Computer Shopper August 2005 PDF eBook-iNTENSiTY

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fectly designed road companion for today’s wire connections. The Systemax Pursuit 4020
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• Intel® Centrino™ Mobile Technology— • Intel® Centrino™ Mobile Technology —

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mobile technology.
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Take your business farther.
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It’s been shown that a more mobile workforce is a more productive workforce. When you want to
unwire, turn to CDW. With access to the largest in-stock inventories, we have all the top-name mobility
solutions you need. Our account managers can quickly answer your product questions. And then get
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HP Compaq nc6120
• Intel® CentrinoTM Mobile Technology
$
1249 NOTEBOOK
CDW 735812 - Intel® Pentium® M Processor 730 (1.60GHz)
- Integrated Intel® PRO/Wireless 2200 Network
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200 TRADE-IN1 Connection (802.11b/g)
• Memory: 512MB
$1049 • CD-RW/DVD-ROM combo drive
• 15" active-matrix display
Recommended accessories and services:

SimpleTech 512MB memory upgrade $117.59 (CDW 550316)
HP Care Pack 3-year, next business day, 9 x 5, onsite warranty
$159.90 (CDW 519763)
ThinkPad® R52
- Intel® Pentium® M Processor 740 (1.73GHz)
$
1449 NOTEBOOK
CDW 757081
- Integrated Intel® PRO/Wireless 2915 Network -200 TRADE-IN

1
Connection (802.11a/b/g)
• Memory: 512MB
• CD-RW/DVD-ROM combo drive
$ 1249
ThinkPlus 3-year, next business day, 9 x 5, onsite warranty
upgrade $259.21 (CDW 784827)
1
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condition and have a fair market value; call your CDW account manager for details; offer ends 9/30/05. Offer subject to CDW’s standard terms and conditions of sale, available at CDW.com. © 2005 CDW Corporation
Toshiba Tecra A4-S211
$
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CDW 737107
- Integrated Intel® PRO/Wireless 2200 Network -200 TRADE-IN
1
Connection (802.11b/g)
• Memory: 512MB
• 15.4" active-matrix display
$ 1149
Toshiba port replicator $179 (CDW 577638)
Toshiba Services 3-year, next business day, onsite $282.40 (CDW 289262)
Sony VAIO T370P/L Notebook

$
2599 NOTEBOOK
CDW 780457
-200
- Intel® Pentium® M Processor ULV 753 (1.20GHz)
1
- Integrated Intel® PRO/Wireless 2200 Network TRADE-IN
• Memory: 1GB
$ 2399
• Integrated wireless WAN2 technology
• 10.6" wide-screen display with XBRITETM technology
Acer TravelMate® 4150LCi

$
949 NOTEBOOK
CDW 773795
- Intel® PRO/Wireless 2200 Network -200 TRADE-IN

1
• Memory: 512MB
$ 749
Acer 256MB memory upgrade $110.47 (CDW 780304)
Acer Advantage 3-year Total Notebook Protection $199 (CDW 522111)
Gateway 3547BZ Notebook

$
999 NOTEBOOK
CDW 779895
- Intel® Pentium® M Processor 725 (1.60GHz) -200 TRADE-IN

1
- Inegrated Intel® PRO/Wireless 2200 Network

• Memory: 512MB
$799
The Mobile Solutions You Need When You Need Them.
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printers, joysticks and more. Now, you could just grab any old peripheral
that wouldn’t be your brightest move. Look for certified USB products at
connection in the history of computing. It’s the industry standard that
Effortlessly. And all that’s required of you is the dexterity to plug the
logos on the products you buy. Things like digital cameras, MP3 players, PDAs,
off the shelf and hope for the best. But technically speaking,
your local retailer.
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CONTENTS ,
AUGUST 2005 VOLUME 25 NUMBER 8 ISSUE 305
143 80 Great 4- and 5-megapixel
digital cameras in this month’s
TechMarket.
DESKTOPS
22 Velocity Micro ProMagix DCX
30 Dell Dimension XPS Gen 5
30 Falcon Northwest Talon
34 Cyberpower Gamer
Infinity 9900 Pro
34 Dell Dimension 5100C
34 MPC ClientPro 365 42
NOTEBOOKS
41 Dell Latitude X1
41 HP Compaq NX9600
41 Lenovo ThinkPad X41
42 MPC TransPort T2300
42 Sony VAIO VGN-T350P
COMPONENTS
44 LaCie d2 Hard Drive Extreme
95 With Triple Interface
44 Logitech MX518 Gaming-Grade
Optical Mouse
44 Sony DRX-800UL
DISPLAYS
46 AG Neovo M-17
46 HP L1940
Features 48
PRINTERS/SCANNERS
Canon ImageClass MF5750
TECH-TIP SUPERGUIDE 48 Fujifilm Digital Mobile
79 75 PC Tips & Tricks Printer MP-70 48
It’s the little things that separate a pro PC user from an ama- 48 HP Deskjet 6840
teur—and here are 75 of them. Get ready to supercharge your MOBILE PRODUCTS
23 PalmOne LifeDrive
daily grind with timesaving tricks that are guaranteed to boost
50 Garmin iQue M5
your productivity, crank up your PC performance, and turn you 50 Hawking HWC54D Hi-Gain
into a virtuoso at the keyboard. Wireless-G CardBus Adapter
NINE PINT-SIZE PCs 50 Samsung SGH-p777
95 Space Savers DIGITAL CAMERAS
So, if the universe is expanding, why isn’t your living space, too? If 53 Casio QV-R62
53 Pentax *ist DS
your quarters are cramped, or you just don’t want a space-hogging
53 Sony Cyber-shot DSC-P200
full tower, check out these nine compact desktops. They pack plen-
DIGITAL VIDEOCAMERAS
ty of power and none of the bulk.
58 Canon ZR300
VOIP SERVICES 58 Panasonic PV-GS250
106
106 The Broadband Bells 58 Sony DCR-HC90 MiniDV Handycam 60
The idea of almost-free phone calls is DIGITAL AUDIO
tempting, but does Voice over Internet 60 iRiver PMC-120
1 2 3
Protocol (VoIP) give you everything you 4 5 6
60 Sirius Starmate
7 8 9 60 Sony Psyc Network Walkman
need in a phone? Our look at these nine * 0 #
NW-E105
VoIP services will help you judge whether
DIGITAL LIVING
you’re ready to lose that landline. 62 Logitech Harmony 880 Advanced
Universal Remote
62 Panasonic DMR-ES10K
SOFTWARE
Page 160
Page 24 64 Norton SystemWorks 2005 Premier
Page 106 64 System Mechanic 5 Professional
70 Mac OS X 10.4 Tiger
70 Windows XP Professional x64 Edition
Cover Illustration by Kent Leech
74 Bias SoundSoap 2
74 Microsoft Works Suite 2005
Page 95 23 What’s so special 74 Ulead PhotoImpact 10
Page 79 about PalmOne’s new
Page 118 LifeDrive? It’s the first 62
TOP 25
handheld with a mas-
sive storage capacity. 76 The best mainstream desktops,
Page 22
Turn to the review and ultraportable notebooks, 17-inch
Page 114 find out just how big. LCD monitors, graphics cards,
and online music services.
computershopper.com August 2005 7

THE POWER TO DESTROY
Shuttle XPC systems deliver all the performance and features

of traditional tower PC’s in a fraction of the space. Available
with the latest processor and video card technology, the
Shuttle XPC shatters the myth that “bigger is better”.
Shuttle recommends Microsoft® Windows® XP starting at
$1649*
Now Available
NEW ATI® Radeon® X800 XL 256MB PCI-E
Specifications
Model Shuttle XPC P 2500g
Processor AMD Athlon™ 64 3500+ HyperTransport 939-pin
Operating System Microsoft® Windows® XP Home Edition
Main memory 512MB Kingston® HyperX PC3200 DDR400 Dual Channel
Graphics ATI® Radeon® X800 XL 256MB PCI Express x16
Hard drive 200GB 7200RPM Serial ATA
Optical drive 52X CDRW/16X DVD Combo drive
Media Reader 8-in-1 Built-in Card Reader
System Cooling Integrated Cooling Engine (ICE) Liquid Cooling
Dimensions (L x W x H) 12.6 x 8.26 x 8.66 (in); 320 x 210 x 220 (mm)
* monitor not included
P 2500g
1 888 XPC 1818 www.us.shuttle.com find xpc at > BestBuy | Sam’s Club | MicroCenter | Walmart.com
©2005 Shuttle Computer Group, Inc. All rights reserved. Product specifications are subject to change without notice. Not responsible for photographic or typographic errors. Other logos may be claimed as the property of others.
AMD, the AMD Arrow logo, AMD Athlon, and combinations thereof, and Cool’n’Quiet are trademarks of Advanced Micro Devices, Inc.
Help & How-To
COMPUTER CURES
110 Our PC problem-solver offers a smart alternative to
screensavers and a new use for old flash-memory
cards. Plus, Alfred helps a Lost in Space fan turn his
toy spaceship into a computer—danger, Will
Robinson! By Alfred Poor
WEEKEND PROJECT
114 Immerse Yourself in 7.1 Sound
114
Make gaming and movie-watching an all-around
blast. Find out how to upgrade your PC’s sound sys-
tem to eight-channel surround, and experience your
games and DVDs in their full audio glory.
118 Add a Mac to Your Windows Network
You’re on your seventh PC, but your spouse won’t
look at any computer without a little bitten apple on
it. Don’t despair—with our help, introduce that Mac TechMarket
to your Wintel-based network to share a printer, COMPLETE PRODUCT MARKETPLACE GUIDE
trade files, and restore household harmony. 131 Midrange Desktops

134 Thin-and-Light Notebooks
BUYING ADVISOR
136 Inkjet Printers
120 Wi-Fi for the Rest of Us 138 External Hard Drives
Dial-up Internet need not exclude you from the Wi-Fi 143 4- to 5-Megapixel Digital Cameras
revolution. The Advisor helps a country dweller get 146 PC Warranties and Service Plans
several PCs surfing simultaneously—and wirelessly—
off one dial-up connection. By John A. Burek
CONSUMER ALERT Web Buyer
122 Just Say No to Rebates THE BEST SITES FOR ONLINE SHOPPING
This month, the consumer advocate is the one who 149 Tech Products
had trouble receiving her rebate check. Find out how 149 Mobile and Travel Accessories
145
150 Sites for Audio Enthusiasts
she got action. By Nancy A. Feldman
152 Direct PC Vendors
BUYING BASICS 152 Software
160 How to Buy the Right Desktop-Replacement Notebook 154 VoIP Resources
Also In This Issue

TRENDS
15 AOpen unveils an Intel-based competitor to
the Mac Mini. Plus, Dell introduces a luxury
line of PCs and notebooks, Microsoft
unveils details about the next version of
Office, and personal video recording
services are booming.
GEAR
18 • ALK CoPilot Live Smartphone
• Mitsubishi PocketProjector
• Motorola Bluetooth Stereo Headset HT820
• Motorola Bluetooth USB PC Adapter PC850
• Netgear Storage Central SC101
• Samsung MM-A800 for Sprint PCS
• Targus Global Executive Backpack
DEPARTMENTS
10 Editor’s Note
19 10 Letters 19
155 Spotlight
158 Ad Index
Computer Shopper (ISSN 0886-0556) is published monthly, for $24.97 per year in the U.S. and $54.97 per year outside the U.S., by CNET Networks, Inc., 28 E. 28th St., New York, NY 10016-7942. Periodicals Mail postage paid at New York, NY, and additional mailing offices.
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EDITOR’S NOTE JANICE CHEN
THE PC IS THE GREATEST personal-productivity device ever to

land on a desktop—if you know how to harness its max-
imum potential. And that’s what our feature “75 PC Tips the undersize guys in “Space Savers” (p. 95) is
& Tricks” (p. 79) is all about. Like most of our readers, I sure to fit your spatial and aesthetic needs.
These desktops run the gamut of small from
know my way around a computer keyboard pretty well. barely there to muscularly squat. Yet none
Yet given the complexity of Windows and the increasing skimp on power—or great looks, for that matter.
number of applications we use daily, it’s hard to keep up Finally, if you prefer the look of a small tele-
phone bill, turn to “The Broadband Bells”
with the latest shortcuts and performance tweaks. It doesn’t (p. 106). We installed and tested nine popular Voice over IP (VoIP)
help that some of the best timesaving tricks lie hidden just below phone services, which enable you to attach a phone adapter to
the surface of the interface. your broadband router and make in-
Our tips feature uncovers those secret tweaks, starting with expensive phone calls. Setup is
general Windows XP advice (do you know how to disable those snap-simple, and, for the most part,
pesky balloon-help pop-ups?) and continuing with tips on Mi- the audio quality of calls was truly
crosoft’s power quartet: Word, Excel, PowerPoint, and Outlook. surprising. We found that these
You’ll finish this story a better browser, thanks to up-to-the- services offer a host of cool digital
minute advice on optimizing Internet Explorer and Mozilla’s Fire- features analog carriers can’t touch,
fox. We round it all out with pointers on networking, MP3-file all at prices as low as $19.95 per
management, and essential system maintenance. In short, we month for unlimited minutes
show you how to save time by using your software smarter. throughout the United States. And
Those looking to save space, however, should flip to our that’s one of the best tips we can
roundup of nine compact PCs. Whether you live in a shoebox offer talkative techies.
D
apartment or simply want to ditch that unsightly tower, one of janice.chen@cnet.com
LETTERS a JVC TH-C6 DVD Digital Theater System

WIN! Go to computershopper.com/survey.
SKY-HIGH-DEFINITION TV See sweepstakes rules on p. 88.
Although I bought an HD-ready television
about three years ago, I still don’t have HD fact: The PSP does not have backward- like to see a reviewer comment: “This
because of the lack of programming. Com- compatibility support for Windows 98 out product sucks. I wouldn’t recommend
cast may be recruiting Best Buy and Cir- of the box. The PSP is the first USB device buying it, ever.”
cuit City to sell for them (“Viewers Need I’ve bought that came without a Windows Tom Lyon
Clearer Picture on HDTV,” June, p. 16), but 98 driver. But I learned from your Game-
there are several things they don’t tell FAQs message board that you can use We began using a new ratings system with
you. First, you must get digital cable and a digital camera’s driver to connect the the July issue. While we’ve preserved our
the HD upgrade to get HD programming. PSP with a Windows 98 machine. The familiar 1-to-10 scale, we’ve recalibrated the
And this still doesn’t mean your favorite driver at www. vivitar.com/CustService/ criteria. This revised scale gives us a better
channel is high-definition, nor is every download/v3615/3615.zip worked for me. opportunity to emphasize the differences
show on an HD channel broadcast in HD. Chuangang Xie between one product and another. For more
Want HBO or Showtime in high defini- information, go to www.computershopper.
tion? That’s more money. If the stores MORE PANS, PLEASE! com/ratings. —Ed.
want fewer returned HDTVs, Comcast is When I was in school, some students
going to have to start justifying the cost of flunked, some excelled. Not so with We want to hear from you.
its service. Paul Williams your reviews. Every product receives a WRITE: Letters, Computer Shopper
28 E. 28th St., 10th Fl.
good review with minor caveats. Is your
New York, NY 10016-7922
PSP SHUNS WINDOWS 98 policy not to publish bad reviews, or E - M A I L : cs_feedback@cnet.com
Your review of the Sony PlayStation has every single product remarkably Letters may be edited for length and clarity,
and may be published in any medium.
Portable (June, p. 50) missed an important shown no flaws? Just once, I would
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10 August 2005 computershopper.com

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Coming º
Janice J. Chen
Next Month
EDITOR IN CHIEF
EDITOR Rik Fairlie
MANAGING EDITOR Wendy Sheehan
ART DIRECTOR Chris Phillips
EXECUTIVE EDITOR Nancy A. Feldman
Sean Portnoy
WE RATE THE RETAILERS SENIOR EDITOR
STAFF EDITORS Brian Bennett, Joshua Goldman, Louis Ramirez
It’s our annual look at the EDITORIAL ASSISTANT
EDITORIAL BUSINESS COORDINATOR/ASST. TO EIC
Erin Kandel
Ursula Morris
nation’s biggest brick-and- COPY CHIEF/ASST. MANAGING EDITOR John A. Burek
mortar computer stores. SENIOR COPY EDITOR
COPY EDITOR
Brian T. Horowitz
Melissa DeMeo
We go undercover to gauge ASSOCIATE ART DIRECTOR Todd Betterley
the knowledge—and hon- PRINCIPAL PHOTOGRAPHER Chris Gould
esty—of the sales reps at CNET REVIEWS

MANAGING EDITOR Julie Wildhaber
five major chains. EXECUTIVE EDITOR
SECTION EDITORS
David Carnoy
Matthew Elliott, Allen Fear, Lindsey Turrentine
SENIOR EDITORS Aimee Baldridge, Wayne Cunningham, Lori Grunin,
Justin Jaffe, David Katzmaier, James Kim, William O’Neal,
PHOTO PRINTERS Robert Vamosi
A keen eye and a great SENIOR ASSOCIATE EDITOR
ASSOCIATE EDITORS
John Falcone
Rich Brown, Bonnie Cha, Jasmine France, Kent German,
digital camera are only part Michelle Thatcher, Elsa Wenzel, Felisa Yang
ASSISTANT EDITORS Robert Dubbin, Lara Luepke
of the digital-imaging story. LABS MANAGER Daniel A. Begun
To complete the picture, ASSISTANT LABS MANAGER Eric Franklin
PROJECT LEADER Dong Ngo
you’ll want to make sharp LAB TECHNICIANS David Gussman, Tim Patterson, Matthew Wood
Pedro Burgos, Corey Terrill
glossies of the keepers.
INVENTORY COORDINATORS
PHOTO DIRECTOR Jody L. Gianni

We’ll look at 10 new photo PRODUCER Neal Okin
printers to see which yields V P, P U B L I S H E R David Cleary

the best output. A DV E RT I S I N G S A L E S
NATIONAL ADVERTISING DIRECTOR Colleen Daly
EAST COAST SALES MANAGER Steven Goodman
PICK THE PERFECT NORTHEAST
IL, IN, MA, ME, MI, MN, MO, OH, NH, RI, VT, WI,Canada
LAPTOP REGIONAL SALES MANAGER Sarah Jabbour (646) 472-3864
Need advice on which SOUTHEAST
notebook to buy? We’ve AL, AR, CT, DC, DE, FL, GA, KY, LA, MD, MS, NC, NJ, NY, PA, SC, TN, TX, VA, WV
REGIONAL SALES MANAGER Justin Schiller (646) 472-3841
picked the top laptops EAST COAST NEW BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT Aida Rodriguez (312) 214-7337
for every type of user, NORTHWEST

CA ZIP codes 94000-94356+, ID, MT, NV, OR, UT, WA, WY, Canada
whether you’re a road REGIONAL SALES MANAGER Gabriel Rogol (415) 344-2504
S E N I O R A C C O U N T E X E C U T I V E Caroline Stein (415) 344-2407
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SOUTHWEST
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S E N I O R A C C O U N T E X E C U T I V E Caroline Stein (415) 344-2407
junkie, or just an everyday WEST COAST NEW BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT Janet Adams (949) 399-8737
cheapskate. ACCOUNT COORDINATOR (EAST COAST) Isabel Perdomo (646) 472-3937
ACCOUNT COORDINATOR (WEST COAST) Francia McCormack (646) 472-3889
MARKETING
ASSOCIATE VP, MARKETING Josh London
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CIRCULATION DIRECTOR Frank Ruiz
DIRECTOR, SINGLE-COPY SALES Mark Peterson
SENIOR MARKET ANALYST/ACCOUNT MANAGER Russ Gilchrist
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DIRECTOR, BUSINESS OPERATIONS Martha Sybert
PRODUCTION DIRECTOR Jack Degnan
LAYOUT ADMINISTRATOR Randall McCall
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Sales Info: 800-999-7467, Editorial: 646-472-3900, Fax: 646-472-3995
14 August 2005 computershopper.com Customer Service: 877-214-7390
TRENDSUPCOMING TECHNOLOGIES AND PRODUCTS
16
16
16
22
Phishing Scams Get More Sophisticated
Users Fast-Forward PVR Growth
Microsoft Discloses Details on Office 12
Gear
Intel, AOpen to Offer a • TRENDSPOTTING

This past May
Rival to Apple’s Mac Mini marked the first
time notebooks out-
sold desktops in the
AOPEN has unveiled an In- The Mini PC uses the new and built-in 802.11a/b/g wire-
United States over
tel-based competitor to the ATX Pentium M i915Ga-HFS, a less networking. It will have
the course of a full
Apple Mac Mini desktop, at hybrid motherboard based on an option for a DVD burner,
press time called the Mini PC a Socket 479 Pentium M DVD-ROM/CD-RW combo
month.
MP-915. At 2x5.9x5.9 inches, (Dothan) CPU, Intel’s 915G drive, or DVD-ROM drive, as Analysts with
the Mini PC is slightly smaller well as Bluetooth support, de- research firm
than the 2x6.5x6.5 Mac Mini, pending on the configuration. Current Analysis say
and it has a similar white- The new design lets Intel laptop sales jumped
and-silver housing. take another run at the enter- to 53.3 percent of
Taiwan-based AOpen, an tainment PC, heralded at the the total PC retail
affiliate of PC maker Acer Consumer Electronics Show
market in May. Last
Group, serves mostly as a in 2004. The first generation
year, notebooks
contract manufacturer for didn’t sell well. This year,
other companies. It is expect- Donald MacDonald, a vice
made up 45.9 per-
ed to sell bare-bones Mini PC president of Intel’s digital cent of the total PC
systems starting home group, has said that fu- retail market.
around September, ture living-room units will be Occasionally, note-
possibly under a smaller, more stylish, and books have outsold
different name. likely less costly. desktops, but those
AOpen Mini PC
At press time, As for the Mini PC’s resem- moments have hap-
MP-915
depending on the blance to the Mac Mini, pened during one-
configuration, pricing was desktop chipset, and ICH6 I/O AOpen says it has been devel-
week periods and are
planned to begin at $499, like controller. It’s the first ATX oping small-form-factor desk-
the Mac Mini, and go up to Pentium M motherboard, tops for more than two years,
usually the result of
$699. (Bare-bones PCs usually according to AOpen. before Apple’s launch earlier
extremely heavy pro-
sell without RAM or hard The system offers VGA, this year of its tiny computer. motions, according
drives preinstalled.) DVI, S-Video, and component- —Michael Singer, News.com, with to Current Analysis.
video outputs, two USB ports, Sean Portnoy —M.S., News.com
VoIP Still on Hold?

Have you switched, or are
you planning to switch, Dell to Offer ‘Lexus’ Line of Premium PCs
to a Voice over Internet
Protocol (VoIP) service? Dell has announced a new premium PC George says the initial machines would
brand targeted at high-end home customers. have a similar look and feel to Dell’s current
Have switched to VoIP
The No. 1 PC maker says the brand, not XPS designs, such as its 9100-series PCs,
5.7% yet named at press time, is slated to debut then evolve as next-generation hardware fea-
What’s VoIP? Planning to
switch to VoIP this fall. It would include both desktops and tures are introduced. Dell says the premium
6.6% 10% notebooks priced between $1,200 and line will include new form factors as well as
$3,500, positioned just above the company’s traditional multimedia consoles, towers,
Dimension and Inspiron product families. minitowers, desktops, and laptops.
“Consider this the Lexus of our lineup,” Despite robust sales for its high-end PC
says Mike George, vice president and chief products, George says Dell is recognizing
marketing officer of Dell’s U.S. consumer that an increasing number of customers are
Not planning to switch
business. According to George, the brand will asking for more advanced systems with
77.7% appeal to a new breed of upper-tier PC buy-
ers, not just “gearheads” always looking for
faster processors and memory, higher-capac-
ity storage, and additional software bundles.
the fastest system. —M.S., News.com
Source: Computer Shopper reader survey

TRENDS TECH NEWS
Scammers Get More Sophisticated at Phishing How Will

SPAMMERS and phishers are phishers automatically run the recipient. That makes it Microsoft
learning more about potential
victims to better hone their
thousands of e-mail address-
es through Web-site registra-
more difficult for Internet
users to distinguish real mes-
Sweeten
attacks. tion and password-reminder sages from those that are junk Office 12?
Phishing is a prevalent type tools. Because many online or part of a cyberscam. Also, While Microsoft is still not
of online fraud that attempts customized messages are less discussing most of the fea-
to steal sensitive infor- likely to be caught by spam tures it will add with Office
mation such as user- filters, experts say. 12, the company is promis-
names, passwords, “Imagine that somebody ing to have the productivi-
and credit-card num- knows all the Web sites ty-software suite ready by
bers. The thieves then you ever registered with, the second half of next year.
sell the information and think about what one Microsoft has revealed a
or use it to commit can infer from that,” says few specific features it
identity theft. The Eran Reshef, CEO of Blue plans to add. As part of its
schemes typically Security. “By aggregating attempt to let workers bet-
combine spam e-mail all this information, you ter make sense of ever-
and fraudulent Web create a very detailed profile growing amounts of data,
pages that look like of the person, not just snip- the company is adding into
legitimate sites. pets of information.” Excel the ability to create
Web sites that use Reshef points out that some dashboards and scorecards
e-mail addresses as Web-site operators—major that offer a quick way to
identifiers for password re- businesses return a specific banks and eBay, for example— visually keep track of just
minders and registration are message when an e-mail ad- appear aware of the problem, how a business is doing.
open to exploitation by scam- dress is registered with the preventing people from using Meanwhile, in Power-
mers to generate detailed pro- site, attackers can find out their e-mail addresses as their Point, Microsoft says it is
files of people, according to a whether that address repre- login name. They also require working to automate more
recent research report by secu- sents a valid customer. additional information for of the graphics features
rity company Blue Security. Using information gathered registration or password re- from within the presenta-
In the technique described from a number of sites, they minders, or use other security tion program so workers
in the report, spammers and can tailor malicious e-mail to measures. —Ina Fried, News.com can create documents that
look good without much
design effort.
To handle the increase in
Study Finds Users Fast-Forwarding PVR Growth e-mail, as well as the rise of
instant messaging and oth-
THE NUMBER of house- products has been a success recorders with built-in hard er forms of electronic com-
holds subscribing to person- story for both pay-TV ser- drives, other product seg- munication, Microsoft is
al video recorder (PVR) vice providers and con- ments like cable-TV set-top- trying to develop software
services has grown to 9.2 sumer-electronics manufac- box-based PVRs are also that can do a better job of
million, up about 155 per- turers,” Mike Paxton, an flying off the shelves.” sorting out the really im-
cent from a year ago, accord- In-Stat senior analyst, said In addition, a recent In- portant messages.
ing to a new study from Stat survey revealed that 89 The new Office edition is
market-research firm slated to arrive at roughly
In-Stat. In May the same time as Long-
2004, only horn, the next version of
3.6 million Windows. The company
households has scrapped earlier plans
worldwide that would have seen the
had access to two products tightly cou-
a PVR service. pled together, however. Of-
Hardware vendors had a fice 12 is expected to run
Illustration by David Flaherty
Humax DRT-400 DVD

windfall in 2004, with PVR Recorder with TiVo on both Longhorn and old-
shipment volume jumping percent of households were er Windows versions, with
to 11.4 million units, up in a release. “While the cur- either “extremely satisfied” the major changes to Of-
from 4.6 million pieces sold rent growth of PVRs is being or “very satisfied” with their fice not dependent on any
in the previous year. spurred by satellite-TV set- PVR service. shifts in Windows.
“The deployment of PVR top-box products and DVD —News.com Staff —I.F., News.com

Access. Store. Share.
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one safe location. Share digital files through network connections.
April 26, 2005

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mentioned herein belong to their respective owners.
GEAR NEW PRODUCTS Calling all pixels
Merging the characteristics of a full-fledged digital camera and an
BY BRIAN BENNETT
advanced mobile phone, the $499.99 Samsung MM-A800 for
Sprint PCS features a 2-megapixel charge-coupled-device sensor
for snapping images that look sharp (by camera-phone stan-
dards). Sliding open to reveal its keys, the MM-A800 weighs 4.3
ounces and is moderately compact. Sprint, www.sprintpcs.com
Hassle-free headphones Light weight

Want a wireless way to listen to music and Not just for nerds, Mitsubishi’s
other stereo audio residing on your PC? Check $799 PocketProjector is remark-
out Motorola’s Bluetooth Stereo Headset HT820 ably small and easy to carry. The
and Bluetooth USB PC Adapter PC850, which 14-ounce device practically fits in
outfit your PC with modern technology for cord- your palm, and can project SVGA
free listening. The headset also acts as a hands- images on walls under dim-light
free headphone set for use with Bluetooth- conditions. It’s great for presenta-
equipped cell phones. (Pricing was not set at tions on trips, or for displaying
press time.) Motorola, www.hellomoto.com big video in small places.
Mitsubishi Digital Electronics
America, www.mitsubishi-
presentations.com

Hold everything
Back up your data properly with the Netgear Storage
Central SC101. Costing $129.99, the Storage Central
chassis has space for two 3.5-inch IDE hard drives
and connects to routers and network switches via
its 10/100 Ethernet port. The Storage Central also
accommodates RAID configurations. Netgear,
www.netgear.com
Tough sack
No ordinary knapsack, the $89.99 Targus Global
Executive Backpack is a state-of-the-art tool for
high-tech travelers. The air-cushioned case weighs
3.2 pounds, is protected by a scratch-resistant lin-
ing and weather-thwarting bottom, and has room
for laptops with screens up to 15.4 inches in size.
It even has a retractable blue light so you won’t
have to fear the dark. Targus Group International,
www.targus.com/us
Cellular navigation
ALK’s $349 CoPilot Live Smartphone software pack-
age and pocket-size Bluetooth receiver transforms a
Windows Mobile-based cell phone into a highly
portable navigation platform. Shown here with the
$249.99 Audiovox SMT5600, this Global Positioning
System (GPS) module communicates with compatible
handsets, which then display 3D maps in real time.
ALK Technologies, www.alk.com

REVIEWS
THE LATEST HARDWARE AND SOFTWARE PRODUCTS
Velocity Micro ProMagix DCX

Dual-core CPU yields design powerhouse
VELOCITY MICRO has put together a digital design power-
house. The $4,644 ProMagix DCX and its 3.2GHz Intel Pen-
tium Extreme Edition 840 dual-core processor delivered the
fastest application performance to date—especially during
digital content creation. Though it may not hold the crown
for long, considering what we’ve seen from AMD’s Athlon 64
X2 4800+, it’s the reigning performance champion.
The DCX’s hulking case
EDITORS’ RATING 7.3 offers lots of expansion op-
portunities inside and out,
0 BETTER >> 10
but it’s far from empty. The
PROS Solid multithreaded-
Extreme Edition 840 not
application performance; well-
built; three-year warranty only has the distinction of
having two physical proces-
CONS Large case
sors on one chip, but
SPECS 3.2GHz Pentium Ex- it’s also the first
treme Edition 840; 1GB DDR2;
overclock-
two 74GB hard drives; 400GB
hard drive; double-layer able Intel
DVD±RW; DVD-ROM/CD-RW processor in
combo; no monitor; ATI Radeon years. (Ours
X850 XT Platinum Edition graph- was overclocked to
ics (256MB); Windows XP Pro-
fessional; WordPerfect Office 11
4GHz, the highest CPU clock used apps and files, and an additional
speed we’ve seen.) With 1GB 7,200rpm 400GB drive for mass storage, the configuration is
Velocity Micro, 800-303-7866
of 667MHz DDR2 RAM, two smart for a design PC. ATI’s high-end 256MB Radeon X850 XT
www.velocitymicro.com
10,000rpm 74GB hard drives Platinum Edition video card achieved an awesome 60 frames
Direct Price $4,644 for fast access to frequently per second on our Half-Life 2 1,600x1,200 test, making this a
great machine not just for graphics but for gaming. Every-
thing is backed by a three-year warranty.
What’s the Deal? With its overall score
In creating the powerful ProMagix DCX, Velocity Micro of 286 on BAPCo SYSmark
took full advantage of the overclocking capability of 2004, the DCX delivers
Intel’s dual-core Pentium Extreme Edition 840 CPU the fastest application
and surrounded it with excellent components. performance we’ve seen.
What it’s for: Digital content creation and running high- The breakdown of the in-
end multithreaded applications. dividual scores speaks
Who it’s for: Multimedia professionals and power users exceedingly well for the
with deep pockets. DCX’s suitability for de-
What’s included: Three-year parts-and-labor warranty sign work. On office-pro-
with toll-free phone support and a year of onsite service; ductivity tests, its 227
Microsoft Internet keyboard and optical scroll mouse; score was only 2 points
WordPerfect Office 11 suite; Ulead Digital Creation Suite higher than our leading
Extra essentials: High-end video-editing applications; single-core PC, the Over-
3D-graphics-design software; monitor; speakers drive Torque.SLI. But on
The bottom line: Featuring an overclocked, dual-core Internet-content-creation
processor, a blazing graphics card, and a smart trio tests, the DCX’s 361 score All that overclocked processing
beat the Overdrive PC by power needs sufficient cooling.
of hard drives, the DCX is a serious digital-content- Velocity used a side-panel-
creation PC—albeit for a steep price. more than 100 points. mounted liquid-cooling system
—John R. Delaney to keep things chilled.

in this section
30 DESKTOPS
Dell Dimension XPS Gen 5
PalmOne LifeDrive Falcon Northwest Talon
Cyberpower Gamer Infinity
The first handheld with a built-in hard drive 9900 Pro
Dell Dimension 5100C
MPC ClientPro 365
AIMING TO DELIVER productivity and connected to your PC via the included
41 NOTEBOOKS
entertainment in one slick device, the USB cable. Bluetooth wireless and
Dell Latitude X1
PalmOne LifeDrive is the first handheld 802.11b Wi-Fi wireless networking are
HP Compaq NX9600
with an integrated hard drive, giving also integrated. Lenovo ThinkPad X41
users 4GB of storage space. Although the Powered by a fast 416MHz Intel XScale MPC TransPort T2300
PDA performs well, its $499 price may processor, the LifeDrive has enough pep Sony VAIO VGN-T350P
limit its appeal to hard-core early to play back MP3 and WMA music, JPEG
44 COMPONENTS
adopters only. pictures, and even MPEG-4 movies.
LaCie d2 Hard Drive Extreme
The LifeDrive is packed with features, Videos were watchable, though we noted With Triple Interface
so it’s no surprise the device is on the pixelation and blurriness during some Logitech MX518 Gaming-Grade
hefty side, at 6.8 ounces. The device’s intense action sequences. Also, Web Optical Mouse
3.7-inch-diagonal, 320x480-pixel screen pages loaded achingly slowly, and we ob- Sony DRX-800UL
served some lag when switching be-
46 DISPLAYS
EDITORS’ RATING 7.2 tween applications and opening files. AG Neovo M-17
Viewing photographs, however, was a HP L1940
0 BETTER >> 10 treat on the sharp, bright screen. Though
48 PRINTERS/SCANNERS
PROS Integrated 4GB hard drive; Bluetooth, tunes sounded a bit thin, audio playback
Wi-Fi; doubles as USB drive; plays MP3s, video; was relatively clear and quite loud. Fujifilm Digital Mobile Printer
sharp screen One drawback: The LifeDrive’s battery MP-70
CONS Expensive; battery not user- is not user-replaceable. Playing a looped HP Deskjet 6840
replaceable; slow Web browsing; unimpressive MP3 playlist, the device petered out after
battery life; thin sound 50 MOBILE PRODUCTS
6 hours and 40 minutes. That’s not bad
Garmin iQue M5
PalmOne, 800-881-7256 for a PDA, but below par compared with Hawking HWC54D Hi-Gain
www.palmone.com today’s MP3 players that use compact Wireless-G CardBus Adapter
Direct Price $499 hard drives. —Bonnie Cha Samsung SGH-p777
53 DIGITAL CAMERAS
grabs your attention with crisp text and
Casio QV-R62
colorful images. Also, its 4GB Hitachi The LifeDrive’s ample hard Pentax *ist DS
hard drive provides plenty of room for
drive storage gives you plenty Sony Cyber-shot DSC-P200
Office documents, e-mails, appoint-
ments, and contacts. Even better, the of room for the fun stuff, like 58 DIGITAL VIDEOCAMERAS
Canon ZR300
PDA can serve as a storage drive when photos, movies, and music. Panasonic PV-GS250
Sony DCR-HC90 MiniDV
Handycam
60 DIGITAL AUDIO
iRiver PMC-120
Sirius Starmate
Sony Psyc Network Walkman
NW-E105
62 DIGITAL LIVING
Logitech Harmony 880
Advanced Universal Remote
Panasonic DMR-ES10K
64 SOFTWARE
Norton SystemWorks 2005
Premier
System Mechanic 5 Professional
Mac OS X 10.4 Tiger
Windows XP Professional
x64 Edition
Bias SoundSoap 2
Microsoft Works Suite 2005
Ulead PhotoImpact 10

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2005 BEST CONSUMER-
D
February 2006 issue of Computer Shopper. ELECTRONICS DEVICES
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them. Limit one entry per person. All entries must be received responsibility or liability for damages, losses, or injury resulting or failed, incorrect, inaccurate, incomplete, garbled, or delayed 28th St., 10th Floor, New York, N.Y. 10016-7922.
by 11:59 p.m. EDT on September 15, 2005. Drawing for sweep- from acceptance or use of any prize. CNET Networks, Inc., its electronic communications, whether caused by the sender or by 5. The sponsor of the promotion is CNET Networks, Inc.,
stakes will be held by November 30, 2005. Normal Internet agencies, and its employees are not responsible or liable for any any of the equipment or programming associated with or used New York, N.Y.

Toshiba recommends Microsoft Windows XP Professional.
Satellite
Smart notebooks for every budget.
Starting at $799
Tecra
The reliability business demands.
Starting at $999
Portégé
Thin, light and powerful.
Starting at $1,599
Qosmio™
Notebook, TV, DVR and stereo in one.
Starting at $1,799
libretto
Power of a desktop in the palm of your hand.
Starting at $2,099
ToshibaByDesign.com/R200
1.800.TOSHIBA
Portégé R200
Style and performance come together
in an elegant ultra portable.
Intel Pentium M Processor Ultra Low Voltage 753

for faster execution of instructions at lower power
Microsoft Windows XP Professional
Toshiba EasyGuard™ enhancements for increased

mobile security, system integrity, network connectivity
and overall ease of use
Starting at $2,099
1. Weight may vary. See Weight Legal Footnote at www.info.toshiba.com. 2. Battery life may vary. See Battery Life Legal Footnote at www.info.toshiba.com. 3. Hard drive capacity may vary. 1 Gigabyte (GB) means 1000 x 1000
x 1000 = 1,000,000,000 bytes using powers of 10. See Hard Disk Drive Capacity Legal Footnote at www.info.toshiba.com. 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. libretto, Portégé, Satellite
and Tecra are registered trademarks and EasyGuard and Qosmio are trademarks of Toshiba America Information Systems, Inc. and/or Toshiba Corporation. Intel, the Intel logo, Intel Inside, the Intel Inside logo, Celeron, Intel
Magnesium alloy chassis
Exterior casework material used in aerospace
manufacturing maximizes durability without
adding unnecessary weight. 60GB hard drive3
Toshiba micro-engineering
fits 60GB of data in a tiny
1.8-inch drive.
Thin. Light.
Goes for hours.
Toshiba is always striving to make notebooks smaller, thinner,
lighter — without compromising functionality. The Portégé R200 Hard drive
is the latest result of that philosophy. Its sleek chassis is built protection4
3D accelerometer
from materials similar to those used in fighter jets. And starting
detects free falls
at 2.68 lbs.1 and just over half an inch thin, it still has enough and quickly
battery life to last up to five hours.2 Portability plus performance. prepares the hard
Size plus stamina. That’s 360˚ innovation. That’s Toshiba. drive for impact
to help protect
your data.
Where can innovation take you?
ToshibaByDesign.com/R200
Fingerprint reader
Embedded biometric sensor
helps prevent unauthorized
access for better security.
Up to five hours of battery life2

Proprietary battery design and low-voltage
processor optimizes battery efficiency.
Innovation by design.
Centrino, the Intel Centrino logo and Pentium are trademarks or registered 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. 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 information provided 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. © 2005 Toshiba America Information Systems, Inc. All rights reserved.
REVIEWS DESKTOPS
Dell Dimension XPS Gen 5

Media Center and gamer in one box
DELL’S DIMENSION XPS Gen 5 doesn’t have the design
polish or the components competing boutique-PC
builders offer, such as 10,000rpm hard drives or a Scal-
able Link Interface (SLI) motherboard for dual-graphics-card
support, but it does pack
EDITORS’ RATING 6.0 Intel’s dual-core 3.2GHz
Pentium Extreme Edition
0 BETTER >> 10
840 CPU. Although games
PROS Dual-core processor don’t yet take advantage of
provides strong multimedia plat- dual-core CPUs, the Gen 5 is around inside can be chal-
form; lots of storage; quiet; power-
ful 3D performance
an entertainment PC, and lenging, however. A green-plastic shroud directs airflow from
its Windows Media Center one of three case fans to the processor, and a second shroud
CONS Flimsy plastic case;
Edition 2005 operating sys- covers the hard drive bays. Two more fans cool the 650-watt
limited selection of high-end
components tem and two-tuner TV card power supply, which resides in a separate chamber at the
will benefit from the multi- base of the system. Even with all these fans spinning, the PC
SPECS 3.2GHz Pentium Extreme
Edition 840; 1GB DDR2; two
media and multitasking ca- is remarkably quiet.
250GB hard drives; double-layer pabilities of the dual-core Along with the 840 CPU, our $3,799 test configuration came
DVD±RW; DVD-ROM; 20-inch Dell processor. with 1GB of 667MHz DDR2 SDRAM, a pair of 250GB hard drives,
LCD; ATI Radeon X850 XT Plat- The Gen 5 retains the and a 256MB ATI Radeon X850 XT Platinum Edition graphics
inum Edition graphics (256MB);
Gen 4’s tool-less, rather card. Its BAPCo SYSmark 2004 score of 230 ranks high among
Windows XP Media
Center Edition 2005 flimsy plastic silver-and- our current application-performance leaders, making the Gen
black clamshell case, 5 an excellent multitasker. It also turned in a respectable 54
Dell, 800-915-3355 www.dell.com
which offers plenty of ex- frames per second on our demanding 1,600x1,200-resolution
Direct Price $3,799 pansion room. Getting Half-Life 2 test. —John R. Delaney
Falcon Northwest Talon EDITORS’ RATING 6.4

Slick SLI gamer at a reasonable price 0 BETTER >> 10
PROS Large case leaves room

to expand; 650-watt power sup-
THE MOST AFFORDABLE PC we’ve seen to date with dual- extra hard drive bays, and
ply; SLI graphics for reasonable
graphics-card Scalable Link Interface (SLI) support, the Falcon two usable PCI slots. In ad- price
Northwest Talon is a good fit if you seek an expandable plat- dition, the 650-watt power
CONS Small hard drive on test
form for gaming or midlevel graphics tasks. supply provides enough
unit; noisy; performance tweaks
The case is more functional than flashy, and the system is juice to grow. The large don’t have big impact
customizable, but your transformer, plus CPU and
SPECS 2.2GHz Athlon 64
choices are limited. Our GPU cooling fans, make 3500+; 1GB DDR; 80GB hard
$2,148 review unit arrived the Talon a noisy ma- drive; double-layer DVD±RW; two
BYOE—Bring Your Own chine, however. nVidia GeForce 6600 GT graphics
Everything—so you’ll need Falcon slightly cards (256MB); no monitor; Win-
dows XP Home Edition
to supply the monitor, key- overclocked both the
board, mouse, and speak- 2.2GHz Athlon 64 Falcon Northwest, 888-325-2661
www.falcon-nw.com
ers. The all-black tower 3500+ CPU (up to
measures nearly 18 inches 2.4GHz) and the pair Direct Price $2,148
tall and just as deep. With of BFG GeForce 6600
just a small, single 80GB GT graphics cards. You’ll have to call Falcon to request
hard drive, a multiformat the performance tweaks, though, which are covered un-
card reader, and a double- der its one-year warranty. The adjustments didn’t
layer DVD±RW drive in the amount to much, but the Talon didn’t disappoint,
case, plenty of space re- achieving 35 frames per second on our 1,600x1,200 Half-
mains for upgrades. You’ll Life 2 test, indicating you can enjoy the most demand-
find four unoccupied ex- ing 3D games at playable frame rates. Application per-
ternal bays (three 5.25-inch formance was solid, too, with a score of 196 on BAPCo
and one 3.5-inch), three SYSmark 2004. —Rick Broida
SECTION CONTINUES ON PAGE 34
REVIEWS DESKTOPS
Cyberpower Gamer Infinity 9900 Pro

Pricey processor proves potent
CYBERPOWER’S Gamer Infinity 9900 Pro does everything from
e-mail and word processing to image editing and digital enter-
tainment. For $2,965, you get a highly competent gaming PC with
lots of advanced
EDITORS’ RATING 6.7

components, in-
cluding Intel’s
0 BETTER >> 10 high-end
PROS Liquid-cooled CPU; lots 3.6GHz Pentium 4
of drive-bay expansion space; 660 CPU, an excellent
built-in Wi-Fi; motherboard 19-inch LCD, and a 7.1 speaker bays are unoccupied. The Asus P5AD2-E Premium motherboard
enables overclocking
system. Its case is a little ex- is loaded with overclocking features and has a built-in 802.11g
CONS RAM sockets difficult to treme for a power-user PC, but wireless adapter that also acts as an access point. Getting to the
reach it can still tackle any task you motherboard’s empty RAM sockets is tricky, however.
SPECS 3.6GHz Pentium 4 660; throw at it. As you’d expect from a computer featuring a Pentium 4 660
1GB DDR2; two 74GB hard The X-Alienpower server CPU and backed by 1GB of 667MHz DDR2 memory and dual
drives; double-layer DVD±RW; case is not quiet, but overall 10,000rpm 74GB hard drives, the 9900 Pro’s application perfor-
DVD-ROM; 19-inch ViewSonic
noise was lower than with the mance is tops. The PC powered through our BAPCo SYSmark
LCD; nVidia GeForce 6800 Ultra
graphics (256MB); Windows XP average PC, due in part to the 2004 test with an exceptional overall score of 225, with particu-
Home Edition processor’s liquid cooling sys- larly strong performance on the Internet-content-creation tests.
tem. The interior, lit by blue On our 1,024x768 Half-Life 2 graphics test, the 256MB nVidia
Cyberpower, 800-707-0393
www.cyberpowersystem.com neon, is respectably tidy for GeForce 6800 Ultra graphics card flipped frames at 73 per second.
Cyberpower. Only two PCI With this level of performance, the 9900 Pro could easily do dou-
Direct Price $2,965
slots are free, but six drive ble-duty as a gamer and graphics workstation. —Bill O’Brien
MPC ClientPro 365 Dell Dimension 5100C

Lack of speed hurts overall good package
FIRST Dell’s refresh of most of its Dimension desktop line
THE MPC ClientPro 365 is a no-frills TAKE brings to an end its drab, gray-on-grayer, no-non-
desktop in a compact, low-profile chas- sense design, and the small-form-factor (SFF) Dimension
sis. With a surprisingly sharp analog 5100C is among the beneficiaries. It replaces the 4700C,
17-inch LCD included, our $1,399 test shrinking the case even further and beefing up the internal
system is a good deal, but its perfor- components.
mance leaves something to be desired. Upside: The arctic-silver and alpine-white exterior is finished
Built around a 3.2GHz Pentium 4 off with rounded corners and an interesting case cut-out for
540J with 512MB of RAM, integrated better ventilation. A pop-up panel up front hides the optical
graphics, and an 80GB hard drive, drive, USB 2.0 and FireWire ports, headphone jack, and flash-
memory-card reader, a new option for Dell. The PC is highly
EDITORS’ RATING 6.3 configurable with a wide range of processors, from the budget
the 365 is a model small-of- Celeron D to a dual-core Pentium 4.
0 BETTER >> 10
fice PC. In our tests, though, it Downside: Performance will depend on the
PROS Low-profile case; lots of lagged behind similarly con- components you choose, and the base con-
USB ports; three-year warranty figured PCs, scoring a below- figuration is pretty meek: 2.8GHz Pentium 4
with onsite service
average 173 overall on BAPCo 520, 256MB of RAM, a CD-ROM drive, a
CONS Below-average overall SYSmark 2004. 40GB hard drive, and integrated graphics
performer On the plus side, MPC (sharing system memory). Considering these
SPECS 3.2GHz Pentium 4 540J; left room to beef up the components, $1,049 isn’t a great value.
512MB DDR; 80GB hard drive; PC internally, and six USB Worse, the warranty is only 90 days.
CD-RW; 17-inch MPC LCD; Intel 2.0 ports—two in front, four Outlook: The new direction Dell has taken with the Dimen-
integrated graphics; Windows XP
in back—allow for plenty sion line was long overdue. Sleeker, quieter, and with better
Professional; Microsoft Office
Standard Edition 2003 of peripherals. The software components, the 5100C will fit nicely on a desk in the dorm or
bundle and MPC’s three- at home in the den. —Joshua Goldman
MPC Computers, 888-224-4247
www.buympc.com year warranty with onsite p Dell, 800-388-8542, www.dell.com
service up the value, too. Direct Price $1,049 (base configuration)
Direct Price $1,399
—Rick Broida

on a deadline that
shifts by the hour
shape it
organize it
write it on a Sony®
VAIO® PC
Sony recommends
Microsoft® Windows® XP.
Deadlines, schedules, and budgets meet

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go to SonyStyle.com and search: cooking
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Your Sony VAIO PC is designed to get the very best performance out of Sony
Cyber-shot® digital still cameras and Handycam® camcorders.
DSC-T7 Cyber-shot Digital DSC-M1 Cyber-shot Digital DCR-DVD403 DVD Handycam
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RB Series Build-to-Order VAIO Desktop
create is in your hands. Put your imagination
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Opening Soon: Arlington, Cincinnati, Garden City, McLean, San Antonio, Skokie, and White Plains.
©2005 Sony Electronics Inc. Reproduction in whole or in part without written permission is prohibited. All rights reserved. Sony, VAIO, Like No Other, Sony Style, ImageStation, Handycam, Cyber-shot, XBRITE, Click to DVD, PictureGear
Studio, DVDirect, SmartWi, Network Walkman, and their respective logos are trademarks of Sony. Playstation is a registered trademark of Sony Computer Entertainment Inc. Intel, Intel Inside, the Intel Inside logo, Intel Centrino, the Intel
Centrino logo, Pentium, and Celeron are trademarks or registered trademarks of Intel Corporation or its subsidiaries in the United States and other countries. Microsoft and Windows are registered trademarks of Microsoft Corporation. Cingular
Wireless is a registered trademark of Cingular Wireless LLC 2005. All other trademarks are trademarks of their respective owners. Features, prices, specifications, availability, and promotions are valid only in the U.S. and are subject
to change without notice. Prices and promotions apply to purchases from www.sonystyle.com and do not include applicable sales tax or shipping and handling. Retailer prices and offers may vary. Purchases from www.sonystyle.com are
subject to the Terms and Conditions of www.sonystyle.com, shipping options, return policies, and other www.sonystyle.com policies. You can review these by clicking on the appropriate links in the Info Center section of the shopping cart
section of www.sonystyle.com. For product warranty information, click on the Product Warranty link contained on the applicable product page of www.sonystyle.com. Sony is not responsible for typographical or other errors in this ad.
Screen images simulated. Nonmetric weights and measures are approximate. Screen size represents viewable area measured diagonally. 1. Requires compatible wireless access point. Some features may require Internet service,
which may require a fee. For products with Bluetooth® capability, use of a Bluetooth®-enabled device may vary, as not all Bluetooth® devices are compatible. Sony cannot guarantee the security of wireless communications. 2. DVD
media/formats are not universally compatible. 3. The promotion applies to purchases made between July 15 and August 15, 2005, on the Sony Financial Services Card, subject to credit approval. This is a Same as Cash offer. Minimum
monthly payments are required. If balance on these purchases is paid in full before the January 2007 promotional expiration date indicated on your billing statement, and the Account is kept current, accrued Finance Charges will not
be imposed on these purchases. If balance on these purchases is not paid in full, Finance Charges will be assessed from the purchase date at the Standard Rate APR of 21.99%. For Accounts not kept current, the promotion will be
canceled, and the Default Rate 24.99% APR will apply. The minimum monthly payment presented is based on the product and purchase price shown. The minimum monthly payment is 2.5% of the “New Balance” or $10, whichever is
greater. The number of months you will pay and the amount of your total minimum monthly payment will depend on additional purchases and your account balances. Minimum Finance Charge $2.00. Certain rules apply to the
allocation of payments and finance charges on your promotional purchase if more than one purchase is made on your Sony Financial Services credit card. Call 1-888-367-4310 or review your cardholder agreement for information.
4. 30-Day FREE Trial: When you sign up for the Cingular Wireless Data Connect $79.99 unlimited plan, a credit equal to the amount of the monthly service charge will be applied to your account. Credit approval required. Service not
available for purchase or use in all areas. Taxes and other charges apply. Early Termination Fee: None if canceled in first 30 days; thereafter, in FL, GA, SC, NC, KY, TN, MS, LA, AL, NY, and applicable parts of IN and NJ, $240 prorated
over term; elsewhere, $150 flat rate. Limited-time offer. See www.sonystyle.com/cingular for complete offer details, price plans, service terms and conditions, and coverage map. Call 1-888-739-VAIO (8246) for service activation.
REVIEWS NOTEBOOKS
HP Compaq NX9600
Desktop replacement needs a speed boost
THE HP COMPAQ NX9600 is a well-designed desktop-replacement note-
book, but it lags behind the competition on performance.
Although its 3.6GHz desktop Pentium 4
EDITORS’ RATING 5.8 560 processor is theoretically fast, the
NX9600 has 1GB of fairly slow 400MHz
0 BETTER >> 10
DDR2 memory and a poky 4,200rpm
PROS Large screen; strong 100GB hard drive. Our $2,149 test unit
graphics performance; plenty of also carried an immense 17-inch display
connectors
with a superfine 1,680x1,050 native reso-
CONS Slow compared with lution, an advanced 128MB ATI Mobility
other desktop replacements; Radeon X600 graphics chip, and a multi-
Lenovo ThinkPad X41 short warranty
format DVD burner. You get 802.11a/b/g
Longevity in a tiny package SPECS 3.6GHz Pentium 4 560; Wi-Fi and Bluetooth connectivity, a
1GB DDR2; 100GB hard drive; FireWire port, Gigabit Ethernet network-
AFTER RECENTLY PURCHASING IBM’s PC divi- DVD±RW; 17-inch TFT; Windows ing, and four USB 2.0 ports.
XP Professional
sion, Lenovo continues the long line of ThinkPad X This laptop was a
notebooks with the ThinkPad X41. It delivers a Hewlett-Packard, 800-888-0262 slow performer com-
strong combination of portability, performance, www.hp.com pared with other desk-
battery life, and Direct Price $2,149 top replacements,
EDITORS’ RATING 6.7 features. though it earned
Our $2,299 X41 decent scores on our 3D-graphics-application tests
0 BETTER >> 10
test model used a due to its Radeon X600 chip.
PROS Thin, light; comfortable 1.5GHz Low Volt- The NX9600 comes with only a one-year
keyboard; includes fingerprint age Pentium M warranty and a year of 24/7 toll-free phone
reader, dedicated security hard-
758 processor, support. —Stephanie Bruzzese
ware; excellent battery life
512MB of DDR2
CONS Sluggish 4,200rpm hard memory, and a
drive 4,200rpm 40GB
SPECS 1.5GHz LV Pentium M
758; 512MB DDR2; 40GB hard
hard drive. The
12.1-inch display
Dell Latitude X1
drive; DVD-ROM/CD-RW combo; is clear and sharp. Svelte ultraportable has executive appeal
12.1-inch TFT; Windows XP
Though the lap-
Professional
top lacks a built- THE DELL LATITUDE X1 is a sleek
Lenovo, 866-968-4465 in optical drive, its ultraportable that serves up the power
www.lenovo.com dock came with a business users demand. 0 BETTER >> 10
Direct Price $2,299 DVD-ROM/CD-RW The X1 weighs just 2.5 pounds, or 3.1 PROS Sleek, lightweight de-
combo drive. pounds with its AC adapter. The key- sign; wide-screen display; self-
The black, wedge-shaped X41 has a petite board is barely big enough to type on. It’s powered, external optical drive
1x10.4x8.2-inch footprint and weighs just 2.5 pounds easy enough to manipulate the cursor
CONS Cramped keyboard;
(3.9 with its AC adapter). The laptop’s keyboard has with the touch pad, however. mediocre battery life
full-size keys with a generous 2mm of depth. You’ll Our $2,141 test configuration arrived
SPECS 1.1GHz ULV Pentium M
also find a TrackPoint pointing nub and a handy scroll with a 1.1GHz Ultra Low Voltage Pentium
733; 512MB DDR; 60GB hard
button, plus a keyboard light for typing in dimly lit M 733 processor, a 60GB hard drive, and drive; DVD-ROM/CD-RW combo;
environments. A fingerprint scanner, along with a 512MB of 400MHz DDR memory. The lap- 12.1-inch TFT; Windows XP Pro-
dedicated internal security chip, can block access and top also featured a self-powered external fessional
encrypt key data. The X41’s basic connections include USB 2.0 DVD-ROM/CD-RW combo drive. Dell, 800-388-8542
two USB 2.0 ports, Gigabit Ethernet, and an Intel Integrated graphics drive the 12.1-inch www.dell.com
802.11b/g Wi-Fi chip. 1,280x800 (WXGA) wide-screen LCD. You Direct Price $2,141
Achieving a BAPCo MobileMark 2002 score of 165, also get Blue-
the X41 proved to be a nimble ultraportable when tooth and 802.11b/g wireless networking.
running business applications. The little notebook The X1 scored a respectable 167 on our
also impressed us with its excellent 5 hours and 26 BAPCo MobileMark 2002 test. Less impressive
minutes of battery life. was its battery life: 3 hours and 2 minutes, a
Lenovo covers the ThinkPad X41 with a three-year short showing.
warranty, and it includes lifetime tech support. Dell backs the X1 with a generous three-year
—Brian Nadel warranty and 24/7, toll-free tech support. —B.N.

REVIEWS NOTEBOOKS
Sony VAIO VGN-T350P

A wireless pioneer for those who travel far and wide
IF YOU’RE a hard-core road warrior who must remain in fre- working, and a
quent contact with the office at any cost, then you’re a prime Memory Stick card.
candidate for the $2,299 Sony VAIO VGN-T350P. Though it’s ex- The VGN-T350P
pensive, this ultraportable delivers extremely long battery life roams on Cin-
and a built-in cellular card. gular’s En-
Our midnight-blue test unit came with a 1.2GHz Ultra Low hanced
Voltage Pentium M 753 Data GSM
6.3 processor, 512MB of slow Environment
EDITORS’ RATING
266MHz memory, and an in- (EDGE) cellular data net-
0 BETTER >> 10 tegrated graphics subsys- work, but monthly plans are costly
tem that borrows up to ($19.99 for 5MB, $79.99 for unlimited
PROS Small, light case; built-in
cellular, Wi-Fi; integrated DVD 64MB from main memory. data). In addition, we never achieved a transfer
burner; long battery life The laptop’s screen was a speed faster than 445Kbps.
small 10.6-inch display with Weighing 3.1 pounds, the VGN-T350P is the size of a hardcover
CONS Expensive; small key-
board, display; costly cellular data
a 1,280x768 native resolu- book. Even with its 11.5-ounce AC adapter, the laptop won’t be an
plans tion. A midsize 60GB hard undue burden. Not surprisingly, the keyboard and mouse buttons
drive spinning at a sluggish are tiny—though the touch pad is spacious.
SPECS 1.2GHz ULV Pentium M
4,200rpm and a built-in Recording a satisfactory BAPCo MobileMark 2002 score of 158,
753; 512MB DDR; 60GB hard
drive; DVD±RW; 10.6-inch TFT; DVD±RW burner rounded the VGN-T350P should have at least enough pep for ordinary
Windows XP Professional out the VGN-T350P’s main business tasks. The laptop persevered for a long 6 hours on our
Sony Electronics, 877-865-7669
storage options. For connec- battery-drain tests before powering down.
www.sonystyle.com tions, Sony included two The VGN-T350P ships with only a single year of return-to-de-
USB 2.0 ports, Bluetooth pot service, and toll-free phone support also lasts for just a year.
Direct Price $2,299
and 802.11b/g Wi-Fi net- —Stephanie Bruzzese
MPC TransPort T2300 EDITORS’ RATING 6.6

Pricey traveler for business or pleasure 0 BETTER >> 10
PROS High-resolution display;

MPC’S TRANSPORT T2300 is a costly but versatile laptop that handy programmable con- lightweight; includes fingerprint
well-heeled travelers will appreciate. It combines solid per- trols, while the touch pad scanner, multiformat DVD drive
formance with extra security and remains light enough for and mouse buttons are
CONS Small hard drive;
long hauls. comfortable and large. expensive
We tested a $2,510 model that arrived with a 1.86GHz In addition, a useful finger-
SPECS 1.86GHz Pentium M
Pentium M 750 processor, 512MB of print scanner takes the
750; 512MB DDR2; 40GB hard
533MHz memory, a 15-inch hassle out of frequent drive; DVD±RW/DVD-RAM;
display, and a small logins. 15-inch TFT; Windows XP
5,400rpm 40GB hard In our tests, the T2300 Professional
drive loaded with Win- didn’t blow away similarly MPC Computers, 888-224-4247
dows XP Professional. The configured systems, but it www.mpccorp.com
sturdy, aluminum-cased delivered a competent Direct Price $2,510
TFT display supports a lush BAPCo MobileMark 2002
resolution of 1,400x1,050 score of 194. The laptop’s battery endured for a decent,
(SXGA+); it’s driven by ATI’s if not spectacularly long, 3 hours and 11 minutes.
Mobility Radeon X600 graphics The T2300 supplies a full range of con-
chipset, backed by 128MB of nectivity options, including 802.11a/b/g
RAM. Also, a hot-swappable Wi-Fi, Gigabit Ethernet, a combination
DVD±RW/DVD-RAM drive provides SD/Memory Stick Pro/Memory Stick
a full range of disc-burning and Duo card reader, four USB 2.0 ports,
backup options. and one FireWire port.
The T2300’s 6.2-pound weight and di- MPC’s standard three-year warranty, aug-
mensions of 1.25x12.9x10.8 inches make for mented by 24/7 toll-free tech support, makes the
easy portability. The wide keyboard includes T2300 a reassuring investment. —Levy Vargas

REVIEWS COMPONENTS
LaCie d2 Extreme With Triple Interface

Slick hard drive delivers ample capacity, fast performance
TEXT FILES and spreadsheets may not take up much space, with FireWire 400,
but all those digital images and music files sure do. If your and a whopping
hard drive’s getting a little crowded, LaCie’s d2 Hard Drive Ex- 12MB per second
treme with Triple Interface (in 160GB, 200GB, or 250GB capaci- with FireWire 800.
ties) can give you some expansion room. It also makes a great (With any interface,
backup device to protect against hard drive failure. the previous high on
Built like a tank, the d2 is quiet, roomy, and fast. With its our tests was 9MB
matte-silver exterior and subdued front panel, it’s also styl- per second.) If the
ish. The drive’s best attribute, however, is its versatility. The incremental speed
back panel houses an abundance of ports, providing connec- boost FireWire 800
tivity via USB 2.0, the new provides is important
EDITORS’ RATING 8.0 FireWire 800 standard, or its to you, you’ll need
predecessor, FireWire 400. A one of Apple’s latest
0 BETTER > > 10
Kensington-lock slot works Macs or an adapter
PROS Stylish; excellent with optional locking gear to such as the $79.99
performance; FireWire 800
support
prevent drive theft. In addi- Adaptec FireConnect
tion, a heat-dissipating vent 8300 to take full ad-
CONS Requires FireWire 800 keeps the interior cool. vantage of it. In a
card for fastest performance
The d2 performed well in single-drive setup,
LaCie, 503-844-4502 our 400MB-folder and 1.9GB- it’s a noticeable but
www.lacie.com large-file copy tests, averag- not monumental gain. In a RAID array, where you’d piggy-
Direct Price $179 (160MB); ing 10.2MB per second with back two external drives for redundancy, the doubled band-
$219 (200MB); $249 (250GB) USB 2.0, 11.4MB per second width would have a much greater impact. —Jon L. Jacobi
Logitech MX518 Sony DRX-800UL

Pinpoint accuracy for those who hate to lose
FIRST Sony is renowned for designing stylish devices with
FORGET FAST processors and pricey TAKE premium price tags, and its DRX-800UL is no excep-
graphics cards—if you’re looking for a tion. This external DVD drive offers plenty of power in a sleek,
gaming upgrade, you need Logitech’s compact case built to complement today’s most distinguished
MX518 Gaming-Grade Optical Mouse. PCs. Equipped with both FireWire and USB interfaces, this
Whether you’re homing in on an enemy or drive is also as versatile as it is good-looking.
surfing the Web, this $49.99 mouse is a must. Upside: The DRX-800UL writes to DVD+R and DVD-R me-
Outfitted in gray and black, the MX518 has five dia at 16x, fast enough to burn a full disc in just 6 minutes.
user-programmable buttons, a scroll wheel, two dedicat- The drive also writes to double-layer discs at 4x, as well as to
ed buttons for adjusting the mouse’s sensitivity on the go, and an DVD+RW and DVD-RW discs at 8x and 6x, respectively. In
application-switching button (the equivalent of hitting Alt+Tab). addition to its impressive speeds, the drive ships with a suite
The MX518, which connects to your PC via USB, is de- of Nero software that includes Nero
signed for right-handed gamers only. If you are one, though, Burning ROM 6 SE, NeroVision
you’ll find the mouse extremely comfortable to use. Even Express 6, and Nero BackitUp.
during intense deathmatches, we never once hit the wrong Downside: There’s little to dislike
button. The MX518 has an about the DRX-800UL. Though it
EDITORS’ RATING 8.7 amazingly sharp 1,600-dot- doesn’t feature the fastest double-
0 BETTER >> 10
per-inch (dpi) resolution layer burning speeds (currently,
that we originally found too the fastest drives max out at 6x),
PROS Comfortable; five pro-
sensitive, but we discovered it still offers a respectable 4x.
grammable buttons; 1,600dpi
optical sensor with on-the-fly the sweet spot with some Outlook: A comprehensive software
sensitivity-adjustment buttons tweaking. In fact, we con- bundle, fast rewriting times, and double-layer
sistently found ourselves support make the DRX-800UL worth considering for PC
CONS Designed for right-
changing the mouse’s sen- users looking to upgrade their optical drive or purchase a
handed users only
sitivity during gameplay— quick backup solution. —Louis Ramirez
Logitech, 800-231-7717
www.logitech.com
an option you’ll wonder p Sony Electronics, 877-865-7669, www.sonystyle.com
how you ever lived without. Direct Price $209.99 (before $30 mail-in rebate)
Direct Price $49.99 —William O’Neal

REVIEWS DISPLAYS
AG Neovo M-17
Stylish LCD offers mediocre performance
WITH ITS MAC-LIKE STYLING and stunning looks, AG and color-track-
Neovo’s $329 M-17 is a sturdy LCD for anyone in a design-con- ing errors, how-
scious setting. Though it offers inconsistent image quality and ever. Moreover,
a rigid design, the M-17 is adequate for most daily tasks. the display was
The downside to the M-17’s easel-like shape is that it’s not incapable of re-
as adjustable as other 17-inch displays. You can tilt the panel producing the
back about 20 degrees, but there’s no side-to-side swivel, no most extreme
portrait/landscape pivot shades of dark
EDITORS’ RATING 6.2 function, and no height ad- and light gray.
justment. On the upside, a Gray-scale
0 BETTER >> 10
kickstand leg gives the dis- performance
PROS Sturdy, good-looking
play a sturdy feel, and the was at its
design; two built-in USB ports
LCD features two USB ports, best when
CONS Minimal adjustability;
as well as both analog and the display
image quality varies depending
on viewing angle; poor integrated digital inputs. was com-
speakers The M-17’s menu buttons pletely vertical.
are intuitive, and navigating Screen uniformity was
AG Neovo, 408-321-8210
www.neovo-usa.com through the onscreen menu similarly affected by the view-
is easy. With the push of a ing angle, though even when we
List Price $329
button, you can switch held it upright, the top half of the screen
among six preset modes, each with different brightness, con- looked darker than the bottom. Also, we were
trast, and color-temperature settings. unimpressed by the built-in speakers, which sounded
With its sharp text and vibrant colors, the M-17 is fine for tinny and faint even at their loudest setting.
everyday use. Our DisplayMate tests revealed hue shifting —Kristina Blachere
HP L1940 EDITORS’ RATING 6.1

Flexible LCD proves unstable 0 BETTER >> 10
PROS Clear text; highly

WHAT WE LIKE the most about HP’s 19-inch L1940 is also what its surface. Ironically, rotat- adjustable; three USB 2.0 ports
we dislike: its adjustability. The L1940 is so flexible, it borders on ing the L1940 from land- CONS Unstable base; lacks
unstable. Nevertheless, its scape to portrait orientation pivoting software, speakers,
image quality, especially is difficult because headphone jack, DVI cable
with text, is good, mak- its joints don’t Hewlett-Packard, 800-888-9909
ing this $499 LCD worth a move as easily. www.hp.com
look. HP doesn’t in-
Direct Price $499
The panel’s lazy-Su- clude pivoting
san-like base swivels software with the LCD, so you’ll need to spend $40
the entire display 360 for Portrait Displays’ Pivot Pro software. Also miss-
degrees, which allows ing are a headphone jack, integrated speakers, and a
the monitor to wobble DVI cable, though we appreciated the inclusion of
back and forth at the three USB 2.0 ports.
slightest touch. Like- We tested the L1940 at its native resolution of
wise, the L1940’s dou- 1,280x1,024 using a VGA connection, and the results
ble-hinged neck makes were favorable, especially with text. Performance with
it so fluid that it moves colors was less impressive, however. Instead of
by itself. The two smoothly progressing from dark gray into black, the
hinges, one at the base of screen jumped abruptly to black. Blues and reds had
the neck and one at the top, an equally hard time transitioning smoothly.
allow the top of the display to On our DVD-playback test, the L1940 showed an un-
rise almost 20 inches above expected knack for displaying accurately colored flesh
your desk, or the bottom to tones in a performance that was otherwise average.
drop within just 1.5 inches of —Jeffrey Fuchs

CNET congratulates this issue’s
CNET Editors’ Choice winners
CNET Editors’ Choice awards recognize tech products of the highest quality, design, and service
to users. Products bearing the CNET Editors’ Choice graphic have been rigorously tested and
carefully evaluated by our panel of expert editors and writers. We are committed to making
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REVIEWS PRINTERS

Multifunction laser offers all the basics
CANON’S IMAGECLASS MF5750 is a
6.8 machine geared for home offices, com-
EDITORS’ RATING
bining a 600-dot-per-inch (dpi) mono-
0 BETTER >> 10
chrome laser printer with a 1,200dpi
PROS Fine text quality; gray-scale and color scanner.
accurate color scans; toll-free The $399 MF5750 features a 50-page
tech support
automatic document feeder, along with
CONS Copies slowly; limited a 250-sheet removable paper tray.
expansion options; expensive But there’s no room for a duplexer, nor
toner
HP Deskjet 6840 Canon U.S.A., 800-652-2666
can you buy additional paper trays.
Furthermore, the unit’s 2,500-page
Budget inkjet doubles as photo lab usa.canon.com
combined toner cartridge and drum
Mfr. Est. Price $399 costs $74, so a page of ordinary text
FAMILIES, home offices, and organizations on a runs almost 3 cents to print.
tight budget will appreciate the HP Deskjet 6840. In our tests, the MF5750 turned out impressive black text at
This $179.99 inkjet delivers reliable print quality, 14.8 pages per minute (ppm). Likewise, gray-
fast photo-print speeds, and built-in Wi-Fi and scale print jobs produced a pleasing range of
Ethernet capability. shades, although gray-scale scans lacked
Beneath its gloss-black exterior, the 6840 houses contrast. (Color scans were more accurate.)
a 50-sheet output tray that awkwardly doubles as The MF5750 clocked in at 3.9ppm scanning
the cover of the 150- gray-scale documents and 3.7ppm for color.
EDITORS’ RATING 7.6 sheet input tray. For Photocopying averaged a poky 4.2ppm.
two-sided printing, In addition to its business-friendly software
0 BETTER >> 10
business users will package, the MF5750 also comes with access to
PROS Consistently good print have to add the live, toll-free phone support. —Dan Littman
quality; impressive print speeds;
$79.99 duplexer or
built-in Wi-Fi, Ethernet
the $99.99 duplexer
CONS Clumsily designed out- with a photo-paper
put tray; must-have business tray.
extras increase price
Hewlett-Packard, 888-999-4747
The 6840 conceals
Fujifilm Digital Mobile Printer MP-70
USB and Ethernet
www.hp.com
ports in its back pan- FIRST Now that most cell phones are equipped with built-in cameras,
Direct Price $179.99 el, as well as built-in TAKE there remains one question: What to do with those pictures once
802.11b/g wireless- you’ve taken them? E-mailing the impromptu shots still costs you a pretty
networking compatibility. Digicam owners can take dollar, and most phones don’t have the capacity to store too many im-
advantage of the unit’s PictBridge port, which al- ages. Enter Fujifilm’s Digital Mobile Printer MP-70.
lows for quick, computer-free printing direct from Upside: The MP-70 lets you wirelessly print photos from your infrared-
your PictBridge-enabled camera. capable cell phone or PDA. Despite its diminutive, audiocassette-size
The 6840’s print speeds were impressive, deliver- dimensions, the battery-powered printer churned out detailed 254-dot-
ing text at 6.7 pages per minute (ppm) and breezing per-inch shots in our informal testing. The Polaroid-like prints (10-pack,
through an 8x10-inch photo at 0.52ppm. Text was $5.99) develop instantly and are roughly the size of a baseball card.
heavily saturated with ink and appeared ultradark Phones that lack infrared capabilities can opt for the $49 USB infrared
and crisp. Our graphics test lacked some detail but add-on that lets any cell phone or digital camera jump in on the fun.
easily passed the grade for everyday use. Despite a Downside: Although we like the idea of printing directly from our camera
few flaws, photos looked good, with smooth skin phone, most of today’s phones still lack the power to take high-resolution
tones and fine details. shots. In addition, the MP-70 will not print images larger than 3 megapixels,
We printed our tests using black and three-col- so think again before printing those high-res shots stored on your PDA.
or cartridges, but for better results, you may want Outlook: The MP-70, without a doubt, offers the
to replace the black cartridge with HP’s $24.99 most fun we’ve had with a printer. It’s easy to use,
photo-ink cartridge for six-color photo printing. addictive, and relatively inexpensive. Stay tuned
Should you ever run out of black ink, the 6840’s for a complete review in a future issue.
automatic ink-backup mode lets you make emer- —Louis Ramirez
gency prints—black text would be composed of p Fuji Photo Film U.S.A.,
three color inks. HP estimates ink costs at 8 cents 800-800-3854, www.fujifilm.com
per color page, 4 cents per text page. Direct Price $99
—Kristina Blachere

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of its data infrastructure connecting distributors and suppliers around the world, he turned
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disaster recovery experts performed a top-to-bottom evaluation of the logical and physical
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All other trademarks, registered trademarks, photos, logos and illustrations are property of their respective owners.
©2005 Insight Direct USA, Inc. All rights reserved.
REVIEWS MOBILE PRODUCTS
Garmin iQue M5
GPS-capable PDA is impressive but pricey
FEATURING HIGHLY CAPABLE navigation software and configured, with a
maps, Garmin’s iQue M5 is a powerful hybrid Pocket PC with 416MHz Intel PXA272
built-in GPS hardware. Its performance is outstanding, but, at XScale processor, 64MB
$749.99, the M5 costs significantly more than other GPS- of ROM, and 64MB of
equipped PDAs. RAM. An SD/MMC flash-
Weighing 5.9 ounces and measuring 2.8x5x0.8 inches, the memory slot is includ-
M5 follows typical Pocket PC design and size. We like the way ed, as is Bluetooth wire-
the GPS antenna folds down and closes flush inside the case. less networking.
Garmin didn’t include the The GPS-navigation
EDITORS’ RATING 7.0 jog-dial control it did on pre- functions worked flaw-
vious models, however—a lessly. Maps proved at-
0 BETTER >> 10 regrettable omission. tractive and easy to
PROS Same size as typical We found the M5’s 3.5- read, and the device in-
Pocket PC; excellent navigation inch-diagonal, 320x240-pixel tegrates handily with
capabilities; built-in Bluetooth
screen difficult to read out- your address book for
networking; includes windshield
mount, car charger doors. On the upside, Garmin streamlined routing.
supplies both a USB synchro- Just tap any entry, se-
CONS Expensive; screen is nization cradle/charger and a lect Que, click Route To It, and you’re on your way. In addition,
hard to read outdoors; no jog
suction-cup windshield the M5 features an excellent address-lookup utility, and it’s
dial; average battery life
mount. The latter includes an adept at finding points of interest.
Garmin, 800-800-1020
in-vehicle charger that has In lab testing, the M5 offered good performance but slowed
www.garmin.com
its own speaker. noticeably when multiple applications were open. The battery
List Price $749.99 The M5 is competently life of 4.4 hours was merely respectable. —Rick Broida
Hawking HWC54D Hi-Gain Samsung SGH-p777

Wireless-G CardBus Adapter A slick slider cell that’s media-savvy
Extends Wi-Fi range, but saps battery life SAMSUNG’S $299.99 SGH-
p777 is an impressive phone EDITORS’ RATING 7.6
HAWKING’S HWC54D Hi-Gain that’s well-configured for mul-
0 BETTER >> 10
Wireless-G CardBus Adapter timedia tasks. Overall, this ad-
optimizes weak wireless net- vanced handset is a stylish de- PROS 1.3-megapixel camera;
MP3 player; solid call quality;
work signals to boost your vice with significant extras. EDGE data speeds; e-mail sup-
laptop’s Wi-Fi range. Its design is attractive, but port; AIM, ICQ preinstalled
The $59 PC Card incorpo- at 3.6x1.8x0.8 inches and 3.8
CONS Lacks Bluetooth, speak-
rates a high-gain antenna that swivels. This makes the HWC54D ounces, the SGH-p777 is by no er; proprietary headphone jack;
heavier than other Wi-Fi cards, and the card extends an ungainly means small. A large, bright bulky
1.6 inches from the side of the notebook. 1.75-inch-diagonal screen Samsung Telecommunications
The HWC54D installs in just minutes. Offering both 802.11b/g displays 262,000 colors. America, 888-987-4357
and 802.11b-only modes, the card’s software interface is excel- Outfitted with 100MB of www.samsung.com/wireless
lent. Both Wired Equivalent memory, the SGH-p777 stores Direct Price $299.99 (with
EDITORS’ RATING 6.9 Privacy (WEP) and Wi-Fi Pro- 1,000 phonebook entries. It Cingular service contract)
tected Access (WPA) encryp- supports En-
0 BETTER >> 10
tion are supported. hanced Data GSM Environment (EDGE) high-
PROS High-gain swiveling With a fast maximum speed transmission, plus POP3, SMTP, and
antenna; well-designed soft- throughput of 24.2Mbps, the IMAP4 e-mail and AOL and ICQ instant messag-
ware; fast throughput; extraordi-
HWC54D demonstrated an as- ing. Its 1.3-megapixel camera captures pictures
nary range
tonishing range of 325 feet. and video. You also get a handy MP3-playback
CONS Juts far out of note-
That said, the card consistent- feature with proprietary headphones, but no
book; significant battery drain
ly drained our test notebook’s speakerphone or Bluetooth networking.
Hawking Technology battery an hour faster than We tested the phone on Cingular’s network
949-790-0800
when we used the notebook’s in San Francisco and experienced good call
www.hawkingtech.com
built-in Wi-Fi adapter. quality. Talk time was 4 hours, and standby time
Mfr. Est. Price $59
—Brian Nadel was 7 days. —William O’Neal

REVIEWS DIGITAL CAMERAS
Sony Cyber-shot DSC-P200

Better battery life than image quality
6.8 THE $399.95 Sony Cyber-shot DSC-P200
EDITORS’ RATING
is one of the most compact 7-megapixel
0 BETTER >> 10 digicams available, offering good per-
PROS Excellent battery life; formance, outstanding battery life, and
video clips can be edited on adequate photo quality.
camera The DSC-P200 provides only a bare-
CONS Minimal feature set; bones roster of features suitable for ba-
color-cast problems sic snapshooting, including nine scene
Sony Electronics, 877-865-7669 modes. One nice touch is the ability to
www.sonystyle.com trim video clips in the camera itself.
Direct Price $399.95 Excellent battery life and generally
Pentax *ist DS quick response times spice up the
DSC-P200’s appeal. We got 984 shots out of a charge of the Sony Info-
Compact dSLR with great features Lithium rechargeable cell, half of them with flash, interspersed with a
healthy amount of zooming, card formatting, and picture review. Wake-
A COMPACT DESIGN, flexible power sources, and up time is 2 seconds, and you can snap follow-up shots every 1.6 sec-
a strong feature set make the 6.1-megapixel Pentax onds (2.8 seconds with flash) until the camera’s buffer fills.
*ist DS a digital single-lens-reflex (dSLR) camera for Color problems plagued many pho-
the on-the-move photo enthusiast. tos shot in the field, producing unde-
The first thing you notice about this camera, sired casts both indoors and out.
apart from its peculiar name, is its small size. No Otherwise, the DSC-P200 took gener-
dSLR is pocketable, but ally well-exposed images with al-
EDITORS’ RATING 7.0 this enthusiast camera most too-rich color saturation that
> >
won’t dominate your looked good at standard viewing
0 BETTER 10
carry-on luggage. Al- distances. —D. D. B.
PROS Most compact dSLR
though the *ist DS
available; accepts AA batteries;
outstanding viewfinder, LCD doesn’t ship with a
rechargeable battery
CONS Some overly saturated
colors; no TIFF mode and charger, its two
CR-V3 lithium cells
Casio QV-R62
Pentax Imaging, 800-877-0155
www.pentaximaging.com
can be replaced with A choice camera for novice snapshooters
four AA batteries of
Direct Price $799.95 (body
your choice. The bat- THE $299.99 Casio QV-R62 is a
only), $899.95 (kit with lens) EDITORS’ RATING 7.0
tery options work 6-megapixel digicam that’s easy to use
nicely with the camera’s compact design to make it and a good choice for snapshooters 0 BETTER >> 10
a practical choice for traveling photographers. who want a little more than just the PROS Easy to use; excellent
The *ist DS accepts K-, KA-, KAF-, and KAF2- basic point-and-shoot. help, newbie features
mount lenses directly, but you can also use Pentax Newbies will love the QV-R62’s 23
CONS Sluggish flash recycle;
screw-mount lenses dating back as far as the mid- Best Shot scene modes, especially be- soft-looking nonflash photos;
1960s. If you purchase the kit version of the camera, cause each mode is accompanied by a movie recording lacks sound
the supplied lens is equivalent to a 27.5mm-to- text explanation and photographic ex-
Casio, 800-836-8580
84mm zoom on a 35mm full-frame camera. ample. Equally useful is the rollover www.casio.com
The camera features a brilliant optical viewfinder help system, which uses pop-ups to
Mfr. Est. Price $299.99
and a 2-inch LCD, both of which are easy on the identify settings as you change them.
eyes. The *ist DS’s performance neither disappoints Casio also attends to the needs of more-experienced users with a wide
nor excels in comparison with the dSLR competi- selection of tweaking tools.
tion. Though it can shoot RAW images, it lacks a The 3x optical zoom was responsive and moved smoothly through its
TIFF mode. six steps, but using the flash was frustrating, taking more than 6 seconds
The *ist DS produced uniformly good exposures to recycle for the next shot. Also, unlike
with lots of detail in shadows and highlights, and many competitors, the QV-R62’s Movie
had a slightly lesser tendency to blow out the mode doesn’t record sound.
whites than its competitors. Skin tones were neu- Color rendition was, with only a cou-
tral and lifelike, although some colors, especially ple of exceptions, quite accurate, but
the reds and oranges, were often more saturated nonflash photos looked notably soft,
than we’d like, at times verging on the garish. regardless of illumination or shutter
—David D. Busch speed. —Theano Nikitas

ThinkPad recommends Microsoft® Windows® XP Professional.
RECOVERS YOUR WORK IN MINUTES.

RESTORES YOUR SANITY IN AN INSTANT.
Availability: All offers subject to availability. Lenovo reserves the right to alter product offerings and specifications at any time, without notice. Lenovo is not responsible for photographic or typographic errors. *Pricing: Prices do not include tax or shipping 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 UF2A/B203. 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) 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. (3) Included software: may differ from its retail version (if available), and may not include user manuals or all program functionality. License agreements may apply. (4) 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. (5) Hard drive: GB = billion bytes. Accessible capacity is less; up to 4GB is service partition.
(7) Thinness: may vary at certain points on the system. (8) Travel Weight: includes battery and optional travel bezel instead of standard optical drive in Ultrabay bay, if applicable; weight may vary due to vendor components, manufacturing process and options. (9) Internet access
ThinkPad R51 ThinkPad X40
Thinnest and lightest ThinkPad ultraportable ever.
DISTINCTIVE INNOVATIONS DISTINCTIVE INNOVATIONS
Embedded Security Subsystem 2.010 – Embedded Security Subsystem 2.0 –
RESCUE AND RECOVERY. ONLY ON A THINKPAD. Strong security as a standard feature Strong security as a standard feature
Maybe you’ve had a virus attack. Or a software installation failure. SYSTEM FEATURES SYSTEM FEATURES
Intel® Centrino™ Mobile Technology Intel® Centrino™ Mobile Technology
Or your operating system’s been corrupted. Just press the blue Intel Pentium M Processor 725 (1.60GHz)
® ® 1
Intel® Pentium® M Processor ULV 733 (1.10GHz)
Intel® PRO/Wireless 2200BG (802.11b/g) 2 Intel® PRO/Wireless 2200BG (802.11b/g)
button on any ThinkPad ® notebook and a range of tools comes Microsoft® Windows® XP Professional3 Microsoft® Windows® XP Professional
to the rescue. It’s called Rescue and Recovery™. Standard on all 14.1" XGA TFT Display (1024x768) 256MB DDR SDRAM, 30GB Hard Drive
new ThinkPad notebooks*, it can get you up and running even 256MB DDR SDRAM4, 40GB Hard Drive5 Only .94" thin7 and 2.7-lb travel weight8
when your operating system’s down. So work with a feeling $

1049* (P/N 2883ELU)
$
1499 (P/N 2386BHU)
of confidence. Instead of that sinking feeling.
ThinkPad Premiere Leather ThinkPad Women’s Executive
Carrying Case Red Leather Tote
$
99 (P/N 10K0209)
$
130 (P/N 22P8858)
With the Think Express Program, ThinkPad notebooks are preconfigured with your business, and your budget, in mind.
Contact your authorized reseller.

To find one near you, or to buy direct, go to thinkpad.com/security/m223. Or call 1 866-426-2921.
ThinkPad is a product of Lenovo.
required; not included. (10) Embedded Security Subsystem: requires software download. (11) Limited warranty: Support unrelated to a warranty issue may be subject to additional charges. (12) Systems with limited onsite service: are designed to be repaired during the applicable
warranty period primarily with customer-replaceable parts. A technician will only be sent onsite to perform a repair if (a) remote telephone diagnosis and/or customer part replacement are unable to resolve the problem, or (b) the part is one of the few designated by Lenovo for onsite
replacement. For a list of onsite replaceable parts, contact Lenovo. Support unrelated to a warranty issue may be subject to additional charges. Trademarks: The following are trademarks of Lenovo: ThinkPad, ThinkCentre and UltraConnect. IBM and IBM logo are registered
trademarks of IBM and are used under license. Microsoft and Windows are registered trademarks of Microsoft Corporation. Intel, Intel Inside, 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 subsidiaries in the United States and other countries. Other company, product and service names may be trademarks or service marks of other companies. ©2005 Lenovo. All rights reserved.
Visit www.lenovo.com/safecomputing periodically for the latest information on safe and effective computing.
ThinkPad recommends Microsoft® Windows® XP Professional.
INNOVATIVE. ATTRACTIVE. STREAMLINED. BREAKTHROUGH.

AND THAT’S JUST THE PRICE.
WHY THINKPAD NOTEBOOKS?
Each ThinkPad notebook you see here has
ThinkVantage Technologies – innovations that
widen the lead between ThinkPads and all the
wannabe PCs.
Active Protection System: Protect your hard drive
from some damage caused by drops and jolts.
Rescue and Recovery: Recover previously saved
data in minutes with our one-button solution.
Access Connections: Switch between wired and
wireless connections easily.9
Embedded Security Subsystem 2.0: Protect data and
keep it private with our combined hardware ThinkPad X40
and software solution10 (select models).
ThinkPad R50e ThinkPad T43 with Integrated

Mainstream performance and features.
Fingerprint Reader
Perfect balance of performance and portability.
SYSTEM FEATURES
Intel® Centrino™ Mobile Technology DISTINCTIVE INNOVATIONS
Intel® Pentium® M Processor 715a (1.50GHz) Embedded Security Subsystem 2.0 –
Intel® PRO/Wireless 2200BG (802.11b/g) Strong security as a standard feature
Microsoft® Windows® XP Professional SYSTEM FEATURES
ThinkPad R50e 15" XGA TFT Display (1024x768) Intel® Centrino™ Mobile Technology
256MB DDR SDRAM Intel® Pentium® M Processor 750 (1.86GHz)
Intel® PRO/Wireless 2915ABG (802.11a/b/g)
30GB Hard Drive
CD-RW/DVD-ROM Combo
14.1" SXGA + TFT Display (1400x1050)
1-yr limited warranty11
512MB DDR SDRAM
THINK EXPRESS MODEL 60GB Hard Drive,
$
999 (P/N 1842PPU) Ultrabay Slim Multi-burner Plus
Only 1" thin and 4.7-lb. travel weight
ThinkPad R50e
ThinkPad T42 3-yr system/1-yr battery limited warranty11
Mainstream performance and features.
Perfect balance of performance and portability. THINK EXPRESS MODEL
SYSTEM FEATURES
Intel® Celeron® M Processor 340 (1.50GHz) DISTINCTIVE INNOVATIONS
Embedded Security Subsystem 2.0 –
$
1949 (P/N 2687D3U)
Microsoft® Windows® XP Home Edition Strong security as a standard feature
14.1" XGA TFT Display (1024x768) ThinkPad Nylon Carrying Case
SYSTEM FEATURES
128MB DDR SDRAM Inside you’ll find SafePORT Air
Intel® Centrino™ Mobile Technology
30GB Hard Drive Intel® Pentium® M Processor 725 (1.60GHz) Cushion Protection which adjusts
CD-ROM Intel® PRO/Wireless 2200BG (802.11b/g) to cradle X, T, R or G Series
1-yr limited warranty11 Microsoft® Windows® XP Professional notebook computers.
256MB DDR SDRAM, 40GB Hard Drive
THINK EXPRESS MODEL
Only 1" thin7 and 4.5-lb travel weight8
$
49 (P/N 10K0207)
$
699 (P/N 1834E2U)
THINK EXPRESS MODEL
ThinkPad T40/R50 Series

$
1299 (P/N 2378R4U)
9 Cell Li-Ion Battery

IBM ThinkPad Carrying Case –
$
179 (P/N 92P1102)
BackPack
Backpack model is the perfect
solution for mobile users on
the corporate or educational campus.
$
69 (P/N 73P3599)
ThinkPad T43
Contact your authorized reseller.
To find one near you, or to buy direct, go to thinkpad.com/security/m223. Or call 1 866-426-2921.
ThinkCentre and ThinkPad are products of Lenovo.
Availability: All offers subject to availability. Lenovo reserves the right to alter product offerings and specifications at any time, without notice. Lenovo is not responsible for photographic or typographic errors. *Pricing: Prices do not include tax or shipping 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 UF2A/B203. 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) 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. (3) Included software: may differ from its retail version (if available), and may not include user manuals or all program functionality. License agreements may apply. (4) 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. (5) Hard drive: GB = billion bytes. Accessible capacity is less; up to 4GB is service partition.
(7) Thinness: may vary at certain points on the system. (8) Travel Weight: includes battery and optional travel bezel instead of standard optical drive in Ultrabay bay, if applicable; weight may vary due to vendor components, manufacturing process and options. (9) Internet access
ThinkCentre A50
Ultra small form factor.
SYSTEM FEATURES
Intel® Pentium® 4 Processor
with HT Technology (3GHz)
ThinkCentre A50 Microsoft® Windows® XP Professional
(monitor not included) 256MB DDR memory at 400MHz ThinkCentre A51
40GB Hard Drive, CD-ROM (monitor not included)
ThinkCentre A50
6 USB 2.0 Ports (2 frontside) ThinkCentre A51
Sleek tower design.
1-yr limited warranty with PCI Express technology.
SYSTEM FEATURES limited onsite service12
Intel® Celeron® D 330 (2.66GHz) SYSTEM FEATURES
THINK EXPRESS MODEL Intel® Pentium® 4 Processor 530 (3GHz)
256MB DDR memory at 333MHz
$
659 (P/N 809021U) Microsoft® Windows® XP Professional
40GB Hard Drive, CD-ROM 512MB DDR memory at 400MHz
6 USB 2.0 Ports (2 frontside) 80GB Hard Drive, CD-RW Drive
1-yr limited warranty with limited
17" ThinkVision L170 8 USB 2.0 Ports (2 frontside)
onsite service12 Flat Panel Monitor 1-yr limited warranty with
This affordable monitor is ideal limited onsite service12
THINK EXPRESS MODEL for worksheets, multi-tasking, and
THINK EXPRESS MODEL
$
519 (P/N 8148D3U)
general business applications.
Plus, its small footprint is great
for saving space.
$
769 (P/N 813135U)
ThinkCentre A51 $
319 (P/N 6734AC0)
Preferred Pro USB
PCI Express technology.
Fingerprint Keyboard
SYSTEM FEATURES
Intel® Pentium® 4 Processor 515 (2.93GHz)
$
99 (P/N 73P4730)
® ®
Microsoft Windows XP Professional
256MB DDR2 memory at 400MHz
40GB Hard Drive, CD-ROM
8 USB 2.0 Ports (2 frontside) WHY THINKCENTRE DESKTOPS?
1-yr limited warranty with ThinkVantage Technologies are innovations that
limited onsite service12 help you work more efficiently and productively.
THINK EXPRESS MODEL
ThinkVantage Design: ThinkCentre® desktops offer an
$
599 (P/N 813116U) easy-to-service steel chassis design to help increase
uptime and protect the contents of your system.
Embedded Security Subsystem 2.0: Protect data and
E400 Projector
Small and feature-rich, keep it private with our combined hardware and
the E400 is a cost-effective software solution10 (select models not shown).
solution for your business and Rescue and Recovery: Recover previously saved data
entertainment needs featuring
DLP technology.
in minutes with our one-button solution.
ThinkCentre A50
$
999 (P/N 0038A04) (monitor not included)
required; not included. (10) Embedded Security Subsystem: requires software download. (11) Limited warranty: Support unrelated to a warranty issue may be subject to additional charges. (12) Systems with limited onsite service: are designed to be repaired during the applicable
warranty period primarily with customer-replaceable parts. A technician will only be sent onsite to perform a repair if (a) remote telephone diagnosis and/or customer part replacement are unable to resolve the problem, or (b) the part is one of the few designated by Lenovo for onsite
replacement. For a list of onsite replaceable parts, contact Lenovo. Support unrelated to a warranty issue may be subject to additional charges. Trademarks: The following are trademarks of Lenovo: ThinkPad, ThinkCentre and UltraConnect. IBM and IBM logo are registered
trademarks of IBM and are used under license. Microsoft and Windows are registered trademarks of Microsoft Corporation. Intel, Intel Inside, 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 subsidiaries in the United States and other countries. Other company, product and service names may be trademarks or service marks of other companies. ©2005 Lenovo. All rights reserved.
Visit www.lenovo.com/safecomputing periodically for the latest information on safe and effective computing.
REVIEWS DIGITAL VIDEOCAMERAS
Panasonic PV-GS250
Proving that three color chips are better than one
EDITORS’ THE PANASONIC PV-GS250 is a great choice for an
CHOICE amateur videographer with serious aspirations or
just a discerning eye. This $999.95 cam is part of
Panasonic’s second generation of three-chip consumer cam-
corders. Three-chip cameras generally produce images with
richer colors and greater detail than do single-chip cameras,
and the PV-GS250 is no exception.
The camera’s Leica Dicomar lens offers a 10x zoom, which
is fairly limited by contemporary standards. That’s amelio- resolutions, from 640x480 to 2,048x1,512. The higher resolu-
rated somewhat by the wide end of the zoom, which is wider tions are not native, however, but achieved via Panasonic’s
than much of the competi- pixel-shift technology.
EDITORS’ RATING 8.0 tion and may be more use- Automation features—including autofocus, autoexposure,
ful than a supertelephoto and automatic white balance—tended to be accurate but
0 BETTER >> 10
zoom. Other successful lens slow. When set to manual, the camera responded quickly and
PROS Great-looking three-chip
features are the excellent precisely to the controls.
color; effective image stabiliza-
tion; responsive manual controls optical image stabilizer and In our tests, video of daylight exteriors looked vibrant and
the Tele-macro mode; the subtle throughout the spectrum, noticeably superior to typi-
CONS Only average image latter enables extreme cal images from single-chip cams. The lens proved sharp and
quality in low light; slow
close-ups of objects located contrasty as well. In low light, however, this camera lost its
automatic controls
about 16 inches from the advantage over the single-chip competition. Like most con-
Panasonic, 800-405-0652
camera. sumer camcorders, the PV-GS250 offers special low-light
www.panasonic.com
The PV-GS250 can take modes, but its MagicPix option relies on a slow shutter that
Direct Price $999.95 stills at a variety of output makes any motion unacceptably blurry. —Ben Wolf
Canon ZR300 Sony DCR-HC90 Handycam

Affordable shooter lacks some extras Camcorder shines in low lighting
LOOKING FOR hassle-free moviemak- THE $999.99 Sony DCR-HC90
ing? The $499 Canon ZR300 is a point- MiniDV Handycam positively
and-shoot camcorder that delivers shines when the lights are low, 0 BETTER >> 10
pleasing color and commendable and it offers amenities such as PROS Excellent low-light
battery life for a reasonable price. a 2.7-inch wide-screen LCD. performance; crisp, colorful
The ZR300 features a big 22x op- What’s more, it snaps 3.3- video; support for 16-to-9
tical zoom, and it also caters to megapixel still photos and has recording
wide-screen shooting with true 16-to-9 recording. Novices will the pocket-friendly propor- CONS Slow autofocus;
appreciate the presence of its Easy Recording mode, which auto- tions of an entry-level cam- awkward interface
matically controls focus, exposure, and other settings. corder. Only a sluggish autofo- Sony Electronics, 877-865-7669
Canon has omitted some key extras, including a microphone cus system and an awkward www.sonystyle.com
jack, an accessory shoe, a separate battery charger, and video- touch-screen interface keep Direct Price $999.99
capture and -editing software. But the overall performance of the DCR-HC90 from rising to
the ZR300 should more than the top of the pack.
EDITORS’ RATING 6.7 satisfy the needs of family While the camcorder’s Easy mode simplifies shooting for
moviemakers. novices, videographers will find plenty of manual controls at
0 BETTER >> 10
Under optimal lighting, the their disposal. With the exception of its autofocus, the DCR-HC90
PROS Pleasing color quality; camera captures sharp, is a speedy, solid performer.
22x zoom; novice-friendly vibrant images with warm The camera features a 1/3-inch CCD, which enables true
shooting mode
colors, but it exhibited a 16-to-9 recording. It produces rich,
CONS No microphone jack, distracting amount of noise vibrant color footage both indoors and
separate battery charger; grainy in dim conditions. As for still out, and ranks among the best low-
still photos; no video software
photos, the ZR300 managed and no-light camcorders we’ve used.
included
to reproduce colors pretty Its photos looked crisp and
Canon U.S.A., 800-652-2666
well, but our sample photos detailed when scaled down,
usa.canon.com
appeared grainy and slightly but appeared soft on closer
Mfr. Est. Price $499 washed-out. —Rick Broida inspection. —R.B.

Make it Perfect.
Make it ProStar.
PR 9097G PR 7096D PR 3724D

■ 17.0" WSXGA+ GlassView Display ■ 15.4" WUXGA Active Matrix Display ■ 15.4" WXGA GlassView Display ProStar has been bringing
featuring Super-Wide Viewing Angles ■ Intel® Pentium® 4 Processor 530 ■ Featuring Intel® Centrino™ Mobile Technology
■ Intel® Pentium® 4 Processor 560 with HT Technology – Intel® Pentium® M Processor 740 you the tools to create your
with HT Technology (1MB L2 Cache, 3.0GHz, 800MHz FSB) (2MB L2 Cache, 1.73GHz, 533MHz FSB)
(1MB L2 Cache, 3.6GHz, 800MHz FSB) ■ 256MB DDR3 ATI MOBILITY™ RADEON® – Intel® PRO/Wireless 2915ABG LAN perfect notebook since 1993.
■ 256MB DDR3 nVIDIA® GeForce™ X800 PCI-Express™ Graphics 802.11a/b/g
Go 6800 Ultra PCI-Express™ Graphics ■ 512MB PC3200 (400MHz) DDR SDRAM ■ 128MB DDR nVIDIA® GeForce™ Go 6600 We now have the latest
(ATI MOBILITY™ RADEON® X800 Optional) ■ 60GB 5400RPM Ultra ATA100 Hard Drive4 PCI-Express™ Graphics
■ 512MB Dual Channel DDR2 SDRAM ■ 24X1 CD-RW/8X1 DVD Combo Drive ■ 512MB Dual Channel DDR2 SDRAM offerings to take your
■ 60GB 7200RPM Ultra ATA100 Hard Drive4 ■ Built-In Digital Video Camera ■ 40GB 5400RPM Ultra ATA100 Hard Drive4
■ 8x1 DVD ± R/RW Dual Layer Drive with ■ Built-In 3-in-1 Card Reader ■ 24X1 CD-RW/8X1 DVD Combo Drive
machine to the next level.
LightScribe Technology ■ 3.5" Removable 1.44MB FDD Exchangeable ■ Built-In Digital Video Camera ProStar is now offering
■ Full Size Keyboard with Numeric Keypad with optional 2nd Battery/Optical Drive/ ■ Built-In 4-in-1 Card Reader
■ Hardware Raid 0,1 Function Hard Disk Drive/7-in-1 Card Reader ■ 56K V.90 Modem3 and 10/100/1000 Ethernet your choice of nVIDIA®
■ Built-In Digital Video Camera ■ Built-In TV Tuner with Remote Control (Opt.) ■ 4 Built-In Speakers
■ Built-In 7-in-1 Card Reader ■ Bluetooth and 802.11g/Wi-Fi Wireless (Opt.) ■ Virtual 6 Channel External Speaker Output GeForce™ Go 6800 Ultra
■ Dual Optical Drive Device Bays ■ 56K V.90 Modem3 and 10/100/1000 Ethernet ■ 3D Enhanced Sound (S/PDIF 7.1CH output for DVD)
■ Built-In TV Tuner with Remote Control (Opt.) ■ Front Panel Audio DJ with Separate Power Switch ■ 2 Hot-Keys for E-Mail and Web Browser or ATI MOBILITY™ RADEON®
■ Bluetooth and 802.11b/g/Wi-Fi Wireless (Opt.) ■ 6 Built-In Speakers ■ Built-In Touchpad Pointing Device with Scrolling Keys
■ 56K V.90 Modem3 and 10/100/1000 Ethernet ■ Virtual 8 Channel External Speaker Output ■ 3 USB 2.0 Ports X800 graphics. Now you can
■ Front Panel Audio DJ with Separate Power Switch ■ 3D Enhanced Sound (S/PDIF 7.1CH output for DVD) ■ 1 Type II PCMCIA Slot
■ 4 Built-In Speakers with a Subwoofer ■ Built-In Touchpad Pointing Device with Scrolling Wheel ■ Infrared, Wireless Fast IR Interface have your graphics more
■ Virtual 8 Channel External Speaker Output ■ 4 USB 2.0 Ports ■ 1 IEEE 1394 Port (Mini)
■ External USB 1.44MB Floppy Disk Drive ■ 1 Type II PCMCIA Slot ■ 1 TV-Out Port life-like than ever before.
■ 3 Hot-Keys for E-Mail, Browser and Applications ■ Infrared, Wireless Fast IR Interface ■ Other Ports: 1S and Ext. Keyboard
■ Built-In Touchpad Pointing Device with Scrolling Slider ■ HDTV Output Supported ■ High-Performance Lithium-Ion Battery
■ 1 Type II PCMCIA Slot ■ 1 IEEE 1394 Port (Mini), 1 DVI, 1 TV-Out Port ■ Microsoft® Windows® XP Home Edition
■ Infrared, Wireless Fast IR Interface ■ Other Ports: 1S, 1P and Ext. Keyboard
■ HDTV Output Supported ■ High-Performance Lithium-Ion Battery
■ 2 IEEE 1394 Ports (Mini), 1 DVI, 1 TV-Out Port ■ Microsoft® Windows® XP Home Edition
and 1 S-Video-In Port ProStar Computer, Inc.
■ Other Ports: 4 USB 2.0 Ports, 1S, 1P 1128 Coiner Court, City of Industry, CA 91748
and Ext. Keyboard Tel 626.839.6472 Fax 626.854.3438
■ High-Performance Lithium-Ion Battery Tech Support 888.576.4742
■ Microsoft® Windows® XP Home Edition
Toll Free 800.243.5654
Online www.shopprostar.com
$2945 $1995 $1445 Hours Mon–Fri, 7:30am–6:00pm; Sat,
9:00am–3:00pm, PST
GSA Contract # GS-35F-5084H
1
1X/2X Minimum 210X Minimum 3Download speeds limited to 53Kbps. Upload speeds are less. Actual data speeds will vary depending on line conditions 4Total HD accessible capacity may vary depending on operating environment. ©2005 by
American Express, Discover, VISA and
ProStar Computers, Inc. All rights reserved. Intel, the Intel Inside logo and Pentium are registered trademarks of Intel Corporation. All other companies and product names are trademarks of their respective companies. Dealer price is not subject to MasterCard Credit Cards Accepted –
30 days money back guarantee program. Opened software and shipping charges are non-refundable. 30-day money back guarantee does not include return freight or shipping and handling charge. Not responsible for photo or typographical
errors. Price and terms subject to change without notice. Depending on the options you choose, your notebook may or may not resemble systems shown above. No Surcharge
CALL TOLL-FREE AT OR SHOP ONLINE AT

800.243.5654 SHOPPROSTAR.COM
REVIEWS DIGITAL AUDIO
Sirius Starmate
Tiny satellite-radio receiver
6.3 IF YOU’RE LOOKING for a compact plug-

EDITORS’ RATING
and-play receiver for Sirius Satellite Radio
0 BETTER >> 10 programming, the company’s Starmate is
PROS Compact design; FM easy to shuttle between home and car.
transmitter can transmit to 100 For $99.99 the device comes with a car
different frequencies kit, and you can also purchase it with a
CONS Problematic car mount home kit for an additional $39.99. Pro-
gramming costs $12.95 per month.
Sirius Satellite Radio,
888-539-7474 At 2.4x4x1 inches and 6 ounces, the
www.sirius.com Starmate is bigger than an iPod, about
the size of a small cassette Walkman.
Direct Price $99.99 (with car
kit); $139.98 (with home kit) The unit’s compact size has its down-
sides, though: The station-preset but-
tons are tiny, and the display is limited to just three lines.
iRiver PMC-120 One advantage the Starmate has over other plug-and-play competi-
tors is its FM transmitter’s ability to send the Sirius signal to any of 100
Portable Media Center lacks Zen different frequencies. The
receiver’s car kit includes a
THE $499.99 iRiver PMC-120 is one of just three cigarette-lighter adapter, a
portable devices that run Microsoft’s Windows Mo- roof-mounted antenna, a re-
bile-based Portable Media Center (PMC) operating mote control, and a suction-
system, which lets you cup mount for the wind-
EDITORS’ RATING 7.0 play and display mu- shield. We had a tough time
sic, video, and pictures getting the mount to adhere,
0 BETTER >> 10
with ease. While bet- however. —Sean Portnoy
PROS Intuitive Portable Media ter than Samsung’s
Center OS; removable battery
YH-999, iRiver’s player
CONS No recording capability; can’t beat out the Cre-
lacks preset bookmark buttons
iRiver America, 800-399-1799

ative Zen Portable Me-
dia Center as our fa-
Sony NW-E105
www.iriveramerica.com vorite of the three. Shows up iPod Shuffle EDITORS’ RATING 7.7
Direct Price $499.99 The PMC-120 is rea-
0 BETTER >> 10
sonably sized for a BUDGET-CONSCIOUS music fans who
personal video player with a 3.5-inch color screen, want more than what the Apple iPod PROS Long battery life; tiny;
fitting snugly between the bulky Zen and the slim- Shuffle has to offer—an LCD screen, for solid audio quality
mer YH-999. All PMCs share the same basic specs, instance—will be pleased with Sony’s CONS No FM tuner, recording
including a 400MHz Intel XScale processor, 64MB of $99.95 Psyc Network Walkman NW- options; doesn’t play secure
WMAs; must use SonicStage app
RAM, a USB 2.0 interface for synchronization, and a E105 512MB flash-memory player.
to transfer songs
320x240 screen. The current models all feature 20GB The circular NW-E105 may not be as
hard drives. beautiful or as slim as the iPod Shuf- Sony Electronics, 877-865-7669
www.sonystyle.com
The PMC-120 supports native playback of MP3, fle, but measuring 2.2 inches in diam-
WMA (including DRM-protected files), WMV, and eter and weighing just 1.6 ounces, the Direct Price $99.95
JPEG files, but you’ll need to convert DivX files to player slips easily into any pocket.
WMV format to play them on the device. Also, the Like the Shuffle, it lacks an FM tuner or recording options.
player lacks video- or audio-recording capabilities. To get songs onto the NW-E105, you must use
On the plus side, the PMC OS is simple, smooth, log- Sony’s SonicStage software, which will con-
ical, and smart, unlike the archaic interfaces seen vert unprotected WMA files into Sony’s
on many non-PMC personal video players. ATRAC3 format. The player natively sup-
The PMC-120 is missing a wonderful feature ports MP3 files, but you can’t play pro-
found on the Zen: preset bookmark buttons, which tected WMA files from online services
will take you to any point in a song within a playlist such as Musicmatch and Napster.
or to a scene in a movie. It also trails the Zen in bat- The NW-E105 produced crisp sound
tery life, though our test results of 13.5 hours for with clear highs and lows, as well as
audio playback and 6.7 hours for video beat the YH- plenty of bass. We were able to squeeze
999’s times. Like the Zen’s, the PMC-120’s battery is out an impressive 35.6 hours of battery life
removable. —James Kim in our tests. —Jasmine France

Why buy Pre-N, when you
can get MAXg performance
at about half the cost?
Find out how we do it at www.usr.com/maxg
MAX imum range

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USRobotics means smart wireless.
• MAX imum range. Up to 50% better range than standard Available at:
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Maintains compatibility with standard 802.11b and 802.11g devices.
• MAX imum security. Built-in high security encryption (WPA,

WPA2) and authentication (MAC, 802.1x) plus SPI Firewall.
• MAX imum simplicity. Set up in less than five minutes.

Fully secure within ten minutes.
REVIEWS DIGITAL LIVING
Logitech Harmony 880

Impressive remote unites your home theater devices
THE LOGITECH HARMONY 880 Advanced Universal Remote when you
is the first Harmony remote to feature a color screen and a pick it up.
built-in rechargeable battery with a docking station. The Program-
$249.99 remote also performs just as well as previous Har- ming a univer-
mony models we’ve tested. sal remote can
Though slightly larger than its predecessors, the 880 re- often be frustrat-
tains a similar dumbbell shape, measuring 8.1x2.3x1.3 inches ing and time-con-
and weighing 5.8 ounces. The 128x160-pixel color display is suming, but you pain-
fairly low-resolution, but it’s a big improvement over the lessly program Harmony
monochrome screens found on earlier Harmonys. It’s also remotes by connecting
slightly larger, with the extra room allowing for a total of them to your computer
eight onscreen contextual icons, corresponding to adjacent with the supplied USB ca-
hard buttons. ble and answering a ques-
Recharging the 880’s tionnaire on the company’s
EDITORS’ RATING 8.1 battery requires simply Web site about your home
placing the remote in its theater devices. The remote’s
0 BETTER >> 10 cradle. The battery is re- software then uploads all the
PROS Web-programmable; color placeable, so when it even- relevant control codes. The Web
screen; rechargeable battery tually wears out—and it site also provides macro-style op-
CONS Low-res display will—you’ll be able swap a tions for delay times, multistep
Logitech, 800-231-7717
new one in. Another nice commands, and other functions. Af-
www.logitech.com/harmony feature is the motion sen- ter a couple of tweaks, we were in
sor, which turns the re- command of a six-component system.
Direct Price $249.99
mote on automatically —David Carnoy, with John P. Falcone
6.8
Panasonic DMR-ES10K EDITORS’ RATING
DVD recorder works best with DVD-RAM discs 0 BETTER >> 10
PROS Excellent recording quali-

ty; chasing playback, Quick Start
PANASONIC’S new entry-level DVD recorder, the $199.95 DMR- Recording mode for fitting a recordings with DVD-RAM discs
ES10K, delivers sharp recordings even in its 4-hour LP mode, and precise amount of video CONS Can’t create chapter
its compatibility with DVD-RAM discs gives you plenty of features onto a DVD while maintain- stops on DVD+R, DVD-R, DVD-
typical of a hard drive, including chasing playback (which lets you ing optimal video quality. In RW discs; no infrared blaster for
watch a program from the beginning while it’s being recorded) addition, the recorder has a timed recordings
and the ability to watch one title while another is recording. Still, Quick Start function that lets Panasonic, 800-211-7262
its skimpy editing options for DVD discs in formats other than it begin recording a DVD- www.panasonic.com
DVD-RAM make for tedious navigation once RAM within a second of Direct Price $199.95
it’s time to watch your recordings. powering up.
You won’t find an electronic programming The deck comes with a solid set of connections, especially for
guide or infrared blaster for changing the an entry-level model, including outputs for component and com-
channel on your cable or satellite set-top box, posite video, as well as S-Video and optical digital audio.
so you need to schedule recordings either The DMR-ES10K records to all DVD formats except DVD+RW.
manually or with VCR Plus+. The unit does You can’t add chapter stops to DVD+R, DVD-R, or DVD-RW discs,
offer a 60-second commercial-skip feature, as and the deck doesn’t add them automatically. The only editing
well as a 1.3x playback mode. you can do with non-DVD-RAM discs is to change the title name
The DMR-ES10K provides a handy Flexible and the menu thumbnail. —Ben Patterson

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REVIEWS SOFTWARE
DIY PC Maintenance
Tune up that sluggish system with these diagnostic-tool suites
IF YOU’RE LIKE MOST people, you install and uninstall soft- inscrutable printed manual and sketchy in-product help for
ware or save and delete images, media files, and e-mail many Norton Utilities. Symantec’s Web site provides a useful
times over the life of your PC. All that activity can cause Win- searchable knowledge base, but live, toll-free phone support
dows to slow down, burdened by broken shortcuts, leftover Reg- is pricey—$29.95 per incident.
istry entries, and the inevitable defragmentation of your hard
drive. You could buy a new system or take your old one into the SYSTEM MECHANIC 5 PROFESSIONAL
shop for repair—or, you could diagnose your PC woes yourself. Iolo Technologies takes several large steps forward with System
For years, Norton Utilities reigned as the de facto cure-all for Mechanic 5 Professional. This latest suite is loaded with new PC-
PCs. Those basic Norton tools have since evolved into Symantec’s diagnostic and -repair applications. Factor in the breadth of what
Norton SystemWorks, a gigantic suite of diagnostic tools. We had was already there, and you have a well-stocked computer-utility
trouble installing the latest version, Norton SystemWorks 2005 package that’s worth the $69.95 investment. The only thing miss-
Premier, and even after we did, we were less than impressed ing is disk-imaging
with the overall package. software for backups.
Instead, we recommend Iolo Technologies’ System Mechanic Unlike System-
5 Professional. For $30 less, it includes many of the same fea- Works, which re-
tures as SystemWorks but requires less hard drive space and quires separate in-
system resources. stallations for its
individual apps, Sys-
NORTON SYSTEMWORKS 2005 PREMIER tem Mechanic re-
With the $99.99 Norton SystemWorks 2005 Premier, Symantec quires just one in-
takes the all-inclusive approach to maintenance. In addition to stall. Our experience
the basic utilities found in SystemWorks 2005 (pop-up-ad pre- was flawless. After
vention, junk-file removal, antivirus and spyware detection and installation, System
removal, confi- Mechanic occupies just 60MB of hard drive space, roughly
dential-file pro- one-quarter the footprint of SystemWorks.
tection, memory Running System Mechanic is a snap—its interface is both
defragmenta- clean and intuitive. Click any of the six main tool-group tabs
tion, data recov- (Clean, Fix, Maintain, Optimize, Protect, 1-2-3 Options) to display
ery, and Inter- its tools. Highlighting any tool with your mouse displays a brief
net-speed but helpful explanation at the bottom of the screen.
optimization), Three of the new utilities are truly impressive. Program Relo-
Premier adds cator allows you to move programs to a different folder or drive,
Norton Ghost simultaneously updating links, shortcuts, and configuration data.
9.0 and Smith The new boot-time defragmenter, by working before Windows
Micro’s CheckIt loads, defragments system files that are normally out of reach.
Diagnostics. SystemWorks 2005 Premier doesn’t pack the overall And SafetyNet serves as a handy multilevel undo for all of Sys-
punch of System Mechanic, but current SystemWorks users may tem Mechanic’s tool actions.
want to upgrade, if only to get Ghost. Given the expanse of the suite, the absence of a manual—
Most of the included apps require separate installations—in- printed or electronic—is inexplicable, though System Mechanic’s
stalls that were fraught with difficulty. Two out of our four in- context-sensitive in-product help system is excellent. Online sup-
stallation attempts failed, with one reporting the suite was suc- port is plentiful, and telephone support is free, but not toll-free.
cessfully installed when it clearly wasn’t. When —Barry Brenesal and Robert Vamosi
fully installed, SystemWorks consumed 260MB Product Summary
of our hard drive, quite a bit more than System Norton SystemWorks 2005 Premier System Mechanic 5 Professional
Mechanic’s 60MB. EDITORS’ RATING 7.0 7.7
SystemWorks’ interface is clean and easy to navi- PROS Useful hard drive utilities; easy to Broad range of utilities; thorough
gate, but it’s not especially intuitive. Tab organiza- navigate in-product help; easy to use
tion, for instance, is a little haphazard, leaving us to CONS Installation is a nightmare; poor built-in No printed manual; lacks disk-imaging
help; expensive live support software
guess the location of a handful of utilities.
KEY FEATURES System optimization; virus protection; System optimization; firewall; virus
The addition of Ghost, a leading backup and re- system restore; data-privacy protection; protection; file recovery; data-privacy
covery tool, is welcome, though the advanced testing hard drive backup and partitioning; protection; hard drive scrubber; adware/
adware/spyware removal spyware removal
tool CheckIt is really for computer pros who know
COMPANY Symantec Iolo Technologies
how to read its extensive technical reports. 888-810-9896 877-239-4656
For a serious diagnostic suite, SystemWorks www.symantec.com www.iolo.com
lacks much in the way of support, with an DIRECT PRICE $99.99 (full version); $69 (upgrade) $69.95 (full version); $39.95 (upgrade)

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• 6-in-1 Built-in Media Reader • 6-in-1 Built-in Media Reader
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Intel ® Pentium® D Processor 840 Intel ® Pentium® 4 Processor 660 with HT Technology Intel ® Pentium® 4 Processor 570 with HT Technology
(2X1MB L2 Cache, 3.2Ghz, 800 Mhz FSB) $ 2579 (2MB L2 Cache, 3.6Ghz, 800 Mhz FSB) $ 1325 (1MB L2 Cache, 3.8Ghz, 800 Mhz FSB) $ 1195
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(2MB L2 Cache, 3.6Ghz, 800 Mhz FSB) $ 2645 (2MB L2 Cache, 3.0Ghz, 800 Mhz FSB) $ 915 (1MB L2 Cache, 3.2Ghz, 800 Mhz FSB) $ 735
Intel ® Pentium® 4 Processor 650 with HT Technology Intel ® Pentium® 4 Processor 530 with HT Technology
(2MB L2 Cache, 3.4Ghz, 800 Mhz FSB) $ 2419 (1MB L2 Cache, 3.0Ghz, 800 Mhz FSB) $ 695
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$ 855 $ 1179 $ 1529
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• LG 16X DVD+-RW Drive & LG 16X DVD-ROM • (2) NVIDIA® Geforce™ 6600 GT PCI Express DDR3 Powered by XFX
128MB DDR3 Powered by XFX • LG 16X DVD+-RW Drive; LG 16X DVD-ROM
• nForce 4 7.1 3-D Surround Sound Over 80% Performance Gain Over Single video card solution
• Creative Cambridge Desk Top Theater 5.1 • nForce 4 7.1 3-D Surround Sound
• LG 16X DVD+-RW Drive & LG 16X DVD-ROM
S560 5.1 Surround Sound System • Creative Cambridge Inspire P7800 7.1
• nForce 4 7.1 3-D Surround Sound Surround Sound System
• 600Watt Subwoofer System • 17” ViewSonic VA712B 8MS Gaming LCD Display
• Logitech Deluxe 104 Keyboard
• 6-in-1 Built-in Media Reader • 6-in-1 Built-in Media Reader
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AMD Athlon™ 64 FX-55 Processor $ 1599 CAG801 AMD Athlon™ 64 FX-55 Processor $ 1915 CSE801 AMD Athlon™ 64 FX-55 Processor $ 2289 CAF801
AMD Athlon™ 64 4000+ Processor $ 1239 CAG802 AMD Athlon™ 64 4000+ Processor $ 1555 CSE802 AMD Athlon™ 64 4000+ Processor $ 1919 CAF802
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REVIEWS SOFTWARE
Microsoft Windows XP Professional x64 Edition

64-bit OS is not for the faint of heart
WITH THE RELEASE of Windows XP Professional promises a
x64 Edition, Microsoft takes a big first step toward a big boost in
64-bit world. The rollout will be slow, though, be- performance.
cause little software is available in 64-bit versions The OS gives
and many hardware devices don’t yet have compat- developers a sol-
ible drivers. In fact, many of the native apps in the id Windows plat-
OS, such as Outlook Express and Windows Media form for writing
Player, still run in apps that can
EDITORS’ RATING 5.8 32-bit mode. harness the po-
The main ad- tential of 64-bit,
0 BETTER >> 10
vantage of the as well. For the
PROS Supports 128GB of 64-bit OS is its average user,
physical memory; promises
ability to handle though, 64-bit
speed boosts when coupled with
64-bit processors, software huge amounts of memory: up Windows is little more than a curiosity. Current compatibility is-
to 128GB of physical RAM and sues far outweigh any immediate speed boosts, making it an in-
CONS Included apps Outlook
16TB of virtual memory. Com- advisable upgrade for all but the most die-hard hobbyists.
Express, Windows Media Player
remain 32-bit; possible hardware pared with the 4GB RAM limit XP Professional x64 isn’t available as a stand-alone prod-
incompatibilities; requires fresh on 32-bit Windows, the 64-bit uct—you can obtain it only through OEM vendors and licensing
install Windows blows this limitation agreements. It’s priced the same as the 32-bit Windows XP Pro-
Microsoft, 800-642-7676 away. Microsoft designed XP fessional ($299), and, for a limited time, current XP Professional
www.microsoft.com Professional x64 for worksta- users with 64-bit PCs can upgrade for free. You can’t upgrade
Direct Price $299; free for tion apps such as CAD/CAM directly from 32-bit Windows, however—you’ll need to do a
users of 32-bit XP Professional and 3D modeling, where the fresh install to get the 64-bit OS up and running.
who own 64-bit PCs support for extra memory —Ken Feinstein
Mac OS X 10.4 Tiger

Mac lovers should pounce on this solid upgrade EDITORS’ RATING 8.0
0 BETTER >> 10
ANOTHER BIG-CAT NAME, another solid OS: Apple’s Mac OS addressable memory space. PROS Better interface respon-
X 10.4 Tiger brings several useful new features and enhance- Plus, several new core tech- siveness, overall speed; Spot-
ments, making it a worthwhile purchase for those who nologies provide benefits, light search feature; improved
skipped 10.3 Panther or have waited until Tiger’s release to such as faster onscreen cross-platform compatibility
purchase Apple hardware. graphics and new program- CONS Most upgrades are
Installing Tiger is easy. You load the DVD and click an in- ming interfaces. hidden under the hood; Dash-
staller icon. With the disc still in the drive, the computer au- Apple lists more than 200 board clashes with Apple’s
user-interface guidelines
tomatically reboots into the Tiger installer. You’re given three new features for Tiger. While
install options: Upgrade from a previous version of OS X; a lot of them are under the Apple Computer, 800-692-7753
erase and install; or archive and install, which saves all of hood, improving perform- www.apple.com
your system data ance and cross- Direct Price $129
to a special folder platform compati-
and puts a clean bility, some of the enhancements are visible.
install of Tiger on Spotlight, an embedded desktop search feature,
your computer. indexes your entire hard drive so you can quickly
Even casual find almost anything on your system. Also new
Mac users will and prominent is Dashboard, a flashy interface
immediately see populated by widgets, single-purpose mini-apps
the differences such as a dictionary and a weather chart. Long-
from Panther. time Apple users will note, though, that almost
Tiger includes every element of Dashboard runs counter to the
significant over- standardized user-interface guidelines the compa-
hauls to take ad- ny so carefully built up over the years.
vantage of more —Daniel Drew Turner
Play more games. Have more fun.
Get
Get great
great gaming
gaming performance
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POWER
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Picture Shown with Optional Sicuro RW-670XL 5.1 Crazy Lighting Gaming Speaker
Battalion-101
ML $ 1379 Battalion-101
E-500 $ 1549
~ 15.4” Wide Screen WSXGA+ TFT LCD ~ 15.0” SXGA+ TFT LCD 1400X1050 Display
1680X1050 Display
~ Intel® Centrino™ Mobile Technology
~ Intel® Centrino™ Mobile Technology • Intel® Pentium® M Processor
• Intel® Pentium® M Processor • Intel® PRO/Wireless 802.11b/g
• Intel® PRO/Wireless 802.11b/g
~ Intel® 915PM Chipset
~ Mobile ATI® Radeon™ 9700 PRO ~ MXM NVIDIA® GeFoce™ 6600 GO
256MB DDR Video 128MB DDR Video Card
~ 1024MB PC-3200 DDR Memory (User Upgradable)
~ 60GB Ultra-ATA100 Hard Drive ~ 1024MB DDR2-533 Memory
~ Removable 8x DVD & 24x16x24 CD-RW ~ S-ATA 60GB Hard Drive
Combo Drive ~ Removable 4x DVD±R/±RW Drive
~ 10/100MB Ethernet LAN & 56K Modem ~ 10/100/1000MB Ethernet LAN
~ 3x USB 2.0 Ports & 56K Modem
~ 1X Firewire IEEE-1394 Ports ~ 3x USB 2.0 Ports
Intel ® Pentium ® M Processor 730 ~ 4-in-1 Build-in Media Card Reader Intel ® Pentium ® M Processor 730 ~ 1X Firewire IEEE-1394 Ports
(2MB L2Cache, 1.6GHz, 533Mhz FSB) $ 1379 ~ Microsoft® Windows® XP Home Edition
(2MB L2Cache, 1.6GHz, 533Mhz FSB) $ 1549 ~ 4-in-1 Build-in Media Card Reader
Intel ® Pentium ® M Processor 740 ~ Free 1-Year i-Care Deluxe
Intel ® Pentium ® M Processor 740 ~ Microsoft® Windows® XP Home Edition
(2MB L2Cache, 1.73GHz, 533Mhz FSB) $ 1429 24/7 Phone Support (2MB L2Cache, 1.73GHz, 533Mhz FSB) $ 1599
~ Free 1-Year i-Care Deluxe
Intel ® Pentium ® M Processor 750 ~ High Performance Li-ion Battery Intel ® Pentium ® M Processor 750 24/7 Phone Support
(2MB L2Cache, 1.86GHz, 533Mhz FSB) $ 1489 (2MB L2Cache, 1.86GHz, 533Mhz FSB) $ 1659
~ FREE Deluxe Carrying Case ~ High Performance Li-ion Battery
Intel ® Pentium ® M Processor 760 Intel ® Pentium ® M Processor 760
(2MB L2Cache, 2.0GHz, 533Mhz FSB) $ 1639 (2MB L2Cache, 2.0GHz, 533Mhz FSB) $ 1809 ~ FREE Deluxe Carrying Case
Intel ® Pentium ® M Processor 770 Intel ® Pentium ® M Processor 770
(2MB L2Cache, 2.13GHz, 533Mhz FSB) $ 1899 (2MB L2Cache, 2.13GHz, 533Mhz FSB) $ 1899
BACK TO SCHOOL $ 679 Power Best Buy $ 859

®
~ NZXT Guardian Mid-Tower Case ®
~ NZXT Trinity Mid-Tower Case
Silver + See Through Window + Neon Light + See Through Window + Neon Light
~ Intel® i915 Chipset MB w/ 16X PCI-Express ~ Intel® i915 Chipset MB w/ 16X PCI-Express
Yellow
~ Corsair 512MB DDR400 Memory ~ Corsair 512MB DDR400 Memory
~ S-ATA 80GB 7200RPM Hard Drive ~ S-ATA 160GB 7200RPM Hard Drive
Green
~ 16x DVD-ROM + 52x32x52 CD-RW ~ 16x Double Layer DVD±R/±RW
Combo Drive
~ 256MB NVIDIA GeForce 6600
Blue ~ 128MB ATI® Radeon™ X-300 16X PCI Express Video
16X PCI Express Video
~ 6-in-1 Media Reader
Black ~ 6-in-1 Media Reader
~ 7.1 Channel 3D Surround Sound
~ 7.1 Channel 3D Surround Sound
~ 600Watt Subwoofer Speakers
~ 600Watt Subwoofer Speakers
~ 10/100/1000 Network LAN
Intel ® Pentium ® 4 530 Processor with HT Technology ~ 10/100/1000 Network LAN Intel ® Pentium ® 4 630 Processor with HT Technology ~ Scrolling Internet Mouse & Keyboard
(1MB L2 Cache, 3.0 Ghz, 800 Mhz FSB) $ 679 ~ Scrolling Internet Mouse & Keyboard (2MB L2 Cache, 3.0 Ghz, 800 Mhz FSB) $ 859
Intel ® Pentium ® 4 540 Processor with HT Technology Intel ® Pentium ® 4 640 Processor with HT Technology ~ Microsoft® Windows® XP Home Edition
~ Microsoft® Windows® XP Home Edition
(1MB L2 Cache, 3.2 Ghz, 800 Mhz FSB) $ 729 (2MB L2 Cache, 3.2 Ghz, 800 Mhz FSB) $ 919 ~ FREE Wireless 802.11g 54MBps Card
Intel ® Pentium ® 4 550 Processor with HT Technology ~ FREE 1-Year 24/7 i-Care Deluxe Intel ® Pentium ® 4 650 Processor with HT Technology
Technical Support + On-Site Service ~ FREE 1-Year 24/7 i-Care Deluxe
(1MB L2 Cache, 3.4 Ghz, 800 Mhz FSB) $ 799 (2MB L2 Cache, 3.4 Ghz, 800 Mhz FSB) $ 1069 Technical Support + On-Site Service
Intel ® Pentium ® 4 560 Processor with HT Technology Intel ® Pentium ® 4 660 Processor with HT Technology ~ Upgrade to Ultra X-Connect 500W ATX
(1MB L2 Cache, 3.6 Ghz, 800 Mhz FSB) $ 969 (2MB L2 Cache, 3.6 Ghz, 800 Mhz FSB) $ 1299 Power supply w/2 80mm Fans -
Blue w/UV Orange -add $95
Gamer’s Power $ 1269 DREAM 2005 $ 1689

~ Cotytech Gaming Case ®
~ NZXT Trinity Mid-Tower Case
Silver + See Through Window + Neon Light
~ Intel® i915 Chipset Motherboard
with 16X PCI-Express ~ Intel® i945 Chipset Motherboard
Red with 16X PCI-Express
~ Corsair 1024MB DDR400 Memory
~ Corsair 1024MB DDR2-667 Memory
~ S-ATA 200GB 7200RPM Hard Drive
Purple ~ S-ATA 200GB 7200RPM Hard Drive
~ 16x DVD-ROM
~ 16x DVD-ROM
~ 16x Double Layer DVD±R/±RW
~ 16x Double Layer DVD±R/±RW
~ 256MB 16X PCI-Express
NVIDIA® Geforce™ 6800GT DDR Video ~ 256MB 16X PCI-Express
NVIDIA® Geforce™ 6800 Ultra
~ 7.1 Channel 3D Surround Sound DDR3 Video
~ Cintre RW-6510 5.1 Surround Speakers ~ 7.1 Channel 3D Surround Sound
~ 10/100/1000 MBps Network LAN ~ Logitech X530 3D Surround Speakers
Intel ® Pentium ® 4 630 Processor with HT Technology ~ Scrolling Internet Mouse & Keyboard ~ 10/100/1000 Network LAN
(2MB L2 Cache, 3.0 Ghz, 800 Mhz FSB) $ 1269 ~ Microsoft® Windows® XP Home Edition
Intel ® Pentium ® 4 640 Processor with HT Technology Intel ® Pentium ® D 820 Processor ~ Multimedia Internet Keyboard & Mouse
(2MB L2 Cache, 3.2 Ghz, 800 Mhz FSB) $ 1339 ~ FREE Wireless 802.11g 54MBps Card (2X1MB L2 Cache, 2.8 Ghz, 800 Mhz FSB) $ 1689 ~ Microsoft® Windows® XP
Intel ® Pentium ® 4 650 Processor with HT Technology ~ FREE 1-Year 24/7 i-Care Deluxe Intel ® Pentium ® D 830 Processor Professional X64 Edition
(2MB L2 Cache, 3.4 Ghz, 800 Mhz FSB) $ 1499 Technical Support + On-Site Service (2X1MB L2 Cache, 3.0 Ghz, 800 Mhz FSB) $ 1769 ~ FREE Wireless 802.11g 54MBps Card
Intel ® Pentium ® 4 660 Processor with HT Technology ~ Upgrade to Sicuro RW360XL 2.1 360º Intel ® Pentium ® D 840 Processor ~ FREE 1-Year 24/7 i-Care Deluxe
(2MB L2 Cache, 3.6 Ghz, 800 Mhz FSB) $ 1729 Lighting Speakers Add $75 (2X1MB L2 Cache, 3.2 Ghz, 800 Mhz FSB) $ 1999 Technical Support + On-Site Service
INTEL® , the INTEL® inside logo and Pentium®
Order Toll Free 888. 462. 3899 are all registered trademarks and Centrino™
is a trademark of INTEL® Corporation
in the United State and other Countries.
Gamer-SLI
~ NVIDIA® nForce™4-SLI Chip Dual PCI-Express AMD Athlon™ 64 FX-55 Processor $ 2599
Motherboard
AMD Athlon™ 64 4000+ Processor $ 2239
~ Raidmax Samurai Gaming Case
®

~ Serial-ATA 250GB 7200RPM Hard Drive
~ 16x Double Layer DVD±R/±RW + CD-R/RW Drive
~ 16X DVD-ROM Drive
~ 2X NVIDIA® GeForce™ 6800GT PCI Express 256MB
Video Cards
~ 7.1 Channel Surround 3D Premium Sound
~ 10/100/1000 MBps Ethernet LAN
~ Opcital Mouse & Multimedia Keyboard
~ Microsoft Windows® XP Home Edition
~ Free Wireless 802.11g 54MBps Network Adapter
~ Free 1-Year 24/7 i-Care Deluxe Technical Support
+ On-Site Service
~ Upgrade to Sicuro RW-670XL 5.1 Crazy Lighting
Speaker System Add $189
$ 1829
•
•Provides
Provides leading-edge
leading-edge 32-bit
32-bit performance
performance for for music,
music,
video,
video, and
and games
games and
and is
is ready
ready for
for future
future 64-bit
64-bit software.
software.
•
•Improves
Improves security
security against
against certain
certain types
types ofof viruses,
viruses,
with
with Enhanced
Enhanced Virus
Virus Protection
Protection for
for Microsoft
Microsoft®® Windows
Windows®® XP
XP SP2.
SP2.
•
•Conserves
Conserves power
power and
and operates
operates quietly
quietly with
with AMD
AMD Cool‘n’Quiet™
Cool‘n’Quiet™ technology.
technology.
•
•Features
Features HyperTransport™
HyperTransport™ technology
technology forfor improved
improved multitasking
multitasking performance.
performance.
Battalion (AMD)
S - Turbo Battalion (AMD)
S- Turbo
~ 15.4” Wide Screen 16:10 WXGA TFT LCD 1280x800 Display ~ 15.4” Wide Screen16:10 WXGA TFT LCD 1280x800 Display
~ AMD® Mobile Athlon™ 64 Processor with HyperTransport Technology ~ AMD® Mobile Athlon™ 64 Processor with HyperTransport Technology
~ Mobile ATI® Radeon™ 9700 PRO 128MB DDR Video ~ Mobile ATI® Radeon™ 9700 PRO 128MB DDR Video
~ 1024MB DDR-400 Memory ~ 512MB DDR-400 Memory
~ Removable 4x DVD±R/±RW / CD-RW Drive ~ Removable 8x DVD & 24x16x24 CD-RW Combo Drive
~ 60GB 5400RPM Ultra-ATA100 Hard Drive ~ 40GB 5400RPM Ultra-ATA100 Hard Drive
~ 10/100Mb Ethernet LAN & 56K Modem ~ 10/100Mb Ethernet LAN & 56K Modem
~ Wireless 802.11g 54MBps Mini-PCI Network ~ Wireless 802.11g 54MBps Mini-PCI Network
~ 3x USB 2.0 & 1x Firewire IEEE-1394 Ports ~ 3x USB 2.0 & 1x Firewire IEEE-1394 Ports
~ 3-in-1 Build-in Media Card Reader ~ 3-in-1 Build-in Media Card Reader
~ Microsoft® Windows® XP Home Edition ~ Microsoft® Windows® XP Home Edition
~ Free 1-Year i-Care Deluxe 24/7 Phone Support ~ Free 1-Year i-Care Deluxe 24/7 Phone Support
~ Choice of 6 Exclusive Reflective Colors ~ Choice of 6 Exclusive Reflective Colors
~ High Performance Li-Ion Battery ~ High Performance Li-Ion Battery
~ Free Deluxe Carrying Case ~ Free Deluxe Carrying Case
$ 1279 $ 1149
Mobile AMD Athlon™ 64 3700+ Processor $ 1499 Mobile AMD Athlon™ 64 3700+ Processor $ 1389
Order Toll Free 888. 462. 3899

iBUYPOWER NOW SHIPS TO
CANADA!
iBUYPOWER Recommends ULTRA Power Supply
Picture Shown with Optional Sicuro RW-670XL 5.1 Crazy Lighting Gaming Speaker
BARGAIN 64 $ 549 Power 64 $ 729

®
~ Raidmax A-268 Mid-Tower Case ®
~ Cotytech Gaming Case
Silver Silver
+ See Through Window + Neon Light
~ NVIDIA® nForce™3-250 Chip
~ NVIDIA® nForce™3-250 Chip 8X AGP Motherboard
Yellow 8X AGP Motherboard Red
~ 160GB 7200RPM Hard Drive
Green ~ 160GB 7200RPM Hard Drive Purple
~ 16x Double Layer
~ 16x DVD-ROM DVD±R/±RW + CD-R/RW Drive
Blue ~ 52x32x52 CD-RW ~ 16x DVD-ROM
~ ATI® Radeon™ 9550 256MB AGP 8X ~ NVIDIA® GeForce™ 6600 256MB
Black Video Card DDR AGP 8X Video Card
~ 8-Channel Surround 3D Premium Sound ~ 8-Channel Surround 3D Premium Sound
~ 10/100 MBps Ethernet LAN ~ 10/100 MBps Ethernet LAN
~ 600Watt Surround Sound Speakers ~ 600Watt Surround Sound Speakers
~ Multimedia Keyboard & Optical Mouse ~ Multimedia Keyboard & Optical Mouse
AMD Athlon™ 64 2800+ Processor $ 549 AMD Athlon™ 64 2800+ Processor $ 729
~ FREE 1-Year 24/7 i-Care Deluxe ~ Microsoft® Windows® XP Home Edition
AMD Athlon™ 64 3000+ Processor $ 579 Technical Support + On-Site Service AMD Athlon™ 64 3000+ Processor $ 759
~ FREE 1-Year 24/7 i-Care Deluxe
AMD Athlon™ 64 3200+ Processor $ 639 AMD Athlon™ 64 3200+ Processor $ 809 Technical Support + On-Site Service
AMD Athlon™ 64 3400+ Processor $ 669 AMD Athlon™ 64 3400+ Processor $ 849 ~ Upgrade to Sicuro RW360XL 2.1
Lighting Speakers Add $75
GAMER FX $ 739 BACK TO SCHOOL 64 $ 799

~ NZXT® Trinity Mid-Tower Case ~ NZXT® Guardian Mid-Tower Case
+ See Through Window + Neon Light Silver + See Through Window + Neon Light
~ NVIDIA® nForce™4 Chip Motherboard ~ NVIDIA® nForce™4 Chip Motherboard
w/ 16X PCI Express Yellow w/ 16X PCI Express
~ Corsair 512MB DDR400 Memory ~ Corsair 1024MB DDR400 Memory
~ 160GB 7200RPM Hard Drive Green ~ 160GB 7200RPM Hard Drive
~ 16x DVD-ROM ~ 16x Double Layer
DVD±R/±RW + CD-R/RW Drive
~ 52x32x52 CD-RW Blue
~ ATI Radeon™ X600-XT 256MB
~ NVIDIA® GeForce™ 6600 256MB 16X PCI Express Video Card
16X PCI Express Video Card
Black
~ 6-Channel Surround 3D Premium Sound
~ 10/100 MBps Ethernet LAN
~ 10/100 MBps Ethernet LAN
~ Cintre RW-6510 5.1 Surround Speakers
~ 600Watt Surround Sound Speakers
~ Multimedia Keyboard & Optical Mouse
~ Multimedia Keyboard & Optical Mouse
AMD Athlon™ 64 3000+ Processor $ 739 AMD Athlon™ 64 3000+ Processor $ 799 ~ Microsoft® Windows® XP Home Edition
~ Microsoft® Windows® XP Home Edition
AMD Athlon™ 64 3200+ Processor $ 789 AMD Athlon™ 64 3200+ Processor $ 849 ~ FREE Wireless 802.11g 54MBps
~ FREE Wireless 802.11g 54MBps Network Adapter
AMD Athlon™ 64 3500+ Processor $ 879 Network Adapter AMD Athlon™ 64 3500+ Processor $ 939
AMD Athlon™ 64 3800+ Processor $ 999 ~ FREE 1-Year 24/7 i-Care Deluxe AMD Athlon™ 64 3800+ Processor $ 1079 Technical Support + On-Site Service
Technical Support + On-Site Service
Night Dreamer FX $ 1259 ZILLION FX $ 1429

®
~Raidmax Aluminum 8-Bay ®
~ Raidmax Samurai Gaming Case
Silver Silver
Super Light Weight Tower Case with
420 Watt Power + See-Through Window ~ NVIDIA® nForce™4 Chip Motherboard
+ Sound-Activated Neon Light w/ 16X PCI Express
Yellow Yellow
~ NVIDIA nForce™4-SLI Chip Motherboard
® ~ Corsair 1024MB DDR400 Memory
w/ 16X PCI Express ~ Serial-ATA 200GB 7200RPM Hard Drive
Green Red
~ Corsair 1024MB DDR400 Memory ~ 16x DVD-ROM Drive
~ Serial-ATA 200GB 7200RPM Hard Drive ~ 16x Double Layer DVD±R/±RW Drive
Blue w/ 8MB Cache Blue
~ NVIDIA® GeForce™ 6800GT 256MB
~ 16x DVD-ROM Drive DDR3 16X PCI Express Video Card
Black ~ 16x Double Layer Titan. ~ 8-Channel Surround 3D Premium Sound
DVD±R/±RW + CD-R/RW Drive
~ 10/100/1000 MBps Ethernet LAN
~ 2X NVIDIA® GeForce™ 6600GT 128MB
DDR3 AGP 16X PCI Express Video Card ~ Creative Cambridge Desk Top Theater 5.1
S560 Surround Sound Speakers
~ 19” ViewSonic® Perfect Flat E90F+SB
~ 10/100/1000 MBps Ethernet LAN .21H mm Monitor
~ Logitech X-530 5.1 Surround Sound Speakers ~ Multimedia Keyboard & Optical Mouse
~ Multimedia Keyboard & Optical Mouse AMD Athlon™ 64 3000+ Processor $ 1429 ~ Microsoft® Windows® XP Home Edition
AMD Athlon™ 64 3000+ Processor $ 1259 ~ Microsoft Windows XP Home Edition
® ® AMD Athlon™ 64 3200+ Processor $ 1469 ~ FREE Wireless 802.11g 54MBps
AMD Athlon™ 64 3200+ Processor $ 1309 ~ FREE Wireless 802.11g 54MBps AMD Athlon™ 64 3500+ Processor $ 1569 Network Adapter
Network Adapter ~ FREE 1-Year 24/7 i-Care Deluxe
AMD Athlon™ 64 3500+ Processor $ 1399 AMD Athlon™ 64 3800+ Processor $ 1669 Technical Support + On-Site Service
AMD Athlon™ 64 3800+ Processor $ 1539 Technical Support + On-Site Service AMD Athlon™ 64 4000+ Processor $ 1849 ~ Upgrade to Ultra X-Connect 500W ATX
Power supply w/2 80mm Fans -
AMD Athlon™ 64 4000+ Processor $ 1679 AMD Athlon™ 64 FX-55 Processor $ 2229 Blue w/UV Orange -add $95
WWW.iBUYPOWER.COM
REVIEWS SOFTWARE
Microsoft Works Suite 2005

Well-integrated apps for home basics
WITH THE $99.95 Works Suite 2005, Mi-
crosoft packages its popular software
alongside Works 8.0, an entry-level pro- 0 BETTER >> 10
ductivity app. The suite spans five CDs PROS Includes Word, Money,
and includes Word 2002, Works 8.0, Pic- Encarta, Streets & Trips; well-
ture It Premium 10, Encarta Encyclopedia integrated applications
Standard 2005, Money Standard 2005, and
CONS Doesn’t include Excel,
Streets & Trips 2005—well worth the cost PowerPoint; Word is not current
if you planned to purchase the programs version
Ulead PhotoImpact 10 separately. Excel and PowerPoint are Microsoft, 800-642-7676
Delightful, inexpensive image editing omitted, however, with Works 8.0 taking www.microsoft.com
their place. Although this replacement is
Direct Price $99.95 (before
ULEAD PHOTOIMPACT 10 is a terrific basic image adequate for home users, it’s a poor sub- $20 mail-in rebate)
editor. With version 10, Ulead has added a broad stitute for the other Office apps.
range of handy new features, making this program Still, the suite’s offerings work well together. A task manager, when
a steal at $89.99. launched, opens automatically
For starters, Ulead has added photo frames, 17 to a Calendar tab, displaying
new effects filters (Pen and Ink, Cartoon, and En- any pending appointments as
graving, to name a few), and a new touch-up tool well as an immediate view of
for subtly removing image defects. Three new selec- your contacts. Icons across the
tion tools make it easier to work with specific areas task manager’s top give instant
of an image: Smart Lasso, which draws a selection access to various resources, in-
border around complex objects; Extract Object, cluding built-in templates for
which isolates an image element from a back- just about any task.
ground; and Match —Robert Vamosi
EDITORS’ RATING 7.8 Background Color, for
seamlessly merging
0 BETTER >> 10
an extracted element
PROS Excellent value; terrific
interface; includes vector, bitmap,
back into the image.
Version 10’s inter-
Bias SoundSoap 2 EDITORS’ RATING 7.5
text, animation, panorama tools
face is totally config- Wash digital audio clean 0 BETTER >> 10
CONS Photo organizer needs urable, with dockable
updating PROS Effectively reduces
toolbars, buttons, and BIAS SOUNDSOAP 2, compatible with noise in audio files; Mac-,
Ulead Systems, 800-858-5323 panels that can be both Windows and Mac, precisely isolates Windows-compatible; functions
www.ulead.com dragged and dropped and eliminates noise problems in digital as stand-alone app or plug-in
Direct Price $89.99 (full around the screen. audio files, such as clicks, pops, electrical
CONS Incompatible with
version); $49.99 (upgrade) Ulead has retained the hum, rumble, and background hiss. The MPEG-1, MPEG-2, DivX files in
unusual (and clever) $99 SoundSoap isn’t foolproof, and mas- stand-alone mode; slight learning
visual thumbnails for applying effects as well. tering it takes a little practice, but it’s a curve
PhotoImpact is equally at home with bitmap, great choice for cleaning up analog-to- Bias, 800-775-2427
vector, and text objects, providing a full range of digital recordings, improving rough- www.bias-inc.com
tools for assembling surprisingly complex docu- sounding MP3 files, or enhancing dia- Direct Price $99 (full
ments. Digital-camera support is beefed up with a logue in camcorder footage. version); $49 (upgrade)
wizard for downloading images, a Browse manager We tested SoundSoap as a stand-
to view EXIF information, and an updated High Dy- alone app, but it also works as a plug-in with compatible host programs,
namic Range feature. The High Dynamic Range tool including Apple’s GarageBand, Adobe Premiere, Steinberg’s Cubase, and
combines multiple exposures into a single image to Sony’s Sound Forge. In stand-
brighten dark areas and darken lights in high-con- alone mode, SoundSoap is com-
trast photos; it now compensates for movement patible with the file formats
between the bracketed original shots. you’d expect, including AIFF, AVI,
Even if there were nothing else in the box, Pho- MP3, MP4, WAV, WMA, and
toImpact alone would be a bargain, but Ulead bun- WMV. DivX fans will be disap-
dles extras like PhotoImpact Album, a decent image pointed, however, by the app’s
manager that’s beginning to show its age, and Cool incompatibility with that for-
360, a wizard-driven app that creates panoramas mat, as well as MPEG-1 and
from a set of photos. —Susan Glinert Stevens MPEG-2. —Nathaniel Wilkins

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Top25 This month’s best desktops, notebooks, 17-inch LCD monitors,
graphics cards, and music-download services.
PERFORMANCE DESKTOPS >> Top-of-the-line machines that pack lots of computing power.
PRODUCT PRICE SPECS/REQUIREMENTS BOTTOM LINE RATING
Apple Power Mac G5 $1,999 2GHz PowerPC G5; 512MB DDR; 160GB Once hailed as the world’s fastest PC, the Power Mac G5 is a tried-and-true speed
www.apple.com HDD; Radeon 9600 demon, delivering top-notch performance for creative pros and power users.
8.7
Overdrive Torque.SLI $3,315 2.75GHz Athlon 64 3700+; 1GB DDR; 74GB, Other dual-graphics-card PCs have shown promise, but the Torque.SLI blows them all
www.overdrivepc.com 200GB HDDs; two GeForce 6800 Ultras away with its ridiculously fast 3D frame rates and awesome application performance.
8.4
Velocity Micro ProMagix $2,409 3.6GHz Pentium 4 560; 1GB DDR2; 74GB, The high-end ProMagix PCX is overkill for most homes and offices, but graphic
8.2
PCX www.velocitymicro.com 400GB HDDs; GeForce 6800 artists, video hobbyists, and gamers will like what they find under the hood.
ABS Ultimate M5-64* $3,024 2.4GHz Athlon 64 4000+; 2GB DDR; 250GB The cost will scare away plenty, but anyone in search of powerful graphics and
8.1
www.abspc.com HDD; GeForce 6800 Ultra blistering speeds will find this zippy system is worth every dime.
Velocity Micro Gamer’s Edge $3,745 2.6GHz Athlon 64 FX-55; 1GB DDR; 74GB, Record-breaking 3D-benchmark scores plus Velocity Micro’s expert construction make 8.0
DualX www.velocitymicro.com 250GB HDDs; two GeForce 6800 Ultras this an outstanding, if expensive, PC for gamers and power users who demand the best.
ULTRAPORTABLE NOTEBOOKS >> Superlight notebooks for those on the move.

Dell Latitude D400 Series* $1,815 1.6GHz Pentium M 730; 512MB DDR2; One of the fastest, best-looking, and most affordable Pentium M ultraportables on the
8.4
www.dell.com 40GB HDD; DVD/CD-RW; 12.1-inch TFT market, the Latitude D400 Series offers stellar performance for its class.
Toshiba Portégé R100* $1,999 ULV 1.1GHz Pentium M 733; 512MB DDR; With its roomy keyboard, built-in 802.11b wireless, and solid battery life, Toshiba’s
www.toshiba.com 40GB HDD; 12.1-inch TFT smallest laptop is an excellent on-the-road companion for corporate travelers.
7.8
HP Compaq NC4010 $2,049 1.7GHz Pentium M 735; 512MB DDR; HP’s NC4010 may lack the battery life to support a true road warrior, but this nimble
www.hp.com 40GB HDD; 12.1-inch TFT little notebook’s performance and features are sure to satisfy. 7.1
Sharp Actius MM10 $1,299 1GHz Crusoe TM5800; 256MB DDR; 15GB The Actius MM10 weighs just 2.1 pounds, making it a great travel companion.
www.sharpusa.com HDD; 10.4-inch TFT Battery life is short, but the convenient docking station makes recharging easy. 7.1
Dell Latitude X1 $1,698 ULV 1.1GHz Pentium M 733; 256MB DDR2; The Latitude X1 squeezes everything a business user needs into a sleek, featherweight
www.dell.com 30GB HDD; DVD-ROM; 12.1-inch TFT case. There’s no integrated optical drive, but a self-powered external is included.
7.0
17-INCH LCD MONITORS >> Elegant, space-saving displays that improve your view.
Samsung SyncMaster 173P $536 1,280x1,024 native resolution; 25ms pixel This 17-inch LCD delivers above-average image quality in a handsome package. Extras 8.3
www.samsung.com response; DVI, VGA inputs include a pivot feature with software, a VESA wall mount, and digital and analog cables.
Lenovo ThinkVision L170p $389 1,280x1,024 native resolution; 25ms pixel The well-priced L170p offers a winning combination of image quality, chic design, and
www.lenovo.com response; DVI, VGA inputs connectivity. Plus, you can toggle between input signals at the push of a button. 7.6
Samsung SyncMaster 711T $599 1,280x1,024 native resolution; 25ms pixel Though it costs a bit more than other 17-inch LCDs, the SyncMaster 711T is a stylish,
www.samsung.com response; DVI, VGA inputs highly adjustable display with a high contrast ratio and good image quality. 7.3
BenQ FP783 $489 1,280x1,024 native resolution; 12ms pixel BenQ’s uniquely colored LCD gives your workspace a dose of high style, and the 12ms
www.benq.com response; DVI, VGA inputs response time minimizes ghosting. Extras include three USB ports and both cables. 7.1
Envision EN7220 $449 1,280x1,024 native resolution; 16ms pixel Inelegant pencil cups and photo clips notwithstanding, the EN7220 is a simple, highly
www.envisiondisplay.com response; VGA input adjustable flat panel that performs well and costs less than many 17-inch LCDs. 6.7
GRAPHICS CARDS >> State-of-the-art video boards for silky-smooth gameplay.

ATI Radeon X800 XT $499 Radeon X800 GPU; 256MB GDDR3; AGP After years of finishing second to nVidia, ATI has finally handed a defeat to its rival.
9.0
Platinum Edition www.ati.com 8x/4x; DirectX 9; VGA, DVI This card is an awesome combination of power and manageable size.
ATI Radeon X800 XL $299 Radeon X800 GPU; 256MB GDDR3; PCI Designed to deliver stellar 3D graphics at a reasonable price, the X800 XL doesn’t
www.ati.com Express x16; DirectX 9; VGA, DVI disappoint. It’s currently the best bargain for a high-performance graphics card. 8.3
PNY Verto GeForce $499 GeForce 6800 Ultra GPU; 256MB GDDR3; The PNY Verto may take up two expansion slots and demand a big power supply,
6800 Ultra www.pny.com AGP 8x/4x; DirectX 9; VGA, DVI but it’s a muscular card with some great features, including dual DVI ports. 8.1
ATI Radeon X850 XT $549 Radeon X850 GPU; 256MB GDDR3; PCI The Radeon X850 XT Platinum Edition is one of the fastest solutions out there that
Platinum Edition www.ati.com Express x16; DirectX 9; VGA, two DVI doesn’t require a pair of video cards. Plus, its dual DVI ports support two digital LCDs. 8.0
BFG GeForce 6800 $429.99 GeForce 6800 Ultra GPU; 256MB GDDR3; Overclocked to 425MHz from the factory-standard 400MHz, the GeForce 6800 Ultra
Ultra OC www.bfgtech.com AGP 8x/4x; DirectX 9; VGA, two DVI OC is blazingly fast, though your PC might need a power-supply upgrade to run it. 8.0
MUSIC-DOWNLOAD SERVICES >> Download your favorite tunes (legally) using these online music providers.
Apple iTunes 4.8 99 cents 1-million-plus song library; MP3, AAC Thanks to its user-friendly interface and vast song library, Apple iTunes remains the
www.itunes.com per song formats; Mac-, PC-compatible best one-stop shop for ripping, organizing, playing, and buying digital music. 8.3
MSN Music 99 cents 1-million-plus song library; secure WMA A latecomer to the online music game, MSN Music has gained serious momentum due
music.msn.com per song format; PC-compatible to its wide library of quality music files and integration with Windows Media Player 10. 8.0
Musicmatch Jukebox 10 99 cents 800,000-plus song library; secure WMA With a revamped interface and better overall performance, this venerable all-in-one
www.musicmatch.com per song format; PC-compatible jukebox provides tight, easy integration with Musicmatch’s On Demand music store. 8.0
Rhapsody 3.0 99 cents 1-million-plus song library; MP3, AAC, This popular streaming service continues to impress in its latest version, which now
www.rhapsody.com per song WMA formats; PC-compatible comes in three variants, including Rhapsody To Go for portable players. 8.0
Wal-Mart Music Downloads 88 cents 500,000-plus song library; secure WMA The selection of independent labels is limited, and it requires Windows Media Player,
www.walmart.com per song format; PC-compatible but the discount king’s music service is cheap and easy to use. 8.0
= Editors’ Choice * = Configuration changed from original review.

75
PC TIPS & TRICKS
Our insider secrets will

help you master your PC
and all its applications.
YO U R P RO C E S S O R ’ S SW I F T , your RAM’s abundant, and your hard
drive’s regularly reformatted. Don’t stop there. We’ve got lots of ways
to boost your PC productivity. From 10-second shortcuts for every-
day tasks to performance-enhancing tweaks, we share our
secrets for getting the most out of the time spent in front of your
computer screen, whether it’s a little or a lot.
M
BY LOUIS RAMIREZ

double-click it. In the General tab, se-
MICROSOFT WINDOWS XP lect Disabled from the “Startup type”
pull-down menu, and click OK.
TAKE SHORTCUTS
Create your own shortcut-key combina- CUSTOM SLIDE SHOW
tions to your favorite applications by Windows XP lets you create your own
right-clicking the app of choice and se- slide-show-based screensaver. First, drag
lecting Properties. Under the Shortcut and drop the pictures you’d like to use
tab, enter your own key into your My Pictures folder, located in-
combination, such side the My Documents folder. Now,
as Ctrl+6, in the right-click an empty space on your desk-
“Shortcut key” top, and choose Properties. Click the
field. If the Screen Saver tab, and from within the
combination pull-down menu, highlight the My Pic-
you choose is tures Slideshow option. The Settings but-
already taken, ton lets you adjust parameters such as
Windows selects size and transition effects. Click Preview
something similar. for a quick demonstration, or click OK to
activate your screensaver.
Synchronize
ELIMINATE ANIMATIONS Windows’ clock
Ending useless animations in Windows A TIDIER TASKBAR If your Windows clock has a habit
will improve performance. Right-click You can lump open windows belonging of losing track of time, synchro-
the desktop, choose Properties, and to the same application within a single nize it with an Internet time server.
then the Appearance tab. Click the Ef- taskbar icon by right-clicking the Double-click the time located on
fects button, and make sure everything taskbar, selecting Properties, and your taskbar. Select the Internet
is unchecked in the next window. checking the “Group similar taskbar Time tab and check “Automatically
buttons” box. Plus, if you want to close synchronize with an Internet time
TERMINATE INDEXING the program without having to close server.” Don’t bet your next job
For a slight speed boost, try disabling each window individually, all you have interview on it, though—the time’s
Windows’ Indexing, a feature that to do is right-click the icon and select synchronized only once a week.
keeps a record of all files on your hard Close Group. If you want to synchronize
drive. Go to Control Panel > Perfor- immediately, click Update Now.
mance and Maintenance > Administra- HIDE ALL WINDOWS
tive Tools, and double-click Services. For instant access to your desktop, hold
Scroll down to Indexing Service, then down the Windows key and hit D. APPS IN AN INSTANT
For one-click access to frequently used
apps, right-click the taskbar, select
Toolbars, and check Quick Launch. Now
drag your shortcut icons onto the Quick
Instant copies Launch bar to the right of the Start but-
You can quickly burn a CD using Windows’ inte- ton. To view more of them, click the
grated applet. To begin, go to Start > My Music, double chevron for a list, or hover your
and navigate to the folder with the tunes you mouse over the dotted area until it
want to burn, if you’re not already there. On turns into a double-sided arrow and
the left side of the window, select “Copy all slide it over to the right.
items to CD,” or highlight the songs you want
to burn and click Copy to Audio CD. You can DISABLE BALLOON HELP
also copy a single song by right-clicking the file To disable balloon pop-ups, click Start >
and selecting Copy to CD or Device. Run, type regedit, and hit Enter. In the
left column, drill down to HKEY_CUR-
RENT_ USER > Software > Microsoft >
Windows > Current Version > Explorer >
Advanced. Right-click anywhere in the
right column, select New > DWORD Val-
ue, and rename it EnableBalloonTips.
Keyboard/Getty Images
Double-click this new entry, and give it

a hexadecimal value of 0. Then close
the Registry Editor, and restart your
computer. Just be careful; Registry mis-
takes are irreversible.

Spelling & Grammar tab. Clear the
MICROSOFT WORD checkbox labeled “Check grammar as CLEAR FORMATTING
you type,” and hit OK. To clear the formatting in an Excel
USE BOOKMARKS spreadsheet, highlight the cells you
Word’s Bookmark feature lets you navi- WORD-O-METER want changed, and select Edit > Clear >
gate quickly through lengthy docu- You can count the words in a document Formats.
ments. Simply go to a page you’d like to with a single click by adding a word
bookmark, and, from the Insert menu, counter to your toolbar. Go to View > Tool- KEEP A CLOSE WATCH
click Bookmark. Name your Bookmark, bars, and check Word Count. Drag onto The Watch Window lets you monitor
and click Add. To find your bookmark, your toolbar the small bar that pops up. cells on other workbooks. To add a cell
hit Control+F, then click on the Go To Now you can just click Recount whenever to the Watch Window, right-click it,
tab. Select Bookmark from the menu on you want to know your word count. then select Add Watch. You can then
the left, and enter the bookmark name position the Watch Window above or
to jump straight to it. SELECTIVE HIGHLIGHTING below Excel’s standard toolbar.
If you don’t want Word grabbing an en-
SEAL OF APPROVAL tire word when you make a selection,
Give your documents a professional go to Tools > Options > Edit, and Instant quotes
look by adding a watermark to the back- uncheck the box that reads “When Excel can recognize stock symbols
ground. To add one to your document, selecting, automatically select entire and fetch stock quotes using MSN
select Format > Background > Printed word.” MoneyCentral Investor. First, en-
Watermark. Select “Picture watermark” able Smart Tags by selecting
or “Text watermark,” then click OK. MICROSOFT EXCEL Tools > AutoCorrect Options >
Smart Tags. Make sure “Label data
KEEP THE RIGHT FORMAT INSERT DATE AND TIME with smart tags” is checked, and
Want to paste formatted text into Word To insert the current date in a cell, hold hit OK. Log on to the Internet, and
without losing the original format? Ctrl, then press the colon/semicolon enter a stock symbol (in all caps)
After copying the selected text, select key. To insert the time, hold Ctrl and into a cell. A small green triangle
Edit > Paste Special. You can choose Shift, and hit the same key. appears in the lower right corner
among Formatted Text (RTF), Unformat- of the cell. Hover your cursor over
ted Text, HTML Format, or Unformatted COLOR COORDINATION the cell, click the icon that pops
Unicode Text. You can color-code the tabs on your Ex- up, and choose “Insert refreshable
cel spreadsheets for easier navigation. stock price.” Select “On a new
LOSE THE WRONG FORMAT Click the tab you’d like to color, then sheet” to display the quote on an-
To quickly remove the formatting from select Format > Sheet > Tab Color. Se- other worksheet, or “Starting at
your document, highlight the relevant lect the color you want, and click OK. cell” to display the stock price in
text, then press Control+Shift+N. the current cell.
HIDE YOUR SHEET
STOP CORRECTING ME You can hide Excel worksheets to re-
Speed up spell-check by preventing duce the number of sheets on your
Word from grammar-proofing your screen. Just select the sheets you’d like
documents. To disable grammar check, to hide, and select Format > Sheet >
go to Tools > Options, and click the Hide. To restore them, click Unhide.
Count on Word
To use Word’s built-in calculator, select Tools > Customize > Commands. In ALL TOGETHER NOW
the Categories column, highlight All Commands, and, in the Commands To change the typeface or point size of
column, scroll down to ToolsCalculate. all cells in a spreadsheet at once, click
Drag this command to the the box in the top left corner to select
Tools menu, then re- the entire spreadsheet, then make your
name it “Calculate”
Calculator and Stock Ticker/Getty Images
changes.
by right-clicking it
and choosing Name. SORT THINGS OUT
Calculate is available You can rearrange the data in a spread-
only when you’ve select- sheet any way you like by clicking the
ed text with numbers in it. box in the top left corner and selecting
It ignores any text that isn’t a Data > Sort. In the Sort window, select
number and is useful for adding the column you’d like to sort by and
numbers in tables or paragraphs. whether you want the data in ascend-
ing or descending order.

your desktop and select New > Shortcut.
MICROSOFT POWERPOINT Type mailto: in the Shortcut wizard.
Then name your shortcut. Now you
E-MAIL SLIDES can just double-click the shortcut to
PowerPoint lets you resize, crop, and open a blank e-mail message.
e-mail individual slides. To begin, open the
slide, and click View > Notes Page. The file CREATE ARCHIVES
will appear on the notes page as an im- Avoid reaching your mailbox’s memo-
age. Next, right-click the slide image, and ry capacity by archiving your mes-
click Copy. The image is now on your clip- sages. Go to Tools > Options, and select
board, and you can paste it into your pro- the Other tab. Click the AutoArchive
gram of choice for e-mailing or resizing. button, and make your selections.
YOU’RE OUT OF ORDER REDUCE OR ELIMINATE SPAM

While viewing a slide show, you can To decrease your daily dose of spam, se-
call up any slide out of order. Just type lect Tools > Options > Junk E-mail, and cally opens an appointment window,
the number of the slide, and hit Enter. click the High radio button. To eliminate in which you can set up the time and
spam completely, select the Safe Lists the place, and set a reminder.
POWERPOINT ALBUMS Only radio button to receive e-mails only
You can use PowerPoint to create an im- from the people you allow. If you’re con- MICROSOFT INTERNET EXPLORER
promptu photo album. Select Insert > Pic- cerned about missing any e-mails, check
ture > New Photo Album. Under the “In- your Junk E-mail box regularly. MAKE YOUR HISTORY
sert picture from:” heading, click File/Disk, A MYSTERY
select the pictures you want to include, SAVE MULTIPLE To clear your AutoComplete history in
and hit Insert. Next, you can specify the ATTACHMENTS… Internet Explorer, go to Tools > Internet
look of the album you want under Album To save multiple file attachments in an Options, and click the Content tab. Under
Layout. Finally, click Create. e-mail message all at once, click File > “Personal information,” click AutoCom-
Save Attachments, then select Save All plete, and, in the resulting window, press
Attachments. Clear Forms. To disable the feature entire-
Secure your ly, uncheck the Forms box.
presentations …BUT GET RID OF THE

LARGE ONES
Prevent others from modifying
your PowerPoint file (or any Office
Free up your in-box by deleting messages Browse ahead
with large attachments. Go to the View iRider ($29, www.irider.com/
file, for that matter) by enabling menu, click the Arrange By drop-down irider) lets you surf the Web at
password protection. Select Tools > list, and select Size. Now you can delete warp speed with an inventive
Options > Security, enter a pass- e-mails with the largest attachments first function called Surf-Ahead.
word in the “Password to and work your way down. Because pages download while
modify” box, and you’re still on your current
hit OK. CREATE MULTIPLE page, the next one’s usually
SIGNATURES ready by the time you’re done
You can specify a different signature reading. Pages appear in the
based on whether you’re sending a new left pane as thumbnails. You
message, a reply, or a forward. Go to can also select multiple links
Tools > Options > Mail Format. Under and click one to open them all
Signatures, select the signature you at the same time.
want to use from the “Signature for
new messages:” drop-down menu.
SCRIBBLE SOME NOTES
MAKE YOUR BOSS BLUE
Speedometer/Kent Leech; Lock/Getty Images
To make annotations on a presentation,

open the file in Slide Show view. Right- Color-code incoming messages based on
click in the window, point to Pointer Op- who they’re from by highlighting a mes-
tions, and select a writing implement. sage from that individual, clicking Tools >
When you’re done, press Esc. Organize > Using Colors, and selecting a
color from the drop-down list.
MICROSOFT OUTLOOK BROWSE WITH TABS
SCHEDULE APPOINTMENTS Tabbed browsing isn’t reserved for
QUICK E-MAILS To turn an e-mail message into an ap- Firefox users anymore. Maxthon (www.
Send out a quick e-mail without launch- pointment, drag it over to your Calendar maxthon.com) is an Internet Explorer
ing Outlook. Right-click an empty area on bar until it turns orange. This automati- plug-in that arranges multiple Web pages

by tabs for easy navigation. In addition, it
OPEN A TAB
groups sites together so you can open
your most-visited addresses all at once. To open a particular tab in Firefox, hit
Gmail calling
Can’t live without e-mail? Have your
Ctrl+1 through Ctrl+9. Tabs aren’t num-
Gmail sent directly to your cell
MOZILLA FIREFOX bered, though, so you’ll have to physically
phone as a text message. Log on to
count them.
your account, and click the Settings
OPEN TABS WITH ONE CLICK
page. Select the Forwarding and
Instead of right-clicking a link and choos- USE LIVE BOOKMARKS
POP tab, then the radio button la-
ing Open Link in New Tab, click a link with Get the latest headlines from your fa-
beled “Forward a copy of Incoming
your mouse’s scroll-wheel button to open vorite RSS news sites and blogs. Just
Mail to.” Enter your cell phone’s
it in a new tab. You can also click that tab click the square, bright-orange icon in
e-mail address, and click Save
with your scroll wheel to close it. (You the bottom right corner of your brows-
Changes. Verizon customers, for
may have to disable any function as- er, and click “OK to save as bookmark.”
instance, would enter their 10-digit
signed to your click wheel for this to work, The Live Bookmark will now function
phone numbers, followed by
however.) as your RSS aggregator.
@vtext.com. T-Mobile users would
enter @tmomail.net, and Sprint
ONE-CLICK COMBOS GOOGLE AND GMAIL
customers enter @messaging.
Don’t have a scroll wheel? Hold down Ctrl
sprintpcs.com.
while left-clicking a link to open a URL in INSTANT 411
a new tab, or hold Shift and left-click to You can perform basic Google searches
open a URL in a new window. from your cell phone by sending text-
message queries to 46645 (GOOGL). To
MORE ON AUTOCOMPLETE search for general services in your
To eliminate your AutoComplete history vicinity, type a word of description fol-
in Firefox, go to Tools > Options > Privacy. lowed by a period and your city/state or
In the Saved Form Information area, click ZIP code (sushi.10018). To get the
the Clear button. To disable this feature weather, use the same format preceded
entirely, click on the plus symbol next to by the word “weather,” or for addresses
the Saved Form Information area and and phone numbers, by the name of
uncheck “Save information I enter in web the business. You can even get driving
page forms.” directions by typing from followed by LOST IN TRANSLATION?
the ZIP code of your starting point and Need to translate text? Head over to
KEEP TABS ON YOUR TABS to followed by your destination’s ZIP Google Translate (www.google.com/
You can control how new tabs open in code—for instance, from 10016 to translate_t), paste the text into the field,
Firefox in one of three ways: Open the 10018. You’ll receive text-message re- and make a selection from the drop-down
page in a new window, open the page in a sponses free of charge (depending on menu. You can also insert URLs to trans-
new tab in the front window, or replace your carrier’s text-messaging plan) late Web pages.
the current page in the front window. within seconds.
Click the Advanced section of the Options PERSONALIZE YOUR NEWS
window to customize it to your liking. You can customize Google’s news page at
Create a news.google.com by clicking “Customize
SMOOTH SAILING this page.” Delete sections, increase the
Put an end to jerky document scrolling by
virtual drive number of stories shown, and even add
Turn your Gmail account into
enabling Firefox’s “Use smooth scrolling” news categories of your own. To view your
an Internet hard drive with
feature in the Advanced section of the customized page from any computer, click
Softpedia’s free Gmail Drive
Options window. the link “Share your customized news
shell extension 1.0.5 (www.
with a friend” at the bottom of the page,
softpedia.com/get/Internet/
SEARCH IN SHORTHAND and e-mail the URL to your Internet-based
E-mail/Mail-Utilities/
Type a word in the address bar, then hit mail account.
GMail-Drive-shell-extension.
Ctrl+Enter to automatically add http://
shtml). This app adds to your HOME NETWORKING
www and .com to the beginning and
PC a virtual drive that uses
end, respectively, of the word.
your 2GB of Gmail storage
(Ctrl+Shift+Enter adds .org, and Shift+ SET YOUR PREFERRED
space.
Enter adds .net.) NETWORK
To make sure you always connect to the
ZOOM IN AND OUT same wireless network, open the Network
Hit Ctrl and the plus sign to increase text icon in your system tray, click the Ad-
size on your current Web page, or Ctrl vanced button, and, under “Preferred net-
and the minus to decrease it. To restore works,” move the network to the top of
the original size, hit Ctrl+0. the list.

and import them back into iTunes as
GO STEALTH OPT FOR CHANGE MP3s. Choose Edit > Preferences > Im-
Tighten your home network’s security by Wired Equivalent Privacy (WEP) has been porting. From the Import Using pull-
disabling its Service Set Identifier (SSID) cracked before, but changing your WEP down menu, click MP3 Encoder. From
broadcast. By default, all access points key often will add another level of protec- now on, all imported files will be saved
broadcast their SSID, or network name, tion to your network. as MP3s. You can later delete the AAC
to anyone within range. Disabling this files by choosing Show Duplicate Songs
feature will deter hackers. RESTRICTED AREA from the Edit menu. Now you’ll have a
If your access point supports it, use access backup of your music on CD, and you can
CHANGE FREQUENCIES lists to specify which machines can log on use iTunes even if you don’t own an iPod.
To avoid potential interference from your to your network.
cordless phone, buy one that operates on MAINTENANCE
a frequency different from your network’s. AUDIO
Companies such as Uniden now offer USE SYSTEM RESTORE…
phones that operate on a 5.8GHz frequen- LET ’ER RIP Always create a restore point using
cy; most Wi-Fi networks operate on In Windows Media Player 10, you can au- System Restore when installing or
2.4GHz. tomatically rip CDs when you insert them deleting software. You’ll find the applet
into the drive. Select Applications > in Accessories > System Tools > System
Tools > Options > Rip Music, and check Restore.
“Rip CD when you insert the CD” and
Channel surfing “Eject CD when you’ve finished ripping.” …UNLESS YOU’RE INFECTED
Too many wireless networks Click OK to save your settings. If your computer has been infected by
nearby? If you’re experiencing viruses or spyware, System Restore
trouble, try changing the Wi-Fi MUSIC MANAGEMENT may actually preserve these Net nasties.
channel to avoid interference. In iTunes, you can edit song info such Temporarily disable System Restore
Check your manual for as ratings, album name, and album art and perform a full system scan. After
instructions. on multiple song files all at once. Con- you’ve cleaned your PC, delete old
trol-click the files you want to edit, restore points and start fresh.
then right-click and select Get Info.
Click Yes to the pop-up window and DON’T DOWNLOAD FROM
check off the sections you want to edit. STRANGERS
Press Enter to make the changes. Before you install anything, ask your-
self if the software is trustworthy. If
NAME CHANGE you don’t have a good reason to trust
Windows Media Player 10 lets you cus- it, pass.
tomize how music files are named.
Choose Applications > Tools > Options >
Rip Music, and click the File Name button. Blast spyware
In the resulting window, check the box Prevent browser hijacks and
REPEAT PERFORMANCE with the information you’d like shown in other Internet-related annoy-
Adding a repeater is the quickest and eas- the filename. Click OK when you’re done ances by keeping updated copies
iest way to broaden the range of your to activate the settings. of Lavasoft’s Ad-Aware (www.
wireless network. Just place the repeater lavasoftusa.com) and Spybot—
halfway between your router and your ACCESS DENIED Search & Destroy (www.
computer. When transferring your iTunes library safer-networking.org) on your
from your old computer to a new one, hard drive. Both are freeware
BUILD A WALL don’t forget to deauthorize your old com- and help immunize your comput-
Create a virtual wall of protection be- puter to head off problems with songs er against potential threats.
tween your network and the Internet protected by digital rights management
by installing a firewall on every com- (DRM).
puter logged on to your network. This
will keep Internet pests at bay. To en- DELETE COPYCATS
able Windows’ built-in firewall, go to Weed out duplicate songs cluttering your
Control Panel > Security Center >
Windows Firewall. Make sure the On
iTunes library by selecting Show Duplicate
Songs from the Edit menu.
SPYWARE
radio button is selected, and hit OK.
For even better protection, another DITCH DRM
alternative is Zone Labs’ free Zone- Want a non-DRM-protected library of
Alarm firewall application songs for your iPod? You can purchase
(www.zonelabs.com). AAC files via iTunes, burn them to CD,

WIN THIS!
Win a JVC TH-C6
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This complete home theater system includes a slim design silver DVD receiver
with a progressive scan five-disc DVD changer and an amplifier that delivers
1002 watts of total power.
> 1,000 watts total power > Digital direct progressive scan output
> 5-disc DVD changer tray > 4 floor-standing/wall-mountable
> Plays DVD-Audio/Video, DVD-RAM, DVD- surround speakers
R/RW, CD, CD-R/RW, SVCD, VCD, > 6-1/2" powered subwoofer
MP3/WMA/JPEG
Enter To Win!
Tell us what you think about the August issue and be entered
to win this JVC TH-C6 DVD Digital Theater System.
To enter go to
computershopper.com/survey
No purchase necessary to win. Void where prohibited by law. Sweepstakes is open to legal residents of the United States who are at least 18 years of age. Winner will be chosen at random
from all participants entered by August 31, 2005. Odds of winning depend on the number of entries entered by the deadline. One entry per person. For a complete set of rules, see comput-
ershopper.com/survey. As an alternative method of entry, send a postcard with your name, address, phone number, e-mail address, age and the month of the issue of Computer Shopper mag-
azine where the sweepstakes is advertised to Computer Shopper Research, 28 East 28th Street, 10th Floor, New York, NY, 10016-7922. Postcards must be received by August 31, 2005.
' 2005 CNET Networks, Inc.

Ateck Computers recommends Microsoft® Windows® XP Professional
Let new PCs help your

ATECK ATRIX G8023
company work smarter.
State of the art performance The Intel® Pentium® 4 Processor with HT Technology powering the ATECK ATRIX L8013 delivers
• Intel® Pentium® 4 Processor 550 with HT
the quality, reliability and performance to keep users productive.
Technology (3.4GHz, 800MHz FSB, 1MB Cache)
• Intel® D915P Chipset Motherboard
• 1GB Dual Channel DDR2 SDRAM
• 2x120GB SATA 7200RPM Hard Drives
• 16x Dual Layer DVD+/-RW Drive
• 16x DVD ROM
• 6 USB 2.0
• ATI X600 PRO 128MB PCI Express
• 6-channel Audio Sound
• 10/100 Ethernet NIC
• Black Keyboard and Optical Mouse
• Atrix TAC G8023 Black Tower ATX Chassis
• Microsoft® Windows® XP Professional Service Pack 2
• 1 year Limited Warranty
• Toll Free Technical Support Line
Starting at $1,199.00
ATECK AT8 Media

Home Entertainment System
• Intel® Pentium® 4 Processor 530 with HT
Technology (3.0GHz, 800MHz FSB, 1MB Cache)
ATECK ATRIX L8013 Starting at $649.00
• Microsoft® Windows® XP Media Center Edition
2005 w/ Remote Control
The business workhorse on a budget
• Intel® D915P Chipset Motherboard • Intel® Pentium® 4 Processor 530 with HT • 6-channel Audio Sound
• 512MB PC3200 DDR400 Memory Technology (3.0GHz, 800MHz FSB, 1MB Cache) • 10/100 Ethernet NIC
• Dual TV Tuner Input • Intel® i915 Chipset Motherboard • Atrix 4-in-1 Keyboard, Mouse and Speakers
• 120GB SATA 7200RPM Hard Drive
• ATI® 128MB RADEONTM X300SE
• 512MB PC3200 DDR400 Memory • Atrix TAC 8013 Black Tower Chassis
PCI Express Graphic • 120GB SATA 7200RPM Hard Drive • Microsoft® Windows® XP Home Edition with
• 16x Dual Layer DVD+/-RW Drive • 16x Dual Layer DVD+/-RW Drive Service Pack 2
• 8-in-1 Media Card Reader • 6 USB 2.0 • 1 year Limited Warranty
• 7.1 Intel® High-Def Audio
• 10/100 Ethernet NIC
• Integrated Graphics Intel Extreme Video • Toll Free Tech Support line
• 802.11g Wireless LAN & Modem
• 4 USB 2.0 & 3 Firewire 1394 Ports
• 3 Year Limited Warranty
Starting at $1,399.00
Order Direct Today!

Call 888-333-1572 COMPUTERS, INC
Visit www.ateck.com/atrix www.ateck.com/atrix
Special Discount for Education, 111 West Park Drive, Mount Laurel, NJ 08054
Government and Corporate
Email to: Edu@ateck.com or Call
Price, specification, and terms are subject to change without notice. Illustrations may not accurately represent exact configurations priced. Ateck is not responsible for errors
our specialists for quantity orders. in typography and/or photography. Onsite service may be provided by contracted third party provider. Intel, Intel logo, Intel Inside, 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 subsidiaries
in the United States and other countries. System performance and functionality will vary depending on your specific hardware and software configurations.
NP9880
Superior FEATURES
Gaming >
>
nVIDIA® GeForce™ Go 6800 PCI-Express™ Ultra Graphics
Module5 with 256MB DDR3 Memory delivers true-to-life
graphics at blazing speeds.
The front panel Audio DJ CD player control with
technology!
separate power switch lets you play your favorite
technology! >
music CD or MP3 while on the go.
Dual Optical Device bays and Dual Hard Disk Capability
allow this system to be customized with 2 CD-ROM devices
and 2 Hard Drives coexisting for maximum storage capacity.
> Hardware RAID boosts HDD Speed with RAID 0 or mirror
Sager delivers the best backup your data with RAID 1.
value on today’s high OPTIONS

> 802.11g Wireless Module
performance machines. >
>
802.11g and Bluetooth Combo Module
TV Tuner Module with Remote
What do you get when you combine blazing speed, NP9880 Series
stunning graphics and go-anywhere mobility?
You get the entire array of Sager Computer offerings. NP9880V $ 3545 NP9880C $ 2795
Sager has been providing leading edge mobile tech- > 17.0" Wide Viewing Angles WUXGA Active Matrix > 17.0" Wide Viewing Angles WUXGA Active Matrix
Display with Super Clear Glare Type Screen Display with Super Clear Glare Type Screen
> Intel ® Pentium® 4 Processor 660 with HT Technology > Intel ® Pentium® 4 Processor 530 with HT Technology
nology for more than 15 years. The systems we offer (2MB L2 Cache, 3.6GHz, 800MHz FSB) (1MB L2 Cache, 3.0GHz, 800MHz FSB)
> 256MB DDR3 nVIDIA® GeForce™ Go 6800 Ultra > 256MB DDR3 nVIDIA® GeForce™ Go 6800 Ultra
PCI-Express™ Graphics PCI-Express™ Graphics
are second to none in terms of processing power, > 1024MB Dual Channel DDR2 SDRAM > 512MB Dual Channel DDR2 SDRAM
> 60.0GB 7200RPM Ultra ATA100 Hard Drive > 40.0GB 5400RPM Ultra ATA100 Hard Drive
> 8X DVD±R/RW1 Dual Layer Drive with > 8X DVD2/24X10X24 CD-RW3 Combo Drive
graphics capabilities and sleek styling. Sager systems LightScribe Technology > Full Size Keyboard with Numeric Keypad
> Full Size Keyboard with Numeric Keypad > Hardware Raid 0,1 Function
feature the latest Intel® Pentium® Processors, DDR3 > Hardware Raid 0,1 Function
> Front Panel Audio DJ with Separate Power Switch
> Front Panel Audio DJ with Separate Power Switch
> Built-In Digital Video Camera
> Built-In Digital Video Camera > Built-In 7-in-1 Card Reader
nVIDIA® GeForce™ Go 6800 Ultra PCI-Express™ Graphics, > Built-In 7-in-1 Card Reader > 4 Built-In Speakers with a Subwoofer
> 4 Built-In Speakers with a Subwoofer > Virtual 8 Channel External Speaker Output
> Virtual 8 Channel External Speaker Output > External USB 1.44MB Floppy Disk Drive
as well as other convenience features like Bluetooth, > External USB 1.44MB Floppy Disk Drive > On-Board 56K V.90 Modem 4 and 10/100/1000 Ethernet
> On-Board 56K V.90 Modem 4 and 10/100/1000 Ethernet > 3 Hot-Keys for E-Mail, Browser and Applications
> 3 Hot-Keys for E-Mail, Browser and Applications > Built-In Touchpad Pointing Device with Scrolling Slider
Wi-Fi, TV tuner with remote control and additional > Built-In Touchpad Pointing Device with Scrolling Slider > 1 Type II PCMCIA Slot
> 1 Type II PCMCIA Slot > Infrared, Wireless Fast IR Interface
ports for batteries or back-up. Many luxury features > Infrared, Wireless Fast IR Interface
> HDTV Output Supported
> HDTV Output Supported
> 2 IEEE 1394a Ports (Mini), 1 DVI, 1 TV-Out Port
> 2 IEEE 1394a Ports (Mini), 1 DVI, 1 TV-Out Port and 1 S-Video-In Port
come standard on Sager machines. Call Sager today and 1 S-Video-In Port > Other Ports: 4 USB 2.0 Ports, 1S, 1P and Ext. Keyboard
> Other Ports: 4 USB 2.0 Ports, 1S, 1P and Ext. Keyboard > High-Performance Smart Lithium-Ion Battery
> High-Performance Smart Lithium-Ion Battery > Microsoft ® Windows® XP Home Edition
to order your custom mobile computer. > Microsoft ® Windows® XP Home Edition > Weight: 12.5 Lbs with Battery
> Weight: 12.5 Lbs with Battery > 15.5"w x 11.75"d x 1.95"h
> 15.5"w x 11.75"d x 1.95"h > Sager’s Umbrella Protection Policy
> Sager’s Umbrella Protection Policy
NP7620 NP4791
FEATURES FEATURES
> ATI MOBILITY™ RADEON® X800 PCI-Express™ Graphics > 17.0" 1680 x 1050 resolution widescreen display
with 256MB DDR3 Memory delivers true-to-life offers greater working space and boosts
graphics at blazing speeds. multimedia enjoyment.
> Dual Smart Bays (one fixed/ one versatile) allow this > Full Size Keyboard with Numeric Keypad provides
system to be customized just the way you want it. a pleasant typing environment.
Pick from an optional second battery, secondary HDD, > Built-In Digital Video Camera makes video
7-in-1 Card Reader or an additional CD-ROM device. chat and video conferencing easy.
> The front panel Audio DJ CD player control with > Built-In 7-in-1 Card Reader provides fastest
separate power switch lets you play your favorite and easiest way to transfer your data.
music CD or MP3 while on the go.
OPTIONS
OPTIONS
> 802.11g Wireless Module
> 802.11g Wireless Module > TV Tuner Module with Remote
> Bluetooth Module > Port Replicator
> TV Tuner Module with Remote
NP7620 Series NP4791 Series
NP7620V $ 2395 NP7620C $ 1945 NP4791V $ 1895 NP4791C $ 1595
> 15.4" WUXGA Active Matrix Display > 15.4" WUXGA Active Matrix Display > 17.0" Wide Viewing Angles WSXGA+ Active Matrix > 17.0" Wide Viewing Angles WSXGA+ Active Matrix
> Intel ® Pentium® 4 Processor 560 with HT Technology > Intel ® Pentium® 4 Processor 530 with HT Technology Display with Super Clear Glare Type Screen Display with Super Clear Glare Type Screen
(1MB L2 Cache, 3.6GHz, 800MHz FSB) (1MB L2 Cache, 3.0GHz, 800MHz FSB) > Intel ® Pentium® 4 Processor 3.2GHz > Intel ® Pentium® 4 Processor 3.0GHz
> 256MB DDR3 ATI MOBILITY™ RADEON® X800 > 256MB DDR3 ATI MOBILITY™ RADEON® X800 with 800MHz FSB with 800MHz FSB
PCI-Express™ Graphics PCI-Express™ Graphics > 128MB DDR ATI MOBILITY™ RADEON® > 128MB DDR ATI MOBILITY™ RADEON®
> 1024MB PC3200 DDR SDRAM > 512MB PC3200 DDR SDRAM 9700 AGP 8X Graphics 9700 AGP 8X Graphics
> 60.0GB 7200RPM Ultra ATA100 Hard Drive > 40.0GB 5400RPM Ultra ATA100 Hard Drive > 1024MB PC3200 (400MHz) DDR SDRAM > 512MB PC3200 (400MHz) DDR SDRAM
> 8X DVD±R/RW1 Dual Layer Drive with > 8X DVD2/24X10X24 CD-RW3 Combo Drive > 60.0GB 7200RPM Ultra ATA100 Hard Drive > 40.0GB 5400RPM Ultra ATA100 Hard Drive
LightScribe Technology > Front Panel Audio DJ with Separate Power Switch > 8X DVD±R/RW1 Dual Layer Drive with > 8X DVD2/24X10X24 CD-RW3 Combo Drive
> Front Panel Audio DJ with Separate Power Switch > Built-In Digital Video Camera LightScribe Technology > Full Size Keyboard with Numeric Keypad
> Built-In Digital Video Camera > On-Board 56K V.90 Modem 4 and 10/100/1000 Ethernet > Full Size Keyboard with Numeric Keypad > Built-In Digital Video Camera
> On-Board 56K V.90 Modem 4 and 10/100/1000 Ethernet > Built-In 3-in-1 Card Reader > Built-In Digital Video Camera > On-Board 56K V.90 Modem4 and 10/100/1000 Ethernet
> Built-In 3-in-1 Card Reader > 4 USB 2.0 Ports > On-Board 56K V.90 Modem4 and 10/100/1000 Ethernet > Built-In 7-in-1 Card Reader
> 4 USB 2.0 Ports > 6 Built-In Speakers > Built-In 7-in-1 Card Reader > 4 Built-In Speakers with a Subwoofer
> 6 Built-In Speakers > Virtual 8 Channel External Speaker Output > 4 Built-In Speakers with a Subwoofer > 6 Channel External Speaker Output
> Virtual 8 Channel External Speaker Output > 3.5" Removable 1.44MB FDD Exchangeable with > 6 Channel External Speaker Output > 2 USB 2.0 Ports
> 3.5" Removable 1.44MB FDD Exchangeable with Optional 2nd Battery/CD-RW/DVD/HDD Drive/ > 2 USB 2.0 Ports > 3 Hot-Keys for E-Mail, Browser and Applications
Optional 2nd Battery/CD-RW/DVD/HDD Drive/ 7-in-1 Card Reader > 3 Hot-Keys for E-Mail, Browser and Applications > Built-In Touchpad Pointing Device with Scrolling Keys
7-in-1 Card Reader > 3D Enhanced Sound (S/PDIF Output for DVD) > Built-In Touchpad Pointing Device with Scrolling Keys > 1 Type II PCMCIA Slot
> 3D Enhanced Sound (S/PDIF Output for DVD) > Built-In Touchpad Pointing Device with Scrolling > 1 Type II PCMCIA Slot > Infrared, Wireless Fast IR Interface
> Built-In Touchpad Pointing Device with Scrolling Wheel > Infrared, Wireless Fast IR Interface > 1 IEEE 1394 Port (Mini), 1 TV-Out Port
Wheel > 1 Type II PCMCIA Slot > 1 IEEE 1394 Port (Mini), 1 TV-Out Port and 1 S-Video-In Port
> 1 Type II PCMCIA Slot > Infrared, Wireless Fast IR Interface and 1 S-Video-In Port > Other Ports: 2 USB 2.0 Ports, 1S, 1P,
> Infrared, Wireless Fast IR Interface > HDTV Output Supported > Other Ports: 2 USB 2.0 Ports, 1S, 1P, Ext. Keyboard and Ext. CRT
> HDTV Output Supported > 1 IEEE 1394a Port (Mini), 1 DVI and 1 TV-Out Port Ext. Keyboard and Ext. CRT > High-Performance Smart Lithium-Ion Battery
> 1 IEEE 1394a Port (Mini), 1 DVI and 1 TV-Out Port > Other Ports: 1S, 1P and Ext. Keyboard > High-Performance Smart Lithium-Ion Battery > Microsoft® Windows® XP Home Edition
> Other Ports: 1S, 1P and Ext. Keyboard > High-Performance Smart Lithium-Ion Battery > Microsoft® Windows® XP Home Edition > Weight: 9.35 Lbs with Battery
> High-Performance Smart Lithium-Ion Battery > Microsoft ® Windows® XP Home Edition > Weight: 9.35 Lbs with Battery > 15.5"w x 10.75"d x 1.7"h
> Microsoft ® Windows® XP Home Edition > Weight: 9.9 Lbs with Battery > 15.5"w x 10.75"d x 1.7"h > Sager’s Umbrella Protection Policy
> Weight: 9.9 Lbs with Battery > 14.2"w x 12"d x 2"h > Sager’s Umbrella Protection Policy
> 14.2"w x 12"d x 2"h > Sager’s Umbrella Protection Policy
For up-to-the-minute pricing and to order online, 24 hours a day: Or call us at:
sagernotebook.com 800.669.1624
NP3880 NP4880
FEATURES FEATURES
> nVIDIA® GeForce™ Go 6600 PCI-Express™ Graphics > ATI MOBILITY™ RADEON® X700 PCI-Express™
with 128MB DDR Memory delivers best-in-class Graphics with 256MB DDR Memory delivers
performance and brilliant video for gaming and cutting-edge performance for 3D gaming
multimedia business applications. and multimedia business applications.
> Dual Channel DDR2 System Memory supports > Built-In Digital Video Camera makes
400/533MHz, providing the best match for new video chat and video conferencing easy.
Intel® Pentium® M Processor.
> Integrated 4-in-1 Card Reader supports
> Integrated 4-in-1 Card Reader supports SD/MMC/MS/MS Pro provides the fastest
SD/MMC/MS/MS Pro provides fastest and and easiest way to transfer your digital media.
easiest way to transfer your digital media.
> Communication on-the-go with integrated
> Communication on-the-go with integrated 802.11a/b/g Wireless and 10/100/1000 LAN.
802.11a/b/g Wireless and 10/100/1000 LAN.
OPTIONS
OPTIONS > 12 Cell Battery Pack
> Bluetooth Module > Port Replicator
> Port Replicator
NP3880 Series NP4880 Series
NP3880V $ 1995 NP3880C $ 1495 NP4880V $ 1845 NP4880C $ 1495
> 15.4" WUXGA Active Matrix Display > 15.4" WSXGA+ Active Matrix Display > 15.0" SXGA+ Active Matrix Display > 15.0" SXGA+ Active Matrix Display
> Intel ® Centrino™ mobile technology > Intel ® Centrino™ mobile technology > Intel ® Centrino™ mobile technology > Intel ® Centrino™ mobile technology
– Intel ® Pentium® M Processor 760 – Intel ® Pentium® M Processor 740 – Intel ® Pentium® M Processor 760 – Intel ® Pentium® M Processor 740
(2MB L2 Cache, 2.0GHz, 533MHz FSB) (2MB L2 Cache, 1.73GHz, 533MHz FSB) (2MB L2 Cache, 2.0GHz, 533MHz FSB) (2MB L2 Cache, 1.73GHz, 533MHz FSB)
– Intel ® PRO/Wireless 2915ABG LAN 802.11a/b/g – Intel ® PRO/Wireless 2915ABG LAN 802.11a/b/g – Intel ® PRO/Wireless 2915ABG LAN 802.11a/b/g – Intel ® PRO/Wireless 2915ABG LAN 802.11a/b/g
> 128MB DDR nVIDIA® GeForce™ Go 6600 > 128MB DDR nVIDIA® GeForce™ Go 6600 > 256MB DDR ATI MOBILITY™ RADEON® X700 > 256MB DDR ATI MOBILITY™ RADEON® X700
PCI-Express™ Graphics PCI-Express™ Graphics PCI-Express™ Graphics PCI-Express™ Graphics
> 1024MB Dual Channel DDR2 SDRAM > 512MB Dual Channel DDR2 SDRAM > 512MB PC2700 (333MHz) DDR SDRAM > 512MB PC2700 (333MHz) DDR SDRAM
> 60.0GB 7200RPM Ultra ATA100 Hard Drive > 40.0GB 5400RPM Ultra ATA100 Hard Drive > 60.0GB 7200RPM Ultra ATA100 Hard Drive > 40.0GB 5400RPM Ultra ATA100 Hard Drive
> 8X DVD±R/RW1 Dual Layer Drive with > 8X DVD2/24X10X24 CD-RW3 Combo Drive > 8X DVD±R/RW1 Dual Layer Drive with > 8X DVD2/24X10X24 CD-RW3 Combo Drive
LightScribe Technology > Built-In Digital Video Camera LightScribe Technology > Built-In Digital Video Camera
> Built-In Digital Video Camera > On-Board 56K V.90 Modem 4 > Built-In Digital Video Camera > On-Board 56K V.90 Modem 4
> On-Board 56K V.90 Modem 4 and 10/100/1000 Ethernet > On-Board 56K V.90 Modem 4 and 10/100/1000 Ethernet
and 10/100/1000 Ethernet > Built-In 4-in-1 Card Reader and 10/100/1000 Ethernet > Built-In 4-in-1 Card Reader
> Built-In 4-in-1 Card Reader > 2 Hot-Keys for E-Mail and Web Browser > Built-In 4-in-1 Card Reader > 2 Hot-Keys for E-Mail and Web Browser
> 2 Hot-Keys for E-Mail and Web Browser > 3 USB 2.0 Ports > 2 Hot-Keys for E-Mail and Web Browser > 4 USB 2.0 Ports
> 3 USB 2.0 Ports > 4 Built-In Stereo Speakers > 4 USB 2.0 Ports > Virtual 8 Channel External Speaker Output
> 4 Built-In Stereo Speakers > Virtual 6 Channel External Speaker Output > Virtual 8 Channel External Speaker Output > 3D Surround Sound (S/PDIF Output for DVD)
> Virtual 6 Channel External Speaker Output > 3D Enhanced Sound (S/PDIF Output for DVD) > 3D Surround Sound (S/PDIF Output for DVD) > Built-In Touchpad Pointing Device
> 3D Enhanced Sound (S/PDIF Output for DVD) > Built-In Touchpad Pointing Device with Scrolling Keys > Built-In Touchpad Pointing Device with 4-Way Scrolling Button
> Built-In Touchpad Pointing Device with Scrolling Keys > 1 Type II PCMCIA Slot with 4-Way Scrolling Button > 1 Type II PCMCIA Slot
> 1 Type II PCMCIA Slot > Infrared, Wireless Fast IR Interface > 1 Type II PCMCIA Slot > 1 IEEE-1394 Port (Mini) and 1 TV-Out Port
> Infrared, Wireless Fast IR Interface > 1 IEEE-1394 Port (Mini) and 1 TV-Out Port > 1 IEEE-1394 Port (Mini) and 1 TV-Out Port > Other Ports: 1P and Ext. CRT
> 1 IEEE-1394 Port (Mini) and 1 TV-Out Port > Other Ports: 1S and Ext. Keyboard > Other Ports: 1P and Ext. CRT > High-Performance Smart Lithium-Ion Battery
> Other Ports: 1S and Ext. Keyboard > High-Performance Smart Lithium-Ion Battery > High-Performance Smart Lithium-Ion Battery > Microsoft ® Windows® XP Home Edition
> High-Performance Smart Lithium-Ion Battery > Microsoft ® Windows® XP Home Edition > Microsoft ® Windows® XP Home Edition > Weight: 7.15 lbs with Battery
> Microsoft ® Windows® XP Home Edition > Weight: 7.9 lbs with Battery > Weight: 7.15 lbs with Battery > 12.85"w x 10.75"d x 1.75"h
> Weight: 7.9 lbs with Battery > 14.125"w x 10.5"d x 1.5"h > 12.85"w x 10.75"d x 1.75"h > Sager’s Umbrella Protection Policy
> 14.125"w x 10.5"d x 1.5"h > Sager’s Umbrella Protection Policy > Sager’s Umbrella Protection Policy
To place an order by phone:
800.669.1624
Sager’s Umbrella
NP4321
Protection Policy:
> 30-Day Money-Back Guarantee
FEATURES If the equipment does not work as promised, or if
> A Powerful Intel® Pentium® 4 Processor is you are not fully satisfied, we will issue a full refund
combined with high-speed DDR (400MHz)
to give you memory up to 2048MB. upon the return of all original equipment.
> SIS M661FX Ultra-AGPII technology delivers > 48-Hour Repair Promise
AGP 8X equivalent 3.2GB/s throughput bandwidth.
> Integrated 7-in-1 Card Reader provides fastest
For the first 30 days, we’ll repair or replace your
and easiest way to transfer your data. computer within 48 hours, and we’ll pay the 2nd day
> Multimedia connections for entertainment air return shipping charge.
with S-video and SPDIF AC3 output to your
home theater. > 72-Hour Repair Promise
OPTIONS For the rest of the 1-year warranty period, if it takes
> 802.11g Wireless Module more than 72-hours to repair your computer, we’ll
> Bluetooth Module
> Port Replicator pay 2nd day air return shipping charge.
> 1-Year Parts and Labor Limited Warranty
> Lifetime Toll-Free Technical Support
NP4321 Series
Sager’s Umbrella Protection Policy Applies to End Users in
NP4321V $ 1195 NP4321C $ 1095 the United States of America and in Canada only and 48-Hour/
72-Hour repair policies apply to hardware only. Software
> 15.0" XGA Active Matrix Display > 15.0" XGA Active Matrix Display
> Intel ® Pentium® 4 Processor 3.2GHz > Intel ® Pentium® 4 Processor 3.0GHz
problems may take longer. Extended Warranty Available:
with 800MHz FSB with 800MHz FSB Check out this comprehensive package of service/support.
> Share Memory Architecture (SMA) up to 64MB > Share Memory Architecture (SMA) up to 64MB
> 4X AGP 256-Bit 3D Graphics Engine > 4X AGP 256-Bit 3D Graphics Engine
> 512MB PC3200 (400MHz) DDR SDRAM > 256MB PC3200 (400MHz) DDR SDRAM
> 60.0GB 5400RPM Ultra DMA Hard Drive > 40.0GB 5400RPM Ultra DMA Hard Drive
> 8X DVD2/24x10x24 CD-RW3 Combo Drive > 8X DVD2/24x10x24 CD-RW3 Combo Drive
> Built-In 7-in-1 Card Reader > Built-In 7-in-1 Card Reader
> On-Board 56K V.90 Modem 4 and 10/100 Ethernet > On-Board 56K V.90 Modem 4 and 10/100 Ethernet
> 3 Hot-Keys for E-Mail, Browser and Applications > 3 Hot-Keys for E-Mail, Browser and Applications
> 2 USB 2.0 Ports > 2 USB 2.0 Ports
> 3D Surround Sound (S/PDIF Output for DVD) > 3D Surround Sound (S/PDIF Output for DVD) Special Pricing: Government, corporate and other special rates are
> Built-In Touchpad Pointing Device with Scrolling Keys > Built-In Touchpad Pointing Device with Scrolling Keys available. Please call for details. GSA Contract # GS-35F-4168G
> 1 Type II PCMCIA Slot > 1 Type II PCMCIA Slot Business Leasing Available: Get your dream notebook with low
> Infrared, Wireless Fast IR Interface > Infrared, Wireless Fast IR Interface monthly payments! Sager Corporate Offices 18005 Cortney Court,
City of Industry, California 91748 Tel: 626.964.8682, Fax:
> 1 IEEE 1394 Port (Mini) and 1 TV-Out Port > 1 IEEE 1394 Port (Mini) and 1 TV-Out Port 626.964.2381 Hours: Monday-Friday 7:30a.m. - 6p.m. Saturday 9a.m.
> Other Ports: 1S, 1P, Ext. Keyboard and Ext. CRT > Other Ports: 1S, 1P, Ext. Keyboard and Ext. CRT - 3p.m. (PST) American Express, VISA, MasterCard & Discover Credit
> High-Performance Smart Lithium-Ion Battery > High-Performance Smart Lithium-Ion Battery Cards Accepted - No Surcharge. Cashiers Checks Welcomed. ©2005
> Microsoft ® Windows® XP Home Edition > Microsoft ® Windows® XP Home Edition by Midern Computer, Inc. All rights reserved. Intel, Intel logo, Intel
> Weight: 7.5 Lbs with Battery > Weight: 7.5 Lbs with Battery Inside, Intel Inside logo, Intel Centrino, Intel Centrino logo, Celeron,
Intel Xeon, Intel SpeedStep, Itanium, and Pentium are trademarks or
> 13"w x 10.75"d x 1.7"h > 13"w x 10.75"d x 1.7"h registered trademarks of Intel Corporation or its subsidiaries in the
> Sager’s Umbrella Protection Policy > Sager’s Umbrella Protection Policy United States and other countries. All other company and/or product
names mentioned herein are trademarks and/or registered trade-
marks of their respective companies. The DVD upgrade-kit for Sager
Notebooks is licensed through the CLEVO Company. All color LCD
Display screens are simulated for artistic purposes. Prices and speci-
fications are subject to change without notice. Opened software and
shipping charges are non-refundable. 30-Day money back guarantee
does not include freight or shipping and handling charge. Notes:
1,2,3: DVD-R/RW, DVD-ROM, CD-RW and CD-ROM drives list a vari-
able read rate. DVD-R/RW and CD-RW write and re-write speeds
vary and list only the maximum possible speed. Actual DVD-R/RW,
DVD-ROM, CD-RW and CD-ROM speeds will vary and are often less
than the maximum possible speed. 4: Maximum Transmission speed
of up to 53Kps when downloading and 33.6Kps when uploading data.
For up-to-the-minute pricing and to order online, 24 hours a day: Actual speeds may vary depending on line conditions and current FCC
restrictions. 5: The Module Video Card feature is designed to work
sagernotebook.com with current technology. Future video card designs may be incompat-
ible or require manufacturer modification of the unit for compatibility.
SPACESAVERS
THESE NINE BARELY-THERE BOXES SQUEEZE INTO THE
TIGHTEST OF PLACES WITHOUT SKIMPING ON POWER.
EDITED BY JOSHUA GOLDMAN

NOT EVERYONE HAS ROOM for a full- Feature Comparison
size desktop PC. And even those with
MPC ClientPro Sony VAIO
enough space may prefer to ditch a Apple iMac G5 414 All-in-One VGC-V520G 20” TV-PC
typical tower monolith in favor of a EDITORS’ RATING 7.0 7.5 7.0
more petite chassis. CONFIGURATION
The development of smaller, faster, Processor 1.8GHz PowerPC G5 3.2GHz Pentium 4 540J 3.2GHz Pentium 4 540
cooler-operating components not only System Memory 512MB DDR 1GB DDR2 1GB DDR
Graphics Card ATI Radeon 9600 ATI Radeon Mobility nVidia GeForce FX
allows for smaller PCs, but powerful
(128MB) X600 (128MB) Go5700 (128MB)
ones as well. In fact, a few of the desk- Hard Drive Capacity 160GB 160GB 250GB
tops in this roundup can handle video First Optical Drive DVD-ROM/CD-RW combo DVD±RW DVD±RW (double layer)
editing and 3D gaming. For the most Second Optical Drive None CD-ROM None
Monitor 17-inch LCD 17-inch LCD 20-inch LCD
part, however, these systems fall in the
Speakers Built-in stereo Creative I-Trigue L3300 Built-in stereo
middle of the performance spectrum, Operating System Mac OS X 10.4 Windows XP Professional Windows XP Home Edition
with plenty of oomph for everyday Warranty (Parts and Labor) One year Three years One year
chores. COMPANY Apple Computer MPC Computers Sony Electronics
Because everybody’s space con- 800-692-7753 888-224-4247 877-865-7669
www.apple.com www.mpccorp.com www.sonystyle.com
straints are different, we’ve sorted our
DIRECT PRICE $1,359 $3,239 $2,549
nine selections into three categories:
all-in-one, low-profile, and small-form-
cause of their CRT displays, making it gether. We looked at the $1,299 17-inch
factor (SFF) PCs. And to help you find
hard to tell if you really were saving any iMac with a 1.8GHz PowerPC G5 processor.
the best fit, we’ve laid out some basic
space. Plus, many were underpowered. Apple has improved its standard configu-
buying advice for each group.
Today’s all-in-ones, thanks in no small ration to include a 160GB hard drive,
part to the affordability of quality LCD 512MB of RAM, and built-in Bluetooth 2.0
GET IT TOGETHER: ALL-IN-ONE PCS screens, are sleek, slim, and—at least the and 802.11b/g wireless connectivity. An in-
ONE-STOP SHOPPING AT ITS FINEST, ones we’ve featured here—attractive. cluded Bluetooth keyboard-and-mouse
an all-in-one PC combines computer and Their designs are inherently rife with lim- set bumped our model’s price up to
monitor in a single chassis. At one time, itations, however. Because components $1,359.
these units were, for lack of a better word, need to be packed so tightly, heat dissipa- This iMac’s screen is slightly less
ugly. They were big, bulky, and boxy be- tion is a major concern, and PC makers flexible than the last generation’s, but
therefore use low-end and midrange it uses less desk space, and the an-
parts, which give off less heat. Some mak- odized-aluminum base leaves you a
ers, including MPC Computers and Sony place to tuck your keyboard and mouse
Electronics, even use notebook compo- when not in use. The amazingly quiet
nents, which supply ample power at lower components reside behind and beneath
temperatures. the 17-inch wide-screen LCD, and two
Lack of internal expansion is another downward-firing internal speakers pro-
side effect. In addition, prepurchase con- vide respectably powerful sound. The
figuration options are scarce. Of the three power button, audio line-in, optical au-
all-in-ones reviewed here, only the MPC dio-out, and video-out, as well as all
ClientPro 414 All-in-One offered a decent the ports—three USB 2.0 and two
Sony VAIO amount of component choices. FireWire 400—line up along the back.
VGC-V520G Chances are good your PC will be The case is easy to open, but there isn’t
20” TV-PC
obsolete before its LCD dies, forcing you to much you can upgrade.
dispose of a functioning display, if and Performance was average, considering
when you buy a new system. Conversely, the midrange component set. Graphics
if your LCD fails after your warranty ends, get a boost from the 128MB ATI Radeon
MPC ClientPro
414 All-in-One the rest of your PC goes with it. 9600 graphics accelerator, an old but still
If your needs are basic and your quar- potent solution.
ters tight, however, all-in-ones are the Apple includes a full version of its su-
ultimate space savers. perb iLife ’05 software for working with
digital images, video, and audio. You also
Apple iMac G5 get AppleWorks, which handles tasks
Editors’ Rating: 7.0 out of 10 such as word processing and spreadsheet
Apple iMac G5 Pros: Attractive, slim design; excellent software creation; it can create documents in (as
bundle; wide-screen display; quiet operation well as open) Microsoft Office file formats.
Cons: Limited expandability Though the parts-and-labor coverage is
The Apple iMac G5 is the natural evolu- a standard one year, toll-free phone sup-
tion of a desktop that keeps getting more port ends after 90 days. To extend it, you’ll
compact. In this third iteration, the com- have to upgrade to a three-year warranty,
puter has seemingly disappeared alto- which costs an extra $169.

WinBook PowerSpec MCE410
MPC ClientPro 414 All-in-One grated 802.11b/g wireless networking, a

Editors’ Rating: 7.5 out of 10 double-layer DVD±RW drive, an i.Link
Pros: Configurable; solid application (FireWire) port, a PC Card slot, a Memory
performance, 3D frame rates; generous Stick-only card reader, and a pair each
warranty of USB 2.0 and audio ports. Because the
Cons: Expensive; monitor position hard to case tapers sharply to the rear, you have
adjust to crane your head behind the LCD to
The MPC ClientPro 414 All-in-One is a access any of these items. Worse, the re-
solid computer that won’t detract from maining ports and connections are lo- Alienware Bot
your decor. Our test system’s price was cated in recessed bays behind the moni-
steep at $3,239, but it included 1GB of tor, making access cumbersome.
memory, both DVD±RW and CD-ROM The LCD is gorgeous, and the sharp-
drives, and Microsoft Office Standard ness of live television was particularly
Edition 2003. impressive. The VGC-V520G doesn’t
The core components reside in a 2- support high-definition television
inch-thick slab behind the LCD. The wide (HDTV), but you can capture and
silver bezel around the 17-inch LCD looks edit 1080i high-definition video
quite sharp, and the screen itself is bright. from a camcorder.
The stand is rigid, however, and doesn’t The PC and its 3.2GHz Pentium 4 540
allow for much repositioning. processor, 1GB of RAM, and 250GB hard
You get a full array of connectivity op- drive team up to deliver strong applica-
Dell OptiPlex
tions with the ClientPro, including six tion performance. The 128MB nVidia
GX280 BTX
USB 2.0 ports, a FireWire connector, a PC GeForce FX Go5700 mobile-level graph-
Card slot, and an S/PDIF digital audio ics will suffice for media-centric
jack. The ClientPro is also highly config- tasks.
urable; options include a TV tuner, the Sony bundles plenty of soft-
Microsoft Windows XP Media Center ware for handling every type of
Edition 2005 OS, a built-in flash-memory- multimedia or office task. Its media-
card reader, 802.11a/b/g wireless net- control center, VAIO Zone, is sexier
working, and alternative LCD sizes than Microsoft’s Windows XP Media sense enclosures for home and small of-
(15 and 19 inches). Center Edition, but it’s not as simple to fices. The size and shape are versatile: Of-
With its 3.2GHz Pentium 4 540J proces- use. The electronic program guide and ten, you can stand a low-profile PC on
sor, the ClientPro proved a respectable TV-recording features are particularly end, lay it flat, mount it under a desk, or
workhorse in our tests. Its 128MB ATI complex. secure it behind a specially made LCD,
Radeon Mobility X600 graphics card is such as those in Dell’s OptiPlex line.
fine for business use and gaming at low INCREDIBLE SHRINKING TOWERS: Looks aren’t the first consideration for
resolutions. For more robust graphics, LOW-PROFILE DESKTOPS these systems, but PC makers are becom-
you can spend an additional $219 for a PREVIOUSLY RESERVED FOR MASS ing more appearance-conscious. Because
256MB nVidia GeForce Go 6600 PCI deployment in big-business settings, low- low-profiles typically offer little room for
Express (PCIe) card. profile desktops have emerged as no-non- internal expansion, they’re best for people
The standard warranty is generous: who just want to get their work done and
three years for parts and labor, with onsite don’t plan to mess around inside. Compo-
Feature Comparison
service and toll-free, 24/7 phone support.
Dell OptiPlex WinBook PowerSpec
Alienware Bot GX280 BTX MCE410
Sony VAIO VGC-V520G 20” TV-PC
EDITORS’ RATING 6.6 7.3 8.2
Editors’ Rating: 7.0 out of 10
CONFIGURATION
Pros: Gorgeous 20-inch wide-screen LCD; Processor 3GHz Pentium 4 530J 3.4GHz Pentium 4 550 3GHz Pentium 4 530
robust DVR, multimedia features; built-in System Memory 512MB DDR 512MB DDR2 512MB DDR
Wi-Fi; lots of software Hard Drive Capacity 160GB 80GB 160GB
First Optical Drive DVD±RW (double layer) DVD-ROM/CD-RW combo DVD±RW (double layer)
Cons: Inconveniently placed drives, ports;
Second Optical Drive None None None
overly complex multimedia software
Graphics Card ATI Radeon X300 (128MB) ATI Radeon X300 ATI Radeon X300 LS
Sony’s $2,549 VAIO VGC-V520G 20” TV-PC (128MB) (64MB)
is a sophisticated all-in-one media-center Monitor 15-inch BenQ LCD 15-inch Dell LCD 30-inch WinBook LCD
PC that combines multimedia and TiVo- Speakers Creative Inspire T5400 None Altec Lansing VS4121
Operating System Windows XP Home Edition Windows XP Professional Windows XP MCE 2005
esque capabilities, desktop power, and a
Warranty (Parts and Labor) One year Three years One year
truly glorious 20-inch wide-screen LCD. It
COMPANY Alienware Dell WinBook Computer
suffers from a few design problems, but 800-494-3382 800-999-3355 800-651-4519
none is a deal breaker. www.alienware.com www.dell.com www.winbook.com
On the right side of the shiny black DIRECT PRICE $1,489 $1,427 $2,098 (before $100
chassis are a power switch for the inte- monitor rebate)

nents tend to be low-end to midrange, Dell OptiPlex GX280 BTX packed case is more room for expansion
and most models aren’t very configurable. Editors’ Rating: 7.3 out of 10 than you’d expect.
You’ll likely find integrated graphics and Pros: Quiet operation; strong performer; Running Windows XP Media Center Edi-
sound, fine for day-to-day tasks but not easy to service; three-year warranty with tion 2005, the PC sells for $999 and comes
for newer 3D games. Some offer a PCIe onsite service stocked with a 3GHz Pentium 4 530
slot for a graphics card, so turning one Cons: No speakers, FireWire ports processor and 512MB of memory—suffi-
into a modest graphics workstation isn’t Dell’s OptiPlex GX280 BTX offers a com- cient power to run the OS smoothly. It also
out of the question. pact, versatile design, solid performance, includes a 160GB hard drive—smaller than
With the birth of the Windows XP Me- and a stellar three-year warranty that we’d expect, but fair, given the price—and
dia Center Edition OS, case manufacturers includes onsite service. Despite a few a double-layer DVD±RW drive. Avid
began changing standard low-profile de- minor shortcomings, such as the absence gamers may take issue with the 64MB ATI
signs to look more like A/V components, of speakers, it ranks among the top Radeon X300 LS graphics card, which lacks
helping them match the look of other business PCs in its class. the muscle for demanding titles.
home entertainment equipment. We The latticework on the front face of our We didn’t expect much from the dis-
wouldn’t hesitate to put one of these in a $1,427 test unit is a nice alternative to play we tested with the MCE410, the 30-
room where you mix your work and staid, traditional case designs. It’s also a inch PowerSpec LC30D LCD TV/monitor,
pleasure, however. function of the GX280’s BTX architecture. given its relatively low price of $1,099 (be-
(The components on a BTX motherboard fore a $100 mail-in rebate). But to Win-
Alienware Bot are laid out to facilitate cooling, resulting Book’s credit, it’s a sharp monitor, a color-
Editors’ Rating: 6.6 out of 10 in near-silent operation.) ful HDTV, and surprisingly capable overall.
Pros: Slim, elegant tower; fast double-layer The easy-to-access interior is largely Wi-Fi networking isn’t included, and
DVD burner; solid performance; top-end modular, though cramped, with individual WinBook supplied a wired mouse and
Microsoft mouse, keyboard levers to free the optical drive, hard drive, keyboard—clearly illogical for a PC de-
Cons: Media-card reader is $20 option; and expansion-slot module from their re- signed for computing from the couch.
small monitor; lean software bundle spective bays. Two of the four RAM sock-
Alienware’s Bot targets budget buyers ets are vacant, but adding more modules LIVIN’ SMALL: SFF PCS
who still want that Alienware cachet. would require removing the optical drive. A GOOD FIT FOR JUST ABOUT ANYONE
Prices start at just $669, but our test con- Outside, however, you’ll find a surprising wanting full-tower power in a tiny space,
figuration cost more than double ($1,489) abundance of USB 2.0 ports—six in back, the small-form-factor (SFF) PC is becom-
with a few upgrades, speakers, and a two in front—though no FireWire. ing a big thing. The originator of the SFF
good-but-small LCD. The included 15-inch Dell UltraSharp movement was Taiwanese manufacturer
The Bot tower has an appealingly slen- 1505FP LCD may be small, but it’s as ver- Shuttle. Intended for do-it-yourselfers,
der look. Three spring-loaded doors hide satile as any LCD we’ve seen. As for pow- Shuttle’s early boxes were bare-bones,
front-facing audio jacks, two USB 2.0 er, the GX280 should have most basics meaning they included only a case and
ports, and a single FireWire port (comple- covered. Its 3.4GHz Pentium 4 550 proces- motherboard. In 2004, the company began
mented by four USB sor, 512MB of RAM, and 80GB hard drive building fully assembled systems, contin-
The new Bot 2.0 connectors and will handle some heavy multitasking, and uing in its pioneering efforts by offering a
line will stay another FireWire ATI’s PCIe Radeon X300 graphics card pro- CONTINUES ON PAGE 102
compact
but feature a
port around back). vides more than enough muscle for typi-
more typical The interior is clean, cal 2D graphics.
Alienware as well, if a bit
look. Polywell
cramped. WinBook PowerSpec MCE410 MiniBox
Alienware name Editors’ Rating: 8.2 out of 10 939AX
aside, the Bot is a fairly ordinary desk- Pros: Low price; 30-inch LCD HDTV/monitor;
top with a few standout features, beautiful, versatile rack-mount case
among them a vertically mounted dou- Cons: Wired input devices; no built-in Wi-Fi
ble-layer DVD±RW drive and a top-end EDITORS’ If you’re looking for a living-
Microsoft mouse and keyboard. We’d CHOICE room-friendly Media Center
rather have a media-card reader (a $20 PC, set your sights on the Apple
option) than the floppy drive our test WinBook PowerSpec MCE410. Mac Mini
unit came with. Also, bundled software Start with the sexy rack-mount case,
was in short supply. which looks right at home among stereo
Though you can’t expect from the Bot components. Along with a big volume dial
the high-end gaming power synonymous and a digital status display, the case
with the Alienware brand, performance serves up front-accessible goodies such as
was above-average for its breed. The PC a pair of USB 2.0 ports, a FireWire connec-
should ably handle day-to-day computing tor, audio jacks, playback buttons, and a
activities. (At press time, the company re- memory-card reader. Four more USB 2.0
vealed plans to update the Bot’s plain ports and another FireWire port are
case. (See picture above) around back. Inside the low-rise, densely
Shuttle
XPC G5
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CONTINUED FROM PAGE 98
Feature Comparison
Our $1,299 test unit included a 17-inch
Polywell
Apple Mac Mini MiniBox 939AX Shuttle XPC G5 9500g LCD and a six-channel speaker set. You
EDITORS’ RATING 7.0 6.6 7.5 get a respectable, middle-of-the-road con-
CONFIGURATION figuration: a 2GHz Athlon 64 3200+ CPU,
Processor 1.25GHz PowerPC G4 2GHz Athlon 64 3200+ 2.4GHz Athlon 64 3800+ 512MB of RAM, onboard ATI Radeon
System Memory 256MB DDR 512MB DDR 512MB DDR Xpress X200 graphics, and a 200GB hard
Graphics Card ATI Radeon 9200 ATI Radeon Xpress ATI Radeon X800 Pro
drive. The integrated video and sound
(32MB) X200 (64MB) (256MB)*
Hard Drive Capacity 40GB 200GB 250GB aren’t ideal for running the Media Center
First Optical Drive DVD-ROM/CD-RW combo DVD±RW (double layer) DVD±RW (double layer) Edition 2005 OS, but Polywell offers up-
Second Optical Drive None None None grade options.
Monitor None 17-inch Hyundai LCD 17-inch Shuttle LCD
Performance is predictably pedestrian,
Speakers None Creative SBS560 Logitech Z-5500 Digital
Operating System Mac OS X 10.4 Windows XP MCE 2005 Windows XP Home Edition but you’ll still be able to run the 2D graph-
Warranty (Parts and Labor) One year Three years (parts), One year ics—TV programming, DVDs, videos, and
five years (labor) photos—expected from a Media Center
COMPANY Apple Computer Polywell Computers Shuttle Computer PC. Note, though: You don’t get much use-
800-692-7753 800-900-5836 888-972-1818 ful documentation with the 939AX, nor
www.apple.com www.polywell.com us.shuttle.com
any preloaded software utilities.
DIRECT PRICE $499 $1,299 $2,614
* = Now ships with nVidia GeForce 6800 GT Shuttle XPC G5 9500g

wide range of configurable SFFs, from DVD/CD-RW combo-drive slot. On the Editors’ Rating: 7.5 out of 10
budget to powerhouse. back are two USB 2.0 ports (too few, in our Pros: Sleek SFF case; beautiful monitor;
You can load up an SFF PC with the lat- judgment), as well as one FireWire 400 killer graphics card
est high-end components, even multiple port, a 10/100BaseT Ethernet connector, a Cons: Costly; noisy optical drive
hard drives. Size still limits expandability, modem jack, and a DVI video-out port. Judging from Shuttle’s XPC G5 9500g, it’s
but you can generally expect two RAM In our real-world tests, the Mac Mini’s no wonder SFF PCs are all the rage. Our
sockets, one x16 PCIe or AGP slot for a limited 256MB of RAM and older 1.25GHz $2,614 test unit packs as much computing
graphics card, and one full-size PCI-card PowerPC G4 CPU didn’t exactly wow us. In strength inside its tiny shell as many full-
slot. Many SFFs are easy on the eyes, too. addition to the lack of memory, the slow- size desktops.
On the downside, the more perfor- spinning 4,200rpm hard drive contributes Shuttle’s shiny little case has all the
mance-oriented the box, the greater the to the performance lag. The lack of expan- trappings of the typical SFF PC: a single
heat concerns. And because of their size, sion is another obvious drawback. optical drive (in this case, a noisy double-
most use small, fast-spinning fans to keep Like many budget systems, the Mini layer DVD±RW), a multiformat media-card
things cool. This makes them a bit loud, doesn’t deliver dazzling graphics perfor- reader, and convenient front-panel ports
which is especially noticeable if you keep mance, but it will ably handle the apps (two USB 2.0, plus one mini-FireWire,
your PC on your desk. found in Apple’s included (and outstand- headphone, and microphone). Inside, it’s
ing) iLife ’05 software suite for manipulat- standing-room only, typical of most SFFs.
Apple Mac Mini ing photos, music, and movies. Our G5 came well-stocked with a fast
Editors’ Rating: 7.0 out of 10 2.4GHz Athlon 64 3800+ CPU, a 250GB
Pros: Sub-$500 Mac; extremely compact; Polywell MiniBox 939AX hard drive, and ATI’s fire-breathing
whisper-quiet; includes iLife ‘05 Editors’ Rating: 6.6 out of 10 Radeon X800 Pro graphics card. With
Cons: Just 256MB of RAM; no keyboard, Pros: Highly configurable; reasonable price this kind of graphics power, you can
mouse, speakers; slow hard drive; only two Cons: Below-average performance; only basic tackle almost anything; indeed, the G5
USB 2.0 ports software, docs included is a perfect companion for any LAN-
Windows users are running out of excus- Polywell’s MiniBox 939AX Media Center party gamer. (Note that Shuttle now of-
es for not at least trying Mac OS X. At PC—and, dare we say, the company’s PCs fers an nVidia GeForce 6800 GT card in
$499, the stand-alone Mac Mini (and it re- in general—are for knowledgeable buyers place of the X800.)
ally stands alone—it ships without key- willing to put up with a few rough edges Though the system chewed through
board, mouse, monitor, or speakers) offers to save some green. games, application performance was be-
would-be Apple converts an inexpensive, This SFF PC serves up geek chic, with low-average. (We suspect the bottleneck is
stylish entry-level Mac. The Mac Mini is its glossy black front, matte-silver in the SFF motherboard.) The G5 is by no
also the epitome of an SFF system, with cladding, and blue neon lights. Below the means a slow machine, however, and it
Apple squeezing a full-on budget desktop sole optical drive (a double-layer DVD showed no signs of sluggishness in any of
into a beautiful box weighing just over 2 burner) sits a media-card reader along our real-world tests.
pounds. Its performance is glacially slow with a pair of USB 2.0 ports, a FireWire One of the true highlights of this pack-
for processor-intensive tasks, so power connector, and headphone and micro- age is Shuttle’s gorgeous XP17 monitor, a
users should look elsewhere, but it’s a phone jacks. Around back are four addi- 17-inch dual-input LCD with a built-in
great buy for everyday home computing. tional USB 2.0 ports and another FireWire carrying handle.
The Mac Mini looks striking in any en- connector. Inside, the case is tight, but ac-
vironment and, when powered on, is mar- cess is still acceptable for a few upgrades, Reviews by Rick Broida, Troy Dreier,
velously quiet. Up front, you’ll see only a including an x16 PCIe graphics card. and Asa Somers

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MCSM0805
The Broadband
Bells
WE DIAL UP NINE
VOIP SERVICES
TO SEE WHICH DIGITAL
PHONE PROVIDER CAN
BEST REPLACE
YOUR LANDLINE.
EDITED BY SEAN PORTNOY
Replacing your analog phone service

with a Voice over Internet Protocol
(VoIP) provider is no longer just for the
1 2 3
early adopters. According to research
firm IDC, VoIP subscribers in the United 4 5 6
States will rise to 3 million this year,
and by 2009 that number will swell to 7 8 9
27 million. The number of VoIP services
is growing, too. When we did a roundup
of providers last year, we looked at five * 0 #
services; this time out, we’re looking at
nearly twice as many.
What’s the appeal of using the Inter-
net to handle your phone calls? Price,
for one thing. Most VoIP services have
unlimited-minutes plans for calls to the
United States and often Canada for un-
der $35 a month; if you need fewer min-
utes, even cheaper plans are available.
International calls are also a bargain—
usually a few cents per minute to West-
ern Europe. Most services also offer vir-
tual numbers (often for an extra fee), a
second number that you could place in
an area code from where you receive a warding, and voice mail. And while port—also may be overcome soon. At
lot of long-distance calls. Friends and calls made over the Internet can be press time, most VoIP providers offered
Illustrations by David Flaherty
family in that area code can call the plagued by delays, dropouts, and only a limited version of emergency
virtual number as a local call instead of background noise—especially if you are service—usually routing your 911 call
paying long-distance fees. uploading and downloading data files to administrative offices at call centers.
Most services also include features while talking—call quality isn’t the You also need to tell 911 dispatchers
that often cost extra from analog nightmare it once was. your location because they won’t have
phone providers, such as Caller ID, call Another problem with VoIP servic- that information available when you
waiting, three-way calling, call for- es—the lack of full emergency 911 sup- call. But Packet8 is the first service to

offer Enhanced 911 (E911), which will countries. The service’s primary weak-
automatically display your name and ness: no 911 support at the time of
location to dispatchers. The Federal this writing. PC Takes
Communications Commission recently Unlike most Internet phone ser- The Calls
ordered VoIP providers to offer E911 vices, BroadVoice can use any tele-
One cool feature of
service by roughly the end of August. phone adapter supporting Session Ini-
many VoIP services is
tiation Protocol (SIP) with its service,
the ability to hear your voice-mail
AT&T CallVantage letting you pay only a $9.95 activation
messages via a PC. Often you can be
Editors’ Rating: 8.0 out of 10 fee instead of a $39.95 hardware charge
notified of new messages via e-mail
Pros: Feature-packed; excellent call quality; to have BroadVoice provide an adapter
if you are away from your phone; you
useful interface for you. BroadVoice area codes are
can even have voice mail sent to you
Cons: Pricier than some other services available in 36 states; if you live in an
as e-mail attachments.
AT $29.99 PER MONTH, AT&T’s Call- area where BroadVoice has service, you
Vantage unlimited-minutes plan is can transfer your current number to
pricier than those of some competitors, the service. don’t like Global Village.
but for good reason: It was one of the Caller ID, call return, three-way calling, You can’t port over your existing
strongest performers on our voice- and voice mail are all part of the stan- number, though Global Village gives
quality tests. You have several fea- dard bundle, along with numerous call- you a choice of area codes in 39 states.
tures at your disposal, forwarding options. Call quality in our While it has most of the features of the
including limited 911 other services, it doesn’t let you choose
support, virtual num- which calls you want forwarded. The
bers ($4.95 per month How Does VoIP Work? service doesn’t provide any kind of 911
extra), conference support, and the company recom-
First, you need a broadband con-
calling, call filtering, mends you keep your landline for
nection. In most cases, your VoIP
and call forwarding. emergency calls. On the upside, Global
provider sends you a telephone
Though CallVantage’s Village’s call quality was consistently
adapter to connect to your analog phone. The
Web interface appears strong in our tests, which included two
adapter plugs into your broadband modem (or, if
busy on first glance, it overseas calls.
you already have a home network, your router).
provides quite possibly
You then handle your account via a software-
the most useful VoIP- iConnectHere
based interface.
account interface we’ve Editors’ Rating: 6.3 out of 10
seen. Pros: Softphone option is included
When you sign up for your service, tests was average compared with the Cons: No 911 service; inconsistent call quality;
you specify whether you want to get a other VoIP services we’ve reviewed. Calls can’t use your existing phone number
new phone number or transfer your ex- with little network traffic sounded clear WITH ITS inconsistent call quality and
isting number; area codes in 39 states but deteriorated during data downloads lack of 911 support at press time, iCon-
are available. In addition to offering a and particularly during uploads. nectHere is a less-than-ideal replace-
standard telephone adapter that re- ment for your current phone service. The
quires a connection to a broadband Global Village price for its unlimited-minutes plan for
router, AT&T gives you the option to Editors’ Rating: 6.7 out of 10 U.S. and Canadian calls is high at $29.99,
purchase a VoIP-enabled Linksys wire- Pros: Strong call quality; hardware device can and you currently can’t transfer over
less router that combines the two de- ease setup your existing phone number.
vices. It’ll save you from having to buy Cons: Must purchase $99 hardware device; no On the other hand, iConnectHere pro-
a router if you don’t already own one, local-number portability; no 911 support vides a softphone fea-
and it’s well-equipped to juggle voice THE unlimited-minutes plan offered by ture, which it calls PC-
and data traffic on your network. Zoom Technologies’ Global Village is
competitive at $24.95, but you have to
BroadVoice invest about $100 in a piece of hard- What’s a
Editors’ Rating: 7.3 out of 10 ware to get started—either a DSL mo- Softphone?
Pros: Low monthly rates include international dem/router/firewall/phone adapter, or Want to take your
calling; can use any SIP-capable phone adapter a router/firewall/phone adapter for ca- VoIP on the road with
Cons: No 911 support; average call quality ble modems. That results in a far hefti- you? Look for a provider with a
IF A LARGE PORTION of your monthly er initial cost than the other services’ softphone option. A softphone is a
phone bill consists of costly interna- activation fees. Still, having just one downloadable program that allows
tional calls, BroadVoice is a VoIP service device, instead of linking a router to a you to make and receive phone calls
worth considering. The $19.95 Unlimit- phone adapter and the router to your solely through your PC. (This is
ed World plan, which costs less than broadband modem, is convenient if you what the Skype service is based
what many providers charge for their don’t already have a home network in- on.) You just need a microphone or
domestic calling plans, includes unlim- stalled. Also, you may be able to use the a headset to talk to the other party.
ited minutes in the States plus 21 other hardware for other VoIP services if you

limited 911 support at call centers, and they rely on callers to
press time. Lingo’s provide their number and location.)
You’ve Got VoIP call quality was in- Packet8 charges $1.50 per month for
At press time, America Online had consistent, though: E911, plus a $9.95 activation fee.
just jumped into the VoIP fray with We experienced more Alaska, Hawaii, Iowa, and Maine are
AOL Internet Phone Service across 40 interference than the only states not included in Pack-
major cities. For current AOL subscribers, the un- with other VoIP ser- et8’s coverage area. You can transfer
limited-minutes plan across the United States and vices we’ve tested. your current number to Packet8’s ser-
Canada costs $29.99; new subscribers can get AOL When you sign up vice, and a virtual num-
Internet service and the unlimited VoIP plan bun- for Lingo’s service, ber costs you a $9.95
dled for $39.99. The service includes full E911 call- the company sends
ing support. Cable giants are getting in the mix, you a proprietary
too: Cablevision, Comcast, and Time Warner Cable
Zapped!
Primus telephone
all have started offering VoIP service to subscribers. adapter. You choose VoIP services may
a phone number be solving their 911-
to-Phone, for no extra charge. The ser- from more than 220 area codes in the calling issues, but
vice also has the standard VoIP features, United States. For an extra $5 per there’s another emergency situa-
including voice mail, Caller ID, call month, you get an additional virtual tion most of them can’t handle—if
waiting, and call forwarding. number with a U.S. or Canadian area the power goes out, so does your
Sometimes our outbound calls simply code; $10 per month buys you an inter- Internet phone service. Of course,
did not connect using iConnectHere. national phone number. if you have a cell phone, you can
When we did get through, inbound sound Lingo couldn’t match the audio quali- use that until the power returns. In
quality tended to be quite clear, but folks ty of the other VoIP services we tested. fact, Verizon VoiceWing lets you in-
at the other end described our voice as On both ends of our calls, the audio put a backup number to which your
“compressed” or “tinny, like you’re inside sounded slightly muddy, and we noticed VoIP calls can be forwarded in case
a trash can.” On some occasions, calls minor clipping at the ends of words. of a power outage.
sounded clear at first, then developed
static or an echo. On other occasions, Packet8 activation fee and $4.95 per month af-
overall sound quality was excellent in Editors’ Rating: 8.0 out of 10 ter that. Under light network-traffic
both directions. This inconsistency would Pros: E911 support; low-cost unlimited-minutes conditions, Packet8’s voice quality is
make us wary of relying on the service. plan; superb coverage across the United States comparable to that of landline phones,
Cons: E911 service costs extra but like many VoIP services, conversa-
Lingo YOU NEED TO KNOW two things about tions proved difficult when we were
Editors’ Rating: 7.0 out of 10 the Packet8 VoIP service. First, its un- uploading files to the Web during calls.
Pros: Low-cost unlimited-minutes plan; limited-minutes residential plan, at
limited 911 support $19.95 per month, is among the cheap- Skype 1.2
Cons: Disappointing call quality est you’ll find. Second, it’s the first VoIP Editors’ Rating: 8.0 out of 10
ALONG WITH BroadVoice and Packet8, service to offer 911 support that’s close Pros: Free Skype-to-Skype calls; good call
Lingo offers the least-costly monthly un- to what you get with a traditional land- quality for Skype-to-Skype calls
limited-minutes plan of all the VoIP line phone. Cons: Inconsistent call quality to landline
packages we’ve seen. Its $19.95 fee covers Dubbed E911, the service provides the phones with SkypeOut
calls to not only the United States and emergency operator with caller informa- EDITORS’ LEVERAGING your Internet
Canada, but also numerous countries in tion onscreen when you call. (With other CHOICE access to make free phone
Western Europe. The plan also included VoIP services, calls to 911 are often rout- calls—yes, free—is a snap
ed to administrative lines at emergency with Skype 1.2. This peer-to-peer soft-
Feature Comparison
AT&T CallVantage BroadVoice Global Village iConnectHere Lingo
EDITORS’ RATING 8.0 7.3 6.7 6.3 7.0
911 Support Limited None None None Limited
Virtual Numbers $4.95 per month $3.95 per month ($9.95 $3.95 per month $6.99 per month $4.95 per month
setup fee)
Softphone Feature None $1.95 per month ($9.95 None Free None
setup fee)
Activation Fee $29.99 $39.95; $9.95 (if you own None (hardware costs $29.99 $29.95
compatible hardware) extra)
Monthly Fee $29.99 $19.95 $24.95 $29.99 $19.95
(Unlimited Minutes)
COMPANY AT&T BroadVoice Zoom Technologies Deltathree Lingo
866-816-3815 978-418-7300 800-778-7423 www.iconnecthere.com 866-546-4603
www.usa.att.com/callvantage www.broadvoice.com www.globalvillage.com www.lingo.com

phone app from the makers of Kazaa
lets you talk to other Skype users using
UP NEXT: If your
VoIP for no charge. And for those provider sup-
friends and family you can’t convince
Wi-Fi Voip ports Session
to download and install the free app, Phones Initiation Protocol
you can still call them from your PC by (SIP), you can buy
using a prepaid SkypeOut account. HOLY ACRONYMS, third-party prod-
We experienced mixed results with BATMAN! Now there’s a ucts like Zyxel’s
SkypeOut. Call quality approximated more elegant alternative to $249 P-2000W.
what you’d expect from a cell phone— hooking your analog phone But VoIP providers
some calls were clearer than others. On to a special telephone are also getting
regular Skype-to-Skype calls, however, adapter to receive VoIP into the Wi-Fi-
call quality was very good, with only service. If you already phone act. Broad-
the slightest evidence of latency. Now have a wireless network in Voice offers the
in beta is SkypeIn, which allows fee- place, a Wi-Fi VoIP phone Pulver WiSIP phone
paying subscribers to choose a country eliminates the need for an for $149.95, usable
and area code, then assigns a standard adapter. Better yet, if you with any of its
telephone number. SkypeIn customers take the phone out and unlimited-minutes
also get free Skype Voicemail (also in about, you can make and plans. At press time,
beta); stand-alone Skype Voicemail receive calls via public Vonage was planning
subscriptions are available for a fee. hot spots or other Wi-Fi to roll out its own Wi-
networks you have Fi phone in the fall for
Verizon VoiceWing access to. less than $100. —S.P.
Editors’ Rating: 6.8 out of 10
Pros: Provides a backup number in case of connection, something most VoIP services The service lets you choose among a
power outage don’t provide. wide variety of area codes, with coverage
Cons: Pricey; some calls aren’t very clear VoiceWing didn’t fare all that well on in most of the United States and Cana-
VERIZON SELLS VoiceWing as both an our voice-quality tests; calls exhibited a da. To date, the only states not to have
add-on for its existing DSL users and a faint rustling sound in the background available area codes in the Vonage sys-
separate service for non-Verizon broad- and quickly deteriorated when we up- tem are Alaska, Hawaii, Idaho, Montana,
band users. Without Verizon DSL, loaded a file to the Web while trying to West Virginia, and Wyoming. You may
VoiceWing costs $34.95 a month for un- carry on a conversation. choose to transfer your current number
limited minutes, at the high end of ser- if you are a cable Internet subscriber.
vices we’ve tested. (Verizon DSL sub- Vonage Adding virtual numbers costs $4.99 each
scribers are given a somewhat measly Editors’ Rating: 8.5 out of 10 per month, and a softphone feature
$5 break per month for the first year.) Pros: Strong call quality; solid coverage area costs a pricey $9.99 per month.
VoiceWing is also pricey when it comes Cons: Only cable Internet subscribers can Vonage deserves kudos for being one
to virtual numbers—$7.95 per month tops transfer existing number; softphone feature of only two VoIP services we’ve tested
the competition. Currently, VoiceWing of- costs $9.99 per month whose audio quality equaled that of ana-
fers area codes from roughly 80 percent of EDITORS’ VONAGE’S STRONG call log (the other being AT&T CallVantage).
the United States, but none in Canada. CHOICE quality and solid coverage
VoiceWing does come with a handy combine to make it the pay
feature that lets you input a backup num- VoIP service to beat. At $24.99 for its Need to
ber to which calls will be routed if you unlimited-minutes plan, Vonage is in Know More?
temporarily lose power or your Internet the middle of the pack price-wise.
Check out the
“VoIP Resources”
Packet8 Skype 1.2 Verizon VoiceWing Vonage listing in our Web
8.0 8.0 6.8 8.5 Buyer section for a selection of
Full ($1.50 per month; None Limited Limited sites offering useful information
$9.95 setup fee) on VoIP.
$4.95 per month $39 for 12 months; $7.95 per month $4.99 per month
($9.95 setup fee) $13 for three months
None Free None $9.99 per month Using the included Linksys RT31P2 tele-
phone adapter and Ethernet router, call
$29.95 None $39.95 $29.99
quality didn’t worsen during significant
$19.95 Free (Skype-to-Skype calls) $34.95; $29.95 $24.99 upstream traffic from a PC—a rarity with
outside-Skype calls extra (Verizon DSL subscribers) VoIP providers.
8x8 Skype Technologies Verizon Vonage
888-898-8733 www.skype.com 800-270-5369 866-243-4357
Reviews by Rick Broida,
www.packet8.com www.voicewing.com www.vonage.com
Matthew Elliott, and Neil Randall

HELP &HOW-TO
114 Hardware
Weekend Project
118 Software
Weekend Project
120 Buying Advisor
122 Consumer Alert
TIPS AND TRICKS TO MAKE TECH EASIER
COMPUTER CURES ALFRED POOR

A SCREEN WORTH SAVING additional benefit for notebooks:
I understand the need for a screensaver on a Turning off the display when idle can
CRT monitor, but I don’t understand why you significantly extend battery life.
would need one on a notebook’s flat panel. (www.radioshack.com), and Voyeur-
Should you use a screensaver on an LCD? THE MOD SQUAD mods.com (www. voyeurmods.com).
Henry Poh I want to install some Mini-ITX mother- Add some wire and solder, and you’ve got
boards into nontraditional computer boxes: the items you need.
Screensavers were originally developed to a Lost in Space Jupiter 2 toy, an OS/2
avoid “burning” an image into a CRT monitor. Warp version 4 box, and a TI-99/4A com- POKY PACKETS?
CRTs create an image by hitting phosphors puter case. I have most of the parts, but I It takes about three minutes to transfer
with electrons; the phosphors emit light. need lights to show hard drive activity, a a 620MB video file from one computer to
Over time, the phosphors lose their bright- power indicator, and power and reset another over my wired Ethernet LAN using
ness, and if you keep a single image on- switches. These are parts that would nor- standard TCP/IP. I calculate that to be only
screen for an extended period, some phos- mally be included in a computer case. Do about 3.5Mbps. These PCs run Windows
phors will lose more brightness than others, you know where I can buy them? XP, and all of my hubs, routers, and Ether-
because some will be emitting all the time. To m L e e M u l l i n s net cards are rated at least 10/100Mbps.
As a result, when you display a different im- Shouldn’t I be able to get a much better
age on the screen—or even just a full white The modding movement has created rate of transfer through a wired LAN?
screen—you might see a “shadow” of the some amazing computers—for example, R i c h a r d M u s g r av e
original image. Screensavers were meant to check out the Projects section at Epiacen-
turn off most of the image, but display some- ter (www.epiacenter.com) for some The 10/100Mbps rating on the network
thing that indicates that the computer is still unique and inspiring PC creations. connection is bits per second, not bytes per
on, usually through some moving element. second. Also, not all the bits being trans-
CRTs have improved to the point ferred are data; a TCP/IP network breaks
where burn-in is less of a problem, and Windows’ energy-saving feature, the data into packets, so there’s consider-
screensavers have become more a able overhead involved in adding an ad-
means of entertainment than a solution which tells the monitor to shut dress and other information to each pack-
to a technical problem. In fact, many use et. There’s no fixed size for this overhead,
largely static images—such as an aquari-
off when the system has been but as a rough rule of thumb, divide the
um tank—in which only a small portion idle for a given period, will not number of bits by at least 10 to get bytes
of the image changes. per second. A 10BaseT connection has a
LCDs can also be susceptible to image only prevent burn-in, but also theoretical maximum throughput of
burn-in, though it isn’t as common as 10Mbps, or about 1MB per second. So a
with CRTs. If you’re going to use a
save energy. Plus, it can extend 10BaseT card would take at least 620 sec-
screensaver, it should have a black back- the life of the display. onds to transfer a 620MB file, which is a
ground with a small, moving image. The little more than 10 minutes. A 100BaseT
best solution, however, is to use the en- Modders tend to be a self-sufficient connection would require at least a little
ergy-saving feature within Windows, bunch, however, and typically create their more than one minute. Plus, these maxi-
telling the monitor to shut off when the own indicator-light and switch assem- mum rates assume no other activity on
system has been idle for a given period. blies. This gives them more flexibility in the network that would slow down trans-
This will not only prevent burn-in but the layout and position of these compo- mission, and that the connection has per-
also save energy. Plus, it can extend the nents. Still, you can buy LEDs and all fect signal quality so no packets have to
life of the display. An LCD uses a back- sorts of switches (some of which light up be resent. In a real-world setting, network
light that loses brightness over time, so when the power is turned on) at any traffic slows transfer rates, so your report-
it’s better to turn off the monitor—and electronics-supply store or online at ed rate does not seem grossly out of line.
thus the backlight—than to leave it on sites such as Performance PCs (www. To get the best performance, turn off
for some entertaining screensaver. An performance-pcs.com), RadioShack any other computers on the network, and

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HELP & HOW-TO COMPUTER CURES
make sure no other software that might digitize your records. (A Google search PC IDENTITY CRISIS
access the network is running. If you have should turn up several options.) These I have a computer running Windows XP
a clean connection and are knowledgeable companies typically charge around Home Edition that I want to give to my
about the inner workings of TCP/IP, you $20 per album, however. If you have son. He’s an adult and wants to be named
may be able to boost performance some- 100 records to convert, it would be less as the registered owner. How do I change
what by increasing the packet size. This expensive to buy a whole new computer the original owner’s name?
would reduce the amount of overhead as a and do it yourself. A l b i n S. Wi l s o n
percentage of the data being sent, but it
could also create slower transfers if pack- A VIABLE VIDEO SOLUTION This information is stored in the Win-
ets need to be resent. So I wouldn’t recom- I have a lot of video stored on my hard drive dows Registry, and Windows’ Registry
mend fiddling with these settings unless and would like to know: What is the most Editor utility lets you change Registry
you know exactly what you’re doing. efficient video format, in terms of quality information. The problem with this
per megabyte of storage? program: It has no undo command, so
NOTEBOOK DOESN’T KNOW JACK Ya n g Z h o if you change or delete something in
I read John Woram’s Weekend Project about error, there’s no simple way to correct
digitizing LPs for burning to CD (“Vinyl Res- Asking which compression format gives your mistake. You can find safer-to-use
urrection,” May, p. 104). All the information you the best quality per megabyte is like commercial and shareware Registry ed-
was great, except for one important omission: asking which car gives you the fastest itors, but if you’re careful and take your
What about those of us with laptops that acceleration at the best fuel economy— time, the Windows utility can do the
don’t have a line-in jack? I have about 100 there’s a trade-off involved. In fact, most job just fine.
old vinyl records I’m dying to put on CD— compression/decompression algorithms, Choose Start > Run, type REGEDIT
even with their scratches. Can you help? or codecs, let you choose your degree of into the Run window, and press
Fr e d Wi s e compression and level of quality. But Enter. Then go to Edit > Find, type
how do you measure quality? It might be RegisteredOwner into the Find win-
I have a couple of solutions for you. Look very different from how I measure it be- dow, and press Enter. The search can
for a PC Card sound card or a USB exter- cause you might not mind certain types take several minutes if your computer’s
nal sound module, making certain it of artifacts that I would find objection- Registry is large, so be patient. It should
has a line-in jack. Companies such able, and vice versa. find the key HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\
as Creative (www.creative.com), Her- If you’re planning to view this video SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows NT\
cules/Guillemot (us.hercules.com), and content on devices other than your PC, CurrentVersion. Simply double-click on
Echo (www.echoaudio.com) sell such you might want to add portability/com- the RegisteredOwner item, and a win-
products. I’d be more inclined to go with patibility to your criteria. In that case, I dow should open in which you can
the PC Card type of device, as I’d expect it expect you’ll find the MPEG family of change the name. You can edit the
to be less prone to latency problems—de- codecs will give you the control over size RegisteredOrganization in the same
lays caused by the interface—that could and quality you seek. Plus, MPEG makes way. DO NOT change anything else.
mar your recordings. it simple to record to DVD to watch your Close the utility and reboot, and the
The other option is to use a service to video on other devices. new owner’s name should appear.
TIP OF THE MONTH: Belkin Hi-Speed USB 2.0

Without question, USB 8-in-1 Media Reader/Writer
SMARTER MEDIA thumb drives have
Many of us are now on our second— become the new If you don’t have a USB
maybe even third—digital camera. And floppies—except reader for your cards, you
the chances are great that the new cam- they’re smaller, faster, can find them for as
era uses a different type of memory card and larger-capacity. But a little as $20, and
than the old one. So, what to do with USB reader and a flash-mem- some will read
those old cards? This month’s tipster ory card will work just as well eight or more
has a handy suggestion. to move files between PCs. In fact, different mem-
I find it’s sometimes faster and easier ory-card formats.
I have some old SmartMedia cards I can no to use a card and reader to transfer a One good example is
longer use since I upgraded my digital cam- file from one computer to another Belkin’s Hi-Speed USB 2.0 8-
era. I also have a USB SmartMedia-card than to move the files over my local in-1 Media Reader/Writer, which we
reader. Instead of tossing these out, I real- area network. found for $23.95 at Amazon.com.
ized I could use them together as a pseudo-
Send us your favorite tip, and you could receive a tipster’s prize package, including a coveted “Computer
flash drive. The reader and card are small
Cures” T-shirt, along with some other exciting items you can’t get anywhere else.
enough to carry and move between com-
“Alfred Poor’s Computer Cures,” Computer Shopper, 28 E. 28th St., 10th Fl., New York, NY 10016-7942
puters to shuttle files back and forth—just computer_cures@cnet.com
like a key-chain or thumb drive would. Please include your name. Due to the number of letters we receive, we cannot provide personal replies,
Dusan Rotarov nor return any enclosures.

HELP & HOW-TO
WEEKEND PROJECT HARDWARE
1
Upgrade your sound card Choose your hardware
The market for 7.1 sound cards is dominated by Cre-
and speakers for a mind- ative’s Sound Blaster Audigy 4 and Audigy 2 ZS prod-
blowing audio experience. uct lines, which include Platinum and Pro versions
that ship with advanced breakout boxes. We chose
the $299.99 Audigy 4 Pro solution, which, in addition
Immerse to the breakout box, has a wireless remote. If you’re

planning a relatively simple setup, save a few bucks by select-
ing a less robust 7.1 board from another vendor, such as
Yourself in M-Audio’s $119.95 Revolution 7 or the $49.95 Catalina from

Voyetra Turtle Beach.
7.1 Sound
BY DON LABRIOLA
For our 7.1 setup, we chose Creative’s Sound Blaster Audigy 4

Pro sound card and the company’s top-of-the-line GigaWorks
S750 speakers.
Your choice of 7.1 computer speakers will be limited. Two

popular models are Creative’s top-of-the-line $499.99 700-watt
GigaWorks S750—which we chose—and the more affordable
$99.99 Inspire P7800. Both offer auxiliary input jacks, wall-
mounting options, and the ability to automatically upmix 5.1
and 6.1 sources to 7.1.
Tip: Although no match for the best sound cards, some moth-
erboards now offer cost-effective integrated 7.1-channel audio.
2
Install the sound card
YOUR AVERAGE 5.1-CHANNEL audio Installing a 7.1 sound card isn’t much different
setup may sound great, but today’s from setting up any other plug-and-play PCI
7.1 technology pushes immersive card, except it does require a connection to
your power supply. If your system uses inte-
sound even further. The two addi- grated sound rather than a separate sound
tional channels better produce card, you’ll need to disable it in the BIOS before
sounds that travel from front to rear you proceed. You can usually enter your PC’s BIOS by press-
ing Delete or a specific function key during the preboot pow-
or pan side-to-side behind your head.
er-on self-test (POST) process; the necessary keystroke is of-
For the full effect, you’ll need a 7.1- ten displayed at the bottom of the screen during the POST.
channel sound card and a game that Next, power down your PC, unplug it from the AC outlet,
supports a 7.1-audio API. Setting it all and pop open the case. Touch a metal section of the case to
discharge any static electricity your body may have accumu-
up can be challenging, but with prop-
lated. Find a free PCI slot on your motherboard, remove the
er planning and attention to detail, adjacent slot bracket that exits the rear of the case, and in-
you can achieve great results. sert the Audigy 4 card into the slot. Then attach the card’s

but you’ll still get acceptable results simply by tilting it to point
directly at your ears. You may have to mount the rear and side
satellites on stands or on a wall to place them at ear level.
The circumference of your circle of sound is a matter of
taste, but it’s also constrained by the size of the room. All
else being equal, a larger circle will yield more room-filling
sound. Closer positioning will result in higher volume levels
and more precise imaging, but a more cramped soundstage.
If you’ll also be watching DVDs, keep in mind the Surround
channels in a DVD’s Dolby Digital 5.1 soundtrack are mixed to
have a diffuse, directionless quality. Dolby recommends facing
Surround satellites away from listeners—just the opposite of
what you’d want for pinpoint-accurate 3D-audio gaming. Un-
less you want to reposition two of the satellites every time you
Guide the sound card gently but firmly into the PCI slot. Don’t
want to watch a movie, you’ll have to resign yourself to a less-
forget to connect the power cable to your power supply.
than-optimal cinema sound experience.
power cable to your power supply, and connect the external Once you’ve positioned all your speakers, connect them to
breakout box. Close the case, reconnect the PC to its AC the rear of the subwoofer using the four color-coded mini
outlet, and power up. headphone-size plugs. Then attach the subwoofer to the Audi-
Windows XP should detect the new hardware and prompt gy 4 card’s rear panel via the included 7.1 audio cable.
you to install new drivers. Don’t—exit the wizard and run Tip: Positional 3D audio works best with a minimum of room
the Creative Audigy 4 install application from the included reflections, so your listening area should be as acoustically
CD-ROM. Once you reboot, your new, powerful card should be dead as possible—carpets, drapes, and upholstered furniture
up and running. help achieve this.
Tip: Don’t force the sound card into its PCI slot. Gently but
4
firmly guide it into place to avoid damage to your components Tweak and enjoy
and your fingers. Positional audio requires that you balance the
volume of all seven satellites at your normal lis-
3
Lay out your speakers tening position. Most 7.1 sound cards provide a
While installing a sound card is straightforward, speaker-calibration utility that cycles pink noise
configuring a 7.1 speaker system is more of an (white noise that’s been filtered to reduce the vol-
art. Ideally, all seven satellites should be at the ume at each octave) through each channel. You
same height, which often means mounting the can use this tool (or any other pink-noise source) to set volume
rear and side satellites on stands or on the wall. levels by ear.
With this many speakers, you’ll need to choose An even better option is RadioShack’s $39.99 Sound Level Me-
a room large enough to position all seven satellites (center, ter (www.radioshack.com), held at your normal head position.
front left, front right, middle left, middle right, rear left, rear For increased accuracy, mount the meter on a tripod. Then set
right) to be roughly equidistant from your seating position the meter to C Weighting and Fast Response, and adjust each
without creating a satellite’s volume level until all
tripping hazard. produce identical readings when
To get an idea of playing the noise signal.
Center
what you’re after, pic- You can follow a similar proce-
ture yourself sitting in Front Right dure to set the volume of your
Front Left
the center of a circle of bass unit, but not all listeners
Middle Right
sound, with each pair want a truly accurate bass/satel-
of satellites placed lite balance. We suggest adjusting
symmetrically on that the bass-level control manually
circle at about ear while playing your favorite source
height. (See chart.) material until you find a bass re-
Place the front left and sponse that doesn’t muddy up the
front right speakers on rest of the output.
top of your desk on ei- Tip: If maxing out your bass level
ther side of your moni- Middle Left still doesn’t give you enough bot-
Rear Right
tor, and, if possible, the Rear Left tom, try repositioning the sub-
center speaker atop the woofer cabinet. Placing it closer
display. If you do this, it to large, flat surfaces reinforces
may be impossible to When positioning the speakers, envision a circle of sound, with low-frequency output, so moving
match its height to that all the satellites positioned equidistant from one another, at it into a corner should provide
about ear height.
of your other satellites, maximum bass boost.

check our website or call for up-to-the-minute prices & information! e:mail your order or inquiry to us at: sales@beachcamera.com
1-800-634-1811
Toll-free Customer Service 800-634-1811 Dial 2
Diners
Club
or email us at CS@beachcamera.com
Retail Showroom:732-968-6400
Sunday....................10:00am-6:00pm Mon-Thurs .............. 9:30am-8:00pm Friday ..................... 9:30am-4:00pm
203 Route 22 East Green Brook, NJ 08812
5136
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check our website or call for up-to-the-minute prices & information! e:mail your order or inquiry to us at: sales@beachcamera.com
1-800-634-1811
Toll-free Customer Service 800-634-1811 Dial 2
Diners
Club
or email us at CS@beachcamera.com
Retail Showroom:732-968-6400
Sunday....................10:00am-6:00pm Mon-Thurs .............. 9:30am-8:00pm Friday ..................... 9:30am-4:00pm
203 Route 22 East Green Brook, NJ 08812
5136
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HELP & HOW-TO
WEEKEND PROJECT SOFTWARE
1
Turn your PC-based setup Configure your Mac
Before you begin, you’ll need to change your Mac’s
into an Apple-friendly zone. workgroup name to match that of your existing
workgroup. To do so, go to Macintosh HD > Applica-
Add a Mac to
tions > Utilities > Directory Access. Then click the
lock icon in the lower left corner, enter your user-
name and password, highlight the name of your
router (in our case, SMC), and click the Configure button. Type
Your Windows in your workgroup

name, and click OK.
From the Apple
Network menu, open the Sys-

tem Preferences op-
tion, and in the
Internet & Network
BY JOHN WORAM row, double-click the
Network icon. Click
the Location box’s
drop-down arrow,
select New Location, Our Mac will use its built-in wireless
and give your Mac a AirPort card to communicate with the
network’s SMC router.
network name.
If you’re using a wired connection, select Built-in Ethernet
in the Show box. For a wireless network, select AirPort,
choose the name of your network, and enter a password, if
required.
To give the Mac a distinctive name, reopen the Apple
menu and select System Preferences. In the Internet & Net-
work row, double-click the Sharing icon and enter a name.
Then click the Services button to review the list of services.
Highlight any one to view a brief description. If you’re uncer-
tain about which option to choose, check the four Sharing
options and clear the others.
2
Configure your PCs
To get your computers configured to work to-
gether, select My Network Places from your
IF THE MAC AND THE PC are the yin Windows XP Start menu, and in the Network
and yang of the tech universe, then Tasks column, select “Add a network place” to
open the Add Network Place wizard. Then click
these two seeming opposites should
Next, select “Choose another network loca-
be able to coexist harmoniously. tion,” and click Next again. Open the drop-down menu and
We found feng shui by adding a select \\192.168.2.xxx\username as the username. (“xxx” is
Mac to our combination Ethernet/ your PC’s ID, and
“username” is the
Wi-Fi home network, which consist-
name you’ve used on
ed of two desktops, a notebook, a the Mac.) Then click
network laser printer, and a personal Next, type a distinctive
inkjet. Our Power Mac G5 joined the name, click Next again,
and click Finish. You
Illustration by David Flaherty
party via an internal Apple wireless should now see a net-

AirPort Extreme card. Computers on work folder icon for
the network were running Windows the Mac in the My Net-
work Places window.
98, Windows XP Professional with Once you complete Windows’ Add
Repeat this procedure Network Place wizard, an icon for
Service Pack 2, and Mac OS X 10.3.7. for the rest of your your Mac should appear in the My
Network Places window.
Windows XP systems.

3
Test the connection
To ensure the systems recognize one another,
open the Mac’s Go menu, select the Network
option, and double-click the Network icon in
the left frame of the Network window. You’ll
see a few icons in the right frame, one of
which is the name of your workgroup. Double-
The Mac Printer List shows that the default printer is a
click it, and you should see an icon for each PC currently
Deskjet physically connected to one of the network PCs.
running.
Tip: If one of On our test system, a network card in our LaserJet printer was
the PCs on connected via cable to our router. If you have a similar setup,
your network you’ll need to know the printer’s IP address, which will be in the
is running form 192.168.2.xxx, in which “xxx” is a three-digit number.
Windows 98, Although each network computer usually gets its own address
you’ll either dynamically, the printer address may be static—that is, it doesn’t
have to buy change as your computers are powered on and off. This means
special soft- an address conflict could occur if a computer picks up the printer
ware to enable IP address. To avoid such grief, make sure the printer address is
On the Mac, when you double-click the icon
it to find your set to a number greater than the number of computers on your
for your workgroup, you should see an icon
Mac or up- for each PC currently running. network. In other words, if four computers are 101 through 104,
grade it to set the printer to 105 or greater. You may need to play a certain
Windows XP. If you decide on the former, we recommend amount of button roulette at the printer panel to discover the
Computer Associates’ $99.95 PC MacLan for Windows 95/98 current address, and to change it if necessary. Consult your print-
(www.ca.com). er manual—each printer does things a little bit differently.
Once you have the number down, open the Mac’s Apple
4
Configure a shared printer menu and select the System Preferences option. In the Hard-
To allow the Mac to use a printer physically ware row, double-click Print & Fax. Then click the Set Up Print-
connected to a port on a networked PC, begin by ers button and double-click Add. Entries in the two boxes at
opening that PC’s Control Panel. Next, double- the top of the window will depend on your particular printer
click the Printers and Faxes applet, and right- type. If in doubt, try IP Printing and for Printer Type, Internet
click the appropriate printer. Select the Sharing Printing Protocol. Enter the printer address in the box with that
tab, and make sure the “Share this printer” ra- name, and select the appropriate printer via the Printer Model
dio button is enabled. Choose a Share name, then click the box at the bottom of the window.
Apply and OK buttons. (Chances are you’ve
6
already done this if other PCs on your network have been Print a test page
using this printer.) Unlike your Windows machines, the Mac printer
Now open the Mac’s Apple menu and select System Prefer- setup lacks a test-page-printing option, so you’ll
ences. In the Hardware row, double-click the Print & Fax icon, need to open a document elsewhere to ensure
click the Set Up Printers button, and then double-click the your network is running smoothly. For a quick
Add icon. In the first and second drop-down boxes, choose check, double-click the Macintosh HD icon and
Windows Printing and Network Neighborhood, respectively. open the Applications folder. Next, open the
Double-click the name of your workgroup, and then on the TextEdit applet and type a few test lines. Then open the File
name of the PC to which the printer is connected. Enter the menu, select Print, and make sure the right printer is listed.
username and password, or just click the OK button if nei- Your Mac and PCs should now be getting along just fine,
ther is required. bringing a touch of harmony to your Windows-driven world.
Next, highlight the name of the printer and select the appro-
priate settings via the Printer Model box at the bottom of the
Printer List window. Then click the Add button. If you have
more than one printer on the network, highlight the new print-
er, click the Show Info button, and enter a distinctive name to
distinguish this printer from the others.
5
Configure a network printer
To give all computers access to a printer even when
the host PC is off, you’ll have to move that printer
to the network. Depending on the printer, this may
simply require buying the right cable, an external
printer server, or a plug-in network card. (On some On your Mac, open the TextEdit applet in the Applications
folder to send a short test file to the printer.
printers, however, networkability is not an option.)

HELP & HOW-TO
BUYING ADVISOR JOHN A. BUREK
Wi-Fi for the Rest of Us

A dial-up devotee wants to share Net access among ly a wireless substitute for stringing a
several PCs wirelessly. phone line to your PC, the Wireless Link
doesn’t use Wi-Fi—it creates a microwave-
DESPITE THE EYE-BLINK downloads of DSL way” PC must be booted up first. Plus, radio link between a transmitter/receiver
and cable broadband, dial-up Net access most modern PCs, if they come with a on your phone line and another that
isn’t dead yet. It’s still showing plenty of modem, have an internal software Win- plugs into a laptop’s modem and USB
pep, if not as much as another, much modem that creates further difficulties— ports. No software or configuration is re-
newer kind of connectivity—Wi-Fi. And external modems are preferable for quired, but your notebook’s internal mo-
John Taylor, this month’s Advisee, is sharing dial-up. dem does the dialing in, meaning that
looking to combine these old- and new- One option: Some older, wired-only machine monopolizes the connection. In
school technologies. routers (now mainly eBay fodder), as well Taylor’s two-laptop scenario, he’d either
“I live in the country,” says Taylor, who as a few current SMC models, have a COM need to buy two Links (and settle for surf-
runs a home desktop-publishing business port for an external serial-port modem. ing from only one notebook at a time) or
in Grants Pass, Ore. “There are tons of But Taylor would also need a wireless do some ancillary ICS configuration, with
people living in the outback like us, stuck access point (AP) to bring Wi-Fi into the one of the laptops relying on the other for
with dial-up.” Cable and DSL access aren’t scheme—lots of hardware to track down. its connection over Wi-Fi. (The desktop
available in his (literal) neck of the woods, It’s possible Taylor could get by with would be out of the loop entirely.) Much
and satellite Inter- just an external dial- too messy, and still requires a gateway
net’s too pricey. De- up modem and a stan- computer to be booted.
spite dial-up’s com- dard wireless AP, both Considering these trade-offs, our last
parative-trickle connected to his desk- option was outright elegant. The $149.95
throughput, it does top and configured Always On WiFlyer (www.wiflyer.com) is
work with today’s using Windows XP’s an external, PDA-size v.92 modem/Wi-Fi
wireless networking Internet Connection WAP that also works with broadband con-
hardware, and that’s Sharing (ICS) utility. In nections. It eliminates the need to have a
why Taylor wrote. our tests, however, set- gateway PC powered on. (You needn’t wire
Like many house- up sometimes re- any PCs to it at all.) Setup’s easy: Connect
holds, his has several quired meddling with phone, power, and (optionally) Ethernet
PCs—a circa-2002 IP addresses and other cables, then peck dial-up settings into a
laptop, with a new, THE CHALLENGE networking minutiae Web-browser configuration page. We did
second laptop and a User profile: John Taylor, of Grants sure to give casual PC so, pointed our Wi-Fi laptops to the unit,
desktop on the way. Pass, Ore., proprietor of a desktop- users the shivers. Also, and in minutes were surfing one dial-up
The desktop could be publishing business. this won’t work with connection on three PCs (two wirelessly,
wired to a phone Computing needs: Wireless access every AP/modem com- and one via the WiFlyer’s Ethernet
line, but Taylor wants to a single dial-up account by two bination. It’s worth try- port). All could launch or end a
Wi-Fi-equipped laptops. (A wired-in
to surf wirelessly ing if you already own session; also, a button enables in-
desktop’s also in the mix.) Simultane-
from the two note- ous Net access by all three is ideal. the hardware, but it stant dial-ups or disconnects.
books—and, poten- may take persever- In our tests, the WiFlyer
tially, all three PCs si- ance. (In our delivered 220-foot range. Also,
THE SOLUTION
multaneously—off one tests, with a wireless security is strong: WEP
The Advisor’s choice: Always On’s
dial-up connection. ZyXel wireless and WPA encryption. (Note: We
$149.95 WiFlyer integrates an exter-
The laptops would nal dial-up modem and a Wi-Fi access AP and an older also considered Apple’s AirPort
tap the connection point. Though pricey, it’s the easiest Diamond hardware Always On Extreme—a similar Wi-Fi AP/
WiFlyer
using built-in Wi-Fi. way to share a dial-up connection. modem, we got modem—but gave the WiFlyer
Also, any of the sys- three PCs—two Wi-Fi the nod; the AirPort can be used in a Win-
tems should be able to dial in. laptops, one wired desktop—surfing si- dows-only network but costs $50 more.)
Dial-up and Wi-Fi can be reluctant part- multaneously, but could only reliably initi- The WiFlyer isn’t cheap, but if, like
ners, due to dial-up’s connect/disconnect ate the connection from the desktop.) Taylor, you’re saddled with dial-up, it
nature. Always-on cable or DSL is easy to Plus, the modem-connected desktop makes sharing it as laid-back as country
share through a basic wireless router, but would have to be booted up before Taylor’s living. That’s worth the premium.
dial-up is more complicated. A dial-up laptops could get online—not ideal.
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modem needs a PC to kick-start the con- Another way is the $49 Nebo Wireless
e-mail buying_advisor@cnet.com.
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HELP & HOW-TO
CONSUMER ALERT NANCY A. FELDMAN
Just Say No to Rebates

AS A CONSUMER ADVOCATE, I’m accustomed to doling
the president and CEO as Stanley T. Sigman. I
out free advice—only this time, I was the one who also did a reverse lookup (www.reverseaddress.
was in need of assistance. A while back I wrote a col- com) for that address in Chanhassen, and was
umn on the difficulties readers experience receiving not at all surprised to see the name Young Amer-
ica come up. This is the promotional fulfillment
rebate checks from retailers and vendors. I recently house that makes its living finding new and in-
found myself in the same boat. ventive ways to deny consumers their rightful re-
bates. Obviously, the ultimate beneficiaries are
Back in December, I purchased a Bluetooth phone and head- the companies that contract their services. To cover all bases, I
set, both of which had rebates attached to them through Cin- sent my documentation to both Kubal and Sigman, with a letter
gular Wireless. My bad on the headset—I accidentally threw explaining my plight.
out the packaging with the requisite bar code, so I was out the As I put final words to page now in June, I received a call
$30 there. But I did have the box the phone came in, and I care- from a Linda Myran at the real Cingular office of the president,
fully followed the instructions to receive my $50 rebate. stating she’d called Young America, and they told her they’d
After about three months, I got my letter back unopened closed their file on me and had declined to give me my rebate.
with a stamp across the front saying “Offer Expired.” Indeed, But, she said, she did post a $50 credit to my account, and in-
the offer had expired at this point, but I mailed my documen- deed she had. She apologized for the inconvenience I incurred
tation well in advance of the deadline. The postmark on the and hoped my future dealings with
envelope was proof of that. When I called the number on the The discount may Cingular Wireless would go much
form, an apologetic Minnesotan (I’ve always found Midwest seem great, but more smoothly.
folk to be so much sweeter than us East Coasters) gave me an Although I was happy to receive
address to resend my information.
there’s no guaran- the $50 credit from Cingular, the fact
Two more months passed, and I again received my un- tee you’ll ever see that Young America denied my rebate
opened letter back with a stamp across the front; this time it your money. was unconscionable. It was nice of
said “Return to Sender.” Okay, now I was really miffed. I placed Cingular to override the company’s
another call to the perpetually ebullient Minnesotans. A less- decision, but you don’t have to have an MBA to figure out there
than-apologetic customer-service rep who told me he was the are monetary incentives for such companies to issue as few
supervisor stated the company had no record of receiving my rebate checks as possible.
paperwork (of course it didn’t; if nobody opens the envelope, Should you find yourself in a similar situation, my advice is
it’s safe to say there would be no record), and “unfortunately, to call the vendor’s customer-service department rather than
the offer has expired.” He repeated that mantra more than the fulfillment house. If that doesn’t work, track down the ad-
once, and told me in so many words that I should tell my story dress of the company’s headquarters and go right to
to someone who cares. He advised me to write to a Mr. Greg the top. Better yet, avoid mail-in rebates altogether.
Kubal at what he claimed was the “Cingular Office of the There’s no reason for them other than to cheat you
President” in Chanhassen, Minn. out of the money that’s due you. A price may
My conception of cheerful Minnesotans is seem great after a rebate, but there’s no guar-
now officially shattered, as is my belief in antee you’ll ever see the money. So compare
their inherent wholesomeness. the product to its competitors based on its
That’s because I also suspect- price before the rebate. If it still weighs in
ed that not only was as superior in terms of price, features,
Kubal not the presi- and quality, go ahead and take your
dent of Cingular chances. Who knows—you may be one
Wireless, but that of the fortunate ones who actually re-
folksy little Chanhas- ceive a check. But if we all say no to re-
sen, Minn., wasn’t real- bates, companies may get the mes-
ly its corporate head- sage and stop offering them. And
quarters. I did a Web with any luck, the kind folk at Young
search and came up with America may be forced to find a
The Center for Public In- more “fulfilling” way of making a living.
tegrity (www.public-i.org).
The site lists Cingular’s head- Nancy A. Feldman is executive editor of Computer Shopper
quarters as Atlanta, Ga., and magazine. Contact her at nancy.feldman@cnet.com.

• 7.1 Effective Megapixels
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TECHMARKET
131 Midrange Desktops
134 Thin-and-Light Notebooks
136 Inkjet Printers
138 External Hard Drives
143 4- to 5-Megapixel Digital Cameras
146 PC Warranties and Service Plans
THE COMPLETE GUIDE TO SMART TECHNOLOGY SHOPPING
MIDRANGE DESKTOPS ($750 TO $1,499)

PROCESSOR Don’t choose an underpowered processor, OPTICAL DRIVES Opt for a DVD±RW as
NEED TO KNOW
Next
but look at CPUs one or two steps down from the fastest your first choice. Two drives are better than month:
Budget
for the power you need at a good price. Upgrade: Expect to one, though, so go with a fast CD-RW or Desktops
spend $90 for every 200MHz-increment upgrade of Intel DVD-ROM for the second.
3GHz and faster processors. CASE Be certain the case offers adequate expansion room.
MEMORY 512MB of memory is standard, but if you can Also, look for a few front-panel ports and audio jacks.
afford 1GB, go for it. Otherwise, make the 512MB a single Upgrade: A robust power supply (400 watts and higher) will
DIMM; you’ll then have more flexibility to add memory add $50 or more to the price.
later. Upgrade: Each additional 256MB of DDR memory will SOUND Integrated sound is common, and superior to what
cost roughly $50. you’ll find in budget desktops. A dedicated sound card,
GRAPHICS Look for a discrete graphics card with at least however, is still a better choice. Upgrade: A quality sound
128MB of memory. If you plan to do video editing or 3D gam- card will cost about $70 more than onboard audio.
ing, go with 256MB of memory. Upgrade: A premium graph- MONITOR A CRT delivers more viewing space for a few hun-
ics card costs about $220 more than integrated graphics. dred dollars less than similar-size LCDs. But it’s hard to deny
HARD DRIVE Opt for two hard drives of at least 80GB the appeal of an attractive, space-saving LCD, so the choice
apiece, configured in a RAID Level 1 array to ensure your may hinge on your budget and space constraints. Upgrade:
data is always backed up. Upgrade: Each additional 40GB 17-inch LCD monitors start as low as $300.
of storage will cost about $36. —Joshua Goldman, Desktop Editor
Base Hard Optical

Model Price* Processor RAM Graphics Drive Drive(s) Monitor Editor’s Take Find Out More
ABS COMPUTER TECHNOLOGIES
Ultimate M5-64 $1,149 1.8GHz 1GB nVidia 80GB DVD-ROM None CPU is on the lower end, but it’s a www.abspc.com
Athlon 64 GeForce 939-pin chip, so upgrading later is an 800-876-8088
3000+ 6600 GT option. Case leaves room to grow, too.
APPLE COMPUTER
eMac $799 1.42GHz 256MB ATI Radeon 80GB DVD/CD-RW 17-inch A favorite of schools everywhere, an www.apple.com
PowerPC 9600 combo CRT inexpensive, all-in-one way to make 800-692-7753
G4 the Mac switch.
iMac G5 $1,299 1.8GHz 512MB ATI Radeon 160GB DVD/CD-RW 17-inch Apple has really beefed up its latest
PowerPC 9600 combo LCD iMac G5s with better CPUs, more
G5 RAM, and faster graphics.
CYBERPOWER
Gamer Infinity $819 3GHz 512MB nVidia 160GB DVD-ROM, None A gamer this PC is not. Change to a www.cyberpowerpc.com
X700 Pro Pentium 4 GeForce DVD±RW tamer case, and this machine will make a 800-707-0393
630 6200 decent home-office desktop.
Gamer Ultra $999 1.8GHz 512MB nVidia 160GB DVD-ROM, 17-inch A deal that seems almost too good to
7500 SE Athlon 64 GeForce DVD±RW LCD be true. Plus, $80 buys extra peace
3000+ 6600 of mind: three years of onsite service.
Gamer Ultra $1,315 2.2GHz 1GB Two nVidia 200GB DVD-ROM, None Dual graphics cards and a solid
SLI Elite Athlon 64 GeForce DVD±RW midrange processor add up to a choice
3500+ 6600 GT beginner gaming rig.
DELL
Dimension 5100 $899 2.8GHz 256MB ATI Radeon 80GB DVD-ROM 17-inch New midrange PC offers lots of options— www.dell.com
Pentium 4 X300 SE CRT good, because this starting config isn’t 800-999-3355
520 particularly strong.
OptiPlex GX280 $1,086 2.8GHz 256MB Integrated 40GB CD-RW 15-inch Three-year onsite warranty is standard
Pentium 4 LCD on Dell business systems. $39 buys you
520 a much-needed 256MB RAM upgrade.
Dimension 9100 $1,299 3GHz 512MB ATI Radeon 160GB DVD-ROM, 17-inch A good bargain and big enough to
Pentium 4 X300 SE CD-RW CRT expand, but the 90-day warranty
630 really hurts this package.
GATEWAY
7310S $799.99 2.8GHz 256MB Integrated 80GB CD-ROM 17-inch Below-average component choices www.gateway.com
Pentium 4 CRT for the money; much better packages 800-369-1409
520J can be had in this price group.
9310X $1,299 3.2GHz 512MB nVidia 160GB DVD/CD-RW 17-inch We like the case, parts, and price. We
Pentium 4 GeForce combo CRT dislike Gateway’s configurator that
640 6600G automatically adds $300 in upgrades.
* = Base price reflects vendor’s default configuration. Most models are configurable. Prices are subject to change.
See computershopper.com for full reviews of products in boldface.

TECHMARKET MIDRANGE DESKTOPS $750 TO $1,499
Base Hard Optical

Model Price* Processor RAM Graphics Drive Drive(s) Monitor Editor’s Take Find Out More
HEWLETT-PACKARD
Pavilion d4000e $919 2GHz 1GB ATI Radeon 160GB DVD±RW None A do-it-all PC that comes loaded with www.hp.com
Series Athlon 64 X300 SE software. Want more? Almost every 888-999-4747
3200+ component is configurable.
Pavilion a1040n $949.99 3GHz 1GB Integrated 200GB DVD±RW, None We’d prefer the d4000e for its dedicated www.hp.com
Pentium 4 DVD-ROM graphics. Still, this is a highly capable 888-999-4747
630 setup for the average user.
Pavilion d4100y $999 2.8GHz 1GB ATI Radeon 160GB DVD±RW None Add $20 for an HP LightScribe optical
Series Pentium D X300 SE drive that etches labels on CDs and
820 DVDs.
IBUYPOWER
Back To School $819 1.8GHz 1GB ATI Radeon 160GB DVD±RW None If you are, in fact, headed back to www.ibuypower.com
64 Athlon 64 X600 XT school, it has the specs you’ll need at 888-462-3899
3000+ an outstanding price.
Gamer EX $1,189 3GHz 1GB ATI Radeon 160GB DVD-ROM, None All RAM is not created equal. For best
Pentium 4 X800 CD-RW performance, spend a little more and
530 skip the Value memory offered here.
Gamer-SLI $1,469 2.2GHz 1GB nVidia 160GB DVD±RW, None Offers a unique graphics card with two
Special Edition Athlon 64 GeForce DVD-ROM GPUs. Good performance, but we
3500+ 6600 GT prefer two independent cards.
LENOVO
ThinkCentre $859 2.6GHz 256MB Integrated 40GB CD-ROM None A compact gem for serious business. www.lenovo.com
M51 Celeron D Specs aren’t the heartiest, but software 866-968-4465
330 package is a bonus.
ThinkCentre $989 3GHz 512MB Integrated 40GB CD-ROM None Enterprise-ready, small, and easily
S50 Pentium 4 serviced, but costly considering the
530 feature set.
POLYWELL COMPUTERS
Poly 845PE-ISA $999 2GHz 256MB nVidia 40GB CD-RW 17-inch At 256MB, RAM is a little stingy, but www.polywell.com
Pentium 4 GeForce4 CRT business users will appreciate the 800-999-1278
MX 420 five-year labor warranty.
Poly 865PE $1,199 2.8GHz 512MB nVidia 123GB DVD±RW 17-inch A no-frills system package that offers
Pentium 4 GeForce FX LCD a well-rounded set of specs and
520 5200 peripherals.
Poly 939VP $1,351 2.2GHz 512MB nVidia 160GB DVD±RW 19-inch A balanced config for taking care of
Athlon 64 GeForce FX CRT business and pleasure. Includes a
3500+ 5900 XT 19-inch CRT and 5.1 speaker system.
SONY ELECTRONICS
VAIO $899.99 3GHz 512MB Integrated 200GB DVD±RW, None Lots to like in Sony’s midrange PC, www.sony.com/pc39
VGC-RB30 Pentium 4 CD-ROM including an enormous hard drive and 866-823-7669
530J a large suite of software.
VAIO $1,149 3.2GHz 512MB ATI Radeon 200GB DVD±RW, None Can afford the extra cost over the VGC- VGC-RB34G
VGC-RB34G Pentium 4 X300 DVD-ROM RB30? If so, go for this model’s faster
540J CPU and dedicated graphics card.
VAIO $1,349 3.4GHz 1GB ATI Radeon 250GB DVD±RW, None A bump up in processor, RAM, and hard VGC-RB38G
VGC-RB38G Pentium 4 X300 DVD-ROM drive space over the VGC-RB34G, but
550 still no display.
SYSTEMAX
Ascent AMD $999.99 2.4GHz 1GB Integrated 200GB DVD±RW 17-inch Not configurable, but there’s already a www.systemaxpc.com
Athlon 64 LCD lot of good stuff here, including the 888-845-6225
3400+ LCD. Integrated graphics is a downer.
Venture HU $1,199 3.4GHz 1GB ATI Radeon 120GB DVD±RW, None Another solid home system config. ATI
B550 Pentium 4 X600 Pro DVD-ROM Radeon X600 will even allow for some
550 3D gaming.
VELOCITY MICRO
Vector PCX $769 3GHz 256MB Integrated 80GB DVD-ROM None Velocity Micro offers some serious www.velocitymicro.com
Pentium 4 desktop values, but price is too high 800-303-7866
530 for this configuration.
Vector 64 Pro $815 2GHz 512MB nVidia 40GB DVD-ROM None A few minor upgrades, such as $15 to
Athlon 64 GeForce FX double the hard drive space, will make
3000+ 5200 this a top-notch business PC.
ProMagix PCX $1,249 3GHz 512MB nVidia 120GB DVD-ROM, None Able Pentium CPU and a solid mix of
Pentium 4 GeForce CD-RW of parts make this desktop a good
530 6600 midrange buy.
Vision 64 $1,299 2GHz 512MB nVidia 120GB DVD-ROM, None Athlon CPU and hearty specs are
Athlon 64 GeForce CD-RW decent protection against short-term
3200+ 6600 obsolescence.
ZT GROUP
Performance $879 3.2GHz 512MB Integrated 160GB DVD±RW, None A sound PC decision—as long as you www.ztgroup.com
X6545 Pentium 4 CD-RW don’t have high-performance gaming in 866-984-7687
540 mind.
A5360 $1,029 2.4GHz 512MB nVidia 160GB DVD±RW None Passable midrange specs, but at this
Athlon 64 GeForce price, should really include at least a
3400+ FX 5200 17-inch CRT monitor.

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Next
NEED TO KNOW
PROCESSOR Look for a model powered by Intel’s Pentium satisfy the needs of most users. If burning DVDs month:
M processor, which provides good battery life, strong per- on the road is a must, choose a multiformat Desktop-
Replacement
formance, and cool running temperatures. Save a little by DVD±RW drive. Upgrade: Expect to pay about Notebooks
opting for lower clock speeds, such as 1.6GHz. Upgrade: $140 to upgrade to DVD±RW from a DVD/CD-
Expect to pay about $100 for every 100MHz-increment RW combo drive.
upgrade of Pentium M processors. CASE A laptop chassis more than 1.5 inches thick or heavier
MEMORY Adequate RAM is crucial for fast performance, than 7 pounds (without AC adapter) exceeds the bounds of
especially when running multiple apps. Opt for at least the thin-and-light class.
512MB of high-speed DDR SDRAM. Upgrade: Each addition- WIRELESS CONNECTIVITY Integrated 802.11 wireless net-
al 256MB of DDR memory will cost roughly $65. working (Wi-Fi) is an essential feature. Most notebooks ship
GRAPHICS When choosing a thin-and-light, portability with a choice of 802.11b or 802.11b/g internal Wi-Fi radios.
should be a priority. Though many Pentium M-based lap- 802.11b technology, which has a rated data throughput of
tops have robust 3D-graphics chips, save some cash by 11Mbps, is fine for ordinary use.
opting for less-expensive integrated graphics. SCREEN Panoramic wide-screen displays, previously avail-
HARD DRIVE 60GB is a good capacity for most users. If able only in larger desktop replacements, are now available
you require speed, select a 5,400rpm drive. Upgrade: Each in lighter systems. To watch DVD movies in letterbox style
additional 20GB of storage will cost about $40. or view multiple documents at once, go with a high-res 15.4-
OPTICAL DRIVES Most thin-and-light laptops ship stan- inch wide-format TFT. Upgrade: A UXGA screen will cost
dard with versatile DVD/CD-RW combo drives, which should about $100 more than XGA. —Brian Bennett, Notebooks Editor
Base Hard Optical

Model Price* Processor RAM Graphics Drive Drive Wireless Display Weight Editor’s Take Find Out More
ABS COMPUTER TECHNOLOGIES
Mayhem G4 $1,549 1.6GHz 512MB nVidia GeForce 60GB DVD/CD-RW 802.11a/b/g 15.4 inches 6.6 lbs. Expensive, but well-stocked with www.abspc.com
Pentium M Go 6600 combo speedy components and a wide 800-876-8088
730 screen.
ACER AMERICA
Aspire $800 1.3GHz 512MB Integrated 40GB DVD/CD-RW 802.11b/g 15.4 inches 6.6 lbs. Nicely priced but underpowered. Has www.acer.com
AS1414WLCi-XPH Celeron M combo enough oomph for basic computing 800-816-2237
350 tasks, but not much more.
Ferrari 3400LMi $1,999 2.16GHz 512MB ATI Mobility 80GB DVD±RW 802.11g 15.1 inches 6.6 lbs. This pricey, fire-red roadster has the
Athlon 64 Radeon 9700 famous Ferrari logo and should serve
3000+ up nimble mobile performance.
APPLE COMPUTER
iBook G4 $999 1.2GHz 256MB ATI Mobility 30GB DVD/CD-RW 802.11b/g 12 inches 4.9 lbs. Built for students, an affordable and www.apple.com
PowerPC G4 Radeon 9200 combo well-designed low-end Apple, though 800-692-7753
a bit underpowered for the price.
PowerBook G4 $1,499 1.5GHz 512MB nVidia GeForce 60GB DVD/CD-RW 802.11b/g 12 inches 4.6 lbs. Faster, smaller, and more elegant than
PowerPC G4 FX Go5200 combo the iBook, and outfitted with a better
graphics engine.
CYBERPOWER
Xplorer U3-1000 $965 1.6GHz 256MB Integrated 40GB DVD/CD-RW 802.11b/g 12.1 inches 4.1 lbs. Lightweight and affordable with a www.cyberpowerpc.com
Pentium M combo zippy processor, but could use a 800-707-0393
725 memory boost.
Xplorer S4-1000 $1,335 1.5GHz 256MB ATI Mobility 40GB DVD/CD-RW 802.11g 15 inches 6.1 lbs. Available in an array of bright colors,
Pentium M Radeon 9700 combo but the premium 3D graphics are what
715 Pro makes this model stand out.
Xplorer M6-3000 $1,835 1.6GHz 1GB ATI Mobility 80GB DVD/CD-RW 802.11b/g 15.4 inches 5.7 lbs. Wide-screened, with a roomy hard
Pentium M Radeon 9600 combo drive and 1GB of memory, but not
725 cheap.
DELL
Inspiron 6000 $849 1.3GHz 256MB Integrated 40GB DVD-ROM None 15.4 inches 6.7 lbs. An eminently affordable machine with www.dell.com
Celeron M great battery life, though not a lot of 800-999-3355
350 horsepower.
Latitude D610 $1,249 1.6GHz 256MB Integrated 30GB CD-ROM 802.11b/g 14.1 inches 4.7 lbs. Update to the popular D600 targets
Pentium M business users but remains under-
725 configured for the price.
Inspiron 600m $1,321 1.6GHz 512MB ATI Mobility 40GB DVD/CD-RW 802.11b/g 14.1 inches 5.3 lbs. More to offer than the Inspiron 1000,
Pentium M Radeon 9000 combo but specs remain unimpressive for the
725 price.
FUJITSU COMPUTER SYSTEMS
LifeBook S2000 $1,199 1.5GHz 256MB Integrated 30GB DVD-ROM None 13.3 inches 4.3 lbs. Easy on your back and your wallet, www.fujitsupc.com
Athlon XP-M though light on storage and memory. 800-385-4878
1700+ Plus, no CD burner.

Base Hard Optical
Model Price* Processor RAM Graphics Drive Drive Wireless Display Weight Editor’s Take Find Out More
FUJITSU COMPUTER SYSTEMS
LifeBook S7000 $1,399 1.6GHz 256MB Integrated 40GB DVD/CD-RW 802.11b/g 14.1 inches 4.3 lbs. Lightweight, with a nice-size screen. www.fujitsupc.com
Pentium M combo Integrated graphics and lack of RAM 800-385-4878
725 mar an otherwise good configuration.
LifeBook S6000 $1,449 1.6GHz 512MB Integrated 40GB DVD/CD-RW 802.11b/g 13.3 inches 4.1 lbs. Very light, but at this price, the small
Pentium M combo display and integrated graphics are
725 hard to swallow.
GATEWAY
M320S $799.99 1.3GHz 256MB Integrated 40GB CD-ROM 802.11b/g 15 inches 5.5 lbs. A nice price, but specs are sorely www.gateway.com
Celeron M lacking; not enough power or memory, 800-369-1409
350 and no CD burner.
M210E $1,099 1.3GHz 256MB Integrated 40GB CD-ROM 802.11b/g 14 inches 5 lbs. This wide-screen machine may not
Celeron M cost much, but weak CPU and stingy
350 amount of RAM are big trade-offs.
M275X $1,499 1.7GHz 256MB Integrated 40GB DVD/CD-RW 802.11b/g 14.1 inches 5.7 lbs. A bit bulky, but trades extreme
Pentium M combo portability for extensive Tablet PC
735 functionality and long battery life.
450E $1,568 1.6GHz 256MB ATI Mobility 40GB CD-ROM 802.11b/g 14.1 inches 5.8 lbs. A fast-enough processor, but limited
Pentium M Radeon 7500 RAM and aging 3D graphics. Over-
725 priced for what you get.
HEWLETT-PACKARD
Pavilion ZE2000 $824 1.5GHz 512MB Integrated 40GB DVD/CD-RW None 15 inches 6.5 lbs. 512MB RAM is decent, but the CPU, www.hp.com
Series Celeron M combo graphics, and hard drive in this entry- 888-999-4747
370 level model need upgrading.
Compaq $1,449 1.86GHz 512MB ATI Mobility 60GB DVD/CD-RW 802.11b/g 14.1 inches 6.3 lbs. Fast, solid parts for a moderate price.
Presario NC6230 Pentium M Radeon X300 combo Features a pointing stick and touch
750 pad for comfy mobile computing.
LENOVO
ThinkPad $999 1.5GHz 256MB Integrated 30GB DVD/CD-RW 802.11b/g 15 inches 6.6 lbs. Bulky but well-designed. Anemic www.thinkpad.com
R Series Celeron M combo configuration explains the 888-746-7426
370 affordable price.
ThinkPad $1,299 1.6GHz 256MB ATI Mobility 40GB DVD/CD-RW 802.11b/g 14.1 inches 4.9 lbs. Strong biometric security is the high
T Series Pentium M Radeon 7500 combo point of this underpowered,
725 overpriced ThinkPad.
POLYWELL COMPUTERS
PolyNote 3000N $1,265 1.6GHz 256MB Integrated 40GB DVD/CD-RW None 14.1 inches 4.9 lbs. Trim and outfitted with fast processor, www.polywell.com
Pentium M combo but light on memory and graphics 800-999-1278
725 power. No built-in wireless capability.
PolyNote 3015AW $2,128 2GHz 1GB ATI Mobility 60GB DVD/CD-RW None 15.1 inches 5.7 lbs. On the pricey side, but packs a potent
Pentium M Radeon 9600 combo CPU, lots of RAM, and respectable
755 graphics. Again, no built-in Wi-Fi.
SONY ELECTRONICS
VAIO $1,149 1.6GHz 256MB Integrated 30GB DVD-ROM None 15.4 inches 6.3 lbs. Elegant and affordable, but lack of www.sony.com/pc39
FS Series Pentium M dedicated graphics, built-in Wi-Fi, or 866-823-7669
730 a combo drive spoil the deal.
VAIO $1,275 1.4GHz 256MB Integrated 40GB DVD/CD-RW None 13.3 inches 4.2 lbs. Nicely designed and lightweight, but
S Series Celeron M combo too expensive considering low-end
360 CPU and integrated graphics.
VAIO $2,249 2GHz 1GB Integrated 80GB DVD/CD-RW None 14.1 inches 5.1 lbs. All business, this light machine isn’t
B Series Pentium M combo cheap, but comes with a speedy
755 CPU and roomy hard drive.
TOSHIBA AMERICA
Satellite M30X $849.15 1.3GHz 256MB Integrated 40GB DVD/CD-RW None 15 inches 6.6 lbs. Worth considering if you’re looking for www.toshiba.com
Celeron M combo affordable style. Heavy, and only 800-316-0920
350 outfitted to handle the basics.
Tecra M3 $1,499 1.6GHz 256MB nVidia 40GB DVD-ROM 802.11b/g 14.1 inches 5 lbs. Moderately configured, attractively
Pentium M GeForce styled; has both a pointing stick and
730 Go 6200 a touch pad.
Portégé M200 $1,799 1.6GHz 256MB nVidia 40GB None 802.11b/g 12 inches 4.4 lbs. Toshiba’s nicely designed convertible
Series Pentium M GeForce FX isn’t a bargain, but remains a solid
725 Go5200 Tablet PC choice.
VELOCITY MICRO
NoteMagix D71 $1,295 1.3GHz 256MB Integrated 40GB DVD/CD-RW 802.11b/g 15.4 inches 6.4 lbs. Even though you get a wide-screen www.velocitymicro.com
Celeron M combo display and Wi-Fi, other components 800-303-7866
350 aren’t great for the price.
NoteMagix B50 $1,495 1.5GHz 512MB ATI Mobility 40GB DVD/CD-RW 802.11b/g 15.1 inches 6 lbs. Once the pinnacle of mobile power,
Ultra Pentium M Radeon 9700 combo speedy machine is still a good deal
715 but starting to show its age.

INKJET PRINTERS
NEED TO KNOW
RESOLUTION Resolution figures refer to the maximum CONNECTIVITY Most printers connect to your PC via
number of horizontal and vertical dots a printer can lay down USB 2.0, but you’ll have to buy the cable separately. For
within a 1-inch-square space. In theory, a higher-resolution PC-free printing, look for memory-card slots, and ports
printer can produce more-detailed text and images, but man- that allow for direct printing from supported cameras or
ufacturers inflate these numbers for marketing purposes, external storage devices. Many models also support wire-
meaning they often have little or no bearing on real-world less printing, using infrared, Bluetooth, and Wi-Fi access
performance. If possible, make your decision based on points with built-in print servers.
viewing actual output from a printer. CONSUMABLES Before you buy, consider the cost of items
PRINT SPEED This spec measures how many pages or such as ink and paper. Replacement ink can quickly exceed a
photos per minute (ppm) a printer spits out. To come printer’s price, running anywhere from $12 to as high as $60
up with the fastest-possible speeds, some manufactur- per cartridge. More-expensive printers may actually be more
ers use basic text documents at the lowest-quality set- economical in the long run because they often have higher-
tings (draft mode) on plain paper. In our tests, using a capacity ink tanks and separate tanks for each color. As for
printer’s automatic mode for text and its photographic- paper, use what the manufacturer recommends for the best
paper setting for photos, we typically achieve about results. These papers can cost anywhere from 10 cents to $2
half the speed the manufacturer promises. per letter-size sheet. —Louis Ramirez, Hardware Editor
Max. Resolution Max. Resolution Number of Number of Max. Print

Model Price (Color) (Monochrome) Cartridges* Ink Colors Speed** Editor’s Take Find Out More
CANON U.S.A.
Pixma iP1500 $49.99 4,800x1,200dpi 600x600dpi Two Four 18ppm Disappointing output makes this well-priced usa.canon.com
Photo Printer entry-level model less of a value. Step up to the 800-652-2666
iP2000.
Pixma iP2000 $79.99 4,800x1,200dpi 600x600dpi Two Four 20ppm Perfect for budget-conscious small businesses and
Photo Printer multitasking families. Great speed, output, and price.
Pixma MP130 $99.99 4,800x1,200dpi 600x600dpi Two Four 18ppm Not ideal for offices because of its small ink tanks,
Photo All-in-One but MFP produces good-looking text and photos.
Pixma iP4000 $149.99 4,800x1,200dpi 600x600dpi Five Five 25ppm A solid pick for home offices with its double-sided
Photo Printer printing and high paper capacity. A good value.
Pixma iP6000D $179.99 4,800x1,200dpi 4,800x1,200dpi Six Six 11ppm PC-independent printing. Includes a memory-card
Photo Printer reader, PictBridge support, and a 2.5-inch LCD.
Pixma i80 Color $249.99 4,800x1,200dpi 600x600dpi Two Four 14ppm Highly portable; optional car charger and Bluetooth
BubbleJet support will benefit those who print on the go.
Pixma iP90 $249.99 4,800x1,200dpi 600x600dpi Two Four 16ppm Update to the popular i80, but for true mobile
printing, you’ll need to spring for the $100 battery.
Pixma MP760 $299.99 4,800x1,200dpi 600x600dpi Five Five 25ppm Digital-photo-friendly MFP also scans film negatives
Photo All-in-One and slides. No fax or auto document feeder, though.
Pixma iP8500 $349.99 4,800x2,400dpi 4,800x2,400dpi Eight Eight 16ppm Offers fast printing speeds and excellent photo and
Photo Printer graphics output that will impress photography buffs.
i9900 Photo $499.99 4,800x2,400dpi 4,800x2,400dpi Eight Eight 16ppm Limited paper-type options, but prints up to 13x19.
Printer High-quality, fast color and black-and-white prints.
DELL
Color Printer 720 $49 4,800x1,200dpi 4,800x1,200dpi Two Four 13ppm Rock-bottom price gets you painfully slow print speeds. www.dell.com
800-999-3355
Photo All-in-One $79 4,800x1,200dpi 4,800x1,200dpi Two Four 19ppm Lack of fax function rules this MFP out for most offices.
Printer 922 Offers desktop preview feature for copies and scans.
Photo All-in-One $139 4,800x1,200dpi 4,800x1,200dpi Two Six 19ppm Despite the hassle of swapping ink cartridges (and
Printer 942 software-only faxing), an easy-to-use inkjet MFP.
Photo All-in-One $159 4,800x1,200dpi 4,800x1,200dpi Two Six 20ppm Fast, decent-looking monochrome prints from this
Printer 962 MFP; color output is slow. Includes fax capabilities.
EPSON AMERICA
Stylus C66 $69.99 5,760x1,440dpi 5,760x1,440dpi Four Four 17ppm Can print black text at up to 17ppm and color up to www.epson.com
9ppm, while delivering smudge-free, waterproof prints. 800-463-7766
Stylus Photo $99 5,760x1,440dpi 5,760x1,440dpi Six Six 15ppm Expect mediocre text quality and slow photo-print
R200 speeds.
Stylus CX4600 $99.99 5,760x1,440dpi 5,760x1,440dpi Four Four 15ppm Despite slow speeds, quality printouts make this a
good value for home users.
Stylus Photo $179.99 5,760x1,440dpi 5,760x1,440dpi Six Six 15ppm In addition to its memory-card slots, can also
R320 print on CDs and DVDs.
Stylus CX6600 $199.99 5,760x1,440dpi 5,760x1,440dpi Four Four 22ppm Photo-loving MFP is great for digital-camera fans
and small offices alike.
* = Indicates the number of ink cartridges the printer simultaneously hosts. ** = Fastest manufacturer-rated monochrome print speed
= Editors’ Choice See computershopper.com for full reviews of products in boldface.

Max. Resolution Max. Resolution Number of Number of Max. Print
Model Price (Color) (Monochrome) Cartridges* Ink Colors Speed** Editor’s Take Find Out More
EPSON AMERICA
PictureMate Deluxe $249.99 5,760x1,440dpi 5,760x1,440dpi One Six Not Far from a speed demon, this toaster-size model www.epson.com
Viewer Edition rated should please the point-shoot-and-print crowd. 800-463-7766
Stylus Photo $399 5,760x1,440dpi 5,760x1,440dpi Eight Eight 17ppm Features an eight-color pigment-ink system with a
R800 45-second rated speed for printing 5x7s.
Stylus Photo $849.99 5,760x1,440dpi 5,760x1,440dpi Nine Nine Not Expensive, but worth it for photo enthusiasts, thanks
R2400 rated to advanced black-and-white print modes.
HEWLETT-PACKARD
Deskjet 3740 $34.99 4,800x1,200dpi 1,200x1,200dpi Two Four 10ppm Simple and ultra-affordable; delivers 8.5x11- and www.hp.com
4x5-inch prints, albeit slowly. 888-999-4747
Deskjet 3845 $69.99 4,800x1,200dpi 1,200x1,200dpi Two Six 18ppm Compact and quiet; surpasses predecessor 3745’s
print speeds by 4 pages per minute.
Deskjet 5740 $99.99 4,800x1,200dpi 1,200x1,200dpi Two Six 23ppm Produces borderless prints in sizes up to 8.5x24
inches.
Deskjet 6540 $129.99 4,800x1,200dpi 1,200x1,200dpi Two Six 30ppm One of HP’s fastest inkjets. Nice specs and features
for its affordable price.
Business Inkjet $149.99 4,800x1,200dpi 1,200x1,200dpi Four Four 23ppm Uses four fat ink tanks for fewer refills and better ink
1000 capacity. Boring, boxy design.
Business Inkjet $199.99 4,800x1,200dpi 1,200x1,200dpi Four Four 28ppm Solid, low-cost option for small offices that seek
1200d budget color output but can’t afford laser printing.
Deskjet 6840 $199.99 4,800x1,200dpi 1,200x1,200dpi Two Six 30ppm Compatible with 802.11b/g networks; offers
lightning-fast print speeds and good output.
Deskjet 9800 $299.99 4,800x1,200dpi 1,200x1,200dpi Two Four 30ppm Attractively styled medium-format model is capable
of prints as big as 13x19 inches.
Deskjet 450wbt $349.99 4,800x1,200dpi 1,200x1,200dpi Two Four 9ppm On-the-road printer delivers great portability, excellent
Wireless Mobile photo quality, and both infrared and Bluetooth printing.
Printer
Business Inkjet $599.99 2,400x1,200dpi 1,200x600dpi Four Four 21ppm Includes 88MB of memory and dual processors for
3000 heavy business use.
Business Inkjet $1,099 2,400x1,200dpi 1,200x600dpi Four Four 21ppm Network-ready model features HP’s JetDirect 615n
3000dtn internal print server.
LEXMARK INTERNATIONAL
Z605 $51.94 4,800x1,200dpi 2,400x1,200dpi Two Four 14ppm Accu-Feed technology helps prevent pesky paper- www.lexmark.com
feed jams. 800-539-6275
P707 $79.99 4,800x1,200dpi 2,400x1,200dpi Two Six 17ppm Sleekly designed, with built-in memory-card reader,
but delivers slow, inconsistent print quality.
Z705 $79.99 4,800x1,200dpi 2,400x1,200dpi Two Six 17ppm Automatically aligns cartridges and senses paper
types.
Z715 $79.99 4,800x1,200dpi 2,400x1,200dpi Two Six 17ppm Prints borderless 4x6- and 8.5x11-inch photos.
Z816 $99.99 4,800x1,200dpi 2,400x1,200dpi Two Six 22ppm Slick design, but is short on features for the price.
Output quality is only average.
P915 $149.99 4,800x1,200dpi 2,400x1,200dpi Two Six 22ppm PictBridge compatibility and a 2.5-inch LCD make it
a good choice for easy photo prints sans PC.
P6250 $149.99 4,800x1,200dpi 2,400x1,200dpi Two Six 22ppm Compact, beginner-friendly all-in-one isn’t exactly a
speed demon; lacks stand-alone fax.
X7170 $199.99 4,800x1,200dpi 2,400x1,200dpi Two Four or 22ppm Prints great color photos, but poor text and scan
six quality mar this well-designed, easy-to-use MFP.
THE BEST RECENTLY REVIEWED INKJET PRINTERS
Canon Pixma iP8500 Photo Printer • $349.99 • Editors’ Rating: 8.0 Canon Pixma iP8500 Photo Printer
Great performance, simple duplex printing, an eight-color ink set,
and flexible paper handling make the easy-to-use iP8500 a winner.
Epson Stylus Photo R800 • $399 • Editors’ Rating: 8.0

Digital-photography enthusiasts will appreciate the versatile R800’s
excellent print quality and fast photo printing.
HP Business Inkjet 1200d • $199.99 • Editors’ Rating: 7.5

The 1200d’s low operating costs make it a great choice for an office that
needs a durable color printer but doesn’t want to shell out for a laser.

EXTERNAL HARD DRIVES
NEED TO KNOW
FORM FACTOR External hard drives come in all shapes drives to increase your overall network storage space. If you
and sizes, and most can even be rested vertically to save have a wireless network, you can opt for a Wi-Fi NAS drive
space on your desk. Some externals are small enough to fit that combines storage space with a wireless access point.
inside your shirt pocket, but these tend to be more expen- SPEED The speed at which a hard drive spins, measured in
sive and offer less storage space than more conventional revolutions per minute (rpm), is directly related to how fast
drives. Still, sheer portability makes them a great choice for it can retrieve data. In an external drive, your best bet is
shuttling between home and office. 7,200rpm.
CONNECTIVITY Typically, external drives connect via USB BUFFER Look for a drive with an 8MB buffer, rather than a
2.0 or FireWire, and some offer dual interfaces, giving you 2MB buffer. The larger buffer enables the drive to deliver
the option to connect either way. If you have a network data more quickly and can noticeably enhance performance.
setup, you can opt for a network-attached-storage (NAS) SOFTWARE Many hard drives come with backup and
drive. NAS drives provide an easy, relatively inexpensive recovery software to ease the archiving of files on your PC.
way to add storage to your network. Some are as basic as a Instead of purchasing a bare-bones drive, check each drive’s
hard drive with an Ethernet port; others provide extra USB software bundle for the best drive/software combo to suit
and FireWire ports that allow you to daisy-chain additional your personal backup needs. —Louis Ramirez, Hardware Editor
Buffer
Model Price Capacity Memory Spin Rate Interface Weight Editor's Take Find Out More
APRICORN
80GB EZ Bus DTS $139 80GB 8MB 7,200rpm Serial ATA 2.2 lbs. Sleek aluminum design. Uses Serial ATA www.apricorn.com
SATA interface; PCI card is included. 800-458-5448
200GB EZ Bus DTC $189 200GB 8MB 7,200rpm FireWire, 2.2 lbs. Supports two interfaces and a variety of
USB 2.0 synchronizing options.
40GB EZ Bus Mini $249 40GB 2MB 4,200rpm USB 2.0 5 oz. Slow spin rate and small buffer, but tiny
size and light weight make it easy to stow.
100GB EZ Bus USB 2.0 $289 100GB 2MB 4,200rpm USB 2.0 6 oz. Also extremely totable, this self-powered
Portable Hard Drive drive comes with a nylon travel pouch.
BUFFALO TECHNOLOGY
DriveStation USB 2.0 $139.99 120GB 2MB 7,200rpm USB 2.0 3.2 lbs. Will satisfy users looking for an inexpensive, www.buffalotech.com
External Hard Drive quick, no-nonsense backup solution. 800-456-9799
LinkStation Network $399.99 250GB 2MB 7,200rpm USB 2.0 4 lbs. Wireless network-attached storage device
Storage Center features a print server and FTP functionality.
IOMEGA
HDD 80GB USB $119.95 80GB 8MB 7,200rpm USB 2.0 2.2 lbs. Ideal inexpensive backup solution if your www.iomega.com
2.0 Desktop current drive is incredibly small. 888-516-8467
HDD 40GB USB $139.95 40GB 2MB 4,200rpm FireWire, 7.7 oz. Low storage capacity, but you’re paying for
2.0/FireWire Portable USB 2.0 pocket-size portability.
HDD 160GB USB $189.95 160GB 2MB 7,200rpm USB 2.0 2.6 lbs. A good choice whether you’re expanding
2.0 Desktop a PC’s storage space or just backing up.
HDD 250GB USB $229.95 250GB 2MB 7,200rpm USB 2.0 2.6 lbs. Excellent drive for backing up large media
2.0 Desktop files—without having to crack your PC case.
HDD 40GB Mini $279.95 40GB 2MB 4,200rpm USB 2.0 3.5 oz. Slightly bigger than a pack of smokes,
Hard Drive USB 2.0 and about 50 times more expensive.
LACIE
Porsche Hard $189 250GB 8MB 7,200rpm FireWire 2 lbs. Light, fast and spacious, this is one www.lacie.com
Drive 250GB Porsche you can actually afford. 503-844-4500
d2 Hard Drive $199 200GB 8MB 7,200rpm FireWire 3.3 lbs. Plug-and-play drive is quiet, built like a
Extreme With 400/800, tank, and supports three interfaces.
Triple Interface USB 2.0
d2 Hard Drive Serial $249 160GB 8MB 7,200rpm Serial ATA 3.3 lbs. New SATA drive promises extreme speed;
ATA 160GB SATA PCI card comes bundled.
Porsche Mobile $249 100GB 8MB 5,400rpm FireWire, 6.4 oz. Ultrasmall; can be shared easily among
Hard Drive 100GB USB 2.0 Mac and PC users.
Silverscreen 80GB $279 80GB 8MB 5,400rpm USB 2.0 9.5 oz. Portable; features handy A/V outputs and
remote control for viewing multimedia files.
Ethernet Disk Mini $299 250GB 8MB 7,200rpm USB 2.0 3.3 lbs. Easy-to-use network storage for homes
250GB and small offices.
Big Disk With Triple $399 500GB 8MB 7,200rpm FireWire 5.5 lbs. Stylish design, tons of storage space,
Interface 500GB 400/800, and triple interface make this a winner.
USB 2.0
MAXTOR
OneTouch 80GB $149.95 80GB 2MB 7,200rpm USB 2.0 3.1 lbs. Attractive but pricey. Better gig-per-dollar www.maxtor.com
USB Drive deals abound. 800-262-9867
OneTouch 160GB $199.95 160GB 8MB 7,200rpm FireWire 3.1 lbs. Doesn’t include USB 2.0 interface, but is
FireWire Drive for Mac formatted to work with today’s Macs.
OneTouch 200GB $229.95 200GB 8MB 7,200rpm FireWire, 3.1 lbs. Expensive, even for a high-capacity external
FireWire/USB Drive USB 2.0 drive with dual interfaces.
OneTouch II 300GB $299.95 300GB 16MB 7,200rpm FireWire, 3.1 lbs. Premium price, but you get lots of space
FireWire/USB Drive USB 2.0 and added buffer memory.
OneTouch II Small $599.95 200GB 8MB 7,200rpm USB 2.0 3.1 lbs. DriveLock feature password-protects files
Business Edition in case drive is lost or stolen.
See computershopper.com for full reviews of products in boldface. CONTINUES ON PAGE 142

TECHMARKET HARD DRIVES
Buffer
Model Price Capacity Memory Spin Rate Interface Weight Editor's Take Find Out More
SEAGATE TECHNOLOGY
5GB USB 2.0 $179 5GB 2MB 3,600rpm USB 2.0 2.2 oz. Portable with a cool hockey-puck design, www.seagate.com
Pocket Hard Drive but speed and capacity don’t justify price. 877-271-3285
160GB USB 2.0 $179 160GB 8MB 7,200rpm USB 2.0 2.6 lbs. Provides a healthy amount of storage
External Hard Drive space at a relatively low price.
200GB Pushbutton $219 200GB 8MB 7,200rpm FireWire, 2.6 lbs. Dual interface accommodates both Macs
Backup USB 2.0 and PCs.
100GB Portable $259 100GB 8MB 5,400rpm USB 2.0 10.3 oz. Durable PDA-size drive is ideal for frequent
External Hard Drive fliers.
400GB Pushbutton $389 400GB 8MB 7,200rpm FireWire, 2.6 lbs. BounceBack Express allows for fast and
Backup USB 2.0 simple backups.
SIMPLETECH
120GB SimpleDrive $147 120GB 2MB 7,200rpm USB 2.0 2 lbs. Funky-looking desktop drive could use a www.simpletech.com
External boost in the buffer department. 800-367-7330
160GB SimpleDrive $178 160GB 2MB 7,200rpm FireWire, 2 lbs. Few features for the price, save its dual
Deluxe External USB 2.0 interfaces.
80GB SimpleDrive $273 80GB 2MB 4,200rpm USB 2.0 1.5 lbs. Compact and travel-friendly, but overpriced
Portable considering its features and capacity.
SimpleShare Office $369 250GB 8MB 7,200rpm USB 2.0 2.5 lbs. Network-attached storage comes at a
Storage Server premium price with this drive.
400GB SimpleDrive $418 400GB 8MB 7,200rpm FireWire, 2 lbs. Massive storage with an equally hefty
Deluxe External USB 2.0 price tag.
WESTERN DIGITAL
Dual-Option Backup $129.99 120GB 2MB 7,200rpm USB 2.0 2.9 lbs. Handy dual-option feature lets you set on- www.wdc.com
USB 2.0 External demand or automatic backups. 949-672-7000
160GB Dual-Option $189.99 160GB 8MB 7,200rpm FireWire, 3.1 lbs. Provides more space, speed than above
Combo External Drive USB 2.0 drive, plus dual interfaces.
Passport Portable $199.99 80GB 2MB 5,400rpm USB 2.0 9.8 oz. Highly compact and draws power from
USB Drive USB; no need to carry a power cord.
USB 2.0 Hard Drive $199.99 250GB 2MB 7,200rpm USB 2.0 3.2 lbs. Bare-bones drive is short on features, but
WD Essential big on space.
Firewire/USB 2.0 $249.99 250GB 8MB 7,200rpm FireWire, 3.1 lbs. Features an attractive light-up exterior and
Lighted Drive USB 2.0 dual interfaces.
320GB Dual-Option $279.99 320GB 8MB 7,200rpm FireWire, 3 lbs. Whisper-quiet drive offers massive storage
Combo External Drive USB 2.0 capacity at a fair price.
Dual-Option $299.99 320GB 8MB 7,200rpm FireWire, 3 lbs. Multimedia junkies will enjoy this spacious
Media Center USB 2.0 drive with its eight-format card reader.
It’s time for a really

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By performing fast reactions to multiple
information sources, DoubleSight users
can experience significant productivity
increases ranging from 20 to 50% by
easily managing their multiple programs
simultaneously.
15”
DESKTOP SOLUTION
Imagine the possibilities...
17”
NOTEBOOK SOLUTION
The new DoubleSight dual LCD monitor is an

attractive, space saving and cost effective 19”
alternative to large CRT monitors that consume
a lot of physical desktop space or expensive
LCD monitors. DoubleSight monitors provides
an economic, easy to use technique for
seamlessly displaying as much data as
possible. For more information, please visit
www.doublesight.com
www.doublesight.com toll free: 1-877-896-5237 1-949-253-1535 ext. 211

DIGITAL CAMERAS (4- TO 5-MEGAPIXEL)
Next
NEED TO KNOW
RESOLUTION The quality of digital photos is measured to invest in an additional, roomier card with at month:
primarily by the number of pixels a camera’s image sen- least 128MB or 256MB to store more photos. 3.2-
Megapixel
sor can capture. A 5-megapixel camera, therefore, should If you already have a PDA or a flash-based MP3 Cameras
capture more image detail than a 4-megapixel model. player, consider cameras that use the same stor-
Still, whether you choose a 4- or a 5-megapixel camera, age format so you can share cards between devices.
you should be able to print good-quality images up to BATTERY Some cameras offer only a proprietary
11x17 inches. Lower-resolution models are better suited to rechargeable battery, usually either lithium-ion or nickel-
snapshot-size prints. metal-hydride, that can’t be swapped out if it runs out of
LENS The ability of a digital camera’s lens to magnify far- power while you’re shooting. Better are models that can
away action (that is, its optical zoom) is measured in x. also handle disposable lithium or alkaline batteries you
Look for a model with at least a 3x optical zoom, or more can carry with you to use in a pinch.
if you often need to catch distant action. Pay no attention VIDEO RECORDING Many digicams can record short
to digital-zoom specs. A glass lens is preferable to a plas- video clips. (A number also record sound with the video.)
tic one, though vendors often don’t specify what you get. Some models limit recording to 30 seconds or less, while
STORAGE MEDIUM Most digicams use wafer-thin flash- others will record as long as your storage will allow. A
memory cards like CompactFlash, SD/MultiMediaCard, number of cameras can record up to 30 frames per second
Olympus’ xD-Picture Card, or Sony’s Memory Stick. Cam- and/or at VGA quality (640x480 pixels).
eras usually come with a small-capacity card, so you’ll want —Sean Portnoy, Hardware Editor
Resolution Optical Included Storage Battery

Model Price (Megapixels) Zoom Memory Type Type Weight Editor’s Take Find Out More
CANON U.S.A.
PowerShot A520 $279 4 4x 16MB SD/MMC AA 6.4 oz. Smaller and lighter than the bulky A95, and a longer zoom, usa.canon.com
but the same old image processor. 800-652-2666
PowerShot A95 $349 5 3x 32MB CompactFlash AA 8.3 oz. A full feature set for its class, with impressive photo quality.
Plus, it’s newbie-friendly.
PowerShot SD20 $349 5 None 32MB SD/MMC Proprietary 3.5 oz. Offers high resolution in a tiny package, but lacks optical
zoom and an optical viewfinder.
PowerShot SD300 $349 4 3x 16MB SD/MMC Proprietary 4.6 oz. Large LCD for its size; also promises fast shooting with its
Digic II image processor.
PowerShot S60 $399 5 3.6x 16MB CompactFlash Proprietary 8.1 oz. Nearly identical to 7-megapixel S70, but produces images
with some purple fringing and slightly less sharpness.
PowerShot SD400 $399.99 5 3x 16MB SD/MMC Proprietary 4.6 oz. Features a 60-frame-per-second movie mode, a Special
Scene mode, and the Digic II image processor.
CASIO
QV-R51 $229.99 5 3x 9.7MB SD/MMC AA 5.9 oz. Reasonably priced for a well-built, compact 5-megapixel www.casio.com
(internal) shooter with a 2-inch LCD. 800-962-2746
Exilim EX-Z40 $249.99 4 3x 9.7MB SD/MMC Proprietary 4.3 oz. Lightweight shooter with a nice-size 2-inch LCD, but takes
(internal) only so-so images.
Exilim EX-Z50 $299.99 5 3x 9.3MB SD/MMC Proprietary 4.3 oz. Adds an extra megapixel to the EX-Z40, but delivers the
(internal) same mediocre images; few manual features.
Exilim EX-Z55 $349.99 5 3x 9.3MB SD/MMC Proprietary 4.3 oz. The EX-Z50 with a larger (2.5-inch) LCD, for an extra $50.
(internal) Outstanding battery life.
Exilim EX-Z57 $379.99 5 3x 9.3MB SD/MMC Proprietary 4.5 oz. Bumps up the Exilim series’ LCD size to 2.7 inches.
(internal) Onscreen RGB histogram for exposure info at a glance.
Exilim Pro $499.99 5 5x 7.5MB SD/MMC Proprietary 7.6 oz. Features a flip-out 2-inch LCD, along with 30-frame-per-
EX-P505 (internal) second, VGA-quality MPEG-4 video recording.
CONCORD CAMERA
Eye-Q 4363Z $149.99 4.1 3x 16MB SD/MMC AA 5.6 oz. Great price for features, but judging from past models, www.concord-camera.com
(internal) expect only average image quality. 954-331-4200
EASTMAN KODAK
EasyShare CX7430 $179.95 4 3x 16MB SD/MMC AA or 6.3 oz. Intuitive controls, strong performance, and decent images www.kodak.com
Zoom (internal) CR-V3 make this model a good value. 800-521-0788
EasyShare C340 $249.95 5 3x 16MB SD/MMC AA or 5.1 oz. Compact point-and-shoot has imaging features the CX7530
Zoom (internal) CR-V3 doesn’t, but half the internal storage space.
EasyShare CX7530 $249.95 5 3x 32MB SD/MMC AA or 6.8 oz. Bumps resolution up a megapixel, doubles internal
Zoom (internal) CR-V3 memory, and adds a larger LCD over the CX7430.
EasyShare LS743 $249.95 4 2.8x 16MB SD/MMC Proprietary 5.8 oz. Slim design, good burst mode, and great battery life make
Zoom (internal) up for anemic optical zoom.
EasyShare Z700 $299.95 4 5x 16MB SD/MMC AA or 7.7 oz. Decent price for a 5x all-glass optical zoom lens, but the
Zoom (internal) CR-V3 LCD is only 1.6 inches.
EasyShare LS753 $349.95 5 2.8x 32MB SD/MMC Proprietary 5.8 oz. Adds a megapixel to the LS743, but maintains the same
Zoom (internal) weak zoom lens.
EasyShare Z730 $349.95 5 4x 32MB SD/MMC Proprietary 7.9 oz. Larger zoom than the LS753, but on the hefty side for a
Zoom (internal) point-and-shoot. Advanced manual and custom controls.
EasyShare Z740 $379.95 5 10x 32MB SD/MMC AA or 10.1 oz. Comes with an all-glass lens. Really steps up the optical
Zoom (internal) CR-V3 zoom from the Z730.

TECHMARKET DIGITAL CAMERAS (4- TO 5-MEGAPIXEL)
EASTMAN KODAK
EasyShare DX6490 $399.95 4 10x 16MB SD/MMC Proprietary 11.9 oz. Big zoom lens and lots of manual controls, offset by
Zoom (internal) middling image quality.
EasyShare DX7590 $499.95 5 10x 32MB SD/MMC Proprietary 12.3 oz. Mediocre images drop this full-featured shooter down a
Zoom (internal) few notches.
EasyShare Z7590 $449.95 5 10x 32MB SD/MMC Proprietary 12.3 oz. Larger LCD than the Z740, and adds an electronic
Zoom (internal) viewfinder.
FUJI PHOTO FILM U.S.A.
FinePix A345 $249 4.1 3x 16MB xD-Picture Card AA 4.7 oz. Fuji’s A-series cameras are built for ease of use—don’t www.fujifilm.com
expect frills or manual features. 800-659-3854
FinePix E510 $269 5.2 3.2x 16MB xD-Picture Card AA 6.2 oz. Decent zoom lens with superb wide-angle performance,
and less expensive than the 5-megapixel F450.
FinePix S3100 $279 4 6x 16MB xD-Picture Card AA 10.1 oz. Point-and-shoot in a dSLR body. Sweet 6x optical zoom
is a bonus, though the plastic body feels a bit flimsy.
FinePix A350 $299 5.2 3x 16MB xD-Picture Card AA 4.7 oz. $50 more than the A345 for a 1-megapixel boost and a
slightly better digital zoom.
FinePix S5100 $349 4 10x 16MB xD-Picture Card AA 11.9 oz. Compact for a megazoom model with an advanced feature
set and solid performance.
FinePix F450 $399 5.2 3.4x 16MB xD-Picture Card Proprietary 5.3 oz. Squeezes a generous-size LCD and a better-than-average
zoom into a compact body.
FinePix Z1 $449 5.1 3x 16MB xD-Picture Card Proprietary 4.6 oz. Sleek compact with an internal zoom lens. Extras like ISO
up to 800 and natural-light mode will please snapshooters.
HEWLETT-PACKARD
Photosmart M22 $149.99 4.1 None 16MB SD/MMC AA 4.2 oz. Weather-resistant body. Creates panorama shots and www.hp.com
(internal) features in-camera red-eye removal. No optical zoom. 800-282-6672
Photosmart M407 $179.99 4.1 3x 16MB SD/MMC AA 5.1 oz. Offers a bargain price and 1.8-inch LCD in a chic casing.
(internal) Options are basic, with most everything automatic.
Photosmart M417 $199.99 5.2 3x 16MB SD/MMC AA 5.3 oz. M407’s successor increases resolution and adds red-eye
(internal) removal in a similar form factor.
Photosmart R607 $199.99 4.1 3x 32MB SD/MMC Proprietary 5.3 oz. Pocketable and lightweight, this sleek-looking compact
(internal) has a bevy of automatic and manual options.
Photosmart R707 $249.99 5.1 3x 32MB SD/MMC CP1 or 7 oz. Adds an extra megapixel to the R607 while keeping all of
(internal) proprietary its other features, like HP’s Real Life technologies.
KONICA MINOLTA PHOTO IMAGING U.S.A.
DiMage X60 $349.99 5 3x 15MB SD/MMC Proprietary 8.5 oz. Tiny pocket shooter loses viewfinder for 2.5-inch LCD. kmpi.konicaminolta.us
(internal) Internal zoom lens enables under-a-second startup times. 800-509-9022
DiMage Z20 $399 5 8x 14.5MB SD/MMC AA 10.6 oz. Odd form factor has big zoom lens, but a small 1.5-inch
(internal) LCD; VGA-quality video is limited to 15fps.
DiMage X50 $449 5 2.8x 16MB SD/MMC Proprietary 4.4 oz. The first of the svelte X series to provide 5-megapixel
resolution. It’s fast, too, with startup time under 2 seconds.
DiMage Z5 $649 5 12x 16MB SD/MMC AA 12 oz. Great 12x zoom lens is supported in movie mode—a
bonus. Should appeal to tweak-hungry enthusiasts.
NIKON
Coolpix 4600 $199.95 4 3x 14MB SD/MMC AA 4.6 oz. Highlights include in-camera red-eye correction and www.nikonusa.com
(internal) D-Lighting feature for poorly lit shots. 800-645-6687
Coolpix 5600 $249.95 5.1 3x 14MB SD/MMC AA 4.6 oz. Extra megapixel over the 4600; has an underwater mode
(internal) to be used with an optional underwater housing.
Coolpix 5900 $299.95 5.1 3x 13.5MB SD/MMC CP1 or 5.3 oz. One of first Coolpix cams to feature a 2-inch LCD; features
(internal) proprietary Face-Priority Autofocus for better portraits.
Coolpix 4800 $349.95 4 8.3x 13.5MB SD/MMC Proprietary 9 oz. Newbie-friendly, with a big zoom lens. Limited manual
(internal) controls, but packed with automatic assistance.
Coolpix 5200 $399.95 5.1 3x 12MB SD/MMC Proprietary 5.5 oz. Fit for beginners looking for large prints, but the quality-
(internal) conscious should look at Casio’s EX-P505 instead.
D2Hs $3,500 4.1 Varies None CompactFlash Proprietary 2.4 lbs. Solidly built prosumer model with long battery life, but
(body only) by lens expensive for its resolution, and a steep learning curve.
OLYMPUS AMERICA
D-545 Zoom $179.99 4 3x 14MB xD-Picture Card AA or 4.9 oz. Built-in help system—plus 19 scene modes—will please www.olympusamerica.com
(internal) CR-V3 beginners, though little here for manual tweakers. 888-553-4448
D-595 Zoom $249.99 5 3x 14MB xD-Picture Card AA or 5.3 oz. Options for manual aperture and shutter-speed control
(internal) CR-V3 give budding shutterbugs room to grow.
D-630 Zoom $299.99 5 3x 14MB xD-Picture Card Proprietary 4.4 oz. Compact model manages to house a 2-inch LCD; don’t
(internal) expect to shoot VGA-quality video, however.
Stylus 410 $299.99 4 3x 32MB xD-Picture Card Proprietary 5.6 oz. A compact, splash-proof model with 10 scene modes.
Digital A/V connector for directly displaying images on a TV.
Stylus Verve $299.99 4 2x 16MB xD-Picture Card Proprietary 3.7 oz. Eye-catching design can’t hide the weak zoom lens; no
optical viewfinder, and mediocre photos.
C-5500 SportZoom $349.99 5.1 5x 16MB xD-Picture Card AA 8.6 oz. Bulky sport-centric shooter with fast startup time, good
zoom lens, and high-speed 2.7fps sequential shooting.
IR-300 $349.99 5 3x 16MB xD-Picture Card Proprietary 4 oz. Part of Olympus’ Total Imaging Solution line, this point-
(internal) and-shoot has many auto settings and easy-share options.
IR-500 $349.99 4 2.8x 16MB xD-Picture Card Proprietary 5.5 oz. A step down in zoom and resolution from IR-300, but adds
a larger, rotating LCD, VGA video, and manual controls.
Stylus Verve S $349.99 5 2x 16MB xD-Picture Card Proprietary 4.1 oz. Higher resolution than the original Verve, along with new
all-weather body, but keeps weak 2x zoom.
C-770 Ultra $399.99 4 10x 16MB xD-Picture Card Proprietary 10.6 oz. Full manual controls, versatile zoom, and solid battery life.
Zoom Lack of RAW-format support may dissuade enthusiasts.

PANASONIC
Lumix DMC-LZ1 $249.95 4 6x 14MB SD/MMC AA 7.8 oz. Movie mode is strictly low-res, but its zoom, image- www.panasonic.com
(internal) stabilization feature, and 2-inch LCD are worth the price. 800-662-3537
Lumix DMC-LZ2 $299.95 5 6x 14MB SD/MMC AA 7.8 oz. Same compact design and specs as the DMC-LZ1, but
(internal) adds an extra megapixel of resolution for $50 more.
Lumix DMC-FX7 $399.95 5 3x 16MB SD/MMC Proprietary 4.8 oz. 2.5-inch display, and great resolution and zoom for its
small size. Pricey considering its other specs, though.
Lumix DMC-FZ4 $449.95 4 12x 8MB SD/MMC Proprietary 11.5 oz. Lowest-cost 12x zoom, but comes with a paltry memory
card and small (1.5-inch) LCD.
Lumix DMC-FZ5 $499.95 5 12x 16MB SD/MMC Proprietary 11.5 oz. In addition to a resolution increase over the DMC-FZ4,
doubles the size of memory card.
Lumix DMC-FZ20 $599.99 5 12x 16MB SD/MMC Proprietary 1.1 lbs. A remarkable zoom lens, solid manual focus, and generally
speedy performance. Handling is just mediocre, however.
Lumix DMC-LC1 $1,599 5 3.2x 16MB SD/MMC Proprietary 1.4 lbs. Well-made advanced-shooter’s cam with several unique
and efficient analog controls, though large and heavy.
PENTAX IMAGING
Optio S50 $299.95 5 3x 11MB SD/MMC AA or 6.3 oz. Affordable compact that takes pleasing images. Shooting www.pentaximaging.com
(internal) CR-V3 speed, on the other hand, is quite slow. 800-877-0155
Optio S5i $299.95 5 3x 10MB SD/MMC Proprietary 4.2 oz. Stylish ultracompact has lots of modes to offer and decent
(internal) picture quality. Tiny size may not work well for big hands.
Optio S5z $349.95 5 3x 9.3MB SD/MMC Proprietary 4.2 oz. One of the smallest, lightest 5MP cameras around; a
(internal) function key lets you create shortcuts to adjust settings.
OptioWP $349.95 5 3x 10.5MB SD/MMC Proprietary 4.8 oz. WP equals waterproof. Take this feature-laden cam into the
(internal) pool for close-ups with its internal zoom.
SAMSUNG ELECTRONICS
Digimax A402 $139.99 4 None 16MB SD/MMC AA or 3.9 oz. Pocket cam that’s as light on features as it is in actual www.samsungcamerausa.com
(internal) CR-V3 heft. Good price and resolution, but little else. 800-726-7864
Digimax A400 $199.99 4 3x 16MB SD/MMC AA or 4.9 oz. For $40 more than the A402, you get a lot more, including
(internal) CR-V3 a 2-inch LCD, 3x zoom, and VGA video with audio.
Digimax U-CA 505 $209.99 5 None 16MB SD/MMC Proprietary 3.9 oz. Like the A402, small and light, but lacks features found on
(internal) other 5-megapixel models—notably, optical zoom.
Digimax A5 $239.99 5 3x 16MB SD/MMC AA or 5.9 oz. Good specs for the price, plus a handful of manual controls.
(internal) CR-V3 Uses colored lights to relay system status.
Digimax U-CA5 $289.99 5.1 3x 32MB SD/MMC Proprietary 4.6 oz. Includes interesting features like auto macro, plus the
ability to charge using a cell-phone charger.
SONY ELECTRONICS
Cyber-shot $199.95 4.1 3x 32MB Memory Stick, AA 4.8 oz. Entry-level Stamina series model promises better battery www.sony.com/pc39
DSC-S40 (internal) Memory Stick life; solid specs, but the 1.5-inch LCD is too small. 866-823-7669
Pro
Cyber-shot $249.95 4.1 3x 16MB Memory Stick Proprietary 4 oz. Quick, slick ultracompact with excellent battery life and
DSC-L1 Duo, Pro Duo easy operation. Image quality is subpar.
Cyber-shot $249.95 4.1 3x 32MB Memory Stick, AA 7 oz. Boosts the DSC-S40’s LCD size by half an inch, and adds
DSC-S60 (internal) Memory Stick options like control over aperture and shutter speed.
Pro
Cyber-shot $299.95 4 3x 32MB Memory Stick, AA 7.1 oz. Raises the DSC-S60’s 2-inch LCD to 2.5 and adds high-
DSC-S90 (internal) Memory Stick capacity NiMH batteries and charger.
Pro
Cyber-shot $399.95 5.1 3x 32MB Memory Stick, Proprietary 6 oz. Unique rotating lens captures shots at all angles. Excellent
DSC-F88 Memory Stick macro abilities, plus strong image quality and battery life.
Pro
Cyber-shot $399.95 5.1 3x 32MB Memory Stick Proprietary 5.3 oz. 32MB of built-in memory, 2.5-inch LCD, and 10 preset scene
DSC-T33 Duo, Pro Duo modes, all packed in a sleek body just 0.75 inch thin.
Cyber-shot $499.95 5.1 12x 32MB Memory Stick, AA 1.5 lbs. Uses optical image stabilization to reduce camera shake
DSC-H1 (internal) Memory Stick on distance shots; includes 2.5-inch LCD, manual mode.
Pro
Cyber-shot $499.95 5.1 3x 32MB Memory Stick Proprietary 4.7 oz. No lack of features, but ultraslim size contributes to the
DSC-T7 Duo, Pro Duo cost.
THE BEST RECENTLY REVIEWED DIGITAL CAMERAS (4- TO 5-MEGAPIXEL)
Canon PowerShot SD400 • $399.99 • Editors’ Rating: 7.4

Long battery life and improved image quality make this high-performance ultra- Casio Exilim
compact one of the better choices in the current Canon Digital Elph lineup. Pro EX-P505
Casio Exilim Pro EX-P505 • $499.99 • Editors’ Rating: 7.2

One of the best attempts at combining high-quality photo capture and decent
video capabilities with a 5x zoom that is fully functional while recording video.
Konica Minolta DiMage X50 • $449 • Editors’ Rating: 6.8

A slim, speedy, and stylish compact camera that’s as easy on the
eyes as it is to use with extras like in-camera editing and resizing.

WARRANTIES & SERVICE PLANS FOR DESKTOPS & NOTEBOOKS
NEED TO KNOW
TERM Major vendors such as Dell and Gateway are trying to to insure their PCs against falls, spills, and regular wear and
set the benchmark for support at 90 days, but no PC owner tear. Fine Print: ADP plans aren’t available in all states.
should settle for a warranty that short. If you’re looking at a REPAIRS Many vendors offer depot service, which re-
term shorter than one year, consider an extended service quires a customer to return a PC to an authorized factory
plan. Fine Print: Most extended plans require you to pur- or service center for major repairs and parts replacement.
chase them before the standard warranty has expired. If you get a service plan that includes onsite repair, a com-
PARTS COVERAGE As a rule, standard warranties cover puter technician will fix your PC at your home, usually by
your computer’s main hardware components (CPU, hard the next business day. Fine Print: A host of eligibility re-
drive, RAM). Software and peripherals, such as monitors strictions usually apply to getting onsite service. Consult
and keyboards, are usually covered by their manufactur- your service contract before buying.
ers’ warranties or an optional service plan. Keep in mind TECHNICAL SUPPORT Phone and online chat are gener-
that extended service plans for PCs still won’t cover these ally the most effective forms of tech support, but an easily
extras—they only lengthen the coverage period of the navigable online knowledge base can help you solve simple
standard warranty. Fine Print: Some vendors don’t cover computer problems at home, without waiting on hold.
parts you’ve upgraded from a PC’s base configuration. TERMS & CONDITIONS While the warranty and support
DAMAGE PROTECTION Under a standard warranty, ven- information below applies to most of each vendor’s offer-
dors will repair computers damaged during shipping or with ings, terms and conditions can vary by system or system
defective parts. Notebook owners and the accident-prone line. Always review the terms for your particular PC care-
should invest in an accidental damage protection (ADP) plan fully before buying. —Erin Kandel, Editorial Assistant
Accidental-
Damage Onsite Repair/ Free Online E-Mail
Protection Return-to-Depot Knowledge Toll-Free Phone Support/
Plan Price Term (ADP) Service Base Support Hours Live Chat Editor’s Take
ABS COMPUTER TECHNOLOGIES www.abspc.com • 800-876-8088
Standard Warranty Free One year No No/yes Yes 11:30 a.m. to Yes/no Marred by limited phone hours. Plan includes online help
8:30 p.m. (ET) forum, but no live chat.
APPLE COMPUTER www.apple.com • 800-692-7753
Limited Warranty Free One year No No/yes Yes 24 hours daily Yes/yes Apple’s massive knowledge base is one of the best in
(90 days) (90 days) the biz, but skimpy 90-day support is a real bummer.
AppleCare $149 to $349 Three years No Yes (desktops)/yes Yes 24 hours daily Yes/yes A necessity for all but the bravest to bolster the standard,
Protection Plan measly 90 days of support. Covers hardware and software.
CYBERPOWER www.cyberpowerpc.com • 800-707-0393
Limited Warranty Free One year No No/yes No 24 hours daily Yes/no Cyberpower doesn’t sell an extended plan, but the free
(notebooks); limited warranty provides decent long-term protection.
three years But the company doesn’t cover shipping costs for depot
(desktops) repairs.
DELL www.dell.com • 800-999-3355
Limited Warranty Free 90 days No Yes/yes Yes 24 hours daily Yes/yes Onsite repair and one year of phone support don’t justify
(one year) this plan’s paltry 90-day term.
Extended Services $19 and up One to No Yes/yes Yes 24 hours daily Yes/yes Three- and four-year plans include global support for
Plan four years laptops and additional onsite-repair hours.
CompleteCare $59 (desktops); One to Yes Yes/yes Yes 24 hours daily Yes/yes Nicely priced plan has some caveats: doesn’t cover all
Agreement $79 to $199 four years components, and notebooks require at least a three-
(notebooks) year contract.
FUJITSU COMPUTER SYSTEMS www.fujitsupc.com • 800-385-4878
International Free One year No No/yes Yes 24 hours daily Yes/yes Solid, no-frills coverage provides peace of mind for one
Limited Warranty year, but doesn’t include shipping costs for depot repairs.
Extended Warranty $99.95 (one year); One year; No No/yes Yes 24 hours daily Yes/yes Note: This warranty extension must be activated within
$179.95 (two years) two years 30 days of the date of notebook purchase.
Executive Mobile $49.95 (one year); One year; No Yes/yes Yes 24 hours daily Yes/yes Adds onsite repair but no damage protection; must buy
Service $149.95 (three years) three years two-year extended warranty with the three-year contract.
GATEWAY www.gateway.com • 800-369-1409

Value Plan Free to $149.99 One to No No/yes Yes 24 hours daily Yes/yes Basic warranty falls short, with just 90 days of free
(desktops); free to four years support. For additional coverage, the Value Plus Plan is
$229 (notebooks) a better buy.
Value Plus Plan $99.99 to $139.99 One to No Yes/yes Yes 24 hours daily Yes/yes Value Plan upgrade adds onsite repair—and includes
(desktops); four years advanced live chat with tech-support reps who can view,
$99.99 to $299.99 control, and troubleshoot your PC over the Web.
(notebooks)
Total Protection $149.99 to $259.99 One to Yes Yes/yes Yes 24 hours daily Yes/yes Speedy tech-support options and next-day onsite repair
Plan (desktops); four years (notebooks are standout features, but at this price, notebook-only
$99.99 to $199.99 only) damage-protection limits the appeal for desktop users.
(notebooks)

Accidental-
Damage Onsite Repair/ Free Online E-Mail
Protection Return-to-Depot Knowledge Toll-Free Phone Support/
Plan Price Term (ADP) Service Base Support Hours Live Chat Editor’s Take
HEWLETT-PACKARD www.hp.com • 888-999-4747
Basic Warranty Free One year No No/yes Yes 24 hours daily Yes/no Knowledge base is impressive, but lack of support via
online chat weakens this basic support plan.
Extended $99.99 to $219.99 Two years; No No/yes Yes 24 hours daily Yes/no Covers displays purchased on same invoice as PC, and
Service Plan (desktops); three years notebooks get express three-day repair, but we’d like
$99.99 to $179.99 either damage protection or onsite service at this price.
(notebooks)
HP House Call $199.99 to $269.99 Two years No Yes/yes Yes 24 hours daily Yes/yes Plan only applies to eligible desktops and Media Center
for Desktops PCs; includes live chat.
Accidental Damage $149.99 to $199.99 One to Yes No/yes Yes 24 hours daily Yes/no Adds damage protection to Extended Service Plan
Protection Extended (desktops); three years package, but plan doesn’t cover damage from user
Service Plan $99.99 to $349.99 wear and tear. Must be bought within one year of PC
(notebooks) purchase date.
IBUYPOWER www.ibuypower.com • 888-462-3899
Limited Warranty Free One year No Yes/yes No Mon to Fri, 11:30 a.m. Yes/no Limited phone-support hours, and no online knowledge
(Desktops) to 8 p.m. (ET) base, but iBuypower includes onsite service.
Limited Warranty Free One year No No/yes No Mon to Fri, 11:30 a.m. Yes/no Average notebook coverage weakened by limited tech-
(Notebooks) to 8 p.m. (ET) support options.
Depot Service $29 One year No No/yes No Mon to Fri, 11:30 a.m. Yes/no To cover shipping costs for repairs, notebook buyers
Warranty to 8 p.m. (ET) should shell out the $29 for this plan.
(Notebooks)
Extended Warranty $49 (two years); Two years; No Yes/yes No Mon to Fri, 11:30 a.m. Yes/no Great price, but use onsite support carefully—there’s
(Desktops) $79 (three years) three years to 8 p.m. (ET) a $165 service charge for software problems.
LENOVO www.lenovo.com • 866-968-4465
Limited Warranty Free One to No Yes/yes Yes 24 hours daily Yes/no Terms vary greatly from model to model; some plans
(Desktops) four years offer mail-in instead of onsite service.
Limited Warranty Free 90 days to No Yes/yes Yes 24 hours daily Yes/no Aside from a few models with 90-day terms, notebooks
(Notebooks) four years get better-than-average coverage here.
Warranty Service $35 to $293 One to No Yes/yes Yes 24 hours daily Yes/no The most-expensive upgrades provide long coverage plus
Upgrade (Desktops) four years 24/7, same-day onsite service.
Warranty Service $49 to $549 One to No Yes/yes Yes 24 hours daily Yes/no Lenovo’s willingness to cover notebooks for five years is
Upgrade (Notebooks) five years reassuring, but we wish damage protection was an option.
POLYWELL COMPUTERS www.polywell.com • 800-900-5836
Basic Warranty Free Varies No No/yes Yes 24 hours daily Yes/no Parts coverage is based on individual manufacturers’
by model (one year) warranties; five years of labor coverage for PCs $1,000
and up.
Enhanced Basic 3 percent of price One year; No Yes/yes Yes 24 hours daily Yes/no Depending on the price of your PC, this plan option
Warranty (one year); 8 percent three years can cost a bundle—plus, it requires the purchase of an
of price (three years) onsite-service contract. No knowledge base.
SONY ELECTRONICS www.sony.com/pc39 • 866-823-7669
Limited Warranty Free One year No No/yes Yes 24 hours daily Yes/yes Solid limited warranty enhanced by superior knowledge
base and live-chat support.
Express Ship $124.99 to $429.99 One to No No/yes Yes 24 hours daily Yes/yes Sony’s most basic warranty extension for notebooks, this
(Notebooks) four years plan shoulders express shipping costs for depot repairs.
Onsite Service $149.99 to $379.99 Two to No Yes/yes Yes 24 hours daily Yes/yes Covers lightning damage if your surge protector fails, but
(Desktops) five years no complete damage-protection plan is offered.
Onsite Service with $199.99 to $439.99 Two to Yes Yes/yes Yes 24 hours daily Yes/yes Pricey but well-rounded package covers all the bases
ADP (Notebooks) four years for long-term laptop protection.
TOSHIBA AMERICA www.toshiba.com • 800-316-0920
Limited Warranty Free 90 days to No No/yes Yes 24 hours daily No/no Best to upgrade if you’re stuck with a skimpy 90-day
three years term. No live-chat or e-mail support.
At-Home Repair $79 to $169 One year; No Yes/yes Yes 24 hours daily No/no Same coverage as limited warranty, but with onsite
three years support; a better deal when purchased with an extension.
SystemGuard $99 to $178 One year; Yes No/yes Yes 24 hours daily No/no Well-priced damage-protection plan is offered in more
Accidental Damage three years term lengths when bundled with a warranty extension
Coverage and/or at-home repair.
Extended Warranty $99 to $399 One to No No/yes Yes 24 hours daily No/no Most expensive for Qosmio laptops; for extra protection,
four years consider adding the accidental-damage-protection plan.
VELOCITY MICRO www.velocitymicro.com • 800-303-7866
Limited Warranty Free One to No Yes/yes Yes Mon to Fri, 7 a.m. to Yes/yes Phone-support hours aren’t the best, but user-friendly
three years 11 p.m.; Sat, 10 a.m. live chat and up to three years of free onsite service
to 6 p.m. can’t be beat.
VelocityCare Free; $49 to $79 One to No Yes/yes Yes 24 hours daily Yes/yes This plan rounds out limited-warranty features with 24/7
(varies by model) three years phone hours; comes free with most models.

149 Tech Products
WEB BUYER
149 Mobile and Travel Accessories
150 Sites for Audio Enthusiasts
152 Direct PC Vendors
152 Software
154 VoIP Resources
THE BEST SITES FOR ONLINE SHOPPING • BY KEVIN SAVETZ
>>TECH PRODUCTS circuitcity.com

MOBILE AND TRAVEL
Plug in to Circuit City, where you can choose
acortech.com
Inexpensive PC accessories abound at Acortech.
from a quarter million movies, video games,
and CDs. The inventory also includes digital
ACCESSORIES
com. We found 17-inch LCD monitors for under cameras, flat-panel televisions, and PDAs, which
$300, flash drives for under $20, optical mice for you can have delivered or pick up in a Circuit City
less than $5, and other low-cost goodies for store.
certified tech geeks.
compusa.com
allstarshop.com The well-organized CompUSA rounds out the usual
When you wish upon Allstarshop.com, you’ll find selection of PC hardware, peripherals, and acces-
low prices on a shimmering collection of cases, sories with areas devoted to home electronics and
graphics cards, motherboards, and peripherals. The wireless gadgets. Set your own price on PCs at
company provides free shipping on many items and CompUSA’s auction site. garmin.com
plenty of information about each product.
computergate.com Garmin specializes in Global Positioning
Computer Gate offers a large selection of PCs and System (GPS) receivers. Check out its
peripherals—everything from cases and chargers to StreetPilot units, which add color-screened
mods and memory. Many items are automatically moving-map navigation to any vehicle. The
discounted if you buy more than one, and the com- Purchase Assistant will help you choose
pany offers a 30-day return policy on its entire the right model for your needs.
selection of PCs and peripherals.
igo.com
computers.ebay.com
Browse iGo’s selection of power acces-
eBay is an unparalleled auction site and a unique
sories to stay in touch on the go. The su-
shopping experience. Shoppers can set their own
prices on components, including new and used PCs, perslim MobilePower 6000 universal bat-
software, tech books, and vintage computers. tery will give your laptop an additional 5
hours of power. Or get the Juice charger,
computers4sure.com which can recharge two devices at once.
At Computers4Sure, you’ll find 21 departments
well-stocked with a broad spectrum of products, laptoptravel.com
including networking gear, PDAs, and scanners. Take a trip to Laptop Travel, a useful site
selling notebook travel accessories, includ-
cpusolutions.com
ing foreign electrical and phone adapters,
CPU Solutions will entice you with inexpensive
Asus Vento 3600 computer components and upgrade kits. The site voltage converters, cases, and mobile
from Allstarshop.com offers several complete desktop computers for desks. Check out the Travel Tips section
under $500, plus PC kits for under $300. for helpful advice before you hit the road.
amazon.com crutchfield.com magellangps.com

Amazon.com is an unparalleled superstore with Crutchfield.com showcases an impressive catalog Thales Navigation’s Magellan line of
a massive inventory equaled only by its special of camcorders, digital cameras, and audio/video GPS products includes receivers for out-
features, such as personalized product recommen- products for your home and car. Visit the Crutch- door adventures, driving, and marine
dations and mobile access. The Early Adopter field Advisor for glossaries, guides to choosing
use. The company also offers software
Products pages show what’s fresh in electronics, components, and installation tips. The return poli-
video games, and DVDs. cy—a 30-day money-back guarantee with free packages to help you map out your trip.
return shipping—is a bonus.
bestbuy.com mobileplanet.com
Our readers voted Best Buy their favorite place c-source.com MobilePlanet has a world of hardware
to buy peripherals, handhelds, and storage. The selec- The catalog at 14-year-old CompSource overflows and accessories for travelers. MP3 play-
tion in each department is comprehensive and impres- with all types of PC products—more than 200,000 ers, wireless phones, and GPS receivers
sive. The best part? You can have your gadget deliv- in all. Scrutinize the Best Sellers lists to find other highlight the site’s offerings. The Acces-
ered, or pick it up at a nearby store. customers’ favorite products in 17 categories, sorizer will show you compatible add-ons
including printers, cameras, motherboards, and
buy.com for the mobile devices you already own.
more.
Buy.com’s vast million-product inventory
includes computer hardware, software, electron- cyberguys.com radioshack.com
ics, video games, books, music, and DVDs. Sister Cyberguys specializes in low-cost computer acces- Keep your gadgets running everywhere
site BuyMusic.com delivers music downloads sories and supplies. The catalog includes hard-to- you go using the selection of power
starting at 79 cents a song. find cables, fun PC add-ons, electronics tools, and adapters and voltage converters at
networking equipment. Look for under-$4 gizmos in RadioShack. Look for the auto/air
cambridgesoundworks.com the Bargain Bin. adapters, which charge your laptop in a car
Cambridge SoundWorks sells home audio and or from an aircraft’s in-flight power source.
home theater products that will please everyone directron.com
from budget-minded buyers to demanding audio Directron.com has the stuff tinkerers dream of.
www.shop.teleadapt.com
buffs. Take advantage of the free shipping, as well The massive selection of PC gear includes cases,
as the 45-day price-protection and satisfaction storage, mods, lighting, motherboards, and more. The “global travel products” at Tele-
Illustrations by Bill Rieser
guarantees. Plus, orders earn you the right to pick through the adapt include regional phone and power
Free Stuff bin. converters and adapters that let you
cdw.com safely plug your laptop’s modem into a
In addition to a wide selection of hardware and periph- dirtcheapdrives.com hotel’s phone system. If you want to
erals, CDW offers an Outlet section where you’ll find Dirt Cheap Drives delivers low prices on a wide keep your hardware safe even on ques-
deals on clearance merchandise and customer returns. selection of hard drives. The Best Sellers page will tionable foreign power grids, consider a
Click the Mac Warehouse tab to reveal a medley of show you the most popular units—we’ve found
portable surge suppressor.
Apple hardware and peripherals. several nicely priced high-capacity drives there.

WEB BUYER SHOPPING SITES
Complete Model Listing page provides a one-page cialty modules. You’ll also find memory for your dig-
discountlaptops.com comparison of the site’s 50-plus new laptops. ital camera and notebook. Don’t forget to check out
Check out Discount Laptops for reasonably priced the deals on the Close Out page.
new and refurbished notebooks from Chem U.S.A., dvdempire.com
Panasonic, Sager, and Twinhead. The handy Browse the collection of videos, CDs, and video ncix.com
games at DVD Empire. You’ll find new and future NCIX.com makes it easy to learn about the com-
releases, plus best-sellers in each category. Visit the puter hardware and accessories it sells. Customer
SITES FOR AUDIO Bargains section for cheap PC and console games. ratings and reviews are included on every product
page, so you can see if previous shoppers were
ENTHUSIASTS ecost.com
Look to eCost.com for deals on PC components,
satisfied.
software, electronics, and DVDs, with free ship- newegg.com

ping on orders over $25. You’ll be enticed by Newegg.com is a nest of good stuff for do-it-your-
short-lived but sweet deals in the Bargain self PC upgraders. The selection focuses on hard
Countdown area. drives, motherboards, CPUs, optical-storage
add-ons, and consumer electronics.
ergoindemand.com
At Ergo In Demand, you’ll find monitor arms, tele- outpost.com
phone swivel arms, copy holders, and keyboard Shoppers at Fry’s Outpost.com enjoy an ample
abtelectronics.com trays—no object will ever have to touch your desk catalog of hardware, software, cameras, and video
If you salivate at the thought of a 400- again. The company’s elegant flat-screen-monitor games. Notable features include the Power Search
disc CD changer or a thumping surround- arms hold two or more LCDs. function, special deals, and a 30-day money-back
sound speaker system, check out Abt guarantee on most products.
fwdepot.com
Electronics. In business for 69 years, this
FireWire Depot stocks FireWire enclosures, exter-
site has everything an audiophile could nal optical drives, PCI host adapters, hubs, and
want, including amps, tuners, cables, and other accessories. You’ll also find high-speed
headphones, all with inexpensive shipping. USB 2.0 products, including cards, enclosures,
and connectors.
audioasylum.com
Audio Asylum is a site run by self-de- insight.com
scribed “audio lunatics.” Use the busy Insight delivers IT products for businesses,
message boards to discuss the minutiae including networking hardware, projectors,
and servers. Check the Top Sellers in desktops,
of audio systems—cables, speakers, and
memory, and hard drives to find popular deals.
vintage gear.
avsforum.com Linksys Wireless-G

For advice on building your dream audio Broadband Router
system, check out the AV Science Forum, With SRX (WRT54GX) Sony PlayStation
a thriving community of home theater from Insight Portable from
buffs. Join discussions on topics such as Fry’s Outpost.com
hi-fi audio and high-definition televisions.
pcclub.com
ecoustics.com
Here’s a club you’ll want to be a member of. PC
eCoustics.com provides an abundance of Club stocks a full gamut of peripherals, as well as
information for home-audio hobbyists. custom-built PCs. Weekly Specials deliver hot deals
Search thousands of links to product re- on storage, monitors, and accessories.
views—more than 500 in the CD Player
section alone. Plus, the Hot Deals sec- pcmall.com
tion, merchant ratings, and price-com- Catering to businesses of all sizes, and con-
parison tools help you find the best- sumers, PC Mall’s catalog includes more than
100,000 products, with hot deals on notebooks,
sounding value.
LCD monitors, and digital media. Sister site
MacMall is devoted to Apple hardware and
800stereo.com software.
At 800 Stereo, you’ll find a wide range
of speakers, A/V receivers, high-end CD journeyware.com pcsound.com
players, turntables, and other audio gear. Journeyware.com is a travel- and tech-gear site Listen up, y’all. Lone Star PC Sound sells sound
The home theater section abounds with that sells ergonomically friendly laptop bags and cards from Creative Labs, M-Audio, SIIG, Turtle
DVD recorders, plasma and LCD televi- rolling cases, plus cases for your PDA, camera, and Beach, and other manufacturers. Put that card to
sions, projectors, and even home theater cell phone. Shipping is free on orders of more than work driving one of the site’s speaker sets—the
$50. selection includes models from 15 manufacturers.
furniture.
monitoroutlet.com pdaaccessories.net
monstercable.com From inexpensive CRTs to elegant and pricey plasma After a trip to PDA Accessories.net, your hand-
Quality cables can mean the difference screens, Monitor Outlet sells a wide range of dis- held will be all charged up and cozy. At this site,
between good sound and phenomenal plays, with free shipping on everything. The site you’ll find PDA cases, chargers, holsters, and
sound. Monster Cable Products sells sells units from more than 20 manufacturers, plus styli. Plus, the company offers free USPS ship-
high-performance cables, including specialty monitors such as touch screens, wide- ping on every order.
THX-certified wiring for your home en- aspect-ratio screens, and projectors.
silenxusa.com
tertainment setup. Visit the Hookup &
www.motherboardsdirect.com Shhh! For a PC that’s both cool and quiet, look to
Learning Center for guides to connect it
When you buy a mobo from Motherboards Direct, SilenX, a site that manufactures fans and heat
all together. the company installs everything and provides free sinks for your case, chipset, hard drive, and
technical support for as long as you own the board. graphics-processing chip. Get a silent power sup-
tweeter.com You can even upgrade your whole system while ply to end your PC’s ceaseless drone.
Tweeter offers home audio products, plus you’re there; the site also sells drives, add-on cards,
plenty of iPods and other portable music and other PC upgrades. smarthome.com
players, with free shipping on most items. Smarthome specializes in home automation prod-
Click the Research link for shopping mushkin.com ucts, including security, lighting, and home theater.
guides and articles. Mushkin Enhanced Memory sells a wide range of You can get an X-10 system to remotely control all
RAM, from double-data-rate (DDR) SDRAM to spe- the lights and appliances in your house, or choose a

touch screen that controls your thermostat, alarm machines, gamers’ dream systems, Media Centers,
system, and lighting. and budget PCs for everyday use. shopprostar.com
Each computer in ProStar Computer’s line of
surpluscomputers.com dell.com notebook PCs is backed by a 30-day money-back
Surplus Computers buys and sells corporate excess, Dell’s electronic storefront has always led the way guarantee, a speedy-repair promise, and free
overstock, and slightly obsolete PC hardware and in ease of use. The site is jam-packed with detailed tech support.
software. The hardware choices include desktops, information that makes it a snap to match a
laptops, and parts. For software, choose among older machine to your needs. Each system is configurable sonystyle.com/vaio
operating systems and office suites. to the nth degree, and you can get quick access to Sony Style is a sleek-looking site selling Sony’s
online support customized for your PC. line of VAIO desktops and notebooks, plus digital
svcompucycle.com cameras, displays, and storage devices.
Silicon Valley Compucycle specializes in prod-
ucts that will keep your PC cool, including CPU store.apple.com
heat sinks, fans, and chipset coolers. Power The Apple Store’s well-designed site allows you
supplies, processors, and memory round out the to custom-configure any Macintosh, and offers a
choices for PC builders. wide array of Mac-compatible software and
accessories. For frequent (or compulsive) cus-
techforless.com tomers, the one-click-ordering feature makes
What happens to the PCs and peripherals that cus- purchases extra-simple.
tomers return to the store? Some of them end up at
Tech for Less, which tests and resells them to toshibadirect.com
budget-minded shoppers like you. A 30-day return The custom-configured notebooks and Tablet PCs
policy applies to all products, but you may not get a at Toshiba Direct range from budget models to the
warranty beyond that. unique Qosmio laptops, which combine PC, TV,
Dell’s DVD, and audio features.
tigerdirect.com Latitude X1
When you’re looking for deals and discounts, look to us.fujitsu.com/shop
TigerDirect. This sizable catalog includes low-cost falcon-nw.com Fujitsu’s site focuses on portable computing,
PC components, PDAs, and office equipment. Geeks Once you get your talons on a Falcon Northwest including notebook PCs and pen-based tablet
on a budget can find desktop PCs for as little as PC, you won’t want to let go. The heavyweight computers. Each computer includes several
$250, and laptops under $500. desktops and totable FragBox computers include warranty options.
the hardware you want, the way-cool look you
usbflashstore.com crave, and the personalized system-rescue discs velocitymicro.com
USB Flash Store stocks a large selection of flash- you may one day need. Looking for a 64-bit processor to push your
memory drives and cards. Pick up a miniature games to the limit? They’re in Velocity Micro’s
Microdrive hard drive that lets you add 1GB to 4GB gateway.com Gamer’s Edge and Raptor models. The custom-
of fast storage to your digital camera or other One of the biggest players in online computer configuration menus offer a mind-boggling array
portable device. Free same-day shipping is available sales, Gateway has an enormous and informative of component choices.
on every item the site sells. site that sells custom-built desktops and note-
books. For your living room, Gateway also sells viciouspc.com
zipzoomfly.com wide-screen plasma and LCD televisions. Creating “hardware for the hard-core,” Vicious PC
ZipZoomFly.com targets savvy shoppers who sells desktops with clear cases, high-output ventila-
want performance computer upgrades without frills. hpshopping.com tion, easy-access sliding rails, and front-accessible
You’re bound to discover unbeatable bargains on At this site, choose between Hewlett-Packard- USB ports. Washable air filters mean your comput-
peripherals, software, and accessories. More deals and Compaq-branded desktop and notebook er’s innards will remain dust-free.
are up for grabs in the Open-Box shop and Rebate computers, plus networking accessories, printers,
Center. handhelds, and digital cameras. voodoopc.com
Nobody else can do the voodoo that they do so
zones.com hypersonic-pc.com well. VoodooPC specializes in high-end PCs for
There’s a zone for whatever you need at Zones: Need computing power that’s faster than fast? Go gamers, with a choice of Intel or 64-bit AMD
the home page for hardware and software, the hypersonic. Check out Hypersonic PC for gaming processors. Take your pick among tower systems,
Mac Zone for Apple stuff, the Creative Pro page systems, workstations, and laptops outfitted with laptops, and portables—all thoroughly customiz-
for graphics pros, and the Zones Clearance the latest high-performance peripherals. “Enthu- able, of course.
section for special buys. siast options” include 3D-graphics optimization and
case customization. winbook.com
WinBook Computer sells laptops and desktops
>> DIRECT ibuypower.com with a 30-day money-back guarantee, a one-year
iBuypower can power up your workspace with a warranty, and free tech support. Ironically, some
PC VENDORS 64-bit PC for less than $500. Even the company’s of the best deals,“Web specials,” can only be
least-expensive PCs include large hard drives, dedi- ordered by phone.
abspc.com cated graphics cards, desktop speakers, and other
Expect gaming, multimedia, and business PCs essentials. All products are backed by a 30-day
aplenty at ABS Computer Technologies. The money-back guarantee.
company offers a choice of Intel or AMD processors,
a three-year parts and lifetime labor warranty, and idotpc.com
toll-free technical support. Visit the Outlet Store for Find a customized desktop, an economical bare-
short-lived specials. bones PC, or a personalized laptop at iDotpc.com.
Menus let you create the PC that’s right for you, let-
alienware.com ting you specify the processor, memory, optical
Alienware can custom-build your dream game drive, and other necessities.
machine—desktop or laptop. Each is available with
out-of-this-world cases in a rainbow of colors. Buyers maingear.com WinBook’s
get a personalized owner’s manual and toll-free tech- MainGear specializes in premium PCs with PowerSpec MCE 410
nical support any time of the day or night. advanced specs for gamers and other power
users. The selection includes sleek-looking and
buympc.com colorful desktops, space-saving X-Cube machines,
MPC Computers sells desktops, notebooks, and and powerful laptops. >> SOFTWARE
servers. You can custom-configure a high-perfor-
mance Millennia desktop, tuned to your specifica- sagernotebook.com atomicpark.com
tions, for business, multimedia, or gaming. Specializing in notebook computers, Sager offers AtomicPark.com’s entire selection of business
a variety of options, from budget machines to and productivity apps includes free shipping. Plus,
cyberpowersystem.com speedy multimedia units. Service includes a you’ll never pay a restocking fee. The new Direct
Power up with a customized Intel or AMD system 72-hour repair-turnaround guarantee and free Downloads section lets you use new software in
from Cyberpower. The selection includes 64-bit lifetime tech support. minutes, not days.

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bigclearance.com distrowatch.com games. If you had a tail, it would be wagging.
Offering current-version software at clearance Keep up-to-date on the latest Linux and FreeBSD
prices, the big selection at BigClearance.com distributions with DistroWatch. You’ll find news jumbo.com
includes wares from Microsoft, Macromedia, about free operating systems and links to the most Jumbo is a fitting name for this monstrous file
Corel, and others. popular distros in categories such as multimedia, archive, featuring shareware, freeware, and commer-
beginner-friendly, and live CDs. cial-software demos for PC, Mac, and Linux.
buycheapsoftware.com
The name says it all. Buycheapsoftware.com’s download.com liberatedgames.com
selection consists primarily of business and utility CNET Download.com will help you find shareware Check out Liberated Games to get your free,
apps. The company offers flat-rate $5 shipping on and free software, linking to thousands of pro- legal game downloads. The site catalogs commer-
small orders and free shipping on orders over $200. grams for PC, Mac, and mobile devices. Well- cial game titles that have been released for free by
written newsletters and down-to-earth reviews the developer or publisher—sometimes with the
help you find the perfect program. (CNET Networks source code.
VoIP RESOURCES is Computer Shopper’s parent company.)
linuxgames.com
ebgames.com Linux Games brings news and reviews of new games
EBgames.com is a gamer’s paradise, selling new (both open-source and commercial), plus links to
and pre-owned titles for PCs and every game con- downloadable titles. In the forums, discuss your
sole under the sun. Check the Hot Deals list for favorite PC pastimes, game-development projects,
short-lived discounts. and more.
filebot.org nothingbutsoftware.com
Buy software, download it, and get instant gratification You’ll make much ado about Nothing But Soft-
with FileBot. This site sells a wide variety of audio ware. This catalog of apps includes games, educa-
www.fcc.gov/voip apps, system utilities, business titles, and games. Free tional titles, graphics programs, utilities, and more—
The Federal Communications Commis- trial versions are available for many programs. all with flat-rate shipping. Try the programs in the
sion’s Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) Bargains section for as little as $5.
5dollarsoftware.com
page explains the technology and its
Stock up on software without breaking the bank. As palmgear.com
hardware requirements in plain English.
the name implies, everything at 5 Dollar Software Palm OS users will appreciate the large selection
Also look for the downloadable fact sheet costs just $5, including games, educational titles, of free and commercial programs downloadable
and news about federal rulings regarding and utilities. Flat-rate shipping for orders of any size from PalmGear.com. Check out the list of
VoIP. costs $3. “essential” apps, then sign up to get software
news and tips.
ordervoip.com gamehippo.com
OrderVoIP.com provides comparative GameHippo.com provides more than a thousand pricebustersoftware.com
reviews of six major VoIP services. Once absolutely free downloadable PC games. You’ll find Who you gonna call? PriceBuster Software,
you’ve decided on the service that fits descriptions, ratings, and easy-to-read icons that that’s who. The site sells applications and utilities
your needs, the site’s special offers can show whether a game supports multiple players, a from Corel, Macromedia, Microsoft, and other
sweeten the deal. network, and so on. Check the Top 20 Rated Games top-shelf publishers, with sensible shipping fees.
to discover other players’ favorites.
snapfiles.com
pulver.com
gamerang.com Download shareware and freeware in a snap with
Pulver.com offers a wealth of information
For $15 per month, Gamerang will rent you one SnapFiles. This site will point you to the latest soft-
about VoIP, including news about services console video-game title at a time. You can swap ware releases and top-10 titles. The $19.95-per-year
and trends. The company’s Free World games as often as you want, or keep a game for Pro version of the site adds e-mail software alerts,
Dialup project lets you use your broadband as long as it piques your interest. Shipping is free user ratings, and other features.
connection to make free phone calls. both ways.
software-blowouts.com
voip-info.org gamesondemand.yahoo.com Software Blowouts is home to oodles of inexpensive
VOIP-Info delivers extensive information Play full-version commercial games without a CD drive Windows and Mac OS software, with flat-rate ship-
about everything related to Internet voice at Yahoo Games on Demand. Armed with a broad- ping. Peruse the Blowouts page for education, enter-
services. Comparison shoppers will find band connection, you’ll enjoy unlimited play of up to tainment, and utility titles, many for just $9.95.
links to service reviews around the Web, 10 games per month, or you can try one game for just
a few days. The site also provides reviews, previews, softwareoutlet.com
and technical folks can delve into details
and game headlines. Plug in to SoftwareOutlet.com, a veritable virtual
about network design. bargain bin. You’ll find dirt-cheap applications and
gamespot.com hardware accessories. The selection includes older
voipreview.org With game news, reviews, and cheat codes, software and wares from defunct companies, plus
VoipReview.org will help you find an In- GameSpot is a one-stop shop for PC and console some modern, mainstream titles.
ternet phone service that meets your ex- gamers. Downloadable previews and a price-
acting criteria. Use the drop-down menus comparison tool will help you get good deals on softwarepatch.com
to find a service for home or business games you’ll love. (GameSpot is owned by CNET Make cranky software behave with help from
with a phone number in your area code. Networks, Computer Shopper’s parent company.) The Software Patch. Download patches,
The FAQ and VOIP 101 sections answer upgrades, service packs, and hardware drivers for
basic questions about voice services.
gamestop.com Windows and the software that runs on it. Start
GameStop.com is an elegant site that specializes in at the Top Downloads area for the most-popular
www.voipuser.org new and used games for consoles and PCs. Recent upgrades.
price drops, top sellers, and “just arrived” products are
VoIP User is a consumer-information guide versiontracker.com
highlighted, so you’ll always know the score.
devoted to Internet telephony. You’ll find Keeping the software updated on your PC, Mac, or
VoIP router and phone reviews, download- handango.com Palm OS device doesn’t have to be a chore.
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happypuppy.com dows 95 through XP, including thousands of
Net, including sneak previews of new
Happy Puppy sniffs out games like a bloodhound. games, utilities, and screensavers. Browse by
services, details about emerging trends,
You can download files, read reviews, trade cheats, category, or set your sights on the week’s most
and industry news. and talk about games with other fanatics. Patches popular downloads.

I N D E X
Hardware
SPOTLIGHT
Accessories/Supplies 156 Sarah Jabbour 646·472·3864
SPOTLIGHT
Bar Coding/Point of Sale 157 Account Executive
Boards/Components/Chips 157 IL, IN, MA, ME, MI, MN, MO, NH, OH, RI,
Business Applications 156 VT, WI, and Canada (Ontaria-Quebec)
CD ROM
CD/Disk Duplication Caroline Griffith 415·344·2407
Communications/Networking SHOP, COMPARE AND BUY FROM A WIDE Senior Account Executive
Computer Systems 156
SELECTION OF PRODUCTS AND VENDORS ONLINE. CA, AZ, CO, IA, ID, KS, MT, ND, NE, NM, NV,
General 155 OK, OR, SD, UT, WA, WY and Canada
Peripherals 156 Continually updated prices, products, special offers (British Columbia - Manitoba)
Memory and reviews from CNET Networks help you shop smart.
Software Bookmark http://www.computershopper.com Justin Schiller 646·472·3841
Business Applications
Account Executive
Education/Career Development for the complete buying experience.
AK, AL, CT, DC, DE, FL, GA, KY, LA, MD, MS,
800·999·SHOP
Services NC, NJ, NY, PA, SC, TN, TX, VA, WV
Data Conversion/Data Recovery 156
For advertising information call 800 •999 •SHOP

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computershopper.com Aug 2005 155

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WIN AD INDEX
1 & 1 ...........................................www.1and1.com...............................................................32, 33
THIS!
ABS.............................................www.abs.com .........................................................................77
Alienware .................................www.alienware.com/csh.......................................................85
AOpen ........................................www.aopen.com ....................................................................94
Ateck Computers, Inc. .............www.ateck.com/atrix ............................................................89
ATI Technologies, Inc...............www.ati.com...........................................................................31
Beach Camera ..........................www.beachcamera.com ..............................................116, 117
Buffalo Technology ..................cs.buffalotech.com.................................................................17
CDW Corporation ....................www.cdw.com.......................................................................2, 3
Coboc .........................................www.coboc.com ...................................................................151
Creative Labs ............................soundblaster.com...................................................................43
Cyberpower, Inc.......................www.cyberpowerinc.com ..............................................65 - 67
Dell .............................................www.dell.com/database..................................................12, 13
Dell .............................................www.dell.com/cs..............................................................68, 69
eCost ..........................................www.ecost.com ............................................................100, 101
Go Daddy.com...........................www.godaddy.com...............................................................111
HP ...............................................www.hp.com/go/mag1 ....................................................20, 21
iBUYPOWER ..............................www.ibuypower.com .....................................................71 - 73
Win a JVC TH-C6 DVD Ignition Entertainment ...........www.ignitionusa.com ...........................................................83
Digital Theater System Insight .......................................www.insight.com/cs ..............................................................49
Kahlon, Inc ................................www.kahlon.com .................................................................148
> 1,000 watts total power
Maxtor .......................................www.maxtor.com...................................................................11
> 5-disc DVD changer tray Memina .....................................www.memina.com ................................................................45
> Plays DVD-Audio/Video, DVD-RAM, MGE Co ......................................www.xgbox.com...................................................................141
DVD-R/RW, CD, CD-R/RW, SVCD, NewEgg.com.............................www.newegg.com ............................................................51, 52
VCD, MP3/WMA/JPEG
Nurol Corporation....................www.nurol.com....................................................................157
> Digital direct progressive Overdrive PC .............................overdrive.pc.com....................................................................87
scan output
PCAlchemy.com .......................www.pcalchemy.com ............................................................99
> 4 floor-standing/wall-mountable PC America................................www.pcamerica.com...........................................................153
surround speakers
PC Power and Cooling, Inc. .....www.pcpowercooling.com .................................................103
> 6-1/2" powered Prostar Computer.....................www.shopprostar.com ..........................................................59
subwoofer Rimage.......................................www.rimage.com/360I ..........................................................78
Rosetta Stone............................rosettastone.com/sos085s ..................................................133
Sager ..........................................www.sagernotebook.com ..............................................90 - 93
Shuttle Computer ....................www.us.shuttle.com................................................................8
Enter Software Media.........................www.softwaremedia.com/computershopper ..................159
To Win!
Sony ...........................................www.sony.com/pc39 ......................................................35 - 40
Sony ...........................................www.sony.com/smb55.......................................Cov. 3 - Cov. 6
Sun Rocket ................................sunrocket.com......................................................................121
Tell us what you think Super Warehouse ....................www.superwarehouse.com/computershopper1 .............123
about the August issue and be Systemax...................................www.tigerdirect.com/comp/win ................................Cov. 2, 1
entered to win this JVC TH-C6 ThinkPad...................................thinkpad.com/security/m223 .......................................54 - 57
DVD Digital Theater System. TigerDirect.com .......................www.tigerdirect.com ...................................................104, 105
Toshiba......................................toshibabydesign.com/R200 .............................................28, 29
To enter go to Trend Micro...............................www.trendmicro.com/switch.................................................6
computershopper.com/survey USB Implementers Forum ......www.usb.org .........................................................................4, 5

U.S. Robotics..............................www.usr.com/maxg...............................................................61
Velocity Micro ..........................velocitymicro.com .................................................................75
No purchase necessary to win. Void where prohibit-
Videoguys..................................www.videoguys.com ...........................................................113
ed by law. Sweepstakes is open to legal residents of
the United States who are at least 18 years of age. Willoughby’s ............................www.willoughbys.com.......................................124, 127 - 130
Winner will be chosen at random from all partici- ZT Group ...................................ztgroup.com/go/computershopper ..............................25 - 27
pants entered by August 31, 2005. Odds of winning
depend on the number of entries entered by the dead-
line. One entry per person. For a complete set of Bold type indicates CNET shopper.com merchants.
rules, see computershopper.com/survey. As an alter-
native method of entry, send a postcard with your All advertising is subject to Publisher’s approval and acceptance without recourse. The advertising herein that is typeset and/or designed by
name, address, phone number, e-mail address, age Computer Shopper is the property of Computer Shopper and not that of the advertiser. The advertiser has purchased the right of reproduc-
tion in Computer Shopper only and does not have the right to reproduce the ad in any other place of publication. We are not responsible for
and the month of the issue of Computer Shopper
mistakes, misprints, or typographical errors and will not issue credits of any kind for such errors. Advertisers and their agencies assume
magazine where the sweepstakes is advertised to responsibility for the condition of the contents of advertising printed, and agree to indemnify the Publisher of Computer Shopper for any and
Computer Shopper Research, 28 East 28th Street, all claims and expenses arising therefrom. Computer Shopper standards suggest to the advertiser that statements concerning shipping and
10th Floor, New York, NY, 10016-7922. Postcards handling charges, warranties, and money- or no money-back guarantees should be stated in all forms of advertising within Computer
Shopper. The opinions expressed in the articles, columns, and ads are those of the writer and not necessarily those of Computer Shopper.
must be received by August 31, 2005. Computer Shopper, 28 E. 28th St., New York, NY 10016-7922
Sales Info: 800-999-7467 Editorial: 646-472-3900, Fax: 646-472-3995 Customer Service: 877-214-7390

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HELP & HOW-TO
BUYING BASICS HOW TO BUY
The Right Desktop-Replacement Notebook

BY SEAN PORTNOY
SHOPPING SPECS
PROCESSOR
Once used only in thinner and lighter models, the
Pentium M mobile processor is now found even in
high-end gaming systems. Look for the 915 chip-
set, part of Intel’s newest version of the Centrino
group of mobile technology called Sonoma, for
maximum performance. Among other perks, it
has PCI Express support for faster exchange of
data between the CPU and other components.
GRAPHICS ACCELERATION
If you’re looking for a notebook that can handle
graphics-intensive programs, the Intel 915PM
chipset provides support for a PCI Express note-
book-graphics solution, like the 128MB ATI Mobili-
ty Radeon X600. More-budget-conscious buyers
should look for a 915GM-based laptop with a built-
in Intel Graphics Media Accelerator 900, which
borrows RAM from the main memory supply.
DISPLAY
Look for a laptop with at least a 15-inch display
if you plan to replace your primary desktop. (A
15-inch LCD provides roughly the same viewing
space as a 17-inch CRT monitor.) If you don’t
plan on moving your notebook from your desk
Toshiba Qosmio often, you might want to splurge on a unit with a
G25-AV513 17-inch display. Get a wide-screen LCD if you
plan on watching a lot of DVDs on the laptop.
WIRELESS NETWORKING
Ready once and for all to junk that big PC cluttering up your Whereas the previous generation of Centrino
systems had built-in 802.11b/g Wi-Fi support,
office? A desktop-replacement laptop provides all the function- the newest laptops have a chip supporting
802.11a/b/g networking. Some notebooks also
ality of a traditional desktop computer in a portable package. feature built-in Bluetooth support, which makes it
easy to wirelessly sync with compatible mobile
devices. Stephanie Bruzzese contributed to this article.
3 GREAT BUYS
GOOD BETTER BEST

HP Pavilion ZD8000 Dell XPS Gen 2 Toshiba Qosmio G25-AV513
(www.hp.com, starting at $1,199) (www.dell.com, starting at $2,361) (www.toshiba.com, starting at $2,999)
The ZD8000 still relies on a Pentium 4 Ideal for gamers, our $2,650 XPS Gen 2 A laptop for those who want it all, this
processor, but even the base configura- test configuration packed the latest Pen- Qosmio has a 2GHz Pentium M 760 CPU,
tion features a 17-inch wide-screen tium M CPU (the 2.13GHz Pentium M a 17-inch wide-screen LCD, PCI Express
display and Bluetooth support, plus a 770), as well as nVidia GeForce Go 6800 support, and built-in 802.11a/b/g net-
PCI Express slot to configure the sys- Ultra graphics with 256MB of video working. It also runs the Windows XP
tem with Radeon X300 or X600 mobile memory, a 17-inch wide-screen display, Media Center Edition 2005 OS and
graphics. and 802.11b/g Wi-Fi networking. includes a built-in TV tuner.
= Editors’ Choice

Sleek and compact Sony® VAIO® S Series
Build-to-Order VAIO Notebook
Professional Notebooks with Intel® A creative powerhouse that lets you work smarter,
faster, and more productively than ever before.
Processors offer advanced functions starting at
that include optional wireless $
1,34999
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wherever you and your business take
you. Customize a VAIO PC today
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The Sony VAIO T300 Series Ultramobile

Notebook with Intel® Centrino™ Mobile
Technology. Taking wireless access
T Series
further than ever before. With integrated
Available in
burgundy, Build-to-Order VAIO wireless Wide Area Network technology,
VGN-T300 Notebook
midnight you can access the Cingular ® national
blue, and 4
silver. EDGE network with a data connect

plan to extend your wireless coverage
beyond LAN access networks and hot
spots. It boasts a 10.6" widescreen
display featuring XBRITE ™ technology,
plus innovative SmartWi™ technology
T Series
VAIO VGN-T300
that seamlessly integrates wide area
Notebook networks, local area networks, and
$
2,29999 Bluetooth® connectivity. 1
Leasing starts as low

as $6164/month.3 Free 30-Day Cingular Laptop Connect
4
Wireless WAN Service Trial.
Customize your
VAIO PC exclusively
at Sony.com/smb.
CLICK www.sony.com/smb55 CALL 866-807-SONY (7669)

Sony recommends Microsoft®
Windows® XP Professional for Business.
A Series FS Series
Build-to-Order VAIO® Notebook Build-to-Order VAIO Notebook
Stunning images on a 17" screen, a huge-capacity More than enough power to deliver the most
hard drive, and available built-in wireless connectivity.1 sophisticated multimedia experience.
starting at starting at
$
1,39999 $
1,04999
Leasing starts as low as Leasing starts as low as
$
3752/month.3 $
2814/month.3
Simplicity is a beautiful thing. Sony® VAIO computers are engineered to work with other
Sony products — making it easy to enjoy music, photos, and movies.
VPL-CX70 LCD Projector DSC-S90 Cyber-shot® HDR-FX1 High-Definition FWD-32LX1/S 32"

$ Digital Still Camera Video Camcorder Professional Flat-Panel
1,779 99
$ LCD Display. Available in
Leasing starts as low as 29995 $
3,69999 silver, pearl white, or black
$
47 70/month.3 Leasing starts as low as $
$
9916/month.3 2,54995
Leasing starts as low as
$
6834/month.3
Leasing and service information.

Getting the Sony business advantage is now easier than ever. Choose from a variety
of extended service plans,2 competitive leasing offers, and installation options for
affordability and assurance. Call a Sony sales support specialist for details.
Cash in with low lease payments.

48-month payment terms with Fair Market Value purchase option at end of lease.4
Ask us about other financing options.
©2005 Sony Electronics Inc. Reproduction in whole or in part without written permission is prohibited. All rights reserved. Sony, VAIO, Like No Other, Handycam, Cyber-shot, XBRITE, ErgoBright, SmartWi, DirectPoint, and
their respective logos are trademarks of Sony. Intel, Intel Inside, the Intel Inside logo, Intel Centrino, the Intel Centrino logo, Pentium, and Celeron are trademarks or registered trademarks of Intel Corporation or its
subsidiaries in the United States and other countries. Microsoft and Windows are registered trademarks of Microsoft Corporation. Cingular Wireless is a registered trademark of Cingular Wireless LLC 2005. All other
trademarks are trademarks of their respective owners. Features, prices, specifications, availability, and promotions are valid only in the United States and are subject to change without notice. Prices and promotions apply
to purchases from www.sonystyle.com and do not include applicable sales tax or shipping and handling. Retailer prices and offers may vary. Purchases from www.sonystyle.com are subject to the Terms and Conditions of
www.sonystyle.com, shipping options, return policies, and other www.sonystyle.com policies. You can review these by clicking on the appropriate links in the Info Center section of the shopping cart section of www.sonystyle.com.
For product warranty information, click on the Product Warranty link contained on the applicable product page of www.sonystyle.com. Sony is not responsible for typographical or other errors in this ad. Screen
images simulated. Nonmetric weights and measures are approximate. Screen size represents viewable area measured diagonally. 1. Requires compatible wireless access point. Some features may require Internet service,
which may require a fee. For products with Bluetooth® capability, use of a Bluetooth®-enabled device may vary, as not all Bluetooth® devices are compatible. Sony cannot guarantee the security of wireless communications.
2. Certain restrictions apply. See www.sony.com/smb/pcwarranty for more information. When available, Sony will provide On-Site Service in fulfillment of its Limited Warranty obligations. Any such services are subject to
Sony recommends
Microsoft® Windows® XP
Professional for Business.
RB Series
Build-to-Order Sony® VAIO® Desktop PC
with an Intel® Pentium® 4 Processor with
HT Technology offers many customized
options to meet the demands of business,
all while remaining true to the Sony tradition
of renowned quality, reliability, and style.
starting at
$
59999
StylePro™ Series
17" Flat-Panel LCD
ErgoBright technology saves energy
TM
and adjusts brightness and contrast

with the touch of a button.
starting at
$
30199
One person to call. Flexible financing programs.

Keep it simple with a single Sony Business Consultant Maximize your capital, increase your purchasing power, and
whose job is to know your business needs as well as decrease your risk with our flexible leasing and credit programs.
you do. A convenient point of contact for any question Options include obsolescence protection, revolving credit lines,
$
you have — or any product or service you need. 1 buyouts, and 100% financing.
Your own customized Sony store. Worry-free services.

Do it yourself with a customizable Sony DirectPoint™ B2B Get the most from your Sony technologies without the hassle
Extranet. Get the products, services, and information of figuring it all out yourself. Sony’s B2B services — including
you need 24/7 with a few simple clicks, including special extended service plans, installation, and asset tagging — help
pricing, customizable technologies, and your business’s you build and protect your workspace, worry free.
defined standards.
Thousands of groundbreaking products.

Sony engineering is world renowned for quality and reliability.
Enjoy seamless consistency across builds, unbeatable
compatibility, groundbreaking innovation, and the Sony flair
for style that gives your business the edge it deserves.
Customize your
VAIO PC exclusively
at Sony.com/smb.
CLICK www.sony.com/smb55 CALL 866-807-SONY (7669)
the Terms and Conditions of the Limited Warranty. See actual Limited Warranty for details. On-Site Service will be provided via third-party technician to be dispatched as needed following phone-based troubleshooting. Some
repairs may be accomplished with self-repair kits. On-Site Service may not be available in all locations. 3. Monthly payment shown is based on a 48-month term with Fair Market Value purchase option at lease end. Lease
arranged by Sony Financial Services. Available subject to qualifying credit approval and execution of standard documentation. Offer subject to change without notice. Other terms available upon request. 4. 30-Day Free Trial:
When you sign up for the Cingular Wireless Data Connect $79.99 unlimited plan, a credit equal to the amount of the monthly service charge will be applied to your account. Credit approval required. Service not available for
purchase or use in all areas. Taxes and other charges apply. Early Termination Fee: None if canceled in first 30 days; thereafter, in FL, GA, SC, NC, KY, TN, MS, LA, AL, NY, and applicable parts of IN and NJ, $240 prorated over
term; elsewhere, $150 flat rate. Limited-time offer. See www.sonystyle.com/cingular for complete offer details, price plans, service terms and conditions, and coverage map. Call 1-888-739-VAIO (8246) for service activation.

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Small and Medium Business

THE MOST COMPREHENSIVE GUIDE TO TODAY’S TECHNOLOGY computershopper.com

75 INSIDER TIPS! BIG POWER,

• Intel® Centrino™ Mobile Technology— • Intel® Centrino™ Mobile Technology —

Need Help? No problem!...

TigerDirect.com 888-237-6699 Service Code

What You Want–

Powered by Intel® Centrino™

Recommended accessories and services:

- Integrated Intel® PRO/Wireless 2915 Network -200 TRADE-IN

Sony VAIO T370P/L Notebook

Acer TravelMate® 4150LCi

- Intel® PRO/Wireless 2200 Network -200 TRADE-IN

Gateway 3547BZ Notebook

- Intel® Pentium® M Processor 725 (1.60GHz) -200 TRADE-IN

- Inegrated Intel® PRO/Wireless 2200 Network

The Mobile Solutions You Need When You Need Them.

Information provided by the USB Implementers Forum

computershopper.com August 2005 7

Shuttle XPC systems deliver all the performance and features

Shuttle recommends Microsoft® Windows® XP starting at

* monitor not included

trade files, and restore household harmony. 131 Midrange Desktops

Also In This Issue

computershopper.com August 2005 9

THE PC IS THE GREATEST personal-productivity device ever to

LETTERS a JVC TH-C6 DVD Digital Theater System

10 August 2005 computershopper.com

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esty—of the sales reps at CNET REVIEWS

PHOTO DIRECTOR Jody L. Gianni

printers to see which yields V P, P U B L I S H E R David Cleary

for every type of user, NORTHWEST

Computer Shopper, 28 E. 28th St., New York, NY 10016-7922

Intel, AOpen to Offer a • TRENDSPOTTING

VoIP Still on Hold?

Source: Computer Shopper reader survey

computershopper.com August 2005 13

Scammers Get More Sophisticated at Phishing How Will

Humax DRT-400 DVD

16 August 2005 computershopper.com

April 26, 2005

Find out more: cs.buffalotech.com

Hassle-free headphones Light weight

18 August 2005 computershopper.com

computershopper.com August 2005 19

Velocity Micro ProMagix DCX

28 August 2005 computershopper.com

computershopper.com August 2005 29

You Pick the Best!

Win a $2,005 BEST SYSTEMS

GRAND Portable Media Player/Gaming Device

PRIZE Second Prize Home Entertainment Device (Home theater,

Third Prize BEST SOFTWARE/SERVICES

24 August 2005 computershopper.com

Intel Pentium M Processor Ultra Low Voltage 753

Microsoft Windows XP Professional

Toshiba EasyGuard™ enhancements for increased

Up to five hours of battery life2

Dell Dimension XPS Gen 5

Falcon Northwest Talon EDITORS’ RATING 6.4

PROS Large case leaves room

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