC, CNET’s Trade-In Center
(cnet.tradeups.com) lets you turn it into
cash to use toward the purchase of new
gear. Get an instant online quote for the
value of your old desktop, display, notebook, PDA, printer, digital camera, server,
or projector, and CNET will contribute 10
percent of each trade-in’s value to the
school of your choice. (CNET Networks is
Computer Shopper’s parent company.)
THINK GLOBALLY,
ACT LOCALLY
If you prefer to keep your donations local,
it’s pretty easy to find community organizations that will take your old tech. You
can donate working PCs to a nonprofit organization or school in your area. Although the machine may be too anemic
to handle today’s hottest 3D games, it
probably has enough power to help a senior citizen get on the Internet or assist a
student in learning word processing.
Give judiciously, however. A too-old or
nonworking PC can be a burden rather
than a benefit, so contact the organization
first to find out if it can use the hardware.
Note that many groups have minimum
specs for PCs (Pentium II or later, for instance). Share the Technology
(www.sharetechnology.org) will
help you find nonprofit organizations and schools in your
area that can use technology
products. Search the database to find a local group
that needs hardware, or add
your equipment to the list.
If you can, donate some of
your time along with the hardware: Many schools and organizations don’t have a tech-savvy staff to set
up an old computer. An hour or two of
your time to get that machine hooked up
and working can only increase the good
karma you’ve got coming.
Finally, to dispose of unusable dead
items, check with local government agencies for low-cost or free curbside-pickup
options, drop-off centers, and periodic
recycling events.
Sell, Swap, or Drop Off
THERE ARE PLENTY OF
WAYS to turn old tech into new
cash. All you need is a Web browser.
For a nominal fee, you could auction off your old equipment. Just remember eBay (www.ebay.com) is a
global marketplace, so you’ll want to
include your geographic location and
specify whether you’re willing to ship
the items overseas. Even better, posting on Craigslist (www.craigslist.org)
is a free and easy way to find local
people willing to pay for old components. And if your trash doesn’t fetch
any cash, you can almost always find
someone on Craigslist who will trade
old stuff for yours. Because the service is local, you typically don’t have to
deal with the bother of shipping.
If you don’t have luck unloading
your PC and components for cash, try
84
Freecycle (www.freecycle.org), a site
that directs you to thousands of
regional mailing lists. Subscribe to the
list for your area, then post a message
offering up your retired stuff. Within
hours, you’re likely to receive at least
a dozen messages from people willing
to take it off your hands (for free,
hence the name), no matter how old it
is. You’ll need to make arrangements
to get the items to their new home,
but recipient pickup is customary,
saving you the trouble of shipping or
delivery.
And Freecycle isn’t just for computers: The group’s mission is to keep
material out of landfills by finding
takers for unwanted items. Use the
service to give or receive most any
type of free item, from furniture to
firewood.
Salvage the
Small Stuff
CHANCES ARE YOU DON’T
DISPOSE of large items like desktops, notebooks, and displays very often. But what about smaller gadgets
and consumables that become old (or
depleted) much quicker? These are
also harmful to the environment and
need to be carefully recycled.
Those who print regularly know
how fast ink cartridges get depleted.
Fortunately, used inkjet and
toner cartridges can be refilled and resold, and
many organizations
accept them. You can
use prepaid mailers,
available in many
post offices, to send
your used printer cartridges to Recycle-Free
(www.recyclefree.com).
The organization also lets you
earn cash by collecting empty cartridges as a fund-raiser for your
school, church, or business; it will
supply collection envelopes and boxes
for free. We Buy Empties (www.
webuyempties.com) pays from 10
cents to $3 for each depleted inkjet
cartridge. Hewlett-Packard (www.hp.
com/hpinfo/globalcitizenship/
environment/recycle) also accepts
used HP inkjet and laser cartridges,
and will even send you a prepaid
mailer for returning them.
Plenty of organizations accept old
mobile phones for reuse. The Charitable Recycling Program (www.
charitablerecycling.com), CollectiveGood (www.collectivegood.com), and
ReCellular (www.wirelessrecycling.
com) all salvage secondhand cell
phones. (Collective Good also accepts
PDAs and pagers.) If it works, they’ll
give it to a charity; if not, they’ll
recycle it in an environmentally
responsible manner.
The rechargeable batteries in
phones, electric razors, and other
gadgets should also be recycled.
Rechargeable Battery Recycling
(www.rbrc.org) provides the addresses of local businesses that will accept
nickel-cadmium, nickel-metal-hydride,
lithium-ion, and small sealed-lead
batteries to be recycled for free.
HELP &HOW-TO
TIPS AND TRICKS TO MAKE TECH EASIER
92
Software
Weekend Project
96 Software
Weekend Project
98 Buying Advisor
115 Consumer Alert
COMPUTER CURES ALFRED POOR
DIVIDE AND CONQUER
I have a new desktop running Windows XP
Professional, with 4GB of RAM and two internal hard drives (250GB each). I bought the
PC primarily for image processing in Photoshop. I plan to install Photoshop on the C:
drive, and I want to partition 15GB of the
other internal (D:) drive and designate it as a
scratch disk used exclusively for Photoshop.
The remaining space on the D: drive will be
used for storage of images. Do I need special
software to partition the second drive?
E r i c a Tat e
Your plan makes sense, because it may
boost your system performance. And you
don’t need special software—Windows XP
has a disk-management utility that can
handle the job for you.
Start by backing up any data on the
second hard drive that you want to keep—
you’ll be wiping out anything stored on
this drive, so now is the time to preserve
it. Next choose Start, right-click on My
Computer, and choose Manage. In the
Computer Management window, if there’s
a plus sign next to the Storage line, click
on it to expand that section, then select
Disk Management. You’ll see a list of the
storage devices in your system. Disk 0 is
your boot drive and holds your C: drive.
Your secondary drive is Disk 1, and it has
probably already been partitioned and formatted, and will show up as the D: drive.
If this is the case, delete the partition by
right-clicking on the drive and choosing
Delete Partition.
Next, right-click on the available space
of the drive, and choose New Partition.
The New Partition wizard will guide you
through the process. First, create a new
235GB partition for the data portion of the
drive; this will become the D: drive. Then,
repeat the process for the remaining 15GB
to create a logical drive in the remaining
space, which will become the E: drive. Be
sure to select the option to format the
drives as you create them. Now you can
restore your backed-up files and configure Photoshop to use the E: drive as the
scratch disk.
REGISTRY RESIDUE
I was poking around in my Registry and decided to search for a program that I had deleted—or thought I had. I found the app, along
with some other old programs I thought I’d
deleted. Are these files taking up disk space?
And are there other Registry archives where
deleted files, documents, and programs are
stored? If so, where can I find them?
Kevin Collins
What you found in your Registry are not
the program files, but keys that once referred to those files. The Windows Registry is essentially a database that stores
all the configuration information about
your PC’s hardware and software. For programs, this often includes information
about file locations and data formats.
Poking around in your Registry
can be risky, especially if you’re
using the Windows REGEDIT
utility. The program has no undo
function, and changes take
effect immediately.
Many program-uninstall routines fail
to remove these keys, but it’s really not
much to worry about. These Registry entries take up a negligible amount of hard
drive space. In my opinion, the potential
for trouble increases when you try to remove these entries manually. Poking
around in your Registry can be risky,
especially if you’re using the Windows
REGEDIT utility. This program has no
undo function, and any changes you
make take effect immediately, even if
you haven’t explicitly saved the file.
SCRATCH PAPER
I am interested in making paper and was
wondering if you had any information on
what kind of coating is applied to paper to
make it good for inkjet printing.
L o r i Tr i b u r g o
I’ve created homemade paper in the past,
but I’ve never made it specifically for use
in a printer. Inkjets are more tolerant of
uneven paper surfaces than are other
printer types, such as lasers, but I suspect
you’ll want to press your paper sheets so
that they have a relatively smooth surface. This may help prevent the ink from
wicking along the exposed fibers.
The glossy or slick paper used for
magazines and similar printed materials has a fine clay coating on the surface. If you want to print fine details,
you may want to investigate this option. To my knowledge, regular commercial bond paper used in printers
does not have any coating, so you may
not need any at all.
DITCH THOSE DISKETTES!
I just bought a removable flash drive because I want to copy—then dispose of—the
hundreds of floppies I have all over my
desk. I thought I could copy from a floppy
directly to the flash drive. When I tried this,
I received an error message stating that the
source and destination disks are not the
same type. I wanted a quick, easy way to
save space. If I have to copy each file to my
desktop, then to the flash drive separately,
I might as well give the drive away. Do you
have a solution?
H o wa r d M i l b e r t
89
HELP & HOW-TO COMPUTER CURES
TV ON MY PC?
I’ve recently seen several online ads for
Internet television. What is it?
Harry Olivero
TIP OF THE MONTH:
A NON-WINDOWS
BOOT SOLUTION
In the good old days, if your hard
drive had problems and you couldn’t
boot Windows, you could grab a DOS
floppy and boot with that, then access
your hard drive to rescue files and
troubleshoot the problem. Not so with
Windows XP, which doesn’t offer such
a boot option. You can boot from the
Windows XP CD, but that method is
best for repairing or reinstalling the
OS, which can have unintended consequences. This month’s tipster has
an alternate solution.
When my Windows XP system has boot
problems, I boot the PC using a live edition
of one of the major Linux versions on a CD.
These “test” versions allow you to boot
without touching the hard drive, but they
still give you access to retrieve all of your
hard drive data.
Robert Cook
90
Internet television—also called IPTV or
Next-Generation TV—simply means that
programming is delivered over the Web
instead of the traditional cable, satellite,
or terrestrial broadcast systems. The
content may be streamed, or you can
download the files to your PC’s hard
drive to play whenever you want, just as
you can with MP3 audio files.
This is an exciting new development
that could change the way we think
about television altogether, as it makes
true “on-demand” programming possible. It also means we’ll be more likely to
have a PC at the center of our entertainment system in the future. Apple’s recent success in offering downloadable
music videos and popular TV programs
seems to indicate that consumers are
interested in getting their video content
over the Internet.
RANDOM RESETS
My PC was stuck on the opening screen (the
one right before the BIOS screen). I restarted
the PC, and it booted up properly. Shortly
after that, I was surfing the Web, and the
PC suddenly reset itself again and went
back to the beginning screen. It did this several times. I scanned for viruses, and my PC
came up clean. I’ve replaced the video card,
I haven’t spent a lot of
time with Linux, but
I’m motivated to
change that on the
basis of this tip. You
can download a
bootable image of
most major versions
of the OS for free. If
you’re not sure how to record it
on a CD-R so that it’s bootable, simply
plug “Linux CD” into your favorite search
engine, and you’ll find several sources
that will sell you a CD, usually for less
than $10.
Make sure that the version you choose
will give you access to your hard drive.
Some “test” Linux CDs don’t let you read
or write data on a hard drive so that you
don’t risk messing up your existing in-
and my machine still resets itself randomly,
for no apparent reason. Any idea why this
is happening?
Mark Harris
Intermittent PC problems are the most
difficult to diagnose. I’ve got three possible suspects, however: overheating, electrical-power problems, and failing components. Because the problem occurs
right after booting up, overheating can
likely be ruled out. And if the problem
were with the electrical supply, I suspect
you would have noticed your PC’s lights
dimming intermittently, so we can
probably rule that out as well.
This leaves the possibility of a failing
component, but pinpointing the faulty
one can be difficult. You can try removing
and reseating all expansion cards and
socketed components—such as the CPU
and memory modules—and disconnecting and reconnecting all cables, including
the ones from the power supply. If this
doesn’t help, it’s likely that a component
is failing. You might try replacing the power supply, since that’s an inexpensive experiment, but beyond that, it may not be
worth the time, effort, and cost to track
down and replace the culprit. A new PC
may be the most cost-effective strategy.
stallation. Also, try to find a version
that supports USB drives. USB
drives have a larger capacity, are
faster, and are more convenient to use than floppies—
all factors that are important if you have to
copy files to one from
a damaged drive.
Finally, Linux can
read and write data on
drives partitioned with
FAT32, but it can only
read NTFS-formatted drives. So this tip
may let you recover data from a damaged XP system, but you won’t be able to
fix a problem on the hard drive if it was
partitioned with NTFS. Still, a Linux CD
is a handy tool to have, and you should
add one to your PC-troubleshooting kit.
Send us your favorite tip, and you could receive a tipster’s prize package.
“Alfred Poor’s Computer Cures,” Computer Shopper, 28 E. 28th St., 10th Fl., New York, NY 10016-7942
computer_cures@cnet.com
Please include your name. Due to the number of letters we receive, we cannot provide personal replies,
nor return any enclosures.
Illustration by David Flaherty
I recommend that you put the contents
of each floppy in a separate folder on the
flash drive. The easiest way to do this is
to use a batch file, a short text file that
issues a series of commands. It will
make it easy to automate the process.
I’ll assume that the flash drive shows
up as drive E:, but you should substitute
the appropriate letter, if necessary. Choose
Start > All Programs > Accessories>
Notepad. Enter the following lines:
E:
md %1
xcopy a:*.* \%1 /S
Save this file as COPYFLOP.BAT in your
Windows folder. Now, put a floppy in the
drive. Choose Start > Run. Type COPYFLOP
folder where folder is the name you want
for this floppy, and press OK. This will create a new folder on your flash drive, and it
will then copy all the files and folders
from the floppy to the flash drive. (Note
that it won’t copy empty folders; if you
want to include them, change the /S to /E.)
When it’s done, just put in a new floppy
and repeat with a new folder name.
HELP & HOW-TO
WEEKEND PROJECT SOFTWARE
1
A little PC maintenance can
speed up your startups.
Although nothing in the following steps is particularly risky, Windows XP is unpredictable enough to warrant a nod to Murphy’s Law. So, before you do anything else, run a thorough virus check, then create a
safe place to go back to using Windows XP’s System
Restore utility. (Right-click on My Computer, then
click Properties > System Restore.) For added protection,
perform a full backup of your hard drive.
Using a stopwatch, time how long your startup takes before
you make any changes. But because it’s not always obvious when
the sequence is complete, first place a shortcut to the Notepad
applet in the Windows startup group as a point of reference. To
do this, right-click the Start button, and click Properties. On the
Start Menu tab, click Classic Start menu > Customize > Advanced. In the Start Menu folder, find the Notepad shortcut (in
the Start Menu/Programs/Accessories folder) and drag it to the
Startup folder under Programs. Now,
STARTUP DETAIL
each time you boot
up, Windows will
Before After Event
0.00
0.00 Power on
open a Notepad winManufacturer splash screen appears
dow on the desktop.
“Windows XP” with animated
If you time how long
horizontal bar appears
it takes for the win“Welcome” appears
dow to appear before
Desktop appears
and after tweaks are
Windows Notepad applet opens
made, you’ll know if
Use a table like this to jot down your
you’ve
accomplished
before-and-after bootup times.
anything. You can always remove the shortcut once you’ve completed your beforeand-after timing comparison.
Exit Windows, then power off your machine. Wait a few
seconds, then power back on again, and start timing. If
the startup sequence pauses for your username and password, stop the clock at the pause, then restart it after you’ve
entered the information.
Tip: To keep an accurate account of your efforts, draw up a
table in which you can record your bootup times. You can time
different intervals, such as when the manufacturer splash
screen appears, or when the Desktop appears.
Kick-Start
Your Bootup
92
BY JOHN WORAM
DOES IT SEEM LIKE the more time you
spend with your Windows XP installation, the longer your PC takes to
pull itself out of bed when booting
up? It’s not a sign of old age; it’s the
ever-growing accumulation of detritus that various applications and
hardware deposit on your hard
drive when you install them.
Whether these items are functional
or completely useless, they all take
time to load. Here’s how to trim the
bloat and reduce the time it takes
your PC to get ready for action.
Prepare your system
2
Check what’s automatically
running
As your PC boots up, Windows looks in several
locations for instructions on how to launch the
various applications and processes that load at
startup. Depending on the program, the locations
for these instructions vary. Many are in the Registry, a hierarchical database of user, application, and hardware-device information. Others are in a Startup group folder,
and a select few could be in your PC’s WIN.INI file. We’ll refer
to these locations collectively as the Autorun group, because
the items they contain run automatically every time Windows
starts.
To see which ones are in the Registry, go to Start > Run,
then type in REGEDIT.EXE to enter the Registry. Just don’t
alter anything—changes
to the Registry
are irreversible
and could
cause serious
damage to your
PC. Even advanced users
can run into
trouble in a
hurry if they’re
not careful.
The Run keys
are the most
important.
You’ll find
The Run Registry key displays a list of
them by
items that load at startup.
drilling down
to HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE/SOFTWARE/Microsoft/Windows/
CurrentVersion. If you double-click the Run folder, you’ll see
some items that load when you boot your PC.
You can examine the items in the Startup group folder by
going to Start > All Programs > Startup. Finally, you can see if
anything is in the WIN.INI file by selecting Start > Run, then
typing WIN.INI. Look for anything listed on a RUN= or LOAD=
line. It’s unlikely you’ll find anything there, but checking
won’t hurt.
3
Dismiss unwanted Autorun items
Now you can use Windows’ System Configuration Utility to trim the fat from the Registry Run
keys and the Startup group. To start the utility,
select Start > Run, then type MSCONFIG. Select
the Startup tab to show a list of items executed
during bootup. To see the entire Command column, stretch it to the right. A scroll bar should now appear at
the bottom of the window, enabling you to view more of the
Location information. Scroll
down the list to
see if you recognize anything
that shouldn’t
be there. If so, all
you have to do is
clear its checkbox to remove
the appropriate
Registry comUse the powerful System Configuration
mand line or
Utility to easily (but not permanently) remove software from the boot procedure.
Startup group
shortcut.
Tip: The items you remove from the Windows System Configuration Utility aren’t lost; they’ve just moved to a “startupreg” or “startupfolder” key in the Registry. You can retrieve
them later if it turns out you shouldn’t have removed them.
To restore an item to the bootup routine, simply run the
utility again, and re-check the item’s box.
4
Uncover unknown items
It’s not unusual for the System Configuration
Utility’s Startup tab to display a Startup item
with no name, making it next to impossible to
determine whether it’s important. One way to
find out is to disable that line by unchecking it.
If you’re running a security utility such as
ZoneAlarm Security Suite, you may get a pop-up warning message that identifies the name of the item about to be changed.
If so, just do a Google search on the name for more details.
If no alert appears, download the freeware app Autoruns
The Autoruns app displays a list of items that load during startup.
“Files not found” likely are remnants of uninstalled apps.
(www.sysinternals.com/utilities/autoruns.html) to display a
great deal of useful information about Autorun items on your
system. Double-click any item on the list, and the utility opens
the Registry Editor, highlighting the line associated with that
item. If that’s not enough info, right-click any highlighted Registry entry, and select Google on the context menu to search
the Web for more information about the highlighted item. (In
the current version, 8.22, this feature doesn’t work on items
listed in the Startup groups.)
Tip: Also, check the Image Path column within Autoruns for
any line that starts with “File not found.” Such lines are probably artifacts from uninstalled applications that didn’t do a
good job of cleaning up after themselves.
5
Clock your speed
Once you’ve identified the items that don’t need
to be launched every time Windows starts, use the
System Configuration Utility’s Startup tab or the
Autoruns utility to clear the checkboxes next to
the names of these items. Then, restart your computer to get a subjective feel for any speed improvement. Run a few of your frequently used applications just
to make sure all’s well. If you discover you’ve accidentally disabled something vital, just use either utility to re-check the
box next to that item.
When you’re done, do a cold reboot, and time the complete startup sequence, ending when your Notepad window
launches. Compare your before-and-after results to see how
much time you trimmed from the sequence. Depending on
what you were able to remove, the speed difference will
range from modest to significant. Either way, you’ll have a
little less “stuff” dragging down your system, and more
memory will be freed up for your use.
93
HELP & HOW-TO
WEEKEND PROJECT SOFTWARE
1
Protect your children from
online predators.
Safety Net
A few months back, a steady procession of predators showed up at a
home rigged with Dateline NBC hidden cameras to meet a 12-year-old
who indicated she was open to the
idea of having sex. The teen was a
decoy volunteer from vigilante
group Perverted-Justice (www.
perverted-justice.com), but she
could just as easily have been a real
child. Law-enforcement officials
estimate 50,000 predators are online
at any given time, according to the
Dateline segment. This doesn’t mean
you have to rip the Ethernet cable
from the wall if you have children
who use the Net, however. These
steps, combined with careful
vigilance, can help you keep them
safe online.
96
BY RICK BROIDA
Batten down your browser
Children can easily find explicit material on the
Web—and if they don’t, it often finds them. If your
daughter happens to type www.girl.com instead of
www.gURL.com, the popular site for teenage girls,
she’ll end up at a porn site. And until it was shut down
recently, the porn site www.whitehouse.com displayed inappropriate images to young students who probably
meant to type www.whitehouse.gov.
Sites like these, which count on erroneously entered URLs, are
shut down quickly, but as soon as they are, more crop up to replace them. And the most popular Web browsers offer little in
the way of blocking tools. Mozilla Firefox offers no content filtering. Microsoft Internet Explorer 6 has some tools, but they’re
weak. Go to Tools > Internet Options > Content, and in the Content Advisor box, select Enable. In the new window you’ll see four
categories: Language, Nudity, Sex, and Violence. To enable blocking, move the slider directly below the categories to the lowest
level, then click Apply. Blocking
is based on a self-rating system
devised by the Recreational
Software Advisory Council (now
the Internet Content Rating Association). The downside: Most
Internet sites haven’t rated
themselves, and if you set Internet Explorer to block all unrated
sites, you’ll lose access to some
useful sites, including Amazon.com, Google, and even
Internet Explorer’s filtering
utility is dependent on sites
Computer Shopper.
rating themselves.
As an alternative, download
a child-friendly content-filtering Web browser such as Crayon
Crawler (www.crayoncrawler.com), KidRocket KidSafe
(www.kidrocket.org), or Noah’s Web (www.noahsweb.com).
Noah’s Web comes with three browsers: one for children ages 4
to 12, one for teens, and one for parents.
To ensure that your child can use only the child-friendly
browser you install for Net surfing, create a user account in Windows that prevents installation of new apps. Go to Control Panel
> User Accounts, and select “Create a new account.” In the wizard, enter a name for the new account, and select Limited. Now,
password-protect any other accounts that aren’t
Limited.
This still leaves Internet Explorer, however,
because it comes with
Windows and can’t be
uninstalled. To prevent
your child from using Internet Explorer, password-protect it. Go to
Tools > Internet Options,
Crayon Crawler is a kid-friendly
browser that automatically
and select the Content
blocks objectionable sites.
tab. Under Content Advi-
sor, click Enable. On the General tab, locate the “Supervisor
password” area. Type in a password, then hit Apply.
Tip: Mac users seeking robust content controls should check out
BumperCar 2.0 (www.freeverse.com) for Mac OS X systems.
2
Safeguard America Online
One of the safest online environments for children
is America Online. The service lets parents invoke
varying levels of control over Web browsing, instant
messaging (IM), e-mail, and chat rooms. To access
these settings, go to keyword: PARENTAL CONTROLS. Click your child’s screen name, then the
button for the area you want to manage. Clicking Edit Web Control, for instance, will bring up
choices ranging from Kids Only
(which restricts all inappropriate
content) to Mature Teen.
When a child tries to view a
suspect site, AOL blocks access
until permission is received
from the parent via either
e-mail or IM. AOL also supplies
a kid-friendly search engine
AOL lets you give different
that avoids potential traps inscreen names varying
herent in Google and the like.
levels of restrictions.
Tip: With the Parental Controls
window open, click the Internet Access Controls button, then
click Turn On Internet Controls. This blocks access to inappropriate sites via an external browser.
3
Monitor instant messages
If there’s one thing teens love more than MTV, it’s
instant messaging, either in online chat rooms or
via IM clients such as ICQ and Yahoo Messenger.
Either way, a little parental intervention is essential. Start by telling your kids not to give out personal information, even when they’re in chat
rooms with friends. It’s also a good idea to review their user profiles, as certain words and information can attract online predators. Try to keep the profile as nondescript as possible. Hobbies
and interests are okay, but don’t specify age or sex.
While chat rooms are more or less guaranteed to involve
strangers, instant messaging should never be anonymous.
All the major chat clients let you block messages from unknown users. In AOL Instant Messenger, press F7, click Privacy, then select “Allow only users on my Buddy List.” In ICQ,
click Main > Security & Privacy Permissions > Spam Control,
and enable “Accept messages only from users on my Contact
List.” In MSN Messenger, click Tools > Options > Privacy, and
enable “Only people on
my Allow List can see
my status and send me
messages.” In Yahoo
Messenger, click Messenger > Preferences >
Ignore List, and enable
“Ignore anyone who is
Yahoo Messenger’s Ignore List lets
you keep strangers from sending
not on my Messenger
instant messages to your child.
List.”
4
Stop objectionable spam
5
Install safety software
6
Find out more
Spam isn’t good for anyone, but for children, it can
be particularly harmful, because links in e-mails
can lead to pornographic Web sites.
The solution: Install a spam filter. For e-mail
clients such as Outlook or Outlook Express, OnlyMyEmail (www.onlymyemail.com) is a good add-on
for blocking spam before it reaches your PC. But it’s more likely
your kids are using free Web-based mail systems such as Hotmail
or Yahoo Mail. If the service has a built-in spam filter, set it to the
highest level of protection. Just keep in mind nothing can stop
your child from perusing the Junk E-mail folder in search of
legitimate mail caught by the filter.
Tip: If your teenager uses Outlook Express, consider switching to
Mozilla’s free Thunderbird (www.mozilla.org). It’s similar to Outlook Express in appearance and function, but it includes a builtin spam filter.
To get all these features in one convenient package,
consider installing a program designed specifically
for the purpose. CyberPatrol 7.5 (www.cyberpatrol.
com) and Net Nanny 5 (www.netnanny.com), both
priced at $39.95, offer a wealth of protection features, including
activity monitoring, site and
image blocking, and time
management (for limiting Net
usage by time).
Tip: Try before you buy. You
can download fully functional versions of both
programs and use them for
two weeks. If one doesn’t
CyberPatrol offers a thorough
set of parental controls not
offer the controls you want,
found in other apps.
try the other.
Keeping abreast of threats lurking online goes a
long way toward keeping your kids safe online. GetNetWise (kids.getnetwise.org), ProtectKids.com,
and SafeKids.com offer plenty of articles, information, and resources, including links for reporting
suspected cyber crimes. You’ll also find information
on software and Web tools designed specifically for children.
Perverted-Justice, mentioned earlier, has a section for parents on
how to curb their children’s time online and how to spot if their
kids are in danger.
Also, try bookmarking a selection of kid-friendly sites so that
your children are less tempted to wander the Web aimlessly. KidGrid (www.kidgrid.com) is a Yahoo-like search engine with categorized links, all of which have been designated “safe.” Kaboose
(www.kaboose.com) provides fun stuff for kids and parents
alike, from online games to party planning.
Tip: It’s one thing to safeguard your own PCs, but that doesn’t
help when your kids are online at their friends’ houses. Communicate with other parents. Relay your concerns, and share tips
with them to make sure your child surfs safe, no matter whose
computer he or she uses.
97
HELP & HOW-TO
BUYING ADVISOR JOHN A. BUREK
2006: A Storage Space Odyssey
The Advisor spins up five roomy Serial ATA hard drives.
We tested each drive on an NCQ-compliant Promise SATA/300 TX4 controller,
writing 1GB of music files to each from a
10,000rpm WD Raptor source drive, then
copying (reading) the folder back to the
Raptor. We did the same with a 600MB
WAV file. All tests were done with NCQ on
(if supported), then off, in turn. In each
NCQ state, we ran each test solo, and
again while playing a WAV file to judge
each drive’s juggling ability.
Surprisingly, our results hardly varied
on any given test across drives, or across
similar tests with the same drive. Virtually
all comparable results fell within a 1-to-3second spread. Only the SpinPoint was
consistently behind by a couple of seconds on most operations. Exit Samsung.
So speed wasn’t much of a real-world
differentiator—which brought us to warranty, and cost per gigabyte. Western Digital’s and Maxtor’s one-year plans disappointed, so we eliminated their drives.
DeGracia should demand at least three
years. (WD offers a $14.95 upgrade to
three, but this swells the cost per gig.)
Hitachi and Seagate remained. The
250GB Hitachi Deskstar T7K250’s grouplow cost per gig is hard to ignore, and its
three-year warranty is competitive. We
laud Seagate’s five-year plan, but how to
weigh it against the Deskstar’s extra 90GB
of space? Given price trends, replacing a
250GB drive will probably cost $50 in 2009.
Therefore, we think depreciation makes
the shorter warranty a fair risk, given the
extra gigs at stake. Three years of coverage, 250GB—workz for us.
A SURE SIGN you’re talking with a memronments but don’t confer the full benefit.
ber of Generation Net: He casually refers
NCQ should shine when multithreaded
to programs as “appz” and “gamez.” In our
apps and dual-core CPUs become comadvisee’s case, he’s out of room for both.
monplace, but these are still emerging.
“I need a 7,200rpm internal Serial ATA
For today, though, the major U.S. drive
drive,” writes Diego DeGracia, a student
makers pitched us their roomiest SATA
drives within DeGracia’s budget. Capacifrom Panama City, Panama. “At least
ties ranged from 160GB to 250GB. (See the
160GB capacity, but not so expensive—
table.) Four came as retail kits, with SATA
less than $120. I don’t know whether to go
data cables and install
with Maxtor, Seagate,
or someone else.”
software; the fifth,
THE CHALLENGE
Neither did we. InSamsung’s SpinPoint
User profile: Diego A. DeGracia, a
ternal hard drives
SP2004C, is sold only
university student from Panama City,
have become com“bare.” Bare drives lack
Panama.
modities; consumer
cables or manuals.
Computing needs: A 160GB or larger
drives now have pre(Some of the kit drives
Serial ATA internal hard drive, from a
dictable specs, with
can also be bought
U.S. online shop, for his “appz” and
once-premium
bare for slightly less.)
“gamez.” Budget: $120.
7,200rpm spin rates
Three of the drives
and 8MB buffers now
support the latest
THE SOLUTION
near-universal. But
SATA interface flavor,
The Advisor’s choice: The $120
the Serial ATA (SATA)
SATA/300. BackwardHitachi Deskstar T7K250 features
interface, slowly
compatible with
group-leading capacity, competitive
eclipsing familiar
SATA/150 controllers
speed, and a three-year warranty.
and motherboards,
IDE, is spurring drive
SATA/300 supports higher maximum
innovations, and DeGracia is pondering a
recent feature of many SATA drives: Nadata-transfer rates. But most PCs don’t yet
tive Command Queueing (NCQ). “What
support SATA/300, so this isn’t a deal
does it do?” he asks. “Does it really help?”
maker or breaker. More critical: SATA
To understand NCQ, think of a hard
drives use a special, thin power-supply
drive as a record player, but spinning
connector. Some SATA drives have this
magnetic platters instead of a Bee Gees LP.
socket in addition to the familiar four-pin
The “tone arm” shuttles to and fro, fetchMolex-style one, and you can use either;
ing or writing data. But the data is often
others have only the SATA type. If DeGrascattered in chunks across the platters,
cia’s PC power supply isn’t recent, it lacks
and multiple requests often vie for attenSATA power cables; he’d need a converter
tion. NCQ reorders arm activity for top
if the drive lacks a traditional connector.
If you need help making a smart buying decision,
efficiency. This
Maxtor’s drive stumbled here: It had just
e-mail buying_advisor@cnet.com.
also can reduce
the SATA connector, and no converter.
SATA Showdown
wear and operHitachi Deskstar
Maxtor SATA Ultra
Samsung SpinPoint Seagate Barracuda WD Caviar SE 160GB
ating noise.
T7K250
200GB (L01M200)
SP2004C
7200.9
(WD1600JD)
The idea’s not
Capacity/Interface
250GB, SATA/300
200GB, SATA/150
200GB, SATA/300
160GB, SATA/300
160GB, SATA/150
new (SCSI drives
Spin Rate/Buffer/NCQ
7,200rpm/8MB/Yes
7,200rpm/8MB/Yes
7,200rpm/8MB/Yes
7,200rpm/8MB/Yes
7,200rpm/8MB/No
Packaging/Warranty
Retail kit/three years
Retail kit/one year
Bare drive/three years
Retail kit/five years
Retail kit/one year
use similar tech),
Power Connector(s)
Four-pin and SATA
SATA only
SATA only*
SATA only*
Four-pin and SATA
but in practice,
Price/Cost per Gigabyte
$120/48 cents
$120/60 cents
$100/50 cents
$120/75 cents
$99.99/63 cents
URL
www.hitachigst.com
www.maxtor.com
www.samsung.com
www.seagate.com
www.wdc.com
NCQ requires a
ANECDOTAL TESTING: SOLO OPERATION (NCQ ON)
compliant moth1GB Folder Write/Read
34 sec./31 sec.
33 sec./31 sec.
35 sec./30 sec.
32 sec./34 sec.
33 sec./32 sec.
erboard or SATA
600MB File Write/Read
17 sec./17 sec.
17 sec./17 sec.
20 sec./18 sec.
17 sec./18 sec.
16 sec./19 sec.
controller—the
ANECDOTAL TESTING: OPERATION WHILE PLAYING WAV FILE (NCQ ON)
drives work fine in 1GB Folder Write/Read
32 sec/31 sec
33 sec./32 sec
34 sec./33 sec.
35 sec./37 sec.
32 sec./33 sec.
600MB File Write/Read
18 sec./17 sec.
17 sec./18 sec.
19 sec./18 sec.
19 sec./20 sec.
17 sec./18 sec.
non-NCQ envi* = Converter cable included
98
HELP & HOW-TO
CONSUMER ALERT NANCY LANG-FELDMAN
Whom to Call When Things Go Wrong
is a wonderful thing, enabling
you to browse without a salesperson looking over
your shoulder, and check competitors’ prices with
just a few clicks. Sadly, though, when problems arise,
you’ll find this aversion to human contact is mutual.
OKAY, ONLINE SHOPPING
instructions. “When I called customer service, I was
told it would be weeks or months because they were
backlogged with orders. I called [the company president] about 11 p.m. on a Friday evening. All of the
missing items were delivered to me Wednesday of
the following week.”
A few years later, Wise had a problem with a
TigerDirect motherboard that shipped without instructions. “I
tried for six weeks to contact someone and have the oversight
corrected,” he recalls. “I would be put on hold, told to call another
department, told the lines were too busy and to call back later,
and hung up on.” Six weeks later, customer service told Wise the
company didn’t supply instruction manuals with any of its
motherboards. “The techie said I had to call them, and they’d tell
me over the phone how
to connect all the many
pins and jumpers. Do
you believe that?”
This time, Wise consulted his phone-directory software for the home number of Carl Fiorentino, TigerDirect’s
president. The company’s Web site revealed TigerDirect is based
in Miami, and Wise found a single listing for a Carl Fiorentino in
that city. Yahoo’s People Search offers the same information. “I
was polite and apologetic for bothering [Mrs. Fiorentino] so near
Christmas [December 24], and Mrs. F. was understanding.” She
gave Wise the phone number for Fiorentino’s personal secretary,
who was also sympathetic. “Within a few days I had a manual,
and in a later e-mail correspondence directly from Mr. Fiorentino,
an apology. I was told [by Fiorentino] that a few heads had rolled
in the tech/customer-service departments.”
Wise stresses this is something you should do only as a last
resort. You could first try calling the executive in the office. Most
companies list their physical addresses and officers’ names on
their About Us pages. If you can’t find a main number through a
Yellow Pages search, try Hoovers (www.hoovers.com). Here you
can plug in an executive’s name, and, if you find a match, you’ll
have the company’s mailing address and phone number. I struck
gold on my first attempt at reaching the CEO’s office at Iomega. I
called the main number, asked the IVR system for Werner Heid,
and, within seconds, was speaking with his secretary.
You could also try snail-mailing the office of the president.
But if you’ve made every conceivable good-faith attempt to
rectify a problem and your frustration level has reached
critical mass, you may want to resort to the home
number. Doing so is extreme—some may even say
rude—but it could be a lot more rewarding
than cursing at a voice-response system.
Some online sellers go to great lengths to avoid you, even omitting their customer-service phone numbers from their sites.
So whom are you going to call when the digital camera you ordered from Amazon.com arrives DOA or when that new hard
drive won’t spin? Go to the Web site and find the phone number
for customer service; I’ll wait here.
Find it yet? Of course not—it isn’t there. Okay, now try Buy.com.
Or Netflix. Beginning to get the picture? These companies don’t
want to talk to you, particularly when you’ve got problems.
So there you are, stuck with inoperable hardware or missing
parts, and you want action—now. You don’t want support pages
or FAQs; you want a human. As hard as they try to convince you
otherwise, these companies actually do have phones. To make it
easy for you, I’ve tracked down some customer-service numbers.
Here are a few of the most elusive (and desirable):
If you make it past the voiceresponse gatekeeper and the
customer-service rep is less
than helpful, try the CEO.
Amazon.com: 800-201-7575, 206-266-2335. (With the second
number, I actually got a live human being after only one ring!)
Buy.com: 877-780-2464
Half.com: 800-545-9857, 888-879-4253
Netflix: 800-585-8131
Overstock.com: 800-843-2446, 800-989-0135
PayPal: 888-221-1161, 402-935-2050
Yahoo: 408-349-1572
This is all good, but what happens when you get caught in the
telephone torture loop (see “I’ve Fallen Into a TTL, and I Can’t Get
Out!” May 2004, p. 38), in which the robotic operator refuses to release you to a humanoid? That’s when Paul English’s Interactive
Voice Response (IVR) Cheat Sheet (www.paulenglish.com/ivr)
comes in handy. In my May column, I advised remaining
silent until a live person picked up. But English
provides some key combinations that can help
you reach a carbon-based life form more
k
quickly at specific companies.
oo
eb
on
me
Ph
Ho ll
You could always try hitting zero repeatedly
e
ry
r
C
Ha ley ell
y
Ha rid C CEO
and yelling a bit, but if that doesn’t work, or your
g
a
In
g
ell
me
Io ac C e
experiences with the living are no more rewarding,
Isa Hom
l
ell
Jil
C
ll
e
try taking your case to a higher authority. Fred Wise
Jo h Ce
s
Jo
of Glen Burnie, Md., goes so far as to roust top executives out of bed. His local credit union had a list of the
names, addresses, and home phone numbers of the
heads of every corporation in America; when stuck, he
used it to go right to the top.
He first used that list back in 1996, when he received
an Iomega Zip drive without cables, power supply, or
3
2
1
6
5
4
9
#
8
7
0
Nancy Lang-Feldman is executive editor
of Computer Shopper. Contact her
at nancy.feldman@cnet.com.
*
115
TECHMARKET
THE COMPLETE GUIDE TO SMART TECHNOLOGY SHOPPING
117 SOHO Desktops
122 Desktop-Replacement Notebooks
132 Home and Small-Office
Laser Printers
134 Performance 3D-Graphics Cards
136 External DVD Burners
138 Smart Phones
140 PC Service and Support Plans
NEED TO KNOW
SMALL-OFFICE/HOME-OFFICE DESKTOPS
PROCESSOR Time is money, so steer clear of slower budget
processors. Getting a CPU that’s one or two steps down
from the fastest will give you the power you need at a good
price. Upgrade: Expect to spend $90 for every 200MHzincrement upgrade of Intel 3GHz and faster processors.
MEMORY 256MB of memory is standard for business PCs,
but don’t expect to multitask efficiently. Raise the RAM to
512MB, and you’ll be able to switch among applications
without delays. Upgrade: Each additional 256MB of DDR
memory will cost roughly $50.
GRAPHICS An office PC is the only case where integrated
graphics won’t cause a huge performance hit. We still recommend getting a budget-price discrete graphics card, however.
HARD DRIVE Bottom line: Protecting your business data is
important. Ideally, go for two hard drives of at least 80GB
apiece, configured in a RAID Level 1 array to ensure that your
files are always backed up. Upgrade: Each additional 40GB
of storage will cost about $36.
Model
Base
Price*
Processor RAM
Graphics
Next
OPTICAL DRIVES A DVD±RW is wise for easy
month:
backups in a home office. If you’re worried about
Budget
Desktops
employees walking away with vital company
data, however, go with a CD-ROM or DVD-ROM.
SOUND AND SPEAKERS Integrated sound is common, and
it’s probably all you’ll need. If you’ll be doing some afterhours digital media activities, adding a sound card is a better
choice. As for speakers, opt for a good two-piece stereo set.
MONITOR A CRT delivers more viewing space for a few
hundred dollars less than similarly sized LCDs. But it’s hard
to deny the appeal of an attractive, space-saving flat panel,
so the choice may hinge on your budget and space constraints. Upgrade: 17-inch LCD monitors priced under $300
have become common.
WARRANTY Productivity suffers most when your PC fails.
Protect yourself with a three-year parts-and-labor package
with 24/7 phone support, onsite service, and, if available,
overnight replacement.
—Joshua Goldman, Desktop Editor
Hard
Drive
Optical
Drive(s)
Monitor
Editor’s Take
Find Out More
160GB
DVD-ROM
None
More graphics power than the average
office needs. Still, a powerful configuration
for the price.
www.abspc.com
800-876-8088
www.apple.com
800-692-7753
ABS COMPUTER TECHNOLOGIES
Ultimate M5
Vortex
$1,169
2GHz
Athlon 64
3200+
1GB
nVidia
GeForce
6600 GT
iMac G5
$1,299
1.9GHz
512MB
PowerPC G5
ATI Radeon 160GB
X600 Pro
DVD±RW
17-inch
(double layer) LCD
Unless you’re a graphic designer, this slim
Mac has the muscle to perform office tasks
without hogging space.
Power Mac G5
$1,999
Two 2GHz 512MB
PowerPC G5
ATI Radeon 160GB
9600
DVD±RW
None
(double layer)
The standard for designers of all types, this
Power Mac offers adequate components,
though at a steep price.
Dimension 3100
$549
2.8GHz
Pentium 4
521
256MB
Integrated
80GB
CD-RW
None
As long as you don’t need tons of storage,
this entry-level box will suffice for officeproductivity tasks.
Optiplex GX620
$793
2.8GHz
Pentium 4
521
512MB
Integrated
80GB
CD-ROM
None
Built for business, the Optiplex comes in
four case designs, ranging from ultrasmall
to a full desktop tower.
Dimension 5100C
$899
3GHz
Pentium 4
630
512MB
Integrated
80GB
DVD/CD-RW 17-inch
combo
LCD
Integrated graphics will be fine for most.
This PC’s flexibility and compact design
are what we like best.
XPS 600
$1,649
3GHz
Pentium 4
630
1GB
nVidia
GeForce
6800
160GB
DVD-ROM,
CD-RW
19-inch
LCD
Small-biz version of Dell’s gaming-andentertainment PC comes with a nice mix
of parts, but it’s too flashy for work environs.
APPLE COMPUTER
DELL
www.dell.com
800-999-3355
GATEWAY
S-5200S
$579.99 2.8GHz
Pentium 4
521
512MB
Integrated
40GB
CD-RW
None
Short on hard drive space, but office
desktops generally are. Entry-level specs
match entry-level price.
DX300S
$699.99 3GHz
Pentium 4
630
512MB
Integrated
80GB
CD-RW
None
Processor is a little more potent than that
of the S-5200S. Unexpectedly, comes
with Microsoft’s Media Center OS.
E-4500S
$989
3GHz
Pentium 4
630
512MB
Integrated
40GB
CD-RW
None
A three-year service plan is standard—
definitely something to look for in a PC
relied upon for daily business.
Profile 5.5
$1,199
2.8GHz
Pentium 4
521
256MB
Integrated
40GB
CD-ROM
17-inch
LCD
This all-in-one is underpowered for the
price; also, has only limited future upgrade
options.
www.gateway.com
800-369-1409
* = Base price reflects vendor’s default configuration. Most models are configurable.
See computershopper.com for full reviews of products in boldface.
117
TECHMARKET SMALL-OFFICE/HOME-OFFICE DESKTOPS
Base
Price*
Model
Processor RAM
Graphics
Hard
Drive
Optical
Drive(s)
Monitor
Editor’s Take
Find Out More
www.hp.com
888-999-4747
HEWLETT-PACKARD
Compaq DX2000
Microtower
$496
2.8GHz
Pentium 4
521
256MB
Integrated
40GB
CD-ROM
None
An inexpensive way to get basic office
chores done. When configuring, note that
the microtower isn’t easy to upgrade.
DX5150
$745
1.8GHz
Athlon 64
3000+
512MB
Integrated
40GB
CD-ROM
None
Horizontal design means the case can
go under the display on your desk for
easy access to drives and ports.
Compaq DC7600
Ultraslim
$899.99 3GHz
Pentium 4
630
512MB
Integrated
80GB
DVD/CD-RW None
combo
Another slim form factor for the office. HP
offers some interesting choices with this
model, including a Linux OS option.
DC5100
Microtower
$986
2.8GHz
Pentium 4
520
512MB
Integrated
160GB
CD-ROM
Fine configuration includes three years
of onsite repairs. Want more? HP offers
upgrade recommendations for every PC.
Value-Pro
$999
2.2GHz
Athlon 64
3500+
1GB
nVidia
GeForce
6200
160GB
DVD±RW
17-inch
(double layer) LCD
A great configuration for $1,000, but don’t
www.ibuypower.com
expect the service, documentation, and quality 888-462-3899
control you’d get from a bigger vendor.
Dream 2006
$1,469
2.8GHz
Pentium D
820
1GB
nVidia
GeForce
7800 GT
200GB
DVD±RW
None
(double layer),
DVD-ROM
An excellent price for a lot of fine parts.
Could easily double as a game machine
and home-office workhorse.
ThinkCentre A50
$399
128MB
Integrated
40GB
CD-ROM
None
ThinkCentre E50
$699
2.53GHz
Celeron
325
3.06GHz
Pentium 4
519K
512MB
Integrated
80GB
CD-RW
None
More small-office than home-office; comes
loaded with utility, productivity, and
security apps.
A straight-up office workstation. The case
might say Lenovo, but IBM’s familiar look
and feel are still at the heart.
ThinkCentre M51
$859
256MB
Integrated
40GB
CD-ROM
None
ThinkCentre S51
$1,089
2.66GHz
Celeron D
331
3.2GHz
Pentium 4
541
512MB
Integrated
80GB
DVD-ROM
None
None
IBUYPOWER
LENOVO
www.lenovo.com
866-458-4465
Three-year parts-and-labor warranty doesn’t
make up for low-end parts. Upgrades are
definitely in order.
If you’re pinched for space, this highly
compact desktop works well—but you’ll pay
for the design.
POLYWELL COMPUTERS
Poly 939NX-3200
$999
2GHz
Athlon 64
3200+
512MB
nVidia
GeForce
6200 TC
80GB
DVD±RW
17-inch
(double layer) LCD
The iBuypower Value-Pro is a better deal,
but this compact tower might be more
appealing for the space-constrained.
Poly 845PE-ISA
$1,019
2GHz
Pentium 4
256MB
40GB
CD-RW
Many better deals abound, such as the
the 945GX below.
Poly 945GX
$1,243
2.8GHz
Pentium D
820
1GB
nVidia
GeForce4
MX420
Integrated
120GB
DVD±RW
17-inch
(double layer) LCD
If you can afford the extra cash, this is the
best price-to-part ratio from Polywell; will
handle productivity apps with aplomb.
512MB
Integrated
200GB
DVD±RW
None
(double layer)
www.sonystyle.com
877-865-7669
512MB
Integrated
250GB
DVD±RW
None
(double layer),
DVD-ROM
Sony’s VAIO PCs are aimed more at A/V
fans than cubicle dwellers. But this isn’t a
bad option for a home office.
Only slightly more punch than VGC-RB53.
Sony includes a nice selection of apps on
its PCs, though many are trial versions.
www.systemaxpc.com
888-845-6225
17-inch
CRT
www.polywell.com
800-999-1278
SONY ELECTRONICS
VAIO VGC-RB53
VAIO VGC-RB51P
$749.99 3GHz
Pentium 4
630
$1,099 3.2GHz
Pentium 4
640
SYSTEMAX
Venture S519J
$599.99 3.06GHz
Pentium 4
519J
512MB
Integrated
80GB
DVD/CD-RW None
combo
A fairly standard business PC. Its AGP
slot means you can add discrete graphics,
though only an older card.
Venture HU B650I
$999.99 3.4GHz
Pentium 4
650
1GB
Integrated
250GB
DVD±RW
None
(double layer)
More power here than in the S519J. Also
has an available slot for a graphics card,
but here it’s newer PCI Express.
Vector SX-V
$859
512MB
Integrated
80GB
DVD/CD-RW None
combo
$1,135
512MB
120GB
DVD-ROM,
CD-RW
None
ProMagix PCX
$1,245
nVidia
GeForce
6600
nVidia
GeForce
6600
120GB
DVD-ROM,
CD-RW
None
Build quality is exceptional, but for those
who need power, the Systemax Venture HU
B650I offers more.
Similarly configured to the ProMagix below,
but with an Athlon CPU. Should handle
office tasks easily.
The 500-watt power supply will allow this
machine to grow if your business demands
expansion.
www.velocitymicro.com
800-303-7866
Vision 64
3GHz
Pentium 4
630
2.2GHz
Athlon 64
3500+
3.2GHz
Pentium 4
640
2.66GHz
Pentium 4
505
2GHz
Sempron
3000+
512MB
Integrated
120GB
DVD/CD-RW None
combo
www.ztgroup.com
866-984-7687
512MB
Integrated
200GB
DVD±RW
17-inch
(double layer) LCD
Won’t satisfy power users, and ZT doesn’t
offer many upgrade options. But the hearty
warranty with onsite service is a plus.
You lose the three-year warranty from the
X6755, but you gain in components and
get an LCD. $52 restores the coverage.
VELOCITY MICRO
512MB
ZT GROUP
Pro Business
X6755
$649
SOHO PC
A4016
$749
= Editors’ Choice * = Base price reflects vendor’s default configuration. Most models are configurable.
118
NEED TO KNOW
DESKTOP-REPLACEMENT NOTEBOOKS (MORE THAN 7 POUNDS)
PROCESSOR When choosing a CPU, configure your
system with a robust processor such as Intel’s desktop
Pentium 4 with Hyper-Threading technology, a fast
Pentium M, or AMD’s 64-bit Athlon 64. Upgrade: Expect
to pay about $50 for every 200MHz-increment upgrade
of Pentium 4 processors.
MEMORY Don’t be frugal with main system RAM—inadequate memory can drastically slow overall performance.
Shoot for 512MB or even 1GB. Upgrade: Each additional
256MB of DDR SDRAM will cost roughly $60.
GRAPHICS If you play games, go for the latest graphics solutions with dedicated memory from ATI or nVidia. If you’re
not a gamer, save a little money by opting for 64MB or
128MB of graphics RAM rather than 256MB.
HARD DRIVE A 40GB or 60GB drive may be plenty of space
for casual users, but those who have large digital music collections, play lots of advanced games, or edit digital video
should opt for 80GB or more. Upgrade: Each additional
20GB of storage should cost about $30.
OPTICAL DRIVES Look for a multiformat (DVD±RW)
Base
Price* Processor
Model
Hard Optical
Drive Drive
Next
DVD burner, which writes to both plus- and
month:
Thin-andminus-format media. The drive’s write speed
Light
is a secondary consideration, and slower
Notebooks
drives are cheaper. Upgrade: Expect to pay
about $100 to upgrade to a DVD±RW from a DVD/CD-RW
combo drive.
CASE Don’t fear heft and weight, because you probably
won’t be traveling with a desktop replacement. Powerful
components do tend to run hot, so ensure that the case provides proper ventilation. Note that magnesium and other
molded metal enclosures usually dissipate heat better than
plastic ones.
WIRELESS CONNECTIVITY Integrated 802.11 wireless networking (Wi-Fi) is an essential feature. Most notebooks ship
with 802.11b/g internal Wi-Fi radios, which is plenty fast for
typical users. 802.11a is not widely used.
MONITOR Go for a wide-screen 17-inch or 15-inch TFT.
Whether you’ll be watching DVDs in all their letterboxed
glory or merely viewing multiple documents at once, more
screen is always better.
—Brian Bennett, Notebooks Editor
RAM
Graphics
Display
Wireless Weight Editor’s Take
512MB
ATI Mobility 60GB
Radeon 9700
512MB
ATI Mobility 120GB DVD±RW
Radeon X800 (two
60GB)
17 inches
802.11b/g
512MB
17 inches
Radeon X700
(double layer)
802.11b/g
512MB
nVidia
60GB
GeForce Go
6600
ATI Mobility 60GB
Radeon 9700
DVD±RW
15.4 inches 802.11b/g
DVD±RW
17 inches
802.11b/g
1GB
nVidia
GeForce Go
7800 GTX
80GB
DVD±RW
17 inches
(double layer)
802.11b/g
512MB
ATI Mobility 60GB
Radeon X300
DVD/CD-RW 17 inches
combo
802.11b/g
512MB
ATI Mobility 40GB
Radeon X600
CD-ROM
15.4 inches 802.11b/g
512MB
nVidia
Quadro FX
Go1400
nVidia
GeForce Go
6800 Ultra
40GB
CD-ROM
15.4 inches 802.11b/g
80GB
DVD/CD-RW 17 inches
combo
None
40GB
DVD/CD-RW 15 inches
combo
802.11a/b/g 7 lbs.
Find Out More
Mayhem G3
Mayhem G5
$1,449
2GHz Mobile
Athlon 64
3200+
$2,699 3.2GHz
Pentium 4
540J
DVD/CD-RW 15.4 inches 802.11b/g
combo
7.1 lbs.
May not pack all the punch of a
Pentium 4 laptop, and graphics
engine is showing its age.
12.6 lbs. Lots of cash buys premium components for desktop-level performance. Huge at almost 13 pounds.
www.abspc.com
800-876-8088
ACER AMERICA
Aspire
$1,399
AS9502WSMi
1.73GHz
Pentium M
740
8.4 lbs. A nice deal for the price, considering www.acer.com
the DVD burner, roomy hard drive, 800-571-2237
and competent 3D graphics.
CYBERPOWER
Xplorer
X5-5700
Xplorer
X64-9900
Xplorer
X7-9000
$1,265
1.73GHz
Pentium M
740
$1,679 2GHz Mobile
Athlon 64
3000+
$2,525 3GHz
Pentium 4
630
1GB
7.2 lbs.
A low-cost thin-and-light machine www.cyberpowerpc.com
with decent parts. 3D graphics
800-707-0393
could be better, however.
8.5 lbs. Powerful 64-bit CPU, plus lots of
extras, including generous RAM and
a DVD burner.
8.5 lbs. An aggressively styled gaming laptop
with multimedia capabilities and a
sweet 17-inch wide-screen display.
DELL
Inspiron 9300
$1,299 1.73GHz
Pentium M
740
Latitude D810 $2,078 2.26GHz
Pentium M
780
Precision M70 $2,148 1.73GHz
Mobile
Pentium M
Workstation
740
XPS M170
$2,399 2GHz
Pentium M
760
1GB
7.9 lbs. A cutting-edge processor, a huge
www.dell.com
screen, and decent graphics make
800-999-3355
for a good deal.
7 lbs.
Hearty components, along with a
sturdy design; a smart choice for
business buyers.
7.1 lbs. Designed for mobile graphics gurus.
Expensive, but has pro-grade 3D
prowess.
8.6 lbs. The ultimate in mobile gaming.
Features pace-setting 3D speed
and application performance.
FUJITSU
LifeBook
E8020
LifeBook
N3520
LifeBook
N6220
$1,399
1.73GHz
Pentium M
740
$1,499 1.86GHz
Pentium M
750
$2,449 1.86GHz
Pentium M
750
256MB Integrated
512MB
1GB
Affordable, but with an unimpressive www.fujitsu.com/us
mix of specs. Lacks wide-screen
800-385-4878
LCD and dedicated graphics.
ATI Mobility 80GB DVD/CD-RW 15.4 inches 802.11a/b/g 7.5 lbs. Offers a decent configuration and
Radeon X300
combo
the Windows XP Media Center OS
at an average price.
17 inches 802.11a/b/g 9.3 lbs. Pricey, but packed with potent 3D
Radeon X600 (two
graphics and two massive 100GB
100GB)
hard drives.
* = Base price reflects vendor’s default configuration. Most models are configurable. Prices are subject to change.
= Editors’ Choice
122
TECHMARKET DESKTOP-REPLACEMENT NOTEBOOKS (MORE THAN 7 POUNDS)
Base
Price* Processor
RAM
Graphics
S-7700N
$1,349
1.73GHz
Pentium M
740
512MB
ATI Mobility 40GB
Radeon X700
NX850X
$1,399
1.73GHz
Pentium M
740
512MB
ATI Mobility 60GB
Radeon X700
Model
Hard Optical
Drive Drive
Display
Wireless Weight Editor’s Take
Find Out More
DVD/CD-RW 17 inches
combo
802.11b/g
7.7 lbs.
Thin and light for a 17-incher, and
decent specs for the price, but the
NX850X is a much better bargain.
www.gateway.com
800-369-1409
DVD±RW
17 inches
(double layer)
802.11b/g
7.7 lbs.
Robustly configured for the price.
There’s a lot to like here, including
a big, wide LCD and a DVD burner.
GATEWAY
HEWLETT-PACKARD
Compaq
R4000
$699
1.8GHz
Sempron
3200+
256MB ATI Radeon
40GB
Xpress 200M
combo
7.8 lbs. A budget model that’s easy on the
wallet but woefully underpowered.
www.hp.com
888-999-4747
Pavilion
ZV6000
Series
$879
1.8GHz
Sempron
3200+
256MB ATI Radeon
40GB
Xpress 200M
DVD/CD-RW 15.4 inches None
combo
8 lbs.
The price is under a grand, but you
get components good for only basic
computing.
Pavilion
DV8000z
Series
$1,149
1.8GHz
Turion 64
ML-32
512MB
ATI Radeon
80GB
Xpress 200M
DVD/CD-RW 17 inches
combo
802.11b/g
8.1 lbs.
Well-designed and equipped for
multimedia, with a beefy CPU and
expansive screen.
Pavilion
ZD8000
Series
$1,399
2.8GHz
Pentium 4
520
512MB
ATI Mobility 60GB
Radeon X600
DVD/CD-RW 17 inches
combo
None
9.3 lbs. Features a mighty desktop CPU
and decent graphics engine, but
at near 10 pounds, not exactly slim.
$1,079
1.8GHz Mobile
Athlon 64
2800+
512MB
ATI Mobility 40GB
Radeon 9700
Pro
DVD/CD-RW 15.4 inches None
combo
7.7 lbs.
Inexpensive price nets a 64-bit
processor with a modest mix of
components. Lacks Wi-Fi.
www.ibuypower.com
888-462-3899
40GB
DVD/CD-RW 15 inches
combo
802.11b/g
7.2 lbs.
A pleasing price for a ThinkPad, but
apart from the robust CPU, other
upgrades are in order.
www.lenovo.com
866-458-4465
1GB
ATI Mobility 40GB
Radeon X600
DVD/CD-RW 17 inches
combo
802.11b/g
8.8 lbs. On the pricey side, given its underpowered processor, smallish hard
drive, and lack of a DVD burner.
1GB
17 inches
Radeon X700
(double layer)
802.11b/g
8.8 lbs. You’ll pay for Sony’s elegant style in
this model, but you’ll also get topnotch components.
None
7.3 lbs.
9.5 lbs. Affordable 17-incher should work well
for the basics, but serious gamers
should look elsewhere.
IBUYPOWER
Battalion 101
S-Turbo
LENOVO
ThinkPad G
Series
$1,049 3.06GHz
Pentium 4
532
256MB Integrated
SONY ELECTRONICS
VAIO
VGN-A600
$1,429
1.4GHz
Celeron M
360
VAIO
$2,229 1.86GHz
VGN-AX570G
Pentium M
750
www.sonystyle.com
877-865-7669
TOSHIBA AMERICA
Satellite
M60
$1,249
1.5GHz
Celeron M
370
256MB Integrated
40GB
DVD/CD-RW 17 inches
combo
Light for a 17-inch laptop, but over- www.toshiba.com
priced given its underpowered parts. 800-316-0920
Comes in choice of three colors.
Satellite P35
$1,599
3.46GHz
Pentium 4
552
512MB
ATI Mobility 100GB DVD±RW/
Radeon 9000
DVD-RAM
17 inches
802.11b/g
Qosmio G25
$2,499 2GHz
Pentium M
760
1GB
nVidia
GeForce
Go 6600
120GB DVD±RW/
(two
DVD-RAM
60GB)
17 inches
802.11a/b/g 9.5 lbs. The best combination of TV, DVR,
stereo, DVD player, and highperformance laptop we’ve seen.
WINBOOK COMPUTER
V120
$899
2.53GHz
Celeron D
325
512MB
Integrated
60GB
combo
8.4 lbs. Affordable, but an anemic processor www.winbook.com
and integrated graphics make it
800-254-7806
suitable only for the basics.
A710
$1,099 1.8GHz
Athlon 64
3000+
512MB
Integrated
80GB
DVD±RW
17 inches
(double layer)
7.9 lbs. A solid deal on a set of competent
components, save the feeble
integrated graphics.
802.11b/g
* = Base price reflects vendor’s default configuration. Most models are configurable. Prices are subject to change.
= Editors’ Choice
THE BEST RECENTLY REVIEWED DESKTOP-REPLACEMENT NOTEBOOKS
Dell XPS M170 • $3,624 (as tested) • Editors’ Rating 8.3
Powered by a top-shelf processor and state-of-the-art graphics engine,
the XPS M170 is one of the fastest, slimmest gaming machines we’ve seen.
Dell XPS
M170
Toshiba Qosmio G25 • $2,499 (as tested) • Editors’ Rating 8.1
This Qosmio delivers the most complete portable multimedia experience you can get.
A gloss-black beauty, it features the Windows XP Media Center OS and a TV tuner.
HP Pavilion DV8000z • $1,699 (as tested) • Editors’ Rating 7.0
In addition to a pleasing design, well-selected multimedia features, and solid
performance, the DV8000z costs much less than the competition.
130
NEED TO KNOW
HOME AND SMALL-OFFICE LASER PRINTERS
COLOR OR MONOCHROME With a few color laser models priced under $1,000, some small businesses might
find it worth the splurge to add some extra pop to its
printed materials. For the most part, however, monochrome lasers are a far better value for home users and
small businesses.
RESOLUTION Print resolution refers to the maximum
number of dots per inch (dpi) a printer creates, measured both horizontally and vertically. For example, a
600x600dpi laser printer lays down a 1-inch square
comprising 600 dots across by 600 dots down. A resolution of 600dpi is more than adequate for most textprinting tasks. If you’re printing more-demanding jobs—
newsletters, for instance—consider models that print at
1,200dpi or even 2,400dpi resolution.
Model
Price
Monochrome/ Maximum
Color
Resolution
SPEED This spec measures how many pages per minute
(ppm) a printer pumps out. Today’s laser printers should deliver more than 10ppm of text, with slightly slower speeds
for a mixture of text and graphics. Most color lasers do four
separate passes on color printouts, so expect much slower
speeds. (Actual print speeds are slower than rated speeds.)
CONNECTIVITY All printers have either a USB 1.1 interface
or the newer, faster USB 2.0. Don’t worry too much if your
system doesn’t have USB 2.0—the two standards get along
just fine, and USB 1.1 is fast enough for printing. Workgroup
printers also support printing over a network using a standard Ethernet cable with an RJ-45 connector. For even better mobility, many models support printing wirelessly, using
infrared, Bluetooth, and Wi-Fi access points with built-in
print servers.
—Louis Ramirez, Hardware Editor
Rated TextPrint Speed
Memory (Mono/Color) Compatibility Editor's Take
Find Out More
BROTHER INTERNATIONAL
HL-2040
$119.99
Monochrome
2,400x600dpi
8MB
20ppm
PC, Mac
Speedy monochrome model fits tight
budgets and cramped workspaces.
www.brother-usa.com
800-276-7746
HL-5140
$199.99 Monochrome
2,400x600dpi
16MB
21ppm
PC, Mac
Fast and network-upgradable; memory is
expandable to 144MB.
HL-5170DN
$299.99 Monochrome
2,400x600dpi
32MB
21ppm
PC, Mac
Network-ready, with built-in duplexer and
expandable paper-input capacity.
HL-6050DW
$649.99 Monochrome
1,200x1,200dpi 32MB
25ppm
PC, Mac
Offers 802.11b/g networking and faster
print speed than HL-5170DN.
Laser 1100
$99
Monochrome
600x600dpi
15ppm
PC
Low price; great for home use and for
students. Only 2MB of RAM, however.
Laser Printer
1700
$199
Monochrome
1,200x1,200dpi 16MB
25ppm
PC
Promises fast printing and a high
resolution—at a decent price.
MFP Laser
1600n
$399
Monochrome
600x600dpi
32MB
22ppm
PC
Impressive print and scan quality from
all-in-one; includes Ethernet interface.
Laser 5100cn
$999
Monochrome,
color
600x600dpi
128MB
35ppm/25ppm
PC, Mac
Good performance, fast print speeds; can
handle heavy network use.
LaserJet 1020
$179.99 Monochrome
600x600dpi
2MB
15ppm
PC
Scant 2MB of RAM; not ideal for intense
graphics printing.
LaserJet 1022
$199.99 Monochrome
1,200x1,200dpi 8MB
19ppm
PC, Mac
Quick, high-quality prints, but noisy and
no duplex printing.
LaserJet 1022n
$299.99 Monochrome
1,200x1,200dpi 8MB
19ppm
PC, Mac
Similar to the 1022, but $100 extra buys
you Ethernet networking.
LaserJet 1160
$329.99 Monochrome
600x600dpi
16MB
20ppm
PC, Mac
Excellent text printing, but lacks a built-in
duplexer and expandability.
LaserJet 1320n
$499.99 Monochrome
1,200x1,200dpi 16MB
22ppm
PC, Mac
Quality printing, swift speeds, two-sided
printing, and network-ready.
Color LaserJet
2550n
$599.99 Monochrome,
color
600x600dpi
20ppm/4ppm
PC, Mac
Great print quality, but sparse features and
slow color-printing speeds.
LaserJet 1320tn
$599.99 Monochrome
1,200x1,200dpi 16MB
22ppm
PC, Mac
$100 upgrade from 1320n brings built-in
wireless networking to the mix.
Color LaserJet
3550
$799.99 Monochrome,
color
600x600dpi
16ppm/16ppm
PC, Mac
Text is fine but slow; color is fast but
substandard. Easy to use, though.
$427
2,400x2,400dpi 32MB
27ppm
PC
Designed for small businesses and workgroups; supports PostScript.
www.ibm.com
800-358-6661
21ppm
PC
Inexpensive, compact speed demon offers
impressive text quality.
printer.konicaminolta.net
800-705-2001
DELL
2MB
www.dell.com
800-915-3355
HEWLETT-PACKARD
64MB
64MB
www.hp.com
888-999-4747
IBM
Infoprint 1412
Monochrome
KONICA MINOLTA PRINTING SOLUTIONS U.S.A.
PagePro 1350W
$149.99 Monochrome
1,200x1,200dpi 8MB
132
TECHMARKET HOME AND SMALL-OFFICE LASER PRINTERS
Model
Price
Monochrome/ Maximum
Color
Resolution
Rated TextPrint Speed
Memory (Mono/Color) Compatibility Editor's Take
Find Out More
KONICA MINOLTA PRINTING SOLUTIONS U.S.A.
PagePro 1250E
$299
Monochrome
1,200x1,200dpi 16MB
17ppm
PC, Mac
Adequate print speed and quality for a
home or one-person office; decent price.
Magicolor
2400W
$399
Monochrome,
color
1,200x600dpi
32MB
20ppm/5ppm
PC
Inexpensive color laser printer that is easy
to use and great for small spaces.
Magicolor
2430 DL
$499
Monochrome,
color
2,400x600dpi
32MB
20ppm/5ppm
PC
Text is fine, but color prints are only so-so;
PictBridge printing requires extra RAM.
printer.konicaminolta.net
800-705-2001
LEXMARK INTERNATIONAL
E232
$199
Monochrome
600x600dpi
16MB
22ppm
PC, Mac
Compact size and fast print speed,
considering the low price.
E330
$399
Monochrome
1,200x1,200dpi 32MB
27ppm
PC, Mac
For $200 more than the E232, you get
faster printing and twice the memory.
C510
$499
Monochrome,
color
2,400x2,400dpi 64MB
30ppm/8ppm
PC, Mac
Fast color and mono printing, plus true
PostScript and PCL emulation.
E332n
$499
Monochrome
1,200x1,200dpi 32MB
27ppm
PC, Mac
Similar specs to the E330, along with
internal Ethernet networking.
T640
$699
Monochrome
1,200x1,200dpi 64MB
35ppm
PC, Mac
Fast and business-friendly, with low print
costs. Highly expandable.
www.lexmark.com
800-539-6275
OKI DATA AMERICAS
B4100
$167.99
Monochrome
1,200x600dpi
8MB
19ppm
PC
LED-based printer serves up decent print
speed for the price.
B4250
$240.99 Monochrome
1,200x600dpi
16MB
23ppm
PC
Doubles the B4100’s internal memory,
which boosts print speed.
B4350
$314.99 Monochrome
1,200x600dpi
16MB
23ppm
PC, Mac
Specs similar to B4250’s, with optional
networking and PostScript support.
600x600dpi
8MB
17ppm
PC
Inexpensive laser offers good print speeds
for the price.
www.okidata.com
800-654-3282
SAMSUNG ELECTRONICS AMERICA
ML-1740
$157.25
Monochrome
ML-2250
$229.99 Monochrome
1,200x1,200dpi 16MB
22ppm
PC
Step-up from the ML-1740 has twice the
memory and faster print speeds.
ML-2251N
$299
Monochrome
1,200x1,200dpi 16MB
22ppm
PC
A space-saving laser that’s ideal for small
workgroups.
CLP-510N
$499.99 Monochrome,
color
1,200x1,200dpi 64MB
25ppm/6ppm
PC, Mac
Color, networking, and a duplexer for just
$500? This one’s a keeper.
CLP-550
$505
Monochrome,
color
1,200x1,200dpi 64MB
21ppm/5ppm
PC
Built-in duplexing; NO-NOIS technology
keeps printing quiet. So-so performance.
Phaser 3150
$349
Monochrome
600x600dpi
32MB
22ppm
PC
Features fit-to-page printing and poster
printing for larger projects.
Phaser 3500/B
$549
Monochrome
1,200x1,200dpi 32MB
35ppm
PC, Mac
Office laser is too large for tight spaces, but
it’s faster than the 3150; duplexing optional.
Phaser 4500
$899
Monochrome
1,200x1,200dpi 48MB
36ppm
PC, Mac
Fast print speeds and ample paper
capacity, but Ethernet is optional.
Phaser 8500/N $899
Monochrome,
color
600x600dpi
24ppm/24ppm
PC, Mac
Fast, capable printer for small businesses;
Ethernet optional.
www.samsung.com
800-726-7864
XEROX
128MB
www.office.xerox.com
888-247-5107
THE BEST RECENTLY REVIEWED HOME AND SMALL-OFFICE LASER PRINTERS
Dell Laser 5100cn • $999 • Editors’ Rating: 7.7
Dell’s under-$1,000 color laser features Ethernet capability, twosided printing, reliable paper handling, and speeds fast enough for an
office workgroup.
Lexmark T640
Konica Minolta Magicolor 2430 DL • $499 • Editors’ Rating: 7.7
At only $499, the diminutive but full-featured 2430 DL pushes the
entry price for color laser printing down near inkjet levels. Plus, it
prints from PictBridge-compatible cameras.
Lexmark T640 • $699 • Editors’ Rating: 7.5
The modest-looking T640 is fast, expandable, and features low perprint costs. Its output quality is only fair, however.
133
NEED TO KNOW
PERFORMANCE 3D-GRAPHICS CARDS ($299 AND HIGHER)
MEMORY When it comes to graphics memory, you can never have too much, especially if you’re a hard-core gamer.
More RAM means better performance, improved 3D texturing, and higher display resolutions. If you’re an avid gamer
itching to frag opponents in Half-Life 2 or Doom 3, make the
move up to 256MB. More memory allows for smoother
gameplay, though anything above 256MB won’t make much
of a difference.
SLOT TYPE The AGP bus was developed specifically for
graphics cards, but has been replaced by a faster technology called PCI Express. Both nVidia and ATI, makers of
the two competing graphics-processing units—the engines
that drive the cards—are supporting this new technology,
which doubles the bandwidth of AGP 8x. The cards are
more expensive, but worth the investment. Make sure you
Model
Price
Graphics
Engine
buy the right type for your motherboard.
DIRECTX 9 The latest version of Microsoft’s multimedia instruction set enhances DirectX 9-compatible graphics cards’
ability to render more realistic visuals. Look for DirectX 9
support if you’re planning to play the latest 3D games.
DVI VERSUS ANALOG Many of today’s LCD monitors have
Digital Visual Interface (DVI) connections, which provide image quality superior to the standard analog VGA interface
(which is also typically present). Make sure your card has a
DVI connection so you can take advantage of this improvement.
TV TUNER Can’t afford a digital video recorder (DVR)? A
graphics card with a built-in TV tuner lets you watch your favorite channels on your PC and use your computer as a TiVostyle DVR, enabling you to save shows to your hard drive and
watch at your convenience. —Louis Ramirez, Hardware Editor
Rated Max.
Video
DirectX
OpenGL
RAM Interface Version
Version DVI-Out Editor’s Take
Find Out More
ASUSTEK COMPUTER INTERNATIONAL
Extreme
AX800XL/2DTV
Extreme N7800
GTX-2DHTV
Extreme AX850XT
PE/2DHTV
$454
$570
$689
Radeon X800 XL 256MB PCI
Express
GeForce 7800
256MB PCI
GTX
Express
Radeon X850 XT 256MB PCI
Platinum Edition
Express
9
2
Yes
9
2
9
2
Yes
(two)
Yes
(two)
9
2
Yes
9
2
Yes
9
9
2
2
9
2
9
2
Yes
Yes
(two)
Yes
(two)
Yes
(two)
PCI Express card packs HD and S-Video outputs so
usa.asus.com
you can project your games onto your television.
502-995-0883
Packs nVidia’s 7800 GTX GPU and the ability to record
your gaming sessions as MPEG-4s for later viewing.
A top-of-the-line board more expensive than a budget
PC, but sure to satisfy even the most finicky gamer.
ATI TECHNOLOGIES
Radeon X800 XL
$299
All-In-Wonder
X800 XT
Radeon X850 XT
NEW Radeon X1800 XL
$399
Radeon X850 XT
Platinum Edition
Radeon X1800 XT
$499
$399
$399
$549
Radeon X800 XL 256MB PCI
Express
Radeon X800 XT 256MB AGP 8x
Radeon X850 XT 256MB AGP 8x
Radeon X1800 256MB PCI
XL
Express
Radeon X850 XT 256MB PCI
Express
Radeon X1800 512MB PCI
XT
Express
High-end 3D performance at a midrange price. Strikes www.ati.com
the perfect balance between power and value.
905-882-2626
Slightly less powerful than the X850 XT, yet costs the
same. Go for the real thing.
The fastest AGP-based graphics solution ATI offers.
Despite all its features, ATI’s second-best 3D card
falls short on performance in games like Doom 3.
A faster, PCI Express version of ATI’s high-end AGP
card.
ATI’s top card is no match for nVidia’s top brass, but
it’s saved by Avivo, which decodes all types of video.
BFG TECHNOLOGIES
GeForce 6800 GT OC
GeForce 7800 GT OC
$309.99 GeForce 6800
GT
$379.99 GeForce 7800
GT
256MB PCI
Express
256MB PCI
Express
9
1.5
2
Yes
(two)
Yes
Overclocked card is a decent performer with reasonable www.bfgtech.com
power requirements, but no bundled games.
847-281-3110
Overclocked and SLI-ready—you’ll need a fire
extinguisher to tame this blazing card.
9
$399.99 GeForce 6800
GT
$549.99 GeForce 7800
GTX
256MB AGP 8x
9
2
Yes
256MB PCI
Express
9
2
Yes
Expensive for a 6800-chipset card, but has a compact www.evga.com
design and S-Video output. Bundled with Far Cry.
888-881-3842
Hold on tight—nVidia’s 7800 GTX chip delivers a
breakneck 3D-gaming experience.
256MB AGP 8x
9
1.5
Yes
256MB PCI
Express
256MB PCI
Express
9
2
9
2
Yes
(two)
Yes
(two)
Features both digital and analog connections for multi- www.leadtek.com
ple-display gaming. Attractive price doesn’t hurt, either. 510-490-8076
In addition to fast performance, also features HDTV
output.
Ships as a 430MHz/1,200MHz card, but overclockable
to 450MHz/1,250MHz using company’s instructions.
EVGA
e-GeForce 6800 GT
e-GeForce 7800
GTX
LEADTEK RESEARCH
WinFast A400 GT
TDH
WinFast 7800GT
TDH MyVIVO
WinFast PX7800
GTX TDH MyVIVO
$350
$499
$599
GeForce 6800
GT
GeForce 7800
GT
GeForce 7800
GTX
MATROX GRAPHICS
Parhelia APVe
$349
Parhelia-LX
128MB PCI
Express
8.1
1.3
Yes
(two)
Not intended for gamers; skimps on memory, but
offers HDTV component-video output.
www.matrox.com
514-822-6000
$529
GeForce 7800
GTX
256MB PCI
Express
9
2
Yes
(two)
Gamers take note: This is the best card your money
can buy.
www.msicomputer.com
626-913-0828
$299.99 GeForce 6800
GT
$499.99 GeForce 7800
GTX
256MB AGP 8x
9
1.5
256MB PCI
Express
9
2
Yes
(two)
Yes
(two)
The best nVidia-based card you can buy if your PC
www.pny.com
doesn’t support PCI Express.
973-515-9700
SLI-ready card features nVidia’s fastest GPU, plus dual
digital connections for limitless gaming opportunities.
MSI COMPUTER
NX7800GTX
PNY TECHNOLOGIES
Verto GeForce 6800
GT AGP
Verto GeForce
7800 GTX PCIe
= Editors’ Choice
134
NEED TO KNOW
EXTERNAL DVD BURNERS
FORMAT When DVD burners first emerged, buyers had to
make an often-confusing choice between two incompatible
formats: DVD-R/DVD-RW and DVD+R/DVD+RW. Thankfully, drive manufacturers now offer multiformat drives that
can write and rewrite to both formats. Some drives also
record to DVD-RAM discs, although these drives are much
less common and tend to cost a little more.
SPEED How fast a drive can read, write, and rewrite discs
is measured in terms of “x.” If you’re on a limited budget,
look for a drive that can write (or “burn”) DVDs at 8x—
that’s approximately 8.5 minutes for a full disc. Currently,
most drives write at 16x.
DOUBLE-LAYER SUPPORT “Double layer” refers to
the technology that allows two recording layers to fit on
the single side of a DVD, effectively doubling a disc’s
storage capacity from 4.7GB to 8.5GB. Though perfect
Model
Price
Format
CD/DVD
Read
Rewrite
Speeds Write Speeds* Speeds**
for those who need to archive huge amounts of data,
double-layer burning currently maxes out at 8x speed,
and the discs may not play in some DVD players. Also,
you’ll run across two types of double-layer recording.
Most double-layer drives support DVD+R double layer
(DL), but some newer ones also support DVD-R DL. To
get the most bang for your buck, look for drives that
support both.
INTERFACE Most external DVD drives connect to your computer via USB 2.0. Some drives, however, offer both USB
and FireWire ports, but you’ll have to spend a little more for
the additional interface. Likewise, if you travel often, you’ll
have to invest more for a slimmer, more portable drive.
Although they’re usually slower than their desktop counterparts, slimmer drives are easier to tote along when you’re on
the road.
—Louis Ramirez, Hardware Editor
Buffer
Size Interface Editor’s Take
Find Out More
ASUSTEK COMPUTER INTERNATIONAL
SDRW-0804P-D
DRW-1604P-D
$130.99 DVD±RW
20x/8x 24x/8x/8x/2.4x
(double layer)
$149.99 DVD±RW
40x/16x 32x/16x/16x/4x
(double layer)
24x/4x/4x/NA
2MB
USB 2.0,
FireWire
USB 2.0,
FireWire
Though not bus-powered, small enough for
usa.asus.com
travel and features an international AC adapter. 502-995-0883
Supports both double-layer formats, but is heftier
than its thinner counterpart, the SDRW-0804P-D.
24x/4x/4x/NA
2MB
$129.99 DVD±RW
40x/16x 40x/16x/16x/2.4x 24x/4x/4x/NA
(double layer)
2MB
USB 2.0
No support for double-layer DVD-R; slow 2.4x
DVD+R double-layer speed.
www.benq.us
866-700-2367
Faster write speeds than BenQ’s model. USB
interface only; still no DVD-R double layer.
Adds DVD-RAM to the mix, but with slower
overall speeds than the FDDRWDF16D.
www.fantomdrives.com
310-320-7272
BENQ
EW1621
FANTOM DRIVES
FDDRWDF16D
$97.99
DVD±RW
48x/16x 48x/16x/16x/4x
(double layer)
DVD-RW/
32x/12x 24x/NA/8x/NA
DVD-RAM
24x/4x/4x/NA
2MB
USB 2.0
FDRAMRWU25
$385
16x/NA/4x/5x
2MB
USB 2.0
$159.99 DVD±RW
40x/16x 40x/16x/16x/8x
(double layer)
32x/8x/6x/NA
2MB
USB 2.0
Good rewrite speeds; also features LightScribe
technology for labeling your discs.
www.hp.com
888-999-4747
IDVD8DBE
$129.99 DVD±RW
24x/4x/2x/NA
2MB
USB 2.0
www.iomagic.com
949-707-4800
IDVD16DDME
$149.99 DVD±RW
40x/16x 40x/16x/16x/2.4x 24x/4x/4x/NA
(double layer)
$179.99 DVD±RW
24x/8x 24x/8x/8x/2.4x 24x/4x/2x/NA
(double layer)
2MB
USB 2.0
2MB
USB 2.0
Rewrite speeds could be better; provides justbelow-average speeds overall.
$20 upgrade from the IDVD8DBE gets you
double-layer support.
Sacrifices speed for a more compact, slimmer
form.
HEWLETT-PACKARD
DVD Writer
DVD740e
I/OMAGIC
IDVD8PE
40x/12x
40x/8x/4x/NA
IOMEGA
Super DVD
16x16
$159.95 DVD±RW
48x/16x 48x/16x/16x/4x
(double layer)
32x/8x/6x/NA
2MB
USB 2.0
Fast ripping and burning at a reasonable price;
www.iomega.com
shame about the toll-based tech support, though. 888-516-8467
$89
DVD±RW
48x/16x 48x/16x/16x/8x
(double layer)
DVD±RW
40x/16x 48x/16x/16x/8x
(double layer)
32x/8x/6x/NA
2MB
USB 2.0
32x/8x/6x/NA
2MB
FireWire
It won’t make you an A-list celeb, but this is one www.lacie.com
Porsche that’s both fast and affordable.
503-844-4502
Also Porsche-designed, but with LightScribe
technology for disc labeling.
DVD±RW
40x/16x 48x/16x/16x/8x
(double layer)
DVD±RW
40x/16x 48x/16x/16x/8x
(double layer)
DVD±RW
24x/8x 24x/8x/8x/2.4x
(double layer)
32x/8x/6x/NA
2MB
32x/8x/6x/NA
2MB
USB 2.0,
FireWire
FireWire
24x/4x/4x/NA
2MB
USB 2.0
DVD±RW
48x/16x 48x/16x/16x/8x
(double layer)
$129.99 DVD±RW
40x/16x 40x/16x/16x/4x
(double layer)
32x/8x/6x/5x
2MB
USB 2.0
24x/8x/6x/5x
2MB
USB 2.0,
FireWire
LACIE
DVD±RW
Porsche 16x
DVD±RW with
LightScribe
Porsche 16x
d2 DVD±RW with
LightScribe
d2 DVD±RW with
LightScribe
Slim DVD±RW
with LightScribe
Porsche 8x
$119
$139
$189
$189
A slight price increase buys you two high-speed
interfaces.
Similar to the previous d2, but you lose the USB
2.0 interface and gain Toast 7 Titanium software.
You’ll take a hit in speed, but this is the
slimmest of LaCie’s drives.
LG ELECTRONICS
GSA-2166D
GSA-5163D
$129
Piano-black drive delivers looks and performance
to match; supports DVD-RAM.
This drive provides it all: high-speed connections
and support for all formats, even DVD-RAM.
us.lge.com
800-243-0000
* = Speeds expressed as CD-R/DVD+R/DVD-R/double-layer DVD; not all double-layer drives support both plus and minus DL media.
** = Speeds expressed as CD-RW/DVD+RW/DVD-RW/DVD-RAM
NA = Not applicable
136
TECHMARKET EXTERNAL DVD BURNERS
Model
Price
Format
CD/DVD
Read
Rewrite
Speeds Write Speeds* Speeds**
Buffer
Size Interface Editor’s Take
Find Out More
LITE-ON IT
SOHW-1633SX
SOHW-1693SX
SOHW-1673SX
$75.99
DVD±RW
48x/16x 48x/16x/8x/2.4x 24x/4x/4x/NA
(double layer)
$95.99 DVD±RW
48x/16x 48x/16x/16x/4x 24x/8x/6x/NA
(double layer)
$105.99 DVD±RW
48x/16x 48x/16x/16x/4x 24x/8x/6x/NA
(double layer)
2MB
USB 2.0
Chunky drive suffers from an outdated 2.4x
double-layer write speed.
Unlike the SOHW-1673SX, this drive writes to
both formats of double-layer media.
As fat as SOHW-1633SX, but with a slightly
faster double-layer speed.
www.liteonamericas.com
510-687-1800
2MB
USB 2.0
2MB
USB 2.0
24x/8x/6x/NA
2MB
USB 2.0,
FireWire
Respectable write speeds and dual interfaces
make this drive a solid choice for upgraders.
www.memorex.com
562-653-2800
32x/8x/4x/NA
2MB
USB 2.0,
FireWire
USB 2.0,
FireWire
Offers multiformat double-layer support; wellpriced for its feature set.
Available in four colors; price jump due to its
slightly slimmer form factor.
www.plextor.com
800-886-3935
24x/8x/4x/NA
8MB
48x/16x 48x/16x/16x/4x
32x/8x/6x/NA
2MB
USB 2.0,
FireWire
USB 2.0,
FireWire
USB 2.0,
FireWire
USB 2.0,
FireWire
FireWire
Features the usual Sony flair, and has the specs
to back up its looks.
Lacks DVD-R double-layer support; slower
CD-RW rewrite speeds, but still pricey.
Supports both double-layer formats, though
it’s still a tad slower than the DRX-810UL.
Now Mac-friendly, with Roxio Toast for Macs
and Nero for Windows.
Even for a drive this slim, its speeds are
painfully slow.
www.sonystyle.com
800-222-7669
48x/16x 48x/16x/16x/4x
24x/8x/6x/NA
2MB
48x/16x 48x/16x/16x/4x
24x/8x/6x/NA
2MB
48x/16x 48x/16x/16x/4x
24x/8x/6x/NA
2MB
24x/8x
8x/4x/4x/NA
2MB
24x/8x/6x/NA
8MB
USB 2.0,
FireWire
FireWire
RCA jacks and FireWire port allow for direct,
PC-independent video recording to DVDs.
Same pocketable size as the PCGA-DDRW2,
but slightly faster speeds and a higher price.
10x/4x/4x/NA
2MB
MEMOREX PRODUCTS
DVD Double-Layer $179.99 DVD±RW
48x/16x 48x/16x/16x/4x
Recorder 16x16 Dual
(double layer)
Format External
PLEXTOR
PX-740UF
$179
PX-716UF
$239
DVD±RW
48x/16x 48x/16x/16x/8x
(double layer)
DVD±RW
48x/16x 48x/16x/16x/6x
(double layer)
SONY ELECTRONICS
DRX-810UL
DRX-720UL/T
DRX-8000UL
DRX-810UL/T
PCGA-DDRW2
VRD-VC20
DVDirect
PCGA-DDRW3
$159.99 DVD±RW
(double layer)
$179.99 DVD±RW
(double layer)
$179.99 DVD±RW
(double layer)
$179.99 DVD±RW
(double layer)
$249.99 DVD±RW
16x/4x/4x/NA
$259.99 DVD±RW
48x/16x 48x/16x/16x/4x
(double layer)
$399.99 DVD±RW
24x/8x 24x/8x/4x/2.4x
(double layer)
Increase Office Productivity by
20-50%
By performing fast reactions to multiple
sources of information, Doublesight users
can experience significant productivity
increases ranging from 20 to 50% by easily
managing multiple programs simultaneously.
15”
17”
19”
IMAGINE THE POSSIBILITIES
DESKTOP SOLUTION • NOTEBOOK SOLUTION
The new DoubleSight dual LCD monitor is an attractive,
space saving and cost effective alternative to large CRT
monitors that consume a lot of physical desktop space
or expensive LCD monitors. DoubleSight monitors
provides an economic, easy to use technique for
seamlessly displaying as much data as possible. For
more information, please visit www.doublesight.com
To purchase, please visit www.dell.com
www.doublesight.com toll free: 1-800-585-3186
1-949-253-1535 ext. 211
137
NEED TO KNOW
SMARTPHONES
SIZE AND CAPABILITY Smartphones come in a wide
range of shapes and sizes but can be divided into three
major styles based on primary function. Large, PDA-like
handsets tend to be powerful organizers first and cell
phones second. Sleeker models are meant to be used as
mobile phones above all else, but they also offer advanced
connectivity features. Finally, e-mail- and text-messagingcentric devices can double as voice communicators.
INPUT METHOD If you plan to chat via IM or send e-mails
frequently while in the field, a keyboard is a big plus. A full
QWERTY keyboard almost always adds to a handset’s size,
however. Phones that rely on a touch-screen keypad and
bundled stylus are not ideal for manually entering data
but are generally more portable. Flip- and candy-bar-style
handsets are the smallest of all and use standard numerical
keypads, which are extremely awkward for data entry.
Model
Price*
Wireless Operating
Carrier(s) Standard System
RAM Input
SCREEN Though most smartphones will have a color
screen, TFT resolution is another matter. Look for the highest pixel count in the smallest screen size you can live with.
CONNECTIVITY Most smartphones connect to a cellular
network via GSM or CDMA technology. A few GSM-based
devices even qualify as world phones, meaning they can
roam on the GSM networks commonly found in Europe,
Asia, Africa, and the Middle East. Some smartphones also
support Bluetooth and/or 802.11b Wi-Fi wireless networking.
CAMERA Most models have rudimentary digital cameras
able to capture low-resolution VGA (640x480-pixel) pictures. Many of these phones can even record brief video
clips. That said, unless you have a burning desire to capture
basic images on the road, this feature shouldn’t factor much
into your decision.
—Brian Bennett, Mobile Products Editor
Built-In
Camera Weight Editor’s Take
Find Out More
HEWLETT-PACKARD
iPaq HW6515
Pocket PC
$649.99 Cingular
GSM
Windows Mobile 2003 64MB Keyboard, Yes
SE Phone Edition
stylus
6.2 oz.
Pricey, but packs features galore, including
Bluetooth, GPS, and a 1.3-megapixel camera.
www.hp.com
888-999-4747
SP3i
$399.99 Cingular,
T-Mobile
GSM
Windows Mobile 2003 32MB Keypad
for Pocket PC
Yes
3.5 oz.
Powerful, multimedia-capable, and compact. Wi-Fi www.imate.com
and a full keyboard would complete the package.
Jam 850
$649
Cingular,
T-Mobile
GSM
Windows Mobile 2003 64MB Stylus
for Pocket PC
Yes
5.3 oz.
Expensive, but small for a Windows PDA/cellphone combo. No keyboard.
$249.99 Cingular
GSM
for Smartphone
Yes
3.9 oz.
Nicely sized flip phone running Windows Mobile
OS syncs easily with Outlook.
$299
Cingular
GSM
Symbian OS 7.0
80MB Keypad,
No
5.9 oz.
keyboard
$599
Cingular,
Sprint,
Verizon
GSM,
CDMA
Palm OS 5.4
23MB Keyboard, Yes
stylus
6.3 oz.
Screen and keyboard are improved over popular
Treo 600’s; also, provides more support for
Microsoft apps.
www.palm.com
800-881-7256
www.rim.com
519-888-7465
IMATE
MOTOROLA
MPx220
www.motorola.com
866-289-6686
NOKIA
9300
NEW
Bluetooth-enabled, Symbian-based cell splits
www.nokiausa.com
open to reveal a wide keyboard and big color screen. 888-256-2098
PALM
Treo 650
RESEARCH IN MOTION
BlackBerry
7100g
$249.99 Cingular
GSM
Proprietary
4MB
Keypad
No
4.2 oz.
A BlackBerry/cell hybrid, it’s slim and lightweight,
though some may dislike its tricky keypad.
BlackBerry
7290
$249.99 Cingular,
T-Mobile
GSM
Proprietary
4MB
Keyboard No
4.9 oz.
Features a big, bright color screen, easy e-mail
access, and worldwide voice support.
BlackBerry
7520
$449.99 Nextel
Nextel
Proprietary
4MB
Keyboard No
6.1 oz.
Bulky for a BlackBerry, but features simple wireless
e-mail access and push-to-talk capabilities.
SPH-i700
$199.99
CDMA
Windows Mobile 2003 64MB Stylus
for Pocket PC
Yes
6.9 oz.
Large, but lacks a keyboard for fast, on-the-go text www.samsung.com
entry. Otherwise, a capable, inexpensive choice.
800-726-7864
SP-i600
$499.99 Sprint
CDMA
for Smartphone
No
5 oz.
Compact, pocket-friendly flip phone also lacks a
keyboard.
SCH-i730
$599.99 Verizon
CDMA
Windows Mobile 2003 64MB Keyboard No
for Pocket PC
6.4 oz.
A nice blend of phone and Windows PDA, with
Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, and EVDO broadband.
$679.99 Cingular
GSM
Windows Mobile 2003 128MB Keyboard, No
SE for Pocket PC
stylus
7.4 oz.
Well-designed Pocket PC phone with nifty slidedown keyboard, plus Bluetooth and Wi-Fi.
www.siemens-mobile.com
888-777-0211
SAMSUNG
Verizon
SIEMENS
SX66 Pocket PC
Phone
SONY ERICSSON MOBILE COMMUNICATIONS
P910a
$499
Cingular
GSM
Symbian OS 7.0
64MB Keypad, Yes
keyboard,
stylus
5.5 oz.
The Porsche of smartphones, with its compact
design and all-encompassing feature set.
www.sonyericsson.com
866-766-9374
$299.99 T-Mobile
GSM
Danger OS
32MB Keyboard Yes
7 oz.
A mobile messenger’s dream, featuring a hidden,
swiveling keyboard. Great for sidewalk surfing.
www.tmobile.com
800-866-2453
www.audiovox.com
800-229-1235
T-MOBILE
Sidekick II
UT STARCOM PERSONAL COMMUNICATIONS
SMT5600
$249.99 Cingular
GSM
SE for Smartphone
Yes
3.6 oz.
Slim Windows phone relies on keypad input but
has potent entertainment features.
PPC6601
$599.99 Sprint
CDMA
Windows Mobile 2003 128MB Keyboard, Yes
for Pocket PC
stylus
6.8 oz.
A state-of-the art PDA/phone combo with lots
of RAM, a sliding keyboard, and Bluetooth.
PPC6700SP
$599.99 Sprint
CDMA
Windows Mobile 5.0
6.1 oz.
Large, but supports three flavors of wireless
data networking: Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, and EVDO.
* = List price. Price may vary by carrier.
138
64MB Keyboard, Yes
stylus
NEED TO KNOW
WARRANTIES AND SERVICE PLANS FOR DESKTOPS AND NOTEBOOKS
TERM Major vendors such as Dell and Gateway are trying to
set the benchmark for support at 90 days, but no PC owner
should settle for a warranty that short. If you’re looking at a
term shorter than one year, consider an extended service
plan. Fine Print: Most extended plans require you to purchase them before the standard warranty has expired.
PARTS COVERAGE As a rule, standard warranties cover
your computer’s main hardware components (CPU, hard
drive, RAM). Software and peripherals, such as monitors
and keyboards, are usually covered by their manufacturers’ warranties or an optional service plan. Keep in mind
that extended service plans for PCs still won’t cover these
extras—they only lengthen the coverage period of the
standard warranty.
DAMAGE PROTECTION Under a standard warranty,
vendors will repair computers damaged during shipping
or with defective parts. Notebook owners and the accident-prone should invest in an accidental damage protection (ADP) plan to insure their PCs against falls,
Plan
Price
spills, and regular wear and tear. Fine Print: ADP plans
aren’t available in all states.
REPAIRS Many vendors offer depot service, which requires a customer to return a PC to an authorized factory
or service center for major repairs and parts replacement.
If you get a service plan that includes onsite repair, a computer technician will fix your PC at your home, usually by
the next business day. Fine Print: A host of eligibility restrictions usually apply to getting onsite service. Examine
the service contract before buying.
TECHNICAL SUPPORT Phone and online chat are generally the most effective forms of tech support, but an easily
navigable online knowledge base can help you solve simple
computer problems at home, without waiting on hold.
TERMS AND CONDITIONS While the warranty and support information below applies to most of each vendor’s
offerings, terms and conditions can vary by system or
system line. Always review the terms for your particular
PC carefully before buying. —Erin Kandel, Editorial Assistant
Term
AccidentalDamage Onsite Repair/ Free Online
Protection Return-to-Depot Knowledge Toll-Free Phone
(ADP)
Service
Base
Support Hours
One year
No
No/yes
Yes
Weekdays, 11:30 a.m. Yes/yes
to 8:30 p.m. (ET)
No
No/yes
Yes
24 hours daily
(90 days)
Yes/yes
Apple’s massive knowledge base is one of the best in the
(90 days) business, but its skimpy 90-day support is a real downer.
E-Mail
Support/
Live Chat Editor’s Take
Standard Warranty Free
www.abspc.com • 800-876-8088
APPLE COMPUTER
Expanded tech-support options now include live chat and
an online help forum, though phone hours are still limited.
www.apple.com • 800-692-7753
Limited Warranty
Free
One year
AppleCare
Protection Plan
$149 to $349
Three years No
Yes (desktops)/
yes
Yes
24 hours daily
Yes/yes
A necessity for all but the bravest to bolster the standard,
measly 90 days of support. Covers hardware and software.
Free
One year
No
(notebooks);
three years
(desktops)
Yes (desktops)/
yes
No
24 hours daily
(one year)
Yes/no
Lackluster notebook coverage, but desktops get a solid three
years, plus one year of onsite service. Desktop owners can
add an extra year of onsite and 24/7 phone support for $40
in the second year of warranty, or for $80 in the third year.
Free
90 days to
one year
No
Yes/yes
Yes
24 hours daily
(one year)
Yes/yes
XPS PCs get a full year of support, but some Dimension
desktops come with an unimpressive 90 days.
Extended Services $19 and up
Plan
One to
four years
No
Yes/yes
Yes
24 hours daily
Yes/yes
Three- and four-year plans include global support for
laptops and extended hours for onsite repairs.
CompleteCare
Agreement
One to
four years
Yes
Yes/yes
Yes
24 hours daily
Yes/yes
Well-priced plan has some caveats: It doesn’t cover all
components, and notebooks require at least a three-year
contract.
One year
No
No/yes
Yes
24 hours daily
Yes/yes
Solid, no-frills coverage provides peace of mind for one
year, but doesn’t include shipping costs for depot repairs.
Extended Warranty $99.95 (one year); One year;
$179.95 (two years) two years
No
No/yes
Yes
24 hours daily
Yes/yes
Note: This warranty extension must be activated within
30 days of the date of notebook purchase.
Executive Mobile
Service
$49.95 (one year); One year;
$149.95 (three years) three years
No
Yes/yes
Yes
24 hours daily
Yes/yes
Adds onsite repair but no damage protection; must buy
two-year extended warranty with the three-year contract.
Value Plan
Free
No
No/yes
Yes
No
Yes/yes
Basic 90-day warranty falls short, and phone support is not
toll-free. For increased coverage, the Value Plus Plan is
a better buy.
Value Plus Plan
$39.99 to $119.99 One to
(desktops); $99.99 four years
to $319.99
(notebooks)
No
Yes/yes
Yes
No
Yes/yes
Gateway recently lowered the cost of this extendedwarranty upgrade. Includes onsite repair and advanced
live chat, but still no toll-free phone support.
Total Protection
Plan
$149.99 to $259.99 One or
(desktops); $169.99 three years
to $419.99
(notebooks)
Yes
Yes/yes
(notebooks
only)
Yes
No
Yes/yes
Next-day onsite repair is a standout, but at this price, this plan
should include toll-free phone support. Plus, notebook-only
damage protection limits the appeal for desktop users.
CYBERPOWER
Limited Warranty
www.cyberpowerpc.com • 800-707-0393
DELL
www.dell.com • 800-999-3355
Limited Warranty
$59 and up
(desktops);
$79 to $199
(notebooks)
FUJITSU COMPUTER SYSTEMS
International
Limited Warranty
Free
www.fujitsupc.com • 800-385-4878
GATEWAY
140
www.gateway.com • 800-369-1409
90 days
TECHMARKET WARRANTIES AND SERVICE PLANS FOR DESKTOPS AND NOTEBOOKS
Plan
Price
Term
AccidentalDamage Onsite Repair/ Free Online
Protection Return-to-Depot Knowledge Toll-Free Phone
(ADP)
Service
Base
Support Hours
E-Mail
Support/
Live Chat Editor’s Take
One year
No
No/yes
Yes
24 hours daily
Yes/no
Knowledge base is impressive, but lack of support via
online chat weakens this basic support plan.
HEWLETT-PACKARD
www.hp.com • 888-999-4747
Basic Warranty
Free
Extended
Service Plan
$99.99 to $219.99 Two or
to $179.99
(notebooks)
No
No/yes
Yes
24 hours daily
Yes/no
Covers displays purchased on same invoice as PC, and
notebooks get express three-day repair, but we’d like
either damage protection or onsite service at this price.
HP House Call
for Desktops
$199.99 to $269.99 Two years
No
Yes/yes
Yes
24 hours daily
Yes/yes
Plan applies only to eligible desktops and Media Center
PCs; includes live chat.
Accidental Damage
Protection
Extended Service
Plan
$149.99 to $269.99 One to
to $349.99
(notebooks)
Yes
No/yes
Yes
24 hours daily
Yes/no
Adds damage protection to Extended Service Plan
package, but doesn’t cover damage from user wear
and tear.
Limited Warranty
for Desktops
Free
One year
No
Yes/yes
No
Weekdays, 8:30 a.m. Yes/yes
to 5:30 p.m. (ET)
Limited phone-support hours, but iBuypower recently
added online chat. Plus, this plan includes onsite service.
Limited Warranty
(Notebooks)
Free
One year
No
No/yes
No
24 hours daily
Yes/yes
Average notebook coverage strengthened by beefed-up
support options. No online knowledge base, however.
Depot Service
Warranty
(Notebooks)
$29
One year
No
No/yes
No
24 hours daily
Yes/yes
To cover shipping costs for repairs, notebook buyers
should shell out the $29 for this plan.
Two years;
three years
No
Yes/yes
No
24 hours daily
Yes/yes
Great price, but use onsite support carefully—there’s
a $165 service charge for software problems.
IBUYPOWER
www.ibuypower.com • 888-462-3899
Extended Warranty $49 (two years);
(Desktops)
$79 (three years)
LENOVO (FORMERLY IBM)
www.lenovo.com • 866-968-4465
Limited Warranty
(Desktops)
Free
90 days to
four years
No
Yes/yes
Yes
24 hours daily
Yes/no
Terms vary greatly from model to model; some plans offer
mail-in instead of onsite service. Steer clear of 90-day terms.
Limited Warranty
(Notebooks)
Free
90 days to
four years
No
Yes/yes
Yes
24 hours daily
Yes/no
Aside from a few models with 90-day terms, notebooks
get better-than-average coverage here.
Warranty Service $29 to $293
Upgrade (Desktops)
One to
four years
No
Yes/yes
Yes
24 hours daily
Yes/no
The most-expensive upgrades provide long coverage plus
24/7, same-day onsite service.
Warranty Service
Upgrade
(Notebooks)
One to
five years
No
Yes/yes
Yes
24 hours daily
Yes/no
Lenovo’s willingness to cover notebooks for five years is
reassuring, but look to the ADP plan for damage protection.
One to
four years
Yes
No/yes
Yes
24 hours daily
Yes/no
Plan offers full damage protection for up to four years, but,
considering the cost, we wish it included onsite service.
Varies
by model
No
No/yes
Yes
24 hours daily
(one year)
Yes/no
Parts coverage is based on individual manufacturers’
warranties; five years of labor coverage for PCs priced
$1,000 and up.
No
Yes/yes
Yes
24 hours daily
Yes/no
Depending on the price of your PC, this plan option
can cost a bundle—plus, it requires the purchase of an
onsite-service contract. No knowledge base.
No
No/yes
Yes
24 hours daily
Yes/yes
A solid limited warranty, enhanced by a superior knowledge
base and live-chat support.
$49 to $549
Accidental Damage $199 to $589
Protection
(Notebooks)
POLYWELL COMPUTERS
www.polywell.com • 800-900-5836
Basic Warranty
Free
Enhanced Basic
Warranty
3 percent of price
One year;
(one year); 8 percent three years
of price (three years)
SONY ELECTRONICS
www.sonystyle.com • 877-512-7669
Limited Warranty
Free
One year
Express Ship
(Notebooks)
$124.99 to $429.99 One to
four years
No
No/yes
Yes
24 hours daily
Yes/yes
Sony’s most basic warranty extension for notebooks, this
plan shoulders express shipping costs for depot repairs.
Onsite Service
(Desktops)
$149.99 to $379.99 Two to
five years
No
Yes/yes
Yes
24 hours daily
Yes/yes
Covers lightning damage if your surge protector fails, but
no complete damage-protection plan is offered for desktops.
Onsite Service with $199.99 to $439.99 Two to
ADP (Notebooks)
four years
Yes
Yes/yes
Yes
24 hours daily
Yes/yes
Pricey but well-rounded package covers all the bases
for long-term laptop protection.
TOSHIBA AMERICA
www.toshibadirect.com • 800-316-0920
Limited Warranty
Free
90 days to
three years
No
No/yes
Yes
24 hours daily
No/no
Best to upgrade if you’re stuck with a skimpy 90-day
term. No live-chat or e-mail support.
At-Home Repair
$71.10 to $224.10
One year;
three years
No
Yes/yes
Yes
24 hours daily
No/no
Same coverage as limited warranty, but with onsite
support; a better deal when purchased with an extension.
One to
four years
No
No/yes
Yes
24 hours daily
No/no
Most expensive for Qosmio laptops; for extra protection,
consider adding ADP coverage.
Yes
No/yes
Yes
24 hours daily
No/no
Well-priced damage-protection plan is offered in more
term lengths when bundled with a warranty extension
and/or at-home repair.
Extended Warranty $89.10 to $359.10
SystemGuard
$179.10 to $359.10 One year;
Accidental Damage
three years
Coverage
VELOCITY MICRO
www.velocitymicro.com • 800-303-7866
Limited Warranty
Free
One to
three years
No
Yes/yes
Yes
Weekdays, 7 a.m.
to 11 p.m.; Sat,
10 a.m. to 6 p.m.
Yes/yes
Phone-support hours aren’t the best, but the user-friendly
live chat and up to three years of free onsite service can’t
be beat.
VelocityCare
Free; $49 to $79
(varies by model)
One to
three years
No
Yes/yes
Yes
24 hours daily
Yes/yes
This plan rounds out limited warranty features with 24/7
phone hours; comes free with most models.
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WEB BUYER
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Tech Products
Apple Hardware and Software
Input Devices
Direct PC Vendors
Software
Blank Media
THE BEST SITES FOR ONLINE SHOPPING • BY KEVIN SAVETZ
>>TECH PRODUCTS
acortech.com
Inexpensive PC accessories abound at Acortech.com.
We found 17-inch LCD monitors for under $300, flash
drives for under $20, optical mice for less than $5,
and other low-cost goodies for certified tech geeks.
altex.com
With a big dose of Texan pride, Altex Electronics
offers a generous selection of computer and networking gear. You’ll find a vast variety of items:
case lights, digital cameras, printers, power
supplies, and much more.
amazon.com
Amazon.com is an unparalleled superstore with a
massive inventory equaled only by its special features, such as personalized product recommendations and mobile access. The Early Adopter
Products pages show what’s fresh in electronics,
video games, and DVDs.
Jabra BT500
Bluetooth Wireless
Headset from
Amazon.com
cdw.com
In addition to a wide selection of hardware and peripherals, CDW offers an Outlet section where you’ll find
deals on clearance merchandise and customer returns.
Click the Mac Warehouse tab to reveal a medley of
Apple hardware and peripherals.
chumbo.com
Check out Chumbo for a bountiful selection of popular hardware, software, and electronics. The topselling products in each category are always in view,
so you’ll know which deals are the hottest.
circuitcity.com
Plug in to Circuit City, where you can choose from a
quarter million movies, video games, and CDs. The
inventory also includes digital cameras, televisions,
and PDAs. Have your products delivered, or pick them
up in a Circuit City store.
compusa.com
The well-organized CompUSA rounds out the usual
selection of PC hardware, peripherals, and accessories
with areas devoted to home electronics and wireless
gadgets. Set your own price on PCs at CompUSA’s
auction site.
computerbags.com
Need your laptop to survive—no matter what? Check
out Computerbags.com’s selection of waterproof,
floating, and crushproof cases. If style is more important, explore the large selection of soft-sided cases
and backpacks.
computers.ebay.com
eBay is an unparalleled auction site and a unique
shopping experience. Shoppers can set their own
prices on components, including new and used PCs,
software, tech books, and vintage computers.
computers4sure.com
audioadvisor.com
Catering to enthusiasts, Audio Advisor sells hightech equipment for your home theater. Its stock
includes DVD players, equalizers, preamps, and power
conditioners. Check out the Clearance and Hot Buys
sections for decent deals.
bestbuy.com
Our readers voted Best Buy their favorite place to
buy consumer electronics. The selection is comprehensive and impressive. The best part? You can
have your gadget delivered or ready for pickup at a
nearby store.
buy.com
Buy.com’s vast million-product inventory includes
computer hardware, software, electronics, video
games, books, music, and DVDs. Sister site
BuyMusic.com delivers music downloads starting at
79 cents a song.
Illustrations by Bill Rieser
www.buyuptime.com
BuyUptime.com stocks uninterruptible power supplies, replacement batteries, power-distribution
units, and other security offerings. The UPS
Selector tool will show you the three best models
for your computer setup.
cambridgesoundworks.com
Cambridge SoundWorks sells home-audio and
home-theater products that will please everyone
from the budget-minded to the serious audio
buff. The site provides a 45-day price-protection
guarantee and a 45-day satisfaction promise on
most items.
APPLE HARDWARE
AND SOFTWARE
At Computers4Sure, you’ll find 21 departments
well-stocked with a broad spectrum of products,
including networking gear, PDAs, and scanners.
connectxpress.com
With oodles of cables for computers, audio/video
components, and networks, ConnectXpress will
get you more wired than a triple latte. You get a
lifetime warranty on all cables.
cpusolutions.com
CPU Solutions will entice you with inexpensive
computer components and upgrade kits. The site
offers several complete desktop computers for
under $500, plus PC kits for under $300.
crutchfield.com
In business for 30 years, Crutchfield assembles an
impressive catalog of camcorders, digital cameras,
and audio/video products for your home and car. If
sound is more important than looks, tune to the
Scratch & Dent section for deals.
directron.com
Directron.com has the stuff tinkerers dream of.
The massive selection of PC gear includes cases,
storage, mods, lighting, motherboards, and more.
Plus, orders earn you the right to pick through the
Free Stuff bin.
ecost.com
Look to eCost.com for deals on PC components,
software, electronics, and DVDs. You’ll be enticed
by short-lived but sweet deals in the Bargain
Countdown area.
club-mac.com
Join the club—the selection of Apple hardware, peripherals, and software at ClubMac
is hard to beat. Click the category tabs to
zoom in on a bountiful selection of USB and
FireWire add-ons, or check the Blowout
Deals tab for discounts on open-box items.
dealmac.com
Dealmac searches online and offline stores
for the best deals on Mac-friendly hardware
and software. Find deals on the site, on the
RSS feeds, or in the daily newsletter. Top
Reader Picks highlight popular offers.
eshop.macsales.com
Other World Computing delivers a universe of accessories for Apple users. Its inventory includes acceleration cards, memory, FireWire add-ons, and PowerBook
accessories.
eunitek.com
Eunitek is a great place to go for iPods,
iBooks, iMacs, and eMacs. Systems often
come with extra RAM or other freebies.
macmall.com
MacMall is a vast catalog of Apple products. Visit the iPod Store for the latest Apple digital music players and accessories, or
the Storage area for external FireWire hard
drives, backup software, and DVD add-ons.
maczone.com
Mac Zone will dazzle you with its Appleoriented catalog of G5 desktops, PowerBooks, server hardware, and software.
Many hardware purchases include free
memory, accessory kits, or other extras.
powermax.com
PowerMax Computers sells new, customconfigured Macintosh computers, plus capture cards, editing software, camcorders,
and storage.
smalldog.com
Sniff around Small Dog for new and refurbished hardware, software, and peripherals.
Its catalog includes desktop and portable
Macs, iPods, digital cameras, and accessories. The Kibbles & Bytes newsletter will
keep you informed about Mac news.
143
WEB BUYER SHOPPING SITES
INPUT DEVICES
etronics.com
onecall.com
Etronics.com is a techie’s dream: a megastore
offering satellite radio, home-office gadgets, and
appliances. You’ll also find barbeques and pens in
the site’s diverse catalog—with a 30-day satisfaction guarantee on everything.
Choosy gadget shoppers will find a wide assortment
of camcorders, digital cameras, and speakers at
OneCall. Free three-day shipping is available for many
items.
frozencpu.com
Shoppers at Fry’s Outpost.com enjoy an ample catalog of hardware, software, cameras, and video games.
Notable features include the Power Search function,
special deals, and a 30-day money-back guarantee on
most products.
Focused on PC cooling and case modifications,
FrozenCPU.com will delight PC builders and overclockers. The catalog of freakishly cool accessories
includes transparent PC power supplies, LEDilluminated fans, and modified cases.
belkin.com
Belkin sells specialized peripherals for gaming, as well as keyboards and mice for work.
Specialties include the Nostromo Speedpad,
a keyboard-and-gamepad combination
tuned to one-hand control. You’ll also find
the Nostromo Game Mouse, which offers
tactile feedback.
datadesktech.com
Many keyboards are more or less the
same, but Datadesk Technologies specializes in boards for special needs. Choices include small, colorful keyboards for
kids, ergonomic split keyboards, and keyboards with built-in trackballs.
gyration.com
Gyration creates and sells unusual input
devices, including a Cordless Optical Air
Mouse that doesn’t require a desktop, a
Media Center remote control, and a wireless
mouse with an impressive 100-foot range.
kensington.com
Kensington’s keyboard selection includes
the uniquely pleasant Comfort Type Keyboard, the classic and tactile StudioBoard
mechanical model, and the do-it-all PilotBoard Multimedia keyboard. Also check
out the Bluetooth models tuned to wireless desktop or mobile use.
logitech.com
At Logitech’s site, you’ll find wireless keyboards, models with media-control features, and matching keyboard-and-mouse
sets. For gamers, the site stocks gaming
mice, joysticks, gamepads, and steering
wheels.
microsoft.com/hardware
Microsoft’s innovative input devices offer
features such as biometric fingerprint
readers, Bluetooth connectivity, and—for
mice—laser tracking. Some keyboards feature the Zoom Slider, a novel control for
zooming in on graphics applications and
other programs.
us.creative.com/shop
Creative Technology’s line of input devices includes mice, wireless keyboards,
and, for musical fun, USB/MIDI music keyboards. Shipping is just $2.99, no matter
the size of your order.
xoxide.com
Why should your keyboard and mice look
like everyone else’s? Xoxide’s inventory
stocks illuminated and clear keyboards,
plus mice that glow, shine, and even blow
cool air onto your sweaty palms.
144
granitedigital.com
outpost.com
pcconnection.com
Looking for a rock-solid storage or backup system?
At Granite Digital, you’ll find fast FireWire hard
drives, hot-swappable RAID systems, and diagnostic
equipment.
PC Connection can connect you to a world of PCs,
peripherals, and software. Use the Rebate Center to
find products with cash-back deals, or visit sister site
MacConnection (www.macconnection.com) for Mac
OS wares.
insight.com
pcmall.com
Insight delivers IT products for businesses, including
networking hardware, projectors, and servers. The
stellar Narrow Your Results feature and comparison
tools will help you find the best product.
Catering to businesses of all sizes as well as
consumers, PC Mall’s catalog includes more than
100,000 products, with hot deals on notebooks, LCD
monitors, and digital media. Sister site MacMall
(www.macmall.com) is devoted to Apple hardware
and software.
jdr.com
JDR Microdevices sells a decent selection of PC hardware and accessories at reasonable prices. In the
Electronics section, you’ll find electronic components
and kits, integrated circuits, and technical reference
books.
jncs.com
J&N Computer Services specializes in pretested motherboard/CPU/memory bundles and offers several
options for creating your perfect computer. Use the
Custom Configurator to build a desktop, notebook, or
small-form-factor PC.
jr.com
Televisions, MP3 players, office products, and appliances abound at J&R Music and Computer World.
Read the Product Guides for tips on buying and using
audio and video gear, computers, digital cameras, and
more.
www.pcmicrostore.com
PCMicroStore.com sells 20,000 products, with plenty of inexpensive accessories for upgraders. The selection includes drive enclosures, video cards, and keyboard/video/mouse (KVM) switches. A decent selection of removable media and printer consumables is
also available.
pdapanache.com
PDA Panache offers replacement styli customized for your particular PDA model. Look for
the cute translucent plastic pointers and elegant
stylus/pen combinations.
pdasmart.com
Is your broken PDA out of warranty? PDASmart.com
offers do-it-yourself repair kits, as well as mail-in
repair and upgrade services for many PDAs and iPods.
Look for extended-life batteries, replacement LCD
screens, and bezels.
powernotebooks.com
Palm TX
from J&R Music
and Computer
World
Choose among Sager and PowerPro portable computers at PowerNotebooks.com. Find a laptop based
on screen size or CPU. The store has a sky-high satisfaction rating with previous customers.
priorityelectronics.com
Shop for a new battery, PC Card, or external media
adapter for your laptop with help from Priority
Electronics. The company also has an impressive
assortment of desktop-PC, digital-camera, and iPod
accessories.
radioshack.com
lik-sang.com
So you think you’ve seen every possible gaming
peripheral? You haven’t been to Lik-Sang.com, which
imports video-game accessories from around the
world. Discover mod kits for game consoles, hard-tofind imported games, and unusual controllers.
mwave.com
Mwave.com’s friendly site sells a multitude of PC
hardware products. The Top Ten Sellers and New
Products pages link to hot items. Check the
Refurbished section for deals on as-is, refurbished
hardware.
newegg.com
Newegg.com is a nest of good stuff for do-it-yourself PC upgraders. The site stocks hard drives,
motherboards, CPUs, optical-storage add-ons, and
consumer electronics.
RadioShack stocks a variety of phones, cables,
digital-audio players, and PC peripherals. Get free
shipping on orders of at least $50.
www.shop.teleadapt.com
The global travel products at Teleadapt include
regional phone and power converters, along with
portable surge suppressors to keep your hardware
safe even on questionable foreign power grids.
sparco.com
Check out Sparco.com’s list of products that come
with “free stuff” or instant rebates. The catalog of
more than 200,000 products includes PCs, peripherals, and software.
store.a2zcable.com
The only thing that rivals the selection at A2Z
Cables is the amount of technical information the
site provides. You’ll find all the connectors you’ll need,
from networking to audio/video, along with detailed
connectivity guides.
you want, the way-cool look you crave, and the personalized system-rescue discs you may one day need.
shopprostar.com
thinkgeek.com
gateway.com
Looking for an unusual gift for the geek in your life?
ThinkGeek may have it. The catalog includes curious
PC peripherals, books, irreverent apparel, cubicle toys,
and unusual caffeinated snacks.
One of the biggest players in online computer sales,
Gateway has an enormous and informative site that
sells custom-built desktops and notebooks.
Each computer in ProStar Computer’s line of notebook PCs is backed by a 30-day money-back guarantee, a speedy-repair promise, and free tech support.
tigerdirect.com
At this site, choose among Hewlett-Packard
and Compaq desktop and notebook computers, plus
networking accessories, printers, handhelds, and
digital cameras.
For deals and discounts, visit TigerDirect. This
sizable catalog includes low-cost PC components,
PDAs, and office equipment. Geeks on a budget can
find desktop PCs for as little as $250 and laptops for
under $500.
tristatecomputer.com
TriState Camera stocks a plethora of digital and analog cameras, plasma televisions, computer peripherals,
and necessities for home or office.
tweeter.com
Tweeter offers a large selection of portable music
players and digital-imaging devices, as well as plenty
of home audio and video products. Take advantage of
free shipping on most products.
yourmobiledesk.com
Keep on truckin’ (or flyin’, or drivin’) by browsing
Yourmobiledesk.com, which focuses on portable
computing accessories. Mobile work desks, car
power adapters, and travel cases will keep your gear
humming on the road or in the air.
hpshopping.com
Need computing power that’s faster than fast? Go
hypersonic. Visit Hypersonic PC for gaming
systems, workstations, and laptops outfitted with the
latest high-performance peripherals. “Enthusiast
options” include 3D-graphics optimization and case
customization.
ibuypower.com
iBuypower can power up your workspace with a 64bit PC for less than $500. Even the company’s leastexpensive PCs include large hard drives, dedicated
graphics cards, desktop speakers, and other essentials. All products are backed by a 30-day money-back
guarantee.
iBuypower
Battalion 101
G-600
There’s a zone for whatever you need at Zones: the
home page for hardware and software, the Mac Zone
for Apple stuff, the Creative Pro page for graphics
pros, and the Zones Clearance section for special buys.
starfishtech.com
Starfish Technologies offers PCs with plenty of customization options, plus motherboards, sound cards,
and other components for do-it-yourself PC architects.
store.apple.com
The Apple Store’s well-designed site lets you
custom-configure any Macintosh and offers a
wide array of Mac-compatible software and
accessories. For frequent (or compulsive) customers, the one-click-ordering feature makes
purchases extra simple.
The custom-configured notebooks and Tablet PCs
at Toshiba Direct range from budget models to the
unique Qosmio laptops, which combine PC, TV,
DVD, and audio features.
us.fujitsu.com/shop
abspc.com
idotpc.com
Expect gaming, multimedia, and business PCs
aplenty at ABS Computer Technologies. The company offers a choice of Intel or AMD processors, a
three-year parts and lifetime labor warranty, and tollfree technical support. Visit the Outlet Store for shortlived specials.
Find a customized desktop, an economical bare-bones
PC, or a personalized laptop at iDotpc.com. Menus
allow you to create the PC that’s right for you, letting
you specify the processor, memory, optical drive, and
other necessities.
alienware.com
Lenovo sells IBM’s former lines of ThinkCentre desktops, ThinkPad laptops, and ThinkVision monitors.
Configure built-to-order PCs, and choose among
accessories such as memory and printers.
MPC Computers sells desktops, notebooks, and
servers. You can custom-configure a high-performance Millennia desktop, tuned to your specifications,
for business, multimedia, or gaming.
Sony VAIO VGX-XL1
Digital Living System
toshibadirect.com
>> DIRECT
PC VENDORS
buympc.com
Sony Style is a sleek-looking site selling Sony’s
line of VAIO desktops and notebooks, plus digital
cameras, displays, and storage devices.
hypersonic-pc.com
zones.com
Alienware can custom-build your dream game
machine—desktop or laptop. Each is available with
out-of-this-world cases in a rainbow of colors.
Buyers get a personalized owner’s manual and tollfree technical support any time of the day or night.
sonystyle.com/vaio
lenovo.com/think
maingear.com
MainGear specializes in premium PCs with advanced
specs for gamers and other power users. The selection includes sleek-looking and colorful desktops,
space-saving X-Cube machines, and powerful laptops.
monarchcomputer.com
Fujitsu’s site focuses on portable computing,
including notebook PCs and pen-based tablet
computers. Each computer has several
warranty options.
velocitymicro.com
Looking for a 64-bit processor to push your
games to the limit? They’re in Velocity Micro’s
Gamer’s Edge and Raptor models. The customconfiguration menus offer a mind-boggling array
of component choices.
viciouspc.com
Creating “hardware for the hard-core,” Vicious PC
sells desktops with clear cases, high-output ventilation, easy-access sliding rails, and front-accessible
USB ports. Washable air filters mean your computer’s innards will remain dust-free.
voodoopc.com
Nobody else can do the voodoo that they do so
well. VoodooPC specializes in high-end PCs for
gamers, with a choice of Intel or 64-bit AMD
processors. Take your pick among tower systems,
laptops, and portables—all thoroughly customizable, of course.
Power up with a customized Intel or AMD system
from Cyberpower. The selection includes 64-bit
machines, gamers’ dream systems, Media Centers,
and budget PCs for everyday use.
Monarch Computer Systems creates build-toorder desktops, workstations, and servers.
Configure the computer you want, then lock in the
price for up to a week. If you’re building a PC,
check out the PC Parts section for components
and peripherals.
dell.com
overdrivepc.com
Dell’s electronic storefront has always led the way in
ease of use. The site is jam-packed with detailed information that makes it a snap to match a machine to
your needs. Each system is configurable to the nth
degree, and you can get quick access to online support
customized for your PC.
Sleek, pre-overclocked PCs for gamers and professionals highlight Overdrive PC’s offerings. Each computer
includes a quiet cooling system, free antivirus software, and no-cost shipping.
WinBook Computer sells laptops and desktops
with a 30-day money-back guarantee, a one-year
warranty, and free tech support. Ironically, some
of the best deals,“Web specials,” can only be
ordered by phone.
sagernotebook.com
www.ztgroup.com
Specializing in notebook computers, Sager offers
a variety of options, from budget machines to
speedy multimedia units. Service includes a 72hour repair-turnaround guarantee and free lifetime
tech support.
ZT Group builds and sells desktop and notebook
computers for every type of user. The selection
includes PCs for gaming, media, home offices, and
businesses, with your choice of AMD or Intel
processors.
cyberpowersystem.com
falcon-nw.com
Once you get your talons on a Falcon Northwest PC,
you won’t want to let go. The heavyweight desktops
and totable FragBox computers include the hardware
winbook.com
145
BLANK MEDIA
>> SOFTWARE
atomicpark.com
Free shipping is available for AtomicPark.com’s
entire selection of business and productivity apps.
Plus, you’ll never pay a restocking fee. The new
Direct Downloads section lets you use new software
in minutes, not days.
allmediaoutlet.com
The mammoth selection at All Media Outlet includes mini-DVDs, double-layer discs,
and hard-to-find storage media. The CD-R
and DVD-R sampler packs let you try different brands of discs before committing
to a bulk purchase.
cd-dvd-supplies.com
The aptly named CD-DVD-Supplies.com
sells name-brand, bulk, and economy
discs. The site offers some substitutes for
plain old media, such as business-cardsize, miniature, and colorful discs.
www.discmakers.com
Disc Makers sells blank DVDs and CDs,
duplicators, authoring software, and supplies for packaging and mailing. If you’re
looking for a bargain, go for the Mixed Lot
CD-Rs—a bulk load of assorted blanks.
goldenromonline.com
Burn it, package it, and label it with help
from GoldenROMonline.com. The site sells
bulk CD-R discs in a variety of flavors, including tinted, printable, and business-cardsize. Store and ship them with a medley of
jewel cases, paper sleeves, and mailers.
ioproducts.com
The diverse selection of media at IO Products includes scratch-resistant DVD+Rs,
double-sided mini-DVD-RWs, and goodold blank audio cassettes. The site provides a satisfaction guarantee on every
product. As a bonus, you get a free
CD/DVD-safe marker with every order.
www.mediasupply.com
In addition to bulk bundles of CD-R and
DVD blanks, Media Supply sells duplicators that can churn out dozens of copies
an hour, and printers for creating beautiful
labels for your discs.
meritline.com
Buy CDs or DVDs at Meritline.com to store
every digital picture you’ve ever taken.
Then, pick up printer ink to create custom
labels, and writable drives to burn even
more photos.
supermediastore.com
SuperMediaStore.com offers blank media
in all writable DVD and CD formats, plus tips
on burning and printing DVDs. Subscribe to
the site’s newsletter for coupons and deals.
tapeworld.com
Tape World delivers modern digital storage
media, including CD-Rs, DVD-Rs, and MiniDiscs, as well as analog tape from bygone
eras: audio cassettes, reel-to-reel, and Betamax. The site stocks more than 400 types
of blank recording media, with flat-rate
shipping.
146
bigclearance.com
Offering current-version software at clearance
prices, the big selection at BigClearance.com
includes wares from Microsoft, Macromedia, Corel,
and others.
buycheapsoftware.com
The name says it all. Buycheapsoftware.com’s
selection consists primarily of business and utility
apps. The company offers flat-rate $5 shipping on
small orders and free shipping on orders over $200.
buypcsoft.com
Buypcsoft.com sells Windows software in categories from business management to virus prevention. It’s an efficient site with a good selection of
big-name applications.
download.com
CNET Download.com will help you find shareware
and free software, linking to thousands of programs for PC, Mac, and mobile devices. Well-written newsletters and down-to-earth reviews help
you find the perfect program. (CNET Networks is
Computer Shopper’s parent company.)
driverguide.com
happypenguin.org
Get your game on with The Linux Game Tome, an
index of more than 1,000 games for Linux, each with
a screenshot and brief description. Discuss the games
on the site’s discussion forums or IRC channel.
jumbo.com
Jumbo is a fitting name for this monstrous file
archive, featuring shareware, freeware, and commercial-software demos for PC, Mac, and Linux.
9software.com
#9 Software is stocked with applications in nine categories, ranging from games to business applications.
The company provides free shipping on orders of
more than $99.
nonags.com
Nonags offers software that’s useful, tested, and (as
the name suggests) won’t nag you to pay. Basic access
to the site is free, but a subscription to the Plus version
adds MP3 downloads and “best of” software links.
nothingbutsoftware.com
You’ll make much ado about Nothing But Software. This collection of apps includes games, educational titles, graphics programs, utilities, and
more—all with flat-rate shipping. Try the programs
in the Specials section for as little as $7.
palmgear.com
Palm OS users will appreciate the large selection of
free and commercial programs downloadable from
PalmGear.com. Check out the list of “essential”
apps, then sign up to get software news and tips.
pdfstore.com
With more than 100,000 downloadable drivers for
every conceivable piece of computer hardware and
operating system, Driver Guide is indispensable
when you’re repairing a malfunctioning system or
piecing together a PC from spare parts.
The PDF Store specializes in software for creating
content. Shop for applications that produce Portable
Document Format (PDF) files, e-books, and printed
materials.
ebgames.com
software-blowouts.com
EBgames.com is a gamer’s paradise, selling new
and pre-owned titles for PCs and every game console under the sun. Check the Hot Deals list for
short-lived discounts.
Software Blowouts is home to oodles of inexpensive
Windows and Mac OS software, with flat-rate shipping. Peruse the Blowouts page for education, entertainment, and utility titles, many for just $9.95.
5dollarsoftware.com
softwarecheaper.com
Stock up on software without breaking the bank. As
the name implies, everything at 5 Dollar Software
costs just $5, including games, educational titles,
and utilities. Flat-rate shipping for orders of any size
costs $3.
Software Cheaper is a funky little bargain basement
that sells Windows and Macintosh software, most for
less than $6. Every order gets you a pick from the Free
Software page. Domestic U.S. shipping is always free.
freewarefiles.com
FreewareFiles.com is an index to free downloadable software for Windows. Articles and tutorials
deliver advice on free software and computer
maintenance.
You’ll want to feast on the software selection at
SoftwareDiner.com, which focuses on low-cost
applications and utilities for home and smallbusiness users. You’ll save money but only receive a
CD; manuals and boxes aren’t included.
gamehippo.com
softwareoutlet.com
GameHippo.com provides more than a thousand
absolutely free downloadable PC games. You’ll
find descriptions, ratings, and easy-to-read icons
that show whether a game supports multiple
players, a network, and so on. Check the Top 20
Rated Games to discover other players’ favorites.
Plug in to SoftwareOutlet.com, a veritable virtual
bargain bin. You’ll find dirt-cheap applications and
hardware accessories. Browse older software from
defunct companies, plus modern titles.
gamespot.com
With game news, reviews, and cheat codes,
GameSpot is a one-stop shop for PC and console
gamers. Downloadable previews and a pricecomparison tool will help you get good deals on
games you’ll love. (GameSpot is owned by CNET
Networks, Computer Shopper’s parent company.)
gamestop.com
GameStop.com is an elegant site that specializes
in new and used games for consoles and PCs.
Recent price drops, top sellers, and “just arrived”
products are highlighted, so you’ll always know
the score.
softwarediner.com
store.purplus.net
Purplus Software is a well-regarded seller of software for business, graphics, and music. The site
offers free shipping on orders over $45.
tucows.com
Tucows is an incredible library of freeware and shareware for Windows, Mac, and Linux. This recently
designed site makes it easy to find the newest, most
popular, or top-rated software.
viosoftware.com
Emphasizing low prices and great customer service,
VioSoftware.com sells applications from Adobe,
Macromedia, Microsoft, and other big-name publishers. Shipping is always free.
HELP & HOW-TO
BUYING BASICS HOW TO BUY
The Right Digital Camera
BY BRIAN BENNETT
SHOPPING SPECS
Canon EOS
Digital Rebel XT
RESOLUTION
Measured in megapixels, resolution refers to
the number of pixels of image information
provided by a digital camera’s image sensor.
Among low-end consumer cameras, 5 or 6
megapixels is now standard, with many 8and even 10-megapixel models also available. Note that it’s often difficult for the untrained eye to differentiate between snapshots taken at these high resolutions.
LENS
Look for a digicam with at least a 3x optical
zoom, more if you shoot a lot of faraway action. If you’re an advanced shooter, you may
want a digital single-lens-reflex (dSLR) camera that supports interchangeable lenses for
maximum flexibility.
REMOVABLE STORAGE
You need to look for certain essential features when shopping for a
new digital camera—whether you’re retiring your old film camera
or upgrading your outdated 2-megapixel shooter. Here are the
vital specs you need to know, plus a few great models to consider.
3 GREAT BUYS
GOOD
HP Photosmart R817
(www.hp.com, $299)
The R817 showcases a sharp 5.1megapixel resolution, plus a 5x optical
zoom lens to get you close to the action.
The compact camera uses SD/MMC
media, in addition to its 32MB of
internal memory, to store photos and
30fps video.
BETTER
Nikon Coolpix 7900
(www.nikonusa.com, $399.95)
Encased in a stylish black chassis, the
pocket-friendly Coolpix 7900 packs an
ultrafine 7.1-megapixel resolution and
features a 3x optical zoom. It relies on
SD/MMC flash-memory cards for image
storage and captures VGA-quality
movies at 30fps.
The most popular flash-memory formats
are CompactFlash, SD/MultiMediaCard
(MMC), and xD-Picture Card. Many of Sony’s
cameras support the company’s Memory
Stick format. If you own a laptop, PDA, or
flash-based MP3 player, consider getting a
camera that uses the same storage format
as your other devices so you’ll be able to
share cards among them.
VIDEO RECORDING
Many digital cameras (though generally not
dSLRs) let you record video clips in addition
to still images, though not with the same
quality as a good camcorder can. The best
cameras shoot at 30 frames per second (fps)
in VGA (640x480) resolution with sound.
BEST
Canon EOS Digital Rebel XT
(usa.canon.com, $899 for body only;
$999 for kit, with lens)
Not for the casual shutterbug, this compact consumer dSLR features a classleading 8-megapixel resolution, accepts
Canon’s EF-mount lenses, and shoots
wonderfully detailed, colorful photos.
Images are saved to CompactFlash cards.
= Editors’ Choice
152

Computer Shopper

Transcription

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