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• Wireless-G access point with Power over Ethernet (PoE)• Connects Wireless-G (802.11g) or Wireless-B (802.11b) devices to

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GET THE FACTS.TELEFLORA CHOSE WINDOWS SERVER OVER LINUX AND UNIX, AND SAVED 35% IN DEVELOPMENT COSTS.

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Limited time offer. Offer is valid for end users who purchase any of the following: Xerox Phaser 8500N, Phaser 8500DN, Xerox Phaser 6300N or Phaser 6300DN between 4/1/06 and 5/31/06; Xerox WorkCentre C2424DN, WorkCentre C2424DP, WorkCentre2424DX between 3/1/06 and 6/30/06. Xerox must receive the completed rebate claim submission fax coversheet (provided at the time of claim submission), printer startup page and a copy of the invoice no later than June 30, 2006 (C2424 offer paperworkmust be received no later than July 30, 2006). This offer cannot be combined with any other Xerox end user incentive. Xerox will mail the eligible rebate check directly to end user. Allow 6 to 8 weeks for delivery. Open to US end-user customers with a validUS mailing address. Xerox resellers, agents, dealers, distributors and retailers are not eligible. All claims exclusively subject to Xerox final approval. Not responsible for late, lost, misdirected or postage-due mail. Proof of purchase required. Void where taxed,restricted, or prohibited by law. Applicable tax, if any, is the sole responsibility of end user. For rebate details visit website, http://www.xerox.com/office/1989. For WorkCentre C2424 trade up details, visit website http://xerox.tradeups.com. Trade-in an eligi-ble Dell, HP or Xerox/Tektronix laser printer or an HP, Lexmark, or Xerox multifunction product. Traded products must meet trade guidelines set by Xerox. *24 hour delivery based on product availability and customer choice of shipping option.© 2006 Xerox Corporation. All rights reserved. Xerox,® Phaser,® and WorkCentre® are trademarks of Xerox Corporation in the U.S. and/or other countries.

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PCONTENTS

Cover Illustration by Joe Zeff, Bill Gates Photograph: Reuters/Corbis MAY 9, 2006 PC MAGAZINE 7

TM

MAY 9, 2006 VOL. 25 NO. 8

COVE R STORY

WHY YOU WANT VISTA NOW

58 The much-anticipated and oft-delayed Windows Vista is

still months away from shipping. So why do you want it now? Easy: Even at this early date, Vista is damn cool, and it’s bursting at the seams with new tools for productivity, entertainment, and computing safety.

23 FIRST LOOKS 24 Hardware

HP Pavilion Media Center TV m7360n PC

Sony VAIO VGC-RC210G

Lenovo ThinkPad X60s

Sony VAIO VGN-SZ170P

Lexmark E120n

Iomega ScreenPlay

Lenovo 3000 C100

Buying Guide: Dedicated Photo Printers

Epson PictureMate Deluxe Viewer Edition

32 Consumer Electronics

Olympus Evolt E-330

LG CU320

Samsung Yepp YP-Z5

StarTech MP3 AirLink

Sennheiser CX-300

NEC 42XR4

Buying Guide: Windows Mobile Devices

T-Mobile SDA

42 Software

ClipMarks

Buying Guide: Parental Controls

Safe Eyes

46 Small Business

ReadyNAS NV

Yellow Machine P400T

Symantec Backup Exec 10d for Windows Servers with Continuous Protection Server 10.1

ClearOne Chat 50

50 What to Buy


P CO N T E N T S

8 PC MAGAZINE MAY 9, 2006

F UTU R E GADG E T S

KEEPING UP WITH THE JETSONS

R E AL-WO R LD TE STI N G

KEYBOARDS FOR LESS

Keyboards that are great for typing may not work as well for gam-ing, and vice versa. Is there a keyboard that’s good for both—and

that you can have for less than $20? We rounded up six low-priced boards and put them to the test. Here we reveal our favorites.

More processing and graphics power means more heat, thus more whirring fans. You want your high-performance computer to run like

a race car—not to sound like one! Our hints and mods hit noise at its sources; we show you how to make a screamer that’s as quiet as a library.

PC Magazine, ISSN 0888-8507, is published semi-monthly except monthly in January and July at $44.97 for one year. Ziff Davis Media Inc, 28 E. 28th St., New York, NY 10016-7940. Periodicals postage paid at New York, NY 10016-7940 and at additional mailing offi ces. POSTMASTER: Address changes to PC Magazine, P.O. Box 54070, Boulder, CO 80328-4070. The Canadian GST registration number is 865286033. Publications Mail Agreement No. 40009221. Return undeliverable Canadian addresses to P.O. Box 503, R.P.O. West Beaver Creek, Richmond Hill, ON L4B 4R6, Canada. Printed in the U.S.A.

B U I LD IT

A SILENT PC

We asked the industry’s top design experts to reveal their most innovative ideas for future products. Here are some of the most

inspired concepts that help propel tech gear into tomorrow.80

91

86

OPINIONS 11 First Word Jim Louderback

53 Inside Track John C. Dvorak

55 Michael J. Miller

56 Bill Machrone

144 John C. Dvorak

PIPELINE 18 Control your PC through your phone Visit the pocket doctor; Running Windows— on a Mac?

19 Future Watch The brain-to-computer interface

SOLUTIONS 113 The Connected Traveler in

San FranciscoSan Francisco has the Exploratorium, Sony’s Metreon, and a wireless-enabled ballpark. Coming soon: free citywide Wi-Fi.

116 Security Watch Why plain passwords are dangerous, and how to create strong ones.

117 Ask Loyd SATA and PATA hard drives; Intel vs. AMD; a disconnecting network.

118 Ask Neil Make words blink in Access; make thumbnails larger in Windows XP; turn off peripherals at shutdown, and more.

122 SMB Boot Camp Web site analytics can help your business know its customers and maximize its profi ts.

125 Software Solutions Replay AV is like a VCR for your PC.

GAMING & CULTURE 140 PlayStation 3: What we know

GEARLOG 143 Toshiba’s jazzy MP3 players

TECHNORIDE 20 Mercedes ML 250 Geneva Auto Show tech highlights; Hymotion: more hybrid effi ciency; diesel cars are back.

21 Bill Howard

ALSO INSIDE 16 Feedback

16 Abort, Retry, Fail PCMAG ONLINEWant to learn more about Microsoft’s impending operating system? Go to PCMag.com for all the Windows Vista info you need, includ-ing news articles, expert opinions, and screenshots of the test builds. See go.pcmag.com/vista.YYePG Proudly Presents, Thx for Support

http://PCMag.com

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Illustration by Sashimi MAY 9, 2006 PC MAGAZINE 11

MORE ON THE WEBYou can contact Jim Louderback at [email protected]. For more of his columns, go to go.pcmag.com/louderback.

AFERRIS WHEEL AND JAY LENO.

That’s what I remember most from Microsoft’s gala launch of Windows 95. That operating system—a great improvement over its predecessor, Windows 3.11—debuted at a big party in a fi eld on Microsoft’s Redmond

campus. But Microsoft didn’t need the carnival or the comic; Windows 95 stood on its own.

Eleven years later, it’s déjà vu all over again. De-spite a recently announced delay, the long, slow slog to Windows Vista is drawing to a close. Just as Windows 95 delivered a radically improved experience com-pared with Windows 3.11, Vista promises a similar leap over XP.

Although it won’t ship until early next year, you can actually start using it within a few weeks, if not already. Microsoft plans to offer a beta copy of Vista to anyone with a few bucks.

If you’re like most PC Magazine readers, you enjoy sampling revolutionary products and applying their benefi ts before others catch a clue. But something as complex as an overhauled operating system resembles the original “Adventure” text game—at times it can be a tangled maze of many paths.

Lucky you, though. In this issue we reveal the re-sults of hundreds of hours of Vista exploration. PC Magazine was granted unprecedented access to Mi-crosoft’s Vista development team; contributing editor John Clyman has been embedded inside Redmond for months. We’ve found nine great reasons why you’ll want Vista now, along with lots of secrets to help you get the most out of Microsoft’s latest OS.

Considering the Vista plunge? Come on in, the water’s fi ne. Whether you like playing games, explor-ing the Internet, or enjoying multimedia, Vista will greatly enhance your Windows experience. Our col-lection of secrets and insights will help you navigate the deep pools and rocky coves of the new OS. We don’t know what entertainment Microsoft will feature at Vista’s launch party, but that’s about all we’re still foggy about.

Origami. I’m bullish about Microsoft’s updated operating system, but I’m far less sanguine about its newest portable platform. Originally code-named Ori-gami, it’s now called the Ultra Mobile PC (UMPC). This Windows XP–based tablet weighs two pounds, includes a 7-inch touch screen but no keyboard, and

should last for around two hours between charges. Spawned via a sad ménage à trois between the Portable Media Center, the Tablet PC, and Windows CE, this unfortunate love child is doomed. It will inherit the failures of its parents, including tepid sales and poor industry support.

Microsoft has high hopes for the UMPC, promising that it “will eventually become as indispensable and ubiquitous as mobile phones are today.” But the dearth of launch partners belies the optimism: Where were Toshiba, Dell, HP, and Gateway? Samsung will deliver a UMPC, but it won’t confi rm a U.S. launch. Asian PC maker Asus is the lone vendor that has promised the tablet to the U.S. That’s hardly a ringing endorsement.

Considering a UMPC? Think about what you’d use it for. The upcoming Sony Reader for e-books promises far better battery life in a much more readable format. Want a tiny, extremely mobile PC? Both the OQO and Toshiba’s Libretto offer more, albeit at higher prices. We’re looking forward to testing the UMPC, and I’ll even promise to carry one for a few weeks and report back. But my prognosis, so far, is not good.

Just as Windows 95 delivered a radically improved experience

compared with Windows 3.11, Vista promises a similar leap.

BY JIM LOUDERBACK, EDITORF I R S T WO R D


mailto:[email protected]


http://go.pcmag.com/louderback

http://go.pcmag.com/louderback

EDITOR-IN-CHIEF Jim LouderbackEDITOR, REVIEWS Lance UlanoffEDITOR, TECHNOLOGY Ben Z. GottesmanEXECUTIVE EDITORS Stephanie Chang, Carol L. Gonsher, Vicki B. Jacobson (online), Jeremy A. KaplanART DIRECTOR Richard J. DemlerMANAGING EDITOR Paul B. Ross

REVIEWS

SENIOR EDITORS Sean Carroll (software, Internet, networking), Dan Costa (consumer electronics), Jennifer DeFeo (hardware), Carol Mangis (TechnoRide), Sebastian Rupley (West Coast, Pipeline) LEAD ANALYSTS Cisco Cheng, Robert Heron, Davis D. Janowski, Oliver Kaven, Mike Kobrin, Neil J. Rubenking, Joel Santo Domingo, Sascha Segan, M. David Stone, Terry SullivanREVIEWS EDITORS Brian Bennett (hardware), Gary Berline (software, Internet, networking), Laarni Almendrala Ragaza (consumer electronics)WEB PRODUCERS Rachel B. Florman, Molly K. McLaughlin, Jenn Trolio PRODUCT DATABASE MANAGER Gina Suk COMMERCE PRODUCER Arielle RochettePRODUCT REVIEW COORDINATOR PJ Jacobowitz INVENTORY CONTROL COORDINATOR Nicole Graham

FEATURES

FEATURES EDITORS Dan Evans, Sarah Pike, Erik Rhey SENIOR WRITER Cade Metz STAFF EDITOR Tony Hoffman

ART

SENIOR ASSOCIATE ART DIRECTOR Michael St. George ASSOCIATE ART DIRECTOR Liana ZamoraASSISTANT ART DIRECTOR Aaron Able GRAPHICS DIRECTOR David Foster

STAFF PHOTOGRAPHER Scott Schedivy

PRODUCTION

ASSOCIATE MANAGING EDITOR Michal Dluginski PRODUCTION MANAGER Jennifer MurrayCOPY CHIEF Elizabeth A. Parry COPY EDITORS Ann Ovodow, Steven Wishnia

ONLINE

SENIOR PRODUCER Yun-San Tsai PRODUCER Mark LamorgeseASSISTANT PRODUCER Whitney A. Reynolds PRODUCTION ARTIST Erin Simon NEWS EDITOR Mark Hachman NEWS REPORTER Bary Alyssa Johnson ASSOCIATE EDITOR Kyle Monson ASSISTANT EDITOR Jennifer L. DeLeo UTILITY PROGRAM MANAGER Tim Smith COMMUNITY MANAGER Jim Lynch

EDITORIAL COMMUNICATIONS MANAGER Anita Anthony

CONTRIBUTING EDITORS Helen Bradley, John Clyman, Richard V. Dragan, Craig Ellison, John R. Delaney, John C. Dvorak, Galen Fott, Bill Howard, Don Labriola, Bill Machrone, Ed Mendelson, Jan Ozer, Larry Seltzer, Don Willmott

INTERNS Veronica DeLeon, Courtney McCarty

CORPORATE PRODUCTION

ASSISTANT PRODUCTION DIRECTOR Ivis FundichelyPRODUCTION MANAGER Michelle Chizmadia TRAFFIC MANAGER Amanda Allensworth

CHIEF CONTENT OFFICER Michael J. Miller THE INDEPENDENT GUIDEPC Magazine is the Independent Guide to Technology. Our mission is to test and review computer- and Internet-related products and services and report fairly and objectively on the results. Our editors do not invest in fi rms whose products or services we review, nor do we accept travel tickets or other gifts of value from such fi rms. Except where noted, PC Magazinereviews are of products and services that are currently available. Our reviews are written without regard to advertising or busi-ness relationships with any vendor.

HOW TO CONTACT THE EDITORSWe welcome comments from readers. Send your comments to Internet address [email protected] or to PC Magazine, 28 E. 28th St., New York, NY 10016-7940. Please include a daytime telephone number. PC Magazine’s general number is 212-503-3500. The West Coast Operations number is 415-547-8000. We cannot look up stories from past issues, recommend products, or diagnose problems with your PC by phone. An index of past issues is at www.pcmag.com/previous_issues. For a list of upcom-ing stories, browse www.pcmag.com. For a full description of who on staff covers what, go to www.pcmag.com/whocoverswhat.

If you are dissatisfi ed with a product advertised in PC Magazine and cannot resolve the problem with the vendor, write (do not call) Anne King, Advertising Department, at the above address. Please include copies of your correspondence with the vendor.

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This year, the hands-down-choice

band for the Honda Civic Tour was

The Black Eyed Peas. Their funky style

and off-the-hook energy are a perfect

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with more spirit, performance savvy

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unique fl air to a shiny new Civic Hybrid.

To view their customized ride and

get info on when The Peas will be

driving their groove to your town,

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SAFEGUARDING YOUR PHOTO COLLECTION

Thanks to Lance Ulanoff for an excellent arti-

cle (“Are Your Photos Safe?”, go.pcmag.com/lu

photossafe). I fi nd that people are very gullible.

Many of them don’t understand the capitalistic

system we live under. Some folks really think that

a Web site is their personal storage! Many don’t

know that photos posted online can be pilfered

the best options. Now, if only I had an article instructing me on how to get dirt-cheap air-fare.—Kristin Carew

Glad you liked it, Kristin. Remember, Skype is a great way to stay connected. And for decent airfare, I love Kayak.com here in the U.S., but if you’re fl ying around Europe, their low-cost airlines can be diffi cult to fi nd. Check out Ryan Air, EasyJet, and Air Berlin for starters. Opodooffers a continental variant of our own Ex-pedia and Travelocity, while OctopusTravel

and used elsewhere if good enough. I don’t post my images anywhere, even though I get dozens of offers from dotPhoto and others.

I keep my images in my iPhoto—all 15,000 of them, across three libraries. Each one is backed up weekly to three separate external FireWire drives, of which at least one is kept off-site at all times on a rotating basis.—Jorge Moro

C’MON, MICROSOFTI read Jim Louderback’s column in the April 11 issue, then searched the Internet for the elusive retail copy of Windows XP Media Center Edition, but I had the same results.

It seems that all you can purchase is an OEM copy. I found several Web sites (Newegg.com, Royal Discount, PCDirect.com, TigerDirect.com) that sell the OEM version at a price ranging from $114.95 to $139.99 (with remote).—Russ

Yes, it’s weird that Microsoft makes you get it through this back channel. I’ve seen it for sale with just a remote control or another piece of cheap hardware. They should just sell it outright.—Jim Louderback

CONNECTING IN TRANSIT“The Well-Connected Traveler” (March 21, page 68) showed up at the perfect time for me. I’m planning a summer trip to Europe; it will be my fi rst time going overseas. I’m hope-lessly addicted to my gadgets and to the Inter-net, and after reading this piece, I feel con-fi dent I’ll be able to manage technologically during my vacation. Thanks for all the great ideas about what to bring; I never manage to pack light, but this should help me select

.com aggregates discount lodging and more. Oh, and have fun! —Jim Louderback

Ironically, I just fi nished reading your March 21 issue on a fl ight from Burbank to Phoenix. I’m sending you this e-mail during my layover en route to Baltimore at gate A21 on the freePhoenix Sky Harbor International Airport wireless network. Signal strength, excellent. E-mails received. Thanks, Phoenix.—Larry Yaffe

APPLE’S IPOD HI-FI I liked Lance Ulanoff ’s column, “The Apple Effect” (go.pcmag.com/appleeffect). He men-tions the new speakers and Apple “eating its young.” I felt that way when Microsoft ben-efi ted from and then crushed products like WordPerfect. But I sense this is different. Other speaker systems will continue work-ing—and likely continue selling—just fi ne.

I am very enthusiastic about my Apple iPod Hi Fi speakers—and I’m glad Apple is having a shot at that side of technology. I already own four or fi ve other iPod speaker products, but the sound on these is the best,

FEEDBACK


That’s weird. We thought Kelly was a hard worker.

ABORT, RETRY, FAILBY DON WILLMOTT

He lives right down the street from the Giffs.

ARF NEEDS YOU! If your entry is used, we’ll send you a PC Magazine T-shirt. Submit your photos or screen captures via e-mail to [email protected]. Ziff Davis Media Inc. shall own all property rights in the entries. Winners this issue: Andrew Kopanski, Tom Pentland, and Michael Ufkes.

Lookin’ good, Simon!


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CORRECTIONS & AMPLIFICATIONSWe gave a direct price of $3,299.99 for the T-Mobile SDA (April 11, page 69); the correct price is $299.99.

and the possibility of running on batteries now and then has its appeal. For now the speakers are on top of the TV, using their audio-in connector for the TV (and DVD) sound input into the speakers. They get gor-geous sound that way. And using my video iPod, mounted on the speakers on top of the TV, I can run a line out from the iPod into the DVD player and so into the TV. This lets me show good movie images from the iPod on the TV with sound coming through the iPod Hi Fi speakers. Since the speakers are so new, I thought you might be interested in this note on how one customer uses them. Can the iPod TV be far behind?! —Bill Youngs

Glad you enjoyed it, Bill. I hope you’re right about Apple encroaching on the third-party market. If this serves to grow it, that’s a good thing. Still, only time will tell. As for the way you’re using the Hi-Fi speakers and your iPod with video, I am suitably impressed.—Lance Ulanoff

WHY NOT LIMIT WINDOWSADMINISTRATOR ACCESS?“The Sorry State of Security” (February 21, page 78) was a great article; I hope that ev-eryone who ever buys a computer will read it. The problem with computers is that they al-low such a level of communication that every-one wants to play. But people forget that this tool simplifi es others’ communication to you, whether warranted or not. Unlike the phone system, which can be tapped or called only so many times a day, computer communication lets you receive a fl ood of information with-out much effort.

I think that your article missed one impor-tant point. It’s strange that Microsoft would default every user on Windows XP Home and Professional as Administrator; that is not the case in Pro when you are in a domain scenar-io. This opens up the fl oodgates for anything to override security and install itself. When our company migrated to XP, we immediately revoked this level of access to anyone who didn’t explicitly need it. Viruses and spyware decreased dramatically, and our OS reload percentage dropped to almost nil.

This posed other challenges, such as forcing IT to do more software installa-tions and to access computers remotely to do things the users can’t, but the payoff was great. About six months ago I reloaded my neighbor’s computer for the third time. As I run mostly in a domain environment, I didn’t pick up the Administrator glitch in XP Home. On this third attempt, I noticed that, on newly created user accounts, Administra-tor was the default. Users could do whatever

they wanted with the computer, and so could anyone on the Internet. So I created the us-ers myself and revoked Administrator. I have not heard a peep lately.

Thank you for a wonderful breakdown of the problems plaguing the future of comput-ing.—Juan Gamboa

It’s an excellent point. We did a Security Watch last year on trying to run as a limited user (go.pcmag.com/limiteduser). Unfortu-nately, it’s very diffi cult to do in a home envi-ronment. Microsoft is partly to blame, but so are ISVs who don’t bother to make sure that their apps (games, especially) work in limited-user mode. Vista should really improve this situation, since even admins don’t run with complete privileges all the time. Of course I’m sure it won’t take long for social engineers to exploit this.—Ben Z. Gottesman

ON VENDOR RESPONSIBILITYI disagree with the degree of responsibility you place with vendors. No one would ex-pect GM or Ford, before selling you a car, to make sure you knew how to drive. Or track that you didn’t exceed the speed limit or fol-low too close. Nor do we expect automakers to tell us that the trunk can be used to carry groceries or that we need to be wary of icy roads. Yet we expect people to buy PCs with-out any idea of what they’ll do with them or the attendant risks.

PCs are incredible devices, but deciding to purchase one shouldn’t be considered as trivial as buying a magazine about PCs.—P.A. Gendron

Years ago my dad bought a Ford Pinto under the assumption that they had built a car that wouldn’t blow up. Fortunately he sold it before finding out how dangerous that assumption could be.—Ben Z. Gottesman

THE DOG-EAR TESTI bring the latest issue of PC Magazine withme to the gym and read through it while working out on the treadmill and stair climb-er. Since there are no notepads or voice re-corders to be bothered with, a dog-eared page is my best reference for articles and tips I want to revisit when I’m back at my com-puter. Thus, each issue’s merit is based on the number of dog-ears. Sometimes I have none, sometimes two or three, but April 11’s brought in seven. Thanks for the helpful edi-tion.—Pat Carroll

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PIPELINEWHAT’S NEW FROM THE WORLD OF TECH


Phone Home Free services are giving almost anyone with a cell phone remote access to PCs.

ates the service from big players such as Citrix Online’s GoToMyPC and Orb Networks’ Orb.

“There are almost a billion phones out there that aren’t considered smartphones,” says Song Huang, SoonR’s cofounder and VP of marketing. The service’s only phone requirement is a WAP browser, so you might, for example, access your remote fi les using Op-era. SoonR has also integrated its service with Google Desktop Search and X1, so you can quickly fi nd fi les by typing queries on your phone. The service will remain free, although premium extensions will be available.

Avvenu offers similar services, also costs nothing, and integrates with the free Motorola Share service for sharing images. If your phone is your constant com-panion, take note.—Sebastian Rupley

When Apple con-fi rmed last year that it would begin build-ing computers with Intel chips, predic-tions of dual-boot systems running both Windows and the Mac OS abounded. Now, with offi cial approval from neither Microsoft nor Apple, several code warriors are pulling that off.

AirmanPika, a member of the OSx-86Project (forum.osx86project.org), has posted photos of his iMac running Windows Media Center Edition 2005, as shown above. Our own experts have loaded Windows XP on Mac systems and found it to run faster on Apple computers than it does on many PCs. Find the details at go.pcmag.com/windowsonamac.

In PC Magazine’s cover story on Apple’s move to Intel last year, Apple spokes-person Natalie Kerris said, “We’re not ship-ping and supporting Windows, but we’re doing nothing in our hardware designs to preclude running it.” And where there’s a will, there’s a way.—SR

WINMAC

QUICK ON THE DRAW How fast does your brain process information? At www.positscience.com you can take an online test and determine the precise answer. The process takes 10 minutes, and results are compared to averages for your age range, using charts.

Why shouldn’t checking your body’s status be as easy as glancing at the temperature gauge in your car? At the recent CeBIT show, Vodafone showed off its biozoom device, which tests a person’s water levels, en-zyme levels, body fat per-centage, and more, then displays the results on a mobile phone.—SR

YO U ’ R E O N T H E G O , Y O U N E E D A

presentation that’s on your home PC, and all you’ve got is a cell phone. What to do? A new crop of online startups is solv-ing such remote-access problems—and you don’t need a smartphone or a phone

running Microsoft Windows to use them. SoonR (www.soonr.com) and Avvenu (www.avvenu.com) provide no-cost solutions for retrieving and sharing anything on your remote PC, even if you’re carrying a cheap phone.

SoonR’s service is in beta now, but that hasn’t stopped tens of thousands of people from signing up. The service requires you to load a small client on your PC, but no software is needed on your phone. That, in addition to SoonR’s focus on business users, differenti-

MOBILE TV TAKES OFFAs carriers, content providers, and marketers are ramping up their mobile TV and video initiatives, 3G subscribers are also increasing their usage.

Source: eMarketer, March 2006

0

5

10

15

20

25

30

35

40

Watch TVon phones

Watch videoon phones

2009200820072006

Projected U.S. viewers (inmillions)

POCKET DOCTOR


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MAY 9, 2006 PC MAGAZINE 19Photograph (right) courtesy of Oakley Photography

Consider the possi-bilities of a “mirage dis-play,” visible one minute on a pane of glass and gone the next. Oregon State University elec-tronics engineer John Wager (shown) has invented the world’s fi rst transparent inte-grated circuit, which could be the basis of now-you-see-it, now-you-don’t displays.

In conjunction with a remote sensor, “a pop-up display could suddenly be visible to a driver on a car wind-shield to make him aware of a potential accident,” says Wager. There are many other potential applications for “smart glass,” from advertising to medical concepts. The break-through may even create entirely new industries.

Wager developed the see-through circuit using the transparent conductor material indium gallium oxide. Hewlett-Packard has already licensed the technology for a variety of products. Keep your eyes peeled.—SR

WHO DOESN’T YEARN TO HEAR “YOUR WISH IS MY COMMAND”?

That’s the idea behind the Berlin Brain-Computer Interface (BBCI), shown here, which is being developed by Fraun-hofer FIRST and Benjamin Franklin University in Europe. The BBCI uses the brain’s electrical activity, in the form of an electroencephalogram (EEG).

Electrodes attached to the scalp—128 of them—measure the brain’s electrical signals, which are amplifi ed, transmitted to a computer, and converted into actions. Users can already control cursors and software applications by imagining motions.

“Electrical activity in the brain refl ects the conception of a particular behav-ior, such as moving a hand or foot,” says principal researcher Benjamin Blankertz. BBCI may allow paralyzed people to write documents and control prosthetic and electronic devices. It could also have a role in next-generation computer games. No controller required!—SR

Thinking It Through

FUTURE WATCH

SMARTGLASS


MORE ON THE WEBWant the full story on these reviews, plus news and opinions? Go towww.technoride.com, the car site for tech fans.


$40,525 to $69,250l l l h m

PROS LCD panel in all models. Reasonably priced nav system available.

CONS The Comand con-troller is complex to use. No Bluetooth until the 2007 model this summer. Options are pricey.

BOTTOM LINE Though tech and entertainment options abound in the second-generation M-Class SUV, the Comand cockpit controller is tough to use.

MERCEDESML 350

MERCEDES-BENZ PACKS A HOST

of technology and entertain-ment features into its second-generation midsize M-Class SUV. Every M-Class includes a 7-inch in-dash LCD panel. On the dash

is a fussy Comand control dial that has lots of buttons, but this device doesn’t compare well with the Audi MMI controller or with the console-mount Comand knob in the new Mercedes S-Class. An audio line-in jack and three power sockets come standard; an iPod jack, backseat DVD, Sirius satellite radio, and a Logic 7 sound system are available as options. A hands-free phone adapter runs about $1,000; dealer-installed Bluetooth will cost about $500 when it’s available this summer in the 2007 model. Because the LCD is stan-dard, the passable DVD nav system can be added by the dealer for about $1,300—very reasonable by Mer-cedes or BMW standards.

The ML 350 comes with all-wheel drive, seven-speed automatic transmission, and roomy comfort for four passengers and baggage. Unlike the fi rst genera-tion (1998 to 2005), the new M-Class no longer rides like a truck. Most buyers should be satisfi ed with the V6 ML 350 at about $50,000, passably equipped; add $10,000 for the V8 ML 500.—BH

NEARLY IRRESISTIBLE

GREEN CAR TECH In February, Hymotion unveiled the Plug-In Hybrid Electric Vehicle (PHEV) technology for hybrid cars: Users can charge their PHEV batteries in any normal 120V outlet, enabling a hybrid car to travel longer distances solely on battery power and resulting in fuel effi cien-cies reaching 100 mpg.

The kit, expected within a year, is under development for the Lexus Rx400h, Toyota Highlander hybrid, and Toyota Camry hybrid. — Bary Alyssa Johnson

T E C H N O R I D E


http://www.technoride.com

B I L L H OWA R D

MAY 9, 2006 PC MAGAZINE 21

BLUE&ME : Low-Cost TelematicsThe technology star of the 76th International Motor Show in Geneva was Blue&Me, the fi rst product of a joint venture by Fiat and Microsoft. The device, a low-cost telematics box, works as an in-car communication system that enables hands-free Bluetooth-based talk, voice recognition, music player connectivity for MP3 and WMA fi les, and remote diagnostics. It also has the potential for turn-by-turn navigation downloads via cell phone.—BH

DIESEL CARS ARE BACK

WHAT WOULD IT TAKE

to get you into a die-sel engine car? Will you wait till diesels run clean, and until there’s no engine clat-ter? Until somebody makes diesel airplane

engines? Until a diesel engine car wins an auto race? Done, done, and done.

In March, an Audi won the Sebring 12-hour endurance race, four laps ahead of the gasoline-pow-ered runner-up. This is the fi rst time a diesel engine ve-hicle has triumphed in a major automobile endurance race, and it’s a shot in the arm for the image of such ve-hicles. Diesels account for nearly half of all passenger cars sold in Europe but for only a fraction in the U.S.

Technology has eliminated much of the noise that diesel engines make; there’s none inside the car and hardly any outside. A sophisticated common-rail fuel-injection system propels an atomized stream of fuel into the cylinders at twice the speed of sound, ensuring that air and fuel are properly mixed. They start almost instantly, even in the cold.

As for running clean, this year the EPA ordered fuel companies to stop whining and start refining diesel fuel with low levels of sulfur, the pollutant that’s re-sponsible for the rotten-egg smell and black soot. Most diesels also run on biodiesel—fuels made in part from vegetable oils or animal fats. So if the Jetta ahead of you smells like a McDonald’s, now you know why.

New technologies, such as particulate fi lters (here now) and the injection of urea into the exhaust stream (coming), make diesels even cleaner.

In European countries, Herr Doktor Rudolf Diesel’s 1892 invention purrs along under the hoods of one-third to two-thirds of all cars. But here in the U.S., only a dozen passenger-vehicle models with die-sel engines are offered: a bunch of brawny American trucks/SUVs, the Mercedes-Benz E-Class, and four Volkswagens. California, Maine, Massachusetts, New York, and Vermont effectively outlaw diesels, and some automakers say they won’t introduce diesel cars until they’re allowed in every state.

Still, I don’t think you can deny that we’re entering a golden era of performance coming from a wider array of engine types: gasoline or diesel boosted by hybrid, turbocharged, or supercharged technologies.

If you’re a stop-and-go driver, hybrids make sense. But if you rack up a lot of highway miles and/or spend a lot of time idling, a diesel may be your best bet. Wait a year and you’ll see more choices. Diesels are defi -nitely back.

LCD panelcomes standard

Steerable headlights track you through corners


©2006 MPC Computers, LLC (“MPC” or “Seller”). MPC is not responsible for omissions or errors in typography or photography. All offers are subject to availability. Prices and specifications may change withoutnotice; prices do not include shipping, handling or applicable taxes, unless specifically required under contract. Seller's return policy does not include return freight and original shipping/handling charges, and arestocking fee may be charged. All return and warranty periods begin from date product is shipped. All sales are controlled by Seller's current terms and conditions of sale and limited warranty, copies of whichare available on Seller's website or from its sales representatives. On-site service is provided at sole discretion of MPC. A qualifying diagnostic determination must be made by MPC prior to on-site service (if any).On-site service is provided by a third-party service provider under a separate contract between you and the service provider. Advertised configurations may differ from award-winning configurations. Intel, IntelInside, Intel Inside logo, Intel Centrino, Intel Centrino logo, Celeron, Intel Xeon, Intel Speedstep, Itanium, Pentium and Pentium III Xeon are trademarks or registered trademarks of Intel Corporation or its subsidiariesin the United States and other countries. Microsoft and Windows are registered trademarks of Microsoft Corporation. Other product names herein are for identification purposes only and may be trademarks oftheir respective companies. 1. All hard drive sizes calculated with 1GB equal to 1 billion bytes. 2. MPC 56K modems capable of receiving downloads at up to 56Kbps and sending at up to 31.2Kbps. Due to FCCregulations on power output, receiving speeds are limited to 53Kbps. Actual speeds may vary. 3. 52X = 52X max./17X min. 48X=48X max./17X min. 24X = 24X max./10X min. 8X DVD = 8X max./1X min.

MPC recommends Microsoft® Windows® XP Professional.

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INSIDE...

LIKE THIS SPIFFY OLYMPUS E-330 DIGI-

tal SLR, many of the products covered in this edition of First Looks look familiar but feature subtle yet important differ-ences that set them apart from all that’s come before. The E-330, for example,

is the first D-SLR with a live-view/articulating LCD screen. HP’s Pavilion Media Center (in our hardware section) looks like any other MCE desktop, but it’s our fi rst Viiv- certifi ed system. We have hands-on reviews of Lenovo’s new laptops, small business NAS’s, and Samsung’s Nano competitor. Plus, there’s advice on how to make some of your most important purchases: photo printers, parental-control software, and Win-dows Mobile Devices. Come check out products you’ll be buying today.

Olympus Evolt E-330Flawless? No, but for now, this camera stands apart from all other D-SLRs on the market. Full review starts on page 32.


WHAT THE RATINGS MEAN: l l l l l EXCELLENT | l l l l m VERY GOOD | l l l m m GOOD | l l m m m FAIR | l m m m m POOR

F I R S T L O O K S


F I R S T LO O K SHARDWARE


HP Personal Media

Drive for unlimited

storageEasy-access FireWire port for DV camcorder

Sliding door hides

the easy-access

ports

Analog input

for VCR



SPORTING A SLICK-LOOKING CASE AND

the latest Intel Viiv hardware, the Sony VAIO VGC-RC210G is one seductive, powerful Media Center PC. Our tests prove that this desktop has enough oomph to breeze through all your chal-

lenging multimedia projects, from editing video and creating graphics to burning DVDs of exciting (at least to you) holiday snapshots and home movies.

The RC 210G’s premium dual-core Pentium D 930 processor helped it complete a Windows Media En-coder benchmark test about 40 percent faster than sim-ilarly confi gured single-core systems and about as fast as the Editors’ Choice HP. Better yet, its 320GB hard drive offers plenty of room to house all the data you ac-cumulate as you live your digital life. Moving content onto the RC210G is easy, thanks to the 9-in-1 memory card reader, a dual-layer DVD burner, and integrated Wi-Fi networking. Using Microsoft Windows Media Center 2005 OS with an internal TV tuner, the system handily records live programming TiVo-style, too.

There are drawbacks, such as the system’s ugly Microsoft IR receiver and the weak 3D graphics card. And the storage isn’t as convenient to upgrade as that of the HP m7360n. Still, the RC210G is an excellent home workhorse and multimedia showcase.—JSD

HP Pavilion Media Center TV m7360n PCAs a Media Center PC, the m7360n

has some outstanding fea tures, such as the Personal Media Drive, wireless networking, and good dual-core perfor-mance.$1,200 direct, without monitor go.pcmag.com/hpM7360n l l l l m

STYLE MEETS MEDIA SAVVYTHIS PC LOOKS BORING, BUT THE

m7360n is a powerful media cen-ter system. It can handle regular multimedia projects like compos-ing, encoding, and burning video DVDs, and its included TV/PVR

capability makes it a welcome addition to any home offi ce or bedroom, especially when a family feud breaks out in the living room over whether to watch Lost or American Idol. It’s also Viiv-certifi ed, so when Viiv takes off, you’re ready.

Thanks to its dual-core Pentium D 9 Series processor and 2GB of memory, the Media Center operates smoothly, and the picture from the inter-nal TV tuner is jitter-free. The m7360n also has instant-on capability, letting you put the system into a quiet, deep sleep (no rotating fans) from which it can wake within seconds.

I’m particularly fond of HP’s Personal Media Drive. This unique component lets you easily swap hard drive cartridges that also hook up to other PCs via USB. It gives you virtually limitless storage (drives cost about $1 per GB). The more storage the better, especially when you’re recording TV and video. The m7360n also has a LightScribe dual-layer DVD SuperMulti drive that can read and write DVD±RW discs and can read DVD-RAM.

I’m a big fan of the HP Pavilion Media Center TV m7360n PC. Families looking to do more than just view photos, videos, and TV should seriously consider it.—Joel Santo Domingo

MEDIA MAVEN

Sony VAIO VGC-RC210GThis attractive Media Center PC is a great option if you’re looking to trick out your home with a chic desktop that has oodles of storage space and serious dual-core muscle.$1,380 direct, without monitor go.pcmag.com/sonyrc210gl l l l m

=+++Pentium D

975X

975X

Processor Chipset Network card Media Center

THE CURRENT FORMULA FOR VIIV

Dual 160GB

hard drives


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STAYING CONNECTED AND EDGING OUT THE

competition are two musts for any business trav-eler, and the Lenovo ThinkPad X60s helps you do both. This 3.5-pound laptop has great connectiv-ity by way of Verizon’s EV-DO. And, as we found in testing, it can work off battery power for more

than 7 hours. Some of my favorite things about this system, as with any

ThinkPad I can get my hands on, are the unmatched keyboard and TrackPoint. Although the X60s’s 12.1-inch screen is good enough for most travelers, as a writer I prefer a slightly larger screen. However, I certainly can’t complain about the inclusion of EV-DO: While roaming Manhattan, I was able to access my e-mail, surf the Web, and download video clips at broadband-like speeds. Talk about staying productive!

The X60s uses a low-voltage Intel Core Duo processor, the 1.66-GHz L2400, which helps it achieve a pleasing balance

of power and battery life. If your primary tasks on the road are presenting slide shows, managing e-mails, Web surf-

ing, and working in Excel or Word fi les, the X60s is the ultraportable for you.—Cisco Cheng

THE SONY VAIO VGN-SZ170P SUCCESS-

fully combines good looks with inter-esting features—and a lot of power.

Two features I’m crazy about, and that are rarely found on a sub-4-pound system, are the wide 13.3-inch LCD

and internal DVD±RW drive. To extend battery life, Sony integrates a hybrid

graphics system. A switch above the keyboard lets you choose between the nVidia GeForce Go 7400 graphics chipset (for better performance) and the integrated Intel GMA 950/945GM graphics chipset (for better battery life). It’s a great concept, but you have to reboot every time you fl ip the switch. When I used the Intel graphics setting, I got only 42 extra minutes of battery life, for a total 4 hours 15 minutes. I expected more.

The SZ170P comes with only two USB ports, and I think every laptop should have at least three. None-theless, I’m pleased about the large 100GB hard drive, and I love the addition of the 0.3-megapixel webcam—perfect for the growing number of video chatters and Skype users. As long as it’s not a long trip, anyone who travels with the SZ170P will be very pleased.—CC

Sony VAIO VGN-SZ170PFor a 3.8-pound system, the Sony VAIO VGN-SZ170P offers an irresistible combina-tion of sleekness, cool features, superb per-formance, and top-of-the-line components. $2,799 direct go.pcmag.com/sonysz170pl l l l m

Lenovo ThinkPad X60sThe 3.5-pound ThinkPad

X60s is ideal for anyone who spends more time on the road than in the offi ce. For many, it’s pretty much the perfect ultraportable. $2,299 direct go.pcmag.com/thinkpadx60sl l l l h

A PERFECT TRAVEL COMPANIONAn amazing 7 hours

of battery life!

SEXY, SLEEK, POWERFULRazor-thin 13.3 inch LCD

Antenna for Cingular’s Edge network


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SIMPLICITYTAKESBUSINESS

Visa Business tracks your expenses on one simple statement, helping you run your business more effi ciently. Saving you time and money. Not to mention sticky notes. For more information, visit us at visa.com/smallbusiness. Your business is your life. Life takes Visa.

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WITH A BARGAIN PRICE, SMALL

size, and paper capacity suit-able only for light-duty print-ing, the Lexmark E120n is decidedly a personal laser print-er. This one, however, has net-

working capabilities, which makes it a good choice for a home offi ce or very small offi ce. It’s still a monochrome printer, though, so if you plan on printing a lot of color graphics or photos, an ink jet is a better solution.

Setup is as simple as it gets. The E120n’s speed and text quality is, according to our tests, more than good enough for any text you’re likely to print. Graphics qual-

THE IOMEGA SCREENPLAY SEEMS

like a dream come true: a 60GB hard drive that plays video, photos, and mu-sic on a TV. Sadly, the ScreenPlay has limited playback capabilities, is pricey, and simply doesn’t work.

The ScreenPlay claims to support most flavors of MPEG video, but on our tests, I had trouble play-ing unprotected MPEG-4 files. QuickTime, Real, and WMV aren’t supported, either. Photo and music playback is better, although still not top-notch. The ScreenPlay doesn’t support some common audio for-mats like M4P/M4A and WMA. And if you do have music that’s supported, good luck fi nding it. The navi-gation is awkward: You must play or scroll through all your music just to fi nd the song you want.

And yet, that’s not the worst part: The ScreenPlay is slooooooooow. Unbearably slow. It took me 14 minutes to boot up to a navigational screen on my TV, and then once I got there, clicking on any of the icons resulted in a 5-minute—or longer—wait.

The Iomega ScreenPlay needs work—lots of work. First, the performance needs to be fixed so that you can actually browse and view content. Adding playlist support, better fi le navigation, and search capabilities should also top that “needs fi xing” list.—Joel Santo Domingo

Iomega ScreenPlayGreat in concept but a failure in execution, the Iomega ScreenPlay has more things wrong than right. Don’t buy this product. $220 direct go.pcmag.com/iomegascreenplay l m m m m

Lexmark E120n With its small footprint, fast performance, and network connectivity, the Lexmark E120n is a good choice for sharing on a home or small-offi ce network. $149 direct go.pcmag.com/lexmarke120n l l l h m

NETWORK POWER ON A PERSONAL PRINTER

ity is just okay, which is typical for most monochrome lasers. For internal documents it’s fi ne, but I wouldn’t use it if I were trying to impress a potential client.

The only real drawback is the low paper capacity. If you print as few as 50 pages a day, you’ll be refi lling the tray roughly every third day, which can be quite annoying. But if that’s not a concern, the E120n offers a better balance of speed and quality than its direct competition, and it’s a network printer at a stunningly low price.—M. David Stone

THIS DREAMY DEVICE DOESN’T WORK

5.2 inches


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LENOVO IS TRYING HARD TO DISTIN-

guish its new 3000 series from the suc-cessful high-end ThinkPad series, and, if judged on looks alone, it succeeds. Still, even though the Lenovo 3000 C100 is a capable value

notebook, it doesn’t distinguish itself from popular value offerings from Acer, Dell, and HP. If anything, it’s less attractive than any of those three.

The C100 is thick, weighs 6.3 pounds, and has a 15-inch display. Lenovo endows this beast with some good features, such as four USB ports and an S-Video port. In addition, the 80GB hard drive is fairly roomy, and the DVD+R dual-layer drive is better than the combo drives found on most budget laptops.

Though not the fastest laptop on the market, the C100, as our testing shows, is capable of handling everyday Offi ce applications. As dual-core optimized apps come down the line, however, this single-core

Lenovo 3000 C100 At less than $1,000, the C100 is decidedly budget-friendly. But if you’re look-ing for a true value, better offerings are available. Our online review details those offerings.$999 direct go.pcmag.com/lenovoc100 l l h m m

processor system may be begging for an upgrade sooner than you’d like.

Five months ago, I would’ve told you that any lap-top from Lenovo is worth every penny. But with new, more powerful, sleeker systems available from Dell and HP for the same price, it’s hard to recommend the C100, even if it shares a stable with the excellent ThinkPad line of notebooks.—Cisco Cheng

LENOVO GOES FOR VALUE

The best keyboard

in any laptop!

Ricoh dependability moves your ideas forward.

ricoh-usa.com/itchannel1.800.RICOH.43©2006 Ricoh Corporation

Stan, I depend on that Ricoh printerfor just about everything.

You’re still gettingyour own lunch, right Jerry?


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BUYING GUIDE


Dedicated Photo Printers

The Epson PictureMate has been our high-end Editors’ Choice for so long that we keep thinking the next printer we test will surely replace it. But it’s stayed on top, thanks to its true photo-quality output, memory slots, 2.4-inch color LCD, kiosk-

style print menus, battery option, and reasonable 29-cent cost per photo.

Its six-color ink system helps produce high-quality, waterproof, smear-proof images. You can print easily from your camera, an external CD or ZIP drive, a USB memory key, memory card, or your computer. A color LCD screen lets you easily pre-view your prints, and an intuitive menu offers op-tions such as cropping and resizing of images. And if you love your PictureMate so much that you want to take it with you everywhere, fear not: With a car-rying handle and optional battery, the PictureMate is designed for maximum portability.$199.99 direct go.pcmag.com/epsondeluxe. l l l l h

IF YOU HAVE A DIGITAL CAMERA AND YOU WANT

the freedom to print your own photos—even if it’s moments after you take them—a dedi-cated photo printer is the way to go. A dedi-cated photo printer qualifi es more as a cam-era accessory than as a computer peripheral

because you don’t even need a PC to print. And you can fi nd a dedicated photo printer to fi t just about any budget, with prices ranging from $80 up to about $400 for printers aimed at casual users, and up to four fi gures for more serious photographers.

Sure, you can print photos on almost any ink jet printer, and you can even print them at sizes larger

EPSON PICTUREMATE DELUXE VIEWER EDITION

than 4 by 6 inches. But part of the goal of dedicated photo printers is to make printing your photos as easy as dropping off a roll of fi lm at the drug store. Few stan-dard computer printers offer the same ease of use for printing photos. And even the ones that do don’t offer the same portability. Because they print at a maximum of 4-by-6 or, in some cases, 5-by-7 format, virtually all dedicated photo printers are small and light enough to take anywhere.

Output quality is the most important, yet most diffi -cult, issue to check before buying. Most photo printers will print at least some photos at true photo quality, so take any samples a store shows you with a grain of salt.

STAY AWAY!

Large, 2.4-inch LCD

for easy photo editing

Lab-quality photos

Lexmark P315 The lack of resistance to water makes photos printed on the P315 easy to ruin just by handling. $99.99 directgo.pcmag.com/lexmarkp315 l l h m m

Samsung SPP-2020 Digital Photo PrinterAt 42 cents per photo, the SPP-2020 is far less of a bargain than its price suggests. $80 street go.pcmag.com/samsungspp2020l l l h m YYePG Proudly Presents, Thx for Support

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A N A LYS T ’ S V I E WBY M. DAVID STONE


RECENT REVIEWSCanon Pixma iP5200R

$230 street

l l l l m Fast, prints great photos, and has support for wireless networking.

Olympus P-11 $150 street

l l l h m It's compact, inexpensive, and deliv-ers swift 4-by-6 prints.

Dell Photo All-in-One 964

$199.00 direct

l l l m m It's not fast, but it's fi ne for mundane home offi ce work.

Kodak Easy-Share 500

$199.95 direct

l l l l m This Kodak prints excellent 4-by-6 photos and has plenty of ports.

Canon Pixma MP950

$399.99 direct

l l l l m A talented multifunction printer that will tackle almost any printing task.

Canon Pixma iP6600D

$199.99 direct

l l l h m Foremost an excellent photo printer. Text output is average.

MORE DEDICATED PHOTO PRINTER REVIEWS ONLINE Check out all our photo printer reviews at go.pcmag.com/photoprinters.

THE PHONE CALL USUALLY COMES

right after friends and family go shopping on their own for aphoto printer and come back confused. There are so many choices. First they need to decide if they want a standard desktop ink jet or a dedicated photo printer. If they

settle on buying a dedicated unit, they’ll have to fi gure out if they want ink jet or thermal dye. That’s when they remember they have an expert resource to call on. The most common question I get is, What’s the differ-ence between thermal dye and ink jet printers? I usual-ly take a deep breath, because as simple as the answer is (at least to me), it’s equally complicated to convey. The short answer is that there’s plenty of difference in the printer technologies themselves, but a tremendous overlap in the features—those features being cost-per-photo ratio, photo quality, and water resistance. And of course, at the end of the day, your choice will depend on the features you value most. The tips below have helped many a friend and family member choose the perfect printer.

First, let’s clear up a common misconception. Thermal dye printers do not print better-looking pho-tos than ink jets. They did several years ago, but they no longer do. The reality today is that both technolo-gies can produce good-looking output, but four of the fi ve best photo printers I’ve seen since mid-2004 are ink jets.

The bad news about prints generated by ink jet printers is that most ink jet output isn’t waterproof. Even after the ink is dry, you can ruin a typical ink jet photo easily: Just pass it around for people to handle on a humid day. The ribbons in thermal dye printers, however, include an overcoat panel to coat the fi nished photo and protect it. The result is a photo that you can handle without ruining, even immediately after print-ing. Try that with most ink jets and you’ll smudge the photo—or at least get fi ngerprints on it. Some ink jets, like the Epson PictureMate Deluxe, offer the same level of waterproofing as a thermal dye printer, but most don’t.

Ultimately, ink jets are more likely to give you better-quality photos, yet you risk unpredictable costs and smudging. Thermal dye photo quality isn’t as highly rated, but with thermal dye you know your photos won’t smudge and you can calculate costs more effi ciently. Instead of calling me, research your printers until you fi nd one that can give you everything you want. They’re out there—like the 29-cent-per-photo Epson Picture-Mate Deluxe ink jet. M. David Stone is PC Magazine’s Lead Analyst for Printers.

OTHER OPTIONSPRINT BIGHP Photosmart 475 GoGo Photo PrinterThe HP Photosmart 475 is portable, easy to use, and one of the few that print 5-by-7 photos.$250 streetgo.pcmag.com/hp425gogo l l l l m

PRINTING CHOICESCanon Selphy DS810This printer lets you print on its less expensive paper, but you can also step up to quality suit-able for framing. $149.99 directgo.pcmag.com/canonDS810l l l l m

AFFORDABLE ALTERNATIVECanon Selphy CP510 Compact Photo PrinterSmall, lightweight, and offers the best combina-tion of running cost (at 29 cents per photo) and output quality for the price. $99.99 direct go.pcmag.com/canonCP510l l l l m

Almost as important is what the printer can print from: cameras, computers, or memory cards. Nearly all dedicated photo printers today include a PictBridge connector, which lets you use a PictBridge-enabled camera’s LCD and menus to print. Most photo print-ers can also connect to a computer by USB cable, which may or may not be included with the printer, and they typically come with software that lets you manage your photos as well as edit and print them. This can be handy if you want to reprint photos later. Unless you’re convinced you’ll never want to store your photos on your computer and you have another storage plan, make sure that the printer can connect to your computer.

You’ll generally have to pay more for printers with memory card slots, because the slots are usually paired with a color LCD and built-in menus. The combina-tion lets you preview photos as well as crop or enhance them, much like using a photo kiosk. If a printer offers these features, fi nd out what editing tools it has; some printers offer lots more than others. And don’t overlook the LCD size. It’s much easier to preview photos on a 2.5-inch screen than on a 1.5-inch one.

You’ll want to consider paper size, cost per photo, and portability. In addition to the usual 4-by-6 size, a few photo printers offer smaller or larger paper sizes, or both.

Cost per 4-by-6 print ranges from about 28 cents up to more than 60 cents. If you don’t print a lot of pho-tos, the cost may not matter much, particularly if the printer offers some other feature you want, like a low initial price or fast print speed. But the more photos you print, the more critical the cost per photo will be. In almost all cases you can buy packs of paper and ink or paper and dye rolls for a specifi c number of photos, so you’ll know exactly how many photos you can print and at what price: simply divide the price of the pack by the number of photos it can print. —MDS


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F I R S T LO O K SCONSUMER ELECTRONICS


THE OLYMPUS EVOLT E-330 WAS A BIG HIT

at this year’s PMA show in Orlando. And for good reason: It’s the first D-SLR to give consumers the option of framing their shots on the LCD, a feature that’s been available on lower-

end digital cameras for years. It’s also the fi rst D-SLR with an articulating LCD.

This breakthrough product gives you the best of both worlds: You can compose a shot on the 2.5-inch LCD screen or peer through the viewfi nder—it’s your choice. How Olympus achieved this Live View was relatively simple: It added an additional CCD sensor into the refl ected path that carries the image from the lens, through the camera, and into the viewfi nder.

Olympus Evolt E-330The Olympus Evolt E-330 is the fi rst D-SLR that lets you compose your subjects on its LCD screen. $1,100 street, with 14mm-to-45mm lens go.pcmag.com/e330 l l l l m

LIVE FROM YOUR D-SLR

3.1 x optical

zoom

CF and xD card slot

Pop-up fl ash

The LCD’s ability to articulate is another feature new to D-SLR cameras. If you want to take a Hail Mary shot (hold your camera above your head and pray you get the shot), you can adjust the screen, extend your arm, and still see precisely where you’re aiming the E-330.

The E-330 weighs 1.2 pounds without a battery, about the same as the Nikon D50 (1 pound 3 ounces). I enjoyed holding it. Also, it has one of the nicest con-trol sets I’ve seen on an entry-level D-SLR.

Olympus lets you choose between two options for composing images on the LCD: Live View A Mode, for general-purpose shooting, and Live View B Mode, for close-ups (see the diagram on page 34). Both modes are easy to use, and it’s simple to toggle between them.YYePG Proudly Presents, Thx for Support

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IT’S THE NETWORKSM

THAT’S BUILT IN TO THE LATEST NOTEBOOKS.

• For the fi rst time ever, access to Verizon Wireless’ BroadbandAccess service is built in to the most innovative notebooks from Lenovo ThinkPad and HP. So you can work wirelessly without a PC card or the hassle of Wi-Fi hotspots.

• With BroadbandAccess built in, there’s never been an easier or more convenient way to work on the nation’s largest high-speed wireless broadband network.

• Already have a notebook but are still interested in the power of BroadbandAccess? You can get a BroadbandAccess-capable PC card that slides directly into most notebooks.

BroadbandAccess built in. Only from Verizon Wireless.

verizonwireless.com/notebooks Our surcharges (incl. 2.41% Federal Universal Service [varies quarterly], 5¢ Regulatory & 40¢ Administrative charge/line/mo., & others by area) are not taxes (details: 1-888-684-1888); gov’t taxes and our surcharges could add 6%–35% to your bill. Activation fee: $35/line. IMPORTANT CONSUMER INFORMATION: Subject to Customer Agreement, Calling Plan & credit approval. $175 termination fee, other charges & restrictions. Off ers, coverage & service not available everywhere. BroadbandAccess is available in 181 major metro areas covering over 148 million people. Wireless service not included with notebook. Access limited to coverage area of Verizon Wireless. Check with Verizon Wireless for availability and coverage in your area. Coverage limitations & maps at www.verizonwireless.com. Limited time off er.

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HOW IT WORKS: LIVE VIEWUntil now, no D-SLR let you view a live image of your subject on the LCD screen. Instead, you were forced to put your eye up to the viewfinder. With its innovative Live View display, the Olympus Evolt E-330 gives you two ways to view your subjects on the LCD screen: Live View A Mode and Live View B Mode.

A MODE: For General Photography The image travels through the lens into the camera body, as it does in A Mode. When you press the Live View button, however, the image is not reflected around the camera body but instead travels back to the main 7.5MP MOS sensor.

In B mode, the digital image is sent directly to the LCD for a live preview. Because the autofocus is disengaged you have to focus manually. To help with that, you can view the image magnified 10X on the LCD.

B MODE: For Closeups As with all D-SLRs, the image enters through the lens here. 1 1

2

In Live View A Mode, when you take the picture, this mirror will swing out of the way and let the image register on the 7.5MP MOS sensor.

2

The E-330 has special mirrors, called Porro mirrors, which reflect the image around the side of the camera body instead of up through its center.

3

The image is reflected through the glass viewfinder and also to an 8MP CCD sensor, which sends a digital image to the LCD at the back.

41 1

22 3

4

MOS

to LCD to LCD

CCD

MOS

Articulating

live view screen

The specs of the Olympus Evolt E-330 make it an entry-level D-SLR: It’s a 7.5MP camera that comes with a Zuiko Digital Specifi c lens, which has a 3.1X optical zoom with a 14mm-to-45mm range (equivalent to a 35mm lens with a 28mm-to-90mm zoom) and cor-responding maximum f-stops of f/3.5 to f/5.6.

The menu structure was decent enough, although I hope future Olympus D-SLRs will include the guide features found on some of their latest Stylus models. I like that the camera gives you a wide array of image-fi le choices, including TIFF and various combinations of RAW and JPEG fi les.

I was happy to see that there is no solarization on the 2.5-inch Hyper Crystal LCD panel. This means you can view the image at an angle without having it be-come obscured the way it would be on an older LCD.

The E-330 isn’t without some shortcomings. The camera has just three autofocus points, rather disap-pointing for a somewhat expensive entry-level D-SLR. Most other D-SLRs have at least fi ve AF points. There is also no way to change between the three points quickly; you have to use the menus. Other D-SLRs use a multiselector controller. These AF points can help you track your subjects more precisely and keep them in focus, although most of the time this will apply only to action shooters.

The E-330’s full feature set and variety of options make it competitive with other D-SLRs, although Olympus will need to add some improvements to render it fl awless: In testing I found the image quality quite good but just a notch below that of the Nikon D50 and the Canon Rebel XT. But by giving me that best-of-both-worlds feeling, it’s a camera that truly stands apart from the pack.—Terry Sullivan


THE LG CU320 IS A PLEASANT, MIDRANGE

phone that plays fun, boredom-banishing video clips. But it’s a modest introduction for Cingular’s new 3G network.

A solid, slightly techy-looking slider phone, the tri-band CU320 performs

pretty well in terms of reception and sound quality. The phone’s major feature is Cingular Video, a package of clips from HBO, CNN, ESPN, NBC, and others. The selec-tion is better than Verizon’s, but Sprint leads the pack with live TV channels. Videos look sharper than on Sprint or Verizon, and they even look good in EDGE cities without Cingular’s 3G network. Photos taken with the CU320’s 1.3-megapixel camera were bright but blurrier than I would have liked. There’s also a POP3/IMAP e-mail program and AIM, ICQ, and Yahoo! instant messaging.

Unfortunately, the CU320 doesn’t use Cingular’s 16-city UMTS/HSDPA network to its fullest. There’s no video calling or full HSDPA speed, though the phone works as a PC modem on the 200-to-300-Kbps UMTS system. For a high-speed modem on Cingular, get a PC Card or wait for HSDPA phones this fall.—Sascha Segan

LG CU320Although it doesn’t take full advantage of Cingu-lar’s new 3G data network, this is a solid midrange phone with some nice entertainment features.$299.99; from $149.99 with contractgo.pcmag.com/cu320 l l l h m

1.3-megapixel camera

Keypad slides shut

CINGULAR’S MODEST 3G HANDSET

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CONSUMER ELECTRONICSF I R S T LO O K S

Sennheiser CX-300If you want thumping bass with minimal mud, you’ll love these compact in-ear headphones.$69.99 listgo.pcmag.com/cx300 l l l l m

T HE SAMSUNG YEPP YP-Z5 IS PART OF THE OPENING

salvo in what will soon be a slew of non-Apple high-capacity fl ash MP3 players hitting the shelves. Although not quite an iPod nano–killer, it does have

some advantages, including an impressive 30-hour battery life, a bright 1.8-inch LCD screen, and photo panning/zooming. It is also the fi rst PlaysForSure-compatible 4GB fl ash player on the market, though it will soon be followed by many similar devices. The Z5’s screen seems fairly rugged, though I did fi nd a few scuffs on the silver plastic casing. Nearly twice as thick as the nano, the Z5 still qualifi es as “thin.” The somewhat fi nicky controls are probably what will keep this otherwise satisfying player out of the limelight, but techies will love nice touches like Ogg Vorbis support. Overall sound quality is good, but not the best I’ve heard; at least the included earbuds aren’t bad. The Z5 is available in black or silver, and pricing is comparable with that of the iPod nano.—Mike Kobrin

Samsung Yepp YP-Z5It’s the fi rst 4GB fl ash player to be compatible with PlaysForSure, but it’s still no iPod nano–killer. 4GB: $249.99 list; 2GB: $199.99go.pcmag.com/ypz5 l l l l m

THE STARTECH MP3 AIRLINK LETS YOU SEND MUSIC

across your home without making your fl oor look like a snake pit. The 2.4-GHz transmitter and re-ceiver are two nearly identical 1- by 3.1- by 3.1-

inch (HWD) plastic boxes. Each box has its own wall-wart AC power adapter, and the system comes with two sets of RCA-to-3.5mm cables and one 3.5mm-to-3.5mm cable.

Overall, I’m impressed with the AirLink’s sound quality and ease of use. It has a signifi cantly clearer sig-nal than Bluetooth-based products. But if you have a lot of interference in your space from other devices that use the 2.4-GHz frequency band (Bluetooth headsets, microwaves, some RF remotes), the AirLink may disap-point. If you don’t, you’ll fi nd this is a very useful, and affordable, product.—MK

FOR BASS LOVERS AND SUBWAY COM-

muters, the Sennheiser CX-300 in-ear headphones are a very good step up from stock earbuds. They’re

small, fairly nonintrusive, and the sound quality is noticeably better than that of the slightly cheaper Sony MDR-EX series, with more clarity and crisper highs.

The bass is very powerful, but it doesn’t overwhelm the rest of the sound. Also, the 16-ohm CX-300 headphones are more effi cient than Sony’s, which means you don’t have to turn your player up as loud to get a comfortable listening volume. In addition, the CX-300’s noise isolation is reasonably effective. These are a good al-ternative to your player’s included earbuds, especially if you dig a beefy low end.—MK

StarTech MP3 AirLinkWith a dead-simple setup and a price that won’t hurt your wallet, this is an excellent wireless music system.$92.99 directgo.pcmag.com/airlink l l l l m

THANKS FOR THE MEMORY

TINY BASS THUMPERS

WIRELESS MUSIC MADE SIMPLE


Drivers are covered with a screen

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WITH A NATIVE RESOLUTION OF

1,024 by 768 pixels, the NEC 42XR4 is, to date, the most impressive 42-inch plasma display panel I’ve ever seen. It doesn’t include many extras,

and its advanced picture controls demand professional setup, but with some tweaking, this TV’s accurate and faithful video reproduction is a pleasure for the eyes. The 42XR4 is offi cially labeled a monitor, since

NEC 42XR4The 42XR4 is a superb plasma display. It needs professional installation to

set the advanced picture controls, however. $3,995 list go.pcmag.com/nec42xr4l l l l m

it lacks a television tuner (DTV or otherwise), but for cable and satellite set-top box users, this is mostly irrel-evant. After calibration, the 42XR4 produces an ANSI contrast ratio of 1,001:1, the best among all displays (plasma or otherwise) that I’ve tested to date. Subject-ively, both DVD movies and HDTV appear pleasingly correct, with accurate colors and detailed imagery. Yes, the near $4,000 42XR4 costs more than most other 42-inch plasma displays, but I have yet to see a 42-inch TV come this close to image perfection.—Robert Heron

THE BEST 42-INCH PLASMA—FOR NOW



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1. Toshiba EasyGuard technology comprises a number of features some of which may or may not be available on a particular Toshiba notebook depending on the model selected. See www.easyguard.toshiba.com fordetailed information. 2. Toshiba’s shock absorption technology provides higher impact protection for your system as compared to Toshiba systems without similar shock protection features based on Toshiba’s drop tests.Toshiba’s standard limited warranty terms and limitations apply. Visit www.warranty.toshiba.com for details. ConfigFree, Portégé, Satellite and Tecra are registered trademarks and EasyGuard and Qosmio are trademarksof Toshiba America Information Systems, Inc. and/or Toshiba Corporation. Intel, the Intel logo, Intel Inside, the Intel Inside logo, Celeron, Intel Centrino, the Intel Centrino logo and Pentium are trademarks or registered

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Tecra� M4 Tablet PC Combines high-performance notebook technology with tablet functionality.

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Innovation by design.

trademarks of Intel Corporation or its subsidiaries in the United States and other countries. Microsoft and Windows are registered trademarks of Microsoft Corporation in the United States and/or other countries. Wi-Fi isa registered certification mark of the Wi-Fi Alliance. All other trademarks are the property of their respective owners. While Toshiba has made every effort at the time of publication to ensure the accuracy of the informationprovided herein, product specifications, configurations, prices, system/component/options availability are all subject to change without notice. Toshiba is not liable for pricing, typographical or photography errors.Prices listed are based on products listed at ToshibaDirect.com at time of publication printing. Reseller/Retailer pricing/products may vary. © 2006 Toshiba America Information Systems, Inc. All rights reserved.

Where can innovation take you?ToshibaByDesign.com/M4

The ability to adapt to your surroundings is a key component of success. The Tecra� M4 Tablet PC brings together state-of-the-artnotebook technology with innovative tablet functionality to becomeToshiba’s most advanced notebook yet. It works around you, instead of the other way around. That’s innovation 360˚.

The power of versatility.

Patented Diversity AntennaImproves wireless signal reception by strategically placing a dual-band Wi-Fi�antenna in the notebook display.

Toshiba Trusted Platform Module (TPM)Chip embedded on motherboard helps protect your data with NSA-level encryption.

ConfigFree� SoftwareSimplifies finding and connecting to networks and allows collaboration between connectedusers and workgroups.

High-Resolution Video Display14" diagonal SXGA+ display offers an extended viewable range and more vivid visuals — plus, the polycarbonate protective surface offers an authentic pen and paper experience.

HDD Protection Design1

Shock-absorbing materials and integrated 3D accelerometer helps safeguard yourhard drive from falls, impacts or vibrations.






Shock-absorbing materials and integrated 3D accelerometer help safeguard yourhard drive from falls, impacts or vibrations.


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BUYING GUIDE


Windows Mobile Devices

Pick Your Favorite FlavorWindows Mobile comes in three fl avors—and two ver-sions. Traditional PDAs like the Dell Axim X51v are the most powerful of the bunch, but obviously, they don’t make phone calls. Right now, only traditional PDAs offer features like 640-by-480 VGA screens, graphics acceleration, 624-MHz processors, and fi n-gerprint scanners. That makes them ideal for gaming, multimedia, remote-desktop access, or other demand-ing business applications.

Smartphones such as the T-Mobile SDA look like regular phones, and they don’t have touch screens. They’re best for people who will be receiving informa-tion on the go. You can surf the Web, read e-mail, or

WINDOWS MOBILE IS WINNING

the mobile OS wars. Once a clunky also-ran, Microsoft’s operating system now appears on devices for every major wireless carrier.

Flexibility and power put Windows Mobile in the lead. The OS comes on a wide range of devices, from candy-bar phones to laptop-style mini-PCs. It sup-ports the fastest mobile processors and wireless con-nections. You’ll also fi nd that Windows Mobile devices are on the cutting edge of mobile video and gaming.

Windows Mobile devices sync with Windows XP PCs, letting you carry your Outlook contacts, calendars, e-mail, and Windows Media Player music and video wherever you go. They also surf the Web with Pocket Internet Explorer, play games, read Microsoft Offi ce documents, and run hundreds of other applications.

MORE ON THE WEBCheck out all our Windows Mobile Device reviews at go.pcmag.com/wmd

T-MOBILE SDAA total fi reball of a smartphone, the T-Mobile SDA syncs with Outlook, plays music, and surfs the Web over Wi-Fi. The chubby can-dy-bar phone has plenty of buttons, giving you great power once you get the hang of it. Though the phone isn’t very loud, it gets

excellent reception, and the talk time is outstanding. Microsoft’s Windows Mobile 5.0 plus T-Mobile’s all-you-can-eat Wi-Fi/EDGE data plan make the SDA a great way to carry around your calendar, play music synced from Windows Media Player, and fi nd that Mexican restaurant using the built-in Web browser. I wish it had more memory for add-in programs, but no phone is perfect. $299.99 listgo.pcmag.com/sda l l l l m

320-by-240

VGA screen

Dedicated music buttons


http://go.pcmag.com/wmd

http://go.pcmag.com/sda

A N A LYS T ’ S V I E WBY SASCHA SEGAN


listen to MP3s on your smartphone, but editing docu-ments or writing e-mail is only for the very patient.

Pocket PC phones such as the Sprint PPC-6700 balance power and phone capabilities. All have touch screens, and many have full keyboards. But they’re a bit clunkier than smartphones.

You’ll also have to choose between the newer Win-dows Mobile 5.0 and the older 2003 OS. Windows Mobile 5.0 devices use persistent memory, so your data doesn’t disappear if the battery dies, and they’re better at reading Microsoft Offi ce documents and Web brows-ing. Also, they hold out the promise of true push e-mail from corporate Outlook 2003 SP2 servers with a future upgrade. But Mobile 5.0 devices feel a little slower than devices running the older OS. Still, we think you should buy Mobile 5.0 devices whenever possible.

Once you’ve picked your fl avor and version, scope out the features you need. If you plan to talk a lot on a Pocket PC phone, you’ll probably want Bluetooth. If you’re into e-mail, try out your device’s keyboard fi rst. A few Pocket PCs, such as the HP iPAQ hw6515, even come with built-in GPS, useful for road warriors.

High-speed cellular networking, such as EV-DO, will cost a lot monthly but will give you the best brows-ing experience. To save on monthly fees, you can fi nd a Wi-Fi device and restrict yourself to hot spots.

Processor speed matters only if you’re going to try to watch full-screen video or run voice-over-Internet applications like Skype. In such cases, look for a device with a 416-MHz or faster processor.

Once you’ve settled on a Windows Mobile device, stop by an online store such as Handango or Pocket-Gear to see the wide range of software available. Whether you’re an offi ce drone, a gamer, or a multi-media maven, you’ll be amazed at what you can hold in your hand.—SS

JUST A FEW YEARS AGO, PALM OS

ruled the mobile landscape. Hand-spring, Qualcomm, and Samsung all brought out compelling smart-phones with the easy-to-use Palm-Source software.

But in 2006, it’s increasingly becoming a Windows Mobile world.

Windows gadgets from Dell, HP, HTC, and even Palm fl ood wireless carriers’ stores. The formidable Palm-Source has been reduced to one smartphone, the Treo 650, and a handful of PDAs.

In the fourth quarter of 2005, Microsoft licensees shipped 2.1 million Windows Mobile PDAs, almost double the number of Palm OS PDAs shipped that quarter, according to Gartner Dataquest. In-Stat prin-cipal analyst Bill Hughes sees Windows smartphone sales jumping to 6.7 million in 2006, with RIM and Palm at about 3.7 million each.

How did Microsoft jump from worst to fi rst? The company embraced the latest technologies faster than anyone else. Looking for a handheld with hardware graphics acceleration? Check out Windows Mobile. How about EV-DO high-speed networking? Windows Mobile again. How about EV-DO and Wi-Fi? Yup, Windows Mobile.

Microsoft also listened to its licensees, and signed up new partners. PalmSource’s Cobalt OS was sup-posed to be the next generation of the Palm OS. But it wasn’t designed to accord with the needs of licensees, and nobody picked it up.

Microsoft played up its strengths. Exchange Active-Sync leverages corporate IT departments’ existing in-vestments, and Microsoft has provided a clear road map toward Microsoft-based push e-mail. That takes some of the wind out of RIM’s sales.

The company also waited for technology to be on its side. Microsoft’s OSs are not terribly effi cient. That was a drawback when PDAs ran on slow processors with little memory. Now that handhelds can pack 624-MHz processors and 128MB of RAM, the effi ciency advantages held by Linux, Symbian, and PalmSource have begun to evaporate.

And finally, Microsoft delivered. PalmSource might be more of a contender if it actually had a new product. Instead, after the Cobalt debacle of 2004, the company practically went into hiding, coming out only to announce that its new ALP platform might appear on devices sometime in 2007. That will leave Micro-soft crossing the fi nish line while PalmSource is still tying its running shoes. For 2006, at least, Windows Mobile is the OS to watch. Sascha Segan is PC Magazine’s Lead Analyst for cell phones and handheld devices.

OTHER OPTIONSBEST FOR SPRINTSprint PPC-6700This is the best Windows Mobile PDA/phone we’ve seen for Sprint, with a nearly ideal balance of size and power, and good EV-DO/Wi-Fi integration. $479 list go.pcmag.com/ppc6700l l l l m

BEST FOR VERIZONPalm Treo 700wThe fi rst Windows Treo isn’t a huge step forward, but it offers zippy EV-DO speeds and good reception.$619.99 direct go.pcmag.com/700wl l l m m

BEST FOR CINGULARCingular 2125A truly pocket-sized phone for syncing with Microsoft Outlook or Ex-change servers, it also has a terrifi c battery life. $299.99 list go.pcmag.com/2125l l l l m

RECENTLY REVIEWEDHP iPAQ rx1950

$299.00 list

l l l h m A good business PDA for PIM and integrating into corporate networks.

Samsung i730 $599.99 list

l l l l m The most powerful cellular device available; just recharge it daily.

i-mate JAM $639.00 direct

l l l l m This little Pocket PC phone offers a lot of performance for its size.

Sprint PPC-6600

$629.99 list

l l l h m The most powerful Sprint handheld doesn’t offer a high-speed network.

Siemens SX66 $549.99 list

l l l l m This powerful PDA/phone has a wide range of networking options.

Audiovox XV-6600

$549.99 list

l l l l m Surf at near-broadband speeds in 16 cities with this PDA/phone.

Sprint PCS PPC-6601

$629.99 list

l l l l m This smartphone works very well for what it's meant to do, but at a price.

HP iPAQ hx2750

$549.00 list

l l l l m A fast, handsome business PDA with top-of-the-line performance.


http://go.pcmag.com/ppc6700

http://go.pcmag.com/700w

http://go.pcmag.com/2125

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F I R S T LO O K SSOFTWARE


THE CLIPMARKS APP/WEB-SITE COMBI-

nation defi es easy classifi cation. When you browse, it lets you clip (select and save) and tag content, as you might guess from the name, but the sharing and social components at its heart are

its most compelling and entertaining attributes. Al-though you can, of course, keep your content private, the site’s very nature invites you to share it, as well as pe-ruse and comment on what your fellow clippers post.

Using tools that the plug-in app puts on the menu bar of your browser (Firefox, Internet Explor-er, or the little-known Flock), you snag Web con-tent and store it on Clipmarks.com, a thoroughly intriguing interactive site that has a very intuitive and responsive interface. Because you can easily

tag items with common-sense categories and create tags that others can search on or use themselves, members can easily fi nd clips, subscribe to RSS feeds based on tags, and even stitch clips together into personalized cliprolls.

Although there are just 10,000 registered users and 2,500 active clippers currently, someone will nearly always be interested in what you post, and you’ll come across a lot of fascinating content posted by others. Despite the relatively small community, there are a wide variety of clips with topics from news and celebrity gossip to shopping. I fi nd it—for now at least—a far more intimate and inviting place to spend time than del.icio.us, digg, or Yahoo! My Web—and that makes part of me sad to recommend this free tool so highly.—Davis D. Janowski

ClipmarksThis addictive app/Web-site combo is an effective way to store pieces of Web pages for future ref-erence, sharing, and gath-ering commentary.Freego.pcmag.com/clipmarks l l l l m

A TRULY SOCIAL BOOKMARKING SITE

Current hippest clips

Public comments area

Typical clip, political satire

Search by tag


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http://go.pcmag.com/clipmarks

THERE’S HAVING A PLAN.

AND THEN THERE’S FOUR GUYS,NO MAP AND AFULL TANK OF GAS.

THERE’S HAVING A PLAN.

AND THEN THERE’S FOUR GUYS,NO MAP AND AFULL TANK OF GAS.

ALSO AVAILABLE IN POUCHES

Always moist.Always premium.

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F I R S T LO O K SSOFTWARE

BUYING GUIDE


MORE ON THE WEBFor in-depth reviews of parental-control software and hardware, visit us online atgo.pcmag.com/parentalcontrols

HOW THEY RATESite blocking

Image blocking Time control

Alerts & remote access Robustness Overall

ContentProtect l l l l m N/A l l l l m l l l m m l l l h m l l l h m

iShield N/A l l l h m N/A N/A l l l m m l l l h m

PC Moderator N/A N/A l l l l m N/A l l l l l l l l l h

Safe Eyes 2006 l l l l m N/A l l l l m l l l l h l l l l m l l l l m

RED denotes Editors' Choice. N/A—Not applicable: The product does not perform this function.

Parental Controls

SAFE EYES 2006Keep your kids away from bad sites and control how much time they spend online. If they go wild on the Web, Safe Eyes rats them out so you can take control from wherever you are. The product is

tough—I tried but failed to get around its site blocking and could not gain access out-side scheduled hours. One license allows in-stallation on three PCs or Macs, which can conveniently share the same online user profi les—that’s great for the multicomputer family. And fi ltering happens at the server level, so it works with any browser. Add log-ging of Web and IM activity, and you’ve got near-complete parental control.$49.95 per year for up to three computersgo.pcmag.com/safeeyes2006l l l l m

IN A PERFECT WORLD, YOU’D GUIDE YOUR

children through the vast resources of the Internet, and they’d follow your guidance. They’d use the computer only when permit-ted, eschew violent games, and avoid inap-propriate sites. But this isn’t a perfect world.

You may not be able to supervise your kids all the time: Maybe they get home before you do, maybe they have computers in their rooms—and maybe they don’t do what they’re told. Parental-control software can help.

Most of these programs filter HTML traffic and block access to Web sites that match from a dozen-odd to 40 or more specifi c categories. The products use a

local or online database to categorize Web sites; a few actually analyze each page. You may have the option of logging violations without blocking them or just dis-playing a warning. Naturally, you should have the op-tion of overriding the category fi ltering to allow access to specific sites; the database won’t always be right. But don’t even look at a product that relies solely on lists of good and bad sites. And be sure the fi lter blocks inappropriate sites regardless of the browser used.

Time ManagementIn most cases, these products let you limit time children spend on the computer to a daily or weekly

Vary settings

by user account

Control settings, alerts, and logs with the menu bar


http://go.pcmag.com/parentalcontrols

http://go.pcmag.com/parentalcontrols

http://go.pcmag.com/safeeyes2006

http://www.safebrowse.com

A N A LYS T ’ S V I E WBY NEIL J. RUBENKING


STAY AWAY!

allowance, a weekly matrix of permissible times, or a combination of the two. Some let you set an allowance in minutes, and others use half-hour or hour blocks. And some let you separately schedule overall comput-er usage, Internet usage, and individual programs. Of course, if a program lets the kids change the system clock, all bets are off; the best products defend against such chicanery.

Look for a solution that supports multiple users so you don’t have to put the same restrictions on a teen-ager that you do on a preschooler. User accounts may be tied to Windows accounts, or they may require a separate log-on; the best products give you both op-tions. And of course, anything designed for parental control should log users off automatically when there’s no activity.

Invade Their PrivacyActivity logging may feel a bit like reading your child’s diary, but virtually all parental-control programs do it to some degree. They’ll at least log Web sites visited and any attempts to reach blocked Web sites. They may also log the time spent using specifi c programs, record both sides of IM or e-mail conversations, or even record every keystroke typed, along with which program it was typed in. If you opt for activity logging, make sure the logs are stored where kids can’t modify or delete them.

If the content fi lter mistakenly blocks a site needed for research, or if your child runs out of computer time before running out of homework, remote management can be a lifesaver. Many modern parental-control sys-tems let you view reports and change settings from any browser. They may even notify you by e-mail, phone, or text message when specific events occur, such as multiple attempts to reach blocked sites.

Of course, none of the restrictions mean squat if the kids can break the parental-control system. Fire-walls and antimalware programs have to resist attack by hackers and viruses—parental controls need to be just as tough. Your kids may know more about comput-ers than you do, so you’ll want a product that’s hard-ened against meddling.—NJR

ID O N ’ T K N O W H O W L O N G M Y K I D S

would stay on the computer if I let them—I’ve never waited long enough to fi nd out! I’ve tried all sorts of techniques for anchor-ing them in the real world: changing their passwords, rewarding good behavior with “computer time tokens,” and limiting non-homework computer use to weekends.

One thing I haven’t done is automate the limits, be-cause I can see their computer from my home-offi ce desk. If I didn’t have the luxury of direct supervision, however, I’d consider a time-limiting utility.

As for where they go on the Internet, I’m reluctant to apply filtering software. Site-category databases can lag behind reality, so a new site or one that has changed from kiddie games to kiddie porn might not be blocked.

And these utilities can err the other way, too, pre-venting acces to perfectly innocent sites. Some have even been accused of promoting their own agendas, inappropriately blocking topics such as feminism, gay rights, or progressive politics.

The real-time approach, categorizing pages by analyzing text, may be more timely, though sites with text in images can fool it. And it’s only useful when the software analyzes entire pages to derive meaning from words in context.

I have no patience for applications that block pages because they contain keywords—and those that fi nd keywords within other words are even worse. To illustrate, here’s an example using a nonoffensive word: Put the term “reside” on the keyword list, and the software might block sites containing “president.” Pointless!

I’m on the fence about activity logging. If I were an employer, I’d have to notify employees they were being logged, and there still could be ethical issues if I recorded private e-mail and IM conversations. Perhaps the situation’s different for my preteen kids, but what about when they get older?

There’s no substitute for actually paying attention to what your children are doing. But when you can’t be there to cast a watchful eye, software can control how and when they use their computers and can track what they do.

Still, don’t forget this one important fact: Your kids are smart. You need to talk with them about their favorite Web sites, and you should ask what they’ve discovered each day. Explain why you’re imposing restrictions. Let them know if their IM conversations aren’t private. And hope they’re not so smart that they can hack whatever pa-rental-control software you do decide to use. Neil J. Rubenking is a lead analyst at PC Magazine.

OTHER OPTIONSCONTENT FILTERINGContentProtectThis full-featured paren-tal-control app analyzes Web-page text in real time and applies catego-ries on a per-page basis.$39.99 per yeargo.pcmag.com/contentprotectl l l h m

GRAPHICS BLOCKERiShieldBlocks pornographic images rather than pornographic text. Use it with a text-based or URL-based Web fi lter.$24.95go.pcmag.com/ishieldl l l h m

ACCESS CONTROLPC ModeratorThis gadget is the best way we’ve found to con-trol time spent on the PC, but that’s all it does. Still, it accom plishes its mission well, and that earns it an Editors’ Choice.$79.95 analog, $89.95 digitalgo.pcmag.com/pcmoderatorl l l l h

CyberSitter 9.0 Un changed for years, this former Editors’ Choice no longer measures up. $39.95 direct. go.pcmag.com/cybersitter90 l l l m m

NetNanny 5 No Web fi ltering by category, no improvements in years—no thanks.$39.95 direct. go.pcmag.com/netnanny5 l l h m m

Chaperone Pro 5 What’s worse—that it lacks many common features, or that it’s easy to hack? $59.95 direct. go.pcmag.com/chaperonepro5 l h m m m


http://go.pcmag.com/contentprotect

http://go.pcmag.com/contentprotect

http://go.pcmag.com/ishield

http://go.pcmag.com/pcmoderator

http://go.pcmag.com/pcmoderator

http://go.pcmag.com/cybersitter90

http://go.pcmag.com/netnanny5

http://go.pcmag.com/chaperonepro5

F I R S T LO O K SSMALL BUSINESS


WANT TO MAKE STORAGE EXCIT-

ing? Run out of it or lose some data. If your small business doesn’t need that sort of thrill, though, the ReadyNAS NV will keep you happily bored.

This Network Attached Storage (NAS) appliance can hold four SATA drives running in a RAID (Redundant Array of Inexpensive Drives) 0, 1, or 5 confi guration. My test unit came with four 250MB drives.

Few NAS boxes at this price let you hot-swap, but I yanked a bad drive while the NV ran and popped in a new one with no problem. Another plus: OS and con-fi guration info—which are held in integrated memory, not on the drives—stay put when drives crash.

The fi rmware and software are stellar. The installer lets devices auto-detect the NAS, and the impressively thorough setup wizard (a bit daunting for networking newbies) walks you through confi guration. The NV’s smart DHCP server bows out if your network already assigns IP addresses. The NV’s X-RAID technology adjusts the RAID confi guration (a tough task if you’re new to RAID) when, say, you expand storage.

Small businesses, departments in large companies, and tech-savvy people with home multimedia net-works—here’s your shopping list for a compact NAS: the ReadyNAS NV.—Oliver Kaven

WHY BUY AND SUPPORT A NAS

device, router, f i rewal l , switch, and Web server when your small business can get the same features in one toaster-size package? Not only

does the Yellow Machine P400T combine all that, but it also supports RAID 0, 0+1, and 5 (the default); contains eight built-in Ethernet ports; and comes preloaded with excellent backup software—Retro-spect Professional—licensed for fi ve clients. I tested a P400T that had four 250MB drives.

To confi gure the applicance, you simply plug a PC into one of the eight Ethernet switch ports, point to the IP address of the administration interface, and follow a wizard. Setup is relatively easy if you have a

Anthology Solutions’ Yellow Machine P400TThis RAID system packs capabilities far beyond storage.1TB confi guration, $999 direct go.pcmag.com/yellowmachinep400t l l l l m

Infrant Technologies’ ReadyNAS NVYou can replace a

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marginal understanding of networking. The manage-ment interface is very rough, though—one reason the P400T loses the Editors’ Choice to the ReadyNAS NV. Still, this appliance gives serious bang for the buck to those needing more than a NAS device. If you’re one of them, put it high on your list.—OK

KICKIN’ NAS

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Lenovo recommends Windows® XP Professional

It looks like a revolutionary. But don’t letthe titanium cover fool you. Underneath,it’s all ThinkPad. The Lenovo ThinkPadZ60 titanium with Intel® Centrino®

Mobile Technology (select models).New Thinking. New Thinkpad.TM


Lenovo recommends Windows® XP Professional

Availability: All offers subject to availability. Lenovo reserves the right to alter product offerings and specifi cations at any time, without notice. Lenovo is not responsible for photographic or typographic errors. *Pricing: Prices do not include tax or shipping and handling or recycling fees and are subject to change without notice. Reseller prices may vary. Warranty: For a copy of applicable product warranties, write to: Warranty Information, P.O. Box 12195, RTP, NC 27709, Attn: Dept ZPYA/B676. Lenovo makes no representation or warranty regarding third-party products or services. Footnotes: (1) Mobile Processors: Power management reduces processor speed when in battery mode. (2) Included software: may differ from its retail version (if available), and may not include user manuals or all program functionality. License agreements may apply. (3) Memory: For PCs without a separate video card, memory supports both system and video. Accessible system memory is up to 64MB less than the amount stated, depending on video mode. (4) Hard drive: GB = billion bytes. Accessible capacity is less; up to 4GB is service partition. (5) Certain IBM and ThinkPad logo products: are not manufactured, warranted or supported by IBM or Lenovo. IBM and Lenovo logos and trademarks used under license. ContactLenovo for details. (6) Client Security Solution: preloaded on select models; requires software download. (7) Wireless: based on IEEE 802.11a, 802.11b and 802.11g respectively. An adapter with 11a/b, 11b/g or 11a/b/g can communicate on either/any of these listed formats respectively; the actual connection will be based on the access point to which it connects. (8) Activating Verizon Wireless Service: Lenovo customers will be contacted after purchase to activate service; requires separate agreement with Verizon Wireless and is subject to the Customer Agreement, Calling Plan and credit approval. Service and airtime charges will apply; $175 early termination fee. Verizon Wireless, not Lenovo, is solely responsible for service. Service not available in all areas; purchaser is responsible for verifying that service is available for the intended location before purchasing a computer equipped with WAN card. Network details, coverage limitations and maps at: http://www.verizonwireless.com/b2c/mobileoptions/broadband/serviceavailability.jsp?opener=b2b. Trademarks: The following are trademarks of Lenovo: ThinkPad, ThinkCentre, UltraConnect, Access Connections, Rescue and Recovery, ThinkPad Part Replicator II, Active Protection System, ThinkPad dock, ThinkVantage and ThinkVision. IBM and the IBM logo are registered trademarks of IBM and are used under license. Microsoft and Windows are registered trademarks of Microsoft Corporation. Celeron, Celeron Inside, Centrino, Core Inside, Intel, Intel Core, Intel Inside, Intel SpeedStep, Intel Viiv, Intel Xeon, Itanium, Itanium Inside, Pentium, Pentium Inside, the Centrino logo, the Intel logo and the Intel Inside logo are trademarks or registered trademarks of Intel Corporation or its subsidiaries in the United States and other countries. Other company, product and service names may be trademarks or service marks of other companies. ©2006 Lenovo. All rights reserved.Visit www.lenovo.com/safecomputing periodically for the latest information on safe and effective computing.

To shop or locateyour local reseller

It takes all kinds to make up a family. Well, here are some members of ours. Serious machines for serious business. Lenovo ThinkPad®

notebooks and ThinkCentre® desktops for the creative, practical, ambitious, nomadic, thrifty and even clumsy members of your family. Each featuring the kind of world-class technology that continues to make ThinkPad and ThinkCentre the envy of the industry. Just part of a whole line of Lenovo PCs.

ThinkPad Z60 notebook available with Intel® Centrino® Mobile Technology

ThinkPad R51edistinctive innovationsThinkPad Productivity Center – ThinkPadhelp at your fi ngertips

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F I R S T LO O K S


IN BACKUP EXEC 10D, SYMANTEC BLENDS

the continuous file protection and self-service restore capabilities of Continuous Protection Server (CPS) with the functional-ity of the mature, full-featured backup solu-tion, Backup Exec. (Symantec acquired both

in its 2005 merger with Veritas.) The combination best suits companies with multiple servers, perhaps in separate locations.

Backup Exec kicks in nightly, which protects against major failures but not daytime user mishaps. CPS, though, works throughout the day. By default, it immediately saves any fi le changes made on the servers it protects. A Web interface called Backup Retrieve lets users see their own file copies—but no others—and

TH E W E L L - M A D E A N D D U R A B L E

ClearOne Chat 50 is a cut above the chintzy toy-like gadgets typical of USB speakerphones. More important, though, is its excellent, full- bodied sound. I found the audio comparable

to that of high-end Polycom conference-room mod-els—which cost far more.

Simply plug the Chat 50’s USB cable into your PC, and you’re ready to use your VoIP phone service. A mini DIN headphone jack lets you connect your cell phone, PDA, or even your MP3 player (in a pinch, the Chat 50 isn’t half bad for playing music).

While you’ll enjoy the sound quality, you’ll really love the full-duplex operation (which is excellent), because it lets you simultaneously speak to and hear the person on the other end.

If you hate the speakerphone quality on your laptop or you’re sick of constantly wearing a head-set, consider the Chat 50. It’s well worth the invest-ment.—Oliver Kaven

ClearOne Chat 50This USB speaker-phone provides business-quality full-duplex sound for PCs using

Skype or similar software or cell phones.$149 directgo.pcmag.com/chat50l l l l h

Symantec Backup Exec 10d for Windows Serv-ers with Continuous Protection Server 10.1This backstop lets admins recover from disasters, but also lets users retrieve fi les that have been deleted by mistake recently.With three CPS agents, $795 go.pcmag.com/backupexec10d l l l h m

SYMANTEC ENTERS THE BACKUP GAME

restore those made very recently or further back. This capability is valuable for administrators who spend a lot of time helping users restore fi les selectively.

Continuous protection works only for standard fi les right now, though, not for the more complex fi les found on database or Exchange servers. For these (and other data types), Backup Exec has a full set of agents and options that allow backups of Oracle and Microsoft databases, e-mail systems such as Lotus Domino and Microsoft Exchange, Linux and Unix servers, and a number of other enterprise software packages. And naturally, the product provides the features you’d expect in a traditional enterprise backup solution: full, incremental, and differential backups, scheduled jobs, tape-drive support, and more.—Robert P. Lipschutz

YOU’RE ON, SPEAKERPHONE

SMALL BUSINESS

Wizards simplify

admin tasks

Smart LED is blue when powered, red when muted


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W H A T T O B U Y


MEDIA CENTER LAPTOP Dell Inspiron 6000 (Media Center)Dell Inc.; $968.80 direct (E-Value Code 1111-i6004pc)

Media Center OS. 15.4-inch widescreen display. Very good performance. go.pcmag.com/inspiron6000mce

42-INCH HDTV (PLASMA)NEC 42XR4NEC Display Solutions of America; $3,995.99 list

Exceptional picture quality. Comprehensive display options. Good video processor. go.pcmag.com/nec42xr4

DEDICATED ULTRA-PORTABLE LAPTOP Lenovo ThinkPad X60sLenovo; $2,299 direct

Just 3.5 lbs. Over 7 hours of battery life. Integrated EV-DO. Excellent management utilities. Very good screen and keyboard. go.pcmag.com/lenovox60s

IPOD SPEAKERS/DOCK Apple iPod Hi-Fi Apple Computer Inc.; $349.99 list

Excellent sound quality. Big-room sound. Can run on alkaline batteries or AC power. Optical and analog audio inputs.go.pcmag.com/ipodhifi

DESKTOP (APPLE OS)Apple iMac (Intel Core Duo)Apple Computer Inc.; $1,699 direct, $1,799 as tested

Dual-core processor. Front Row. Mini-DVI port for true dual-monitor use. Excellent all-in-one design.go.pcmag.com/appleimacintel

OPTICAL DEVICESony DVDirect VRD-MC1Sony Corp.; $299.99 direct

Easily transfers video directly to DVD from camcorder or VCR. Easy to use. 2" preview LCD.go.pcmag.com/sonydvdirect

MORE ON THE WEBWe’ve got 87 Product Guides and thousands of up-to-date reviews on the Web. See them all at:go.pcmag.com/guides

DEDICATED PHOTO PRINTER Canon Selphy CP510 Compact Photo PrinterCanon U.S.A. Inc.; $99.99 direct

Fast performance and low running cost. Very good photo quality for the price. Battery option.go.pcmag.com/canoncp510

ALL-PURPOSE PRINTERHP Offi ceJet Pro K550 Color Printer Hewlett-Packard Develop-ment Co.; $200 street

Super-fast performance. Suited to a small offi ce or home offi ce. go.pcmag.com/hpK550

MOBILE PHONEMotorola RAZR V3cMotorola Inc.; $349.99 direct

Gorgeous. Excellent voice quality. Good reception. Supports EV-DO. go.pcmag.com/razrv3c

BUDGET PDAPalm Z22Palm Inc.; $99.99 list

Small, light, easy to use. Excellent battery life.go.pcmag.com/palmz22

SMALL-BUSINESS BACKUPNTI ShadowNewTech Infosystems Inc.; $29.99 direct

Fast, simple, continuous backup. go.pcmag.com/ntishadow

MEDIA CENTER DESKTOPHP Pavilion Media Center TV m7360n PC Hewlett-Packard Develop-ment Co.; $1,610 direct; $1,200 without monitor.

Dual-core processor. TV tuner. Media Center. Massive amounts of storage.go.pcmag.com/hpM7360n

HOME NETWORKING Netgear RangeMax 240 WPNT834 wireless router and WPNT511 CardBus adapterNetgear; router, $135 street; CardBus adapter, $100 street

Our wireless router of choice, it has the highest throughput (more than 100 Mbps) we’ve ever seen at short distances. go.pcmag.com/rangemax240

UTILITYAltiris Software Virtual-ization Solution 2.0Altiris Inc.; free for personal use

Installs, uninstalls, or resets software; prevents confl icts between apps; leaves Windows base unaltered.go.pcmag.com/altirissvs

ANTISPYWARESpyware Doctor 3.5PC Tools; $29.95 direct

Best version yet. Re-moved more spyware than other tested pro-ducts did.go.pcmag.com/spydoc35

FLASH DRIVEMemorex U3 smart Mini TravelDriveMemorex Products Inc.; $35 list

256MB. Offers a great mix of storage capac-ity, U3 applications, and security features. go.pcmag.com/memorexdrive

DIGITAL CAMERA (COMPACT)Canon PowerShot S80Canon U.S.A. Inc.; $549.95 list

Outstanding picture quality. Good perfor-mance. Wide-angle lens.go.pcmag.com/S80


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There’s always something

better about buying local.

Now, when you buy a PC with genuine Windows® XP

software from your local PC builder, you get a free

BONUS PACK * worth up to $1,200**. BONUS PACKS

include valuable products and services like a D-Link†

DI-524 wireless router, T-Mobile® HotSpot wireless

broadband Internet service, and more. For details, visit

www.localPCbuilder.com/PCMag. But act now. These

offers expire June 30, 2006.

* For a limited time. Some restrictions apply. See www.localPCbuilder.com for offer details and conditions. Prices are in U.S. dollars. Offer available for computers purchased in the United States March 1, 2006, through June 30, 2006, from approved system builder channels with a genuine United States Windows XP Home Edition, Windows XP Professional, or Windows XP Media Center Edition operating system preinstalled and validated by the Windows Genuine Advantage program. Offer excludes systems purchased from retailers, major computer manufacturers (OEMs), those purchased as part of a volume license agreement, and those purchasers redeeming outside of the United States. Limit one BONUS PACK per system purchased. Redeem the Buy Local BONUS PACK by August 15, 2006, in the United States.** Value of BONUS PACK varies depending upon version of Windows XP operating system acquired.† While supplies last.

© 2006 Microsoft Corporation. All rights reserved. Microsoft and Windows are either registered trademarks or trademarks of Microsoft Corporation in the United States and/or other countries. The names of the actual companies and products mentioned herein may be trademarks of their respective owners.


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*Please note: Some of the listed capacity is used for formatting and other functions and thus is not available for data storage. For more information, please consult Kingston’s Digital Media Guide at kingston.com/Digital_Media_Guide. ©2006 Kingston Technology Company, Inc. 17600 Newhope Street, Fountain Valley, CA 92708 USA. All rights reserved. All trademarks and registered trademarks are the property of their respective owners.

C O M M I T T E D T O M E M O R Y

With a wide range of models, capacities and features, DataTraveler® is the most popular storage family in town. These practical USB Flash drives get the highest ratings for securely storing, carrying and transferring all kinds of data, from reports and presentations to photos of your entire bunch. Backed by a five-year warranty and legendary Kingston® reliability, DataTraveler is the choice of consumers and corporations alike.

To learn more from others who use the versatile DataTraveler, and to meet the whole groovy family, visit kingston.com/dt. We have much more than a hunch you’ll find the one for you.

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I N S I D E T R AC KBY JOHN C. DVORAK


thing expensive and bound to break—a classic un-necessary gizmo.

Another hot topic was RFID. It’s generating world-wide interest now that the devices have come down to the size of a grain of rice. Now they want to put these things everywhere, from trucks to pets to you and me. Everyone was talking about getting “chipped.” I think not.

Strange Bedfellows Dept.: I find it amusing that Dell just bought Alienware, a maker of high-end AMD-based computers for gamers. It’s odd, since Dell actually got rolling in the PC business by developing some of the fastest computers available. I rememberMichael Dell, at a PC Magazine Editors’ Day in Tex-as about 20 years ago, personally showing off a 286 machine that at the time was clocked faster than any competitive computer. Back then, the company

was designing its own motherboards and pushing the envelope. I wonder just what it is that Alienware does that Dell itself can’t do. My guess is that it’s just an excuse to get into bed with AMD after all the years Dell chose to be an Intel-only shop. An expensive divorce, if you ask me.

Booting Windows XP on a Mac Dept.: Someone fi nally came up with a quick-booting version of Micro-soft Windows XP that boots just fi ne on an x86 Mac.I had the opportunity to play with it; it looks just like any Windows XP until you go into the device manager and see more yellow question marks than you’ll ever see anywhere. It works, but it doesn’t really like being on a Mac—yet.

How Did They Do That? Dept.: I had no idea that you could manage to get a video feed out of a USB 2.0 port, but Tritton seems to have done it with the TRI-UV100 USB 2.0 Interface. As many of you know, you can run multiple monitors with Windows XP and cre-ate a large desktop. An nVidia SLI card can support two monitors from a single card. Most cards can drive only one monitor; to run another monitor you need to add a second card. Enter the Tritton. This small, widely available USB device gives you an addi tional 1024-by-768 output for a second monitor. I didn’t know that this was even possible. You could probably add another display card for less than the $80 that this thing costs, but with closed systems, or for its simplic-ity, it’s a very interesting idea.

THE CEBIT SHOW IN HANNOVER, Germany, wil l become the world’s dominant computer technology show unless a new U.S. show can fill the void left by the collapse of the Comdex event. Such a shift in dominance from the U.S. to Europe could

be a disaster for American companies, which have tended not to participate heavily in CeBit. If interest in CeBit were to grow in the U.S. market, then the show would be impossible to unseat as leader. That said, CeBit could veer off in the wrong direction and self-destruct or stall.

One of Comdex’s wrong turns was to downplay interesting gadgets and technologies. The show suddenly changed its focus, choosing to concentrate instead on enterprise computing and the needs of the Fortune 1000 companies. I hate to have to point out continually that although the Fortune 1000 companies can each purchase tens of thousands of computers and software systems, there are only 1,000 of these companies, hence the name. This makes for a show with low attendance, if you just do the math. Though 1,000 people might go to the show, each representing one of the 1,000 companies, nobody wants to exhibit in an empty hall that resembles a ghost town without the tumbleweeds.

This was the kind of target market CeBit chose for its CeBit America show in New York a few years ago, which proved short-lived. But at this year’s Han-nover show, the promoters were again talking about de-emphasizing devices and technologies and instead focusing on solutions. Solutions, by their nature, are boring. The booth that was packed to the gills with showgoers was Microsoft’s pavilion, loaded with giz-mos and technologies. This was followed by the mo-bile-phone makers’ booths, which displayed all sorts of jazzy phones. The “solutions” booths were empty, and the TV crews covered the jazzy new stuff. Can you imagine otherwise? “Yes, Brent, our back-offi ce database subsystems rely on an SQL database which our proprietary software accesses via VPN and our special nodal software. Let me give you an example of a complex query search here on the monitor.” Yawn.

If any one theme dominated the show, it was the copycat attempts to make the mobile phone into some sort of all-purpose device. This will never end and will never succeed. The spotlight this year was on games and fl ip-around screens. I think every phone maker had one of these screens. They slide up and then fl ip sideways to form kind of a “T.”

This is useful for watching TV and playing games with a controller below the screen. I see it as some-

Attempts to make the mobile phone into

some sort of all-purpose device will never

end and will never succeed.


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M I C H A E L J . M I L L E R


To: John Thompson, CEO, SymantecGeorge Samenuk, CEO, McAfeeEva Chen, CEO, Trend MicroLaura Yecies, General Manager, Zone Labs

ALL OF YOU HAVE REASON TO

worry about the prospect of Microsoft entering the security market this summer with a new service called OneCare. But you’re focused on the wrong problem. Instead of focusing on Microsoft, you need

to take a good hard look at the effectiveness of your own wares. I’ve talked with a lot of computer users lately, and the conclusion is inescapable: Your prod-ucts just aren’t good enough.

Some of your products don’t do a complete job; others are packaged in ways that customers don’t un-derstand; parts of some software don’t work properly, and other programs are so big that they cause the very problems customers want to avoid.

It starts with marketing. Many of you promote single-solution products—typically your antivirus software—as if they provided enough protection. So people install Norton Antivirus or McAfee VirusScan, or get computers with these products preinstalled, and they think they’re protected. Yet we all know that’s not true. Most of the threats these days are blended, so people need multiple defenses: antivirus, a fi rewall, spyware protection, and an antispam program.

True, each one of you now offers suites that cover all the bases. But you haven’t clearly told your customers that the standalone solutions aren’t enough protection. Even for the most technical of us, running separate pro-grams can lead to confl icts and confusion. And most users don’t want the hassle of multiple interfaces.

I’ve installed each of your products on at least one of my systems and have had problems with every one of them. Norton Internet Security is bloated and oc-casionally messes up my machine. When I upgraded it this year, my Web browsers stopped working, and I spent two hours on an Internet chat to get the Registry patch to fi x it. The software still sometimes interferes with my Internet access for no apparent reason.

McAfee Internet Security’s antivirus and fi rewall modules have worked well for me, but its antispam module is very slow and inadequate. In addition, the privacy control is very annoying, and it doesn’t offer parental fi ltering.

Trend Micro has all the right tools in the box, but its antispyware component is a major disappointment. One of my children downloaded a Tetris game that came with spyware, and I spent days removing it.

In my testing, ZoneAlarm Security Suite has been the most stable, with good antivirus and antispam modules in addition to its best-in-class firewall, but its antispyware is weak. And many of the people I talk

with who have tried ZoneAlarm are confused by its messages. The same goes for Computer Associates’ eTrust, which also includes the ZoneAlarm fi rewall.

Still, each of you continues to believe you’ll be able to compete against OneCare because you offer better software. So far we haven’t been completely thrilled with the beta versions of OneCare (particularly its anti-spyware), but Microsoft will continue to improve it. And though many people will avoid a Microsoft add-in because they want an outside vendor, I know others who just trust Microsoft because it makes Windows.

OneCare changes the model to a pure subscrip-tion service, something you all like. But you need to do more. All of you have been more active than Micro soft in getting fi xes out and alerting customers to security threats. This needs to continue. But you also have to build products that are easier to use, by making their messages and help systems clearer and by making your products work better with the software most people run. And you need to make them easier to keep up to date, perhaps requiring fewer reboots.

Between now and when Vista ships in early 2007, I hope and expect that you’ll focus on improving your products so they’re more stable, functional, easier to upgrade, and simpler to run. Not only is that the best way to fend off Microsoft, but it’s also the best way to make everyone a better computer user.

An Open Letter to Security Vendors

You haven’t clearly told your customers that

the standalone solutions aren’t enough.

MORE ON THE WEBRead Michael J.Miller’s insights daily on his blog, atblog.pcmag.com/miller.


http://blog.pcmag.com/miller.

B I L L M AC H R O N E


Dogg’s neckwear. Most other speakers equipped with docks nestle or partially envelop the iPod in a protec-tive nook. Not so the iPod Hi-Fi, which leaves it dan-gerously exposed.

Real Home StereoIf you really want to use your iPod with your home stereo, you should get a good dock such as the Xitel HiFi-Link iPod dock. We have one and will probably get a second one. The unit is sometimes hooked up to the stereo in the kitchen, the home theater in the family room, or the boom box in the basement shop. And when it’s not playing music, it’s charging my son’s iPod or mine.

The Xitel unit has its own remote control, which comes in handy for tasks such as adjusting the volume from across the room or skipping that song that you didn’t want to hear. Of course, you can always use a generic 1/8-inch stereo cable with suitable adapters to

hook the iPod up to anything that has an auxiliary port. But the charger, the remote control, and the stand-up dock all make the Xitel dock worthwhile. It also has video-out, but we haven’t taken the iPod video plunge yet. My son likes the Xitel dock’s SRS TruBass bass boost, but I don’t—I suspect that it’s one of those gen-erational things.

Real PortabilityIf you really want to share your tunes with a small crowd, we have an ideal do-it-yourself project for you, which we are featuring in the next issue. I converted an old stereo cassette player–radio (it’s not quite big enough to break into the boom box category) so that it stealthily conceals an iPod inside the cassette com-partment. You can control the iPod by using the cas-sette buttons. It won’t rattle the windows like the iPod Hi-Fi, but it’s loud enough to make itself heard. And it’s ratty enough that no one will think about stealing it, even if you leave it on your beach towel while you take a dip.

IF YOU HAVE EVEN A SHRED OF INTEREST IN

audio devices, you have probably checked out the iPod Hi-Fi, that shiny white boom box with the iPod dock on top. It garnered an Editors’ Choice here in PC Magazine and has been well reviewed elsewhere. Everyone agrees that it sounds good and that it’s loud. No one disputes that it has

visual appeal. Apple didn’t cut corners on construc-tion quality, magnet weight in the speakers, or ampli-fi er power, although the company is coy about citing wattage.

I think it’s silly.

Real HasslesFirst of all, if you look around the average home or apartment, you will fi nd an abundance of Things That Play Music: these may include home theaters, high-end and midrange stereo systems, bookshelf systems, Bose and Bose-like table or shelf radios, even upscale clock radios with CD players. Which of them will you displace to make room for an iPod Hi-Fi, which has no radio and only an inconveniently located input jack at the rear?

In an ideal location—say, on a credenza located against an uncluttered wall and placed equidistant from the side walls—the iPod Hi-Fi sounds very good for its size, but it is somewhat midrangey for my tastes and unable to create a true stereo sound stage. Other locations further compromise stereo imaging. Granted, imaging isn’t important if you’re just fi lling the room with sound, but Apple advertises this thing as a replacement for an audiophile system. Audiophiles care about imaging.

Second, there’s the blindingly white case. I jok-ingly coined the phrase “mug-me white” to describe the iPod earbuds, but the phrase has been all too ac-curate in some locales. So where will you take the iPod Hi-Fi so it won’t attract the wrong kind of attention? A picnic in a state park? The beach? Sure, if you’re going to hire security for the day. Perhaps a more appropriate venue would be the fenced patio in your gated com-munity. Seriously, when you look at the iPod Hi-Fi, you have to wonder why Apple bothered to put in a battery capability at all—it defi nitely looks like a stay-at-home.

Finally, consider the iPod itself, waving idiot icallyfrom the top of the unit, in the most blatant bit of hey-look-at-me style self-consciousness since Snoop

Steal-Me White

Where will you take the iPod Hi-Fi so it

won’t attract the wrong kind of attention?

A picnic in a state park? The beach? Sure,

if you’re going to hire security for the day.

MORE ON THE WEBYou can contact Bill Machrone at [email protected]. For more of his columns, go to go.pcmag.com/machrone.


http://www.go.pcmag.com/machrone

http://go.pcmag.com/machrone


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58 PC MAGAZINE MAY 9, 2006 Illustration by Zohar Lazar



It won’t be on Wal-Mart’s shelves until next year, but Microsoft has let loose the next Windows. We went under the covers to fi nd the secrets in the new OS.

BY JOHN CLYMAN

MICROSOFT WINDOWS

Vista, the long-awaited and long-delayed suc-cessor to Windows XP, is still in the beta- testingstages. Until recently, Microsoft held fi rm to a release date in the sec-

ond half of this year. (And let’s be candid: When Microsoft uses a vague term like “second half,” that sure doesn’t mean July). But then, on March 21, the company announced that though Vista would be available to businesses in November, consumers would have to wait until January 2007. So why would you want Vista now, when the product is likely six to nine months away from shipping?

Two words: More fun. Like a new car, Vista prac-tically begs you to play with all its shiny new gad-gets, see how hard you can drive it, and luxuriate in the novelty of the experience.

We admit that’s not the most rational justifi ca-tion. Fair enough. There are plenty of down-to-earth reasons Vista is appealing. Improved security, for one. Dramatic improvements in tools that can help you cope with information overload, for another. Better support for multimedia and mobile devices, a better version of Internet Explorer, and a dramati-cally revamped UI, to name a few more. If Vista de-livers on all its promises, you’ll spend much less time performing tedious maintenance and confi guration tasks and much more time being productive—or just keeping yourself entertained.

If you’re an übergeek, you’ll want to try Vista so you can retain your reputation of staying on the bleeding edge. If you’re a developer, you’ll want to see how Vista offers the opportunity to write compelling new applications. If you’re an IT manager, you need to start thinking about how you’ll eventually intro-

duce Vista into your organization and manage migra-tion and training. At PC Magazine, we’ve been diving deeper into Vista with each new CTP (Community Technology Preview), uncovering useful little secrets and powerful new capabilities, excitedly sharing our discoveries with each other—and now with you.

In February, Microsoft released a version of Vista that it calls “feature complete”—that is, including all the basic functions that will be in the fi nal product. That CTP was available only to select beta testers and members of MSDN (Microsoft Developer Network) and Microsoft TechNet. Soon after you read this, we expect Microsoft to release a consumer-oriented CTP that anyone should be able to get their hands on. As we go to press, Microsoft hasn’t said how that public CTP will be distributed, but as soon as that information is released, we’ll have it at go.pcmag.com/vista with the rest of our ongoing coverage.

Make no mistake: We’re not advocating that you urge Uncle Jim—or whoever calls you for help after his system has ground to a halt because he’s installed too many adware-laden screensavers—to start working with Vista today. Nor would we recom-mend installing Vista on a production system where incompatibilities, crashes, or data loss would prove catastrophic. Betas are by defi nition unfi nished products, and our experience with Vista has been far from seamless—it can be slow, crash unpredictably, refuse to work with various hardware, cause glitches in a variety of software, and generally be a hassle. (And yes, we can hear the more cynical among you grumbling about how that doesn’t sound any differ-ent from any other Microsoft OS, but we disagree; if you’ve kept Windows XP patched and up to date, your computing should be pretty predictable.) But if you’ve got a spare machine around and are comfort-able living on the edge in exchange for a little excite-ment, then get your hands on Vista now.

Why You Want Vista Now!

VISTA PREVIEW

MORE ON THE WEBYou’ll fi nd PC Magazine’s on-going coverage of Vista as it’s revealed at go.pcmag.com/vista. This page includes re-views of Vista CTPs (Commu-nity Technology Previews) as they’re released, columnists’ opinions on the emerging OS, and “Vista Revealed,” hands-on, in-depth looks at new features.

And don’t miss the Vista coverage at ExtremeTech, our sister site, including Jason Cross’s optimistic “Why Win-dows Vista Won’t Suck,” at go.extremetech.com/vista.


http://go.pcmag.com/vista




http://go.extremetech.com/vista


Because It’s Cool

INSTALL IT AND YOUR JAW WILL DROP. THE VISTA GUI IS SO SLICK,

so cleverly put together, that it may even impress a few Mac users. Un-like Windows XP, which had a “new” look and feel that seemed like the same ol’ same ol’, Vista takes you to a different world. Tiny widgets hover in the corner. Translucent windows fl it to and fro like Disney characters. The Start Menu is actually easy to use. Not since the

summer of ’95 has the Windows interface taken such a giant leap forward.—Cade Metz

NEW AND IMPROVED TASK SWITCHINGUsing the new “Windows-Tab” key com-bination, you can instantly spin through a 3D “Rolodex” of open applications.

Vista SecretsVista includes speech recognition for both entering text and executing Windows commands. Get started in the Control Panel’s Speech Rec-ognition applet.

There are six Vista variants: For the home, Home Basic, Home Premium, and Ultimate; for busi-nesses, Business and Enterprise; and for emerging markets, Starter.

THE START MENU Rather than fanning out across your desktop, as it did in the past, the Start Menu stays compact.

THUMBNAIL Mousing over a minimized window gives not only a descrip-tion of the app, but also a live thumbnail.

TASK SWITCHINGThe old Alt-Tab key combination pro-vides thumbnails and descriptions as well.

SEE-THROUGH WINDOWSPartially translucent windows cast thin shadows on items below, giving a 3D look and feel.

MINI-APPLICATIONS Running along the edge of your desktop, Sidebar gives quick ac-cess to all sorts of mini-applications. You can even drag the mini-apps onto the desktop.

VISTA PREVIEW


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ANOTHER REASON YOU’LL WANT

to try Vista now is that it offers an improved Internet experience—at least compared with the one you get with a vanilla version of Windows XP. Vista includes Internet Explorer

7, a revised version of Outlook Express called Win-dows Mail, and a unifi ed RSS store.

MAIL CONTACTS You can now fi nd your contacts right in Windows Explorer and even use the context menu to send a message.

For a Better Internet ExperienceLet’s start with IE7, since Web browsing is what

most users associate most strongly with the Inter-net. Microsoft has packed quite a few new capabili-ties into IE7—capabilities that are new to IE any-way, though many may seem ho-hum to Firefox and Opera users: tabbed browsing and a streamlined menu bar, antiphishing and antispoofi ng capabili-ties, an integrated RSS reader, improved printing support, and features for Web developers.

I’m pleased with the way IE is shaping up, but I can’t help saying: It’s about time. Microsoft re-leased IE6 in 2001, and aside from some hotfi xes and service packs—admittedly with important fea-tures such as a pop-up blocker and a better UI, to help protect naïve users against dangerous down-loads—the company’s browser development had languished.

I long ago stopped using IE as my primary browser because it lacked tabs, but IE7 just might win me back. If you’ve somehow missed out on the tabbed-browsing revolution, IE7 might give you the shove you need. Tabbed browsing lets you keep a number of Web pages open within a single browser window, using tabs to select among them. To open a link in a new tab, you can click the center mouse button (or the wheel, depending on your mouse confi guration), hold the Control key while you click a link, or right-click a link and choose Open in New Tab. IE7 always keeps a blank tab open, so you can simply click it and enter a new URL. I’m psyched that tabs have fi nally arrived, but most of this was already available in other browsers—even in IE6 if you added the MSN Search Toolbar. But IE7 does add one unique feature, a useful “quick tabs” view that shows thumbnails of all the Web pages you have open in different tabs.

IE7 includes a Web-search box at the top right corner—it uses MSN search by default, but you can easily select a different search engine. I’m disappointed, though, that the browser can’t per-form incremental search (aka search-as-you-type or

RSS FEEDS Right on the cutting edge of a few years ago, Microsoft has built an RSS reader into IE7. As shown here, your feeds can appear in the IE7 Explorer bar.

VISTA: BECAUSE YOU’RE A GAMER? Microsoft has made a good show of talking up Vista for games, but gamers have re-mained uninterested, at best, and can you blame them? Thus far the big points have been a rich set of parental controls, pretty icons, and info pages for cataloging your library. Hardly sexy—at least, not to performance-hungry gamers.

Recently, though, a Microsoft representative mentioned something that could heat gamers’ interest up quickly. No, not the exclusive PC release of Halo 2 on Vista. But there is something to be learned from the excitement over being able to play a two-year-old Xbox game. Most of us would consider the Xbox antiquated. Its 733-MHz Pentium III, 64MB of RAM, and nVidia video chip derived from the now four-generations-out-of-date GeForce 3 would barely be suitable for surfi ng the Net. But because the architecture allows a direct path to the

hardware, it puts on a terrifi c show with Halo 2 and dozens of other fantastic-looking games.

PCs, on the other hand, have been saddled with the Win-dows graphics device interface (GDI). Applications didn’t talk to the drivers, much less the video card, directly; they talked to the GDI, which in turn interacted with the drivers for the application. So, what’s the big news here? Well, Vista removes this road-block. It’s another benefi t of the OS’s requirement of a DirectX 9–capable video card. Though there will be a compatibility mode for older applications that need the GDI, new applica-tions—namely, games—written specifi cally for Vista will be able to take the same direct path the Xbox has enjoyed, and with it get a performance boost that representatives have said may be around 30 to 40 percent. Now that’s something to get excited about.—Garnett Lee

VISTA PREVIEW


http://rssnewsapps.ziffdavis.com/pcmag.xml


ARE YOU READY? Jon Peddie Research (JPR) estimates there are around 1.2 bil-lion computers in use today—not sitting on shelves in the garage, but actually in use. A good percentage of these are running pre-XP Windows OSs.

Based on two decades of data collection on shipments of both add-in graph-ics processors and integrated graphics cards, JPR determined that approxi-mately 51 percent of the PCs in use as of the end of 2005 weren’t ready to run Vista (see chart). But Vista interacts with PC hardware differently from previous versions of Windows, as it taps the power of the graphics processor. The result-ing interface improvements, collectively known as Aero Glass, go far beyond eye candy like transparent window edges and truly change the computing experi-ence. According to JPR, only about one in ten PCs is ready to mine Aero Glass’s richness.

You don’t have to be left out in the cold, though—and you don’t necessarily need to buy a new computer. To enjoy the nice Aero Glass interface in Vista, you’ll need a reasonably modern DirectX 9–capable graphics card—integrated graphics just won’t do. This doesn’t mean you need to spend a lot of money on something high-end. The nVidia GeForce 7600 GT and Radeon X1600 Pro cards run Vista great, are available in both AGP and PCI Express, and cost under $200.

PCMag.com sister site ExtremeTech recently put a new crop of graphics cards through the wringer. You’ll fi nd the results online at go.extremetech.com/graphicscards.—Jon Peddie & Jason Cross

Vista SecretFeeling some trepidation about installing the beta? Make Vista coexist with your existing OS: You can install it on a separate partition (we recommend PartitionMagic, www.partitionmagic.com), or install it on a virtual machine by using Micro-soft Virtual PC (www.microsoft.com/virtualpc) or VMware Workstation (www.vmware.com).

word-wheel search) within a Web page, an unfortu-nate shortcoming considering how extensively Vista emphasizes this capability elsewhere—and that other browsers have been doing it for some time.

IE7 also offers simplifi ed menus and adds wel-come conveniences such as shrink-to-fi t printing, which helps ensure that you don’t cut off the right-hand side of wide pages. For Web developers, IE7 includes improved support for CSS (Cascading Style Sheets) fi xed positioning and for alpha- channeltransparency in PNG (Portable Network Graphics) images, which lets images on Web pages be partially transparent.

Then there’s RSS—Really Simple Syndication, a technology that serious Web surfers have come to rely on for delivering regular streams of updated information, the Internet equivalent of newspaper headlines or TV-news crawls. IE7 automatically discovers RSS feeds on pages you visit and lets you view and subscribe to those feeds. But RSS sup-port isn’t limited to IE; Vista itself provides unifi ed RSS storage, so all applications (with suitable work on the part of developers) can share a single set of RSS content. You can see this in action in the simple RSS headline component for Vista’s Sidebar, which automatically picks up feeds you add in the browser.

IE7 takes steps forward in security as well, which we enumerate in the section “Because You Need Better Security,” on page 74.

If you use Outlook Express for your e-mail, you’ll fi nd Vista’s Windows Mail client—a tweaked version of Outlook Express—offers some advantages as well. For starters, you’ve got to try the incremental search: Start typing in the search box and watch as your e-mail morass gets rapidly whittled down. (Too bad Outlook itself can’t do this yet.) Windows Mail also includes spam and phishing fi lters like those in Out-look. And despite its name, Windows Mail still serves as a newsgroup reader as well; in fact, it includes a link to Microsoft Help newsgroups by default.

Windows Mail stores its data differently from Outlook Express, using a combination of Vista’s fi le system and built-in Jet database engine, which Microsoft claims will make for more bulletproof storage. And here’s something really cool we found: Windows Mail stores contacts right in the fi le sys-tem, so you can view and sort your contacts, or send them e-mail, from directly within the shell.

I might not consider any one of Vista’s Internet-related features compelling by itself, especially given how many of them are just a download away if you’re using Windows XP. But put them together and Vista makes using the Internet a bit safer, more produc-tive, and more enjoyable.—John Clyman

2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006* 2007*

0%

10%

20%

30%

40%

50%

60%

70%

80%

90%

100%

Percentage of PCs in active use

Not Vista-capable

Vista-capable

Vista Aero–capable

PCs Ready for Vista

Source: Jon Peddie Research. *Projected.

OUR CONTRIBUTORS: John Clyman is a contribut-ing editor of PC Magazine and president of the technol-ogy consulting fi rm Narrative Logic. Cade Metz is senior writer at PC Magazine, and Oliver Kaven and Neil J. Rubenking are PC Magazine Labs lead analysts. Garnett Lee is the managing editor of 1up.com, Ziff Davis’s site for gamers, Jason Cross is a lead analyst for Extreme-Tech.com, Mary Jo Foley is the editor of Microsoft Watch (www.microsoft-watch.com), and Jon Peddie is the founder of Jon Peddie Research, a consulting fi rm specializing in graphics and digital media technology. Features editor Sarah Pike was in charge of this story.


http://PCMag.com

http://go.extremetech.com/graphicscards

http://www.partitionmagic.com

http://www.partitionmagic.com

http://www.microsoft.com/virtualpc

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http://www.microsoft-watch.com

http://go.extremetech.com/graphicscards

http://Extreme-Tech.com


day-to-day work onto Vista to see just how effectively it helps me with these masses of data.

Search is just about everywhere in Vista. Open the Start menu and you’ll see an embedded text box. As you type in the box, Vista starts showing data that matches your search term: application names, fi le contents, even e-mails. It’s very satisfying to know you can get to all your data from this one box—I’m even considering giving up Google Desktop Search.

Many users will probably fi nd the single text-box search interface meets most of their search needs. But here’s a secret: Try Vista’s parametric searches, such as “all the music fi les from albums released in 2005 that I’ve rated 4 stars or higher,” which are sophisticated and easier than ever. You build these searches using the simple point-and-click interface in the Advanced Filter Pane, accessible from the drop-down menu to the right of the Search box, then save them as Search Folders, which you can open at any time to see dynamic, current results.

File browsing is improved as well. The expanding list view that shows all your applications in the Win-dows menu is easier to navigate than the cascading program menus in Windows XP. One feature you don’t want to miss is Windows Explorer’s scalable live icons—thumbnails of documents’ actual con-tents rather than simply the icon of the application that created them. These make it far easier to fi nd the fi le you’re looking for at a glance (with some fi le types, such as Microsoft Offi ce’s, you may need to check the “Save preview picture” check box in the File | Properties dialog). Windows Explorer lets you tag fi les with metadata such as ratings or keywords and then use this data for grouping, sorting, fi ltering, or searching within it, providing hope for escaping the tyranny of having to organize all your fi les within a fi xed directory hierarchy.

Vista also includes fi le-synchronization features, improved backup, and the ability to roll back to pre-

vious versions of fi les.What about transferring your existing

data and apps to a new PC? Vista includes an updated migration wizard, though we haven’t yet gotten it to work in beta builds. This wizard transfers only data and set-tings, not entire applications—but in March, Microsoft acquired Apptimum (formerly Eisenworld), maker of the Alo-habob utilities for transferring programs from one PC to another, so we wouldn’t be surprised if Microsoft makes it possible to move apps in the future.—John Clyman

To Regain Control of Your Files, Your E-mails, Your Photos....

ONE OF VISTA’S BIGGEST PROMISES—andone of the best inducements to want it now—is to help you regain the upper hand in the battle against information overload. We’ve all experienced it: the inbox bursting with e-mails you don’t

have time to sort, the directory tree with fi les buried a dozen levels deep, and the mass of digital photos you never fi gured out how to organize.

Originally, Microsoft was going to solve this prob-lem with WinFS (Windows Future Storage)—but WinFS won’t make it into Vista in time. Still, my experience so far indicates that Microsoft is mak-ing strides in this direction after all. With pervasive search, I can easily fi nd fi les regardless of what dark corner of my hard drive they’re hiding in. New ways of viewing and entering metadata to help identify fi les are just taking shape, but they look promising. And I particularly like Vista’s “Search Folders,” which let you dynamically collect fi les that meet certain crite-ria, regardless of where they’re actually located.

In Vista, Microsoft has revamped Windows Ex-plorer to make it easier to navigate your hard drive—its nifty “breadcrumb” facility for selecting directories is especially convenient. The breadcrumbs are the clickable trail of directories a user has followed to get to the current location, for example, YourComputer-Name > Pictures > Vacation photos > 2006. New fi le dialogs are a big improvement as well. Although these capabilities aren’t likely to be a panacea, they’re sure tantalizing, and I’m eager to start moving more of my

THE START MENUMore contained and ef-fi cient than before, the Start menu includes an incremental search box.

SAVED SEARCHES You can save a group of search criteria, then go back to the “folder” for dynamically updated results.

SEARCH These incre-mental search boxes are just about everywhere in Vista. As you type, the search results narrow down.

VISTA PREVIEW

J U M P TO N E X T PA G E >>


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Acer® TravelMate® 4070Enjoy the Freedom of Mobility

The Acer TravelMate 4070 strikes just the right balance between performance andaffordability. Along with Intel® Centrino® Mobile Technology, you get a panoramic15.4” wide-screen display for side-by-side document viewing plus integrated wireless with Acer’s exclusive SignalUp technology for enhanced antenna efficiency. An excellent choice for office or home computing, this notebook lets youenjoy the freedom of mobility to work smarter without sacrificing features.

Acer TravelMate 4072WLCi

$849INTEL® PENTIUM® M PROCESSOR 735

(2MB L2 CACHE, 1.70GHZ, 400MHZ FSB) GENUINE WINDOWS® XP PROFESSIONAL

(LX.TBC06.121)

15.4” WIDE-SCREEN

• Intel® Centrino® Mobile Technology

- Intel® Pentium® M Processor

- Mobile Intel® 915GM Express chipset

- Intel® PRO/Wireless 2200BG network connection

• Genuine Windows® XP Professional

• 512MB DDR2 400 SDRAM

• 80GB1 hard drive

• Integrated CD-RW/DVD-ROM combo drive


• Intel® Graphics Media Accelerator 900



AL2051 W

$409(ET.L7008.006)

• 19" TFT LCD, Acer CrystalBrite Technology


• 700:1 contrast ratio

• 150° horizontal viewing angle

• 135° vertical viewing angle

• Two 1.5W integrated speakers

Acer AL1951C• VGA, DVI-D signal

connectors

• 400 cd/m2 brightness

• 4ms gray-to-gray response time

• External power adapter

• Silver/black color

Acer AL1951C

$359(ET.L4108.068)

4MS RESPONSE TIME


Compare LCD Prices/Features & You'll Choose Acer®


Acer® ezDockThe one-plug Acer ezDock manages and organizes peripheral connections with ease, allowing you to add or remove devicesinstantly, without turning off your notebook computer. Thiscompact docking solution features 21 interface ports and two cardslots for desktop-like expansion possibilities, as well as PCI Express™

technology and a Kensington® lock slot. Acer TravelMate 4072WLMi

$999

Acer® TravelMate® 4070Your Essential Business Tool

INTEL® PENTIUM® M PROCESSOR 740 (2MB L2 CACHE, 1.73GHZ, 533MHZ FSB)

GENUINE WINDOWS® XP PROFESSIONAL

(LX.TBC06.126)

15.4" WIDE-SCREEN

Count on the Acer TravelMate 4070 for growing your business. Powered by Intel® Centrino® Mobile Technology,this stylish notebook boasts high-end features at a price that won’t break your budget. The wide-screen 15.4”display is perfect for viewing documents side by side. The integrated optical drive offers flexibility and convenience, and the wireless LAN will keep you connected and productive wherever your work takes you.

Acer ezDock Docking Station

$299COMPATIBLE WITH THE TRAVELMATE 8200, 8100, 4670, 4650,

4400, 3010, 3000, C310, C200; FERRARI 4000(LC.D0103.004)

• Intel® Centrino® Mobile Technology


- Mobile Intel® 915GM Express chipset



• 1GB DDR2 400 SDRAM

• 100GB1 hard drive

• Integrated DVD-Dual drive (DVD+/-RW)





• 19" TFT LCD with height adjustment and rotation

• 1280 x 1024 native resolution• 1000:1 contrast ratio• 178° horizontal viewing angle• 178° vertical viewing angle• Two 1.0W integrated speakers

Acer AL1717 BbmdAcer AL1923 r• 17" TFT LCD• 1280 x 1024

native resolution• 700:1 contrast ratio• 150° horizontal

viewing angle• 135° vertical viewing angle• Two 1.0W integrated speakers


• 300 cd/m2 brightness• 8ms response time• Internal power adapter• Black color


• 280 cd/m2 brightness• 8ms response time• Internal power adapter• Titanium color

Acer AL1923 r

$339(ET.L660B.048)

ADJUST HEIGHT& ROTATE




Acer ® TravelMate® C310 Tablet & Full-Featured Notebook in One

The Acer TravelMate C310 is the convertible tablet that you'll want to use asyour primary computer. With a big 14.1" XGA display, full-size keyboard, modular optical drive and optional ezDock Docking Station, it's similar to astandard notebook but offers much more. The screen becomes a writing surface when you rotate it and fold it back over the keyboard, perfect fortaking notes, annotating documents and completing online forms.

Acer TravelMate C312XCi

$1,699INTEL® PENTIUM® M PROCESSOR 740 (2MB L2 CACHE, 1.73GHZ, 533MHZ FSB)

GENUINE WINDOWS® XP TABLET PC EDITION

512MB DDR2 533 SDRAM, 80GB1 HARD DRIVE

AND MODULAR CD-RW/DVD-ROM COMBO DRIVE

(LX.T270E.029)

Acer TravelMate C314XMi

$1,999INTEL® PENTIUM® M PROCESSOR 760 (2MB L2 CACHE, 2GHZ, 533MHZ FSB)

GENUINE WINDOWS® XP TABLET PC EDITION

1GB DDR2 533 SDRAM, 100GB1 HARD DRIVE

AND MODULAR DVD-DUAL DRIVE (DVD+/-RW)(LX.T870E.032)

CONVERTS HANDWRITING TO TEXT• Intel® Centrino® Mobile Technology


- Mobile Intel® 915PM Express chipset


• Genuine Windows® XP Tablet PC Edition

• 4-in-1 card reader for optional MultiMediaCard™, Secure Digital card, Memory Stick® or Memory Stick PRO™

• 14.1" XGA (1024 x 768) TFT display

• NVIDIA GeForce™ Go 6200 graphics

• 802.11b/g WLAN, Bluetooth®, gigabit LAN, V.92 modem

• Full-size EMR pen with eraser


Acer AL1717 Bbmd

$239(ET.1717B.MD8)

$10 PRICE CUT!Acer AL1716 b• 17" TFT LCD


• 500:1 contrast ratio

• 150° horizontal viewing angle

• 135° vertical viewing angle

• VGA signal connector

• 300 cd/m2 brightness

• 12ms response time

• Internal power adapter

• Black colorAcer AL1716 b

$205(ET.1716B.012)

$14 PRICE CUT!



Digital Light Processing™ from Texas Instruments is an all-digital display technology for projectors and otherproducts that delivers the best picture in terms of clarity, brilliance and color.

Acer® Projectors with DLP™ Technology

The AcerPower S280 boasts an impressive feature set in a stylish chassis at an affordable price. Ample powermeans you can efficiently perform everyday tasks. Multiple expansion slots make the system easy to upgrade,while the eight USB 2.0 ports give you the ability to connect to the latest peripherals. All in all, an excellent choice for home, school or office computing.

Display sold separately.

Even if you’re short on space, you don’t need to sacrifice performance. The compact Acer Veriton 2800 business desktop gives you an Intel® Pentium® 4 Processor with HT Technology,dual-channel memory and eight USB ports for connecting to a printer and other office peripherals.

Acer® Veriton® 2800 Powerful but Compact

Acer Veriton 2800

$689Acer® AcerPower™ S280Affordable Computing at its Best

INTEL® PENTIUM® 4 PROCESSOR 521 WITH HT TECHNOLOGY


(VT2800-U-P5210)

AcerPower S280

$429INTEL® CELERON® D PROCESSOR 346

(256KB L2 CACHE, 3.06GHZ, 533MHZ FSB)GENUINE WINDOWS® XP PROFESSIONAL

512MB DDR SDRAM AND

CD-RW/DVD-ROM COMBO DRIVE

(APS280-U-C4600)

• Intel® Pentium® 4 Processor with HT Technology


• 512MB DDR2 533 SDRAM

• 80GB1 SATA hard drive, 7200RPM

• CD-RW/DVD-ROM combo drive


• Gigabit LAN

• Three-year limited warranty2

Display sold separately.

• Intel® Celeron® D Processor • Genuine Windows® XP Professional• 80GB1 hard drive

• 10/100 LAN• Integrated SiS Mirage™ graphics• One-year limited warranty2

AcerPower S280

$369INTEL® CELERON® D PROCESSOR 336

(256KB L2 CACHE, 2.80GHZ, 533MHZ FSB)GENUINE WINDOWS® XP PROFESSIONAL

256MB DDR SDRAM AND

CD-ROM DRIVE

(APS280-U-C3600)

• 2000 ANSI lumens• XGA (1024 x 768) native resolution• 2000:1 contrast ratio• 16.7 million displayable colors• PC and Mac compatible

Acer PD120D

• 2000 ANSI lumens• SVGA (800 x 600) native resolution• 2000:1 contrast ratio• 16.7 million displayable colors• PC and Mac compatible

Acer PD100

Acer PD100

$669(EY.J2101.006)

Acer PD120D

$899(EY.J2201.012)

$100 PRICE CUT!




Stability, ease-of-deployment and comprehensive management tools are thehallmarks of Veriton, Acer's premier business desktop series. Each of thesefeatures has been enhanced in the Acer Veriton 6800, with an improvedtool-less chassis design, fortified security tools, more powerful Intel®

processors and Acer eManager software.

Acer ® Veriton® 6800 Optimized for Business

• Intel® Pentium® 4 Processor with HT Technology or

- Intel® Pentium® D Processor



• Gigabit LAN

• Three-year limited warranty2

Acer Veriton 6800

$899INTEL® PENTIUM® D PROCESSOR 830

(2X1MB L2 CACHE, 3GHZ, 800MHZ FSB)GENUINE WINDOWS® XP PROFESSIONAL

1GB DDR2 533 SDRAM; 160GB1 SATA HARD DRIVE, 7200RPM;AND DVD-DUAL DRIVE (DVD+/-RW)

(VT6800-U-S8301)

Acer Veriton 6800

$799INTEL® PENTIUM® 4 PROCESSOR 640 WITH HT TECHNOLOGY


512MB DDR2 533 SDRAM; 80GB1 SATA HARD DRIVE, 7200RPM;AND CD-RW/DVD-ROM COMBO DRIVE

(VT6800-U-P6400)

$100 PRICE CUT!

Acer Veriton 6800


(2MB L2 CACHE, 3GHZ, 800MHZ FSB)GENUINE WINDOWS® XP PROFESSIONAL

512MB DDR2 533 SDRAM; 80GB1 SATA HARD DRIVE, 7200RPM;AND DVD-DUAL DRIVE (DVD+/-RW)

(VT6800-U-P6302)

Acer Veriton 6800



512MB DDR2 533 SDRAM; 160GB1 SATA HARD DRIVE, 7200RPM;AND CD-RW/DVD-ROM COMBO DRIVE

(VT6800-U-P6501)

$20 PRICE CUT!

160GB HARD DRIVE

Keep a Replacement Lamp on hand for theAcer PD120D or PD100 projector. Expectedlife in hours is 2,000 standard mode, 3,000economy mode.

For permanent placement of an Acer PD525,PD120D, PD116P or PD100 projector in a conference room or classroom, you’ll want aneasy-to-install Ceiling Mount.

Ceiling Mount

$79(EZ.PCM03.007)

Replacement Lamp

$199(EC.J2101.001)


Acer Notebook/Tablet Service Upgrades Protect Your Valuable Investment

1 When referring to storage capacity, GB stands for one billion bytes and MB stands for one million bytes. Some utilities may indicate varying storage capacities. Total user-accessible capacity may vary depending on operating environments.

2 For a free copy of the standard limited warranty end-users should see a reseller where Acer products are sold or write to Acer America Corporation, Warranty Department, P.O. Box 6137, Temple, TX 76503.

© 2006 Acer America Corporation. Information and prices are subject to change without notice. Pricing is effective from April 15, 2006 throughJune 1, 2006. Product images are representations of some of the models available and may vary from the model you purchase. Acer, TravelMate and Veriton are registered trademarks and AcerPower a trademark of Acer Inc. Aspire is a trademark of Acer America Corporation. Celeron, Celeron Inside, Centrino, Core Inside, Intel, Intel Core, Intel Inside, Intel SpeedStep, Intel Viiv, Intel Xeon, Itanium, Itanium Insi-de, Pentium, Pentium Inside, the Centrino logo, the Intel logo and the Intel Inside logo are trademarks or registered trademarks of Intel Corporation or its subsidiaries in the United States and other countries. Other names and brands may be claimed as the property of others. Microsoft andWindows are either registered trademarks or trademarks of Microsoft Corporation in the United States and/or other countries.

Quality is built into every notebook and tablet PC Acer makes, and each comes with aone-year standard limited warranty.2 It includes hardware technical support via toll-free phone plusa concurrent International Traveler’s Warranty for travel outside the U.S. and Canada. Extra protection is available with one of these upgrades:

2-Year Extension of Limited Warranty (146.AB820.EX2)

$99Prepays freight to and from Acer repair depot.

Excludes extension of International Traveler's Warranty.

It’s a tough world out there, and accidents do happen—sticky spills, dangerous drops, nastyknocks—which is why you should consider the Total Protection Upgrade. It runs concurrently withthe limited warranty2 and limited warranty extension and covers the cost of a replacement unitif your covered notebook cannot be repaired.

2-Year Extension of Limited Warranty + 3-Year Total Protection Upgrade (146.AD077.002)

$199Prepays freight to and from Acer repair depot.

Excludes extension of International Traveler's Warranty.

For the name of a reseller near you or further information, please call Acer or visit our Web site:

800-571-2237www.acer.com/us


Acer TravelMate 8204WLMi

$2,499INTEL® CORE™ DUO PROCESSOR T2500

(2MB L2 CACHE, 2GHZ, 667MHZ FSB)GENUINE WINDOWS® XP PROFESSIONAL

(LX.TAX06.034)

• Intel® Centrino® Duo Mobile Technology- Intel® Core™ Duo Processor- Mobile Intel® 945PM Express chipset- Intel® PRO/Wireless 3945ABG network connection

• Genuine Windows® XP Professional• 2GB DDR2 533 SDRAM• 120GB1 hard drive, 5400RPM• Modular Super-Multi drive

(DVD+R, DVD-R, DVD-RAM)

• 5-in-1 card reader for optional MultiMediaCard™, Secure Digital card, Memory Stick®, Memory Stick PRO™ or xD-Picture Card™

• 15.4" WSXGA+ (1680 x 1050) TFT display • ATI® Mobility™ Radeon® X1600 graphics • Integrated, adjustable webcam• 802.11a/b/g WLAN, Bluetooth®,

gigabit LAN, V.92 modem • One-year limited warranty2

Have a videoconference

almost anywhereIntegrated

Webcam

Intel® dual-core Processing


Acer® TravelMate® 8200The Visible Power of Mobile Leadership

The Acer TravelMate 8200 includes all the new and high-end features you could want in anotebook and earned the prestigious PC Magazine Editors’ Choice Award in January 2006.Intel® Centrino® Duo Mobile Technology delivers superb dual-core mobile performance, allowing you to easily run demanding applications simultaneously. Supercharged ATI® Mobility™ Radeon® X1600 graphics turn this notebook into a mobile entertainmentsystem and make the most of the wide-screen 15.4" WSXGA+ display. You also get the Acer OrbiCam, an 1.3-megapixel adjustable webcam built into the black carbon-fiber chassis.




ALL THOSE MULTIMEDIA TOOLS

IN Windows XP? Child’s play. If you’re serious about PC audio and video—about watching TV, lis-tening to music, making movies, managing your digital photos, all

from your PC—Vista is the place to do it all. For the fi rst time, Microsoft includes a bona fi de photo manager—not the skimpy “photo viewer” you’ll fi nd in Win XP. In addition, you get beefed-up versions of Windows Media Player and Movie Maker. And with the Premium or Ultimate versions of the OS, you even get an updated version of Media Center, the home entertainment system that used to be a separate operating system.

The moment I fi rst opened Vista’s new Photo Gallery tool, I knew Microsoft had gotten it right. Finally, a single place where we can organize, edit, and share our digital photos. Win XP failed to offer any editing or sharing options, and its organizational tools were almost an insult. Windows Photo Gallery can’t quite compete with free pho-to managers like Picasa (my favorite) and Preclick, or with Apple’s iPhoto, but it’s still a big step for the OS.

With Photo Gallery, you can organize videos as well as photos, quickly searching and sorting them via tags, dates, and ratings. I love the “slider” button, which lets you instantly resize the thumbnails on your virtual light-table, and the default “Ken Burns” slide-show effect, which dynamically pans and zooms each photo.

And here’s a little secret: Photo Gallery actu-ally integrates with the updated Windows Movie Maker, which means you can instantly, easily move photos and videos from one to the other. You can spice your movies up with all sorts of new effects and transitions. Perhaps best of all, now that Movie Maker takes advantage of your graphics processor, it no longer limits movie previews to a tiny 320-by-240 window. And when your movie is fi nished, you can seamlessly burn it to disc using Microsoft’s new DVD Maker tool; you can even add chapters and menus.

Meanwhile, Windows Media Player 11 offers a fresh interface, making it easier to organize, fi nd, rip, and burn your audio fi les. My favorite perks: You set up songs for burning with a mere drag and drop, and you can add cover art with a simple paste command. I’m into browsing by album cover, too. Media Player is also better at syncing portable de-vices, certainly a welcome improvement. Check out the “random sync” feature, which can turn any MP3 player into an iPod shuffl e. (Whether that’s a good thing is still up for debate.) And when Vista fi nally debuts, Player will work hand in hand with URGE, MTV’s new online music service, which will offer more than two million digital tracks. Make no mis-take: Vista can excite the senses.—Cade Metz

Because It’s Loaded with New Multimedia Tools

PHOTO GALLERY Vista adds basic photo organizing, editing, and sharing tools to its photo viewer.

WINDOWS MEDIA PLAYER 11 WMP has a fresh new interface to help users better organize their music, as well as sync their music libraries with portable devices and, of course, burn discs.

Vista SecretsWant to see what Vista looks like with Aero Glass disabled? Press Ctrl-Shift-F9. (This will work in beta releases only, not produc-tion versions.)

You can control volume levels on an application-by-application basis using Vista’s new audio control panel.

Having trouble installing a hardware device in Vista? Try using the Windows XP version of the driver.

Press Windows-Tab to get the cool “Flip 3D” view of all your open applications.

VISTA PREVIEW



IF YOU CAN READ THIS, YOU

PROBABLY run Windows XP in administrator mode. There’s no cause and effect here. It’s just that, while Win XP allows and recommends

creation of Limited user accounts that make many exploits impossible, a vast number of programs and common activities don’t work under a Limited account, so typically, everybody’s an Administrator. This is one of Win XP’s biggest security problems.

Vista’s User Account Control (for-merly User Account Protection) should go a long way toward fi xing this. Microsoft aims to allow the wid-est possible range of activity in a Stan-dard (don’t call it Limited!) account and handles legacy programs that as-sume greater privilege. Any Adminis-trator can grant one-time permission when necessary. And now, even Administrators run at Standard level, with a warning from Vista when elevated privilege is required. Unfortunately the fre-quent “Windows needs your permission . . . ” warn-ings can get pretty annoying.

The implementation of Windows Service Hard-ening, a related feature, has been completed since Vista Beta 1. It minimizes the impact of malware that exploits Windows services by allowing each ser-vice access only to the resources it actually needs.

These protections may make it harder for hack-ers to take advantage of the OS, but today the bad guys are just as likely to try to take advantage of you instead. That’s why IE7 in Vista now imple-ments Microsoft’s antiphishing scheme. I tried it on known phishing sites and one with an invalid secu-rity certifi cate—it red-fl agged them and blocked ac-cess. Sites with verifi ed security are green-fl agged;

others get a yellow rating if analysis of their HTML code reveals suspicious elements. Spyware protec-tion from Windows Defender (for a review, see go.pcmag.com/vista) is now built into Vista, and it automatically scans any fi les downloaded through IE. And as IE7 is a prime target, Vista safeguards it further by having it run in Protected Mode, a still-lower privilege level designed to thwart browser-subverting malware.

In Beta 1, Vista’s Parental Controls system could limit access to games by name, content, or ESRB rating. This was nice, but most parents are more concerned about what their kids are doing online and how long they’re spending soldered to their sys-tems. Now that the Parental Controls system has all its planned features it addresses these issues, going much further than in Beta 1 and rivaling some third-party products. The administrator can limit the days and times each user is allowed on the computer and establish a list of approved programs (denying access to all others). Web-site fi ltering based on content, whitelists, and blacklists is available on a per-user basis. And Activity Monitoring will report a wealth of details about the user’s actions, including the top ten sites visited, blocked sites, fi les downloaded, applica-tions launched, and more. I put a Standard account under Parental Control and tried to hack the protec-tion, but I couldn’t break it.

Because You Need Better Security

PARENTAL CONTROLS Parents can limit kids’ Web site access and game-playing—and see detailed activity reports (above). The clear, simple Time Re-strictions grid (right) lets parents easily defi ne which hours on which days which kids can be logged on.

Vista SecretIn any folder containing image fi les, click “Slide Show” in Windows Ex-plorer to create a great-looking impromptu slide show, albeit one that takes a decent amount of graphics horsepower. Windows XP’s included slide show is rudimentary by comparison.

Red=Danger!

Green=Certifi ed

Yellow=Suspicious

VISTA PREVIEW



http://www.vkvt.com/chase/index.htm

http://207.68.169.170/woodgrovebank/index.html.html

http://207.68.169.170/woodgrovebank/index.html.html

https://www.woodgrovebank.com/


Unlike the fi rewall in Windows XP, the Windows Firewall in Vista protects against unauthorized out-bound connections. New in the latest CTP, this outbound protection has a confi guration interface. It’s not for the faint of heart, but an expert user can tweak dozens of existing exceptions or create new exceptions to let specifi c programs do their job.

When I travel with my notebook, I’m always concerned that someone will swipe it and use the many tools out there to get a peek behind the PC-Mag curtain. Vista’s BitLocker Drive Encryption

WHAT ABOUT LONGHORN SERVER? Though most of the ex-citement in the OS world is focusing on Windows Vista, some people may be even more anxious to see Longhorn Server, scheduled to be released next year. I spoke with Microsoft about its plans for the next Windows Server.

As with the client OS, the development team cites security, management, system health, and reliability as chief concerns. This new server release will have major improvements, starting with the installation process, which includes a signifi cant proce-dural change: The system remains in a “shields-up” mode until it is suffi ciently secured. The Administrator can specify roles with a system defi nition model, such as Web server or terminal server, at install time, and the system will automatically search for and apply the appropriate patches. It will also limit the at-tack surface by disabling services and features not necessary for the server’s defi ned role.

To ensure good system and network health, Longhorn Server adds NAP, or Network Address Protection. NAP can be confi gured to require that computers attempting to connect to your network comply with predefi ned requirements. Adminis-trators can create policies to validate each new computer’s sys-tem health before any general communication on the network takes place. Noncompliant computers can be automatically updated or restricted until they become compliant.

Longhorn’s new error-reporting system is tied closely into other administrative elements. It will allow for far greater log data storage and help with analytical troubleshooting. Rather than browsing miles of log entries in the log viewer, administra-tors will have access to the data where they actually confi gure specifi c system components.

Longhorn Server will also include a host of other improve-ments and new features, including improved management capabilities, a new version of Internet Information Services, and a distributed cached-storage technology. In addition, Longhorn will include “Windows Communications Foundation,” which will

aid in distributing applications over the network, and a “self-healing” fi ling system.

Alongside the long-awaited Longhorn Beta 2 release, Micro-soft will also release management improvements like “Monad,” a new scripting shell that provides Unix/Linux–style command-line administration.

Since the initial Beta 1 release last July, Microsoft has re-leased some builds of the next Windows Server, but none were classifi ed as CTPs or betas. Before the actual release, we expect to see another major beta, and I for one can’t wait to get my hands on it.—Oliver Kaven

Vista SecretIf you accidentally over-write a document, you can use Vista’s imple-mentation of Volume Shadow Copy to roll back changes—just click on the fi le and select “Previous Versions” on the Win-dows Explorer toolbar.

(formerly Secure Startup Volume Encryp-tion) will help, making the drive unread-able to all but me. In the earlier beta this would work only on a system containing a Trusted Platform Module chip. Merci-fully, BitLocker now works on any system, encrypting all but a sliver of the boot disk. Systems can be decrypted at start-up after you supply the password or insert a coded USB drive. A laptop thus protected may still be lost or stolen, but the data on it won’t be revealed.

Digging into the Group Policy settings, I discovered two useful security secrets.

The new Removable Storage Access policy can deny read, write, or execute status to removable devices—from CD drives to personal audio players—to prohibit “slurping” fi les into an iPod or thumb drive. And the Device Installation Restrictions policy limits the types of devices that can be in-stalled, though you need to know the Device ID or Device Class.

Will hackers fi nd weak spots in Vista? Most defi -nitely—but from what I can see, they’re going to have to work a lot harder at it.—Neil J. Rubenking

Illustration by Alex Eban Meyer



Vista SecretsIn IE7, hold Control and spin the mouse wheel to zoom in or out on an en-tire Web page, including graphics.

To show all the shared fi les and folders on your computer, open File and Printer Sharing from the Control Panel and follow the links.

You can detach gadgets from the Sidebar so they fl oat on your desktop.

SIDESHOW Splice some fl ip-phone genes onto your laptop and you have SideShow. PortalPlayer is working with notebook vendors on prototypes that sup-port this very cool, in-tegrated display, which works even when the laptop is off.

SideShow window (detail)

VISTA PREVIEW

SideShow may not be here today, but Vista’s new power management features are something you can benefi t from right now. Notebooks running the new OS at last approach the near-instant on-off switching that we’ve come to expect from consumer electron-ics devices. Vista’s new Sleep mode replaces distinct Standby and Hibernate modes. Press the power-button icon on the Start menu and your machine will fall into a slumber almost instantaneously. Vista writes the contents of memory to disk so they won’t be lost if the battery runs out of juice; but it also keeps that information in memory, so a typical restart is very quick, since Vista doesn’t need to read from the disk. Although the sleep/resume sequence has been crash-prone in the releases we’ve tested so far, I like the direction Microsoft is taking here. The Control Panel also includes a new Power Options applet with easy-to-understand “power plans”—profi les that let you select device timeouts and choose to favor faster performance or longer battery life.

Be sure to check out the convenient mobility cen-ter, which unifi es all your laptop-centric features in one place. Try plugging in an external display; Vista automatically detects it and helps you configure it. Vista also includes improved options for confi guring wireless networking.

Another feature is an interesting performance-en-hancement technique called SuperFetch. If you carry around a USB key for storing data, you can instruct Vista to use the storage on that key as a quicker alternative to

BEYOND THE NEW AD HOC NETWORK-

ING and collaboration capabilities, frequent travelers—or really, any of us who carry notebook computers—have some particularly compelling reasons to want Windows Vista now.

To begin with, I really like the way Vista collects key mobility-related features into a convenient Mobil-ity Center. The new OS also improves power manage-ment, includes better wireless-networking features, and promises to enhance performance and security. Vista’s slick Aero Glass interface will even run on suf-ficiently high-powered notebooks—but temper your enthusiasm; using it on notebooks has presented nu-merous compatibility and stability problems. Lately I’ve been traveling with a Vista notebook in my bag—but it’s nestled in there alongside another notebook that runs Windows XP and serves as an essential backup.

Vista’s sexiest mobility feature is what Micro-soft calls SideShow. Think of the external display on a clamshell cell phone. A SideShow display can perform a similar purpose, displaying for example, a calendar, contact information, stock quotes, or e-mail subject lines. The coolest part: The SideShow display will work even when the computer itself is powered down. That means no more waiting for your machine to boot up just so you can get directions to your next appointment. Now all that remains is for hardware manufacturers to start designing devices with SideShow-capable secondary displays.

Because You’re Mobile



JANUARY IS THE NEW DECEMBER There’s no doubt that Vista will be a major upgrade, but it’s been clear for some time that, even as its projected release date slipped, the OS wouldn’t live up to Microsoft’s original grand vision. (See “Coulda, Shoulda, Woulda,” go.pcmag.com/couldashoulda.) And then, just as we went to press in late March, Microsoft announced a delay in the release of its new OS. Again. According to the company, busi-nesses with “volume licensing” agreements will be able to get their hands on the fi nal Vista bits in November, but everyone else—including consumers—will have to wait until January 2007. Previously, the company had said Vista would ship in time for the December holiday season.

Microsoft claims the delay is because of quality concerns. “Product quality is the fi rst priority. We won’t compromise on that,” said Jim Allchin, copresident of Microsoft’s Platforms & Services Division, in a conference call with reporters and ana-lysts. When asked for further details, Allchin said the compa-ny—and some of its partners—had concerns about performance, drivers, testing, and security. (What does that leave out?)

The company downplayed the impact this delay might have on retailers and PC makers counting on selling Vista-equipped machines for the holidays. “January has emerged as almost a second Christmas, with gift cards, sales, etc. It’s a new trend,” said Brad Goldberg, general manger with Microsoft’s Windows Client Product Management team.

But not everyone agrees. “I think that the delay is signifi cant. . . . Microsoft is missing a key time over the holidays in bringing Vista to the most consumers possible at launch,” said one Microsoft TAP (Technology Adoption Partner) tester, who requested anonymity.

Microsoft preferred to emphasize that Vista will still be available to some customers in 2006, as it has promised for nearly two years. This is true—though it may not be as signifi -cant as the company would have you believe. “While Microsoft says software will be available to businesses through volume licensing,” said Joe Wilcox, an analyst with Jupiter Research, “the company’s own fi nancials show that a small percentage of customers purchase that way. Most businesses buy Windows on new PCs, and these won’t be coming until 2007.”—Mary Jo Foley

Are you a gambling man?

MOBILITY CENTERVista’s Mobility Center gathers settings particu-larly useful for notebook users, including bright-ness, which affects bat-tery life, presentation mode controls, and wire-less connectivity.

storing data in the Windows swap file. The USB memory won’t be nearly as fast as the system mem-ory on the motherboard, but can potentially be far faster than ac-cessing a mechanical hard drive. (Even though a hard drive may be able to stream data out more quickly, it’s hampered by its need to move mechanical parts every time it seeks data.)

IT managers who have to cope with a mobile workforce will fi nd Vista offers a lot of advantages as well. BitLocker (which is described in “Because You Need Better Security,” page 74) will help secure data. And because notebooks can also be a vector for viruses and other malware to infi ltrate a corporate net-work, Vista’s Network Access Protection lets adminis-trators segregate notebooks onto a restricted network segment until they meet minimum standards for OS patch levels and antivirus protection. Vista’s Group Policy Editor supports the ability to disable USB-based storage devices to prevent people from copying

sensitive data onto a USB key.For Tablet PC users, Vista also includes improved,

trainable handwriting recognition, and support for gestures.

Because Vista is still in beta and has its share of compatibility and stability problems, we wouldn’t recommend hitting the road with a Vista-only note-book and no backup plan. Even so, it’s clear that mobile workers have a lot of reasons to want to start exploring it now.—John Clyman

Why Vista Is Late


http://go.pcmag.com/couldashoulda


Vista SecretWhen multiple instances of an application are grouped into a single taskbar button, click-ing the button and then mousing over individual instances of the applica-tion previews each app window independently.

WINDOWS CALENDARFinally, a simple calen-dar app right in the OS. It’s not terribly sophis-ticated, but it’s a very welcome addition.

WINDOWS COLLABORATION Walk into a meeting and Win-dows will help you work with other participants, sharing applications and information.

VISTA PREVIEW

open the invitation and enter the password, and you all then fi nd yourselves in a shared workspace. You can share individual application windows or fi les, transfer control to other users, and instant-message other participants.

Vista also includes a Network Projection feature that lets you connect to networked LCD projectors, which are becoming more commonplace, either by entering a specifi c known address or by browsing the LAN for suitable devices.

In general, I like Vista’s simplifi ed facilities for confi guring and browsing networks. The new Net-work Center applet in the Control Panel provides a one-stop overview of all your network settings. Vista’s network map automatically discovers and displays various devices on your network. And I was psyched to fi nd that Vista maintains multiple net-work profi les (no more reconfi guring network set-tings manually every time I visit a different offi ce), simplifi es connection to wireless networks, and pro-vides additional network-troubleshooting tools. Vista also simplifi es common tasks such as fi le sharing.

There’s more below the surface. Vista’s “People Near Me” API gives developers a suite of tools to help build peer-to-peer applications that can auto-matically identify people who are physically nearby on the network. Similarly, a Network Awareness API lets applications detect when a PC starts using a different connection—and behave appropriately. And Microsoft has largely rewritten the operating system’s TCP/IP stack; among other improvements, it directly supports IPv6 and enables it by default.

As in Windows XP, Microsoft will include differ-ent sets of networking features in different editions of Windows. Remote Desktop, for example, will be available in the Vista Business, Vista Enterprise, and Vista Ultimate editions, but not in the Home editions.

Calendar applications might not seem all that ex-citing or important—until you need to schedule a meeting between various members of a work team or a family. Windows Calendar’s interface will be familiar to Outlook calendar users. The app lets you create appointments, including all-day and re-curring appointments, and specify reminders with variable lead times. You can invite other users to a meeting via e-mail, publish a calendar to a WebDAV server to share it over the Internet, and subscribe to other users’ published calendars. Windows Calendar (nominally) supports multiple time zones and task tracking. It’s not a substitute for Outlook—it can’t sync with mobile devices, for example—but it does support the iCalendar calendar-sharing format and certainly should fulfi ll casual users’ appointment-tracking needs.—John Clyman

WITH ITS ROOTS IN DESKTOP

operating systems and appli-cations, Microsoft hasn’t al-ways been fi rst to recognize the importance of network-ing and collaboration. Vista,

though, makes some signifi cant strides in this area, with several new features built in. The changes ex-tend all the way from the low-level TCP/IP stack to the application level. Vista even includes—at last!—a simple calendar application that lets you schedule meetings with others.

The feature I’m most excited about here is Win-dows Collaboration. Now, when you walk into a meeting room (or café) full of other notebook-toting users, Windows gives you an easy way to work collaboratively. Windows Collaboration pro-vides an impressively seamless way to share appli-cations and supporting fi les ad hoc among a small group of other Vista users. Vista is supposed to let Wi-Fi–enabled notebooks establish a peer-to-peer network in spots that lack Wi-Fi infrastructure or even an Internet connection.

When you launch it, Win dows Collaboration asks if you’d like it to en-able fi le synchronization automatically and set up the required Windows Firewall exceptions. You then have an opportunity to start a new collabora-tion session or join an ex-isting one. Choose peo-ple to invite—via e-mail or a fi le share—and set a password. Invitees just

To Work Together Better


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Keeping Upwith the

TORTUGOThe Concept: Designed by a mother to keep the kids entertained during long trips, this portable DVD player/activity center conceals a digital scribble pad underneath the digital camera (the fl at circular component). A child can pop out the camera and snap some shots. Photos are auto-matically downloaded and displayed on screen. A retractable shoulder strap and a soft pouch for snacks are included. Designer: Lunar Design

SANDRINE LEBAS Senior Industrial Designer,Lunar Design

We observed children

throughout their day

—the way they use

technology and

what activities they

do. We came up with

the idea that a lot of

products are still to be

designed with existing

technology. Sometimes

you don’t have to go

to advanced technolo-

gies for newness. My

daughter is 2 1/2, and

I can totally see her

using this product.

E ASKED THE INDUSTRY’S TOP DESIGN EXPERTS TO

reveal their most innovative ideas for future products. Some of these concepts will become commercial prod-ucts in the near future. For others, we’ll have to wait until the technology catches up with the imagination. Freeing themselves from the real-life limitations of

bandwidth, processing power, battery life, and screen resolution, our de-signers imagined a fascinating array of inventions, including a snowboard that displays messages, a video postcard, a personal projection necklace, and a networking pen. Here are some of their most inspired concepts.



A fl eet of concept designs that propel tech gear into tomorrow.BY CAROL L. GONSHER AND ERIK RHEY

DIGITAL BRACELETThe Concept: The high-tech hub of Nokia’s always-connected Star Trek lifestyle, this bracelet contains a cell phone and a remote to control your personal content and entertainment gear. Through an indoor positioning system it will automatically sync with whatever “eco-system” you step into (home, work, or the mall). It also recognizes voices and gestures and has built-in RFID and broadband. A great idea for an all-in-one convergence device—as long as you don’t misplace it.Designer: Nokia

Jetsons



MICROMEDIA PAPERThe Concept: Bringing the concept of moving, talking photos from Harry Potter to real life, this paper-thin media player—complete with display, battery, and memory—lets you record video. Send it as a greeting card to Grandma and she can watch it without fi ddling with a PC or DVD player. A ten-pack will sell for around $35. All the enabling technologies are now in development.Designer: Lunar Design

MAX YOSHIMOTO VP, Design, Lunar Design

Our goal is to get

people to think

differently about

how to trade media

back and forth. It’s

an idea based around

fl exible electronics

techniques—fl exible

printed circuit boards,

displays, and power.

It’s almost like a

postcard of the future.

GELFROGThe Concept: For kids only: This super-pliable rubberized notebook is not only rugged and lightweight but light-years ahead in software design. The gelfrog’s smart skin acts as a mobile mirror, a photo slide show, or a video projector. Using its micro camera, it can run a cloning algorithm that scans the owner’s outfi t and projects a match-ing pattern on its own surface. Students can scan images from their surroundings and can study several topics via a single interface.Designer: frog design


SMART PILL BOTTLEThe Concept: Electronic ink is just the prescrip-tion for this smart pill bottle that does everything but take your pills for you. Twisting the cap onto the base activates the label, which displays information such as when the last dose was taken, when a refi ll will be needed, and warning messages. The brains are built into the cap, which communicates wirelessly with your pharmacist.Designer: Design Continuum

EXO OVERMOLDING SYSTEMThe Concept: Prefer your notebook in suede or denim? Inclosia Solutions, a spin-off from Dow Chemical, has developed an injection molding process that bakes fabric, leather, wood, or metal onto the plastic housing of notebooks. But luxury trim won’t come cheap. In a consumer study the company ran, people said they’d pay an extra $62 for a cell phone and $143 for a notebook with the new treatment. Look for it initially in Europe this year.

Designer: Inclosia Solutions


MICHEL ALVAREZIndustrial designer, Design Continuum

In redesigning one of

the most misused and

prevalent products in

our society, I wanted

to improve the com-

munication between

consumers and their

prescriptions. Flexible

display technology

from E Ink lets this

product speak more

to the user’s necessities.


Photo (Top Left) Skylar Reeves84 PC MAGAZINE MAY 9, 2006

TRIBONSThe Concept: Guaranteed to garner odd looks, the Tribons is a wearable laser projection system that exists mostly in the imagination of frog design CEO Hart-mut Esslinger, the leg-endary visionary behind early Apple computers. Controlled by an intuitive 3D interface, the Tribons projects educational material and gives kids access to environments they would otherwise not be able to experience. An extra medical module can monitor the wearer’s health.Designer: frog design

PAUL BRADLEY Project Lead, IDEO

It really needed to be

compelling to kids so

that they could play and

learn. Spark doesn’t say

“education” like a laptop.

We were going for a

much more personal

feel, for the way kids

relate to gaming devices

that become precious

to them.

SPARKThe Concept: Hatched in collaboration with Project Inkwell, a group aiming to bring the tech industry together on a spec for educational computers for the K-12 set, the ultraportable, ruggedized Spark is designed to withstand abuse. It has always-on real-time access to the Internet, peer-to-peer networking and online journaling, a docking station, a pen, a headphone, and a personalized cover. It’s also waterproof. Design house IDEO gets an A+ for this one. Designer: IDEO


Power for the display is created by tapping, stomping, bending, or riding the board.

Piezoelectric power source


P-ISMThe Concept: If you think the fanciest pen you can buy is a Mont Blanc, NEC has one-upped it with the minimalist personal networking pen. It’s a cell phone with hand-writing recognition, a virtual keyboard, a tiny projector, a camera scanner, and a personal ID key with cashless pass function. P-ISMs can connect to each other wirelessly, and the whole set is connected to the Internet through the cell phone. Designer: NEC

TAGThe Concept: For cell-phone klutzes or techno-fashionistas, this NEC “soft-shell” mobile phone is de rigueur for your wardrobe. The phone is so fl exible it can wrap around your arm. Shape-memorizing material and multiple pressure sensors allow it to change shape from its phone mode to its video mode.Designer: NEC

MIKE TRACZIndustrial Designer, Design Continuum

The risks associated

with snowboarding, like

getting lost, equipment

theft, being separated

from one’s group, or

losing track of time,

presented an interesting

chance to incorporate

design to improve the

experience or prevent

these potential pitfalls.

E- SNOWBOARDThe Concept: The next phase of multitasking for teens is checking your stats while nailing a frontside ollie or an Andrecht. Your kids will impress their friends with this totally sick snowboard that displays reminders, real-time directions, time, and compass and altimeter readings via an electronic ink display that covers almost its entire surface. Power is created by tapping, stomping, bending, or riding the board.Designer: Design Continuum


REAL-WORLD TESTING


Talk is cheap—and so is Loyd Case. Our man hits the stores for $20 keyboards.

Keyboards For Less




Jim Louderback’s Keyboard TipsI’m a bit of a keyboard nut. I’ve got a basement full of old IBM PS/2 keyboards, because the buckling spring action delivers the best tactile feedback of any I’ve found—way better than those rubber domes in-side cheaper models. If you can afford a few more bucks, check out my favorite, from Unicomp (www.pckeyboard.com). Unicomp pur-chased IBM’s keyboard technology and contin-ues to make what I con-sider the best keyboards on earth. If you touch-type and value mechanical tactile feed-back, these are the ones for you. Even better, they’re not too expen-sive—they start at $50. For a few more bucks you can get an integrated pointing stick, and the space-saver model emu-lates the best of IBM’s notebook keyboards.

IT ’S TRUE. WE’RE FINICKY ABOUT KEY-

boards. We write a lot of stories here at PC Magazine, and the right keyboard makes typing thousands ofwords a week much easier to bear. We also play a few PC games. It’s a shocking idea, I know—after all, it’s obvious that we’re a very serious bunch.

Interestingly, the needs of PC gamers and the wants of touch typists aren’t always the same. A touch typist needs to be able, well, to type—often at fairly high speeds, with reliable key presses and tactile feedback. A gamer needs a responsive keyboard with a layout that’s not too odd. Therein lies the problem with dedicated gamer keyboards, like the Wolf Claw, a mostly normal keyboard with a wacky circular gam-ing area. It’s great for gaming but impractical for most anything else. Logitech’s G15 is a good compromise, or Microsoft’s Natural Ergonomic Keyboard 4000, but these are pricey, and not everyone needs (or can afford) a $50-to-$70 keyboard.

I wanted to help. Knowing the ideal solution was out there somewhere, I grabbed a credit card and did a

little shopping. The keyboards I found weren’t one-off, Internet-only specials, and none were special

sale items. Four were on the shelf at a local Fry’s Electronics, and two were bought at

Central Computers, a white-box outfi t in the San Francisco Bay Area. But

all were under $20, and three were less than ten bucks.

Of the six items I found, all were essentially

straight keyboards, not split designs, though the Micro-

soft model does add a curve to the keyboard

row to relax the wrist po-sition slightly. Oh, and none

are wireless. While you may occasionally see deals on wireless

keyboards online, the cheapest one I could fi nd was $29. All connected via

the PS/2 port except the Microsoft Com-fort Curve 2000, which is USB.

I tested the keyboards by typing parts of several articles on each one and gaming with Unreal Tourna-ment 2004 for relatively extended sessions—work-ing around here can be a tough job sometimes. With these thoughts in mind, let’s take a look at the individ-ual keyboards. We’ll start with the lowest-priced key-boards and work our way up. A fi nal thought: These keyboards may not be available everywhere. And even

if you do fi nd them, they may not be as cheap in your local store as they were in mine. It takes some hunting to be a true cheap geek.

Smaller, Not BetterFirst out of the shopping bag: the Inland Pro Keyboard Typematic, pulled from the shelves at Central Com-puters for a mere $7.99. If you have a snug work area, this may be a useful keyboard. It offers buttons for Power and Sleep, plus a unique Turbo button. When you press the Turbo button simultaneously with one of the fi rst seven Function keys, you can increase or decrease the speed of repeated keys.

The Inland feels cramped. The width of the home key row is 2mm less than on most of the other key-boards—a minute number but a big difference: It felt small, and my fi ngers felt too close when typing. And it’s a noisy keyboard, making lots of loose click-ing noises and requiring extra force to press the keys. Pressing the Turbo and F11 keys locks and unlocks the keyboard. If you have cats or small children, this is a useful feature, but it’s not for security, since you don’t need a password to unlock it. The only things this keyboard really has going for it are its low price and compact size. Everything else is something to avoid. Next!

Cheap Fry’s GearIn disgust I turned to my giant Fry’s shopping bag and pulled out the $8.99 Labtec Media Keyboard. Labtec is part of Logitech now, although you’d never know it from this keyboard, which feels nothing like most Logitech keyboards.

The Labtec’s keys feel mushy and take a fair amount of pressure. Tactile feedback is also poor, and often when I thought I had pressed the right key, I found that I had made a typing error. I got better over time but still made a lot more mistakes than I would have on a good keyboard. Playing UT2004 was just fi ne, although after the session my fi ngers were a bit tired. Overall, this keyboard is hardly a joy to type on, but it gets the job done. And some users may appreci-ate the full set of customizable buttons. I’ll pass.

Another Fry’s gem was next, from Key Tronic—a brand that’s been around about as long as the IBM PC. The overall spacing, layout, and key depth of the $9.95 Key Tronic KT800PS2 are actually reminis-cent of the original PC keyboard, but the Key Tronic doesn’t offer that clicky key feedback that endeared the original IBM unit to its users. In fact, the Key Tronic required the greatest pressure of any keyboard I tested—an excessive amount, really. Nevertheless, this keyboard is built like a tank, so if you need a rug-ged model, this will serve you well.

BY LOYD CASE


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MORE ON THE WEBLooking for a fancier key-board? Or something with slightly more style? Go shop-ping at shop.pcmag.com.


R E A L - W O R L D T E S T I N G

Next up: the BTC Multimedia Keyboard ($12.99), which offers the same Internet and multimedia keys as the Labtec, Logitech, and Microsoft models. The transport keys are a full set, including a Skip Track For-ward and Backward button, though the Up Arrow key butts against the End key, which makes it too easy to press the wrong one.

The keyboard ships with a fl oppy (!) that installs a utility for redefi ning the special Function buttons. The keyboard is the only one I tested with multiple height angle adjustments, but the process seems to make for fragile results. Playing UT2004 worked well, and the light key presses make game play easier. Your $12.99 buys some nice amenities with the BTC.

Finally, at the bottom of my shopping bag, the good stuff. At nearly $20, the Microsoft Comfort Curve Keyboard 2000 is sort of expensive, but it’s the closest approximation to a split ergonomic keyboard I tested. Microsoft curves the main keyboard layout around an invisible inverted arc at the top, which seems to relax the wrist a bit.

Keyboard presses are harder than they should be, though not as hard as on the Key Tronic or Labtec boards, and the depth of press is a little shallow, though not as shallow as on a laptop. Additionally, this is the only USB keyboard I found. It was great to type on but less useful for gaming. The raised top of the function keys makes it easy to slide off and press an adjacent function key—a real nuisance for gamers.

Is There a Winner?Fry’s merchandise was exhausted, and I hadn’t found the perfect cheapo keyboard, so I swung back to Cen-tral Computer—and found the full-featured Logitech Media Keyboard ($19.95), all of four cents cheaper than Microsoft’s Comfort Curve. Keystrokes are pleasantly light, and the keyboard offers good tactile feedback, although it’s a tad mushy. Media and Inter-net buttons work without any need to install a custom driver. I thought the rounded function keys would be distracting during gaming, but this fear proved base-less. The spacing between the buttons meant no in-correct presses, and extended game sessions weren’t overly taxing to my tired hands.

Logitech supplies a full version of their SetPoint keyboard driver and utility software with the key-board, allowing you to customize the buttons easily. Setup will happily install extraneous stuff, like eBay links and Musicmatch, so be sure you uncheck those if you don’t want them. This is a pleasant keyboard for both typing and gaming, with some additional ameni-ties. Then again, if you’re mostly typing, the Microsoft Comfort Curve Keyboard 2000 is worth considering for its wrist relief.

Keyboards are very personal choices, of course, and your needs may differ. Consider the layout, the feel, and your application before choosing one that’s right for you. There are some fi ne keyboards out there for less than $20. All you need to do is a little shopping.

INLAND PRO KEYBOARD TYPEMATICFeels very cheap, and key spacing seems tight. To be fair, it is wicked cheap—just $7.99!

MICROSOFT COMFORT CURVE KEYBOARD 2000Relaxes the wrist angle a bit for easier typing. Raised curve to Function keys is less than ideal for gaming.

KEY TRONIC KT800PS2Nicely sculpted keys and rugged de-sign. Built like a tank, this keyboard is so solid you’ll never wear it out.

LOGITECH MEDIA KEYBOARDNice set of amenities, including a useful customization utility. Rotated Home/Page Down cluster may annoy some. Physically large compared to other keyboards.

LABTEC MEDIA KEYBOARDGood layout; very nice utility for cus-tomizing special buttons. But keys feel mushy, and presses take too much effort.

BTC MULTIMEDIA KEYBOARDDirection arrows too close to the Page Down cluster. Multi-media transports laid out well.


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HIGH-PERFORMANCE PERSONAL COMPUTERS ARE THERMAL

nightmares. As GPUs and CPUs have become more powerful, their heat output has skyrocketed. AMD’s top-of-the-line Athlon 64 X2 4800+ is rated at 105W, while Intel’s Pentium D 840 runs even higher, at 130W—as Paris Hilton would say, that’s hot. The typical way to dissipate all that heat? Throw extra cooling at the system—in other words, add

more fans. Pretty soon, you’ve got more fans in your system than a B-36 bomber had propel-lers—and your system is as loud, too. You can’t control the heat output (without moving to lower-performing components), but you can control the noise. Read on to fi nd out how.

A Silent PCB U I L D I T

When your gaming PC is as loud as a refrigerator, you know you’ve got trouble. Photograph by Bonnie Holland

BY LOYD CASE




1Expose adhesive The AcoustiPack kit has to

be installed in a certain order. The thin manual is surprisingly complete, but it takes deciphering; the key is to follow the directions, but take extra care. All the pieces are sticky on one side, with a thin layer of plastic back-ing you have to peel off.

SILENCE THE CASE

Fix Fans To nullify your noise problems, fi rst identify the loudest component in your system—then do something about it. If fan noise is a problem, place a fi nger on the center of each fan to halt it and listen for the noise drop. A quick pause in any one fan won’t cause the hardware under it to overheat, but it will let you fi nd out which one is making the biggest racket.

Silent and deadly We went with the Antec Sonata II because it looks good—and because we could get an aftermarket noise reduction kit. Inside, foam bits adhere to the case’s panels.

Making a Quiet Case Quieter

HERE ARE A HANDFUL OF SMALL COM-

panies that will “pre-mod” a case for you, adding noise-reducing panels, extra-quiet fans, fan-speed control-lers, and even vibration-reducing grommets. The well-respected pre-

modder mnpctech produces a customized Thermal-take Tsunami that does a respectable job (we should know, having spent considerable time with one). But we wanted to do it ourselves, using a case we liked a little better. The Tsunami is a decent case, but we’re not really into its heavy, full-length swinging door. Besides, the Tsunami out of the box isn’t really de-signed for low noise.

We chose an old standby, the Antec Sonata II. It’s an attractive case and has room for expansion. This case also has a sturdy but relatively accessible interior, so it’s fairly easy to work on. (A large cool-

ing duct that vents air from the CPU cooler out of the case gets in the way, but that part is easy to remove.) Those are not the only reasons for choos-ing the Sonata II, however: the AcoustiPack precut noise reduction kit really won us over. You can buy noise reduction plastic or foam materials, of course, and you can cut them yourself for any PC case. But anyone who’s tried to cut a straight line through a piece of foam with a craft knife or Dremel will un-derstand the appeal of a precut kit. You can fi nd it at www.acoustiproducts.com.

The AcoustiPack foam is a semi-open-cell mate-rial that can absorb sound. It’s backed by a high-density layer of plastic that attenuates whatever audio energy makes it past the foam. This plastic is also the backing material for the adhesive layer, which attaches the foam to the case. The kit comes with 18 precut pieces.

Replace a Case FanIf one of your case fans is too noisy (and it probably is), buy a new one. Held in by just four screws and two wires, case fans are easy to replace, and the new ones are very cheap and noticeably quieter. We like Antec’s popular SmartCool fans: They have internal tempera-ture sensors, which let them adjust their speed second by second to suit your PC’s cooling needs. SmartCool fans don’t require the generic three-prong mother-board connectors that your current fans probably have; they use standard Molex connectors for power. Their temperature-sensing technology is internal and operates independently of the computer system. Each fan costs around $18.

2 Wedge in the foam In some cases,

you need to slide the foam—with the adhesive exposed—into crevices. Orient the case so gravity pulls on the nonadhesive side. The good news: If you make a mistake, the foam pulls up fairly easily, and it’s tough enough not to tear.

3Remove the bezel For a complete job,

remove the front bezel. The left-side panel can’t be removed, so carefully lever the latches on that side of the bezel out by wiggling it back and forth—just be careful get-ting the plastic tabs out of their holes, or you’ll break them.

4 Reduce noise leaks Carefully remove the

cabling from the interior of the case. You’ll need to remove four screws to detach the lower half of the front bezel. Once that’s done, you can install the foam that’s specially cut for it. The precut sections should adhere easily.

Buying precut

foam is easier

than making

your own

B U I L D I T


http://www.acoustiproducts.com

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Only eWEEK provides news, analysis and real world reviews to help senior ITdecision-makers reach the right decisions in building their enterprise infrastructure.

SSPPEECCIIAALLOOFFFFEERR FFOORR

PPCC MMAAGGAAZZIINNEEDDIIGGIITTAALL

RREEAADDEERRSS

SSPPEECCIIAALLOOFFFFEERR FFOORR

PPCC MMAAGGAAZZIINNEEDDIIGGIITTAALL

RREEAADDEERRSS


http://www.omeda.com/ziff/ewk/ewk.cgi?&t=whback&p=ldpc2


Mother of all boards The ABIT AN8 32X supports the nVidia SLI X16 chipset, with a full 16 lanes of PCI Express to each channel. That’s a lot of graphics goodness.

Power Supply and Motherboard

WWE WANTED A FAIRLY POTENT POWER

supply, on the off chance that we might someday want to install two graphics cards in the system. We’re not big fans of the two sys-

tems out there, CrossFire and SLI—the gain isn’t always worth the confi guration pain. But if the right game comes along. . . . So we ripped out the included 450W unit and sought something else.

Not all power supplies are created equal, of course, as we discovered in recent power supply testing (see go.extremetech.com/powersupplies). One model that impressed us with its effi ciency and rela-tively low noise is the 600W Seasonic S12. Rated at better than 80 percent effi ciency (meaning it wastes little power and generates less unnecessary heat),

the S12 is one of the quieter high-performance pow-er supplies available. It even has two PCIe six-pin graphics card power connectors, and it passed our CrossFire and SLI tests with aplomb.

We wanted a leading-edge motherboard, and the spanking-new ABIT AN8 32X motherboard seemed just the ticket. The key is the passively cooled chip-set, called Silent OTES (short for outside thermal exhaust system, of course). ABIT uses a combina-tion of passive heat sinks and a heat pipe to direct the chipset’s heat to the rear of the chassis, where it’s exhausted out of the case. That removes a sub-stantial source of annoying noise: the northbridge fan. Two gigabytes of Corsair’s Twinx2048-4000PT memory and an AMD Athlon 64 FX-57 processor rounded out the system.

Drive Noise Out For many systems, it’s easy to identify the loudest part, even from clear across the room: an ancient (or, as we like to say, classic) hard drive. Molex makes a product called SilentDrive, basi-cally a foam-lined sleeve that swallows most standard-size IDE and SCSI drives (recom-mended for 5,400-rpm drives only) while still allowing them to function normally. It’ll silence the high-pitched whine of a noisy hard drive.

Add a Drive There’s a second solution for loud hard disks: Buy a new one. We bet you can fi nd a faster, larger, quieter drive for under a hundred dollars. Use Norton Ghost or a similar tool to replicate the old drive’s partition onto the new drive, set aside the old one, and it’s business as usual. You’ve got a backup as well! Samsung’s SpinPoint line is popular for its quiet operation.

5 Foam the side door Install the foam in

other parts of the case, including the side door. Note the thin strip just below the latch. Remove it so the Sonata’s support bar has room. The lowest rectangle stays in place on the Sonata II (it needs to be removed for the older Sonata I).

6 Open the air duct The Sonata II ships

with a removable plastic duct that directs airfl ow from the CPU out the back of the case. The AcoustiPack kit comes with precut foam sec-tions for the duct, but you’ll need to disassem-ble the duct. First, take the cooling duct apart.

7 Add foam to it Then install the Acousti-

Pack foam and reas-semble the duct. When you’re done, it will look mostly the same but should run substantially quieter. Grab your reas-sembled duct and your screwdriver and mount the duct back into the Sonata case.

8 Quiet your drives Shove a couple of

foam blocks around the hard drive area. Acousti recommends not using these blocks if you plan on having more than two drives. The foam is an addi tional sound-absorb-ing layer, but it also traps heat, which could shorten your drives’ lifespans .

Look! No northbridge fan!

Don’t forget the

CPU’s separate

12V power cable!

Foam goes inside the duct


http://go.extremetech.com/powersupplies

Volume ControlHow loud is our super-quiet gaming rig? To find out, we picked up a sound meter and compared our new computer with a few others in the office. We include a few reference points to set your bearings.

Ambient room

26 dBA

Super-quietgaming rig

29 dBA

mnpc Modded Tsunami PC

35 dBA

3.46-GHz P4EE-based PC

42 dBA

Quiet office airconditioner

50 dBA

Normalconversation

60 dBA

BUILD THE COMPUTER

Bigger and Slower As cooling fans get bigger, they can turn more slowly and still move the same amount of air.

CPU Cooler and Graphics

HE CPU COOLER IS A KEY COMPONENT

in reducing noise. And remember, we didn’t want to sacrifi ce performance to cut down on noise. Since we used normal-profi le DDR memory (unlike the brightly lit but extra-tall Corsair

XMS Pro), and since the motherboard doesn’t have any tall heat sinks or other obstructions, we could use a big cooler. So in went a Zalman CNPS7700-AlCu cooler. This giant hunk of metal has a copper core and a mixture of aluminum and copper fi ns. More important, it uses a slow-rotating 120mm fan, which keeps the CPU cool while generating little noise. Tall coolers, like the Zalman CNPS9500, are quite popular, but we couldn’t fi t one in because of the presence of the case’s cooling duct.

If we were striving for a purely silent system, then we might have hunted for a fairly high-performance, passively cooled graphics card. After all, both ATI and nVidia have spent quite a few dollars engineer-ing fairly low-noise cooling solutions. The fans on ATI’s graphics cards tend to spin at full speed until the driver kicks in, however, which can be a little annoying. So we went with an nVidia-based card and put a lone EVGA e-GeForce 7900 GTX into the system. It uses a 92mm cooling fan and exhausts air out the back of the case. The result is a surprisingly quiet graphics solution.

Go Totally PassiveFor the ultimate in silence, look to Zalman, which builds a line of fanless cases that have heat pipes distributed throughout. They’re a bit limiting: Building an overclocked, 7800GTX SLI system is impractical, for example. Still, you can build a pretty decent system using one of these cases. The downside is that they’re enormously heavy and extremely expensive.

1Start with the power For the most part,

assemble the rest of the system as you would any home-brew computer. But do things in the right order. Install the power supply fi rst. Otherwise, you may have to pull the motherboard out of the PC just to install the power supply.

2 Affi x the back plate Make sure you attach

the special back plate required by the Zalman cooler before you screw the motherboard down permanently into the case. The small nipples on either side of the pro-cessor above are for the Zalman CNPS7700-AlCu CPU cooler.

3 Lock in the memory Route the wires

from the reattached front bezel next, and then attach the SATA and drive power cables before you slip the drives into their bays. Install the memory before the Zal-man heat sink, since the modules will live under the heat sink fi ns.

4 Finally, the cooler Two screws attach

the Zalman cooler to the nut that holds the plate to the motherboard. Install the fan sensor con-trol and set it for mini-mum speed. The Sonata II ships with a three-speed 12cm rear case fan. Set that to the minimum speed as well.

We use a Milwaukee

power screwdriver

all the time


B U I L D I T


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Parts ListCaseAntec Sonata II ………$100

Power supplySeasonic S12-600W .$155

CPUAthlon 64 FX-57……….$811

MemoryCorsair Twinx2048-4000PT …………………….$217

MotherboardABIT AN8 32X …………$185

CPU coolerZalman CNPS 7700-AlCu ………………....$35

Hard driveWestern Digital WD4000YR …………….$185

DVD drivePioneer DVR-108B …...$69

Graphics cardEVGA e-GeForce 7900 GTX 512MB………………$520

Sound cardCreative Sound Blaster Audigy 2 ZS ..…………………$72

Sound insulatorAcoustiPack Pre-Cut Sonata Kit ………………….$69

Total…………………......$2,418

MORE ON THE WEBLearn everything you ever wanted to know about power supply testing (but couldn’t frame into a sentence) at our sister site: go.extremetech.com/powersupplies

Sucks heat from

your CPU

AN ALTERNATE SILENCER For decades, the Peltier effect has served humanity well. Fulfi lling a humble but indispensable service inside mankind’s second most important box (the ice chest), the Peltier cooler has kept countless gallons of beer, soda, and potato salad frosty and refreshing. It works thanks to the miracle of thermodynamics: When a current passes through dissimilar metals connected at two junctions, heat also transfers between the two points, cooling one area and heating another.

The much more common liquid cooling system found in car radiators has issues. Most have reservoirs that require fi lling and use hand-cut and mounted plastic tubing—points of failure that can result in catastrophic leaks. Enter CoolIT Systems’ Freezone CPU Cooler, the love child of Peltier and liquid cooling. It employs a water block to transfer heat to a stack of six Peltier coolers. At stock speeds, idle temperatures seesawed from 16° C to 21° C, and this system was real, real quiet. Spending a small fortune on this cooler is a decision you should make with your fi nancial adviser (it retails for $399.99). But you’d blow that money on beer anyway.—Victor Loh, analyst, ExtremeTech

After: Case closed We’ve reinstalled the air duct, now packed with sound-absorbing foam.

Before and After

SSPEND A LITTLE TIME ROUTING CABLES

inside the case. The large, exposed fan on the Zalman CPU cooler means you need to make sure no stray wires fall into the fan blades. And don’t forget to reinstall the CPU duct. Here’s what it all looked

like, before and after installing the CPU duct.But we know what you’re waiting to hear: Just

how quiet was this rig? Overall, the system was eerily quiet—this in a quiet offi ce with nothing else running. It measured 29 decibels (dBA), quieter than most systems and much quieter than the aver-age gaming PC cum jumbo jet. At 1 meter from the front, you had to strain to hear the system run, even at full bore. (By the way, our system scored 5,206 on 3DMark 2006. That’s not bad for a system you can’t hear.)

Pricewise, our PC’s not too expensive—at least not for a bleeding-edge gaming system. Note that the AcoustiPack kit costs only about $69; you can

fi nd dealers at www.acoustiproducts.com. The heat sink adds another $35, and the power supply isn’t cheap, either. But you’re still paying way less than $2,500 for a very quiet PC.

Of course, you can use this approach with any PC you build. All you really need is the Antec Sonata II and the AcoustiPack insulation kit. Even if you don’t go with a higher-performance power supply, the Antec 450W unit supplied with the case is pretty quiet. And the AcoustiPack kit provides substantial noise reduction, even with fairly stock CPU coolers. If you want to use another case, AcoustiPack offers sheets of sound-deadening material that you can buy, but you’ll have to do the cutting yourself. And as we’ve seen, some of the pieces can have fairly eccentric shapes.

So go ahead, build a quiet high-performance PC. Your ears and your housemates will thank you.

The radiator The water block, which CoolIT calls the Fluid Heat Exchanger (FHE), comes with a layer of thermal paste from the factory.

BD (before duct) All the hardware is in. We just have to add the cooling duct and button it up.

Air fl ow


B U I L D I T

J U M P TO N E X T PA G E >>




http://www.acoustiproducts.com


www.1and1.com


www.1and1.com

www.1and1.com

www.1and1.com

CONNECTEDTRAVELER


SAN FRANCISCO

Photographs: (Top) Taxi/Getty; (Bottom) Metreon

Hotel Nikko San Francisco 222 Mason St.www.hotelnikkosf.com

All 510 rooms and 22 suites include high-speed Internet, two-line speaker-phones, bathroom phone, fax machine, and CD player. There’s even an e-fridge that notifi es the front desk the moment you grab a beer, so there’s always another waiting for you the next morning.

Hotel Triton342 Grant Ave.www.hoteltriton.com

This whimsical eco- conscious hotel is so San Francisco. Located just off Union Square, this unique and fun hotel features celebrity suites designed by Jerry Garcia and Santana. The rooms also feature iPod docking stations, LCD fl at-panel televisions, Wi-Fi and wired broadband, and in-room laptop safes.

Hotel Diva440 Geary St.www.hoteldiva.com

This ultramodern bou-tique hotel has a sleek stainless steel decor and free wireless throughout the entire hotel. It’s adja-cent to a Starbucks and right across the street from two movie theaters. They even rent iPods to hotel guests.

BEST WIREDHOTELS

WORLD’S BIGGEST HOT SPOT In 2004, San Francisco Mayor Gavin Newsom an-nounced plans to blanket the entire city with free Wi-Fi Internet access. That’s right: Three hundred kilobits per second, from one end of San Francisco to the other. And you won’t have to pay a penny to log on. Last October, Google made headlines when it took up the mayor’s challenge, and the company’s joint bid with EarthLink is one of six under consideration. IBM and Cisco are also in the mix, but our money’s on Larry, Sergey, and the rest of the crew from Mountain View. Expect work to start sometime this year.

FREE WI-FI HOT SPOTS Maxfi eld’s House of Caffeine 398 Dolores St. Two doors down from Mission Dolores, where Jimmy Stewart stalked Kim Novak in Hitchcock’s famous fl ick Vertigo.

Maggie Mudd 903 Cortland Ave. Not only can you get lactose-free vegan ice cream, you can get lactose-free vegan wireless. You’ll have to pay for the ice cream. But not the wireless.

Rockin’ Java 1821 Haight St.The place to fi nd geeky Deadheads in the Haight. The wireless is free, and the coffee’s organic.

TOP TECH ATTRACTIONSCentral Computers837 Howard St.Where we go for all things geek in a pinch.

The Metreon101 4th St. A new high-tech playpen with an Imax theater, a Sony Style Store, a high-tech arcade, great restaurants, and a Jillian’s pool hall.

The Exploratorium3601 Lyon St.Offers high-tech exhibits.

Cable Car Museum.1201 Mason St.If you’re in the mood for some old-school 19th-century technology.

WHILE YOU’RE IN TOWN Forget the tourist traps. Coit Tower, Chinatown, and the Wharf are all well and good, but if you want something out of the ordinary, we’ve got two recommendations. First, head over to the Mission and grab lunch at La Taqueria (2889 Mission St.)—the best tacos, burritos, and quesadillas north of the border. And that might be an understatement. We recommend the carnitas burrito with guacamole. Then head across town to the Castro Theatre (www.castrotheatre.com), one of the country’s great old-time movie houses. Get there well before the show: They still play the organ before the curtain goes up . . .

FAST FACTS Google and local start-up Feeva already offer free Wi-Fi access in Union Square, San Francisco’s Tourist Central. After a trip to Saks and a theater matinee, you can sit down at the Dewey Monument and log on to PCMag.com • Sure, the Giants are at AT&T Park in San Francisco (which also doubles as an enormous hot spot). But if you wanna watch major league baseball at a park named for an antivirus company, take the short BART ride to McAfee Coliseum, home of the Oakland A’s and Moneyball.


http://www.hotelnikkosf.com

http://www.hoteltriton.com

http://www.hoteldiva.com

http://www.castrotheatre.com

http://PCMag.com


http://www.cyberpowerpc.com



http://www.microsoft.com/piracy/howtotell

SECURITY WATCH


1 Create strong pass-words. Use multiple

words, mixed-case alpha-numerics, and at least 12 characters to secure your passwords. Change your company policies to increase minimum pass-word character length to at least 12 characters.

2 Use a different password for each

system. If a mailing list gets hacked, you don’t want your bank account put in jeopardy. Use dif-ferent passwords to pro-tect all critical accounts, such as company e-mail and online banking.

3 Use a password vault to store your digital

keys. Find a trustworthy browser password man-ager, such as those built into Firefox, Safari, and Internet Explorer.

4 If a service offers a second form of au-

thentication, use it. Some banks offer several forms of authentication, such as number generators and smart cards. If your bank doesn’t offer them, con-sider switching.

SMART GUIDELINES

BY ROBERT LEMOS

PASSWORDS ARE QUICKLY BECOMING

passé. For years, security experts have warned that our reliance on passwords leaves valuable data unprotected. Last year, federal banking regulators approved guide-

lines urging the adoption of other forms of authentica-tion for online banking, such as number generators or smart cards. In February, Bill Gates told attendees at a computer-security industry conference that “Password systems simply won’t cut it.” But switching to a more secure way of doing business will require time, and un-til then, users are left with password security.

The problem is that people are not good at remem-bering secure passwords, such as a series of random numbers, letters, and punctuation marks. A random eight-character password of only lowercase letters and numbers can be cracked within days by generating all possible combinations of the character set. Dictionary words that have some characters replaced with similar-looking numbers can be broken faster.

Faster processors and improved attack tools are shrinking the time needed to attack passwords every year. For example, John the Ripper, a popular brute-force password-cracking tool, can now crunch more than one million password possibilities a second, com-pared with only a few hundred a second a decade ago.

Cheap memory is also a catalyst for password cracking. A technique known as rainbow tables precal-

culates a large percentage of all possible passwords and creates multigigabyte lookup tables that can reduce the time needed to fi nd most passwords to seconds.

Such techniques are particularly dangerous because an attacker can use the password on a single computer to fi nd the password of every user, including the admin-istrator, who did not use a password with more than eight random letters and numbers. Because most IT ad-ministrators use the same passwords on many systems, the compromise of one user’s computer can result in a breach of the entire company’s network.

The immediate solution to password security prob-lems is educating users to generate better passwords and giving them the tools to manage their digital keys. Most browsers have password managers. Standalone apps are also available, and many Web sites, such as Diceware.com, have online forms and strategies for generating secure passwords. For Mac users, Apple has a system for generating passwords built into Mac OS X. In the future, digital wallets for managing passwords and credentials will be built into every OS. For example, Microsoft’s InfoCard utility will be added to Vista.

The best solution is not to rely solely on passwords. Companies should add a second method of authenti-cation, and consumers should seek fi nancial services that offer such security. Robert Lemos is a freelance technology journalist and the editor-at-large for SecurityFocus.

A simple password could be the weak link that leaves your data open to attack.

Password Policies

KEEP YOURSELF SAFE!Subscribe to our Security Watch newsletter and get up-to-date info on the latest threats delivered to your inbox automatically: go.pcmag.com/securitywatchletter.

0

10

20

30

40

50

60

70

WHEN WORDS FAIL

Source: John the Ripper and Diceware, 2006.

Diceware-generated

Mixed-casealphanumericsAlphanumerics

Randomlowercaseletters

Dictionary word

1second

2days

1month

2years

Half millionyears

Password strength (In bits of entropy). Higher numbers are better.

Time to break

Dictionary words or letter-number combinations make passwords that are easy to crack, but passphrases generated by advanced methods such as Diceware are virtually uncrackable.


http://Diceware.com

http://go.pcmag.com/securitywatchletter

http://go.pcmag.com/securitywatchletter


A S K LOY D

A You can use a SATA drive alongside an existing parallel ATA (PATA, often referred to as IDE) drive. This is a good option if the PATA drive is

still worth using. If it’s an older drive with a small capac-ity (by today’s standards), it may be best to remove it, but I’ve successfully run large PATA and SATA drives simultaneously. One system was configured to boot from a single PATA drive, and it had two SATA drives confi gured as a RAID 1 array for the secondary drive. Microsoft Windows booted from the PATA drive, but critical data was stored on the SATA RAID 1 array.

You can set up the system to boot off either drive. If you add a PATA drive to a system with an existing SATA boot drive, you may need to go into the system BIOS and reconfigure the SATA drive as the primary boot drive. Many PCs will assume that a new PATA master drive on the primary IDE controller is the boot drive, even if you’ve been booting from a SATA drive.

A DISCONNECTING WIRELESS NETWORK

Q I have a combination wireless/wired network at home. One PC is

connected to a Linksys Wire-less 802.11b router’s built-in Ethernet switch. The other PC is connected wirelessly via a Linksys WMP11 card. When the wireless PC goes to sleep, or even just goes to the screen saver, the wireless network dis-connects. I lose e-mail and Web connectivity, though when I wake up the PC, the tray icon tells me I have an excellent con-nection. I’ve tried updating the

router fi rmware, and I’ve disabled the hardwired Ethernet port on the Asus P4P800 motherboard, but that doesn’t help. I always have to perform a “repair” on the wireless card.—Andy Craig

A Despite all the work on ACPI and other power-management technologies, power manage-ment for desktop systems still tends to trail the

abilities of laptop computers in this area.In standard home router setups, the PC automati-

cally picks up an IP address from the router through a mechanism called DHCP (dynamic host confi guration protocol). The router maintains a pool of IP addresses. When a system disconnects, it needs to issue a DHCP request to obtain a new IP address. When you use the “repair” function, the system re-establishes a connec-tion to the router and requests a new IP address.

What you might try to do is to allocate the IP ad-dress permanently from the PC. You need to do this in the Internet Protocol control panel, which is reachable from the Network control panel.

INTEL VS. AMD

Q After reading the article on building a PC (go.pcmag.com/buildyourownpc; March 7, page 97), I was curious as to why one

would choose one processor over another. It would appear that AMD has faster, more ad-vanced, and less expensive chips than Intel does. What are the advantages and disadvantages of one chip over another? —Mark

A You ask a question that’s been argued for years on Internet chat rooms and Web sites. Each processor has different strengths and weak-

nesses. For example, an Intel Pentium 4 will often per-form software rendering on 3ds Max much faster than an AMD Athlon 64 will. On the other hand, the AMD CPUs generally beat Intel’s at PC games.

Recently, since dual-core processors became com-mon, AMD dual-core processors have tended to out-pace their Intel equivalents, and the Intel CPUs also run very hot. It looks as if this will probably change as soon as Intel shifts to its new architecture later this year. But for now, AMD’s dual-core CPUs tend to be a bit faster and put out less heat than Intel’s, and they cost about the same.

It’s not just the CPU that comes into play. For ex-ample, you may require a fl exible, high-performance disk subsystem. In that case, Intel chipsets often outperform the chipsets used on AMD-compatible motherboards. But if you want to run dual graphics cards for gaming, an AMD is better.

In the end, the average offi ce computer user may not be faced with these issues. The raw performance of the CPU isn’t as important as the overall respon-siveness of the system, which often depends on the memory, hard drive, and other factors.

SATA AND PATA HARD DRIVES

QI am adding a SATA hard drive to a

computer with an existing parallel

ATA hard drive. Do I leave the PATA

hard drive on IDE 0, or should I ac-

tually remove the PATA drive and

use the SATA drive exclusively? —Robert Cammack

NEED ANSWERS?ExtremeTech.com’s editor, Loyd Case, tackles your toughest hardware problems each issue. Send him yours at [email protected].

Disables DHCP

Typically the same

Specify your PC’s IP address


http://go.pcmag.com/buildyourownpc


http://www.Extreme-Tech.com

A S K N E I L


A You may be thinking of much older versions of Access, predating Windows. On a text-only system it was possible to set an attribute that

would cause one or more characters to blink. That’s no longer a possibility. If you want a blinking label, you need to write a tiny bit of VBA code. Start by open-ing the form in design view. Right-click the label that should blink and choose Properties. Click the All tab in the Properties dialog and change the label’s Nameproperty to blinkingLabel. Check to make sure that the ForeColor property’s value is -2147483630, a code representing the default window text color.

At the top of the Properties dialog, select Form in the drop-down list: Now you’re editing the properties for the form itself. Click the Event tab and scroll down to the item titled Timer Interval. Here you’ll enter the blink rate in milliseconds: 500 (one half-second) is a good choice. Now comes that tiny bit of VBA code. Click the box titled On Timer. A small ellipsis (…) but-

ton will appear at the right; click it and choose Code Builder. The lines “Private Sub Form_Timer()” and “End Sub” will appear in the Microsoft Visual Basic window. Between them add these lines:

With blinkingLabel.ForeColor = (IIf(.ForeColor = -2147483640, _-2147483633, -2147483640))End With

Press Alt+Q to save and quit the VB editor, then select View | Form View from the menu. Your label will blink on and off, alternating between its original color and the default background color for forms.

MORE ON XP’S FOLDER AMNESIA

Q I ran across your article “A Solution for Windows XP Folder Amnesia” (go.pcmag.com/folderamnesia) and I think it

needs to be updated. The locations of BagMRU and other subkeys have changed. The current locations in Microsoft Windows XP SP2 are HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Shell and HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\ShellNoRoam. The article does not mention these locations; it omits the Current-Version part of the locations.

I applied the fi x successfully using a value of 5,000 for BagMRU Size around the time you wrote the article, and since then have had no problems.—Geoff Walker

A As explained in the earlier article, Windows XP is supposed to remember your desired view settings on a per-folder basis, but a glitch can

make it stop recording this information. The article offered a Registry tweak that can sometimes cure this problem. It spelled out changes in the Registry keys HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\Shell and HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\ShellNoRoam—specifi cally, it recommended deleting subkeys named BagMRU and Bags if they are present, and setting a larger number for the value named BagMRU Size.

The keys were clearly found as described on our test systems, and the Registry locations described in the earlier article can be verifi ed in the Microsoft Knowledge Base article #812003 at support.microsoft.com/kb/812003/EN-US. Yet this reader was just as clearly successful using a different location. The main difference seems to be that our test systems had all

BLINKING LABELS IN ACCESS

QIn older versions of Access you could

set the text/fi eld on a form to Blink,

but I cannot seem to fi nd anything

on how to do it now in 2000 or 2003.

I’d like to draw attention to a fi eld by

having it blink. Do you have any suggestions as

to how to do this?—Michael Mattingly

To create a blinking label in modern ver-sions of Access, you need to write a snippet of Visual Basic code.

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A S K N E I L

been upgraded to Windows XP SP2, but the reader’s system had an original installation of SP2. We checked with Microsoft, but it didn’t have any information about this difference.

If you attempt to apply the “folder amnesia” tip and fi nd that the specifi ed value and subkeys are not pres-ent in the Registry keys we specifi ed, do take a look at the alternate locations listed above.

BIGGER THUMBNAILS IN WINDOWS XP

Q I have Windows XP SP2 loaded. Is it possible to increase the size of the thumbnail images in Windows Explorer’s thumbnail view? I

know that you can choose the fi lmstrip view to get a bigger preview of one image, but I want to see all the thumbnails larger.—David Senior

A The easiest way to do this is with Micro-soft’s free (and support-free) TweakUI util-ity. You can download it from www.microsoft

.com/windowsxp/downloads/powertoys/xppowertoys

.mspx. Launch TweakUI, open the Explorer item in the tree at right, and click Thumbnails. Here you can adjust the thumbnail size from 32 to 256 pixels square (the default is 96). Do note that a 256 by 256 image has over seven times as many pixels as a 96 by 96 image. You may want to also slide the Image Quality slider to a lower setting, so you don’t expend too much disk space caching those extra-large thumbnails. After you’ve made the change, you’ll see larger thumbnails in both thumbnail view and fi lmstrip view.

For those who just have to get their hands dirty (you know who you are!), the size and quality settings are stored in the Registry key HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Explorer, in DWORD values named ThumbnailSize and ThumbnailQuality. As always, if these values are absent, you’ll create them. You can set ThumbnailSize from 32 to 256 (decimal) and ThumbnailQuality from 32 to 100. Changes won’t take effect until you restart Win-dows, so it’s really much easier to use TweakUI.

OPERA BROWSER IN DRAG

Q I recently noticed that the Opera browser offers the choice to identify itself as Opera, Internet Explorer, or Firefox. What does that

mean? If I choose to identify Opera as IE, does it mean the Opera browser would be as vulnerable to attack as IE? —Xinxin Dai

A Every time your browser requests a page from a Web site, it includes several pieces of infor-mation, among them the browser type. That

gives the site a chance to return a page specifically tuned for the browser in question, or at least to omit features not supported by the calling browser. How-ever, Web designers don’t always handle this infor-mation correctly. For example, they may assume that every non-IE browser is Netscape or suppress more features than necessary for non-IE browsers. In most cases you’ll want to have Opera identify itself as IE (the default). This does not in any way open up your system to IE-specifi c vulnerabilities. All it does is lie to each and every Web site you visit, forcing them to give you the IE version of the requested Web page.

TURN OFF PERIPHERALS AT SHUTDOWN

Q Our computers are connected to power strips, so one switch turns everything off. We intend to switch it off every night, for

reasons of energy effi ciency and security. How-ever, our new computer shuts down automati-cally without showing the “It is now safe to turn your computer off” screen, so we often forget to switch the power off. That leaves the monitor, printer, and various Ethernet and FireWire de-vices running and wasting energy. Is there a way to get the computer to display the old message at shutdown? —Allen Stanbury

A The old shutdown screen isn’t going to come back—it’s a thing of the past. You need a solu-tion for the future. I checked with PC Maga-

zine columnist Bill Machrone, who has written in the past about wasting power (“The Electron Leak,” go.pcmag.com/electronleak). Bill suggests a modern power strip like the Smart Strip from BITS Ltd. (www .bitsltd.net). When the computer stops drawing power, the Smart Strip senses it and automatically shuts off power to the other devices. Another possibility is the

Thumbnails in Windows Explorer default to 96 pixels in their longest dimen-sion, but you can set them as large as 256.

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Port Authority Mini Power Minder, from Cables To Go (www.cablestogo.com). This one connects to the PC through a USB cable. It has one always-on outlet and another that turns on and off when the PC turns on and off—you’d plug your existing power strip into the latter. One of these products (or something similar) should solve your problem.

KEEPING U3 UNDER CONTROL

Q Several companies now make U3-enabled USB fl ash drives that let you carry appli-cations with you and use them on any

computer without installing them and without leaving any traces (see go.pcmag.com/u3usb). The key is formatted into a read-only portion containing the apps and a read-write portion for your data. When you plug it in, Windows sees the read-only portion as a CD drive and launches the U3 software automatically. Yet sometimes you just want your key to be a USB drive. You may want to transfer a fi le without waiting for the U3 launcher and applications to load. Or the apps may confl ict with the host system, which can make it impossible to prop-erly eject the key. Some people have probably

bought U3 drives inadvertently when all they wanted was a normal USB key. How can we help readers disable AutoPlay when they don’t want these capabilities? —Ben Z. Gottesman

A You can suppress the U3 drive’s AutoPlay functionality on a one-time basis by holding down the Shift key while inserting the drive.

Wait for the audible indication that Windows has rec-ognized the drive before letting go. You can now use the drive simply as a storage device. You can still access the U3 features on demand by right-clicking on the drive letter representing the read-only portion of the key and choosing AutoPlay.

To suppress automatic launching permanently on your own PCs, insert the drive and wait for it to ini-tialize. Right-click My Computer on the desktop and choose Properties. Click the Hardware tab and click the Device Manager button. Double-click the entry for DVD/CD-ROM drives, right click the line representing the U3 drive, and choose Disable. Now when you insert the key, only the fl ash drive portion should be recog-nized. The downside to this approach is that the U3 features aren’t available on these PCs until you reverse these steps.

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Your Site’s Stats

BY MATTHEW D. SARREL

NOW THAT YOU HAVE A WEB SITE, IT’S

time to learn how to analyze the traffi c that your visitors generate. By under-standing a few simple metrics, you’ll learn a lot about how your site is struc-

tured, how it functions, and the products and informa-tion that you offer. It’s important to know whether your Web site is boosting your bottom line by bringing in new customers and visitors and retaining loyal ones.

A company with a content-heavy Web site that relies on ad revenue should focus on how many people visit and how many pages each visitor views. Those with an e-commerce site will want to know which products visi-tors view and how far along each customer advances in the purchasing process. In many cases, you can com-bine the two metrics. A good content strategy results in higher sales, and a successful sales experience encour-ages visitors to spend more time at your site.

For a content site looking to optimize navigation, im-prove layout and design, and enhance content in order to retain visitors, the right tool should measure unique visitors, page views, navigation paths, and the amount of time spent on the site. Then you can develop more targeted content for your customers. Analyzing reports that measure the clickstream (the record of a user’s ac-tivity on the Internet) patterns can help you reorganize your site so readers can fi nd information quickly.

The essence of Web metrics for an e-commerce site is determining how ef-fective the site is at converting visits into sales. Here are some questions a good e-commerce metrics tool should answer: How effective are e-mail marketing cam-paigns? What percentage of site visitors buy something? Are visitors abandoning their shopping carts, and if so, at which point? How much of the business consists of repeat customers? Is it easy for custom-ers to fi nd what they’re looking for?

By measuring page hits, you can iden-tify popular items in your Web store and feature them prominently on your home page. And following clickstreams can tell you where customers are dropping out.

For both kinds of sites, you’ll want to know referring addresses, or how visitors are

fi nding your site. Knowing this can help you identify who links to your site and why, so you can approach similar sites and offer to trade links. Keywords are an-other important source. By knowing which keywords people use to find your site, you can increase your rankings on search engines, a process known as search engine optimization. Your top keywords are also good Google AdWords to purchase to advertise on the Web.

Who should you choose to provide the right solution? One basic tool is Google Analytics. Free for AdWords customers, Google Analytics provides basic Web ana-lytics. Ideal for pay-per-click advertisers, it provides excellent keyword reporting and AdWords return-on-investment reports, which advertisers can then use to tweak their ad campaigns. The service also includes executive summaries for traffi c, e-commerce and con-version trends, and powerful trend-reporting features to help you understand how site traffi c varies over time.

For a more robust solution, VisiStat 3.0 provides in-depth site-traffic analytics. Real-time stats are an addictive way to get quick data about who is browsing your site and which pages they’re viewing. You can get geographic or ISP reports, referral links, and keyword tracking. Add-ons such as PageAlarm, a site-availability monitoring tool, and AdCam, an advertising-campaign tracker, can contribute signifi cant functionality.Matthew D. Sarrel is a consultant and former PC Magazine Labs technical director.

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Capture Streaming VideoBY JOHN BRANDON

WEB VIDEO AND AUDIO STREAMS ARE A LITTLE RESTRICTIVE,

aren’t they? We love streaming services like Real’s Rhapsody and the live ABC News stream, but they don’t let you save fi les and use them on an iPod, or burn media fi les onto a CD without pay-ing. Sure, they’ll let you transfer streams to a set of “approved”

devices like the Creative Zen Vision:M. But you can watch only when and how they want you to.

You could get around these hurdles by recording streams to a home stereo or VHS, and then rerecording back to a PC. That’s a convoluted process, though. Instead, try Replay A/V ($49.90, www.applian.com), which records just about any Internet stream, letting you save unprotected audio or video fi les and use them any way you want. Recorded streams look super-clean at a high bit rate, although their window size is typically only about 320-by-240. To watch shows when you want, just browse the Replay A/V guide and click a few buttons to record and save your fi les. Or fi nd a stream on the Web and do a quick record.

Now, we have to mention that, in some cases, this might violate the site’s terms of use agreement. Although it’s all for personal use—right?—you’ll want to check and comply with copyright restrictions, and I certainly don’t recommend sharing Replay A/V–recorded fi les, which could get you in a boatload of trouble. John Brandon is a freelance writer based near Minneapolis.

1. GET REPLAY A/VFirst, download Replay A/V from www.applian.com. To get the demo, click on Products, then scroll down to Replay A/V, then choose Free Demo. The demo lets you save three streams up to 15 minutes or 5MB each.

3. CHOOSE A STREAMNext, click on the Media Guide icon. To record a TV station stream, click the TV icon. Find stations fast by clicking Languages, then English. Find the show you want and click Add. Click Record Now, then OK.

4. RECORDReplay A/V will record an unprotected stream as a 320-by-240 Windows Video fi le at about 177 Kbps. If there’s a higher- quality download available, it will save that fi le in-stead. Then you can play it on an iPod or other media player or burn it to a disc.

Download the free demo of Replay A/V

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2. CONFIGURE THE PROGRAMBefore you start, we recommend downloading the En-hanced Sound Card Driver, available at www.applian.com/downloads.php. Then, start Replay A/V and follow the prompts to choose where you want your fi le saved and to test your sound card with the new driver.

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MORE ON THE WEBGet the inside scoop on the gaming world, as well as all the news and reviews you can sink your teeth into, at www.1up.com.

IT’S EASY TO UNDERSTAND WHY GAMERS

don’t know what to make of the Sony Play-Station 3. Sony planned to release the next-generation console this spring but recently slipped its shipping date back to November. Meanwhile, many aspects of the PS3 remain

a mystery. What will the system cost? How powerful will it be? Some of the answers still elude us, but little by little the picture is becoming clearer.

Sony seems to be promising the world with the PS3, and while not everything about the console has been finalized yet, many facts have been released. We know what hardware powers the system, which developers are making games for it, what types of disc formats it will read, and even what the controller is

PS3:What We Know

BY JAK E McNEILL AND SAM K ENNEDY, 1UP.COM

Details about Sony’s PlayStation 3 console are fi nally arriving.

like. What follows is a summary of everything we know about Sony’s machine and our best guesses about what we can expect later this year.

Under the HoodThe driving force behind the PS3 will be the 3.2-GHz Cell processor, a multicore chip designed to handle several tasks simultaneously and to scale to meet the needs of its various duties. The graphics will be powered by an nVidia-designed 550-MHz RSX GPU, which nVidia claims will be more powerful than two GeForce 6800 Ultra video cards combined. In addi-tion, the PS3 will have 256MB of main RAM com-bined with 256MB of VRAM. The console will sup-port TVs running in 1080p progressive-scan mode, YYePG Proudly Presents, Thx for Support

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and it will be able to run sound in Dolby 5.1, DTS, and PCM. It will also have a 2.5-inch detachable, upgrad-able 60GB hard drive with Linux installed.

Blu-raySony is using the PS3 to push the new Blu-ray disc for-mat; it believes the unit will entice consumers to adopt in the same way that the PS2 encouraged adoption of DVDs. Ironically, copy-protection is-sues related to Blu-ray are also why So-ny has moved the PS3’s shipping date to November. The company believes Blu-ray will replace DVDs, which were also dogged by content-protection problems.

Though the Blu-ray drive is be-lieved to contribute signifi cantly to the PS3’s cost, Sony sees the fast transfer rate and larger capacity (initially 50GB on dual-layer discs) as essential to the upcoming generation of games. The drive will also cater to older formats, playing PlayStation and PS2 games, DVD movies, and audio CDs.

Connectivity and ControlThe PS3 will include gigabit Ether-net and 802.11b/g Wi-Fi (the same wireless technology the PSP uses), as well as Bluetooth 2.0. It will also have six USB 2.0 ports (four in front and two in back) and ports for Sony Memory Stick, SD, and CF cards. But it won’t have ports for the old PlayStation 2 controllers and memory cards, so new PS3 accessories will be required. (It’s only fair to say that older Microsoft Xbox controllers

and accessories don’t work with the Xbox 360 either).The PS3 controller—mockingly referred to as the

“batarang” or “banana” by critics—will be a great de-parture from the DualShock-style controllers that have previously been Sony’s standard, with a look that’s like . . . well, like a “batarang”— a cross between a baseball bat and a boomerang—or a banana. The console will support up to seven of these standard controllers using

its wireless Bluetooth connectivity. The other connection methods will also be used to interface with the PS3 in vari-ous ways, including the ability to inter-act with the PSP via Wi-Fi. Sony has al-so noted that the popular EyeToy device will work with the PS3, and it’s actually used for a few announced titles.

Third-Party SupportMuch like the original PlayStation and PlayStation 2, the PlayStation 3 will have strong third-party support, with most major publishers and develop-ers already working on titles for the machine, including Activision, Atari, Capcom, EA, Konami, Midway, Nam-co, Rockstar, Sega, Square Enix, and Ubisoft. Almost a hundred Japanese publishers are producing titles. Suf-fi ce it to say that game companies seem

confi dent the PS3 will be just as successful as the PS2, if not more so. The system will be backward-compat-ible with the entire PS1 and PS2 libraries, and will play their titles in high defi nition.

Stay tuned for more news. The PS3 promises to be one of the biggest gaming attractions of the year.

AUCTION BLOCK MOD WORLDBelieve it or not, ex-cluding the cost of the PC parts inside, the total price tag for this slick see-through case mod was $22. Reader Frank Clark got a hold of a free promotional plastic case from E&J Brandy, then used drills, rivets, and a saw to mount everything from the drives to the Intel-based mother-board to blue LED lights. (The E&J logo is faintly visible on the side of the case.) “My mother-in-law has decided that it would be a great eBay item,” quips Clark.

Xbox Air Moderator Xbox to ice box with this plug-in cooler. eBay price: $4

TOP101Tomb Raider:

Legend Due April 28, it’s far beyond “buzz” among gamers.

2 Viva Piñata What happens when you

mix Pokémon with The Sims? Weirdness.

3 FFXI: Treasures of Aht Urhgan

The next step for Final Fantasy. Due April 18.

4 Ghost Recon Ad-vanced Warfi ghter

The third game in this war shooter franchise.

5 Rumble Roses XX The vixens of wres-

tling are back.

6 The Elder Scrolls IV The fourth title in

this best-selling fantasy series.

7 Dead Rising Third-person

zombie-killing fest.

8 Far Cry Instincts Predator An en-

hanced version of the fi rst-person shooter game.

9 Superman Returns Electronic Arts

revives the Superman franchise.

10 Burnout Revenge The

next generation of driv-ing and racing games.

Source: 1Up.com. Ranked by online buzz

GAMES ON DECK Alan Wake, a psychological thrill-er from Remedy, is one of many PS3 titles in the works.

Jango Fett Water Maze A rare Star Wars gaming relic. eBay price: $52.70

Mortal Kombat Goro statue Perfect for any mantle or bathroom. eBay price: $26

MOST POPULAR XBOX 360 GAMES


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GEARLOG

TECHNICOLOR TUNES

IF WHITE AND BLACK DIGI-

tal music players put you in too somber a mood, check out Toshiba’s racy Gigabeat designs. The color-splashed MEP-05FR fl ash MP3 play-

er costs $99.99, includes 512MB of memory, and comes with several fea-tures not found in the iPod, including a voice recorder and a recordable FM tuner. Both Gigabeat models seen here have screen savers that can replace your watch, with readouts viewable in any of three modes. They have easy Windows Media Player 10 interfaces and are compatible with Napster To Go. You can also view photos on any of the Gigabeats.

The black MEP-10FK Gigabeat player offers 1GB capacity and goes for $129.99. Our nod goes to the jazzy color designs, though. Music and monochrome just don’t go together.—Sebastian Rupley

MORE ON THE WEBRead up on Edge Tech’s Digital Picture Frame and MP3 player at www.gearlog.com.

Top view (actual size)

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J O H N C. DVO R A K

144 PC MAGAZINE MAY 9, 2006 Illustration by mariowagner/agoodson.com

MORE ON THE WEBCan’t get enough Dvorak? A new rant goes up every Monday at go.pcmag.com/dvorak. You can e-mail him directly at [email protected].

THE NEWSPAPER INDUSTRY IS

losing readership. So let ’s blame the Internet, right? In fact, circulation began to de-cline around 1970, with the fading of the once powerful evening newspapers. TV news is to blame there. Circulation of

morning and Sunday papers was still increasing gradu-ally, but according to Journalism.org’s The State of the News Media 2004, “By 1990… even the boost from a growing population was not enough to maintain how many newspapers were sold each day. Circulation be-gan dropping at the rate of 1 percent every year from 1990 to 2002.” The slide continues, and now the voice of Silicon Valley, the once powerful San Jose MercuryNews, appears to be on the auction block.

It is hard to blame these declines, especially those from 1970 to 1990, on the Internet. There are other factors involved that nobody seems willing to discuss.

Syndication. Local papers have become cookie-cutter products loaded with syndicated material, mostly from The New York Times, The Washington Post, and the Los Angeles Times. Filling space in the San Francisco Chronicle with New York Times articles saves money, but many people now just get the Times instead.

The New York Times pulled off a marketing coup by syndicating essentially the whole paper to cheapskate publishers across the country. As columns were includ-ed, many local columnists were fired. This whetted the public’s appetite for the Times and created a mega-brand; it’s one of the few growing papers in the U.S.

Boring professionalism. Joseph Pulitzer invented the idea of the journalism school before 1900. These institutions spread over time but didn’t really take hold until the 1960s. By 1970, newspapers had begun to decline. Coincidence?

A sign quoting Pulitzer, posted at the Columbia School of Journalism as a kind of mantra, epitomizes the problem: “Our Republic and its press will rise or fall together. An able, disinterested, public-spirited press, with trained intelligence to know the right and courage to do it, can preserve that public virtue without which popular government is a sham and a mockery.”

The problem is the word “disinterested.” It’s the hallmark of journalism today and translates to bored and boring. Besides not giving a hoot about the story, the disinterested observer is often hoodwinked and subject to public-relations manipulations. Apparently, nobody sees this as a problem.

The disappearance of the paperboy. I was a paperboy as a kid. It was good money, and my knock-ing on doors seeking subscriptions or asking to be paid put a human face on the paper. Circulation grew with the population, but now newspapers must offer free subscriptions to sucker the rubes to renew. These offers come from Mumbai by phone, usually when you’re at dinner. The bean counters love it. Some middle-aged man now delivers the paper out of an old Chevy.

No sense of humor. Today’s papers have no col-lective sense of humor or fun. This is partly because of the J-schools and the need to be “professional.” I haven’t seen anyone laugh in a newsroom for decades. This may come from political correctness, or perhaps from some public-guardian ego trip. Maybe too many of the people working daily news beats are just duds.

While recently perusing 1950s-era San Francisco Examiner issues, I was shocked to fi nd that the paper was crammed with small and interesting stories, many of which now would go into the reject folder. The paper had real life to it then—life that is now missing. Let’s not blame the Internet for this.

It is hard to blame declines in newspapers’ readership on

the Internet. There are other factors involved that nobody

seems willing to discuss.


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