Computer Shopper (March 2006)

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With over 300 products in every issue, Computer Shopper magazine is the most comprehensive guide to today's technology and delivers: • The widest breadth of products. • The most in-depth product reviews. • The most product round-ups. • The most buying advice.

Look inside!

BUY THE RIGHT MOTHERBOARD

LIGHTWEIGHT LAPTOPS: EXPERT SHOPPING TIPS

STOP VIRUSES WITH NEW SECURITY APPS

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THE MOST COMPREHENSIVE GUIDE TO TODAY’S TECHNOLOGY

COMPUTERSHOPPER.COM

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CTS PRODU E! INSID

WE TEST & RANK THE

FASTEST DESKTOPS! PLUS ADD VIDEO & VOICE TO IM UPGRADE YOUR PC CASE IN 7 EASY STEPS

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MARCH 2006 | DISPLAY UNTIL MAR. 13, 2006

0 3>

TOP SITES FOR TECH DEALS 0

A CNET Publication

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888-237-6699

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Celeron, Celeron Inside, Centrino, Centrino Logo, Core Inside, Intel, Intel Logo, Intel Core, Intel Inside, Intel Inside Logo, Intel SpeedStep, Intel Viiv, Itanium, Itanium Inside, Pentium, Pentium Inside, Xeon and Xeon Inside are trademarks or registered trademarks of Intel Corporation or its subsidiaries in the United States and other countries.

Toshiba recommends Windows XP Professional.

Satellite Smart notebooks for every budget. Starting at $699

Tecra The reliability business demands. Starting at $999

Portégé Thin, light and powerful. Starting at $1,599

Qosmio™ 4-in-1 personal entertainment center. Starting at $1,699

libretto Power of a desktop in the palm of your hand. Starting at $1,799

Portégé R200 Notebook PC Style and performance come together in an elegant ultraportable. Intel Pentium M Processor Ultra Low Voltage 753 for faster execution of instructions at lower power Genuine Microsoft Windows XP Professional Toshiba EasyGuard™ enhancements1 for increased mobile security, system integrity, network connectivity and overall ease of use Starting at $1,999

ToshibaByDesign.com/R200 1.800.TOSHIBA

1. Toshiba EasyGuard technology comprises a number of features some of which may or may not be available on a particular Toshiba notebook depending on the model selected. See www.easyguard.toshiba.com for detailed information. 2. Weight may vary. See Weight Legal Footnote at www.info.toshiba.com. 3. Battery life may vary. See Battery Life Legal Footnote at www.info.toshiba.com. 4. Hard drive capacity may vary. 1 Gigabyte (GB) means 109 = 1,000,000,000 bytes using powers of 10. See Hard Disk Drive Capacity Legal Footnote at www.info.toshiba.com. 5. 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

Magnesium Alloy Chassis Exterior casework material used in aerospace manufacturing maximizes durability without adding unnecessary weight.

60GB Hard Drive4 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 is the latest result of that philosophy. Its sleek chassis is built from materials similar to those used in fighter jets. And starting at 2.68 lbs.2 and just over half an inch thin, it still has enough battery life to last up to five hours.3 Portability plus performance. Size plus stamina. That’s 360˚ innovation. That’s Toshiba.

Where can innovation take you? ToshibaByDesign.com/R200

Hard Drive Drive Hard Protection4544 Protection 3D accelerometer detects free falls and quickly prepares the hard drive for impact to help protect your data.

Fingerprint Reader Embedded biometric sensor helps prevent unauthorized access for better security.

Up to Five Hours of Battery Life3 Proprietary battery design and low-voltage processor optimize battery efficiency.

Innovation by design. America Information Systems, Inc. and/or Toshiba Corporation. Intel, the Intel logo, Intel Inside, the Intel Inside logo, Celeron, Intel Centrino, the Intel Centrino logo and Pentium are trademarks or registered 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. © 2006 Toshiba America Information Systems, Inc. All rights reserved.

CONTENTS ,

118 At-a-glance guide to 34 notebooks priced at $749 or less.

MARCH 2006 VOLUME 26 NUMBER 3 ISSUE 312

DESKTOPS

24 26 26 27 27 27

Apple iMac G5 Sony VAIO VGC-VA11G HP Media Center m7260n Photosmart PC Lenovo ThinkCentre A52 Shuttle XPC P 2600g Sony VAIO XL1 Digital Living System NOTEBOOKS

61

Features Dual-Core Duel The battle is joined! Find out which processor should be in your next PC as nine dual-core CPUs from AMD and Intel square off in a no-holds-barred speed test. Plus, check out six scorching new dual-core desktops. GUIDE TO MOTHERBOARDS

76

Board Review A superior motherboard is the foundation for a powerful PC— but also a tricky, multifaceted purchase. Never fear: Our authoritative guide and evaluations of performance and budget boards will help you nail the right one.

34 34 34

28

Detect and Protect Every day, hackers and writers of malicious code get smarter at attacking systems. Fortunately, security software is keeping sharp, too. See which of these five suites best protects you from the Net’s most nefarious threats.

ATI All-In-Wonder X800 XL Diamond Xtreme Sound 7.1 Logitech G7 Laser Cordless Mouse 34

DISPLAYS

38 38 38

BenQ FP202W HP L1706 Sony SDM-X95KB PRINTERS

40 40 40

Epson Stylus C88 HP Photosmart 3310 Xerox Phaser 8500N MOBILE PRODUCTS

42 42

INTERNET SECURITY SUITES

83

Toshiba Satellite L25 Apple iBook G4 Lenovo ThinkPad Z60t Vigor Ares COMPONENTS

CPU SHOWDOWN

61

28 28 32 32

Audiovox PPC6700SP Creative Zen Vision DIGITAL CAMERAS

25 44 44 44

Nikon Coolpix S4 Canon PowerShot A610 Kodak EasyShare P850 Panasonic Lumix DMC-FZ30

40

DIGITAL AUDIO

48 48 48

Cowon iAudio G2 Creative Zen MicroPhoto Kensington SX 2000 DIGITAL LIVING

76

52 52 52

Dell W3201C Pioneer PDP-4360HD Sony DVP-CX995V

48

SOFTWARE

54 54

Page 76

56 56

Page 150 Page 83

56 57 Page 61

Page 96 Page 92 Page 141

42 The Creative Zen Vision portable video player is aptly named: Its interface is intuitive, and its dazzling screen is a delight. But does it pass the usability test?

57 57

Ulead PhotoImpact 11 Adobe Premiere Elements 2.0 CyberLink PowerBackup 2 SystemSuite 6 Professional Toast 7 Titanium AVG Anti-Virus Free Edition 7.2 Push the Freakin’ Button Pro 2.4 WinRAR 3.5 TOP 25

58

The best performance desktops, affordable notebooks, laser printers, PC speakers, and DVDcreation/video-editing software.

computershopper.com March 2006

52

7

Bring Dead Spots Back to Life!

Wireless Further &

faster than Standard 802.11g.

Further than MIMO Solutions.*1

Tired of hitting "dead spots" in your wireless network? Buffalo Technology’s

Turbo G High Power Wireless Solutions bring those dead spots back to life! Now you can go places you never could with standard 802.11g devices. With an effective

outdoor range of up to 2000ft., connecting in the bedroom or office

down the hall should be no problem.*2 Whether you’re upgrading your wireless LAN or just getting started, the Turbo G High Power Wireless Solutions provide the perfect answer for those who need

Speed, Performance and Value. Bring dead

spots to life while enjoying faster connections and extended range. 45

40

35

WHR-HP-G54 Wireless Smart Router

High Power Solution (Turbo G)

Mbps*

2

30

25

MIMO Solution

20

WLI-CB-G54HP Wireless Notebook Adapter

15

10 outdoor testing results

5

Standard 802.11g 10

164

328

492

656

820

984

Feet

1148

1312

1476

1640

1804

1969

WLI-TX4-G54HP Wireless Ethernet Converter

Great for Wireless Online Gaming!

Learn more www.buffalotech.com/cs1 © 2005 Buffalo Technology (USA), Inc. Buffalo Technology, Buffalo Technology logo and AOSS logo are registered trademarks of Buffalo Technology (USA), Inc. The names and logos of other companies mentioned herein belong to their respective owners. Products tested: High Power solution (WHR-HP-G54, WLI-CB-G54HP), MIMO Solution (WZR-G108, WLI-CB-G108), Standard 802.11g (WBR2-G54, WLI-CB-G54S).*1 Based on Buffalo Technology internal testing results. Products tested: High Power solution (WHR-HP-G54, WLI-CB-G54HP), MIMO Solution (WZR-G108, WLI-CB-G108), Standard 802.11g (WBR2-G54, WLI-CB-G54S). *2 Wireless networking speed and distance will vary depending on environment.

IM

Help & How-To COMPUTER CURES

89

A laptop-screen backlight gone bad, a Windows PC that doesn’t boot, and a wireless network that won’t connect: Our resident help guru tackles these PC problems and more. By Alfred Poor

92

Best-Case Scenario Ditch that dowdy PC case and get good looks, cooler operation, and upgrade room in the bargain. Our seven-step guide explains how to transfer your PC’s components to a new, better box. Maximum Messaging Whether you’re trying to send instant messages from your cell phone or just looking to videoconference with your amigos, we have the best tips for optimizing your time spent on IM.

96

WEEKEND PROJECT

96

TechMarket COMPLETE PRODUCT MARKETPLACE GUIDE

115 118 124 128 132

Budget Desktops Thin-and-Light Notebooks Inkjet Printers External Hard Drives Flat-Panel Displays (18 Inches or Larger) 136 Digital Cameras (4- to 5-Megapixel)

CONSUMER ALERT

98

Sony’s Rootkit Is All Evil Sony’s tactic of using a hacker’s tool to hide its copy-protection software was an abysmal idea. Let’s hope others learn from its poor judgment. By Nancy Lang-Feldman BUYING BASICS

150 How to Buy the Right Ultraportable Notebook

Web Buyer THE BEST SITES FOR ONLINE SHOPPING

141 141 142 143 144 144

Tech Products Motherboards DVR Hardware and Software Direct PC Vendors Software Linux Applications and Resources

139

Also in This Issue TRENDS

17

Dell unveils an overclocked, quad-SLI gaming desktop. Plus, the resurrection of the Commodore brand name, and a British company develops selfdestructing text messages. GEAR

20

20

• Abit Guru Clock • Alienware Ozma 7 • Design Within Reach Multipot Personal Electric Charger • D-Link DSM-120 • LaCie Brick • PNY Verto Hi Speed Gamer Memory

21

DEPARTMENTS

10 10 145 149

Editor’s Note Letters Spotlight Ad Index

Computer Shopper (ISSN 0886-0556) is published monthly, for $24.97 per year in the U.S. and $54.97 per year outside the U.S., by CNET Networks, Inc., 28 E. 28th St., New York, NY 10016-7942. Periodicals Mail postage paid at New York, NY, and additional mailing offices. Canadian GST registration number is 140496720 RT. Publications Mail Agreement No. 40009221. POSTMASTER: Send address changes to Computer Shopper, P.O. Box 52565, Boulder, CO 80322-2565. Return undeliverable Canadian addresses to PO Box 503, RPO West Beaver Creek, Richmond Hill, ON L4B 4R6. Entire contents Copyright©2006 CNET Networks, Inc. All rights reserved. Permission to use Computer Shopper content is granted on a case-by-case basis. CNET welcomes requests. Please direct inquiries to [email protected]. You may also make phone requests by contacting Reprint Management Services at 717-399-1900. “Computer Shopper” and “CNET Editors’ Choice” are trademarks of CNET Networks, Inc. PRINTED IN THE U.S.A.

computershopper.com March 2006

9

EDITOR’S NOTE JANICE CHEN it seemed like every techie was declaring that even low-cost PCs were fast enough for “all but the most demanding tasks.” Well, somewhere along the line, many have dropped that mantra. Perhaps we’ve drunk the Kool-Aid (or maybe we’ve all started playing 3D games), but when Apple announced NOT LONG AGO,

that its dual-core, Intel-based iMac was twice as fast as its predecessor, I thought, “Cool!” rather than, “What for?” The reality is that while many computer users won’t see benefits from a dual-core processor, plenty of us will. Just try to edit a home movie while running a virus check in the background, or download music while burning a DVD, and you’ll see what I mean. The bottom line is that anyone who will notice the benefits of a dual-core processor—that includes home multimedia enthusiasts, graphics and video professionals, gamers (of course), and just about anyone doing heavy multitasking—will immediately want one. The good news is that by the time you’re ready to buy your next PC, chances are it will be powered by a dual-core processor by default. At press time, 15 dual-core desktop CPUs were already available— nine Intel Pentiums and six AMD Athlons. To find

LETTERS BEWARE OF BAD BUSINESSES As a longtime subscriber to Computer Shopper, I’m disappointed that your product reviews still don’t take into account a company’s track record for customer complaints and poor service. Have you ever used the Better Business Bureau’s Web site to look up the companies whose products you rate so highly? For example, Polywell makes some very nice computers with a good price-to-value ratio, but the BBB gives them an “unsatisfactory” rating due to unanswered customer complaints. Dr. Robert Kleinhaus We do take companies’ service and customer-satisfaction performance into consideration when deciding which products to review. During testing, we often call customer support to informally evaluate

out which chip maker’s technology is faster, we ran nine of these CPUs through a battery of performance tests covering six categories, such as photo editing, MP3 encoding, video encoding, and simple day-to-day productivity tasks. Turn to “Dual-Core Duel” (p. 61) to find out who the reigning champion of dual-core processing is, then check out our reviews of six readily available dual-core desktops. No matter how fast the CPU, however, a PC is only as capable as its motherboard. Replacing the mainboard will upgrade the core functionality of your PC and resurrect an aging system. Although the upgrade is not as difficult as some may imagine, it’s a smart idea to get educated before diving into this mother of all PC projects. “Board Review” (p. 76) explains all you need to know to buy the right motherboard, backed by reviews of six great boards for all types of users. Finally, if you’re satisfied with your current PC and just want to keep it happy and healthy, don’t miss “Detect and Protect” (p. 83), our roundup of security suites that defend your PC against viruses, hackers, spyware, and other cyber threats. [email protected]

A Dell Dimension 1100 PC with Flat-Panel Display

D WIN!

Go to computershopper.com/survey. sweepstakes rules on p. 148.

responses. See Because we have the product for testing for such a short period of time, however, it is not possible to gauge support performance over the long term. If we receive an unusually large number of complaints about a PC maker, our editors evaluate those complaints and determine whether products from such companies should be reviewed in future issues. —Ed.

BEST PLACE FOR PRINTS I thought your article “Post and Print” (December 2005, p. 103) had some great information, but you failed to include a few good services, particularly Clark Color Labs, Snapfish, and, my personal favorite, Winkflash. As a new mom, I’m not only the queen of baby pictures, but of finding the best print deals available.

Currently, Winkflash is the winner: The company sells 4x6 prints for 12 cents and ships them for an unbeatable 99-cent flat rate. Buffy Loft

CORRECTION

We incorrectly stated that Hewlett-Packard does not include live-chat support in its Basic, Extended, and Accidental Damage Protection desktop-warranty plans (“The Support Report,” January, p. 81). The company does offer such support to all HP users.

We want to hear from you. Letters, Computer Shopper 28 E. 28th St., 10th Fl. New York, NY 10016-7922 E - M A I L : [email protected] Letters may be edited for length and clarity, and may be published in any medium. WRITE:

For subscription service questions, address changes, or to order: Please contact us at www.service.cshopper.com (customer service) or www.subscribe.cshopper.com (to order); Phone: US and Canada (800) 274-6384, elsewhere (902) 563-4752; Mail: Computer Shopper, P.O. Box 52565, Boulder, CO 80322-2565 (please include mailing label, as it contains information that will expedite processing); Fax: (303) 604-0518; E-mail (please include your full name and the address at which you subscribe; do not send attachments): [email protected]. Subscriptions: The one-year (12-issue) rate is $24.97. Outside the US add $30 per year for surface mail, US funds only. Please allow 3-6 weeks to receive your first issue as well as for any changes to take place on an existing subscription. Back issues: $8 each in the US, $12 each elsewhere (subject to availability). Prepayment is required. Make checks payable to Computer Shopper. Mail requests to: Back Issues, Computer Shopper, P.O. Box 52565, Boulder, CO 80322-2565. Mailing list: We sometimes make our customer lists available to third parties that may interest you. If you do not wish to receive their mailings, please write us at: Computer Shopper, P.O. Box 52565, Boulder, CO 80322-2565.

10

March 2006 computershopper.com

Sony recommends Windows® XP Professional.

A SINGLE BUSINESS NOTEBOOK SERIES EQUIPPED FOR EXCEPTIONAL PERFORMANCE, PRODUCTIVITY, AND FLEXIBILITY.

Give me mobility.

Thin and light form factors Long battery life1

I want flexibility.

14" with modular bay 15.4" with modular bay 17" with modular bay

I demand security.

Biometric fingerprint sensor Trusted Platform Module

I can’t live without connectivity.

Bluetooth® Technology2 Optional integrated wireless WAN3 Optional integrated camera The Sony® VAIO® Professional BX Series Notebook, featuring Intel® Centrino™ Mobile Technology for exceptional performance and productivity. Now every department, group, and individual in your organization has the power to handle the toughest applications with machines that offer extended battery life and sleek, lightweight designs. No other notebook boasts as many features. Call 866-303-7669 Visit sony.com/bx2

©2005 Sony Electronics Inc. All rights reserved. Sony, VAIO, and Like no other are trademarks of Sony. Intel, Intel logo, Intel Inside, Intel Inside logo, Intel Centrino, and Intel Centrino logo 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. Viewable area measured diagonally. 1. Actual battery life may vary upon usage patterns. 2. Interoperability among Bluetooth devices varies. 3. Subscription with Cingular Wireless required. See sony.com/cingular for complete offer details, price plans, service terms and conditions, and coverage map. Call 1-888-739-VAIO (8246) for service activation.

Systemax recommends Microsoft® Windows® XP Professional

Ascent

Systemax Ascent Series

Athlon

Systemax Ascent HA3500

Systemax Ascent BAX4200

Systemax Ascent BAX4400

Fully Customizable Built To Order PC

Fully Customizable Built To Order PC

•AMD Athlon 64 3500+ •Microsoft® Windows® XP Professional •1GB PC3200 Memory •250GB SATA Hard Drive •16x Dual Layer DVD Burner •16x DVD ROM Drive •9-in-1 Media Reader •128MB Video •Integrated Gigabit Network Adapter •56K Modem •Systemax Keyboard & Mouse

•AMD Athlon 64 X2 4200+ Dual Core Processor •Microsoft® Windows® XP Professional •512MB PC3200 Memory •250GB SATA Hard Drive •16x Dual Layer DVD Burner •GeForce 6600GT 128MB Video •Integrated Gigabit Network Adapter •Systemax Keyboard & Mouse

Ready To Ship Pre-Configured PC •AMD Athlon 64 X2 4400+ Dual Core Processor •Microsoft® Windows® XP Professional •1GB PC3200 Memory •(2) 250GB SATA Hard Drive •16x Dual Layer DVD Burner •CDRW/DVD Combo Drive •9-in-1 Media Reader •(3) Firewire Ports •256MB Video •Integrated Gigabit Network Adapter •56K Modem •Microsoft Keyboard, Mouse, Speakers

$899.99

$1199.99

Item # BTO 988889

Neotach

Athlon

$1499.99

Item # BTO 988886

Item # SYXS-DC-988953

Assembled and Supported in the USA Every Systemax PC and Notebook is Assembled, Serviced and Supported by our own team - right here in America. You can expect the best value - and the best service. Plus, any of our notebooks and desktops are fully customizable.

Systemax Neotach 3300 Ready To Ship Pre-Configured Notebook

•AMD Turion 64 ML-30 1.6GHz •Microsoft® Windows® XP Home •512MB PC2700 Memory •60GB Hard Drive •DVD Burner •ATI Radeon Xpress 200M Video •15.4” WXGA

$999.99

Item # SYXS-NB-038516

Available At

TigerDirect.com 888-237-6699

Service Code

MCSM 0306

Copyright 2005, Systemax, Inc. All rights reserved. All trademarks are property of their respective owners.

Great AMD-Based Systems Assembled In America and Supported In America. Introducing The Systemax

Lightning Complete Gamer System

The Systemax Lightning Gamer Illusion meets Reality. The SLI inspired Systemax Lightning breaks the barriers of reality powered by the new AMD Athlon 64 FX-60 processor featuring Dual Core Technology! Welcome to the world of Cinematic Computing; combining intense graphics, virtual worlds, high-resolution video and sophisticated artificial intelligence to provide a computing experience that looks and feels like an extension of reality.

Systemax Warhawk

Systemax Hellcat

Systemax Lightning

Fully Customizable Built To Order SLI Ready Gamer

Fully Customizable Built To Order SLI Ready Gamer

Fully Customizable Built To Order SLI Ready Gamer

•AMD Athlon 64 3500+

•AMD Athlon 64 X2 4800+ Dual Core Processor

•AMD Athlon 64 FX-60 Dual Core Processor

•Microsoft® Windows® XP Professional

•GeForce 7800GT OC 256MB Video Card

•Microsoft® Windows® XP Professional

•GeForce 6600GT 128MB Video

•1GB PC3200 Memory

•(2) GeForce 7800GTX OC 256MB SLI Video

•1GB PC3200 Memory

•250GB SATA Hard Drive

•1GB PC4000 Memory

•250GB SATA Hard Drive

•16x Dual Layer DVD Burner

•(2) 74GB SATA 10,000RPM Raptors RAID 0

•16x Dual Layer DVD Burner

•CDRW/DVD Combo Drive

•250GB SATA Hard Drive

•CDRW/DVD Combo Drive

•Sound Blaster X-Fi XtremeMusic Sound Card

•16x Dual Layer DVD Burner

•Integrated 7.1 Channel Audio

•Integrated Gigabit Network Adapter

•CDRW/DVD Combo

•Integrated Gigabit Network Adapter

•Saitek Eclipse Gaming Keyboard

•Sound Blaster X-Fi XtremeMusic Sound Card

•Saitek Eclipse Gaming Keyboard

•Razer Copperhead Gaming Mouse

•Integrated Gigabit Network Adapter

Athlon

•Razer Copperhead Gaming Mouse

•Saitek Eclipse Gaming Keyboard •Razer Copperhead Mouse

$1499.99 Item # BTO 038532

$2499.99 Item # BTO 038530

$3999.99 Item # BTO 038531

Need Help? No problem!...Call for 24-Hour Live Expert Advice from Digital Specialists!

Coming Next Month

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EDITOR IN CHIEF EDITOR MANAGING EDITOR ART DIRECTOR EXECUTIVE EDITOR

LATEST AND GREATEST GEAR From digital cameras and cell phones to monitors and mice, we give you a sneak peek at the coolest products on the horizon. TECH-SUPPORT REPORT Tech support has become a hot topic as more and more PC companies move their help centers overseas. We investigate to find out if support from bigname computer makers suffers from such cost-cutting moves.

SENIOR EDITOR ASSOCIATE EDITOR STAFF EDITORS EDITORIAL ASSISTANT EDITORIAL BUSINESS COORDINATOR/ASST. TO EIC COPY CHIEF/ASST. MANAGING EDITOR SENIOR COPY EDITOR COPY EDITOR ASSOCIATE ART DIRECTOR PRINCIPAL PHOTOGRAPHER

MANAGING EDITOR SENIOR EDITORS

SENIOR ASSOCIATE EDITORS ASSOCIATE EDITORS

ASSISTANT EDITORS LABS MANAGER ASSISTANT LABS MANAGER PROJECT LEADERS ASSOCIATE PROJECT LEADER LAB TECHNICIANS

PHOTO DIRECTOR PRODUCER PRODUCTION ASSISTANT

V P, P U B L I S H E R

Nancy Lang-Feldman Sean Portnoy Joshua Goldman Brian Bennett, Louis Ramirez Erin Kandel Ursula Morris John A. Burek Brian T. Horowitz Jasmin Malik Chua Todd Betterley Chris Gould David Carnoy, Matthew Elliott, Allen Fear, Lindsey Turrentine Julie Wildhaber Aimee Baldridge, Wayne Cunningham, John P. Falcone, Kent German, Lori Grunin, Justin Jaffe, David Katzmaier, James Kim, Robert Vamosi Dan Ackerman, Rich Brown, Bonnie Cha Jasmine France, Nicole Lee, Michelle Thatcher, Elsa Wenzel, Felisa Yang Will Greenwald, Lara Luepke, David Rudden Daniel A. Begun Eric Franklin David Gussman, Dong Ngo Matthew Fitzgerald Michael Degnan, Matthew Wood Pedro Burgos, Corey Terrill Jody L. Gianni Neal Okin Dino Salee

David Cleary

A DV E RT I S I N G S A L E S NATIONAL ADVERTISING DIRECTOR EAST COAST SALES MANAGER

Colleen Daly Steven Goodman

NORTHEAST

IL, IN, MA, ME, MI, MN, MO, OH, NH, RI, VT, WI, REGIONAL SALES MANAGER

NOTEBOOKS FROM LESSER-KNOWN VENDORS These scrappy laptops are made by companies you may have never heard of, but they’re still tough enough to challenge the big boys.

Rik Fairlie Wendy Sheehan Chris Phillips

CNET REVIEWS EDITORS

INVENTORY COORDINATORS

SAFEGUARD YOUR PC Find out how to keep your laptop from walking away or your desktop from disappearing. We also show you how to discourage prying eyes, and keep your hardware and data safe.

Janice J. Chen

ACCOUNT EXECUTIVE

Canada Sarah Jabbour (646) 472-3864 Jessica Leonhardt (646) 472-3914

SOUTHEAST

AL, AR, CT, DC, DE, FL, GA, KY, LA, MD, MS, NC, NJ, NY, PA, SC, TN, TX, VA, WV REGIONAL SALES MANAGER ACCOUNT EXECUTIVE EAST COAST NEW BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT

Justin Schiller (646) 472-3841 Jessica Leonhardt (646) 472-3914 Eliza Dudelzak (646) 472-3981

NORTHWEST

codes 94000-94356+, ID, MT, NV, OR, UT, WA, WY, Canada 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

CA ZIP

REGIONAL SALES MANAGER

SOUTHWEST

codes 90000-93599, AZ, CO, IA, KS, ND, NE, NM, OK, SD Eric Farmer (949) 399-8711 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 A C C O U N T E X E C U T I V E Aida Rodriguez (312) 214-7337 CA ZIP

REGIONAL SALES MANAGER

ACCOUNT COORDINATOR (EAST COAST) ACCOUNT COORDINATOR (WEST COAST)

Elizabeth Jang (646) 472-3941 Francia McCormack (646) 472-3889

MARKETING ASSOCIATE VP, MARKETING SENIOR MARKETING MANAGER RESEARCH MANAGER SENIOR CREATIVE MANAGER MARKETING ASSISTANT TECHNICAL PRODUCER CIRCULATION DIRECTOR DIRECTOR, SINGLE-COPY SALES SENIOR MARKET ANALYST/ACCOUNT MANAGER

Josh London Elizabeth Hill Lynn Klein Pete Vega Valerie Blair Dan O’Brien Frank Ruiz Mark Peterson Russ Gilchrist

PRODUCTION DIRECTOR, BUSINESS OPERATIONS SENIOR PRODUCTION MANAGER LAYOUT ADMINISTRATOR

On Newsstands April 11th

ELECTRONIC PREPRESS SPECIALIST

CNET NETWORKS CHAIRMAN AND CEO CHIEF OPERATING OFFICER SVP, REVENUE

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March 2006 computershopper.com

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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

TRENDS

18 U.K. Service Delivers Self-Destructing Text Messages 18 Google Opens Online Video Store 18 The Commodore Brand Is Back 20 Gear

UPCOMING TECHNOLOGIES AND PRODUCTS

• TRENDSPOTTING

Dell Updates Stodgy Image With New Gaming, Concept PCs shown off a couple of connVidia’s Quad Scalable Link IN ANOTHER SIGN that Dell cept PCs. One is a concept Interface (SLI) technology. is trying to move away from laptop that folds out and Equipped with two 512MB its beige-box-PC image, the resembles a desktop PC with graphics cards that each emcompany is joining the overa detachable keyboard. The ploy two GeForce 7800 GTX clockers’ club. computer has a 20-inch chips, the PC can now play Dell’s Limited Edition XPS wide-screen display. Dell has 3D games with full-detail 600 Renegade desktop, exat least 10 patents for pected at press the system but has time to be available divulged no plans to this quarter, fearelease the PC. tures a “factoryThe other concept overclocked” computer is a gam4.26GHz Intel Pening PC that may aptium Extreme Edipear by summer. Its tion 955 CPU and most notable exterfour nVidia graphnal feature is a front ics processors, all grill lit in red. Dell in an airbrushed would not disclose fiery-red case deany components it signed by artist may include in its Mike Lavallee. Dell Limited Edition XPS 600 Renegade spec list, but says it Lavallee is best is considering selling the settings enabled at unheardknown for his car and system bare-bones. The of resolutions, such as motorcycle paint jobs from company would include the 2,560x1,600, according to his Killerpaint studio chassis and integral parts; Dell. The computer also (www.killerpaint.com). buyers would supply their comes with a new 10,000rpm The XPS 600 Renegade own memory, hard drives, 150GB Western Digital marks the introduction of and graphics cards. Raptor hard drive for fast booting. —Ina Fried, News.com, with Rich Dell has also recently Brown and Sean Portnoy

Becoming Media-Centric

Is Windows Media Center the operating system on your primary PC?

Yes

27% No

73% 34 percent of respondents say they plan to buy a Media Center PC.

Cornice has produced what it claims is the market’s smallest hard drive. Besides upgrading its Dragon series of miniature hard drives from 4GB and 6GB to 8GB and 10GB of storage, the company has slimmed down its drives to the size of a book of matches. Retailing at about $18.50 per gigabyte, the drives will be much cheaper than competing flash-memory technology, according to the company. The new drives will offer electronics manufacturers the opportunity to make smaller digital music players, videoequipped handhelds, and cell phones with more memory, Cornice executives say. —Greg Sandoval, News.com

Keyboard Use Isn’t Carpal Punishment Your wrists may hurt after a long day at the computer, but carpal tunnel syndrome isn’t necessarily the cause. Contrary to popular belief, heavy computer use—up to seven hours a day—does not increase a person’s risk of developing carpal tunnel syndrome, according to a recent report by the Harvard Medical School. The condition, which occurs when one of the three major nerves that travel from the spinal cord to the hand becomes pinched, typically stems from fac-

tors such as heredity, body weight, fractures, and pregnancy. You won’t get carpal tunnel from repetitive stress, the report says. Office workers can still hurt themselves, however, through improper computer use and other workplace practices prone to causing repetitive stress injuries. Pain from poor posture isn’t limited to the hands; it can also affect the neck, shoulders, and other parts of the body. —Dinesh C. Sharma, Special to News.com

Source: Computer Shopper reader survey

computershopper.com March 2006

17

TRENDS TECH NEWS

A BRITISH service now offers Mission Impossible-style text messages that “selfdestruct” after they have been read. Staellium U.K. says its StealthText service will allow business executives dealing with sensitive information to send text messages that will delete themselves from the recipient’s mobile phone soon after the person has read them. Once a message has been sent, the recipient receives a text notification showing the sender’s name and providing a link to the message. Once opened, the message will disappear after about 40 seconds. Staellium says it has had interest from financialservices companies, celebrity

agents, and the United Kingdom’s Ministry of Defence. “The ability to send a selfdestruct message has massive benefits for people from

all walks of life—from everyday mobile users through to celebrities and business people—but this is just the start,”

Carole Barnum, Staellium’s CEO, says in a statement. “In spring 2006, we will be launching new services such as self-destruct e-mail, voice mail, and picture messages, so ultimately no one will have to worry about their messages or pictures ending up in the wrong hands ever again.” The service is currently available around the world only for users of U.K. subscriber identity module (SIM) cards, but the company says the service will be available across Europe and in the United States and Asia sometime this year. —Steve Ranger, Special to News.com

Google Opens Online Video Store GOOGLE HAS launched a service that lets people rent or buy downloadable videos online, including classic and contemporary TV shows from the CBS network and games from the National Basketball Association (NBA). The company’s new Google Video Store is available at video.google. com. Consumers will pay $1.99 to download and view, for an unlimited time, episodes from last season’s Survivor series, as well as episodes of 300 older programs, such as I Love Lucy, says Peter Chane, senior business product manager.

18

Also for $1.99, people will be able to rent, for 24 hours, recent episodes of popular CBS TV series, including CSI: Crime Scene Investigation,

Google Video Store

NCIS, and The Amazing Race, Chane says. NBA games shown on television will be available for permanent purchase within one day of broadcast for $3.95; classic

March 2006 computershopper.com

NBA games will also be downloadable. Other content will come from independent-film provider GreenCine, U.K. TV network ITN, and the producers of The Charlie Rose Show, who are offering older shows for 99 cents each. The Charlie Rose content is not copyprotected and can be moved to portable devices or Google Video Player for offline viewing. All other available content is copyprotected, and users will not be able to share it with other devices, according to Chane. —Elinor Mills, News.com

Commodore Resurrected for Comeback It may be time for a Commodore comeback. A Dutch consumer-media company is hoping it can tap the power of the VIC-20, the PET, and the Commodore 64 with its new wave of products, including a home mediacenter device and a portable Global Positioning System (GPS) unit/media player. Yeahronimo Media Ventures acquired the rights to the Commodore name in late 2004 and took on Commodore as its own corporate moniker last year. “It is not only the brand name but also the heritage of Commodore that interested us,” says Ben van Wijhe, Commodore CEO. The Commodore MediaBox is an all-in-one home entertainment box with Internet connectivity, a digital TV tuner, and a hard drive for playing music downloads, games, or on-demand video. The Commodore Navigator is a Windows CE-based portable device with a 20GB hard drive for music and video storage, as well as built-in GPS capability and a 3.6-inch touch screen. The new Commodore isn’t the first company to try to revive the once-popular tech brand. Gateway hoped to reinvigorate Commodore’s Amiga PC when it bought the name and technology in 1997, but it eventually scrapped its plans and sold the brand in 1999. Van Wijhe says he has heard from a lot of Commodore and Amiga fans since his company acquired the well-known name. “We got thousands of emails from people who wanted to work for us and with us,” he says. —Ina Fried, News.com

Illustration by David Flaherty

Firm Offers Self-Destructing Text Messages

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GEAR NEW PRODUCTS BY BRIAN BENNETT

Power pot The $278 Multipot Personal Electric Charger from chic home store Design Within Reach promises to eliminate cable clutter created by onetoo-many rechargeable items. Hide up to five chargers within the bucketlike Multipot and run the cords though its lid, which also has a nifty LED. Design Within Reach, www.dwr.com

Stack and store LaCie’s Brick hard drives help brighten your work area with playful red, white, and blue hues. The external drives are stackable like Lego blocks and come in several capacities (160GB for $119.99, 250GB for $149.99, and 500GB for $399.99). LaCie, www.lacie.com

Grooves on the move Pipe Windows Media Player tunes directly into your living room with the $229.99 D-Link DSM-120. Compliant with Microsoft’s Windows Media Connect standard, this device uses 802.11b/g Wi-Fi to wirelessly play MP3 and WMA tracks that reside on your PC’s hard drive. The DSM-120 also accepts additional storage via a USB port or an optional internal 2.5-inch hard drive. D-Link, www.dlink.com

20

March 2006 computershopper.com

Ear Guards Step up to an improved music and gameplay experience with Alienware’s new Ozma 7 gaming headphones. The $199 stereo headset uses German manufacturer Ultrastone’s S-Logic surround-sound technology, which also reduces decibel output to safeguard your hearing. Alienware, www.alienware.com

Bright DIMMs Liven up your desktop while adding some extra style with PNY’s Verto Hi Speed Gamer Memory. Shipping in DDR and DDR2 flavors, the RAM comes in 1GB kits (consisting of two 512MB modules) and ranges in speed from 400MHz to 1GHz ($179 to $270). The RAM sticks also feature colored LEDs that display memory activity and temperature. PNY Technologies, www.pny.com

Tweaking time System tweakers can add another tool to their belts with Abit’s Guru Clock. Compatible with select Abit motherboards, the Guru Clock allows you to view important info about your PC’s operations, such as CPU clock speed, case temperature, and fan speeds. In addition, the device lets you overclock components without manipulating software. And, yes, it also tells you the time. Pricing was not set at press time. Abit Computer, www.abit-usa.com

computershopper.com March 2006

21

HP recommends Windows® XP Professional.

HP COMPAQ BUSINESS NOTEBOOK nc6140

BUSINESS TOOLS FOR EVERY DAY. EVERYWHERE.

$1,399

Lease for as low as $39 per month for 51 months1

$249 Instant Savings2 ($1,648 - $249 Instant Savings = $1,399) • Intel® Centrino® Mobile Technology6 - Intel® Pentium® M Processor 7504 (2MB L2 Cache, 1.86GHz, 533MHz FSB) - Intel® PRO Wireless 2915ABG • Microsoft® Windows® XP Professional • 15" XGA Display • 512MB DDR2 333MHz (1 DIMM) • Integrated HP Broadband Wireless6,16 • 40GB Hard Drive7 • 24X DVD/CD-RW Combo Drive9 GET EVEN MORE: • Basic Docking Station, add $149

All offers available from HP Direct and participating resellers. Prices shown are HP Direct prices, are subject to change and do not include applicable state and local sales tax or shipping to recipient’s destination. Reseller prices may vary. Photography may not accurately represent exact configurations priced. Associated values represent HP published list price. 1. Lease products are available through Hewlett-Packard Financial Services Company (HPFSC) or one of its affiliates to qualified commercial customers in the U.S. and are subject to credit approval and execution of standard HPFSC documentation. Offer valid on all transactions greater than $349 through 3/31/06. Other fees and restrictions may apply; please visit www.hp.com/go/HPfinancialservices. HPFSC reserves the right to change or cancel this program at any time without notice. 2. Instant savings and mail-in-rebate offers are valid through 3/31/06 on qualifying HP Compaq nc6140 and nx6110 Notebooks, HP Compaq dc7600 Desktops, HP ProLiant ml110 G3 Servers, HP Compaq tc4200 Tablet PCs, HP Deskjet 6980dt Printers and HP xw4300 Workstations from HP Direct and participating HP resellers. 4. Intel’s numbering is not a measurement of higher performance. 6. Wireless access point is required and is not included. Wireless Internet use requires separately purchased Internet service contract. Availability of public wireless access points limited. 7. For hard drives, GB=Billion bytes. Actual available capacity is less. 9. 24X DVD/CD-RW Combo Drive data transfer rates may vary as follows: for recording to CD-R media, for writing to CD-RW media, for reading CD media, max transfer rate may be up to 3600 Kbps; for reading DVD media, may be up to 10,800 Kbps. Actual transfer rates may vary depending on media quality. 10. 24X Max CD-ROM Drive data transfer rates up to 3600 Kbps. 11. 48X, 32X CD-RW Drive data transfer rates may vary as follows: for recording to CD-R media, the max transfer rate may be up to 7200 Kbps (use 48X discs for best performance); for writing to CD-RW media, the max transfer rate may be up to 4800 Kbps (use 32X high-speed media discs for best performance); for reading CD media, the max transfer rate may be up to 7200 Kbps. Actual transfer rates may vary depending on media quality. 12. One-year limited warranty for parts, labor and next-business-day support. 13. Three-year limited warranty for parts, labor and next-business-day support. 14. Four-year limited warranty for parts, labor and next-business-day support. 15. Service levels and response times for HP Care Packs may vary depending on your geographic location. Restrictions and limitations apply. For details, visit www.hp.com/go/carepack. 16. Wireless use requires separately purchased service contract.BroadbandAccess is available to more than 140 million people in 171 major metropolitan areas and 68 primary airports. Access limited to coverage area of Verizon Wireless. Check with Verizon Wireless for availability and coverage in your area. Verizon Wireless BroadbandAccess offers download speeds of 400 to 700 Kbps. NationalAccess provides download speeds of 60 to 80 Kbps. BroadbandAccess speeds are based on Verizon Wireless network tests with 5MB FTP data files without compression; NationalAccess speeds are based on Verizon Wireless network tests with 101KB FTP data files. 17. The hyperthreading feature is a new technology designed to improve performance of multi-threaded software products; please contact your software provider to determine software compatibility. Not all customers or software applications will benefit from the use of hyperthreading. Go to http://www.intel.com/info/hyperthreading for more information, including which processors support HT Technology. Microsoft and Windows are registered trademarks of Microsoft Corporation in the United States and/or other countries. Celeron, Celeron Inside, Centrino, Core Inside, Intel, Intel Core, Intel Inside, Intel SpeedStep, Intel Viiv, Intel Xeon, Itanium, Itanium Inside, Pentium, Pentium Inside, the Centrino Logo, the Intel Logo and the Intel Inside Logo are trademarks or registered trademarks of Intel Corporation or its subsidiaries in the United States and other countries. ©2006 Hewlett-Packard Development Company, L.P.

Increase your productivity on the go. Introducing the HP Compaq nc6140 commercial notebook powered by Intel® Centrino® Mobile Technology, HP’s first notebook with integrated broadband. No PC cards, no extra parts, just log on and go. And with the largest WWAN network, powered by Verizon Wireless BroadbandAccess, you’ll have high-speed Internet readily available.16 Plus, with every HP Compaq nc6140 purchase, you get all the security that HP’s ProtectTools offer, standard. Giving you more reasons than ever to consider HP. Now buy select HP products and save instantly. s Include ite n-s 3-Year Onty13 Warra

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$949 Lease for as low as $26 per month for 51 months1

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HP WORKSTATION xw4300 $345 Instant Savings2 ($1,219 - $270 Instant Savings = $949) • Intel® Pentium® 4 Processor 630 with HT Technology 4 (2MB L2 Cache, 3GHz, 800MHz) • Microsoft® Windows® XP Professional • 512MB 533MHz DDR2 ECC • 80GB SATA S.M.A.R.T. III Hard Drive7 • 48X/32X CD-RW/DVD Combo Drive11 • NVIDIA® Quadro NVS 285 128MB PCI-e graphics • Three-year on-site limited warranty13 GET EVEN MORE: • HP CarePack: Three-year, four-hour response, 24 x 7, add $26913,15 • Additional 512MB 533MHz DDR2 ECC memory, add $129

HP COMPAQ BUSINESS NOTEBOOK nx6110 $275 Instant Savings2 ($1,224 - $275 Instant Savings = $949) • Intel® Centrino® Mobile Technology6 - Intel® Pentium® M Processor 7404 (2MB L2 Cache, 1.73GHz, 533MHz FSB) - Intel® PRO Wireless 2200BG6 • Microsoft® Windows® XP Professional • 15" XGA Display • 512MB DDR 333MHz (2 DIMM) • 40GB Hard Drive7 • 24X DVD/CD-RW Combo Drive9 GET EVEN MORE: • HP Common Travel Battery, add $129

Monitor sold separately.

$839 Lease for as low as $23 per month for 51 months1

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Lease for as low as $159 Instant Savings2 $21 per month for ($998 - $159 Instant Savings = $839) 48 months • Intel® Pentium® 4 Processor 6304 with 17 HT Technology (2MB L2 Cache, 3GHz, 800MHz FSB) • Microsoft® Windows® XP Professional • 512MB 533MHz DDR2 • 80GB SATA S.M.A.R.T. III Hard Drive7 • Multi-bay 24X CD-ROM10 • Integrated Broadcom NIC • ADD 2DVI adapter for Dual Displays • Three-year next-business-day on-site limited warranty13, 15 GET EVEN MORE: • HP CarePack: Four-year 9 x 5 next-business-day on-site coverage, add $9914,15 • L1506 15" TFT Flat Panel Display, add $219

1

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REVIEWS THE LATEST HARDWARE AND SOFTWARE PRODUCTS

Apple iMac G5 All-in-one offers more functionality, lower price EDITORS’ WITH ITS UPDATE to the iMac G5, Apple stuffs CHOICE more functionality into its midrange all-in-one iMac G5 computer while simultaneously dropping the price. A tad thinner than its predecessor, the new $1,699 20-inch iMac G5 features additions such as an integrated iSight camera. On top of that, core EDITORS’ RATING 8.0 hardware improvements made it an even 0 BETTER >> 10 stronger subject for PROS Built-in camera; remote control, our graphics and overFront Row software let you enjoy media all-performance tests. from across the room; faster, cheaper (As we were going than past models to press, Apple anCONS Can’t adjust screen height; nounced a further expandability limited to adding RAM; update to the only 90 days of phone support iMac line, makSPECS 2.1GHz PowerPC G5; 512MB ing official the DDR2; 250GB hard drive; double-layer switch from G5 procesDVD±RW; 20-inch LCD; ATI Radeon X600 XT graphics (128MB); Mac OS X 10.4 sors to Intel’s Core Duo CPUs, along with a Apple Computer, 800-692-7753 couple of other hardwww.apple.com ware tweaks. These Direct Price $1,699 changes—see “Apple

Apple Puts Intel Inside the iMac Apple announced last June that it would start making Macs with Intel CPUs by June 2006. Just six months later, Apple lived up to its promise—well ahead of schedule—by unveiling at Macworld Expo new iMacs using Intel’s Core Duo CPUs. Upside: Most of what we know about the new iMac Core Duo is good news. Aside from the CPU, Apple introduced a minor upgrade to the graphics—now, the ATI Radeon X1600, a video-friendly 3D chip with advanced decoding capabilities. RAM also got a speed uptick, from 533MHz to 667MHz. On the software side, you’ll get the new iLife ‘06 suite, which adds Apple’s iWeb Web-design software. Downside: Because of the new processor architecture, Apple needs to use a program called Rosetta to translate Mac applications (other than the OS and the bundled apps) that haven’t been programmed to run on an Intel chip. While current Mac OS X apps won’t be obsolete, they’ll run a bit slower due to the translation time. Outlook: The new Intel chips won’t send Windows users scurrying to switch to a new iMac. We do expect, however, that the new Core Duo chips will help Apple compete with Windows-based desktops down the road.

24

March 2006 computershopper.com

Puts Intel Inside the iMac”—promise performance faster than that of this already Editors’ Choice-winning desktop.) Although at first glance the PC bears more than a passing resemblance to the previous high-end iMac (a 2.1GHz PowerPC G5 processor versus a 2GHz CPU, with the same 512MB of RAM standard), this model uses 533MHz DDR2 SDRAM (up from 400MHz) and includes a PCI Express graphics card (the 128MB ATI Radeon X600 XT) instead of an AGP card. The result is a computer that holds its own against comparably priced Windows PCs. It fared especially well in our Adobe Photoshop and iTunes MP3-encoding tests, but was less successful at encoding video. The 250GB Serial ATA hard drive, the vivid 20-inch wide-screen LCD, and the versatile double-layer SuperDrive DVD burner are holdovers from the previous model, along with the impressive software bundle, which includes Apple’s iLife ’05 productivity software. Also held over, however, are the nonadjustable screen height and limited expandability. (Only the RAM can be upgraded.) The included Front Row software and remote give you couch access to your media files via an onscreen menu resembling the iPod’s. Apple has improved the iMac’s specs and features, but it still hasn’t come through with adequately long phone support, Even from behind, the iMac offering just 90 days of coverage. G5 is a model of efficiency —Troy Dreier

and simplicity.

in this section

Nikon Coolpix S4

26 DESKTOPS

Cool-looking swivel-lens camera offers few manual features

Sony VAIO VGC-VA11G HP Media Center m7260n Photosmart PC

WITH THE $399.95 Coolpix S4, Nikon resurrects the swivel-lens design of its Coolpix 900 series in a more compact package. This 6-megapixel camera includes a 10x zoom lens, a 2.5-inch LCD, and Nikon’s signature ease-of-use features. Its lack of manual controls, however, makes the S4 a poor choice for shooting indoors or on the soccer field. The swiveling lens, which rotates while the LCD faces you, makes it easy to take self-portraits and shoot at waist-

EDITORS’ RATING 0

6.6

BETTER >>

10

PROS 10x swivel zoom lens; face-recognition autofocus; excellent built-in red-eye prevention CONS Few manual controls; sluggish shotto-shot times with flash; chromatic aberration at end of telephoto range Nikon, 800-645-6687 www.nikonusa.com

Mfr. Est. Price $399.95 level or from overhead. In reverse-view mode, the image flips vertically so the display remains correctly oriented. The 38mm-to-380mm (35mm-cameraequivalent) range of the lens is good for telephoto shots, but at the cost of wide-angle perspective. Still, in macro mode, the lens can autofocus as close as 1.6 inches. Because the S4 has limited exposure controls and no manual focus, the best way to customize your shots is with one of the camera’s 16 scene modes. Nikon

Lenovo ThinkCentre A52

also offers its Face Priority focus feature, which uses a set of brackets to keep your subject’s facial features in constant focus. In-camera fixes include an effective in-camera red-eye-removal tool and the Best Shot Selector, which takes a series of up to 10 pictures and saves only the sharpest or best-exposed version. Also, the D-lighting feature can brighten inky shadows in murky or high-contrast shots. In our tests, wakeup-to-first-shot time was 2.5 seconds. We were able to snap images every 2.8 seconds, but that slowed to a lethargic 5.6 seconds when employing the flash. Shutter lag was a middling 0.8 second under high-contrast lighting, and the red focus-assist light helped the camera maintain a similar pace under more-challenging lowcontrast conditions. Overall image quality was respectable for a compact 6-megapixel camera. The S4 produced even exposures and wasn’t easily thrown off by backlighting. It avoided blown highlights better than most digital cameras, and was able to render details in both shadows and fluffy clouds in the same photo. The downside: Chromatic aberrations were worst at the extreme telephoto end of the scale, with cyan fringing the most notable.

Canon PowerShot A610

—David D. Busch

Kodak EasyShare P850

Shuttle XPC P 2600g Sony VAIO XL1 Digital Living System 28 NOTEBOOKS Toshiba Satellite L25 Apple iBook G4 Lenovo ThinkPad Z60t Vigor Ares 34 COMPONENTS ATI All-In-Wonder X800 XL Diamond Xtreme Sound 7.1 Logitech G7 Laser Cordless Mouse 38 DISPLAYS BenQ FP202W HP L1706 Sony SDM-X95KB 40 PRINTERS/SCANNERS Epson Stylus C88 HP Photosmart 3310 Xerox Phaser 8500N 42 MOBILE PRODUCTS Audiovox PPC6700SP Creative Zen Vision 44 DIGITAL CAMERAS

Panasonic Lumix DMC-FZ30

The Coolpix S4’s 10x swivel lens makes it easy to take self-portraits or shoot photos from overhead.

48 DIGITAL AUDIO Cowon iAudio G2 Creative Zen MicroPhoto Kensington SX 2000 52 DIGITAL LIVING Dell W3201C Pioneer PDP-4360HD Sony DVP-CX995V 54 SOFTWARE Ulead PhotoImpact 11 Adobe Premiere Elements 2.0 CyberLink PowerBackup 2 SystemSuite 6 Professional Toast 7 Titanium AVG Anti-Virus Free Edition 7.2 Push the Freakin’ Button Pro 2.4 WinRAR 3.5

For details on how we test the hardware we review, visit computershopper.com/ HowWeTest.

computershopper.com March 2006

25

REVIEWS DESKTOPS

Sony VAIO VGC-VA11G All-in-one’s screen shines, but its design needs polish A TELEVISION, digital video recorder, stereo, and PC rolled into one, Sony’s $2,199 VAIO VGC-VA11G has its V520G predecessor’s brilliant wide-screen LCD, plus some extra bulk. The added heft is ameliorated by improved sound and moreaccessible ports, however. While all-in-ones have EDITORS’ RATING 7.0 certain downsides, such as 0 BETTER >> 10 lack of internal expansion, PROS Gorgeous wide-screen this versatile desktop is a display; ample hard drive space; boon for the space-conimpressive 2.1 sound; strong strained. Its first-rate comperformance ponents include a 3.2GHz CONS Some flimsy construcPentium 4 640 CPU, 1GB of tion; bulky design; Media Center DDR2 RAM, dual 160GB hard remote receiver not built-in; drives, a TV tuner, and a unimpressive TV quality double-layer DVD burner. SPECS 3.2GHz Pentium 4 640; You also get a built-in radio 1GB DDR2; two 160GB hard drives; receiver and a wireless keydouble-layer DVD±RW; 20-inch LCD; ATI Mobility Radeon X700 board and mouse. (The regraphics (256MB); Windows XP mote-control receiver isn’t Media Center Edition 2005 built-in, though.) Sony Electronics, 877-865-7669 The VA11G’s stunning www.sonystyle.com 20-inch wide-screen LCD, Direct Price $2,199 which has a native resolu-

tion of 1,366x 768, provided a bright, vibrant picture with smooth DVD playback. Plus, the surprisingly robust built-in stereo speakers and subwoofer rendered impressive audio output. TV quality was less dazzling, especially up close. We weren’t ecstatic about the unit’s bulky black-plastic exterior, either. Another shortcoming: The optical drive and flash-card reader, though easily accessible, were outfitted with flimsy plastic. The results of our BAPCo SYSmark 2004 benchmark tests didn’t surprise us. The VA11G’s score of 181 placed it neck and neck with comparable Media Centers, and the PC had no problem running standard Windows applications. (At press time, Sony was no longer selling the VA11G through SonyStyle.com. Its replacement, the VA10G, is nearly identical, except for its single 250GB hard drive and slightly less powerful 3GHz Pentium 4 630 processor.) Graphics performance was fairly impressive at a resolution of 1,024x768, tested with lowered anti-aliasing and anisotropic filter settings. Fully enabling these settings resulted in a meager 21 frames per second on our Doom 3 test, however. —Asa Somers

HP Media Center m7260n Photosmart PC Attractive, feature-packed midrange machine

EDITORS’ RATING 0

DOES IT EVER make sense for an educated consumer to buy a preconfigured PC rather than configuring one online? In the case of the midrange HP Media Center m7260n Photosmart PC, the answer is a qualified yes. The $1,169 system offers features that will satisfy families and students while costing less than many comparable desktops. More-advanced users with specific hardware needs will balk at its one-size-fits-all approach, but multitasking mainstream users will put the dual-core CPU and multimedia features to good use. A powerful passel of parts lies inside the smart-looking midtower: a 3GHz Pentium D 830 processor, 1GB of RAM, a 128MB ATI Radeon X300 graphics card, a 300GB hard drive, and a standard-definition TV tuner. A nifty dock on top accommodates a digital camera or an MP3 player and provides easy routing to run cables to the abundant port selection in the back. You’ll find no shortage of ports up front, either.

26

March 2006 computershopper.com

6.7

BETTER >>

PROS Strong features at a

10

Adding or swapping compocompetitive price; large hard drive nents inside (such as a hard CONS Not configurable; drive), however, can be a difficult to upgrade small nightmare due to the SPECS 3GHz Pentium D 830; case’s Personal Media Drive 1GB DDR2; 300GB hard drive; bay blocking access to many double-layer DVD±RW/DVD-RAM; expansion slots and bays. DVD-ROM; ATI Radeon X300 Despite having graphics (128MB); no monitor; Windows XP Media Center Edition a dual-core Pen2005; Microsoft Works 8 tium D 830 procesHewlett-Packard, 877-801-7183 sor, the m7260n’s www.hp.com performance doesn’t shine. In testDirect Price $1,169 ing, it lagged slightly behind other PCs with nearly identical configurations, scoring 196 on BAPCo SYSmark 2004. The dual-core CPU is a smart choice for the versatile m7260n, though; you might find yourself recording TV programs while running an antivirus application and browsing the Web. You’ll need an aftermarket graphics upgrade for serious 3D gaming; the m7260n’s ATI Radeon X300 card was unable to complete our graphics tests. —A.S.

REVIEWS DESKTOPS

Lenovo ThinkCentre A52 The IBM legacy lives on in business PC

Shuttle XPC P 2600g Two graphics cards, one small system THE $3,878 SHUTTLE XPC P 2600g joins the pantheon of high-priced, high-powered, small-formfactor gaming systems. So what sets this toaster-size PC apart from the competition? One acronym: SLI, short for nVidia’s Scalable Link Interface technology. Shuttle squeezes a pair of 256MB nVidia GeForce 7800 GT cards into a portable case, resulting in the kind of blazing graphics performance normally reserved for big, beefy towers. The P 2600g—with its 2.86GHz Athlon 64 FX-57 CPU, 2GB of RAM, 800GB of storage, 7.1-channel audio system, and builtEDITORS’ RATING 8.0 in Wi-Fi—is a serious gaming power0 BETTER >> 10 house despite its PROS High-end gear, including diminutive size. Athlon FX-57 CPU, SLI GeForce Application perfor7800 GT cards; built-in Wi-Fi; strong performance mance was certainly potent, reaching CONS Expensive; noisy; limited internal expansion space 224 on BAPCo SYSmark 2004. It really SPECS 2.8GHz Athlon 64 FXimpressed with 57; 2GB DDR; two 400GB hard drives; double-layer DVD±RW; games, though. We two nVidia GeForce 7800 GT ran Quake 4 in Ulgraphics cards (256MB); no montra mode with itor; Windows XP Professional every special effect Shuttle Computer, 888-972-1818 turned on and enus.shuttle.com joyed completely Direct Price $3,878 smooth gameplay. On our custom Doom 3 test, the P 2600g reached 79.3 frames per second at 1,600x1,200. The small case makes for a crowded interior with nearly no expansion room, but Shuttle doesn’t skimp on external connections. The PC has six USB 2.0 ports (two in front) and two FireWire ports (one in front). The only real problem with the design is noise—the fans on the two video cards combine to make quite a racket. The included standard warranty covers parts and labor for one year. The company provides one- and twoyear extensions for $100 and $150, respectively. Phone tech support is toll-free but limited to weekdays. Online help is also minimal. —Rick Broida

7.3

DESIGNED FOR small and mediumsize businesses, the Lenovo Think0 BETTER >> 10 Centre A52 demonstrates the same attention to quality that shone from its PROS Quiet operation; abundant expansion options; embedIBM predecessors. Particularly noteded security features worthy are its expansion-friendly design (inside and out), smart embedded CONS Slow performer; lacks printed manual, recovery CD; security and backup features, and vermiserly one-year warranty satile 17-inch LCD. SPECS 3.2GHz Pentium 4 The A52’s standard configuration—a 640; 512MB DDR2; 80GB hard 3.2GHz Pentium 4 640 processor, 512MB drive; double-layer DVD±RW; of 533MHz DDR2 SDRAM, an 80GB hard 17-inch Lenovo LCD; ATI Radeon drive, and an ATI Radeon X300 video X300 graphics (128MB); Wincard—will satisfy most business users. dows XP Professional Our $1,307 review system performed Lenovo, 866-968-4465 below expectations, however, scoring a www.lenovo.com mediocre 180 on BAPCo SYSmark 2004. Direct Price $1,307 Also, the good-forbasics graphics card couldn’t complete our Half-Life 2 3D-graphics test. The PC’s lack of printed documentation (or a recovery CD) is a noticeable shortcoming, as is its one-year warranty, which is two years shorter than the plans offered with comparable Dell or Gateway business PCs. —R.B.

EDITORS’ RATING

Sony VAIO XL1 Digital Living System EDITORS’ RATING Big Media Center falls short

0

BETTER >>

5.3 10

THE $2,299 black-and-silver Sony VAIO PROS Slick, inventive design; dual-core CPU; HDMI input XL1 Digital Living System (DLS) comprises a sleek, rack-style Media Center CONS Has trouble ripping large numbers of discs; small hard drive PC and a separate 200-disc CD/DVD changer. It’s an inventive concept that SPECS 2.8GHz Pentium D 820; hasn’t quite reached fruition. 512MB DDR2; 200GB hard drive; double-layer DVD±RW; nVidia Setup was effortless—the High DefinGeForce 6200 TurboCache graphition Multimedia Interface (HDMI) port ics (64MB); no monitor; Windows made it easy to connect a high-definiXP Media Center Edition 2005 tion television. Despite Sony’s claim that Sony Electronics, 877-865-7669 the DLS can efficiently rip a large music www.sonystyle.com collection, however, our efforts to rip Direct Price $2,299 between 80 and 150 discs failed every time. (The system either froze or halted prematurely.) Also, the 200GB hard drive is small for a Media Center. On the upside, the 2.8GHz dual-core Pentium D 820 processor performed smoothly, albeit below expectations, hitting 174 on BAPCo SYSmark 2004. The low-end graphics card, on the other hand, couldn’t finish our tests. —Dan Ackerman

computershopper.com March 2006

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REVIEWS NOTEBOOKS

Toshiba Satellite L25 Dirt-cheap laptop lacks power, battery life THE $799 Toshiba Satellite L25 is a no-frills, no-thrills laptop adequate for simple tasks, such as e-mail, word processing, and Web browsing, but not much else. Despite the rock-bottom price, this thin-and-light notebook’s less-than-stellar performance and battery life left us underwhelmed. The L25 is available in one low-end, fixed configuration. Our test unit included a 1.5GHz Intel Celeron M processor, a paltry 256MB of slow 333MHz RAM, and a decentsize 60GB hard drive EDITORS’ RATING 4.6 with a 0 BETTER >> 10 5,400rpm spin PROS Low price; excellent rate. 3D graphics were keyboard; bright display handled by a weak integratCONS Mediocre performance; ed ATI Radeon Xpress graphvery short battery life ics processing unit. Instead of a DVD burner, you get a SPECS 1.5GHz Celeron M; 256MB DDR; 60GB hard drive; standard DVD-ROM/CD-RW DVD-ROM/CD-RW combo; 15combo drive. On the upside, inch TFT; Windows XP Home the bright 15-inch, 1,024x768 Edition display was a pleasure to Toshiba America, 800-316-0920 view, even if it isn’t a wide www.toshiba.com screen. Direct Price $799 Weighing 5.7 pounds (6.4

pounds with its AC adapter) and measuring 1.4x13x10.6 inches, the black-andsilver L25 is a little bulkier than your average thin-and-light laptop. Though the laptop’s keys were comfortable, quiet, and responsive, the touch pad felt somewhat cramped. The unit’s basic connections include three USB 2.0 ports, a Type II PC Card slot, and an integrated 802.11b/g Wi-Fi radio. The L25’s modest parts earned it a mediocre 148 score on our BAPCo MobileMark 2005 benchmark test. Battery life was worse—just 1 hour and 35 minutes on a charge. Toshiba provides an industry-standard one-year warranty. During that time, toll-free tech support is available around the clock. —Michael S. Lasky

Apple iBook G4 Low-cost, well-built machine bruised by weak support

EDITORS’ RATING 0

APPLE’S reasonably priced $999 12-inch iBook G4 is welldesigned and long-lived, and it includes great software—all of which make it a good choice for an entry-level laptop. Our test machine came with a 1.33GHz PowerPC G4 processor, 512MB of memory (expandable to 1.5GB, a drastic improvement over the previous maximum of 640MB), and an ATI Mobility Radeon 9550 graphics chip with 32MB of dedicated VRAM. The smallish 40GB hard drive is equipped with Apple’s new Sudden Motion Sensor technology, which is designed to stop the hard drive from spinning if you drop the system. You also get a slot-loading DVDROM/CD-RW combo drive. The display features a native resolution of 1,024x768. Weighing 4.9 pounds, the iBook measures 1.4x11.2x9.1 inches—about average for a thin-and-light notebook. We like the keyboard’s comfortable keys and the extra-wide touch pad.

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March 2006 computershopper.com

BETTER >>

7.0 10

PROS Low price; well-designed;

Connections include two lengthy battery life; hard-driveUSB 2.0 ports and both protection technology; robust 802.11g AirPort Extreme Wisoftware package Fi and Bluetooth 2.0 connecCONS Small hard drive; no tivity. Audiophiles will beaudio input; only 90 days of free phone support moan the lack of an audio-in port, however. BunSPECS 1.33GHz PowerPC G4; dled with the notebook is a 512MB DDR; 40GB hard drive; DVD-ROM/CD-RW combo; great software package, an12.1-inch TFT; Mac OS X Tiger chored by Apple’s excellent Apple Computer, 800-692-7753 iLife ’05 digital-media suite. www.apple.com While the new iBook delivered improved perforDirect Price $999 mance over earlier iBooks, it was no match for Apple’s faster 12-inch PowerBook G4. That said, the iBook converted a music file into MP3 format (using iTunes) nearly twice as fast as its 800MHz G4 predecessor did. Another plus: The unplugged laptop played a DVD for an exceptionally long 4.4 hours before shutting down. Apple offers a one-year warranty with the iBook but provides a truncated 90 days of tech support. (We expected a full year of coverage.) —Stephanie Bruzzese

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REVIEWS NOTEBOOKS

Lenovo ThinkPad Z60t Fast system with wireless broadband, staying power WITH AN exceptional design and competitive features, Lenovo’s $2,299 ThinkPad Z60t is extremely versatile, if expensive. This well-crafted laptop should prove flexible enough for business users with mainstream or demanding needs. Our test model featured a mostly high-end assortment of components, including a powerful 2GHz Pentium M 760 processor, 1GB of fast 533MHz RAM, and a hefty 100GB hard drive EDITORS’ RATING 7.5 spinning at a quick 5,400rpm. You get only an 0 BETTER >> 10 ordinary single-layer DVD PROS Excellent design; fast burner, however. (We think performance; long battery life; this price warrants a doubleintegrated EV-DO modem; layer drive, which can burn fingerprint sensor to 8.5GB discs.) CONS Expensive; no doubleThe Z60t we evaluated layer DVD burner measured a totable SPECS 2GHz Pentium M 760; 1.2x13.1x9 inches. Our test 1GB DDR; 100GB hard drive; unit weighed 5.5 pounds; you DVD-ROM/CD-RW combo; 14-inch TFT; Windows XP can reduce the weight to 4.5 Professional pounds by forgoing the exceptionally sturdy titanium Lenovo, 866-968-4465 www.lenovo.com lid (for a conventional blackplastic one) and the sevenDirect Price $2,299

Vigor Ares Sleek, red, and ready for gaming

cell battery. The laptop’s 14-inch wideaspect screen displays a fine 1,280x768 native resolution, but it isn’t a high-contrast display. A pointing stick, touch pad, and fingerprint reader complement the comfortably laid-out keyboard. Notable connections include three USB 2.0 ports, an SDcard slot, and built-in 802.11b/g Wi-Fi connectivity. Also bundled is a Sierra Wireless Evolution Data Only (EV-DO) modem that connects to Verizon’s broadband cellular network— handy, because you can stay online wherever the Verizon high-speed network is available. The Z60t performed ably, achieving a high 232 on the BAPCo MobileMark 2005 benchmark test. In addition, the laptop lasted a lengthy 4 hours and 2 minutes in our battery-drain test. Warranty coverage on the Z60t lasts for one year, including parts, labor, and toll-free phone support. —Stephanie Bruzzese

EDITORS’ RATING 0

IF YOU’RE IN the market for a moderately priced, svelte machine that won’t choke while playing games, Vigor Gaming Computer’s Ares is worth serious consideration. Though our $1,566 test unit wasn’t packed with the most powerful components money can buy, it was still robustly configured, with a swift 2GHz Pentium M 760 processor, 1GB of RAM, and a fast 5,400rpm 80GB hard drive. Driving the notebook’s wide-aspect 15.4-inch screen was a relatively high-octane nVidia GeForce Go 6600 graphics chip with 256MB of its own memory. (To reduce power usage, you can switch the nVidia chip off via a sliding button on the front of the case.) We were disappointed, however, that the laptop had a mundane DVD-ROM/CD-RW combo drive instead of a DVD burner. Measuring 1.3x14.1x10.7 inches

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March 2006 computershopper.com

6.5

BETTER >>

PROS Fast application, 3D

10

and weighing 7.1 pounds performance; wide-aspect display; (8.4 pounds with its AC relatively compact adapter), the Mars-red Ares is CONS No DVD burner; screen relatively compact and lightnot high-contrast; no 24/7 phone weight. Even so, it’s equipped support with a healthy mix of conSPECS 2GHz Pentium M 760; nectivity options, including 1GB DDR; 80GB hard drive; DVDthree USB 2.0 ports, a fourROM/CD-RW combo; 15.4-inch TFT; Windows XP Professional format memory-card reader, Gigabit Ethernet, and an Vigor Gaming Computer 802.11b/g Wi-Fi radio. The 866-907-3536 www.vigorgaming.com 15.4-inch, 1,280x800-pixel screen is sharp and bright, Direct Price $1,566 but it lacks the high-gloss, sharp-contrast finish many vendors now incorporate into their LCDs. Both the keyboard and touch pad are wide and comfortable. In our benchmark tests, the Ares recorded a high 167 score on BAPCo SYSmark 2004 and a respectable 28.2 frames per second on our Doom 3 3D-graphics test. Vigor’s standard warranty covers the Ares for one year of parts and labor, but the company’s toll-free tech support is available only during business hours. —Brian Bennett

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REVIEWS COMPONENTS

Logitech G7 Laser Cordless Mouse Wireless gaming mouse delivers lag-free action MOST GAMERS avoid cordless mice with good reason: Their battery life can be short-lived, and you run the risk of lag. Logitech addresses both concerns with the $99.99 G7 Laser Cordless Mouse, which features programmable buttons, adjustable sensitivity levels, and a quick-swappable battery. The G7 is fairly light for a gaming mouse and lacks customizable weights to give it a heavier feel. It’s made for righties only, and it has two sensitivity buttons conveniently placed below the scroll wheel and another programmable button near the thumb rest. Plus, it has a small meter on top that indicates when you EDITORS’ RATING 8.0 need to charge its battery, and an eject button on the > > 0 BETTER 10 bottom lets you quickly PROS 2,000dpi laser sensor; swap out the battery. Logtwo rechargeable battery packs; itech bundles the G7 with easy-to-change sensitivity two battery packs (each settings rated at 8 hours) and a USB CONS Lacks removable recharging station. Logitech weights; right-handed use only also includes a wireless Logitech, 800-231-7717 receiver you can plug into www.logitech.com your computer’s USB port or Direct Price $99.99 the USB port on the recharg-

ATI All-In-Wonder X800 XL One-card prodigy attempts to do everything NOT JUST YOUR average graphics card, ATI’s $329 AllIn-Wonder X800 XL will have you playing 3D games, watching television, and listening to FM radio on your PC. Just don’t expect this 256MB PCI Express card to be adept at all three. With cable-TV playback, picture quality was merely average; we experienced some graininess on many channels. Recorded programs were identical to the original in terms of image quality, however. FM audio reception was subpar, requiring us to mount the included antenna outdoors. Onboard connections include coaxial TV and FM radio EDITORS’ RATING 7.0 ports, one DVI video output, 0 BETTER >> 10 and a proprietary port that connects to an included exterPROS 3D-graphics acceleration, plus TV/FM tuners on one nal connection block. You also card; well-connected get a wireless remote control. PC builders take note: AlCONS Middling picture qualithough the All-In-Wonder ty; poor FM reception; potential compatibility issues with Winworks with current versions of dows XP Media Center Edition Windows XP, installing it on a PCs built from scratch home-built Media Center PC ATI Technologies requires proper usage of the 888-974-6728 correct drivers and decoders www.ati.com listed on ATI’s online support Direct Price $329 site. —John R. Delaney

ing station. The G7’s sensitivity buttons are preset to 2,000, 800, and 400 dots per inch (dpi); by default, the thumb button triggers the Back command in a Web browser. To get the most out of the G7, you’ll have to install Logitech’s included SetPoint software, which lets you adjust dpi settings and program the thumb button. The mouse performs flawlessly and is comfortable to use. Movement tracking is responsive, and the sensitivity buttons are easy to reach during frantic combat. We didn’t experience any lag or glitches in movement, and the buttons provided good tactile feedback. —Will Greenwald

Diamond Xtreme Sound 7.1 FIRST

With a name eerily similar to that of its competition’s

TAKE high-end offerings, Diamond’s new Xtreme sound

cards are designed to bring theater-like audio to your PC. Upside: They may not have all the special features you’d find in one of Creative’s X-Fi cards, but Diamond’s new offerings look promising at first glance. The $29.95 version of the Xtreme Sound 7.1 card will deliver 96KHz/24-bit playback and 48KHz/16-bit recording, and also support Dolby Digital 7.1 surround sound (in DTS and EX formats). The $59.95 version adds support for Dolby Digital Live, which lets you connect your PC to a Dolby Digital-compliant receiver using a single cable. Downside: Diamond’s new cards may be cheaper than Creative’s lineup, but unlike the $99.99 Sound Blaster Audigy 2 ZS, neither of the Diamond cards is THX-certified. Likewise, both cards lack a high-speed FireWire port, which you’ll find on the Audigy series. Also, those hoping for a complex software suite are out of luck—Diamond’s cards ship only with Audacity, a freeware audio editor. Outlook: Diamond’s return to the sound-card market will cheer those looking for an alternative to Creative, but it remains to be seen whether this sleeping giant can make a dent in today’s cutthroat market for audio cards. —Louis Ramirez p Diamond Multimedia, 818-534-1414, www.diamondmm.com Direct Price $29.95 (Xtreme Sound 7.1); $59.95 (Xtreme Sound 7.1 with Dolby Digital Live) SECTION CONTINUES ON PAGE 38

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March 2006 computershopper.com

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AMD Turion™ 64 Mobile Technology MT-40 AMD Turion™ 64 Mobile Technology MT-37

1359 1319 1289 1249 1245

• Provides leading-edge 32-bit performance for music, video, and games and is ready for future 64-bit software • Improves security against certain types of viruses, with Enhanced Virus Protection for Microsoft® Windows® XP SP2 • Conserves power and operates quietly with AMD Cool‘n’Quiet™ technology • Features HyperTransport™ technology for improved multitasking performance AMD®, the AMD® Arrow logo, AMD® Athlon™, and combinations thereof are trademarks of Advanced Micro Devices, Inc. All prices are subject to change without notice or obligation. CyberPower is not responsible for any typographical and photographic errors. Copyright © 2006 CyberPower. All rights reserved.

GAMER ULTRA 7000 ELITE

$

-

AMD Athlon™ 64 X2 4400+ Processor

- NVIDIA® nForce™4 SLI Chipset MB with Dual 16X PCI Express - GENUINE Windows® XP

Home Edition with SP 2 - Microsoft® Works 8.0 - Corsair 512MB PC3200 DDR400 Memory - 200GB 7200RPM 8MB Cache Serial ATA150 Hard Drive - NVIDIA® GeForce™ 6200 Turbo Cache Supporting 256MB Powered by Xmdia - LG 16X DVD+-RW Drive - NVIDIA® nForce 4 7.1 3-D Surround Sound

600Watt Subwoofer System Logitech Deluxe 104 Keyboard Logitech Optical Wheel Mouse Turbo X-Cruiser Case 420Watt with See Through Windows - Free First Year On Site Service plus 24/7 Tech Support - Upgrade to Sicuro RW360XL 2.1 Gaming Speakers for $75

AMD Athlon™ 64 X2 4200+ Processor AMD Athlon™ 64 X2 3800+ Processor AMD Athlon™ 64 3500+ Processor AMD Athlon™ 64 3200+ Processor

GAMER ULTRA SLI BASIC - NVIDIA® nForce™4 SLI Chipset MB with Dual 16X PCI Express - GENUINE Windows® XP

Home Edition with SP 2 - Microsoft® Works 8.0 - Corsair 512MB PC3200 DDR400 Memory - 200GB 7200RPM 8MB Cache Serial ATA150 Hard Drive - (2) NVIDIA® Geforce™ 6600 256MB DDR3, 16X PCI Express w/ TV-Out Powered by Xmdia, Up to 2x the performance of a single graphics card solution

$ -

LG 16X DVD+-RW Drive NVIDIA® nForce 4 7.1 3-D Surround Sound 600Watt Subwoofer System Logitech Deluxe 104 Keyboard Logitech Optical Wheel Mouse Nzxt® X-Nemesis Tower Case 425Watt w/ MOD “See Through Windows” - Free First Year On Site Service plus 24/7 Tech Support - Upgrade to Ultra X-Connect 500W ATX Power supply w/2 80mm Fans Blue w/ UV Orange for $95

AMD Athlon™ 64 FX-60 Processor AMD Athlon™ 64 X2 4600+ Processor AMD Athlon™ 64 X2 4400+ Processor AMD Athlon™ 64 X2 4200+ Processor AMD Athlon™ 64 X2 3800+ Processor AMD Athlon™ 64 3500+ Processor AMD Athlon™ 64 3200+ Processor

639 $ $ $ $ $

945 839 759 679 639

735 $ $ $ $ $ $ $

1699 1145 1055 949 869 789 735

CYBERPOWER RECOMMENDS WINDOWS® XP

• The AMD Athlon™ X2 dual-core processor enables everyone to do more in less time by delivering exceptional multi-tasking capabilities and increased performance on digital media. • Dual-core technology is like having one processor responsible for running programs in the background while a second runs the applications you want to work on. The AMD Athlon™ 64 X2 dual-core processor brings true parallel processing to the desktop and can increase computing performance by up to 80%.

TOLL TOLL FREE FREE 800 800 707 707 0393 0393 or or WWW.CYBERPOWERPC.COM WWW.CYBERPOWERPC.COM

REVIEWS DISPLAYS

HP L1706 Limited viewing angles plague no-frills LCD WITH ITS matte-black base and chunky silver bezel, Hewlett-Packard’s L1706 isn’t the best-dressed LCD on the mar0 BETTER >> 10 ket. If its $319 price speaks to you, howPROS Fine color quality; easy ever, you’ll get an okay office display. image adjustability The 17-inch L1706 has a nonadCONS No side-to-side swivel; justable stand that holds the screen no height adjustment; subpar less than 3 inches above your desk. It text rendering, viewing angles can tilt 20 degrees backward and 5 deHewlett-Packard, 800-752-0900 grees forward, but it doesn’t swivel. www.hp.com You’re limited to an analog-only conDirect Price $319 nection to the PC. Overall, the LCD turned in below-average test results. Text, for one, wasn’t as sharp as it should be. And while gray-scale imagery was satisfactory when viewed straight on, it degraded when viewed from an angle. Likewise, colors showed no tracking issues when viewed directly, but they shifted when seen from an angle. On our DVD-playback tests, the monitor showed some ghosting, and games appeared washed-out. The screen’s silver lining: The onscreen menu is easy to use and features an auto-adjust button. —Dan Littman

EDITORS’ RATING

Sony SDM-X95KB Business LCD with smooth video ALTHOUGH CLAD in stodgy business-black, Sony’s 19-inch SDM-X95KB is yearning for a spot in your living room. Thanks to its impressive gaming and DVD performance, we’d have no qualms about putting this $571.99 flat-panel display in ours. Featuring a pair of EDITORS’ RATING 6.7 built-in 1-watt speakers, the SDM-X95KB is 0 BETTER >> 10 tastefully understated. PROS Streak-free DVD, game The screen, which tilts performance; easy to share back 20 degrees and between two computers forward 5 degrees, CONS Poorly designed moves so easily you onscreen menu; no portrait/ could adjust it with landscape pivot function one finger. The teleSony Electronics scoping neck also 800-962-4932 glides easily through smb.sony.com its 4.3-inch heightDirect Price $571.99 adjustment range. In fact, the only adjustment you won’t find on the SDM-X95KB is a portrait/landscape pivot. With Sony’s SwitchTouch toggle feature, two computers can easily share the monitor and any USBconnected device. Each speaker has its own PC-audio jack, so you can even share the speakers in a twocomputer setup. A DVI input and an analog VGA input reside on the screen’s back panel. The display also features two downstream and two upstream USB 2.0 ports. Tiny, square adjustment buttons running down the right bezel let you launch and navigate the display’s onscreen menu. We found menu navigation difficult—the menu doesn’t offer a Back option, and the icons aren’t labeled. Performance-wise, the SDM-X95KB showed minimal noise and ghosting during DVD playback. Gameplay was also smooth, with a consistently sharp picture. Screen uniformity was excellent, even at wide viewing angles. Sound from the embedded stereo speakers was relatively loud and less tinny than from other integrated speakers we’ve heard. —Kristina Blachere

38

March 2006 computershopper.com

5.4

BenQ FP202W FIRST

We knew it was only a matter of time before big-screen LCDs

TAKE caught up to their smaller brethren in the race for fastest re-

sponse time. BenQ’s 20-inch FP202W wide-screen display is the first such model out the door, featuring an 8ms response time at a tempting $599. Upside: Wide-screen LCDs still aren’t common among desktops, but we’re hoping units like this will help PC users make the transition from traditional 4-to-3 aspect ratios to 16-to-9. While we’re excited about the display’s quick response time, which should allow for smoother video and gameplay, we also like that BenQ didn’t skimp in other areas. The FP202W features a 600-to-1 contrast ratio, 1,680x1,050 (WSXGA+) resolution, and a DVI interface. Plus, a hotkey enables it to switch from digital to analog input. Downside: With its 16-to-9 aspect ratio and high-definition-capable resolution, this display practically begs for a TV tuner, which is not included. Also, you can’t adjust the height or pivot the screen. Outlook: If you haven’t already invested in a wide-screen LCD, now’s the time. Not only does BenQ’s LCD look swanky, thanks to its button-free façade, but at this price, it also has plenty to recommend it. —Louis Ramirez

p BenQ America, 949-255-9500,

www.benq.us List Price $599

REVIEWS PRINTERS

Epson Stylus C88 Budget inkjet doesn’t thrill, but won’t disappoint A BARGAIN-BASEMENT printer at a sub-$99 price? It may sound too good to be true, but that’s exactly what you 0 BETTER >> 10 can expect from Epson’s Stylus C88. PROS Inexpensive; reasonable At $79.99, this affordable inkjet is ink costs adequate—if you don’t have too many CONS Print quality only fair expectations. Epson America, 800-463-7766 An all-purpose printer, the C88 www.epson.com prints borderless 4x6-inch photos. The Direct Price $79.99 compact printer features a new set of DuraBrite Ultra inks that encapsulate the pigment within resin, producing better results on glossy photo paper and improving fade resistance. In our tests, the merely fair quality of both photo and text prints failed to impress, however. Also, averaging 5 pages of text per minute, the C88 is only moderately fast. Its ink cost is modest, though, with monochrome-printing costs around 4 cents per page. —Lori Grunin

EDITORS’ RATING

HP Photosmart 3310 Flexible, sharp MFP for the home WE LIKE many things about Hewlett-Packard’s $399.99 Photosmart 3310, including the able way it handles stand-alone copying, faxing, and printing. Like most of today’s printers, the unit features a built-in memory-card reader for PictBridge compatibility. Unlike more-business-oriented all-in-ones, however, the 3310 lacks an automatic EDITORS’ RATING 7.0 document feeder. 0 BETTER >> 10 Large offices will also PROS Wi-Fi-, Ethernet-ready; find its 100-sheet pabuilt-in memory-card slots; per capacity limiting. scans film, negatives, slides; Most users will nevexcellent text quality; brilliant ertheless be pleased photo prints with the printer, which CONS Lacks automatic docuhas a large, 3.6-inch ment feeder; subpar scanning; color display at the limited paper capacity for office use center of its control panel. Lifting the panel Hewlett-Packard 888-999-4747 gives you access to six www.hp.com pop-out ink tanks, which include an exDirect Price $399.99 tra-large black module and smaller cartridges for cyan, light cyan, magenta, light magenta, and yellow inks. (Replacing all six inks will set you back about $70.) You can print 4x6-inch photos via a dedicated 20-sheet photo-paper tray. Besides built-in wired and wireless networking, you also get a detachable flatbed-scanner lid that houses an adapter for scanning film, negatives, and slides. In our performance tests, the 3310 produced 5.3 pages of regular black text per minute. Text printouts on HP Premium paper impressed us with dark, welldefined letters, while color output on our letter-size test photo showed smooth gradients, bright colors, and excellent details. Gray-scale and color scans, on the other hand, appeared washed-out and missing light grays. Further, halo-like bright spots marred bold black text, and color scans had a similarly overexposed appearance. —Jeffrey Fuchs

40

March 2006 computershopper.com

6.1

Xerox Phaser 8500N Fast color business printer offers only mediocre output THE XEROX PHASER 8500N has nearly EDITORS’ RATING 7.2 everything a color business printer should, including speed, reliable network 0 BETTER >> 10 handling, dual paper trays, and 128MB of PROS Fast color printing; lowmemory. This $899 model isn’t a laser cost, low-waste solid-ink system; above-average software printer, however. Instead, it uses a process that liquefies solid blocks of nonCONS Mediocre print quality toxic ink, sprays the ink onto a drum, Xerox, 888-247-5107 and transfers the image onto the page. In direct.xerox.com this unit, that technology delivers only Direct Price $899 mediocre print quality, however. In our tests, text prints looked too much like inkjet output, and monochrome graphics were grainy. Color graphics were somewhat better, but we could easily see the ink dots that made up the images. On the upside, print costs are cheap—monochrome printing runs about a penny per page, and color printing is equally low at just 3 cents per page. The 8500N offers 10/100BaseT Ethernet and USB 2.0 interfaces, outstanding driver and network-management software, and a middling gray-scale text-printing speed of 12.1 pages per minute (ppm). Color graphics printing is fast at 11.1ppm. —Kristina Blachere

Make it Perfect.

Make it ProStar.

PR 9098D ■

■

■

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■ ■

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17.0" WUXGA GlassView Display featuring Super-Wide Viewing Angles Intel® Pentium® 4 Processor 630 with HT Technology (2MB L2 Cache, 3.0GHz, 800MHz FSB) 256MB DDR3 nVIDIA® GeForce™ Go 7800 GTX PCI-Express™ Graphics 512MB Dual Channel DDR2 SDRAM 80GB 5400RPM Serial ATA Hard Drive4 8X1 DVD ± R/RW Dual Layer Drive Full Size Keyboard with Numeric Keypad Hardware Raid 0,1 Function Dual Optical Device Bays and Dual Hard Disk Drives – Have 2 CD/DVD-ROM Devices and 2 Hard Drives at the same time Built-In 1.3M Digital Video Camera Built-In 7-in-1 Card Reader 56K V.90 Modem3 and 10/100/1000 Ethernet Front Panel Audio DJ with Separate Power Switch Microsoft® Windows® XP Home Edition

$2545

PR 5722F ■

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17.0" WUXGA GlassView Display featuring Super-Wide Viewing Angles Intel® Centrino™ Mobile Technology – Intel® Pentium® M Processor 760 (2MB L2 Cache, 2.0GHz, 533MHz FSB) – Intel® PRO/Wireless 2915ABG LAN 802.11a/b/g 256MB DDR3 nVIDIA® GeForce™ Go 7800 GTX PCI-Express™ Graphics 512MB Dual Channel DDR2 SDRAM at 533MHz 80GB 5400RPM Ultra ATA100 Hard Drive4 8X1 DVD±R/RW Dual Layer Drive Modular Optical Device Bay design allows for customization – choose from a CD/DVD-ROM or an optional 2nd Hard Drive Front Panel Audio DJ with Separate Power Switch Built-In 1.3M Digital Video Camera Built-In 4-in-1 Card Reader Built-In 56K V.90 Modem3 and 10/100/1000 Ethernet Microsoft® Windows® XP Home Edition

$2245

PR 5622E ■ ■

■

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15.4" WSXGA+ Active Matrix Display Intel® Centrino™ Mobile Technology – Intel® Pentium® M Processor 750 (2MB L2 Cache, 1.86GHz, 533MHz FSB) – Intel® PRO/Wireless 2915ABG LAN 802.11a/b/g 256MB DDR ATI MOBILITY™ RADEON™ X700 PCI-Express™ Graphics 512MB Dual Channel DDR2 SDRAM at 533MHz 60GB 5400RPM Ultra ATA100 Hard Drive4 24X1 CD-RW/8X1 DVD Combo Drive Modular Optical Device Bay design allows for customization – choose from a CD/DVD-ROM or an optional 2nd Hard Drive Front Panel Audio DJ with Separate Power Switch Built-In Digital Video Camera Built-In 4-in-1 Card Reader Built-In 56K V.90 Modem3 and 10/100/1000 Ethernet Microsoft® Windows® XP Home Edition

$1495

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. ©2006 by ProStar Computers, Inc. All rights reserved. Intel, Intel logo, Intel Inside, Intel Inside logo, Intel Centrino, Intel Centrino logo, Celeron and Pentium are trademarks or registered trademarks of Intel Corporation or its subsidiaries in the United States and other countries. All other companies and product names are trademarks of their respective companies. Dealer price is not subject to 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.

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SHOPPROSTAR.COM

Your perfect notebook awaits! Since 1993, ProStar has been bringing you notebook computers on the leading edge of technology. Now ProStar is offering the nVIDIA® GeForce™ Go 7800 GTX making your graphics more life-like than ever before!

ProStar Computer, Inc. 1128 Coiner Court, City of Industry, CA 91748 Tel 626.839.6472 Fax 626.854.3438 Tech Support 888.576.4742 Toll Free 800.243.5654 Online www.shopprostar.com Hours Mon–Fri, 7:30am–6:00pm; Sat, 9:00am–3:00pm, PST GSA Contract # GS-35F-5084H American Express, Discover, VISA and MasterCard Credit Cards Accepted – No Surcharge

REVIEWS MOBILE PRODUCTS

Audiovox PPC6700SP Premium phone is well-connected, if a little slow AVAILABLE for Sprint PCS network users, the $599.99 Audiovox PPC6700SP is a capable, costly smartphone that features three forms of wireless connectivity and a great keyboard. Measuring 4.3x2.3x1 inches and weighing 6.1 ounces, the phone is shorter and lighter than Palm’s popular Treo 650. The thick, soap-bar design makes it feel a tad bulky, however. With just six buttons and a joystick below the screen, the controls look relatively simple, but hiding below the front face is a roomy, sliding QWERTY keyboard. We liked its bumpy, responsive keys and their attractive EDITORS’ RATING 7.0 red backlighting. Note, though, that the phone is 0 BETTER >> 10 awkward to operate onePROS Spacious QWERTY handed because it lacks a keyboard, three forms of wireless physical keypad. connectivity; 1.3-megapixel The PPC6700SP comes camera; solid battery life; runs Windows Mobile 5.0 equipped with a muscular 416MHz Intel processor, CONS Pricey; sluggish 128MB of SDRAM, and a performance; screen looks faded MiniSD card slot. You also outdoors get a 1.3-megapixel camera Audiovox, 800-229-1235 that trumps the VGA-quality www.audiovox.com versions found in most Direct Price $599.99 phones. Electronic commu-

nication is this unit’s strength, as it’s outfitted with Bluetooth, 802.11b Wi-Fi, and high-speed-cellular Evolution Data Only (EV-DO) radios. The 2.8-inch display features 320x240-pixel resolution and support for 65,000 colors. The screen looks sharp and bright indoors, but sunny skies render it almost unreadable. The device supports synchronization with Outlook and Microsoft Exchange Server, and you can access POP3 or IMAP e-mail accounts. Running Microsoft’s Windows Mobile 5.0 OS, the phone also opens Word, Excel, and PowerPoint files. It was surprisingly sluggish when opening large documents and loading applications, however. The phone ran for an impressive 11 hours on our PDA battery-drain tests. Overall call quality was decent, but at times callers had difficulty hearing us. —Rick Broida

Creative Zen Vision Beautifully crafted media player, but playing video is complicated

EDITORS’ RATING 0

ALTHOUGH CREATIVE’S $399.99 Zen Vision is occasionally frustrating, this personal media player displays video with aplomb. Sleek, and available in black or white, the Vision weighs 8.4 ounces and is close in size to your average PDA. Even novices should have no trouble with the straightforward controls and intuitive interface. The 3.7-inch screen is eye-pleasing; it supports 640x480 (VGA) resolution and 262,000 colors. Its viewing angle is shallow, however, so unless you’re looking at the screen head-on, you’ll see almost nothing. A 30GB hard drive for saving media is built in. A CompactFlash slot permits viewing and downloading of digital photos. You can also purchase an adapter that adds Memory Stick, MultiMediaCard, SD, and xD-Picture Card slots. Plus, you get a built-in FM tuner/recorder. A removable bat-

42

March 2006 computershopper.com

BETTER >>

8.0 10

PROS Gorgeous screen; com-

tery comprises most of the pact design; clear interface; FM Vision’s back. tuner/recorder; removable battery; The device supports playCompactFlash slot back of MP3, WAV, and proCONS Limited viewing angle; tected WMA audio files, as video content difficult to downwell as AVI, DivX, Motionload; some TiVoToGo video files require conversion by third-party JPEG, MPEG, and WMV video. software; short battery life playUnlike the video-capable ing audio iPod, which enjoys easy acCreative Labs, 800-998-1000 cess to downloadable video www.creative.com content, getting video files Direct Price $399.99 onto the Vision is tricky, however. Some play natively, and others mysteriously require encoding by Creative’s Video Converter utility. Though Creative claims the Vision is TiVocompatible, recorded TiVoToGo video needs to be converted by a third-party application before the Vision will screen it. In our battery-life tests, we confirmed the Vision’s rated endurance when playing back movies (4.5 hours), but the device lasted only 8.2 hours playing audio before it shut down. (Creative claims 13 hours of music playback per charge.) —R.B.

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REVIEWS DIGITAL CAMERAS

Panasonic Lumix DMC-FZ30 Suitable dSLR alternative takes some spotty images THE $699.95 Panasonic Lumix DMC-FZ30 is a viable alternative to digital single lens reflex (dSLR) models if you want maximum flexibility, less expensively. The 8-megapixel camera is equipped with optical image stabilization, a first-rate feature set, and a 12x zoom lens with a 35mm-to-420mm focal range (35mm-camera equivalent). Although the DMC-FZ30 has only two compression options, it features TIFF and RAW uncompressed formats, plus three aspect ratios (4-to-3, 3-to-2, and 16-to-9). For easy customization, Panasonic offers 14 scene modes, including a new Soft Skin EDITORS’ RATING 6.9 mode, which produces smoother skin tones and > > 0 BETTER 10 complexions, and a Baby PROS Long zoom with optical mode, which displays the image stabilization; solid age of the child once you’ve performance set his or her birthday. CONS Color accuracy problems The DMC-FZ30 is quite with spot meter; noisy images at spry—wake-up-to-first-shot high speeds; some purple fringing time was less than 2 secPanasonic, 800-405-0652 onds. Shot-to-shot time, also www.panasonic.com less than 2 seconds (a mere Direct Price $699.95 fraction of a second more

with flash) was reasonable. Shooting in TIFF and RAW formats also did little to slow the camera. Images generally looked good—and sometimes bordered on superb—with accurate colors and exposure. We experienced erratic color accuracy and exposure with the spot meter, though. Shots weren’t as crisp as we’d hoped, and some photos had severe purple fringing along high-contrast edges. The manual noise-reduction adjustment helped images shot at ISO 80 and 100, but at higher speeds, the problems were more visible and less responsive to our attempts at reduction. The camera did an excellent job with macro shots, however, and exhibited impressive dynamic range. —Theano Nikitas

Canon PowerShot A610

Kodak EasyShare P850

A feature-rich 5-megapixel shooter

Big zoom, but a little pricey

CANON’S 5-megapixel PowerShot A610 is a perfect match for photo enthusiasts and snapshooters who want it all. You get a 4x optical zoom, full manual controls, a long list of scene modes, and above-average performance and image quality for a competitive $299.99. A wide variety of shooting modes provides options for photographers at all skill levels. Plus, whether you choose auto, program, full manual, or a scene mode, the A610 is user-friendly and straightforward. If you like to shoot video clips with your still camera, you won’t be disappointed by its VGA-movie feature, which shoots at 30 frames per second, with sound. Although this camera EDITORS’ RATING 7.4 won’t blow away the competition with its speed, it per0 BETTER >> 10 forms well, including a startPROS Excellent features for up-to-first-shot time of its class; strong image quality; slightly less than 2 seconds. full manual controls Our test photos were CONS Some overexposed sharply focused, with plenty highlights; slower than some of detail, accurate colors, and, competitors with the exception of a few Canon U.S.A., 800-652-2666 overexposed highlights, exusa.canon.com cellent exposure metering.

KODAK’S 5.1-megapixel EDITORS’ RATING 6.3 EasyShare P850 has more features than most of the com0 BETTER >> 10 pany’s digital cameras, inPROS Broad feature set; 12x cluding a 12x optical zoom lens with image stabilization; with image stabilization and speedy burst mode manual-exposure adjustCONS Pricey; trouble with ments, but it’s comparatively highlights; slow startup pricey at $449.95. Eastman Kodak, 800-235-6325 The strong feature lineup www.kodak.com includes three burst modes, Direct Price $449.95 support for RAW and TIFF files, and ISO sensitivity ranging from 50 to 800. The zoom works while you’re shooting movies, and the camera provides multiple editing options in playback. While the P850 was surprisingly peppy in burst mode, it took a sluggish 4 seconds to wake up. Also, be prepared to wait up to 14 seconds between shots if you save to RAW or TIFF format. Photo quality was mixed. Colors looked natural, albeit somewhat dark. Exposures were generally accurate, and the automatic white balance worked well under most lighting conditions. The camera had a problem with highcontrast scenes, however, resulting in clipped highlights and purple fringing. —T.N.

Mfr. Est. Price $299.99

44

—T.N.

SECTION CONTINUES ON PAGE 48

March 2006 computershopper.com

Play more games. Have more fun. Get Get great great gaming gaming performance performance on on ® the the GAMER'S GAMER'S POWER POWER featuring featuring the the Intel Intel® ® 4 Processor with HT Technology. Pentium Pentium® 4 Processor with HT Technology.

WWW.iBUYPOWER.COM $ 1249

ml-turbo

$ 1399

G-600

~ 15.4” Wide Screen WXGA TFT LCD 1280X800 Display

~ 15.4” Wide Screen WXGA TFT LCD 1280X800 Display

~ Intel® Centrino™ Mobile Technology • Intel® Pentium® M Processor • Intel® PRO/Wireless 802.11a/b/g

~ Intel® Centrino™ Mobile Technology • Intel® Pentium® M Processor • Intel® PRO/Wireless 802.11a/b/g

~ Intel® 915GM Chipset

~ Intel® 915PM Chipset ~ Mobile ATI® Radeon™ X700 256MB DDR Video

~ MXM NVIDIA® GeFoce™ 6600 GO 256MB DDR Video Card (User Upgradable)

~ 1024MB DDR-400 Memory

~ 512MB PC-4200 DDR2 Memory

~ 80GB 5400RPM Hard Drive

~ Serial-ATA 60GB Hard Drive

~ Removable 8x DVD±R/±RW Drive

~ Removable 8x DVD±R/±RW Drive

~ Gb Ethernet LAN & 56K Modem

~ Gb Ethernet LAN & 56K Modem

~ Build-in TV-Tuner with Remote Control

~ 3x USB 2.0 Ports

Intel ® (2MB Intel ® (2MB Intel ® (2MB Intel ® (2MB

Pentium ® M Processor 740 L2Cache, 1.73GHz, 533Mhz FSB) Pentium ® M Processor 750 L2Cache, 1.86GHz, 533Mhz FSB) Pentium ® M Processor 760 L2Cache, 2.0GHz, 533Mhz FSB) Pentium ® M Processor 770 L2Cache, 2.13GHz, 533Mhz FSB)

~ 4x USB 2.0 Ports

~ 1X Firewire IEEE-1394 Ports

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~ 4-in-1 Build-in Media Card Reader ~ Microsoft® Windows® XP Home Edition ~ Free 1-Year i-Care Deluxe 24/7 Phone Support ~ High Performance Li-ion Battery ~ FREE Deluxe Carrying Case

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Power Best Buy

Intel ® (2MB Intel ® (2MB Intel ® (2MB Intel ® (2MB

Pentium ® M Processor 740 L2Cache, 1.73GHz, 533Mhz FSB) Pentium ® M Processor 750 L2Cache, 1.86GHz, 533Mhz FSB) Pentium ® M Processor 760 L2Cache, 2.0GHz, 533Mhz FSB) Pentium ® M Processor 770 L2Cache, 2.13GHz, 533Mhz FSB)

$ 1399 $ 1459 $ 1509

~ Raidmax RX-9 Gaming Case with Remote Controlled Bootup

~ Intel® i945 Chipset MB w/ 16X PCI-Express

~ Intel® i945 Chipset MB w/ 16X PCI-Express

~ Corsair 512MB DDR2-667 Memory

~ Corsair 1024MB DDR2-667 Memory

~ Serial-ATA 200GB 7200RPM Hard Drive

~ Serial-ATA 200GB 7200RPM Hard Drive

~ 16x Double Layer DVD±R/±RW Drive

~ 16x Double Layer DVD±R/±RW Drive

~ 128MB ATI Radeon™ X300SE 16X PCI Express Video Powered by Powercolor

~ 16x DVD-ROM Drive ~ NVIDIA® GeForce™ 6800GS 256MB 16X PCI Express Video Card ~ 8-Channel Surround 3D Premium Sound

~ 8-Channel Surround 3D Premium Sound

~ 10/100/1000 MBps Ethernet LAN

~ 600Watt Subwoofer Speakers

Technology

~ 10/100/1000 MBps Ethernet LAN

Technology

~ Logitech Multimedia Keyboard & Optical Mouse

Technology

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Technology

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Intel ® (2MB Intel ® (2MB Intel ® (2MB Intel ® (2MB

Pentium ® L2 Cache, Pentium ® L2 Cache, Pentium ® L2 Cache, Pentium ® L2 Cache,

4 640 Processor with HT 3.2 Ghz, 800 Mhz FSB) 4 650 Processor with HT 3.4 Ghz, 800 Mhz FSB) 4 660 Processor with HT 3.6 Ghz, 800 Mhz FSB) 4 670 Processor with HT 3.8 Ghz, 800 Mhz FSB)

Technology

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Technology

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~ Microsoft® Windows® XP Home Edition

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$ 1309 $ 1539

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DREAM 2006

~ Raidmax Ninja Gaming Case

~ Raidmax X-1 Gaming Case

~ iBuypower® Liquid Cooling Technology

~ iBuypower® Liquid Cooling Technology

~ NVIDIA® nForce™4 SLI Chip Dual PCI Express Motherboard

~ NVIDIA® nForce™4 SLI Chip Dual PCI Express Motherboard

~ Corsair 1024MB DDR2-667 Memory

~ Corsair 1024MB DDR2-667 Memory

~ Serial-ATA 250GB 7200RPM Hard Drive w/ 8MB Cache

~ Serial-ATA 250GB 7200RPM Hard Drive w/ 8MB Cache

~ 16x Double Layer DVD±R/±RW Drive

~ 16x Double Layer DVD±R/±RW Drive

~ 16x DVD-ROM Drive

~ 16x DVD-ROM Drive ~ NVIDIA® GeForce™ 7800GT 256MB DDR3 16X PCI Express Video Card ~ 8-Channel Surround 3D Premium Sound ~ 10/100/1000 MBps Ethernet LAN

~ 10/100/1000 MBps Ethernet LAN

~ Logitech X-530 5.1 Surround Sound Speakers

~ Cintre RW-6510 5.1 Surround Speakers

$ 1179

~ Logitech Multimedia Keyboard & Optical Mouse ~ FREE Wireless 802.11g 54MBps Network Adapter

~ 8-Channel Surround 3D Premium Sound

Pentium ® D 920 Processor Cache, 2.8 Ghz, 800 Mhz FSB) Pentium ® D 930 Processor Cache, 3.0 Ghz, 800 Mhz FSB) Pentium ® D 940 Processor Cache, 3.2 Ghz, 800 Mhz FSB)

~ Cintre RW-6510 5.1 Surround Speakers

Technology

~ 2X NVIDIA® GeForce™ 6600 256MB 16X PCI Express Video Card - SLI Enabled

Intel ® (2MB Intel ® (2MB Intel ® (2MB

~ High Performance Li-ion Battery

$ 1109

~ 6-in-1 Media Reader

4 630 Processor with HT 3.0 Ghz, 800 Mhz FSB) 4 640 Processor with HT 3.2 Ghz, 800 Mhz FSB) 4 650 Processor with HT 3.4 Ghz, 800 Mhz FSB) 4 660 Processor with HT 3.6 Ghz, 800 Mhz FSB)

~ Microsoft® Windows® XP Home Edition

Gamer EX

®

Pentium ® L2 Cache, Pentium ® L2 Cache, Pentium ® L2 Cache, Pentium ® L2 Cache,

~ 4-in-1 Build-in Media Card Reader ~ Free 1-Year i-Care Deluxe 24/7 Phone Support

$ 1649

~ NZXT® Guardian Mid-Tower Case + See Through Window + Neon Light

Intel ® (2MB Intel ® (2MB Intel ® (2MB Intel ® (2MB

~ 1X Firewire IEEE-1394 Ports

~ Logitech Multimedia Keyboard & Optical Mouse ~ Microsoft® Windows® XP Home Edition

$ 1259

~ FREE Wireless 802.11g 54MBps Network Adapter

$ 1369

~ FREE 1-Year 24/7 i-Care Deluxe Technical Support + On-Site Service

Intel ® (2MB Intel ® (2MB Intel ® (2MB

Pentium ® D 920 Processor Cache, 2.8 Ghz, 800 Mhz FSB) Pentium ® D 930 Processor Cache, 3.0 Ghz, 800 Mhz FSB) Pentium ® D 940 Processor Cache, 3.2 Ghz, 800 Mhz FSB)

~ Logitech Multimedia Keyboard & Optical Mouse

$ 1389

~ Microsoft® Windows® XP Home Edition

$ 1469

~ FREE Wireless 802.11g 54MBps Network Adapter

$ 1589

~ FREE 1-Year 24/7 i-Care Deluxe Technical Support + On-Site Service

Order Toll Free 888. 462. 3899

INTEL® , the INTEL® inside logo and Pentium® 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 MB ~ Microsoft Windows® XP Home Edition ~ iBuypower® Ninja Gaming Case with CPU Liquid Cooling System

~ Corsair 1024MB DDR400 Memory ~ Serial-ATA 300GB 7200RPM Hard Drive ~ 16x Double Layer DVD±R/±RW Drive ~ 16X DVD-ROM Drive

AMD AMD AMD AMD AMD AMD AMD

Athlon™ Athlon™ Athlon™ Athlon™ Athlon™ Athlon™ Athlon™

64 64 64 64 64 64 64

FX-60 Processor X2 4600+ Processor X2 4400+ Processor X2 4200+ Processor 4000+ Processor 3700+ Processor 3500+ Processor

$ $ $ $ $ $ $

2479 1989 1859 1749 1699 1589 1549

~ 2X NVIDIA® GeForce™ 7800GT PCI Express 256MB

Video Cards - SLI Enabled ~ 8 Channel Surround 3D Premium Sound ~ Creative Inspire 8 Channel Surround Sound Speakers ~ 10/100/1000 MBps Ethernet LAN ~ Logitec Multimedia Office Keyboard; Opcital Mouse ~ 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

$ 1549

• •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 of of viruses, viruses, with Windows®® XP XP SP2. SP2. with Enhanced Enhanced Virus Virus Protection Protection for for Microsoft Microsoft®® Windows • •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 for for improved improved multitasking multitasking performance. performance.

Battalion

CL - 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® Turion™ 64 Mobile Technology - AMD PowerNow! Technology - HyperTransport Technology - Ehanced Virus Protection Technology

~ AMD® Mobile Athlon™ 64 Processor with HyperTransport Technology

~ Microsoft® Windows® XP Home Edition

~ 512MB DDR-400 Memory

~ Mobile ATI® Radeon™ X700 128MB DDR Video

~ Removable 8x DVD±R/±RW / CD-RW Drive

~ 1024MB DDR-400 Memory

~ 40GB 5400RPM Ultra-ATA100 Hard Drive

~ Removable 8x DVD±R/±RW / CD-RW Drive

~ 10/100Mb Ethernet LAN & 56K Modem

~ 60GB 5400RPM Ultra-ATA100 Hard Drive

~ Wireless 802.11g 54MBps Mini-PCI Network

~ 10/100Mb Ethernet LAN & 56K Modem

~ 3x USB 2.0 & 1x Firewire IEEE-1394 Ports

~ Wireless 802.11g 54MBps Mini-PCI Network

~ 3-in-1 Build-in Media Card Reader

~ Microsoft® Windows® XP Home Edition ~ Mobile ATI® Radeon™ 9700 PRO 128MB DDR Video

~ 4x USB 2.0 & 1x Firewire IEEE-1394 Ports; 3-in-1 Build-in Media Card Reader

~ 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

~ High Performance Li-Ion Battery

~ High Performance Li-Ion Battery

~ Free Deluxe Carrying Case

~ Free Deluxe Carrying Case

$ 1245

$ 1039

AMD AMD AMD AMD

Turion™ Turion™ Turion™ Turion™

64 64 64 64

Mobile Mobile Mobile Mobile

Technology Technology Technology Technology

MT-40 MT-37 MT-34 MT-30

Processor Processor Processor Processor

$ $ $ $

1359 1319 1289 1245

Mobile Mobile Mobile Mobile

AMD AMD AMD AMD

Athlon™ Athlon™ Athlon™ Athlon™

64 64 64 64

3700+ 3400+ 3200+ 3000+

Processor Processor Processor Processor

Order Toll Free 888. 462. 3899

$ $ $ $

1169 1095 1079 1039

iBUYPOWER NOW SHIPS TO CANADA! • •The The AMD AMD Athlon™ Athlon™ X2 X2 dual-core dual-core processor processor enables enables everyone everyone to to do do more more in in less less time time by by delivering exceptional multi-tasking delivering exceptional multi-tasking capabilities capabilities and increased performance on digital media. and increased performance on digital media. • •Dual-core Dual-core technology technology is is like like having having one one processor processor responsible responsible for for running running programs programs in the background while a second in the background while a second runs runs the applications you want to work on. the applications you want to work on. The The AMD AMD Athlon™ Athlon™ 64 64 X2 X2 dual-core dual-core processor processor brings brings true true parallel parallel processing processing to to the the desktop desktop and can increase computing performance and can increase computing performance by by up to 80%. up to 80%.

$ 609

BARGAIN 64

$ 979

Value Pro

~ NVIDIA nForce™4 SLI Chip Dual PCI Express Motherboard

~ NVIDIA nForce™4 SLI Chip Dual PCI Express Motherboard

®

®

~ Microsoft® Windows® XP Home Edition

~ NZXT® Trinity Mid-Tower Case + See Through Window + Neon Light

~ NZXT® Trinity Mid-Tower Case

~ Corsair 512MB DDR400 Memory

~ Corsair 1024MB DDR400 Memory

~ Serial-ATA 160GB 7200RPM Hard Drive

~ Serial-ATA 200GB 7200RPM Hard Drive

~ 16x DVD-ROM Drive

~ 16x Double Layer DVD±R/±RW Drive

~ 52x32x52 CD-RW Drive

~ NVIDIA® GeForce™ 6200 w/ TurboCache 256MB 16X PCI Express Video Card

~ NVIDIA® GeForce™ 6600 256MB 16X PCI Express Video Card

~ 8-Channel Surround 3D Premium Sound

~ 8-Channel Surround 3D Premium Sound

~ 10/100/1000 MBps Ethernet LAN

~ 10/100/1000 MBps Ethernet LAN

~ 600Watt Surround Sound Speakers

~ 600Watt Surround Sound Speakers

AMD Athlon™ 64 3200+ Processor AMD Athlon™ 64 3500+ Processor AMD Athlon™ 64 3700+ Processor AMD Athlon™ 64 4000+ Processor

$ $ $ $

609 659 699 769

~ 17” ViewSonic® VA712B LCD Monitor

~ Logitech Multimedia Keyboard & Optical Mouse

AMD Athlon™ 64 3200+ Processor

~ FREE 1-Year 24/7 i-Care Deluxe Technical Support + On-Site Service

AMD Athlon™ 64 3500+ Processor

~ Add ViewSonic® VX924 19” LCD – Xtreme 4ms video for ultimate gaming @ $ 449

AMD Athlon™ 64 3700+ Processor AMD Athlon™ 64 4000+ Processor AMD Athlon™ 64 X2 4200+ Processor

$ 899

GAMER FX

~ NVIDIA nForce™4 SLI Chip Dual PCI Express Motherboard

$ $ $ $ $

979 999 1109 1179 1239

~ Microsoft® Windows® XP Home Edition Yellow

~ NZXT® Guardian Mid-Tower Case + See Through Window + Neon Light

Green

~ Corsair 1024MB DDR400 Memory ~ Serial-ATA 250GB 7200RPM Hard Drive

~ Serial-ATA 200GB 7200RPM Hard Drive

~ 16x Double Layer DVD±R/±RW Drive

Blue

~ 16x DVD-ROM Drive

~ 6-in-1 Media Card Reader ~ 2X NVIDIA GeForce™ 6600 256MB 16X PCI Express Video - SLI Enabled ®

~ ATI Radeon™ X800GTO 256MB 16X PCI Express Video Card Powered by Powercolor

Black

~ 8-Channel Surround 3D Premium Sound

~ 8-Channel Surround 3D Premium Sound

~ 10/100/1000 MBps Ethernet LAN

AMD Athlon™ 64 3200+ Processor AMD Athlon™ 64 3500+ Processor AMD Athlon™ 64 3700+ Processor AMD Athlon™ 64 X2 3800+ Processor AMD Athlon™ 64 X2 4200+ Processor

$ $ $ $ $

899 939 989 1049 1119

~ 10/100/1000 MBps Ethernet LAN

~ 600Watt Surround Sound Speakers

AMD Athlon™ 64 3500+ Processor

~ Logitech Multimedia Keyboard & Optical Mouse

AMD Athlon™ 64 3700+ Processor

~ FREE Wireless 802.11g 54MBps Network Adapter ~ FREE 1-Year 24/7 i-Care Deluxe Technical Support + On-Site Service

Night Dreamer FX

$ 1299

~ NVIDIA® nForce™4 SLI Chip Dual PCI Express Motherboard

AMD Athlon™ 64 4000+ Processor AMD Athlon™ 64 X2 3800+ Processor AMD Athlon™ 64 X2 4200+ Processor

$ $ $ $ $

999 1039 1109 1109 1179

~ iBuypower® Liquid Cooling Technology ~ Corsair 1024MB DDR400 Memory ~ Serial-ATA 250GB 7200RPM Hard Drive w/ 8MB Cache

~ Raidmax RX-9 Gaming Case with Remote Controlled Bootup

Red

~ Corsair 1024MB DDR400 Memory ~ Serial-ATA 300GB 7200RPM Hard Drive

Blue

~ 16x Double Layer DVD±R/±RW Drive ~ 16x DVD-ROM Drive

Black

~ NVIDIA® GeForce™ 7800GTX 256MB DDR3 16X PCI Express Video Card ~ 8-Channel Surround 3D Premium Sound ~ 10/100/1000 MBps Ethernet LAN ~ Logitech Multimedia Keyboard & Optical Mouse

~ 10/100/1000 MBps Ethernet LAN

AMD Athlon™ 64 3700+ Processor AMD Athlon™ 64 4000+ Processor AMD Athlon™ 64 X2 4200+ Processor AMD Athlon™ 64 X2 4400+ Processor

$ $ $ $ $

1299 1349 1419 1489 1589

~ Logitech Multimedia Keyboard & Optical Mouse ~ FREE Wireless 802.11g 54MBps Network Adapter ~ FREE 1-Year 24/7 i-Care Deluxe Technical Support + On-Site Service

~ FREE 1-Year 24/7 i-Care Deluxe Technical Support + On-Site Service

~ Microsoft® Windows® XP Home Edition Yellow

~ 8-Channel Surround 3D Premium Sound

AMD Athlon™ 64 3500+ Processor

~ FREE Wireless 802.11g 54MBps Network Adapter

~ NVIDIA® nForce™4 SLI Chip Dual PCI Express Motherboard

Silver

~ 2X NVIDIA® GeForce™ 6800GS 256MB DDR3 16X PCI Express Video Card - SLI Enabled

~ Logitech X-530 5.1 Surround Sound Speakers

~ Logitech Multimedia Keyboard & Optical Mouse

$ 1319

~ 16x Double Layer DVD±R/±RW Drive ~ 16x DVD-ROM Drive

~ Cintre RW-6510 5.1 Surround Speakers

ZILLION FX

~ Microsoft® Windows® XP Home Edition ~ Raidmax Ninja Gaming Case

$ 999

~ NVIDIA nForce™4 SLI Chip Dual PCI Express Motherboard

Silver

~ iBuypower® Liquid Cooling Technology

~ 16x Double Layer DVD±R/±RW Drive

~ FREE 1-Year 24/7 i-Care Deluxe Technical Support + On-Site Service

®

~ Microsoft® Windows® XP Home Edition

~ Corsair 1024MB DDR400 Memory

~ FREE Wireless 802.11g 54MBps Network Adapter

BACK TO SCHOOL 64

®

~ Raidmax X-1 Gaming Case

~ Logitech Multimedia Keyboard & Optical Mouse

AMD Athlon™ 64 3500+ Processor AMD Athlon™ 64 3700+ Processor AMD Athlon™ 64 4000+ Processor AMD Athlon™ 64 X2 4200+ Processor AMD Athlon™ 64 X2 4400+ Processor AMD Athlon™ 64 FX-60 Processor

WWW.iBUYPOWER.COM

$ $ $ $ $ $

1319 1369 1439 1509 1609 2269

~ FREE Wireless 802.11g 54MBps Network Adapter ~ FREE 1-Year 24/7 i-Care Deluxe Technical Support + On-Site Service ~ Upgrade to Sicuro RW360XL 2.1 Lighting Speakers Add $75

REVIEWS DIGITAL AUDIO

Kensington SX 2000 Attractive iPod speaker can’t match the competition KENSINGTON’S $159.99 SX 2000 speaker for the iPod may be eye-catching, but it isn’t our top choice for am0 BETTER >> 10 plifying tunes. PROS Attractively designed; Measuring 7.2x16.2x3.9 inches, the charges iPods while they’re gloss-white SX 2000 features a single docked; auxiliary port for iPod Shuffle, other portable players large, flat speaker. You also get a rear auxiliary port that connects an iPod CONS Disappointing sound; no Shuffle or a player without a dock remote; can’t connect directly to a computer for iPod syncing connector. Controls are limited to three simple buttons: power, volume Kensington Computer Products up, and volume down. Group, 888-750-2343 www.kensington.com Despite its visual appeal, the SX 2000 falls short of the competition in Direct Price $159.99 audio reproduction. While the speaker had an acceptable tonal range, its audio was unpleasantly muffled and lacked clarity. Another minus: The SX 2000 isn’t bundled with a remote and comes with just two dock adapters. (Apple’s Universal Dock is included, however.) The speaker will charge an iPod, but it cannot connect to your computer for syncing or function as a docking station. —Troy Dreier

EDITORS’ RATING

Creative Zen MicroPhoto Colorful player looks and sounds great EDITORS’ ALTHOUGH CREATIVE LABS’ $249.99 CHOICE Zen MicroPhoto doesn’t integrate photo viewing and audio playback as well as many competing products, it’s still a top-notch music jukebox and a decent photo viewer. Measuring 3.3x2x0.7 inches and weighing 3.8 ounces, this model is only slightly smaller than its older monochrome-screen sibling, the Creative Zen Micro. It packs a roomier (8GB) hard drive, however. Available in a choice of 10 body colors, it also has a small, but attractive, 1.6-inch color OLED screen; though the device is also a photo viewer, you can’t listen to music and EDITORS’ RATING 8.3 browse photos on it simultaneously. Also, 0 BETTER >> 10 album-art display PROS Bright, colorful OLED isn’t supported. screen for photo viewing; userThanks to its innoreplaceable battery; voice recorder; vative touch pad and FM tuner; excellent sound quality easy-to-use interface, CONS Can’t listen to music, the player is simple browse photos simultaneously; to navigate. The face album art not supported; touch pad requires adjustment period has a textured feel, which lends a tactile Creative Labs, 800-998-1000 www.creative.com sensation to the controls. Still, those Direct Price $249.99 accustomed to pressing real buttons might need time to adjust. The Zen MicroPhoto plays MP3, WAV, and protected WMA files, including secure tracks downloaded from music-subscription services that support portable players, such as Napster To Go. Additional features include an FM tuner, a voice recorder, and an onboard calendar and task manager that syncs with Microsoft Outlook. We noted top-quality audio in our tests, with impressive clarity and bass response, plus decibel-busting volume levels. We squeezed out a little more than 15 hours of battery life per charge—sufficient juice considering you can pick up another battery ($39.99) and swap it in on the go. —Jasmine France

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5.7

Cowon iAudio G2 A flash player for audio buffs

EDITORS’ RATING 0

BETTER >>

7.3 10

PROS Excellent audio quality, FOR $129.99, the Cowon iAudio G2 is a sound-enhancement options; plays protected WMA files; worthy choice if you’re seeking a basic excellent battery life; line-in, device that plays protected WMA files and voice recording sounds great. CONS Slow file transfers via At 2.5x1.8x0.7 inches and 1.3 ounces, USB 1.1; lacks FM tuner; large for the 1GB iAudio G2 is somewhat large for a flash-based player a flash-based player. Its intuitive, boxCowon America, 888-453-8283 like design makes it easy to use, howevwww.cowonamerica.com er. The device plays MP3, OGG, and WMA Direct Price $129.99 (DRM 9) files, so you can play tracks purchased from online music stores such as Napster, though not subscription-based services. The player delivers crisp, clean sound and a wealth of audio adjustments, including six equalization presets and a five-band user-defined mode. Plus, it supports line-in and voice recording. We can forgive Cowon for excluding an FM tuner, but not for downgrading the iAudio G2 to a USB 1.1 connection. Because of it, filetransfer speeds were painfully slow. Battery life was more impressive: 40 hours of continuous playback from a single AA battery. —John Frederick Moore SECTION CONTINUES ON PAGE 52

REVIEWS DIGITAL LIVING

Dell W3201C A sweet LCD HDTV—at a cost DELL’S 32-INCH W3201C LCD highdefinition television (HDTV) offers 0 BETTER >> 10 everything we liked about the company’s previous television—slick styling, a PROS Accurate color; generous selection of inputs; slick styling friendly interface, and lots of inputs. Better yet, it ups the ante by producing a CONS Relatively expensive; picture perfectly acceptable for everyday black levels could be better TV and HDTV viewing. Its $1,799 price Dell, 800-999-3355 isn’t rock-bottom these days, however. www.dell.com With a native resolution of Direct Price $1,799 1,366x768, the W3201C has plenty of pixels to display all the detail of 720p HDTV signals. The set’s connections include two High-Definition Multimedia Interface (HDMI) ports (most LCDs have only one), two componentvideo inputs, and both optical and coaxial digital-audio outputs. Color accuracy was better than that of many LCDs we’ve seen. Color decoding and the actual primary colors themselves were both quite accurate. Blacks were relatively rich for an LCD, though not as deep as from competing models such as the HP LC3200N.

EDITORS’ RATING

Pioneer PDP-4360HD Pricey plasma offers near-perfect view PART OF PIONEER’S PURE VISION 60 series of high-definition plasma displays, the 43-inch PDP4360HD features excellent picture quality and black-level performance. At $4,500, it also costs as much as its same-size predecessor. If you desire sleek styling and a highly comprehensive feature package, however, the display is worth the price. The screen’s native resolution of 1,024x768 isn’t enough to display every pixel of 720p high-definition television (HDTV), but you’d need a 50-inch plasma to achieve that anyway. (The PDP-4360HD scales all sources, including HDTV, DVD, and standard-definition television, to fit the EDITORS’ RATING 8.0 pixels.) 0 BETTER >> 10 The flat panel PROS Extremely accurate color; includes an ATSC relatively deep blacks; solid feature tuner for receiving package; excellent connectivity over-the-air HD sigCONS Blacks not quite nals, plus a Cablereference-quality; high price Card slot for digital Pioneer Electronics, 800-421-1404 cable. Besides two www.pioneerelectronics.com picture-in-picture tuners, you also get Mfr. Est. Price $4,500 five aspect-ratio selections for standard-definition sources, but you can’t change aspects with HD sources at all. Abundant connections include two High-Definition Multimedia Interface (HDMI) inputs and three component-video inputs. In lieu of rear inputs, an external media receiver, which contains the ports, connects to the panel via an included 10-foot proprietary cable. In terms of overall performance, the PDP4360HD outstripped previous Pioneer models, ranking it among the best plasma panels available. Color accuracy was excellent, with first-rate color decoding and superb gray-scale tracking after calibration. Blacks were markedly deeper and richer than on previous models, but not enough to rival our reference Panasonic TH-42PHD8UK. —Kevin Miller

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March 2006 computershopper.com

7.3

—David Katzmaier

Sony DVP-CX995V Megachanger manages discs

EDITORS’ RATING 0

6.7

BETTER >>

10

PROS 400-disc capacity; DESIGNED FOR EXTENSIVE DVD and upscaling HDMI output; useful Disc Explorer feature CD collections, the $399.95 Sony DVPCX995V holds up to a whopping 400 CONS Takes a while to switch discs with its ample carousel design. discs; forgets titling information after disc removal; manual title Better yet, this DVD/CD/Super Audio CD input is necessary (SACD) player offers upscaling HighDefinition Multimedia Interface (HDMI) Sony Electronics, 877-865-7669 www.sonystyle.com output—it can output standard 480p resolution, plus 720p and 1080i highDirect Price $399.95 definition resolutions. The unit takes a long time to switch between discs, however. With the Disc Explorer, you can browse your disc collection via an onscreen display. Though this feature worked well, we had to enter a lot of disc information, such as title and genre, manually. Another shortcoming: The player doesn’t retain the title information after a disc is removed— you have to enter it again when you reinsert that CD or DVD. Video quality was fine, but no match for Sony’s single-disc upscaling HDMI player, the DVPNS975V. The megachanger was more successful demonstrating its 2-to-3 pull-down detection, however. —Matthew Moskovciak

REVIEWS SOFTWARE

Ulead PhotoImpact 11 Agile, powerful image app with uneven performance ULEAD PHOTOIMPACT 11 retains many of the strengths of its predecessors but disappoints on a few counts. A still-affordable package in light of its contents, this spiffed-up version adds many features aimed at digital-camera and camcorder users who want to correct, transfer, and add special effects to images with ease. Nevertheless, the app is marred by speed and stability problems, as well as unwieldy installation. Ulead has tweaked PhotoImpact’s interface, introducing preset palette layouts such as the Basic Photo and Web modes, for different types of work flows. All the tools and panels EDITORS’ RATING 7.0 conform to a neat, logical arrangement 0 BETTER >> 10 that makes the interPROS Solid value; terrific visuface and its features al interface; includes a wide varieasy to master. ety of project templates, tools The coolest aspect CONS Outdated keyword of PhotoImpact is its tagging; complicated installation; EasyPalette. All special efsome program instability fects, tasks, and presets apUlead Systems, 510-979-7118 pear as thumbnails, so you www.ulead.com can get an idea of what each Direct Price $89.99 (boxed command will do to your version or download)

Adobe Premiere Elements 2.0 A great video editor for those willing to master it

photo. Experimenters will spend hours fiddling with the multitude of variations for photo frames, fills, lighting, animation, text, and deformations. Digital photographers will appreciate that PhotoImpact now supports RAW files in both the main application and the two bundled organizers: PhotoImpact Album and Photo Explorer. Moviemakers can save GIF and PNG images, complete with alpha channels, and use the new templates for making custom DVD menus. These organizers search, sort, archive, and acquire images from digital cameras and scanners. They’re slow, however, and can neither search nor edit metadata. In addition, their keyword tagging is primitive, and though Photo Explorer has impressive features, it proved unstable in our tests. —Susan Glinert

EDITORS’ RATING 0

ADOBE MAKES strides with version 2.0 of its enthusiast video-editing software, Premiere Elements. In addition to an improved interface, the program now imports video from sources other than camcorders, such as digital video recorders and cell phones. You also get support for Dolby audio with the new version, something we felt was essential but the first release didn’t have. Plus, Elements 2.0 offers more templates, improved DVD-menu options, and the abili-

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March 2006 computershopper.com

BETTER >>

7.8 10

PROS Imports video from ty to create full-motion butdifferent devices; improved tons and backgrounds. interface; better DVD-menu Not everything about the options; Dolby-audio support program inspires devotion, CONS Sluggish performance; however. You can burn can’t import HDV or export to videos to double-layer DVDs, MPEG-4; subpar support but Elements 2.0 doesn’t exAdobe Systems, 888-999-2025 port to MPEG-4 (including www.adobe.com DivX) or import high-definiDirect Price $99 (boxed tion video (HDV). version or download) The software is also a big system hog. Installation, which required 2GB of hard drive space, was simple but slow—it took around 20 minutes on our test PC. To edit video, Adobe recommends you have at least 20 percent of the hard drive free. While our test system met these requirements, playback of a simple video clip was extremely jerky, which made editing and viewing our work a chore. We suggest you have a lot more than the 256MB of RAM that Adobe says is enough. Another gripe: Adobe hasn’t improved its subpar support options. Its minimal online FAQ and support pages are inadequate for a consumer program this complex. You don’t get free e-mail or phone support, either. A single-incident support call costs a whopping $39. —Troy Dreier

REVIEWS SOFTWARE

SystemSuite 6 Professional A do-it-all approach to PC protection

CyberLink PowerBackup 2 Versatile disaster prevention VIRUSES, power surges, battery failures, and systems that suddenly become unstable—all good reasons to regularly use an effective backup program. With CyberLink PowerBackup 2’s easy-touse interface, you pick the directories and files you want to back up. The $39.95 download also supports optional passwords and compression. PowerBackup lacks some useful features, such as the ability to format and partition drives, however. And because the program comes in the form of a download, you don’t get any printed documentation. Phone support is also expensive. The program backs up to a variety of storage media, including DVDs, CDs, flash drives, hard drives, USB, FireWire, Jaz, and Zip drives. (It won’t recognize external hard drives, using connections such as USB, under available destinations, however. You have to select Back Up As, then Browse, and EDITORS’ RATING 7.0 target the attached 0 BETTER >> 10 drive, which is a PROS Several backup methods; minor nuisance.) easy to use; offers optional encrypPlus, you can split tion, password protection; restores archives across sevwithout original program; backs up eral volumes, restore drives, plus directories, files backups without usCONS Awkward backing up to ing the original proUSB, FireWire drives; expensive gram, and passwordphone support; no printed documentation protect and encrypt data. Filters that inCyberLink, 510-668-0118 www.cyberlink.com clude or exclude specific file formats Direct Price $39.95 (download) allow you to be selective with your backup options—you can make full, differential, and incremental backups, or choose to back up only application data. Using the program is intuitive. A four-step wizard walks you through selecting a source, destination, method, and backup procedure. A status bar displays the program’s current task and progress, while a menu spanning the top of the screen enables you to view imaging jobs, edit backup choices, and look over reports. PowerBackup’s interface has very few configurable elements, but with a program as direct and single-minded in its operation as this, you have little need for any. —Barry Brenesal

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SYSTEMSUITE 6 Professional lets you diagnose problems, recover lost data, and protect your PC from spyware, viruses, and hackers. At $59.95, it’s $10 more than the company’s Fix-It Utilities 6 Professional, but it adds a firewall that logs intrusion events, traces them to their sources, blocks traffic while a screensaver is active, and denies specific Media Access Control or IP addresses access to your computer. Our sole complaint with the firewall is it comes configured to recognize and permit immediate Web access to only a few programs. SystemSuite lacks some tools com-

7.4

EDITORS’ RATING 0

BETTER >>

10

PROS Range of in-depth hard drive utilities; useful firewall log; boxed copy includes printed manual

CONS No live phone tech support, online forums; lacks some useful tools we’ve seen elsewhere, such as Internet-speed optimization Avanquest U.S.A. 800-325-0834 www.avanquestusa.com

Direct Price $59.95 (boxed version or download)

petitors offer, such as Internetspeed optimization, but it’s a solid choice for anyone looking for a comprehensive solution to PC protection. The boxed version comes with a printed manual, but tech support is via e-mail only. —B.B.

Toast 7 Titanium Must-have Mac burning app

EDITORS’ RATING 0

BETTER >>

8.0 10

PROS Saves large folders, files EDITORS’ IF YOUR CD and DVD-burnacross several discs; converts CHOICE ing needs outstrip what Apvideo to/from DivX; improved personalization options ple’s OS X or iLife offer, look to Roxio’s $99.95 Toast 7 Titanium. Up to CONS Inadequate documentation speed with current technology, Toast can now convert video to and from DivX, and Sonic Solutions, 866-280-7694 work with giant files or folders across www.roxio.com multiple discs. Plus, it manages this via Direct Price $99.95 (boxed an uncomplicated interface that’s a version or download) model of intuitive design. Version 7 has dozens of worthwhile new features, including discpersonalization options for customizing backgrounds and icons. You can also set a disc to load automatically after it’s been inserted. You might have to discover these features on your own, however. The manual, which covers only the basics, omits too much information. —Troy Dreier

REVIEWS DOWNLOADS

WinRAR 3.5 Archiving done right by ZIP alternative WE HAVE SEEN the future of archiving, and it has candy-colored icons and a roar in its name. Consider downloading the $29 WinRAR 3.5 if you’re seeking an alternative compression program. WinRAR is easy to use, lightweight, and flexible. Also, its customizable icon-based interface is incredibly straightforward and easy to navigate. To further spruce up its already attractive appearance, you can download various themes from the developer’s site. Not sure where to start? A wizard will walk you through DOWNLOAD.COM EDITORS’ RATING creating an archive. Once you see the size savings of an RAR archive, with PROS Compact; flexible; its compression ratio of 8 to simple to operate; attractive 15 percent over the estabinterface lished ZIP format, you might CONS Slower than competing be willing to forgive the apps; limited file management markedly slower speeds, RARLab slightly anemic file managewww.rarlabs.com ment, and lack of virusPrice Free to try; $29 (full protection integration. version) Along with its right-click

readiness for basic compression and unzipping, WinRAR offers unpacking support for a wide number of newer archive formats, including ACE, BZ2, JAR, and ISO. It even throws in support for ZIP archives, for good measure. For such a small application (less than 1MB), WinRAR is chock-full of advanced features. These include better filenaming conventions for long archive names, Unicode support for international formatting, embedded file comments, damaged-archive repair, archive locking, self-extracting archives, and encryption. Also, you can manipulate the parameters of many archives at once and view a volume sequence as a single archive. Bonus: WinRAR can convert other archive formats to RAR, and search for specific text and files in its archives. —Download.com Staff

AVG Anti-Virus Free Edition 7.2

Push the Freakin’ Button Pro 2.4

Antiviral necessities at no cost

Kill warning dialog boxes slowing you down

THIS antiviral program offers rock-solid protection for no financial commitment. AVG AntiVirus Free Edition 7.2 provides all the necessities, including a tool for scanning your hard drive and e-mail, as well as a real-time shield to prevent infections. By default, the application is set to search for new virus definitions daily, but a limited scheduling tool is available as well. Also, the free version receives updates via a lower-priority service than that of the paid edition. Should a virus cause serious system problems, AVG AntiVirus can create a rescue disk to DOWNLOAD.COM EDITORS’ RATING scan your computer in DOS mode. The program doesn’t tax your system when scanPROS Free; solid protection; ning or when running in the doesn’t tax system resources background and always CONS Limited updateproved effective in our tests. scheduling options This app’s interface can’t be Grisoft described as beautiful, yet it is www.grisoft.com mostly simple to navigate.

WE APPRECIATE the way DOWNLOAD.COM EDITORS’ RATING programmers look out for us, popping up dialog boxes when we’re about to do PROS Simple, yet feature-rich something we might regret. CONS High memory Still, most dialog boxes are a requirement pain. For $29.99, you can get Technology Lighthouse Push the Freakin’ Button www.tlhouse.co.uk (PTFB), a mouse autoclicker Price Free to try; $29.99 and form-filler that auto(full version) matically handles confirmation screens and other windows that interrupt your workflow. This simple but fiendishly useful little macro program is actually fairly feature-packed. You can tell it which dialog boxes to watch out for, and which buttons to push when they appear. Next time one does, PTFB, well, pushes the freakin’ button. You also get several fine-tuning options, including a delay setting for older PCs and slow-responding applications. The downside: PTFB consumes a surprisingly high 11MB of memory. It’s worth the performance hit if you’re anchored to your computer, though. —Download.com Staff

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Price Free

—Download.com Staff

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Download these applications and more at www.computershopper.com/download.

computershopper.com March 2006

57

Top25

This month’s best desktops, notebooks, home and small-office laser printers, PC speakers, and DVD- and video-editing software.

PERFORMANCE DESKTOPS

>> Top-of-the-line machines that pack extreme computing power.

PRODUCT

PRICE

SPECS/REQUIREMENTS

Overdrive Torque.SLI* www.overdrivepc.com

$4,267

2.8GHz Athlon 64 FX-55; 1GB DDR; two 74GB, Other dual-graphics-card PCs have shown promise, but the Torque.SLI blows them all one 200GB HDDs; two GeForce 7800 GT away with its ridiculously fast 3D frame rates and awesome application performance.

8.4

Hypersonic Cyclone OCX LE* www.hypersonic-pc.com

$4,054

2.8GHz Athlon 64 FX-57; 1GB DDR; two 74GB, If you’re among the lucky few who can afford a machine like the Cyclone OCX LE, you’ll one 500GB HDDs; two GeForce 7800 GTX enjoy premium components, stellar performance, and serious bragging rights.

8.2

Velocity Gamer’s Edge DualX velocitymicro.com

$4,230

2.8GHz Athlon 64 FX-57; 1GB DDR; two 74GB, By overclocking the latest AMD processor and nVidia graphics cards for enhanced one 250GB HDDs; two GeForce 7800 GTX performance, Velocity Micro has put together one of the fastest systems we’ve seen.

8.0

Apple PowerMac G5* www.apple.com

$3,299

Two 2.5GHz PowerPC G5s; 512MB DDR; 250GB HDD; GeForce 6600

7.7

Velocity Gamer’s Edge DualX T1300 velocitymicro.com

$1,990

2.4GHz Athlon 64 3800+; 1GB DDR; 250GB Velocity Micro’s entry into the electronics retail channel is a serious gaming machine HDD; GeForce 7800 GT that brings boutique craftsmanship to off-the-shelf shoppers.

AFFORDABLE NOTEBOOKS

Once hailed as the world’s fastest PC, the Power Mac G5 is a tried-and-true speed demon, delivering top-notch performance for creative pros and power users.

RATING

7.2

>> These diverse laptops are easy on your wallet.

Dell Inspiron 9300* www.dell.com

$1,299

1.73GHz Pentium M 730; 512MB DDR; 60GB A great choice for gaming and multimedia pursuits, such as recording TV shows and HDD; DVD/CD-RW combo; 17-inch TFT viewing photos. Plus, business presentations look sharp on the 17-inch screen.

7.8

HP Pavilion DV4000* www.hp.com

$1,224

1.6GHz Pentium M 725A; 512MB DDR2; 60GB Don’t want an enormous desktop replacement but long for solid entertainment, comHDD; DVD/CD-RW combo; 15.4-inch TFT puting features, and performance? The affordable, well-designed DV4000 delivers.

7.6

Apple iBook G4* www.apple.com

$1,299

1.42GHz PowerPC G4; 512MB DDR; 60GB HDD; DVD±RW; 14.1-inch TFT

The refreshed 14.1-inch iBook G4 is a clean, white, minimalist notebook with many welcome upgrades, including a faster CPU, more RAM, and AirPort Extreme Wi-Fi.

7.4

HP Pavilion DV8000z www.hp.com

$1,199

1.8GHz Turion 64 ML-32; 512MB DDR; 80GB HDD; DVD±RW; 17-inch TFT

In addition to a pleasing design, a basic set of multimedia features, and strong performance, the DV8000 has a competitive price that undercuts much of the competition.

7.0

HP Pavilion DV1000* www.hp.com

$1,169

1.6GHz Pentium M 725A; 512MB DDR; 80GB The DV1000 is a sleek, sensibly priced laptop for students, families, and smallHDD; DVD/CD-RW combo; 14-inch TFT business users who want to work and play while on the road.

HOME AND SMALL-OFFICE LASER PRINTERS

6.7

>> Swift lasers for print jobs large and small.

HP LaserJet 1320 www.hp.com

$399.99

1,200x1,200dpi max. res; 22ppm (mono); 16MB memory; USB 2.0

The LaserJet 1320 is a solid monochrome unit that offers fine output, duplexing, and a tight footprint that fits right into any business, school, or home office.

8.0

Dell Laser 5100cn www.dell.com

$999

1,200x1,200dpi max. res; 25ppm (color); 35ppm (mono); 128MB memory;

Dell’s $999 color laser printer features Ethernet capability, two-sided printing, solid paper handling, and speeds fast enough for an office workgroup.

7.7

Konica Minolta Magicolor 2430 DL kmpi.konicaminolta.us

$499

2,400x600dpi max. res; 5ppm (color); 20ppm (mono); 32MB memory; USB 2.0

At $499, the small but full-featured Magicolor 2430 DL pushes the entry point for a color laser down near inkjet levels and also prints from PictBridge-compatible cameras.

7.7

Lexmark T640 www.lexmark.com

$699

1,200x1,200dpi max. res; 33ppm (mono); 64MB memory; USB 2.0

This fast, modest-looking printer’s expandability and handy extras include a plug-in USB port that lets you print PDFs from a flash drive. Print quality could be better, though.

7.5

$119.99

2,400x1,600dpi max. res; 20ppm (mono); 8MB memory; USB 2.0

An affordable monochrome laser fit for a home or small office. It’s compatible with Macs and delivers fast print speeds, thanks to a zippy 96MHz processor.

7.1

Brother HL-2040 www.brother-usa.com

PC SPEAKERS

>> Add killer audio to your computer with these sweet-sounding speaker sets.

Logitech Z-2300 www.logitech.com

$149.95

Two 40-watt satellites; one 120-watt subwoofer

If you’re looking for a set of 2.1 speakers, look no further than Logitech’s Z-2300. This sleekly designed system offers outstanding audio quality for an unbeatable price.

9.0

Logitech Z-5500 Digital www.logitech.com

$399.95

Four 62-watt satellites; one 69-watt center channel; one 188-watt subwoofer

A versatile set of high-end 5.1 speakers, the Z-5500 Digital features a horde of audio jacks, a swank control module, a decibel-pounding subwoofer, and near-perfect output.

8.1

Harman SoundSticks II www.harmankardon.com

$169.95

Two 10-watt satellites; one 20-watt subwoofer

Unlike its Apple-only predecessors, Harman Kardon’s uniquely designed SoundSticks II bridges the platform gap, allowing any PC user to take advantage of its fantastic output.

8.0

Klipsch ProMedia Ultra 5.1 $349.99 www.klipsch.com

Four 60-watt satellites; one 60-watt center channel; one 170-watt subwoofer

With an excellent subwoofer and two-way satellites, this five-channel multimedia speaker system does justice to PC games and DVD sound.

7.9

Creative GigaWorks S750 www.creative.com

Seven 70-watt satellites; one 210-watt subwoofer

Creative’s THX-certified GigaWorks S750 speaker set will please home theater enthusiasts and hard-core PC gamers with its enveloping, seven-channel surround sound.

7.5

$499.99

DVD- AND VIDEO-EDITING SOFTWARE

>> Powerful applications make editing digital video and burning DVDs easy.

Toast 7 Titanium www.roxio.com

$79.95

PowerPC G4 or faster; 300MB hard drive space; Mac OS X 10.3.9 or later

A must-have for Mac users, the latest version of Toast stays on top of its game by adding key features, such as support for DivX video, and enhancing old ones. (See p.56.)

8.0

Nero 7 Ultra Edition www.nero.com

$79.99

800MHz CPU; 128MB RAM; 600MB hard drive space; Windows 98 or later

Still an excellent value, version 7 of this versatile, comprehensive DVD- and CD-burning suite has a new media-browsing interface that offers remote control from the couch.

8.0

Adobe Premiere Elements 2.0 www.adobe.com

$99.99

Pentium 4 or faster; 256MB RAM; 4GB hard The most professional of the consumer-level video editors, the much-improved Premiere drive space; Windows XP Elements 2.0 makes editing easier, and provides far better DVD-menu options.(See p.54.)

7.8

Pinnacle Studio Plus 10 www.pinnaclesys.com

$99.99

1.4GHz CPU; 512MB RAM; 1GB hard drive space; Windows XP

Studio Plus 10 deftly straddles the line between simple and complex video editors, but it does have a few serious performance issues.

7.7

Ulead VideoStudio 9 www.ulead.com

$99.99

800MHz CPU; 256MB RAM; 4GB hard drive space; Windows 98, 2000, Me, or XP

While VideoStudio 9 caters to nontechies with a new, easy-to-use burning wizard, it also satisfies video aficionados with high-end features such as a chroma key and ripple editing.

7.0

= Editors’ Choice

58

BOTTOM LINE

* = Configuration changed from original review.

March 2006 computershopper.com

Superior Power & Gaming Technology

Sager brings you unparalleled gaming performance. Through AMD64* Technology Leadership, these processors offer Enhanced Virus Protection as well as energy saving features like Cool’n’Quiet™ Technology. Contact Sager today to begin your Superior experience. NP

9750V

FEATURES

FEATURES

– Empowerment! The AMD Athlon™ 64 X2

– nVIDIA® GeForce™ Go 7800 GTX PCI-Express™

Dual-Core Processor enables you to do more in less time by delivering exceptional multi-tasking capabilities and increased performance on digital media. – nVIDIA® GeForce™ Go 7800 GTX PCI-Express™

Graphics Module with 256MB DDR3 Memory delivering the power and technology you need to tear through the hottest games. – 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.

Dealer/VAR, Government and Corporate pricing are available. Please call for details. Sager’s Umbrella Protection Policy: 30-Day Money-Back Guarantee. If the equipment does not work as promised, or if you are not fully satisfied, we will issue a full refund upon the return of all original equipment. 48-Hour Repair Promise. For the first 30 days, we’ll repair or replace your computer within 48 hours, and we’ll pay the 2nd day air return shipping charge. 72-Hour Repair Promise. For the rest of the 1-year warranty period, if it takes more than 72-hours to repair your computer, we’ll pay 2nd day air return shipping charge. 1-Year Parts and Labor Limited Warranty. Lifetime Toll-Free Technical Support. Umbrella Policy Applies to End Users in the United States of America and in Canada only and 48-Hour/ 72-Hour repair policies apply to hardware only. Software problems may take longer. Extended Warranty Available: Check out this comprehensive package of service/support. Business Leasing Available: Get your dream notebook with low monthly payments! Sager Corporate Offices 18005 Cortney Court, City of Industry, California 91748 Tel: 626.964.8682, Fax: 626.964.2381 Hours: Monday-Friday 7:30a.m. - 6p.m.(PST) American Express, VISA, MasterCard & Discover Credit Cards Accepted - No Surcharge. Cashiers Checks Welcomed. ©2006 by Midern Computer, Inc. All rights reserved. AMD, the AMD Arrow logo, AMD Athlon and combinations thereof, are trademarks of Advanced Micro Devices, Inc. All company and/or product names mentioned herein are trademarks and/or registered trademarks 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 specifications 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, and CD-RW drives list a variable 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 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. Actual speeds may vary depending on line conditions and current FCC restrictions. 5: The Module Video Card feature is designed to work with current technology. Future video card designs may be incompatible or require manufacturer modification of the unit for compatibility. This model number indicates relative software performance amoung this AMD processor family.

*

NP 9750C

Graphics Module with 256MB DDR3 Memory delivering the power and technology you need to tear through the hottest games. – 17.0" widescreen display provides extended

viewing range with stunning sharpness for the highest visual satisfaction. – Full Size Keyboard with Numeric Keypad

provides a pleasant typing environment. - Built-In 7-in-1 Card Reader supports CF/Micro Drive/ MS/MS PRO/MMC/SD/SM to conveniently transfer your data.

OPTIONS

OPTIONS

– 802.11g and Bluetooth Combo Module – TV Tuner Module with Remote

– 802.11g and Bluetooth Combo Module – TV Tuner Module with Remote

SPECIFICATIONS

SPECIFICATIONS

– 17.0" Wide Viewing Angles WUXGA Active Matrix Display with Super Clear Glare Type Screen – AMD Athlon™ 64 X2 Dual-Core Processor 4200+ – 256MB DDR3 NVIDIA® GeForce™ Go 7800 GTX PCI-Express™ Graphics – 1GB DDR SDRAM at 400MHz – 80.0GB 5400RPM Serial ATA 150 Hard Drive – 8X DVD±R/RW 1 Dual Layer Drive – Full Size Keyboard with Numeric Keypad – Hardware Raid 0,1 Function – 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 – Integrated Wireless LAN 802.11 b/g – Built-In 1.3M High-Resolution Video Camera – Built-In 7-in-1 Card Reader – Microsoft® Windows® XP Home Edition – Sager’s Umbrella Protection Policy

– 17.0" Wide Viewing Angles WSXGA+ Active Matrix Display with Super Clear Glare Type Screen – AMD Athlon™ 64 Processor 3000+ – 256MB DDR3 NVIDIA® GeForce™ Go 7800 GTX PCI-Express™ Graphics – 512MB DDR SDRAM at 400MHz – 40.0GB 5400RPM Ultra ATA 100 Hard Drive – 8X DVD2 / 24x10x24 CD-RW3 Combo Drive – Full Size Keyboard with Numeric Keypad – Hardware Raid 0,1 Function – 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 – Integrated Wireless LAN 802.11 b/g – Built-In 1.3M High-Resolution Video Camera – Built-In 7-in-1 Card Reader – Microsoft® Windows® XP Home Edition – Sager’s Umbrella Protection Policy

$ 2899

$ 2299

For up-to-the-minute pricing and to order online, 24 hours a day:

Call us toll free at:

sagernotebook.com

800.669.1624

DUAL-CORE DUEL NINE PROCESSORS, SIX DESKTOPS, TWO CORES, ONE WINNER: AMD AND INTEL FACE OFF IN A DUAL-CORE-CPU BATTLE ROYALE. BY RICH BROWN

IF YOU’RE READY TO BUY A NEW PC, chances are it will have a dual-core processor. By year’s end, more than 70 percent of Intel’s family of mobile and desktop Pentium processors will be dual-core, including its next-generation desktop CPU (code-named Presler). Add to that AMD’s existing lineup of five dual-core Athlon 64 X2 desktop CPUs and its justannounced (at press time) FX-60 chip, and your choices should be plentiful. But, as with dual-core chips’ single-core counterparts, all silicon is not created equal—especially when it comes to Intel and AMD. Many equate Windows PCs with Intel (and will do the same with Macs now that Apple has begun employing Intel CPUs in its systems), but we’ve seen dual-core AMD PCs power ahead of those with dual-core Pentiums on more than one occasion. To make it an official fight, we amassed the complete lineup of dual-core processors available from each vendor at press time (four Pentiums, five Athlons), built a similar test-bed PC for each platform, and ran each chip through a battery of performance tests, declaring a winner in each of six categories of computing tasks. We also plugged the results into our price-versus-performance calculator to determine which processor offers the most bang for your buck.

computershopper.com March 2006

61

a test-bed system for your next PC,

OF COURSE, YOU CAN’T BUY

so for a real-world assessment of your options, we rounded up six readily available dual-core desktops—three based on Intel CPUs, three on AMD. They ranged in price from $1,209 for the slim Dell XPS 200 all the way to $4,840 for Maingear’s

enced the swimming-in-molasses effect it has on overall performance. Dual-core CPUs are supposed to speed up both the application you’re working in and any applications running in the background. To test this, we employed McAfee’s VirusScan to inspect 40GB worth of files, while simultaneously en-

F131 SLI-AMD gaming rig. (Note: The reviewed systems were tested before a change was made to our Half-Life 2 benchmark test. This change resulted in an increase in gaming scores, which is reflected in the results of the two test beds. Therefore, the 3D-gaming scores of the reviewed systems and those of the test beds are not comparable.) ROUND 1: DAY-TO-DAY COMPUTING THOUGH DUAL-CORE CPUS are primarily meant for heavy multitasking and multimedia applications, you’re not going to stop using your PC for Microsoft Word and other common applications. So we ran our BAPCo SYSmark 2004 benchmark test to see how well each chip handles day-to-day computing tasks such as using office-productivity

Application Performance: BAPCo SYSmark 2004 AMD Athlon 64 X2 4800+ AMD Athlon 64 X2 4600+ Intel Pentium Extreme Edition 840 AMD Athlon 64 X2 4400+ Intel Pentium D 840 AMD Athlon 64 X2 4200+ Intel Pentium D 830 AMD Athlon 64 X2 3800+ Intel Pentium D 820

256 252 243 242

226 222 214 200

250

300

(Longer bars indicate better performance)

apps and creating Internet content. The results were clear. AMD landed a quick combination and took the first round by placing two of its X2 processors at the top of the charts. Not only was AMD’s top-of-the-line Athlon 64 X2 4800+ faster than Intel’s flagship Pentium Extreme Edition 840 chip, but AMD’s second-fastest chip, the Athlon 64 X2 4600+, also outpaced Intel’s best. Even worse for Intel, its top chip costs $350 more than the X2 4600+. The results scale similarly in AMD’s favor as you move down each company’s

62

196 207 207 211 230 233 234 250 263 100

150

200

250

(Shorter bars indicate better performance)

300

(seconds)

ROUND 2: MULTITASKING OUR SYSMARK TEST gauges a processor’s ability to work with a series of applications, but it doesn’t really illustrate how well a CPU handles two intensive tasks simultaneously. That’s where our multitasking test comes in. If you’ve ever run a virus scan on your PC (and we hope you have), you’ve likely experi-

Dell XPS 200

236

150

AMD Athlon 64 X2 4800+ AMD Athlon 64 X2 4400+ AMD Athlon 64 X2 4600+ Intel Pentium Extreme Edition 840 AMD Athlon 64 X2 4200+ AMD Athlon 64 X2 3800+ Intel Pentium D 840 Intel Pentium D 830 Intel Pentium D 820

coding an 85MB video file using a program called Dr. DivX. We then timed how long it took each chip to complete both tasks. Once again, the results of our tests skewed heavily in AMD’s favor. The best Intel placed on this test was fourth, with its $999 Pentium Extreme Edition 840 chip coming within 4 sec-

INTEL PENTIUM D 830

238

100

lineup. The X2 4400+ edged out its direct competitor, the Pentium D 840, and at the low end, the X2 3800+ dispatched the Pentium D 820. For day-to-day computing performance, AMD’s Athlon 64 X2 chips are the collective winner.

Multitasking Test: McAfee VirusScan and Dr. DivX

March 2006 computershopper.com

This slim, sharp-looking PC can handle almost any home computing task. Our $1,209 test configuration included Intel’s dual-core Pentium D 830 processor (though it now ships with a 3GHz Pentium D 930) and Windows XP Media Center Edition 2005. The PC’s quiet BTX design makes for better cooling, but its compact size limits future upgrade potential. Dell offers a strong selection of components, however, except for graphics. Its integrated Intel GMA 950 GPU couldn’t complete our Half-Life 2 test, and you can add only a half-height graphics card. But the XPS 200 isn’t meant for gaming. It proved itself competent on our BAPCo SYSmark 2004 test, achieving a score of 189.

The XPS 200’s hallmark is its service and support. It comes with Dell’s oneyear parts-and-labor coverage, onsite service, and XPS Warranty Support. The XPS warranty includes online and phone access to support techs trained specifically on the line’s hardware, as well as priority-response status. —John R. Delaney Editors’ Rating: 7.4 out of 10 Pros: Highly configurable; quiet BTX cooling system; sleek, compact case Cons: Limited upgradability; subpar graphics performance Specs: 3GHz Pentium D 830; 512MB DDR2; 160GB hard drive; double-layer DVD±RW; no monitor; Intel integrated graphics; Windows XP Media Center Edition 2005 Dell, 800-915-3355 www.dell.com Direct Price $1,209

onds of AMD’s $507 Athlon 64 X2 4400+. In addition, all three of Intel’s Pentium D chips finished last on this test. As we later saw in the sixth round with the gaming test, AMD overachieved to the point where even its budget Athlon 64 X2 3800+ chip outpaced Intel’s secondfastest Pentium D 840. If you’re like most computer users, you have more than one window running most of the time. Under these circumstances, AMD’s Athlon 64 X2 processors are the clear choice.

ROUND 3: PHOTO EDITING DEPENDING ON YOUR LEVEL of interest in the hobby, photo editing could mean anything from performing a simPhoto-Editing Test: Adobe Photoshop CS AMD Athlon 64 X2 4800+ AMD Athlon 64 X2 4600+ AMD Athlon 64 X2 4400+ Intel Pentium Extreme Edition 840 Intel Pentium D 840 AMD Athlon 64 X2 4200+ AMD Athlon 64 X2 3800+ Intel Pentium D 830 Intel Pentium D 820

146 151 154 156 163 164 168 168 176 100

125

(Shorter bars indicate better performance)

150

175 (seconds)

ple edge crop of a snapshot from your daughter’s wedding to running a wedding-photo business of your own. For our Photoshop test, we picked a task both amateurs and pros alike would perform often: converting high-res images to Web-appropriate file sizes. The results of this round mirrored those of our SYSmark application tests. AMD showed a clear advantage with the higher-end chip, with the results narrowing as you move down to the mainstream and lower-end CPUs. AMD’s top three X2 chips finished at the top, but Intel and AMD exchanged even blows when the Pentium D 840, 830, and 820 slugged it out against the Athlon X2 4200+ and 3800+. The round still goes to AMD for earning the top three spots, but Intel was competitive at the lower end.

ROUND 4: MP3 ENCODING IF THERE’S ONE MODERN multimedia task that affects a broad swath of users, it’s MP3 encoding. Even though ripping a CD to MP3 in iTunes isn’t exactly demanding, iTunes is ideal for dual-core-CPU testing because it’s programmed to take advantage of multiple processor threads. In this test, too, AMD dominated. Its only processor that was slower than an Intel CPU was the Athlon 64 X2 3800+, MP3-Encoding Test: Apple iTunes 4.7.1.30 AMD Athlon 64 X2 4800+ AMD Athlon 64 X2 4600+ AMD Athlon 64 X2 4400+ AMD Athlon 64 X2 4200+ Intel Pentium D 840 AMD Athlon 64 X2 3800+ Intel Pentium Extreme Edition 840 Intel Pentium D 830 Intel Pentium D 820

110 115

Gateway E-4500D Along with warranty options tailor-made for volume buyers who expect easy deployment and a long life cycle, Gateway’s E-4500D ($1,487 as tested) offers a stable hardware platform. The staid matteblack midtower provides few accoutrements, but the BTX case design allows for improved heat dissipation and reduced noise. The E-series systems are easy to configure via Gateway’s Web site, and the processor options are impressive. Our test PC included the low-end, dual-core 2.8GHz Pentium D 820 CPU. The E-4500D scored a 186 overall on BAPCo SYSmark 2004, a showing capable enough for everyday business tasks. With integrated graphics, 3D work isn’t an option; the system couldn’t complete our low-res Half-Life 2 graphics test. The E-4500D is backed by the default three-year Desktop Value plan. You’re on your own for setup, though; included documentation is limited. Gateway offers accidentaldamage protection, onsite system installation, a personalized help desk (for third-party app support), and various online training and learning packages. —Asa Somers Editors’ Rating: 6.5 out of 10

119

Pros: Solid performance; BTX case design Cons: Unflattering design; skimpy documentation; poor graphics performance

125 129 132 132 141 146 100 110

INTEL PENTIUM D 820

120

(Shorter bars indicate better performance)

130

140 150 (seconds)

Specs: 2.8GHz Pentium D 820; 512MB DDR2; two 160GB hard drives; DVD-ROM/ CD-RW combo; 15-inch Gateway LCD; Intel integrated graphics (128MB); Windows XP Professional Gateway, 800-369-1409 www.gateway.com Direct Price $1,487

computershopper.com March 2006

63

but even that one managed to outpace Intel’s lower-end Pentium D 830 and 820, by 9 and 14 seconds, respectively. The difference between the Athlon 64 X2 4800+ and the Pentium Extreme Edition 840 was much greater—22 seconds, with the Athlon a whopping 17 percent faster.

ROUND 5: VIDEO ENCODING WITH SOFTWARE SUCH AS Microsoft’s Windows XP Media Center Edition operating system and the videocapable iTunes 7 gaining momentum, a PC’s ability to encode video is becoming increasingly important. If you intend to integrate a computer into your homeVideo-Encoding Test: Sorenson Squeeze 4 AMD Athlon 64 X2 4800+ AMD Athlon 64 X2 4600+ Intel Pentium D 840 Intel Pentium Extreme Edition 840 AMD Athlon 64 X2 4400+ AMD Athlon 64 X2 4200+ Intel Pentium D 830 AMD Athlon 64 X2 3800+ Intel Pentium D 820

222 224 237 237

ROUND 6: GAMING

240 241 249 263 264 200

225

250

(Shorter bars indicate better performance)

entertainment scheme, you should pay particular attention to these videoencoding scores. Intel made its most competitive showing in these tests. AMD still won the round, but the difference was not as pronounced as on other tests. The Athlon 64 X2 4800+ took its familiar perch atop the performance chart, and both it and the Athlon 64 X2 4600+ stood out from the pack in a noticeable way. The processors in the middle of the performance scale, however, had scores so close they’re statistically tied, with less than 4 seconds and 2 percentage points between the Pentium D 840 and the Athlon 64 X2 4200+. We should no longer be surprised that AMD’s midrange chips compete well against Intel’s higher-end CPUs, but the fact that AMD’s dual-core processors maintained such a consistent streak of high performance should impress even the most die-hard Intel devotees.

275 300 (seconds)

3D GAMING OPENS UP a can of performance-testing worms because it’s so tightly tied to the PC’s 3D-graphics card. To isolate the processor’s role in 3D performance, we created a socalled CPU-limited Half-Life 2 benchmark test, which turns off all the advanced graphics features. This lets the

Gaming Test: Half-Life 2 Demo AMD Athlon 64 X2 4800+ AMD Athlon 64 X2 4400+ AMD Athlon 64 X2 4600+ AMD Athlon 64 X2 4200+ AMD Athlon 64 X2 3800+ Intel Pentium D 840 Intel Pentium Extreme Edition 840 Intel Pentium D 830 Intel Pentium D 820

140.6 131.9 130.4 123.4 115.2 106.3 104.4 101.6 96.3 90 100

110

120 130 140 150 (frames per second)

(Half-Life 2 running at 1,024x768, no AA orAF; longer bars indicate better performance)

CPU do most of the 3D heavy lifting. Intel should be particularly embarrassed with its showing in this round. At every turn, AMD beat it to the punch. Even the Athlon 64 X2 3800+, the least of AMD’s dual-core CPUs, is better suited to 3D gaming than Intel’s highest-end Extreme Edition 840 CPU, which fell behind by a full 10 percent. Current games aren’t really designed to take advantage of CPUs with multiple processing threads, however. Games that will should be available sometime this year, at which point we’ll need to revisit the 3D-gaming

AMD ATHLON 64 X2 3800+ Polywell Mini-Box2 939NP Polywell’s $1,750 MiniBox2 939NP is a smallform-factor (SFF) Media Center PC with a surprising amount of storage. Despite its use of the integrated nVidia GeForce 6150 graphics chipset, it provides the muscle needed for its intended multimedia use. The 2GHz Athlon 64 X2 3800+ CPU is a smart choice for a Media Center, scoring a commendable 232 on BAPCo SYSmark 2004. But the same can’t be said about the integrated graphics, which couldn’t run our Half-Life 2 test. At 13x11x16.8 inches, the MicroATX case is larger than most SFF PCs, yet the interior is cramped. A double-layer

DVD burner, a CD-RW drive, and two vertically mounted 250GB hard drives share space with a TV-tuner card and a 500-watt power supply. Cramming in so many components causes heat buildup, necessitating three sizable cooling fans that generate more noise Editors’ Rating: 6.5 out of 10 Pros: Large hard drives; dual optical drives Cons: Limited A/V outputs; somewhat noisy for a Media Center system; integrated graphics Specs: 2GHz Athlon 64 X2 3800+; 1GB DDR; two 250GB hard drives; double-layer DVD±RW; CD-RW; 19-inch Hyundai LCD; nVidia integrated GeForce 6150 graphics (256MB); Windows XP Media Center Edition 2005 Polywell Computers, 800-900-5836 www.polywell.com Direct Price $1,750

than you want in a living-room PC. Also, video-output options are limited to DVI and VGA ports, and audio is basic onboard 5.1 sound. A one-year warranty is standard, and tech support is available only during regular business hours. The rest of the time, you’re sent to a thirdparty phone-support bank. —Dan Ackerman CONTINUES ON PAGE 70

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March 2006 computershopper.com

Sager Delivers the Latest In Laptop Technology.

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capable, providing the best match for new Intel® Pentium® M Processor. – Built-In Digital Video Camera makes video chat and video conferencing easy. – Integrated 4-in-1 Card Reader provides the fastest and easiest way to transfer your digital media.

– Intel® High Definition Audio with SRS WOW surround sound support.

– Modular Bay design allows for maximum customization capability enabling CD-ROM device to be interchanged with 2nd Hard Disk Drive or 2nd Battery pack.

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– 17.0" Wide Viewing Angles WSXGA+ Active Matrix Display with Super Clear Glare Type Screen – Intel® Centrino™ mobile technology ■ Intel® Pentium® M Processor 740 (2MB L2 Cache, 1.73GHz, 533MHz FSB) ■ Intel® PRO/Wireless 2915ABG LAN 802.11a/b/g – 128MB DDR ATI MOBILITY™ RADEON® X700 PCI-Express™ Graphics – 512MB DDR2 SDRAM at 533MHz – 40.0GB 5400RPM Serial ATA 150 Hard Drive – 8X DVD2 / 24x10x24 CD-RW3 Combo Drive – Modular Optical Device Bay design allows CD-ROM Device to be exchanged with optional 2nd Hard Drive – Front Panel Audio DJ with Separate Power Switch – Built-In 1.3M High-Resolution Video Camera – Built-In 4-in-1 Card Reader (MS/MS Pro/SD/MMC) – Microsoft® Windows® XP Home Edition – Sager’s Umbrella Protection Policy

– 15.4" WSXGA+ Active Matrix Display – Intel® Centrino™ mobile technology ■ Intel® Pentium® M Processor 740 (2MB L2 Cache, 1.73GHz, 533MHz FSB) ■ Intel® PRO/Wireless 2915ABG LAN 802.11a/b/g – 256MB DDR ATI MOBILITY™ RADEON® X700 PCI-Express™ Graphics – 512MB DDR2 SDRAM at 533MHz – 40.0GB 5400RPM Ultra ATA100 Hard Drive – 8X DVD2 / 24x10x24 CD-RW3 Combo Drive – Modular Optical Device Bay design allows CD-ROM Device to be exchanged with optional 2nd Battery or 2nd Hard Drive – Front Panel Audio DJ with Separate Power Switch – Built-In 1.3M High-Resolution Video Camera – Built-In 4-in-1 Card Reader (MS/MS Pro/SD/MMC) – Microsoft® Windows® XP Home Edition – Sager’s Umbrella Protection Policy

– 15.4" WXGA Active Matrix Display with Super Clear Glare Type Screen – Intel® Centrino™ mobile technology ■ Intel® Pentium® M Processor 740 (2MB L2 Cache, 1.73GHz, 533MHz FSB) ■ Intel® PRO/Wireless 2915ABG LAN 802.11a/b/g – 128MB DDR nVIDIA® GeForce™ Go 6600 PCI-Express™ Graphics – 512MB DDR2 SDRAM at 533MHz – 40.0GB 5400RPM Ultra ATA100 Hard Drive – 8X DVD2 / 24x10x24 CD-RW3 Combo Drive – Built-In Digital Video Camera – Built-In 4-in-1 Card Reader – 4 Built-In Speakers – Virtual 6 Channel External Speaker Output – High-Performance Smart Lithium-Ion Battery – Microsoft® Windows® XP Home Edition – Sager’s Umbrella Protection Policy

– 15.0" XGA Active Matrix Display – Intel® Centrino™ mobile technology ■ Intel® Pentium® M Processor 740 (2MB L2 Cache, 1.73GHz, 533MHz FSB) ■ Intel® PRO/Wireless 2915ABG LAN 802.11a/b/g – Share Memory Architecture up to 128MB – Integrated Intel® Graphics Media Accelerator 900 – 256MB DDR2 SDRAM at 533MHz – 40.0GB 5400RPM Ultra ATA 100 Hard Drive – 8X DVD2 / 24x10x24 CD-RW3 Combo Drive – Built-In Digital Video Camera – Built-In 4-in-1 Card Reader (MS/MS Pro/SD/MMC) – 3 Hot-Keys for E-Mail, Web Browser and Application – 4 USB 2.0 Ports – Virtual 8 Channel External Speaker Output – 3D Surround Sound (S/PDIF output for DVD) – Microsoft® Windows® XP Home Edition – Sager’s Umbrella Protection Policy

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Sager’s Umbrella Protection Policy: 30-Day Money-Back Guarantee. If the equipment does not work as promised, or if you are not fully satisfied, we will issue a full refund upon the return of all original equipment. 48-Hour Repair Promise. For the first 30 days, we’ll repair or replace your computer within 48 hours, and we’ll pay the 2nd day air return shipping charge. 72-Hour Repair Promise. For the rest of the 1-year warranty period, if it takes more than 72-hours to repair your computer, we’ll pay 2nd day air return shipping charge. 1-Year Parts and Labor Limited Warranty. Lifetime Toll-Free Technical Support. Umbrella Policy Applies to End Users in the United States of America and in Canada only and 48-Hour/ 72-Hour repair policies apply to hardware only. Software problems may take longer. Extended Warranty Available: Check out this comprehensive package of service/support. Business Leasing Available: Get your dream notebook with low monthly payments! Sager Corporate Offices 18005 Cortney Court, City of Industry, California 91748 Tel: 626.964.8682, Fax: 626.964.2381 Hours: Monday-Friday 7:30a.m. - 6p.m. (PST) American Express, VISA, MasterCard & Discover Credit Cards Accepted - No Surcharge. Cashiers Checks Welcomed. ©2006 by Midern Computer, Inc. All rights reserved. Intel, Intel logo, Intel Inside, Intel Inside logo, Intel Centrino, Intel Centrino logo, Celeron, Intel Xeon, Intel SpeedStep, Itanium, and Pentium are trademarks or registered trademarks of Intel Corporation or its subsidiaries in the United States and other countries. All company and/or product names mentioned herein are trademarks and/or registered trademarks 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 specifications 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, and CD-RW drives list a variable 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 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. Actual speeds may vary depending on line conditions and current FCC restrictions. 5: The Module Video Card feature is designed to work with current technology. Future video card designs may be incompatible or require manufacturer modification of the unit for compatibility.

CONTINUED FROM PAGE 66

AMD ATHLON 64 X2 4200+ Powered by AMD’s 2.2GHz Athlon 64 X2 4200+, Polywell’s Poly 939N4X2 ($2,450 as tested) is a true overachiever. Inside the modest black-and-silver midtower are a 256MB nVidia GeForce 7800 GTX graphics card, 1GB of memory, and two 74GB 10,000rpm hard drives—a substantial, if not excessive, combination of hardware for the price. Inside and out, you’ll find plenty of space for upgrades. Interior cabling is disorganized, however, and the PC is noisy. The two hard drives are already primed for speed, but Polywell boosts performance even more by using a small 19GB main C: partition and the lean FAT32 file system rather than the more feature-rich NT File System (NTFS). Digital-media fans will want NTFS, which imposes

results. (There will likely be new CPUs available by then, as well.) For now, though, the only decision a gamer looking for a dual-core rig needs to make is which Athlon X2 chip to go with.

ROUND 7: PRICE VERSUS PERFORMANCE OUR PRICE-VERSUS-PERFORMANCE chart shows just how much performance you’re getting per dollar spent. For consistency’s sake, we based our figures on the suggested prices from each company. But that strategy has a caveat: The prices for AMD’s X2-series chips are per individual unit, while Intel’s prices are based on purchases of 1,000-unit lots. Actual market prices will vary, of course, so we suggest you shop around. Given the provided prices, it’s plain Intel can afford to put its 80 percent market share to good advantage, at least with the low-end chips most people are likely to purchase. At a suggested price of $241, the Pentium D 820 chip is the least-expensive of the bunch. But when we factored in value for money, we liked the $507 AMD Athlon 64 X2 4400+, which beat the $530 Intel Pentium D 840 on five of our

no limits on file size (FAT32 limits you to individual files of 4GB or smaller), but gamers will love the increased speed. On our Half-Life 2 test at 1,024x768, the 939N4X2 reached a quick 78.8 frames per second, and on BAPCo SYSmark 2004, the desktop hit a high mark of 257, outpacing our test bed by close to 10 percent. —J.R.D. Editors’ Rating: 7.3 out of 10 Pros: High-end components for a reasonable price; strong performance; generous expansion room Cons: File system limits file size; noisy Specs: 2.2GHz Athlon 64 X2 4200+; 1GB DDR; two 74GB hard drives; double-layer DVD±RW; DVD-ROM; 19-inch Avidav LCD; nVidia GeForce 7800 GTX graphics (256MB); Windows XP Professional Polywell Computers, 800-900-5836 www.polywell.com Direct Price $2,450

six tests. At the high end, the $803 AMD Athlon 64 X2 4800+ was the decisive

winner, easily taking out the $999 Intel Pentium Extreme Edition 840 (which we couldn’t find for less than $1,029). AMD’s Athlon 64 X2 $1,000 chips are the runaway Intel Pentium Extreme Edition 840 victors here, laying out Intel’s Pentium D and $900 Pentium Extreme Edition 840 chips pins up. $800 AMD Athlon 64 X2 4800+ If we had to call out one chip, it would be AMD’s Athlon 64 X2 $700 4400+, an outstanding AMD Athlon 64 X2 4600+ bargain given the competition. But as our re$600 AMD Athlon 64 sults show, any AMD X2 4400+ Intel Pentium D 840 dual-core CPU will $500 serve you better than its similarly priced Intel equivalent. AMD Athlon 64 X2 4200+ $400 If you’re wondering why there’s such a Intel Pentium AMD Athlon 64 X2 3800+ D 830 $300 striking performance difference between Intel Pentium D 820 the two companies’ $200 processors, it likely 7.5 8.0 8.5 9.0 9.5 10.0 has to do with the (higher is better) memory controller, the component that Chips closer to the lower right corner represent a better price/ performance ratio. The Athlon 64 X2 4400+ hits the sweet spot. sends information

PRICE VERSUS PERFORMANCE

Price

Polywell Poly 939N4X2

Performance

CONTINUES ON PAGE 74

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March 2006 computershopper.com

CONTINUED FROM PAGE 70

back and forth between the CPU and memory. Among the technological differences between the two, AMD’s memory controller is an integrated part of the Athlon 64 X2’s chip architecture. Intel’s memory controller exists as a separate piece of silicon on the motherboard. The additional distance between the CPU and the memory controller

adds to the processing lag time and likely played a part in Intel’s lower scores. Whatever Intel’s strategy, it doesn’t seem to have held up. We’re very interested in seeing what happens with the next generation of chips and chipsets. But until then, AMD’s Athlon 64 X2 should be your dual-core processor of choice.

INTEL PENTIUM EXTREME EDITION 840 Velocity Micro ProMagix DCX Velocity Micro has put together a digital design powerhouse in its ProMagix DCX. Its 3.2GHz Intel Pentium Extreme Edition 840 dualcore processor is a solid performer— especially for digital content creation. The hulking case offers lots of expansion opportunities inside and out, yet it’s loaded with powerful components. The Extreme Edition 840 is the first overclockable Intel processor in years. (Ours was overclocked to 3.8GHz.) With 1GB of 667MHz DDR2 RAM, two 10,000rpm 74GB hard drives for fast access to apps and files, and a 400GB drive for mass storage, our $3,330 test configuration is smart for a design or digital video/imageediting PC. ATI’s 256MB Radeon X850 XT Platinum Edition video card is old but still potent, achieving a fluid 89 frames per second on our 1,024x768 Half-Life 2 test, making this a great machine not just for graphics, but for gaming, too. And the DCX delivered the fastest application performance we’ve seen, turning in an overall score of 286 on our BAPCo SYSmark 2004 test. —J.R.D.

Editors’ Rating: 7.3 out of 10 Pros: Solid multithreaded-application performance; well-built Cons: Large case Specs: 3.2GHz Pentium Extreme Edition 840; 1GB DDR2; two 74GB hard drives; 400GB hard drive; DVD-ROM/CD-RW combo; double-layer DVD±RW; no monitor; ATI Radeon X850 XT Platinum Edition graphics (256MB); Windows XP Professional; WordPerfect Office 11 Velocity Micro, 800-303-7866 www.velocitymicro.com Direct Price $3,330

AMD ATHLON 64 X2 4800+ Maingear F131 SLI-AMD Performance-wise, the Maingear F131 SLI-AMD is no lightweight, but it lacks the polish you’d expect from a $4,840 PC. The F131 is built inside a black Lian Li case, whose windowed side panel and front door add some visual interest. A fan is mounted on the side panel, however, and its cord leaves little slack when removing the panel. For a PC with three cooling fans, the F131 is reasonably quiet, but you won’t forget it’s on. The roomy interior offers plenty of extra drive bays (both internal and external) and three open PCI slots. You’ll find ample ports for peripheral expansion, as well. Design quibbles aside, the F131 is a strong performer. Its overclocked 2.4GHz Athlon 64 X2 4800+ processor and 1GB of RAM proved potent indeed; its overall BAPCo SYSmark 2004 score of 284 was the second-fastest we’ve seen among dual-core PCs. Also, its two overclocked 256MB nVidia GeForce 7800 GTX graphics cards achieved an exceptional 109 frames per second on our 1,024x768 HalfLife 2 test. —Rick Broida Editors’ Rating: 7.7 out of 10

HOW WE TESTED Here are the components we used in our individual processor test-bed PCs. INTEL TEST BED Asus P5N32-SLI Deluxe motherboard (nVidia nForce 4 SLI chipset); 1GB Crucial DDR2 SDRAM (667MHz); nVidia GeForce 7800 GTX graphics card (256MB, PCI Express); Western Digital WD740GD-00FLA2 Serial ATA hard drive (74GB, 10,000rpm); Windows XP Professional (with Service Pack 2); Antec 550-watt power supply

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AMD TEST BED Asus A8N32-SLI Deluxe motherboard (nVidia nForce 4 SLI chipset); 1GB Crucial DDR SDRAM (400MHz); nVidia GeForce 7800 GTX graphics card (256MB, PCI Express); Western Digital WD740GD-00FLA2 Serial ATA hard drive (74GB, 10,000rpm); Windows XP Professional (with Service Pack 2); Antec 550-watt power supply

Pros: Outstanding overall performance; good component combination Cons: Fan’s wiring impedes opening case Specs: 2.4GHz Athlon 64 X2 4800+; 1GB DDR; two 74GB hard drives; 300GB hard drive; double-layer DVD±RW; DVD-ROM; no monitor; two nVidia GeForce 7800 GTX graphics cards (256MB); Windows XP Professional Maingear, 888-624-6432 www.maingear.com Direct Price $4,840

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Board Review

How to buy a motherboard that meets your needs—plus, six great boards for all types of users. F.P.O.

BY DENNY ATKIN

is only as capable as its motherboard. That’s because the motherboard is the coordinating center that determines which processors, memory, graphics cards, and other components will work in any given computer.

A DESKTOP PC

A smart way of upgrading the core functionality of your PC is to start with the motherboard. Replacing one is easy enough, providing you follow directions well and keep a keen eye for details. First, however, you’ll need to identify the board that matches your needs and will accept your existing (and future) components. That’s where we come in. We’ll investigate and explain the latest chipsets, sockets, and slots. Armed with this info—and our six motherboard recommendations—you’ll be ready to turn that faltering PC into a new-again powerhouse. And if you’re thinking about building a custom PC, the right place to start is indeed the big board.

CHIPS ON THE TABLE The first item to consider is the processor—you’ll need to pick a board that supports your CPU of choice. That decision often comes down to the familiar AMD-versus-

76

Intel debate. The good news is that no matter which brand you choose, you’re unlikely to regret the decision. While the newest AMD Athlon 64 and X2 chips beat Intel’s Pentium 4 Extreme Edition and Pentium D designs in many benchmark tests, both lines of chips offer the same core features: 64-bit processing, dual-core design, and support for fast, new memory technologies. We’ll leave the brand decision up to you, but once you’ve picked your chip, you need to select a board that has the right socket. Two designs have become the standard: Most current Intel processors fit in the LGA775 socket, while the majority of new AMD CPUs require Socket 939. Though you can still find new motherboards that accept older Intel Socket 478 or AMD Socket 754 processors, you’ll be limited to

March 2006 computershopper.com

HEAT PIPE Motherboards equipped with silent heat pipes are great options for building a whisper-quiet PC.

PCI EXPRESS SLOT For optimum performance, gamers should look for dual PCIe x16 slots.

REAR P0RTS A motherboard’s rear panel should provide plenty of FireWire, USB 2.0, and Ethernet connectors.

CPU SOCKET

MEMORY-MODULE SLOTS You want a board that can handle the fastest RAM available. Also note that your PC will perform better with two DIMMs rather than four.

Whether you go with AMD or Intel, make sure your board supports the correct socket interface and system-level chipset for your CPU.

computershopper.com March 2006

77

using older CPU families. Experienced upgraders often choose their motherboard based on the chipset architecture, the glue that ties together all of the PC’s components. Typically consisting of two chips (the Northbridge and Southbridge), the PC chipset defines certain system characteristics, such as the type of graphics-card slot, Serial ATA (SATA) drive support, and networking ports.

THE FORM FACTOR For many years, most computer makers have adhered to the ATX form factor for their desktop-PC motherboards, cases, and power supplies. The ATX spec defines the board’s standard dimensions, as well as the placement of mounting holes, components, and expansion slots. ATX boards are generally interchangeable, though occasional variations in component placement can create difficulties in small or non-

standard ATX computer cases. Note that PCs from major manufacturers such as Dell, Gateway, and HewlettPackard sometimes employ proprietary motherboards and power supplies that prevent the use of third-party ATX motherboards and cases. (See “BestCase Scenario,” p.92, for a step-by-step guide to replacing your case.) MicroATX boards start with the general ATX design but trim the number of expansion slots, allowing for a shorter board that can fit in a smaller case. MicroATX is popular with home theater buffs who need small PCs that will fit in their A/V racks. Some motherboards for Intel CPUs use the relatively new BTX standard. BTX boards rearrange the components and power supply for better thermal management inside the PC. Whether BTX will eventually supplant ATX isn’t a sure thing, however. BTX hasn’t caught on with the upgrade crowd,

and, for now, all BTX boards are exclusively for Intel CPUs. If you do decide to go BTX, you’ll also need a new case and power supply.

MEMORY MATTERS Today’s motherboards typically use double-data-rate (DDR) RAM or the newer DDR2 RAM. Even if you’re upgrading from a motherboard that employs the same type of memory, you’ll want to make sure your old RAM is fast enough. For instance, most AMD Socket 939 boards are designed to use DDR400 memory. Though you can use slower DDR266 or DDR333 RAM, you won’t get the optimal performance you would if you had memory that could run at the maximum possible speed. In fact, if you tend to continually update one PC, rather than buying a new one every couple of years, consider buying faster memory than your motherboard and processor require. Doing

The Performance Boards Asus P5N32-SLI Deluxe Editors’ Rating: 8.0 out of 10 Pros: Full PCIe x16 support; stable; quiet Cons: Only two PCI slots; no HD-audio support Supporting the latest Pentium D and Pentium 4 Extreme Edition processors via its LGA775 socket, the $195 Asus P5N32SLI Deluxe board features SLI support, plentiful BIOS options, and numerous peripheral connectors. Asus even includes built-in software for overclocking. Asus P5N32-SLI The board enables Deluxe you to install a pair of graphics cards in SLI mode with full PCIe x16 support. In addition, it features three extra PCIe slots and two old-style PCI slots. Installing a pair of double-wide GeForce 7800 GTX graphics cards effectively blocks one PCIe and one PCI slot, however. Onboard sound comes courtesy of an AudioMax eight-channel audio solution that offers EAX 2 3D sound

INTEL

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March 2006 computershopper.com

but lacks support for high-definition (HD) audio. Asus does away with the noisy little chipset fans found on most motherboards, instead using a silent heatpipe system to cool the chipset. Pair it with a quiet CPU fan or watercooling system, and you have a great foundation for a quiet PC. The board includes two IDE and five SATA connectors (four internal and one external). Four USB 2.0 connectors are included, and internal headers support up to six more. (The board also has headers for two FireWire ports.) Two Gigabit Ethernet connectors, a parallel port, and analog/digital audio outputs round out the back panel. The P5N32-SLI Deluxe is an excellent performer. We found it rockstable in operation, and it’s easier to configure than DFI’s LANParty UT nF4 SLI-DR Expert. AMD fans, take note:

Asus offers a nearly identical $206 A8N32-SLI Deluxe motherboard for Athlon 64 and X2 users.

DFI LANParty UT nF4 SLI-DR Expert Editors’ Rating: 8.5 out of 10 Pros: Excellent onboard sound; overclocking features; supports up to 12 drives; onboard power/reset switches Cons: Doesn’t support PCIe x16 on both cards in SLI mode DFI’s $209 LANParty UT nF4 SLI-DR Expert will turn your gaming friends green with envy. In addition to its solid gaming performance, it’s loaded with parts sensitive to ultraviolet (UV) light, which make the board and cables glow in a modded, UV-lit computer case. Based on nVidia’s nForce4 SLI chipset, the nF4 supports the latest Athlon 64, FX, and X2 processors. Performance tweakers will love the BIOS, which is loaded with voltage and overclocking options, including the ability to save and reload four different sets of overclocking parameters. The board doesn’t support full PCIe x16 on both graphics-card slots, however. Instead, in SLI mode, both

AMD

so will give you more flexibility for later upgrades. For example, your new Pentium D CPU and motherboard may require only 533MHz DDR2 memory, but spending a little extra for 667MHz RAM might save you from having to buy new memory later should you upgrade to a Pentium 4 Extreme Edition CPU. Most motherboards work best with two dual in-line memory modules (DIMMs). Though many support four DIMMs, you’ll generally get better performance with a pair of DIMMs than with four installed, assuming the same total memory amount.

POWER CHECK The power-supply unit (PSU) is a common “gotcha” when installing a new motherboard. Even if you’re upgrading a PC that has a beefy 400-watt PSU, you may still have to spring for a new one. That’s because older PSUs use a 20-pin ATX 1.3 motherboard connector, while

new models designed for today’s power-hungry dual-core processors use a 24-pin ATX 2.0 design. If you plan to build a dual-graphicscard CrossFire or Scalable Link Interface (SLI) system, look for a motherboard that includes a pair of PCI Express (PCIe) x16 slots and make sure your power supply can drive both cards. Also, don’t skimp when buying a PSU. A cheap one may promise lots of watts, but once you load it up with hard drives, graphics cards, and a highend processor, it may not pump out the necessary voltage. This can result in unpredictable system crashes and other reliability headaches. For best results, make sure your PSU matches your components’ needs.

A LOT OF SLOTS PCI Express (PCIe) has already replaced AGP as the performance-graphics platform and promises to eventually sup-

your own I/O panel, or your case needs to have the appropriate front-panel connectors and cabling.

Intel Desktop Board D955XBK Editors’ Rating: 7.5 out of 10 DFI LANParty UT nF4 SLI-DR Expert

cards run at x8 bandwidth, for a total of x16. In single-card mode, one slot operates at x16, while the other runs at x2 bandwidth. One simple but cool feature is the inclusion of power and reset switches on the board proper. These switches allow you to test the basic motherboard setup before it’s installed in your case. The nF4’s eight-channel Karajan audio module is a small board that plugs into the motherboard, isolating the sound chip from the electrical noise of the motherboard. It offers aboveaverage audio clarity. Ports onboard include eight SATA, two IDE, one FireWire (with an internal header for a second FireWire connection), two Gigabit LAN, and six USB 2.0 ports. The board also has headers for four more USB ports, but you’ll need to supply

plant all PCI slots. Today, you can find plenty of PCIe graphics cards, but other types of PCIe cards remain fairly rare. As a result, if you want to add a sound card, a TV tuner, or other internal peripherals, be sure your new board has enough regular PCI slots for your needs. Gamers may want to consider opting for a motherboard that accommodates dual graphics cards. If you go for dualgraphics capabilities, however, you’ll need to decide beforehand which technology you prefer: nVidia’s SLI or ATI’s CrossFire. If you choose, say, an SLI-compatible motherboard and want to upgrade to an ATI graphics card later, you can, but you’ll be limited to using just one ATI card. Unless you install thirdparty drivers, you can’t run dual ATI cards on an SLI board.

Pros: Good performance; excellent audio; CrossFire support Cons: Only one IDE connector; power-hungry; few BIOS-configuration options Based on the top-of-the-line 955X Express chipset, Intel’s $195 D955XBK packs a few surprises. Chief among these is a pair of PCIe slots supporting ATI’s CrossFire dual-graphics-card technology, a feature targeted squarely at gamers. That said, Intel’s not going to blow game-oriented motherboard manufacturers out of the water. The D955XBK lacks overclocking features and hides many BIOS options. Nonetheless, it offers eight-channel high-definition audio and support for dual-channel DDR2 533MHz and 667MHz memory. Your expansion options are defined by the three PCI slots, three PCIe slots, four USB 2.0 ports, one FireWire port, and single Gigabit

INTEL

THE SMALL STUFF Be sure to examine the motherboard you’re considering for the proper ports

Ethernet connector. Intel includes a slick module that fits in an unused 3.5inch drive bay; it adds front-mounted USB, FireWire, and audio ports. Another bone tossed to gamers is the inclusion of UV-sensitive drive cables. The D955XBK has eight Serial ATA ports, but only a single IDE port. This could make upgrades problematic if you had more than two IDE devices in your previous setup. The documentation states that you can use a 20-pin power supply with the board, but we had to use a 24-pin supply for stable operation. The D955XBK includes the mostnovice-friendly documentation we’ve seen for a motherboard, including a large foldout installation guide and a manual.

Intel Desktop Board D955XBK

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The Budget Boards Gigabyte GA-K8N51GMF-9

tions. You connect your monitor via the board’s analog VGA connector. Gamers will want to stick with lower resolutions or older titles, however, and even then the graphics are a bit slower than the Radeon Xpress 200 chipset used on the MSI RS482M4-ILD. The board features onboard eightchannel analog audio. Just add RAM, an AMD Socket 939 processor, and storage, and you’re ready to go. This board has plenty of expansion options, with Gigabit Ethernet, FireWire, four USB 2.0, serial, and parallel ports. You’ll also find headers for a second FireWire port, digital audio output, and four more USB connectors; the hardware for deploying these is sold separately. The board has two IDE and four SATA connectors. A PCIe x16 graphics slot, a PCIe x1 slot, and a pair of PCI slots offer excellent expansion potential for such a compact board. The board’s small size does make for tight quarters for components, however, with a large heat sink brushing against the PCIe video slot.

Editors’ Rating: 6.5 out of 10 Pros: Compact; supports everything you need for a basic PC Cons: Extra cables needed to enable all ports; feels cramped With a name only an engineer would love, the $79 GAK8N51GMF-9 is a MicroATX board that makes an excellent core for a small home theater PC. Based on the nForce 430 chipset, the board features an integrated GeForce 6100 graphics processor that provides decent performance for productivity applica-

AMD

Gigabyte GA-K8N51GMF-9

you to two IDE devices, which means if you’re trying to connect a pair of IDE hard drives and an IDE optical drive, you’ll need to either choose a different motherboard or replace one of the drives with a new SATA model.

to support all the peripherals and components you plan to add. Some newer motherboards, for instance, include numerous connectors for SATA hard drives but only one IDE port. This limits

Our tests revealed that the GAK8N51GMF-9 is a little less powerful than MSI’s RS482M4-ILD. Nevertheless, despite it being a basic board, it’s still a deal considering the price.

MSI RS482M4-ILD Editors’ Rating: 7.0 out of 10 Pros: Dual-monitor support; inexpensive Cons: Some ports require optional connectors; poor 3D performance Though it doesn’t break any performance records, MSI’s $89 RS482M4-ILD is hard to beat for value. Whether you want to build an inexpensive workstation or a compact home theater PC, this MicroATX board offers a lot for your money. Powered by the ATI Radeon Xpress 200 chipset, the RS482M4-ILD is loaded with features, including an integrated 3D-graphics adapter, eightchannel surround audio, and built-in FireWire. You also get plenty of room for expansion, with a PCIe x16 graphics slot, a second standard PCIe slot, two PCI slots, and four USB 2.0 ports. You can add four more USB connec-

AMD

Many ports that formerly required expansion cards are now available built into motherboards. It’s easy to find motherboards with integrated Gigabit Ethernet ports, FireWire ports, USB 2.0 ports, and even decent-quality

Feature Comparison THE PERFORMANCE BOARDS Asus P5N32-SLI Deluxe

THE BUDGET BOARDS

DFI LANParty UT nF4 SLI-DR Expert

Intel Desktop Board D955XBK

Gigabyte GA-K8N51GMF-9

MSI RS482M4-ILD

EDITORS’ RATING

8.0

8.5

7.5

6.5

7.0

Form Factor CPU Socket Chipset

ATX LGA775 nVidia nForce4 SLI

ATX Socket 939 nVidia nForce4 SLI

ATX LGA775 Intel 955X Express

RAM Support

Four slots; dual-channel DDR2 (16GB max.) Two IDE, five SATA Eight-channel Two PCIe x16, one PCIe x4, two PCIe x1, two PCI None/four

Four slots; dual-channel DDR (4GB max.) Two IDE, eight SATA Eight-channel Two PCIe x16 **, one PCIe x4, one PCIe x1, three PCI One/six

Four slots; dual-channel DDR2 (8GB max.) One IDE, eight SATA Eight-channel One PCIe x16**, one PCIe x4, one PCIe x1, three PCI One/four

MicroATX Socket 939 nVidia nForce 430 MCP (plus GeForce 6100 graphics) Four slots; dual-channel DDR (4GB max.) Two IDE, four SATA Eight-channel One PCIe x16, one PCIe x1, two PCI One/four

MicroATX Socket 939 ATI Radeon Xpress 200, SB450 Four slots; dual-channel DDR (4GB max.) Two IDE, four SATA Eight-channel One PCIe x16, one PCIe x1, two PCI One/four

Drive Connectors Onboard Audio Expansion Slots FireWire/USB 2.0 Ports* Onboard Ethernet

Dual Gigabit LAN

Dual Gigabit LAN

Gigabit LAN

Gigabit LAN

Gigabit LAN

COMPANY

Asustek Computer 502-995-0883 www.asus.com

DFI 510-274-8000 us.dfi.com.tw

Intel 800-538-3373 www.intel.com

Gigabyte Technology 626-854-9338 www.gigabyte-usa.com

MSI Computer 626-913-0828 www.msicomputer.com

MFR. EST. PRICE

$195

$209

$195

$79

$89

* = Count excludes onboard headers ** = In single-card mode, only one slot is x16. In SLI mode, both slots run at x8 for a total of x16.

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The Hybrid ECS PF88 Editors’ Rating: 7.0 out of 10 Pros: CPU-upgrade flexibility Cons: Must install new RAM, reinstall Windows when swapping CPUs At first glance, Elitegroup’s $99 PF88 appears to be a fairly standard Socket 775 board for Intel processors. Only a special purple slot on the board gives a hint of this board’s unusual abilities. The slot is technically a PCIe slot, but Elitegroup calls it an EliteBus slot—it’s used to install one of three different optional ECS “SIMA” cards, which let you switch the CPU from a LGA775 Pentium processor to an AMD chip or a Pentium M. Like two other motherboards in our roundup, the PF88 packs a pair ECS of PCIe x16 slots. PF88 The second slot on this board is disabled, however, and used only when a SIMA card is installed in the EliteBus slot. (Installing a SIMA card blocks the first—functional—PCIe slot, so your graphics card moves to this “backup” slot under these circumstances.) Accommodating LGA775 Intel chips from the Celeron to the dualcore Pentium D, the PF88 natively uses the SiS 656 chipset and has slots for up to four sticks of DDR2 memory of up to 667MHz. Along with the EliteBus CPU-card slot and the two PCIe x16 slots, you get a PCIe x1 slot and three PCI slots.

INTEL/AMD

MSI RS482M4-ILD

tors, a second FireWire port, and digital audio out, but you’ll need to purchase extra connectors for those functions. The Radeon Express offers fairly basic 3D-graphics performance, so gamers will likely want to add a PCIe graphics card. In addition to VGA and DVI ports, MSI includes a back-panel I/O adapter that adds composite-video output. The adapter supports dual monitors, and with ATI’s SurroundView, you can team it with a PCIe card to run three or four displays simultaneously.

built-in sound and video. Also, if your case has front-mounted USB, FireWire, or sound connectors that you want to use, be sure the motherboard has the appropriate “headers” (pin connectors) to hook up these ports. If you’re installing a new THE HYBRID CPU, chances ECS PF88 are you’ll need a 7.0 new fan and ATX heat sink, too. LGA775 Make sure the SiS 656, SiS 965 new heat sink is made for your Four slots; dual-channel DDR2 (4GB max.) motherboard’s Two IDE, six SATA type of CPU Eight-channel socket. If you’re Two PCIe x16, one PCIe x1, three PCI, one EliteBus reusing a heat One/four sink, you’ll need to get new therGigabit LAN mal compound, Elitegroup Computer Systems 510-226-7333 such as Arctic www.ecsusa.com Silver 5 (www. $99 arcticsilver. com). You’ll

need to apply the compound to the CPU, then install the heat-sink/fan unit atop the CPU. Finally, because you’ll need to understand and follow directions, look for a motherboard with good online documentation and technical support. Other great resources include online discussion forums dedicated to the brand you choose, such as those at

Drive connectivity is handled by six SATA drive connectors; the back panel features FireWire, Gigabit Ethernet, parallel, two serial, and four USB ports. Onboard audio is the basic eight-channel AC97 variety. Installing an A9S SIMA card will let you switch to a Socket 939 Athlon 64 CPU, an SiS Athlon 64 chipset, and a pair of DDR400 RAM slots. Note that the A9S uses different memory than the main PF88 board, so changing from an Intel CPU to AMD will require new RAM. It also requires setting a boatload of jumpers, fitting a lot of hardware in a cramped case, and reinstalling Windows, so patience is required, too. Alternatively, the A4S SIMA card supports Socket 754 AMD chips. The company’s third SIMA card, the I9S, uses Socket 479 to accommodate the Pentium M processor. This mobile processor runs cooler and uses less power than the Pentium 4 and D, making it a good basis for a quiet PC. Like the Athlon SIMA cards, the I9S has two onboard DDR400 slots. In our informal testing, the PF88 offered average performance, regardless of the CPU we were running. Those looking to conserve power, however, will want to upgrade to the IS9 SIMA card and an Intel Pentium M. SIMA cards cost approximately $50 each, although you’ll need to purchase the appropriate memory for the SIMA card you choose. ABXZone.com (www.abxzone.com) and AMDZone (www.amdzone.com). Intel and AMD also offer a wealth of upgrade information on their Web sites. And for the best places to buy your new motherboard, turn to our Web Buyer section on p.141, where you’ll find the best online stores for purchasing a motherboard, as well as support options for installation and troubleshooting.

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Detect&Protect THESE FIVE SECURITY SUITES CAN DEFEND YOUR PC AGAINST VIRUSES, HACKERS, SPYWARE, AND OTHER CYBER THREATS.

EDITED BY SEAN PORTNOY NOW THAT IT’S 2006, surely all PC users know they need up-to-date protection against viruses, hackers, and spyware, right? Wrong, according to a recent study by America Online and the National Cyber Security Alliance. The study found that a whopping 56 percent of home computer users either had no antivirus software or hadn’t updated it within the last week. It also revealed that 44 percent of the people surveyed didn’t have a properly configured firewall, and 38 percent had no spyware protection. If you’re one of the millions living dangerously, you need an Internet security suite, which provides antivirus and spyware protection, a firewall, and more. We tested five of the most popular suites to find out which offers the best security with the least impact on your system’s performance—and your wallet. Read on to find out which prevailed. Don’t know the difference between a virus and spyware? Check out our rap sheet of threats to your PC, “The Threat Lineup.”

F-Secure Internet Security 2006 Editors’ Rating: 7.3 out of 10 Pros: New Time Lock feature limits kids’ Internet time; easy-to-use interface; competitively priced Cons: Spyware detection could be improved; no antispam toolbar for Microsoft Outlook; pricey phone support F-SECURE Internet Security 2006 provides a strong defense against Internet pests, including viruses, malware, spam, phishing attempts, and cracker intrusions. At $49.95 for its boxed version, it’s also priced lower than the boxed versions of the McAfee, Norton, and ZoneAlarm suites.

During setup, F-Secure was pickier than the other suites we tested. It made us uninstall potentially conflicting apps, including Spybot—Search & Destroy, Lavasoft’s Ad-Aware, and even Yahoo Toolbar, which also has spyware-fighting features. F-Secure’s well-organized Start-up wizard made it easy to configure security settings, including the new Time Lock feature, which lets parents limit kids’ Net access to specific hours— say, 9 a.m. to 9 p.m.—to prevent their going online unsupervised. F-Secure’s interface is also a godsend for advanced users who like to tinker with security settings. For instance, you can add and remove individual file formats from the list of scanned file types, as well as run scheduled scans after your PC has been idle for 5 minutes— handy for lunchtime virus checks. F-Secure has bolstered its security lineup by adding real-time antispyware protection based on Lavasoft’s respected AdAware app. It also detects and destroys mysterious rootkits that can plant Trojans and keyloggers in your system. A downside to F-Secure is its lack of a spam-fighting toolbar for Microsoft Outlook, depriving you of a handy way to block or allow individual e-mail senders. (This feature ships with the other security suites reviewed here.) Also, real-time spyware detection is a good thing, but F-Secure’s needs to be more proactive. Like the Norton and PC-cillin suites, F-Secure didn’t stop us from downloading and installing WhenU.com’s WeatherCast, a free desktop utility that contains adware. Once WeatherCast was installed,

however, F-Secure detected and offered to quarantine the program. In our tests, F-Secure’s antivirus engine was the fastest in this roundup when performing a scan while simultaneously compressing video, but it was the worst offender by far when it came to prolonging bootup time, adding 17 seconds more than PC-cillin did. As with the other apps in this roundup—except PC-cillin—F-Secure’s phone support is pricey, costing $3.99 per minute. E-mail support is free, however, and our queries were answered promptly and accurately within one business day. Also, F-Secure’s support site has a new series of E-Learning tutorials—welldesigned, beginner-level Flash-based lessons that explain how to set up and use the suite.

McAfee Internet Security Suite 2006 Editors’ Rating: 6.3 out of 10 Pros: Capable automatic spyware blocking; antiphishing plug-in for Internet Explorer Cons: Slow system scans; poorly trained tech-support staff; pricey THE $79.99 MCAFEE Internet Security Suite 2006 adds several new weapons to its arsenal, including automatic spyware detection, an antiphishing plug-in for Internet Explorer, daily virus-signature updates, and a Gaming Suspend feature that turns off firewall pop-up messages when a program is in full-screen mode. Despite its impressive security lineup, however, the suite is a bloated sentry that slows system performance, particularly boot times. McAfee installs in a jiffy, but expect to wait—and wait—if you run the optional post-installation antivirus scan. It took 2 hours and 15 minutes to scan a 19GB hard drive partition on our test PC. Norton scanned the same partition in 1 hour and 45 minutes—30 minutes faster. The interface for McAfee retains last year’s clean organization. Nevertheless, McAfee Shredder, which overwrites deleted files to prevent snoops from recovering their contents, is difficult to find. As does PC-cillin, McAfee confronts you with an abundance of pop-up messages. Pop-ups tell you when virus definitions are downloading, and they seek your

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advice when the firewall is learning which programs need Internet access. (Thankfully, the firewall learns fast, and its popups vanish after a day or two.) While it’s nice to know the security suite is working, chances are you’ll want to deactivate these alerts quickly. McAfee provides a complete tool kit for protecting your Windows PC: antivirus utility, spyware killer, spam blockers, a firewall, and an Internet Explorer plug-in to block access to known phishing sites. New features include automatic spyware detection, which dynamically blocks programs that secretly download and install themselves on your PC. Unlike F-Secure and Norton, McAfee prevented us from downloading the WeatherCast utility, which contains adware. Although this suite provides quality PC protection, it also transforms a reasonably fast computer into a sluggish heap of silicon. It added a full minute to our test PC’s bootup time, and it slowed common actions such as launching applications, loading files, and jumping between programs. Also, with the McAfee Privacy Service enabled, we couldn’t access the Internet without first logging in, an inconvenient detour. For tech-support calls, McAfee charges $2.95 per minute via an 800 number (a credit card is required) or $3.95 per minute via a 900 number. With either option, the first 2 minutes are free. Another option is to pay a flat rate of $39 per incident. Daily call-center hours are from 8 a.m. to 1 a.m. (ET). The company provides several forms of free support, including online chat and e-mail, plus Web-based user forums, tips, and FAQs. Our online-support rep disappointed us, however. When we asked if the suite came with a built-in file shredder, he told us it didn’t—even though it did.

Feature Summary

Norton Internet Security 2006 Editors’ Rating: 6.0 out of 10 Pros: Strong antivirus protection; improved firewall Cons: Waits until spyware installs before catching/removing it; subpar online-chat support LIKE MCAFEE’S suite, Symantec’s $69.99 Norton Internet Security 2006 does a fine job thwarting Internet-bred assaults. But it also takes a toll on PC performance, particularly during system scans. While Norton’s optional post-installation antivirus scan didn’t take as long as McAfee’s, it wasn’t exactly speedy at nearly 2 hours. Worse, Norton rendered our PC virtually unusable for other tasks while it ran. The suite retains the intuitive Norton Protection Center main interface from previous versions. Many users won’t ever tinker with individual component settings and may rely solely on the Norton Protection Center console, but we found some of its protection information inaccurate or misleading. For instance, it listed “No Coverage” under the Data Recovery heading, even though our test PC had a copy of Uniblue WinBackup installed. We’d like to see the Protection Center recognize nonSymantec applications that are installed, as well. Norton has improved over the last year, thanks to a handful of worthy, if unspectacular, enhancements. For instance, a new feature called Security Inspector finds—and in some cases patches—potential security holes, including weak browser settings and Windows passwords. Norton Home Page Hijacking Protection is another notable addition. As its name implies, this feature prevents a rogue site from making itself your browser’s home page, an all-too-common problem for inexperienced Web surfers. We also like Norton’s much-improved firewall, which does a better job of automatically creating firewall rules—that is, deciding which

programs need Net access—without pestering you for advice. Norton’s new spyware protection should be more aggressive, however. It failed to stop the adware-bundling WeatherCast utility from installing, which McAfee warned us about before downloading. (Norton did detect and offer to remove the program after we installed it.) Symantec offers free online chat and paid phone support, both available around the clock. (Phone support costs $29.95 per incident or $2.95 per minute.) We’d like to see better-trained tech reps. Our onlinechat rep vanished for 2 to 3 minutes between each of our questions, during which he said he was “referring to documents.” Translation: He didn’t know his stuff. When responding to our simplest question—“How do you run Norton Security Inspector?”—it took him 5 hours to e-mail us instructions.

PC-cillin Internet Security 2006 Editors’ Rating: 7.8 out of 10 Pros: Comparatively inexpensive; free phone support; improved phishing protection Cons: Needs more-aggressive spyware protection; too many pop-up messages; Web Site Filter, Privacy Protection features turned off by default EVEN BEFORE YOU open the box (or download the file), Trend Micro’s PC-cillin Internet Security 2006 has two advantages over its competition. First, at $49.95, it’s the least-expensive program in this roundup, followed closely by F-Secure. Second, Trend Micro, unlike its competitors, provides free phone support. Combine those pluses with first-rate protection, and PC-cillin is the best value in Internet security suites. The suite’s interface is well-organized. Dig deeper, and it provides a level of control its competitors don’t match. For instance, you can configure the real-time virus protection to scan compressed files up to six layers deep. (The real-time scan-

F-Secure Internet Security 2006

McAfee Internet Security Suite 2006

Norton Internet Security 2006

EDITORS’ RATING

7.3

6.3

6.0

7.8

8.0

COMPANY

F-Secure 888-432-8233 www.f-secure.com

McAfee 888-847-8766 www.mcafee.com

Symantec 888-810-9896 www.symantec.com

Trend Micro 800-864-6027 www.trendmicro.com

Zone Labs 415-633-4500 www.zonelabs.com

REQUIRES

128MB RAM (Windows 98 and Me), 256MB RAM (2000 and XP); Windows 98, Me, 2000, or XP

64MB RAM (Windows 98, Me, and 2000), 128MB RAM (XP); Windows 98, Me, 2000, or XP

128MB RAM (Windows 2000), 256MB RAM (XP); 325MB hard drive space; Windows 2000 or XP

128MB RAM; 120MB hard drive space; Windows 98, Me, 2000, or XP

64MB RAM (Windows 2000), 128MB RAM (XP); Windows 98 SE, Me, 2000, or XP

DIRECT PRICE

$49.99 (boxed version); $59.95 (download)

$79.99 (boxed version); $69.99 (download)

$69.99 (boxed version or download)

$49.95 (boxed version or download)

$69.95 (boxed version or download)

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PC-cillin Internet Security 2006

ZoneAlarm Internet Security Suite 6

ner doesn’t scan ZIP files by default, but the manual and scheduled scans do.) Surprisingly, the default configuration leaves many key security tools turned off, including the Web Site Filter and Privacy Protection. It’s easy enough to activate these features via the Antifraud wizard, however. Like its competitors, PC-cillin protects against viruses, spyware, cracker intrusions, and phishing attempts. This year’s upgrade brings improved phishing protection, particularly a new toolbar for Internet Explorer. Plus, PC-cillin detects unauthorized users on wireless networks. The suite’s antivirus engine was generally a better-than-average performer in our scanning-time benchmarks, though it added a minute to bootup time. That said, some of the suite’s security tools need sharpening. Its spyware detection, for instance, should be more aggressive. Like FSecure and Norton, PC-cillin allowed us to download and install WeatherCast. (Also like F-Secure and Norton, after installing it, PC-cillin identified the program as a potential threat and offered to delete it.) Like McAfee, PC-cillin hits you with too many pop-up messages. When the Privacy Protection feature is activated, a pop-up box notifies you every time PC-cillin prevents a site from accessing your personal information. This gets obtrusive in a hurry, but you can block the messages via the Popup Manager in the main console. No-cost, toll-free phone service for PCcillin is available weekdays from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. (ET). For weekend and after-hours help, the online knowledge base is helpful and worth a look. We had mixed experiences with PC-cillin support. The phone experience was excellent—no wait times, and a knowledgeable, polite tech rep helped us. One e-mail query sent via Trend Micro’s support site was never answered, however.

ZoneAlarm Internet Security Suite 6 Editors’ Rating: 8.0 out of 10

Illustration by David Flaherty

Pros: Efficient firewall protects operating system kernel; instant-messaging spam control; automatic wireless-network configuration Cons: No printed manual; expensive phone support; slow antivirus scanning while other apps are working

EDITORS’ ZONELABS’ $69.95 ZoneCHOICE Alarm Internet Security Suite 6 puts McAfee and Norton to shame with its easy-to-use triple-layer firewall, as well as its antivirus, antispam, and new antispyware features.

ZoneAlarm’s main interface, the Control Center, is clean and concise, with configuration options divided under 10 tabs. For beginners, the default settings should be an adequate balance of safety and convenience. For advanced users, however, ZoneAlarm makes it easy to tweak settings to your liking. While other suites offer the type of cookie management that ZoneAlarm makes readily available, you often have to drill down several layers from their main interfaces. The legendary ZoneAlarm firewall protects against both inbound and outbound attacks; layered below that is an application- or program-layer firewall, which prevents malicious code from running on your system as legitimate software. New to version 6 is an operating system firewall that protects the Windows core Registry and system files from kernel-level malicious attacks. ZoneAlarm’s antivirus protection is provided by Computer Associates’ eTrust EZ Antivirus engine, one of the slowest performers in this roundup, especially while running deep scans during tasks such as encoding music and compressing video. The suite’s list of features includes automatic wireless-network configuration, ID lock (to protect personal data on your desktop), and hacker ID mapping so you can see where an attack might have originated. It also provides instant-message spam control, and the inbound and outbound MailSafe, which checks your e-mail for suspicious attachments. Technology from MailFrontier Desktop continues to block spam, and version 6 now offers antispyware scanning for the first time. ZoneAlarm still offers only basic wireless-network detection and protection. The suite also lacks printed documentation, but the built-in help file is thorough and specific. With the suite, you get both e-mailand keyword-based virtual support for free. Also, you’ll find a well-attended user forum online—something McAfee and Norton don’t offer. Support by phone is available weekdays from 11 a.m. to 8 p.m. (ET), but it costs $2.95 per minute.

TheThreat Lineup ADWARE Adware serves up unwanted advertising material on your PC. Some adware programs evade your Web browser’s pop-up blocker by serving ads directly on your system, such as via Windows Messenger pop-ups. CRACKER An individual who attempts to access your PC by sniffing out, then using, your passwords. Crackers often use special software to crunch thousands of password combinations until they find the right one. HACKER An individual who breaks into your PC through security vulnerabilities to snoop, cause damage to your computer, or use it as part of a network of machines to send out malware (so-called “zombie attacks”). PHISHER Phishers send out e-mail designed to look like official communications from banks, online payment services, or credit-card companies so they can get unsuspecting victims to divulge personal and financial data. SPYWARE Once downloaded, spyware can track user information on individual systems. It can follow your Web-surfing habits, or try to sniff out your passwords or other personal information. TROJAN HORSE As its mythical name suggests, a Trojan horse poses as something other than a malicious program. Once you click on the file, it infects your PC. VIRUS Viruses are designed to migrate from computer to computer by “infecting” files (attaching or inserting themselves into files). They can wreak havoc by taking malicious actions such as deleting files on your hard drive. WORM A worm causes damage by spreading over as many computers as possible through means such as hijacking your e-mail client and sending itself to every person in your address book. — S.P.

Reviews by Jeff Bertolucci and Robert Vamosi

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HELP &HOW-TO TIPS AND TRICKS TO MAKE TECH EASIER

92 Hardware Weekend Project 96 Software Weekend Project 98 Consumer Alert

COMPUTER CURES ALFRED POOR 90 DEGREES OF DARKNESS Whenever I open my laptop to a 90-degree position, the display backlight goes off, and I can’t see anything on the screen. The light works if I open the notebook slightly, but if I move the screen too far, it goes out. Any idea what the problem is? L e n n y D av i s Laptop screens and their backlights get power and signals from tiny ribbon cables hidden in the hinges between the display panel and the base of the notebook. The connectors are designed to handle a fair amount of vibration and shock, but they have limits. I suspect one of your connectors has come loose. It’s probably a five-minute fix, though I don’t recommend you attempt to repair it yourself. Laptops are proprietary in their designs and often can be tricky to take apart—not to mention put back together. If the notebook is under warranty, send it to the manufacturer for repair. If the warranty has expired, take it to a PC-repair shop that specializes in notebooks. A technician should be able to fix it while you wait. PARTITIONING PLANS I am about to buy a new computer with a 500GB hard drive. I thought it best to partition the drive into a C: drive for the operating system and applications, and a D: drive for data. This would let me easily and frequently back up or make an image of the OS partition to a DVD or an external hard drive. Does this sound like a good plan? If so, how much space should I allocate to the C: drive? S a r a M i c h a e ly I employ a similar system on my PC. I’ve got my operating system on drive C: and my data on drive D: (with extra stuff on E: and flight-simulator programs on F:). This makes it easier to find items and back them up, but this strategy does

present some problems. You hit the nail on the head by asking how big your drive C: should be. I have an older system, and my drive partitions are only 14GB apiece, which seemed enormous when the system was new. My Windows XP folder, with Service Pack 2 installed, takes up almost 4GB. The Documents and Settings folder is approximately another 3.5GB. Those two items alone consume half the capacity of the partition. The problem is that most programs want to install themselves on drive C:. I’ve managed to install some apps on other partitions, but most are on C:. I moved my Windows

ly. Can I find a long-range wireless router I could use to access this service? Stephen Blank

swap file to another partition, but my Internet cache is also on C:. As a result, I’ve nearly run out of space there. When I get some free time, I’m going to get a larger hard drive and move these items to it. The safest approach is to avoid the problem altogether. You could skip the partitioning and rely simply on folders to separate your data from your apps. I still like the partition and virtual-drive approach, though. Just make sure you don’t set yourself up for a squeeze in the future. I recommend at least 25GB for C:, with 50GB even better. That will still leave a huge chunk for drive D: and your data.

I’ll start by saying that even though these establishments are providing this free access, it’s possible they intend it only for the use of their customers and clients on the premises. Depending on your state or local laws, you may not be entitled to access these services from a distance. I have read about arrests being made for the misuse of wireless access. Also, the FCC has regulations about the maximum power output for devices in the Wi-Fi frequency range. I encourage you to investigate the legal ramifications before you go further. That said, it’s possible, using a homebuilt antenna, to send and receive wireless signals over greater distances than the usual 300-foot limit. Using a soup can, some coaxial cable, and a simple fitting, you can boost performance to about 16 times the normal range. This would still be short of a mile, so it may not work in your case. You can also find inexpensive surplus satellite-TV dishes that can be used to boost Wi-Fi signals by a factor of about 128, which in theory could give you about a seven-mile reach. For this to work, you need a “line of sight” connection, which means no buildings, trees, or hills can be in the way. If you can see the source, you may be able to get a signal. You can find information on how to do this online and in print. One book to check out is Hardware Hacking Projects for Geeks by Scott Fullam, published by O’Reilly Media (www.oreilly.com).

LONGER-RANGE WI-FI A local library and a local restaurant have free Wi-Fi, and they’re about one mile and three miles away from my home, respective-

DRIVE DIRECTIONS I’m building my own PC, and need help choosing a hard drive. I plan to use the system to run games and benchmark

Don’t attempt to repair a notebook yourself. Laptops are proprietary in their designs and can often be tricky to take apart—not to mention put back together.

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HELP & HOW-TO COMPUTER CURES

This number refers to the amount of onboard cache memory included with the drive. The computer can exchange data with cache memory a lot faster than it can directly with the hard drive. More cache means more data can be held in the faster memory, which will presumably increase throughput. If performance is more important than capacity to you, I’d go with the drive with the larger (16MB) cache. You should get marginally better performance with most applications. I haven’t run tests on such models, but from the research I can find, you should experience around a 4 percent boost in raw throughput speed from the larger-cache drive. The actual performance increase will depend on several factors, including how the programs use the hard drive storage, but a drive with a larger cache should always be faster than the same one with less memory. BOOT, INTERRUPTED All of a sudden, my Windows XP computer won’t start up. The PC goes through its

TIP OF THE MONTH: CHANNEL SURFING You’ve finally decided to take the plunge, and you get all the necessary hardware to set up a wireless network at home. But you soon discover that your PC can’t find the signal from your access point. What’s the problem? This month’s tipster may have your solution.

My new notebook has built-in wireless networking, but it wouldn’t work reliably with my home network. Fortunately, the laptop came with a handy Wi-Fi diagnostic utility, which revealed several other active wireless networks within range of my PC. Sometimes it saw only two visible networks, but at other times it registered as many as eight. Almost all of them were using Channel 6. I simply changed my router configuration so

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self-test and then asks me to “Press F1 to Resume,” but there is no other error or diagnostic message. I haven’t made any system changes or added any new programs recently. Could something be wrong with my Windows installation? Should I reinstall the OS? Vi r g i n i a A n d e r s e n I don’t think Windows has anything to do with it. The fact that the problem occurs right after the self-test leads me to suspect something is amiss with your BIOS settings. Try pressing whatever key is required to enter the BIOS-configuration utility during the self-test. It can be F2, or Del, or some other key; check for a screen prompt or consult your system documentation for the specifics. When you get into the configuration utility, save the current settings without changing them and exit. Saving the settings—even though you didn’t change anything—should write a fresh copy of the configuration data to the CMOS memory and may clear the error. FILE HIDE AND SEEK How do you get Windows Explorer to show hidden and system files and folders? I have to use the Command Prompt and the ATTRIB command to change their

attributes to get them to appear. Surely, there must be an easier way. Fr e d Wi s e I appreciate hearing from a fellow dinosaur who still remembers the days of the DOS prompt and command-line instructions, but I can suggest an easier way to see hidden and system files in Windows. In Windows Explorer, choose Tools > Folder Options, then select the View tab. You’ll find an option for Show Hidden Files and Folders. Select that, and your hidden items will show in Windows Explorer. I prefer to set up my systems this way, so that I don’t inadvertently delete or move files and folders that I can’t see. On the same View tab, I also clear the checks for “Hide extensions for known file types” and “Hide protected operating system files.” I like to have all the information in front of me, rather than having the operating system choose what to show. Note that you can also change a file’s attributes easily within Windows Explorer. Right-click on a file and choose Properties, then check or clear the boxes at the bottom of the General tab as you see fit. Plus, if you select multiple files before you right-click, you can change the attributes for all of them at the same time.

that it uses Channel 3, and my PC connected to the network with no problem. Craig Chambers This problem is only going to get worse as more and more people start using Wi-Fi at home, but the solution is simple. Most Wi-Fi hardware ships with a default setting of Channel 6, which is why you see so many connections using that channel. Also keep in mind that a computer with an active Wi-Fi adapter is going to add to the channel “noise” even if it’s not connected to any network. Each of the 11 available channels uses a range of frequencies,

but they overlap each other. So your best bet is actually to choose Channel 1 or 11, as this moves you the furthest away from the range used by the everpopular Channel 6.

Send us your favorite tip, and you could receive a tipster’s prize package. “Alfred Poor’s Computer Cures,” Computer Shopper, 28 E. 28th St., 10th Fl., New York, NY 10016-7942 [email protected] Please include your name. Due to the number of letters we receive, we cannot provide personal replies, nor return any enclosures.

Illustration by David Flaherty

programs, so I want to be sure to get the best performance possible. The two drives I’m considering are both 7,200rpm Serial ATA models, but the 200GB model is “16MB” and the 250GB choice is “8MB.” What does that spec refer to? Michael Dozier

HELP & HOW-TO

WEEKEND PROJECT HARDWARE Move your humdrum PC into a slick new ATX enclosure.

Best-Case Scenario BY JOHN A. BUREK

IF YOUR PC IS A BEIGE-BOX BORE,

it doesn’t have to humiliate itself on television to get an extreme makeover. Moving to a new case is an inexpensive, yet radical, face-lift—and, with our help, you can perform the plastic surgery. Dozens of handsome chassis sell for well under $200—worthy investments if you’re looking for improved eye appeal, better interior airflow, and upgrade space to spare. And if simple ooohs and ahhhs are what you’re after, side-panel windows and interior lighting can turn your PC into a true conversation piece. So break out your screwdriver, and clear some table space—let’s upgrade. 92

March 2006 computershopper.com

1

Qualify your case

Most new cases support the ATX motherboard standard, while some also support one or more variants, notably MicroATX (for compact PCs) or BTX (designed for better cooling). Your PC’s motherboard must adhere to one of these to be eligible for migration. Not all do. Major-maker PCs—from HewlettPackard, Gateway, and especially Dell—often use proprietary motherboards or power supply units (PSUs) incompatible with ATX cases. Before shopping, determine the standard your motherboard and PSU support by checking manuals, contacting the maker, or Googling for specs. To house our ATX mainboard and PSU, we chose Lian Li’s $159 PC-6070A, an aluminum minitower built like a 1980s Volvo—a minimalist box with tank-like construction and intelligent design. Its interior padding muffles the drone of fans. Before you begin, gather pliers, Post-It Notes, Scotch tape, bubble wrap, and Phillips/regular screwdrivers. Tip: Be advised that a case change will likely void your PC’s warranty.

2

Document all cables

3

Prepare the destination

Detach your old PC from its power and peripheral cables, and if it’s a tower-style model, lay it flat. Remove the side panel, touching the chassis to discharge any static electricity. First, label all interior cables (barring those connected to the case) to make reattachment easy. Our preferred method: Post-Its. Everywhere a data or power cable plugs into a component, record on a Post-It which component the cable plugs into. Wrap it around the cable beside the connector, taping to secure. Flag both cable ends and any connections in between. Attach a labeled Post-It to all your PC’s Tip: Replace IDE component cords before you start and floppy ribbon unplugging things. cables with rounded cables ($5 to $10 from Vantec, www.vantecusa.com, and others). They are easier to route, look better, and improve airflow.

Remove the side of your new case. If the enclosure has a removable motherboard tray (the PC6070A does), detach it. We unfastened four thumbscrews and slid ours out. First, screw the “standoffs,” or motherboard mounts, into holes in the tray (or, lacking one, the case proper). These hexagonal bits match holes in your motherboard. Use your fingers first, then tighten with pliers.

Some cases accept multiple motherboard types; put standoffs only in the holes for yours. Next, remove covers from the appropriate drive bays for your optical and floppy Tighten the “standoff” bolts, which will drives. You may mount your motherboard to your new case. have to remove the front panel. The covers will be held by clips or screws. (Ours popped out with gentle pressure.) Some cases also have metal plates that you must punch out before using the bay. Wiggle them until they break free. Tip: Keep an eye on cable length—your cables may be too short to position drives farther apart than in your old case.

4

Remove the components

Spread a sheet of bubble wrap for staging the parts you’ll pull from your old case. First, remove the PCI cards and your graphics card. If necessary, unscrew any screws securing them. In addition, a graphics card may be restrained by a slot-mounted lever. Also, detach any internal cables connected to the cards, such as power connectors or audio cords. Notate which motherboard slot you pull each card from—you’ll reinsert them into the same slots later. Next, detach all cables running between the drives and motherboard, and all PSU connectors. (PSU plugs in your drives often require a firm yank; those running to your motherboard have a clip you squeeze before pulling.) Remove the hard drives and optical drives next. If they’re mounted to the frame with screws, you may have to remove the old case’s other side panel to access them all. Now, it’s time for the motherboard. Look for fine wires marrying it to the case. You’ll find a forest of them leading from the power switch, speaker, and power/activity LEDs on your old case to a rectangular cluster (or “header”) of pins on the motherboard. Most will be wire pairs joined by plastic connectors. Gently remove these, one by one. Imperative: Sketch the pin arrangement and the wires as you unplug them, noting which pins correspond to which wires (a name is usually on the connector), and the connector’s orientation (by wire color). This could save you a heap of trouble later. You also may need to detach cables running from USB, audio, or FireWire ports on the case to headers on the motherboard. Unless these connectors are a single solid block, sketch the pin arrangement on these, too. Once the motherboard is untethered, remove the screws holding it down. Lift it out, and place it on your bubble-wrap mat. Finally, if your new case lacks a PSU (ours did), remove the rear screws holding yours in place, and carefully slide it out. Stick on a Post-It to indicate which side is “up.”

5

Make the move

6

Link the front panel

7

Wrap it up

Start by migrating the primary parts. First, mount the PSU in the new case. The simplest method is to slide it in from the inside; if that’s impossible, unscrew the rear plate bracketing the PSU area and insert the PSU through the back of the case. Refasten the plate and screw in the PSU. Now, insert the motherboard and screw it into place. When aligned correctly, your motherboard’s external ports will protrude from the back of the case through a rectangular aluminum panel with cutaways (called the “I/O shield”). An I/O shield should come with the new enclosure. Compare it to the one on your old case. If they differ, use your previous I/O shield. Next, reinstall any PCI and graphics cards in the slots they occupied before. In our case, the I/O shield, motherboard, and PCI cards all sat on the enclosure’s handy removable tray—we reinstalled the tray in the case at this time. Some cases require the tray installed in the case before the cards can be repatriated.

Hooking up front-panel ports, LEDs, and switches can be tricky. The wiring and its labels often vary from case to case, so consult your pin-header sketches and the new case’s manual (in addition to diagrams in your motherboard manual). The idea is to match the new case’s connectors for the power switch, activity LEDs, speaker, audio ports, and data ports to headers on your motherboard in their correct orientation. Tip: Never confuse USB and FireWire port connectors. Crossed Carefully push the front-panel conwires can result in nectors down onto their designated pin headers on your motherboard. motherboard damage.

With our Lian Li chassis, hard drives and optical drives screw directly to the frame. Whether your case uses this method or drive rails, the drive should slip easily into the case from the front and align with the face (except your hard drive, of course, which slides in from within the case itself). With the drives mounted, reconnect all data cabling and power connectors, following your paper tags. Don’t forget to reattach the case and CPU fans. Next, bundle unused PSU connectors and unruly cables with twist ties. This will keep things tidy and aid proper cooling. Now, button up the case; reattach your keyboard, mouse, monitor, and power cord; and boot up your computer. Everything should work as before. If all’s well, power down, open the case, tear off your paper flags, and start bragging to your friends.

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HELP & HOW-TO

WEEKEND PROJECT SOFTWARE Add video, VoIP calls, and cellphone access to your favorite instant-messaging program

1

Before you can hold a live chat with voice and video, you’ll need to install a Webcam, along with either a headset or a mic plus speakers. We used Logitech’s $99.99 QuickCam Fusion Webcam (www.logitech.com), which comes with a built-in microphone and a separate headset. To begin, plug the Webcam into your PC’s USB port, and connect the headset to your computer’s audio-in and -out jacks. Once you’ve loaded the software, launch Logitech’s QuickCapture to test the camera. You’ll see a preview screen of live video from the Webcam. To adjust its resolution, click the drop-down menu below the picture. After you’ve signed in, Yahoo Messenger will automatically activate the Webcam whenever you invite someone to view it. (You invite someone by highlighting the person’s name on your Messenger list and mousing your way to the Actions menu.) Select Invite to View My Webcam, and the Logitech logo on your Webcam should light up, alerting you that the QuickCam is active. To test the headset, go to Messenger > Preferences > Calling & Audio, then click Open the Call Setup Assistant. Adjust the volume to your desired level here or in Windows. (Double-click the Volume icon in the system tray or, in Control Panel, go to Sounds and Audio Devices > Volume > Advanced.) Lowering the microphone volume on this menu can Logitech’s QuickCam Fusion is easy to configure and comes reduce background noise with a microphone headset. during your conversation.

Maximum Messaging BY BRIAN T. HOROWITZ

IM

instant messaging (IM) was limited to text chats and silly emoticons. Now, it’s expanded to include video, voice, and even mobile messaging. But you may not notice these features unless you look for them. We show you how to set up these functions so you can get the most from your messaging. All the major IM clients we tested—America Online’s AIM Triton, Microsoft’s MSN Messenger 7.5, and Yahoo Messenger With Voice—have similar functionality, but for simplicity’s sake, we used Yahoo Messenger as our example. March 2006 computershopper.com

Illustration by David Flaherty

JUST A FEW YEARS AGO,

96

Install a Webcam and headset

2

Start a voice chat

PC-to-PC chat allows you to make a call from one Yahoo ID to another using Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) technology. To start a free PC-to-PC chat in Yahoo Messenger, highlight the contact you’d like to call and press the Call button (designated by a telephone icon) at the top of your Messenger list. A ringing phone will then sound on your friend’s PC to signal an incoming call. During testing, sound quality was fairly clear at one end of our conversation on a fast 3GHz Pentium 4 with 1GB of RAM, but extremely choppy on our other PC, a slow 730MHz Pentium III with 384MB of RAM. Minimum requirements for the QuickCam are a 1.4GHz Pentium 4 processor coupled with 128MB of RAM, although Logitech recommends a processor that’s 2.4GHz or faster.

A new version of Yahoo Messenger, which was not released in time for testing, will include Phone In/Phone Out, a feature that lets you make calls to phone numbers instead of Yahoo IDs. This service will cost 1 to 2 cents per minute; alternately, you can pay via prepaid credit in increments of $10 to $25. Assigning a phone number to your IM account will cost $2.99 per month or under $30 per year. Yahoo has also announced its new Open Talk feature, which lets you automatically connect to a voice conversation without having to accept the call or click a button. Tip: If you’ve missed a call, click the purple cassette icon at the bottom of your Messenger list for your call history and to hear any saved voice messages. (Yahoo tracks who called and when.)

Your PC will ring to alert you of any incoming calls. Should you miss a call, you can check your call log and voice mail by pressing the cassette-tape icon.

3

Set up an IM videoconference

To start a live videoconference in Yahoo Messenger, open a new IM window with the contact with whom you want to chat, then click the Webcam button to invite your contact to view your camera. Your Webcam is now active, and your contact must then invite you to view his or her camera. To enable audio for the videoconference, click the Conference icon in your IM chat window. Then, add the contacts you wish to chat with to the list, and click Invite. Make sure the entry “Enable Voice Chat for This Conference” is checked and that you’ve clicked the hands-free box to avoid having to manually press a button whenever you want to talk. You’ll need to keep three windows open for your conference: your Webcam, your contact’s Webcam, and your voicechat IM screen. Tip: To regulate who views your Webcam, go to Messenger > Preferences > Webcam and click the radio button for “Always ask for my permission” under “When someBy clicking on the Webcam icon, one tries to view my you instantly start a videoconference with your contact. Webcam.”

4

Use your cell phone to send and receive IMs

Using IM on your cell phone is a great way of keeping in touch with your online contacts, and it’s especially helpful if you’re expecting an important message while on the move. Note that you’ll pay your cell carrier’s standard charge for each text message you send and receive—and, in some cases, airtime minutes as well. Some newer phones come with Yahoo Messenger preinstalled, providing a familiar interface for existing users. So check your phone’s menu, or go to Yahoo Mobile (mobile.yahoo.com) and fill in the information for your model to get specific instructions for your phone. Using our LG VX6100 phone, we accessed Yahoo Messenger through Verizon Wireless’ Get It Now service. If you have Verizon, launch Get It Now, then download Mobile IM by selecting the shopping-cart icon, then Get Messaging > Mobile IM. Next, choose Yahoo (or AOL or MSN), and enter your ID and password to log in. You can now send and receive messages. A Mobile IM window will pop up on your phone whenever you get a message, and your contacts will see a cell-phone icon next to your Yahoo ID, letting them know you’re mobile. Users of older phones may need to use the Short Message Service (SMS), or text-messaging, version of Yahoo Messenger. This interface can be a bit complicated because the program assigns a short numeric code to each of your contacts, and you’ll need to know these codes to IM them. Begin by registering on the Yahoo Mobile Web site. You’ll then get a text message confirming your registration. To sign in from your cell phone, type in [your Yahoo ID] [your password] in the body of a text message, and send it to the Yahoo server at 92466. (Note: If you’re already logged in on a PC, sending this message will log you out from there because Yahoo won’t let you be logged in at more than one location.) Look for a text message conYou must create an account firming your login and listing before you can use Yahoo your online contacts and their Mobile. three-digit codes. To IM one of them, send a text message to 92466XXX (where XXX is your contact’s code). To make the process easier, you can save your contacts’ Yahoo Messenger codes in your phone’s address book, so you won’t need to dig through old text messages or send one to the Yahoo server to find them. When you’re done and want to log out, type out in the body of a text message and send it to 92466. If you’re at home and want to log in to the SMS version from your PC before heading out, go to the Messenger menu and select “Sign in to [your phone number].” This will sign you out of Yahoo Messenger on your PC and sign you in on your phone. Tip: To send an instant message from your PC to a cell phone, just click the cell-phone icon located in the upper right corner of the main Yahoo Messenger screen. Then select a contact already listed, or choose Other Contact to enter a phone number.

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HELP & HOW-TO

CONSUMER ALERT NANCY LANG-FELDMAN

Sony’s Rootkit Is All Evil Sony BMG Music Entertainment introduced the world to the term “rootkit,” a set of software tools usually used by hackers to hide running processes on a PC.

It’s hard to believe the former innovator, whose last grand slam was the Walkman, would devote its energies to restricting the rights of paying customers. But a U.S. District Court judge determined that the company’s actions were improper enough to award compensatory damages to millions of CD buyers. Sony used the cloaking technology to hide the presence of its digital rights management (DRM) software on its music CDs. The DRM software prevented users from making multiple copies of a disc. Mark Russinovich, a software engineer and writer, discovered the rootkit while testing his RootkitRevealer application. He found no information in Sony’s end-user license agreement (EULA) about the software, and when he deleted it, the procedure disabled his CD drive. What Sony did was wrong on so many levels. The act of cloaking its DRM software was heinous enough, but to leave users’ PCs vulnerable to hacker attacks is beyond reprehensible. (Antivirus companies have identified malware variants attempting to hide under Sony’s cloaking tools.) What’s more, Sony made both the rootkit and the DRM software virtually impossible to remove. And then there was the ridiculous EULA, which, among other things, required you to relinquish your rights to the music if you lost the CD or filed for bankruptcy, allowed you to copy songs only to your home PC, required you to delete the songs if you moved out of the country, and took away your rights to the music if you didn’t install all updates. Further, the EULA stated that Sony could invade your PC at any time to ensure you weren’t violating these rules (but wasn’t responsible for any damage this could have caused) and that you could never hold Sony liable for more than $5. And forget adding the music to the slide show of your latest trip—you had no right to change the music in any way. Sony basically bit the hands that fed it. Hello! These were paying customers. The real thieves are those who download titles from file-sharing services without paying for them. The immediate hit Sony will take for its bad behavior is in the form of reimbursement. If you’ve purchased a “tainted” Sony CD, compensation varies depending on the DRM software it included. If your CD has SunnComm International’s MediaMax 3.0, you’re entitled to a free download of the album. MediaMax 5.0 entitles you to an additional album download. First 4 Internet’s Extended Copy Protection (XCP) nets you the same CD without DRM, and for every CD you return, you can get either $7.50 cash plus a free download from a list of about 200 songs, or three free downloads from that list. You get to choose from at least three music servic-

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March 2006 computershopper.com

es, including Apple iTunes. Considering Sony was trying to prevent users from copying music onto their iPods, there’s a certain poetic justice to this. To receive compensation, you have to update (fat chance) or uninstall the copy-protection software on your PC, then return the CD to the store or directly to Sony BMG. The MediaMax uninstaller is atwww.sunncomm.com/ support/tools/uninstall3.asp, and the XCP uninstaller at cp.sonybmg.com/xcp/english/updates.html. These are the safest ways to uninstall both the rootkit and the DRM software. CDs with MediaMax 5.0 and XCP are identifiable by the words “CONTENT PROTECTED” on the label’s spine, along with the IFPI copy-protection logo. The back of the CD has a disclosure box with compatibility information and a URL. If it says “www.sunncomm.com/ support/sonybmg; README.HTML,” you have MediaMax, while “? cp.sonybmg.com/xcp: README.HTML” indicates XCP. CDs with MediaMax 3.0 are harder to spot. For help, check the Spotter’s Guide at the Electronic Frontier Foundation’s Web site (www.eff.org). If you want to root out rootkits, try Freedom to Tinker at www.freedom-to-tinker.com/?p=924. You can still be a part of the class-action settlement if you plan to sue Sony for resulting damage to your CD or hard drive, but if you intend to sue regarding Sony’s disclosure of the software or inclusion of the rootkit, you’ll have to opt out of the settlement, in writing, by May 1. As for Sony’s atrocious EULA, the company is required by court order to remove several of the provisions, including those prohibiting fair use, resale, and full use of the CDs if you go bankrupt or fail to install an update. What’s more, if Sony collects any data via the software, it must destroy it within 10 days of collecting it. If it ever uses DRM again, it must have it tested by a third party for security vulnerabilities, request permission before installing, and provide easy access to an uninstaller. Plus, it must reveal the software’s purpose before purchase. If Sony violates any of these terms, it will be held in contempt. The positive “spin” on all this: Music companies will more likely weigh the costs of alienating customers before they make ill-conceived copy-protection attempts. Organizations such as the EFF will continue to battle on behalf of technology users, but you have to look out for yourself as well. Before you buy, read the CD label. If you absolutely have to have a CD that uses DRM, read the EULA carefully, and blast spyware regularly.

The Sony settlement sends a message to other music companies that DRM is bad for business.

Nancy Lang-Feldman is executive editor of Computer Shopper. Contact her at [email protected].

Illustration by Todd Betterley

A FEW MONTHS BACK,

TECHMARKET THE COMPLETE GUIDE TO SMART TECHNOLOGY SHOPPING

Budget Desktops Thin-and-Light Notebooks Inkjet Printers External Hard Drives Flat-Panel Displays (18 inches or larger) 136 Digital Cameras (4- to 5-Megapixel)

115 118 124 128 132

NEED TO KNOW

BUDGET DESKTOPS ($749 AND LESS) PROCESSOR You’ll pay a premium for the fastest processor, so go with a CPU several cycles behind the top clock speed. It will save you money, yet still yield a PC plenty fast for everyday tasks. Upgrade: Expect to spend $80 for every 200MHz-increment upgrade of Intel processors. GRAPHICS As a rule, budget PCs use integrated graphics that share system memory and can’t handle complex games and graphics. Look for a desktop with an AGP or x16 PCI Express (PCIe) slot, which lets you add a dedicated card later. Upgrade: A basic graphics card costs about $60 more than integrated graphics. MEMORY Get at least 512MB of RAM, especially if you multitask. You can get by with 256MB, but it may slow you down, especially if the PC employs integrated graphics. Upgrade: Each additional 256MB of DDR memory will cost roughly $40. HARD DRIVE Go for at least an 80GB drive, although more is better. Faster is also better—look for a spin rate of 7,200rpm. Upgrade: Each additional 40GB of storage will cost about $28.

Model

Base Price*

Processor RAM

Next

OPTICAL DRIVES Two optical drives (CD-RW, month: Media Center DVD-ROM, recordable-DVD) are better than one. Desktops If you can afford only one drive, make it a DVD±RW. Upgrade: A DVD±RW drive costs about $30 more than a CD-RW drive. CASE Most budget PCs use minitower or midtower cases. If you think you’ll want to upgrade or add components later, make sure the case has room for expansion. SOUND AND SPEAKERS You’ll be hard-pressed to find anything but motherboard-integrated sound. This is fine for general use but underpowered for listening at loud levels, and it may not support surround sound. Don’t expect quality speakers, either. A three-piece system (two satellites and a subwoofer) is possible, but a two-piece set is the norm. Upgrade: A quality sound card will cost about $70 more than onboard audio. MONITOR With flat-panel prices falling, adding a 15-inch LCD won’t cost you a mint. If you want more screen real estate, you’ll either have to kick in more cash or forgo the flat panel and choose a CRT. —Joshua Goldman, Desktop Editor

Graphics

Hard Drive

Optical Drive(s)

Monitor

Editor’s Take

Find Out More

Strictly a business PC—don’t expect to do much more than Web surfing, e-mail, and simple office tasks. A good choice for small-office or home users. The dedicated graphics card with TV-out is a nice bonus.

www.abspc.com 800-876-8088

ABS COMPUTER TECHNOLOGIES

Explorer Workstation 1200

$589

2.4GHz Celeron D 320 1.6GHz Sempron 2400+

256MB

Integrated

40GB

DVD-ROM

None

Explorer Workstation 1100

$639

256MB

nVidia GeForce MX 440

80GB

DVD-ROM

None

$699

1.42GHz PowerPC G4

512MB

ATI Radeon 9200

80GB

DVD±RW

None

A Mac desktop that takes up a minuscule www.apple.com amount of space, this silent system has 800-692-7753 respectable power for basic tasks.

Mega Special II

$544

512MB

DVD/CD-RW combo

None

$620

80GB

DVD±RW (double layer)

None

Mega Special I

$680

80GB

DVD±RW (double layer)

None

Gamer Ultra 6000 SE

$694

nVidia GeForce 6200 nVidia GeForce 6200 nVidia GeForce 6200 nVidia GeForce 6600

80GB

Mega Special III

1.8GHz Athlon 64 3000+ 3GHz Pentium 4 630 2.2GHz Athlon 64 3500+ 1.8GHz Athlon 64 3000+

160GB

DVD±RW None (double layer), DVD-ROM

Add $146 for a 17-inch CRT and swap www.cyberpowerpc.com the peculiar case; otherwise, a strong, 800-707-0393 well-priced PC. Extra processing power makes this budget box worth considering, but the Mega Special II is a better bargain. Sufficient for basic tasks, but not a lot of documentation with Cyberpower PCs— a possible downer for newbies. Not a lot of gaming power, though performance should be okay at a lower res. Almost every option is configurable.

2.53GHz Celeron D 325 2.8GHz Pentium 4 521

256MB

Integrated

40GB

CD-ROM

17-inch CRT

256MB

Integrated

80GB

DVD-ROM

17-inch CRT

1.8GHz Sempron 3100+ 2GHz Sempron 3300+

256MB

Integrated

100GB

DVD/CD-RW combo

None

512MB

Integrated

160GB

DVD/CD-RW combo

None

APPLE COMPUTER

Mac Mini CYBERPOWER

512MB 1GB 1GB

DELL

Dimension B110

$349

Dimension E310

$599

The B is for basics—and that’s all you’re www.dell.com going to be able to do with this config. It’s 800-999-3355 not very upgradable, either. An entertainment PC that doesn’t have the parts to be all that much fun. It’s even pretty disappointing as an entry-level PC.

EMACHINES

T3104

$389.99

T3302

$449.99

Don’t expect a lot of service and support www.emachines.com from eMachines. It’s one of the unfortunate 801-401-1419 corners it cuts to keep prices low. Fine features for the money. Loaded with trialware, but does include eMachines’ BigFix troubleshooting software.

* = 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.

computershopper.com March 2006

115

TECHMARKET BUDGET DESKTOPS ($749 AND LESS) Base Price*

Model

Processor RAM

Graphics

Hard Drive

Optical Drive(s)

2.93GHz Pentium 4 516 2.2GHz Athlon 64 3500+

512MB

Integrated

200GB

DVD±RW (double layer)

1GB

ATI Radeon Xpress 200

200GB

DVD±RW None (double layer), CD-ROM

256MB

Integrated

40GB

CD-RW

None

512MB

Integrated

80GB

DVD/CD-RW combo

None

512MB

Integrated

80GB

DVD/CD-RW combo

None

2.9GHz Pentium 4 516 2.8GHz Pentium 4 520

256MB

Integrated

40GB

CD-RW

None

256MB

Integrated

40GB

CD-ROM

None

2GHz Athlon 64 3200+ 1.8GHz Sempron 3000+ 3GHz Pentium 4 630 2.2GHz Athlon 64 3500+

512MB

nVidia GeForce 6200 Integrated

160GB

DVD-ROM, CD-RW

None

80GB

DVD-ROM, CD-RW

None

Monitor

Editor’s Take

Find Out More

None

The only Intel-based system in the www.emachines.com company’s lineup. Lacks a PCI Express 801-401-1419 slot for upgrading to discrete graphics. If you can afford this, it’s certainly the best eMachines offers, if not the best budget PC in the category.

EMACHINES

T5010

$549.99

T6524

$649.99

GATEWAY

DX100 Series

$399.99

S-5200 Series

$579.99

DX300 Series

$699.99

2.8GHz Celeron D 336 2.8GHz Pentium 4 521 2.8GHz Pentium D 820

For $50 more than the Dell B110, you get www.gateway.com a slightly better PC. Plagued by the same 800-369-1409 lack of expansion, though. This stealthy black business PC comes in two form factors: one slim, the other a full tower with more expansion room. Not a bad component combo for the money, and you can upgrade to discrete graphics for as little as $39.

HEWLETT-PACKARD

Compaq Presario SR1020T

$439.99

d5100 Microtower

$649

A fairly sparse config as-is, but HP makes www.hp.com it affordable to turn this into a powerful, 888-999-4747 feature-filled PC. HP recommends upgrading the RAM, CPU, hard drive, and optical drives, which brings the cost to $859—well worth it.

IBUYPOWER

Bargain 64

$559

AMD Best Buy

$649

Back to School

$679

Special C

$729

512MB 512MB

ATI Radeon X300

80GB

DVD/CD-RW combo

None

1GB

nVidia GeForce 6600

80GB

DVD±RW (double layer)

None

256MB

Integrated

40GB

CD-ROM

None

512MB

Integrated

40GB

CD-ROM

None

2.8GHz Celeron D 335 2GHz Athlon 64 2800+

256MB

Integrated

40GB

CD-RW

None

512MB

Integrated

80GB

CD-RW

None

1.8GHz Sempron 3100+ 2.5GHz Celeron D 325J

512MB

Integrated

80GB

DVD-ROM

None

256MB

Integrated

80GB

DVD-ROM

None

256MB

ATI Radeon Xpress 200

80GB

CD-RW

None

512MB

ATI Radeon Xpress 200

160GB

DVD±RW (double layer)

None

512MB

ATI Radeon Xpress 200

200GB

DVD±RW (double layer)

None

256MB

Integrated

40GB

CD-ROM

None

256MB

Integrated

80GB

CD-RW

None

512MB

Integrated

200GB

DVD/CD-RW combo

None

This machine is a bargain considering www.ibuypower.com what’s inside. But the price doesn’t 888-462-3899 include the OS; XP Home costs $89 more. There are better deals in this category. The eMachines T6524 beats this PC across the board, for example. The company offers 10 case designs for this PC, all in multiple colors. Config is a smart choice for work tasks. 64-bit processing for under $600. Boost the power supply if you plan on much future expansion.

LENOVO

ThinkCentre E Series

$379

ThinkCentre A Series

$699

2.66GHz Celeron D 331 2.8GHz Pentium 4 521

The only good thing about this configura- www.lenovo.com tion is the excellent software package 866-458-4465 bundled with all ThinkCentres. Solid quality at a low price. Suitable for basic computing tasks.

SYSTEMAX

Venture LP

$449.99

Ascent LP A3000

$469.98

Low price gets you low-end components. www.systemaxpc.com If you really can’t afford to go above this 888-845-6225 number, go with the eMachines T3302. Basic computing at a decent price. The office-friendly form factor is good for small spaces, bad for future upgrades.

VELOCITY MICRO

Vector Pro AMD

$625

Vector Pro Intel

$625

Price may be higher than the others here, but Velocity Micro’s quality assurance is tops. CPU has an extra security feature to improve network safety by preventing buffer-overflow attacks.

www.velocitymicro.com 800-303-7866

WINBOOK COMPUTER

PowerSpec 6250

$449.99

PowerSpec 6341

$449.99

PowerSpec 6641

$549.99

2GHz Sempron 3300+ 1.8GHz Sempron 3100+ 2.2GHz Athlon 64 3500+

Unless you absolutely have to have www.winbook.com Windows XP Professional, go with 800-254-7806 the PowerSpec 6341 with XP Home. A solid collection of low-end parts, with a motherboard featuring a PCI Express slot for future graphics upgrades. For only $100 more than the 6341, you get a much better processor and more storage. Looks are a bit drab, though.

ZT GROUP

Performance X3121

$439

X6623

$719

Performance A5358

$749

2.8GHz Celeron D 335 3GHz Pentium 4 530 1.8GHz Athlon 64 3000+

This PC’s warranty lasts only 90 days, an www.ztgroup.com unsettling trend we’re seeing lately. But 866-984-7687 $79 for three years of coverage is a bargain. Desktop options from eMachines and HP at better prices put this PC to shame. Look elsewhere. What a difference $30 makes. Good config, plus the 64-bit version of Windows XP Professional comes standard.

* = 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.

116

March 2006 computershopper.com

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Bar Code Scanners $295 Metrologic, Symbol, HHP, PSC

Receipt Printers $299 Epson, Star, Ithaca, Citizen

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Cash Drawers $189 MMF, Indiana, APG, Logic Controls

Portable Invoicing, Inventory/Asset Tracking & Data collecton - $499 Symbol, HP Palm

$495 Bar Code Printers $499 Cognitive Solutions, Fixed & Portable

Pole Displays $289 Logic Controls Touch Screen Monitors $499 ELO Flat Panel, CRT

Credit & Debit Card Processing $349 PC Charge Credit Card Readers, Pin Pads, Signature Pads $179 Unitech, MagTek, Verifone, Topaz, HHP

Cash Register Express software for Windows $495 Replace your Cash Register with Cash Register Express in any type of retail store. With over 1,000 of the most desired point of sale features, Cash Register Express will help you compete in a difficult retail environment by controlling your costs, reducing errors, increasing efficiency, increasing your profits and increasing your sales. Specializing in Point of Sale since 1985

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NEED TO KNOW

THIN-AND-LIGHT NOTEBOOKS (4 TO 7 POUNDS) PROCESSOR Look for a model powered by Intel’s Pentium M processor, which provides long battery life, strong performance, and cool running temperatures. Save a little by opting for lower clock speeds, such as 1.6GHz. Upgrade: Expect to pay about $60 for every 100MHz-increment upgrade of Pentium M processors. MEMORY Adequate RAM is crucial for fast performance, especially when running multiple apps. Opt for at least 512MB of high-speed DDR SDRAM. Upgrade: Each additional 256MB of DDR memory will cost roughly $65. GRAPHICS When choosing a thin-and-light, portability should be a priority. Though many Pentium M-based laptops have robust 3D-graphics chips, save some cash and heft by opting for less-expensive integrated graphics. HARD DRIVE 60GB is a sufficient capacity for most users. If you require speed, select a 5,400rpm drive. Upgrade: Each additional 20GB of storage will cost about $40. OPTICAL DRIVES Most thin-and-light laptops ship standard with versatile DVD-ROM/CD-RW combo drives, which

Base Price*

Model

Processor RAM

Graphics

Hard Optical Drive Drive

Next should satisfy the needs of most users. If burnmonth: ing DVDs on the road is a must, choose a multiBudget Notebooks format DVD±RW drive. Upgrade: Expect to pay about $50 to upgrade to DVD±RW from a DVDROM/CD-RW combo drive. CASE A laptop chassis more than 1.5 inches thick or heavier than 7 pounds (without AC adapter) exceeds the bounds of the thin-and-light class. WIRELESS CONNECTIVITY Integrated 802.11 wireless networking (Wi-Fi) is an essential feature. Most notebooks ship with 802.11b/g internal radios, while some even have 802.11a/b/g Wi-Fi chips. 802.11b technology, however, with its rated data throughput of 11Mbps, is fine for ordinary use. SCREEN Panoramic wide-screen displays, previously only in larger desktop replacements, are now available in lighter systems. To watch DVDs in letterbox style or view multiple documents at once, go with a high-res 15.4-inch wide-format TFT. Upgrade: A UXGA screen costs about $100 more than an XGA TFT. —Brian Bennett, Notebooks Editor

Wireless

Display

Weight Editor’s Take

Find Out More

ABS COMPUTER TECHNOLOGIES

Mayhem G4

$1,499

Mayhem G4 Revolution

$1,599

1.6GHz Pentium M 730 1.6GHz Pentium M 730

512MB

nVidia GeForce 60GB DVD/CD-RW 802.11a/b/g 15.4 inches 6.6 lbs. Go 6600 combo

512MB

nVidia GeForce 40GB DVD/CD-RW 802.11a/b/g 15.4 inches 6.6 lbs. Go 6600 combo

512MB

Integrated

1GB

ATI Radeon 100GB DVD±RW 802.11b/g Mobility X700 (double layer)

15.4 inches 6.3 lbs.

12 inches

4.9 lbs.

12 inches

4.6 lbs.

This gaming-oriented machine offers a www.abspc.com solid mix of speedy parts, including a 800-876-8088 combo drive and a 60GB hard drive. $100 more than the model above, but wide-screen display is slightly lower-res. Also, you lose 20GB of hard drive space.

ACER AMERICA

Aspire AS5002WLMi

$999.99 1.6GHz Turion 64 ML-30 Ferrari 4500WLMi $2,199 2GHz Turion 64 ML-37

80GB DVD±RW

802.11b/g

15 inches

6.2 lbs.

Affordable machine with a decent CPU www.acer.com and a big hard drive. Lack of discrete 3D 800-816-2237 graphics is a letdown, however. It’s stocked with an excellent array of formidable components, but its high price is hard to swallow.

APPLE COMPUTER

iBook G4

$999

1.33GHz 512MB PowerPC G4

ATI Mobility Radeon 9550

40GB DVD/CD-RW 802.11b/g combo

PowerBook G4

$1,499

1.5GHz 512MB PowerPC G4

nVidia GeForce 80GB DVD±RW FX Go 5200

Xplorer U3-1000

$949

256MB Integrated

Xplorer S4-5500

$1,405

Xplorer S4-6500

$1,449

1.73GHz Pentium M 735 1.86GHz Pentium M 750 1.86GHz Pentium M 750 1.4GHz Celeron M 360 1.4GHz Celeron M 360 1.73GHz Pentium M 740 1.86GHz Pentium M 750 1.7GHz Pentium M 735

256MB Integrated

802.11b/g

An affordable and well-designed www.apple.com notebook built for students, yet a bit 800-692-7753 underpowered for the price. For $500 more, this model is smaller and more elegant than the iBook, and packed with better components.

CYBERPOWER

40GB DVD/CD-RW 802.11b/g combo

12.1 inches 4.1 lbs.

512MB

nVidia GeForce 60GB DVD/CD-RW 802.11b/g Go 6600 combo

15.4 inches 6.6 lbs.

1GB

nVidia GeForce 80GB DVD±RW Go 6600

802.11b/g

15.4 inches 6.6 lbs.

802.11b/g

14.1 inches 5.3 lbs.

256MB ATI Mobility 40GB DVD/CD-RW 802.11b/g Radeon 9000 combo

14.1 inches 5.3 lbs.

512MB

Integrated

60GB DVD/CD-RW 802.11b/g combo

14.1 inches 5.4 lbs.

512MB

Integrated

60GB DVD/CD-RW 802.11b/g combo

15.4 inches 6.7 lbs.

512MB

Integrated

40GB DVD/CD-RW 802.11b/g combo

12.1 inches 4.1 lbs.

Lightweight and affordable with a zippy www.cyberpowerpc.com processor, but could use a memory 800-707-0393 boost. A good deal, considering its robust collection of powerful parts that includes potent 3D graphics. For about $50 more, you get all the S4-5500 offers, plus a DVD burner and a full gigabyte of RAM.

DELL

Latitude D510

$799

Inspiron 600m

$849

XPS M140

$999

Inspiron 6000

$1,039

Inspiron 700m

$1,349

40GB CD-ROM

Sedate chassis and weak graphics confirm this model is not for fun and games. Price is tough to beat, though. For $50 more, you get better graphics, but specs are still unimpressive. Only for the most undemanding of tasks. Compact for a Media Center laptop. A well-configured machine with a vivid screen, but graphics are weak. An eminently affordable machine with great battery life, though not a lot of horsepower. Small, thin, and perfect for working on the go, it packs the essentials, along with a speedy CPU.

www.dell.com 800-999-3355

* = Base price reflects vendor’s default configuration. Most models are configurable. Prices are subject to change. SECTION CONTINUES ON PAGE 122 See computershopper.com for full reviews of products in boldface.

118

March 2006 computershopper.com

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91964

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1 Maintenance includes 9 x 5 technical support and latest software version upgrades and enhancements. 2Purchase a minimum of five licenses to qualify; 1-year maintenance included. 3Gold Maintenance includes standard business hour technical support (8:00 am to 5:00 pm CST), 1-year upgrade protection and virus definitions. 4Licensing requires a minimum order of 10 licenses; call your CDW account manager for details. Offer subject to CDW’s standard terms and conditions of sale, available at CDW.com. © 2006 CDW Corporation

3Com® Officeconnect VPN/Firewall

35820

$

• VPN Firewall with 12-month Content Filter License with 1 autosensing 10BASE-T/100BASE-TX WAN port • Designed for businesses with multiple sites and remote workers • Can initiate and terminate up to 50 simultaneous VPNs for both site-to-site and user-to-site communication • Allows up to 253 users to share secure access to the Internet through a single broadband connection

CDW 873710

3Com® Router 5232 Chassis

227949

$

• Modular rack-mount design provides flexibility and scalability in meeting changing networking demands • Three MIM slots—add modules as needed to accommodate network demands • Tolly Group “Verified for full Cisco Interoperability” • High-speed processor addresses remote connectivity, routing and security needs

CDW 707334

Trend MicroTM Anti-Spyware Enterprise Edition 3.0 • Provides enterprise-class protection and management • Easy to deploy with auto-discovery option; compatible with other antivirus products • Intuitive Web interface with short learning curve • Manage from any point on the network

101–250 user license with 1-year Maintenance1,2 $24.41 CDW 869053

SymantecTM Security Essentials Bundle

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• Bundle includes SymantecTM Gateway Security 320 Appliance, Symantec Client Security 3.0 and Symantec Mail Security • Offers a combination of trusted products that protect against viruses, hackers, spyware and spam • Utilize SymantecTM Client Security and SymantecTM Mail Security software to protect your mail servers, file servers and desktops • SymantecTM Gateway Security 300 Series appliance protects the perimeter of your network

With SymantecTM Client Security 3.0, 25-user license with 1-year Gold Maintenance3,4 $1209.80 CDW 848124

The Security Solutions You Need When You Need Them.

TECHMARKET THIN-AND-LIGHT NOTEBOOKS (4 TO 7 POUNDS) Base Price* Processor RAM

Model

Graphics

Hard Optical Drive Drive

Wireless Display Weight Editor’s Take

Find Out More

Expensive for its modest list of parts, but has a sturdy design and a long three-year warranty. Targeting business users, the D610 now comes with an impressively swift Pentium M processor.

www.dell.com 800-999-3355

Easy on your back and your wallet, but this machine’s configuration is slightly underpowered. Very light, but at this price, the small display and integrated graphics are unimpressive. Lightweight, with a nice-size screen. Integrated graphics and lack of RAM mar an otherwise solid configuration.

www.fujitsupc.com 800-385-4878

DELL

Latitude D810

$1,449

Latitude D610

$1,549

1.73GHz Pentium M 740 2.13GHz Pentium M 770

512MB

ATI Mobility 40GB CD-ROM Radeon X300

802.11b/g

15.4 inches 6.5 lbs.

512MB

Integrated

40GB CD-ROM

802.11b/g

14.1 inches 4.7 lbs.

512MB

Integrated

40GB DVD/CD-RW 802.11a/b/g 13.3 inches 4 lbs. combo

512MB

Integrated

40GB DVD/CD-RW 802.11a/b/g 13.3 inches 4.1 lbs. combo

256MB Integrated

40GB DVD/CD-RW 802.11a/b/g 14.1 inches 4.3 lbs. combo

256MB Integrated

40GB DVD/CD-RW None combo

14 inches

512MB

Integrated

60GB DVD/CD-RW 802.11b/g combo

15.4 inches 5.9 lbs.

512MB

Integrated

40GB DVD±RW 802.11b/g (double layer)

14 inches

5 lbs.

FUJITSU COMPUTER SYSTEMS

LifeBook S2000 Series

$1,299

LifeBook S6000 Series

$1,449

LifeBook S7000 Series

$1,449

1.6GHz Turion 64 MT-28 1.73GHz Pentium M 740 1.73GHz Pentium M 740

GATEWAY

NX200 Series NX550 Series

NX250X

$749.99 1.4GHz Celeron M 360 $1,099 1.73GHz Pentium M 740 $1,399 1.6GHz Pentium M 725A

5.3 lbs.

A trim and easy-to-carry budget model www.gateway.com that’s equipped with just enough to 800-369-1409 handle ordinary productivity tasks. Packed with a decent selection of parts for the low price; no discrete 3D chip, however. It won’t turn in blazing performance, but it offers a low price, a DVD burner, long battery life, and great portability.

HEWLETT-PACKARD

Compaq V2000Z

$699

DV1000

$749

Compaq V4000

$799

1.8GHz Sempron 3000+ 1.4GHz Celeron M 360 1.4GHz Celeron M 360

256MB ATI Radeon Xpress 200M

40GB DVD-ROM

802.11b/g

14 inches

5.2 lbs.

256MB Integrated

40GB DVD-ROM

None

14 inches

5.3 lbs.

256MB Integrated

40GB DVD-ROM

None

15.4 inches 6.3 lbs.

1.5GHz Celeron M 370 1.7GHz Pentium M 735

256MB Integrated

40GB DVD/CD-RW 802.11b/g combo

The low price may be appealing, but it’s www.hp.com still an underpowered laptop suited 888-999-4747 only for low-level tasks. A slick, home-theater-like design; plays movies well, and is affordable, but specs are unimpressive. Attractively styled, has a nice widescreen display, and is very inexpensive, but lacks Wi-Fi, and parts are slow.

LENOVO

ThinkPad R Series

$999

ThinkPad T Series

$1,299

15 inches

6.2 lbs.

256MB ATI Mobility 40GB DVD/CD-RW 802.11b/g Radeon 9600 combo

14.1 inches 4.9 lbs.

256MB Integrated

40GB DVD/CD-RW None combo

14.1 inches 4.9 lbs.

1GB

ATI Mobility 60GB DVD/CD-RW None Radeon 9600 combo

15.1 inches 5.7 lbs.

512MB

Integrated

60GB DVD/CD-RW 802.11a/b/g 15.4 inches 6.3 lbs. combo

512MB

Integrated

100GB DVD±RW 802.11/b/g (double layer)

14.1 inches 5.3 lbs.

512MB

Integrated

80GB DVD±RW 802.11b/g (double layer)

13.3 inches 4.3 lbs.

1.5GHz Celeron M 370 1.73GHz Pentium M 740 1.86GHz Pentium M 750

256MB Integrated

40GB DVD/CD-RW 802.11b/g combo

14 inches

512MB

Integrated

100GB DVD±RW 802.11b/g (double layer)

15.4 inches 6.1 lbs.

512MB

Integrated

100GB DVD±RW 802.11b/g (double layer)

14 inches

1.3GHz Celeron M 350 1.5GHz Pentium M 715

512MB

Integrated

40GB DVD/CD-RW 802.11b/g combo

15.4 inches 6.4 lbs.

512MB

ATI Mobility Radeon 9700

40GB DVD/CD-RW 802.11b/g combo

15.1 inches 6 lbs.

Well-designed but bulky; though the www.lenovo.com notebook’s price is low, its parts are 888-746-7426 anemic. Strong biometric security is the highlight of this moderately powered ThinkPad; sluggish 3D graphics is the downside.

POLYWELL COMPUTERS

PolyNote 3000N

$1,203

PolyNote 3015AW

$1,862

1.6GHz Pentium M 725 2GHz Pentium M 755

Trim and outfitted with a fast processor, www.polywell.com but light on memory and graphics 800-999-1278 power. Lacks built-in wireless capability. Pricey, yet packs a potent CPU, lots of RAM, and respectable graphics. Again, no built-in Wi-Fi.

SONY ELECTRONICS

VAIO FS Series

$1,189

VAIO FJ Series

$1,399

VAIO S Series

$1,649

1.73GHz Pentium M 740 1.73GHz Pentium M 740 1.73GHz Pentium M 740

Elegant and affordable, with a big hard drive, but lack of dedicated graphics or a DVD burner sours the deal. Extremely well-equipped. Packs great components, yet remains below the $1,500 mark. Nicely designed and lightweight, but pricey considering integrated graphics. You do get a DVD burner, though.

www.sonystyle.com 877-865-7669

TOSHIBA AMERICA

Tecra A5-S116

$999

Satellite M45-S269

$1,119

Satellite M55-S329

$1,249

5 lbs.

5 lbs.

This affordable mainstream laptop is www.toshiba.com mostly unremarkable, save for its sub- 800-316-0920 $1,000 price. Expect slow performance. On the heavy side, but lots to like here, including a large hard drive and a double-layer DVD burner. Despite being chock-full of high-end parts, it manages to stay relatively light. Not a bad price, either.

VELOCITY MICRO

NoteMagix D71

$1,195

NoteMagix B50 Ultra

$1,495

Although you get a wide-screen display and Wi-Fi, other components are subpar considering the price. Once the pinnacle of mobile power, this speedy machine is still a good deal, though starting to show its age.

* = 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.

122

March 2006 computershopper.com

www.velocitymicro.com 800-303-7866

NEED TO KNOW

INKJET PRINTERS RESOLUTION Resolution figures refer to the maximum number of horizontal and vertical dots a printer can lay down within a 1-inch-square space. In theory, a higher-resolution printer can produce more-detailed text and images, but manufacturers inflate these numbers for marketing purposes, meaning they often have little or no bearing on real-world performance. If possible, view actual output from a printer before you decide. PRINT SPEED This spec measures how many pages or photos per minute (ppm) a printer spits out. To come up with the fastest-possible speeds, some manufacturers use basic text documents at the lowest quality settings (draft mode) on plain paper. In our tests, using a printer’s automatic mode for text and its photographicpaper setting for photos, we typically achieve about half the speed the manufacturer promises.

Price

Maximum Resolution (Color)

Pixma iP1500 Photo Printer

$49.99

4,800x1,200dpi 600x600dpi

Two

Four

18ppm

Disappointing output makes this low-cost entrylevel model less of a value.

Pixma MP130 Photo All-in-One

$99.99

4,800x1,200dpi 600x600dpi

Two

Four

18ppm

Not ideal for offices because of its small ink tanks, but produces good-looking text and photos.

Pixma iP4200 Photo Printer

$129.99

9,600x2,400dpi 600x600dpi

Five

Five

29ppm

Features autoduplexing and two paper input trays; though fast for its class, slower than other Pixmas.

Pixma iP5000 Photo Printer

$199.99

9,600x2,400dpi 600x600dpi

Five

Five

25ppm

A relatively fast, versatile printer that provides autoduplexing and excellent-quality text and graphics.

Pixma iP6600D Photo Printer

$199.99

9,600x2,400dpi 9,600x2,400dpi

Six

Six

18ppm

Media-card slots and a generous 3.5-inch LCD are just some of this printer’s highlights.

Pixma i80 Color BubbleJet

$249.99 4,800x1,200dpi 600x600dpi

Two

Four

14ppm

Highly portable; optional car charger and Bluetooth support will benefit those who print on the go.

Pixma iP90

$249.99 4,800x1,200dpi 600x600dpi

Two

Four

16ppm

An update to the popular i80, but for true mobile printing, you’ll need to spring for the $100 battery.

Pixma MP760 Photo All-in-One

$249.99 4,800x1,200dpi 600x600dpi

Five

Five

25ppm

Digital-photo-friendly MFP also scans film negatives and slides. No fax or auto document feeder, though.

Pixma iP8500 Photo Printer

$349.99 4,800x2,400dpi 4,800x2,400dpi

Eight

Eight

16ppm

Offers fast print speeds and excellent photo and graphics output that will impress photography buffs.

i9900 Photo Printer

$499.99 4,800x2,400dpi 4,800x2,400dpi

Eight

Eight

16ppm

Limited paper-type options, but prints up to 13x19. High-quality, fast color and black-and-white prints.

Color Printer 720

$49

4,800x1,200dpi 4,800x1,200dpi

Two

Four

13ppm

Rock-bottom entry-level price gets you painfully slow www.dell.com print speeds. 800-999-3355

Photo All-in-One Printer 924

$89

4,800x1,200dpi 4,800x1,200dpi

Two

Four

20ppm

A $40 upgrade from the 720 model buys you a faster print speed and all-in-one convenience.

Photo All-in-One Printer 944

$139

4,800x1,200dpi 4,800x1,200dpi

Two

Six

21ppm

Optional photo cartridge boosts the number of ink colors to six and provides better photo printing.

Photo All-in-One Printer 964

$199

4,800x1,200dpi 4,800x1,200dpi

Two

Six

26ppm

Comes with a plethora of features, including PictBridge compatibility and a 50-page auto document feeder.

Model

Maximum Resolution (Monochrome)

CONNECTIVITY Most printers connect to your PC via USB 2.0, but you’ll have to buy the cable separately. For PC-free printing, look for memory-card slots, and ports that allow for direct printing from supported cameras or external storage devices. Many models also support wireless printing over infrared or Bluetooth, or via Wi-Fi access points with built-in print servers. CONSUMABLES Before you buy, consider the cost of items such as ink and paper. Replacement ink can quickly exceed a printer’s price, running anywhere from $12 to as high as $60 per cartridge. More-expensive printers may actually be more economical in the long run because they often have highercapacity ink tanks and separate tanks for each color. As for paper, use what the manufacturer recommends for the best results. These papers can cost anywhere from 10 cents to $2 per letter-size sheet. —Louis Ramirez, Hardware Editor

Number of Cartridges*

Max. Number of Print Ink Colors Speed** Editor’s Take

Find Out More

CANON U.S.A.

usa.canon.com 800-652-2666

DELL

EPSON AMERICA

Stylus C66

$69.99

5,760x1,440dpi

5,760x1,440dpi

Four

Four

17ppm

Has a rated print speed of 17ppm for black text and 9ppm www.epson.com for color; promises smudge-free, waterproof prints. 800-463-7766

Stylus Photo R200

$99

5,760x1,440dpi

5,760x1,440dpi

Six

Six

15ppm

Photo-print speeds are slow and text quality mediocre, but it can print directly onto CDs and DVDs.

Stylus CX4800

$129.99

5,760x1,440dpi

5,760x1,440dpi

Four

Four

20ppm

Hold out for this model’s faster, color-LCD-equipped sibling, the CX7800.

Stylus CX7800

$179.99

5,760x1,440dpi

5,760x1,440dpi

Four

Four

20ppm

In addition to a built-in LCD and an array of memorycard slots, offers slide and negative scanning.

Stylus Photo R320

$179.99

5,760x1,440dpi

5,760x1,440dpi

Six

Six

15ppm

A quality choice for the home photo enthusiast who wants computer-free and direct CD/DVD printing.

PictureMate Deluxe $199.99 Viewer Edition

5,760x1,440dpi

5,760x1,440dpi

One

Six

Not rated

It’s no speed demon, but a color LCD and an optional battery pack make it a formidable portable photo lab.

* = Indicates the number of ink cartridges the printer simultaneously hosts ** = Fastest manufacturer-rated monochrome print speed

= Editors’ Choice

124

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March 2006 computershopper.com

STORAGE SOLUTIONS... Visionman recommends Microsoft® Small Business Server

Premier Partner

FOR EVERY OCCASION

2U Scalable NAS

3TB RAID Storage

5TB MASS Storage

Enterprise 5150

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» (2) Intel Xeon 3.0GHz » 4Gb DDR333 ECC Reg » (12) 250Gb SATA2 HDD » 80Gb O/S SATA HDD » 3Ware 9550SX 12 Port

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visionman Solutions for the Future

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Since 1994, Visionman has been providing specialized server, storage, and workstation solutions to corporate America. Incredible customization options, rock bottom pricing, and the fastest delivery times in the industry distance Visionman from the competition. Call us Toll Free or configure your Visionman system online!

Discover the Visionman difference! Order online at:

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Call us at:

1-800-690-6771

TECHMARKET INKJET PRINTERS Model

Price

Maximum Resolution (Color)

Maximum Resolution (Monochrome)

Number of Cartridges*

Max. Number of Print Ink Colors Speed** Editor’s Take

Find Out More

EPSON AMERICA

Stylus Photo RX620

$299.99 5,760x1,440dpi

5,760x1,440dpi

Six

Six

17ppm

Stocky design; features a rated 39-second print speed www.epson.com for 4x6-inch snapshots. 800-463-7766

Stylus Photo R800

$399

5,760x1,440dpi

5,760x1,440dpi

Eight

Eight

17ppm

Despite the nozzle problems Epsons are prone to, print quality is excellent, and photos print relatively quickly.

Stylus Photo R1800

$549

5,760x1,440dpi

5,760x1,440dpi

Eight

Eight

Not rated

Its print nozzles are high-maintenance, but this solid medium-format printer produces quality color photos.

Stylus Photo R2400

$849.99 5,760x1,440dpi

5,760x1,440dpi

Eight

Eight

Not rated

Expensive, but worth it for photo enthusiasts looking for advanced black-and-white print modes.

HEWLETT-PACKARD

Deskjet 3930

$39.99

4,800x1,200dpi 1,200x1,200dpi

Two

Four

11ppm

Prints 8.5x11-inch bordered photos and borderless 4x6s at a price that’s hard to beat.

Deskjet 5740

$90

4,800x1,200dpi 1,200x1,200dpi

Two

Four

23ppm

Produces borderless prints in sizes up to 8.5x24 inches.

Deskjet 6540

$129.99

4,800x1,200dpi 1,200x1,200dpi

Two

Four

30ppm

One of HP’s fastest inkjets. Nice specs and features for its affordable price.

Business Inkjet 1000

$149.99

4,800x1,200dpi 1,200x1,200dpi

Four

Four

23ppm

Uses four fat ink tanks for longer stints between refills. Boring, boxy design, though.

Deskjet 6840

$179.99

4,800x1,200dpi 1,200x1,200dpi

Two

Four

30ppm

Compatible with 802.11b/g networks; offers lightningfast print speeds and good output.

Business Inkjet 1200d

$199.99

4,800x1,200dpi 1,200x1,200dpi

Four

Four

28ppm

Solid, low-cost option for small offices that seek color output but can’t afford laser printing.

Officejet Pro K550 $199.99

4,800x1,200dpi 1,200x1,200dpi

Four

Four

37ppm

With a rated print speed of 37ppm (black draft mode), this is one fast inkjet for a relatively low price.

Photosmart 8250

$199.99

4,800x1,200dpi 1,200x1,200dpi

Six

Six

32ppm

Despite some grainy output, a fast and robust stand-alone printer with a nice 2.5-inch LCD.

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 Wireless

$349.99 4,800x1,200dpi 1,200x1,200dpi

Two

Four

9ppm

On-the-road printer delivers great portability, excellent photo quality, and both infrared and Bluetooth printing.

Officejet Pro K850dn

$499.99 4,800x1,200dpi 1,200x1,200dpi

Four

Four

24ppm

Built-in networking gives the unit an edge, whether you’re using it at home or in the office.

Photosmart 8750 $499.99 4,800x1,200dpi 1,200x1,200dpi Professional

Two

Up to nine

19ppm

Designed for pros and serious amateurs, this nine-ink photo printer can produce pics as big as 13x19 inches.

www.hp.com 888-999-4747

LEXMARK INTERNATIONAL

X2350

$69.99

4,800x1,200dpi 1,200x1,200dpi

Two

Three

15ppm

Bargain-basement model has limited features—and www.lexmark.com only three colors—so use sparingly for photo printing. 800-539-6275

P915

$79.99

4,800x1,200dpi 2,400x1,200dpi

Two

Six

22ppm

PictBridge compatibility and a 2.5-inch LCD make this model a solid choice for easy photo prints sans PC.

Z715

$79.99

4,800x1,200dpi 2,400x1,200dpi

Two

Four or six

17ppm

Prints borderless 4x6- and 8.5x11-inch photos; its Photo Center software lets you edit before you print.

Z816

$79.99

4,800x1,200dpi 2,400x1,200dpi

Two

Four or six

22ppm

Slick design, but short on features for the price. Output quality is only average.

P4350

$129.99

4,800x1,200dpi 2,400x1,200dpi

Two

Six

22ppm

This MFP offers a 1.7-inch screen and PictBridge compatibility.

P6250

$149.99

4,800x1,200dpi 2,400x1,200dpi

Two

Six

22ppm

An easy-to-use and beginner-friendly MFP; print quality is good, but it’s glacially slow, and scans are mediocre.

X7170

$149.99

4,800x1,200dpi 2,400x1,200dpi

Two

Four or six

22ppm

Prints great color photos, but poor text and scan quality mar this well-designed, easy-to-use MFP.

$199.99

4,800x1,200dpi 1,200x1,200dpi

Two

Four or six

25ppm

MFP promises 19ppm color and 25ppm black, and offers PC-free faxing.

NEW X8350

THE BEST RECENTLY REVIEWED INKJET PRINTERS Canon Pixma MP760 Photo All-in-One • $249.99 • Editors’ Rating: 8.0 It lacks a fax machine, but this MFP offers all-around solid performance, with film, negative, and slide scanning as part of its repertoire. HP Photosmart 8250 • $199.99 • Editors’ Rating: 7.5 Speed, economy, and an innovative new ink-feeding system make the Photosmart 8250 a reasonable choice for family printing. Epson PictureMate Deluxe Viewer Edition • $199.99 • Editors’ Rating: 7.4 Although it only prints snapshot-size prints, this toaster-size printer is a formidable photo lab. * = Indicates the number of ink cartridges the printer simultaneously hosts ** = Fastest manufacturer-rated monochrome print speed

= Editors’ Choice

126

See computershopper.com for full reviews of products in boldface.

March 2006 computershopper.com

HP Photosmart 8250

NEED TO KNOW

EXTERNAL HARD DRIVES FORM FACTOR External hard drives come in all shapes and sizes, and most can even be rested vertically to save space on your desk. Some externals are small enough to fit inside your shirt pocket, but these tend to be more expensive and offer less storage space than more conventional drives. Still, sheer portability makes them a great choice for shuttling data between home and the office. CONNECTIVITY Typically, external drives connect via USB 2.0 or FireWire, and some offer dual interfaces, giving you the option to connect either way. If you have a network setup, you can opt for a network-attached-storage (NAS) drive. NAS drives provide an easy, relatively inexpensive way to add storage to your network. Some are as basic as a hard drive with an Ethernet port; others provide extra USB and FireWire ports that allow you to daisy-chain additional

drives to increase your overall network storage space. If you have a wireless network, you can opt for a Wi-Fi NAS drive that combines storage space with a wireless access point. SPEED The speed at which a hard drive spins, measured in revolutions per minute (rpm), is directly related to how fast it can retrieve data. In an external drive, your best bet is 7,200rpm. BUFFER Look for a drive with an 8MB buffer, rather than a 2MB buffer. The larger buffer enables the drive to deliver data more quickly and can noticeably enhance performance. SOFTWARE Many hard drives come with backup and recovery software to ease the archiving of files on your PC. Instead of purchasing a bare-bones drive, check each drive’s software bundle for the best drive/software combo to suit your personal backup needs. —Louis Ramirez, Hardware Editor

Price

Capacity

Buffer Memory

Spin Rate

Interface

Weight

Editor's Take

Find Out More

120GB EZ Bus DT

$129

120GB

8MB

7,200rpm

USB 2.0

2.2 lbs.

More storage than the SATA drive below, but with a USB 2.0 interface.

www.apricorn.com 800-458-5448

80GB EZ Bus DTS SATA

$139

80GB

8MB

7,200rpm

Serial ATA

2.2 lbs.

Sleek aluminum design. Uses Serial ATA interface; SATA PCI card is included.

200GB EZ Bus DTC

$179

200GB

8MB

7,200rpm

FireWire, USB 2.0

2.2 lbs.

Supports two interfaces and a variety of synchronizing options.

100GB EZ Bus USB 2.0 Portable Hard Drive

$239

100GB

2MB

4,200rpm

USB 2.0

6 oz.

Extremely totable, this self-powered drive comes with a nylon travel pouch.

Model APRICORN

BUFFALO TECHNOLOGY

DriveStation USB 2.0 External Hard Drive

$139.99

120GB

2MB

7,200rpm

USB 2.0

3.2 lbs.

Will satisfy users looking for an inexpensive, quick, no-nonsense backup solution.

www.buffalotech.com 800-456-9799

MiniStation Shock Resistant Portable Hard Drive 80GB

$189.99

80GB

2MB

5,400rpm

USB 2.0

6.7 oz.

Rugged drive has a shock-absorbent case, along with a sleek design.

LinkStation Network Storage Center

$349.99

250GB

2MB

7,200rpm

USB 2.0

4 lbs.

Wireless network-attached storage device features a print server and FTP functionality.

HDD 40GB USB 2.0/FireWire Portable

$111.95

40GB

2MB

4,200rpm

FireWire, USB 2.0

7.7 oz.

Low storage capacity, but you’re paying for pocket-size portability.

HDD 160GB USB 2.0 Desktop

$129.95

160GB

2MB

7,200rpm

USB 2.0

2.6 lbs.

A good choice whether you’re expanding a PC’s storage space or just backing up.

HDD 250GB USB 2.0 Desktop

$159.95

250GB

2MB

7,200rpm

USB 2.0

2.6 lbs.

Excellent drive for backing up large media files without cracking open your PC case.

MiniMax 160GB USB/FireWire

$199.95

160GB

2MB

7,200rpm

FireWire, USB 2.0

2.3 lbs.

Designed to pair with the über-attractive Mac Mini, this drive screams style.

HDD 250GB USB 2.0/FireWire External

$219.95

250GB

2MB

7,200rpm

FireWire, USB 2.0

2.6 lbs.

We like the dual high-speed ports, but at this price, the buffer memory could use an upgrade.

HDD 40GB Mini Hard Drive USB 2.0

$229.95

40GB

2MB

4,200rpm

USB 2.0

3.5 oz.

Slightly bigger than a pack of smokes, and about 50 times more expensive.

StorCenter Network Hard Drive 250GB

$289.95

250GB

8MB

7,200rpm

USB 2.0

2.2 lbs.

Network-attached drive provides Gigabit Ethernet connectivity.

HDD 400GB Triple Interface

$379.95

400GB

8MB

7,200rpm

FireWire 400/800, 2.6 lbs. USB 2.0

LaCie’s Big Disk has similar specs and offers an extra 100GB for the same price.

Brick Mobile Hard Drive 40GB

$119.99

40GB

2MB

5,400rpm

FireWire, USB 2.0

7.9 oz.

Stackable, Lego-styled drive adds personality www.lacie.com and color to your desktop. 503-844-4500

Mini FireWire 400 Companion HDD

$149.99

160GB

8MB

7,200rpm

FireWire

3 lbs.

Companion drive is designed to fit perfectly below a Mac Mini.

Porsche Hard Drive 250GB

$159

250GB

8MB

7,200rpm

FireWire

2 lbs.

Light, fast, and spacious—the one Porsche you can actually afford.

IOMEGA

www.iomega.com 888-516-8467

LACIE NEW

See computershopper.com for full reviews of products in boldface.

128

March 2006 computershopper.com

TECHMARKET EXTERNAL HARD DRIVES Price

Capacity

Buffer Memory

d2 Hard Drive Serial ATA 160GB

$179

160GB

8MB

7,200rpm

Brick Desktop Hard Drive 300GB

$199.99

300GB

8MB

d2 Hard Drive Extreme With Triple Interface

$219

250GB

Ethernet Disk Mini 250GB

$229

Silverscreen 80GB

Model

Spin Rate

Interface

Weight

Editor's Take

Find Out More

Serial ATA

3.3 lbs.

Newer SATA drive promises extreme speed; SATA PCI card comes bundled.

www.lacie.com 503-844-4500

7,200rpm

USB 2.0

2.2 lbs.

Same design as the Brick Mobile, but bigger and with more storage space.

8MB

7,200rpm

FireWire 400/800, 3.3 lbs. USB 2.0

Plug-and-play drive is quiet, built like a tank, and supports three interfaces.

250GB

8MB

7,200rpm

USB 2.0

3.3 lbs.

Easy-to-use network storage for homes and small offices.

$249

80GB

8MB

5,400rpm

USB 2.0

9.5 oz.

Portable; features handy A/V outputs and remote control for viewing multimedia files.

Porsche Mobile Hard Drive 100GB

$249.99

100GB

8MB

5,400rpm

FireWire, USB 2.0

6.4 oz.

Ultrasmall; can be shared easily among Mac and PC users.

SAFE Mobile Hard Drive with Encryption 80GB

$269.99

80GB

8MB

5,400rpm

USB 2.0

8.1 oz.

Features a biometric strip for encrypting sensitive data.

Big Disk With Triple Interface 500GB

$379

500GB

8MB

7,200rpm

FireWire 400/800, 5.5 lbs. USB 2.0

Stylish design, tons of storage space, and triple interface make it a winner.

OneTouch 200GB FireWire Drive for Mac

$149.95

200GB

8MB

7,200rpm

FireWire

3.1 lbs.

Doesn’t include USB 2.0 interface; formatted for Macs.

OneTouch 250GB FireWire/USB Drive

$249.95

250GB

16MB

7,200rpm

FireWire, USB 2.0

3.1 lbs.

Expensive, even for a high-capacity external drive with dual interfaces.

OneTouch II 300GB FireWire 800/USB

$299.95

300GB

16MB

7,200rpm

FireWire 400/800, 3.1 lbs. USB 2.0

Offers three high-speed interfaces; anodizedaluminum case adds a touch of style.

OneTouch III Turbo Edition FireWire/USB

$549.95

600GB

16MB

7,200rpm

FireWire 400/800, 5.8 lbs. USB 2.0

High-capacity, user-configurable RAID storage solution. Large, tower-like design.

LACIE

NEW

NEW

MAXTOR

www.maxtor.com 800-262-9867

SEAGATE TECHNOLOGY

3.5-Inch External Hard Drive 160GB

$149

160GB

2MB

7,200rpm

USB 2.0

2.6 lbs.

The ugly duckling of hard drives—not the best choice for the fashion-forward.

5GB USB 2.0 Pocket Hard Drive

$179

5GB

2MB

3,600rpm

USB 2.0

2.2 oz.

Portable, with an interesting hockey-puck design; speed and capacity don’t justify price.

100GB Portable External Hard Drive

$259

100GB

8MB

5,400rpm

USB 2.0

10.3 oz.

Durable PDA-size drive is ideal for frequent fliers.

400GB Pushbutton Backup

$389

400GB

8MB

7,200rpm

FireWire, USB 2.0

2.6 lbs.

BounceBack Express allows for fast and simple backups.

160GB SimpleDrive External

$125

160GB

2MB

7,200rpm

USB 2.0

2 lbs.

Provides one-click backups; Mac- and PCcompatible.

250GB SimpleDrive Deluxe External

$207

250GB

8MB

7,200rpm

FireWire, USB 2.0

2 lbs.

Deluxe version adds another high-speed port and more storage than the above drive.

80GB SimpleDrive Portable

$273

80GB

8MB

5,400rpm

USB 2.0

1.5 lbs.

Compact and travel-friendly, but overpriced considering its features and capacity.

SimpleShare Office Storage Server

$369

250GB

8MB

7,200rpm

USB 2.0

2.5 lbs.

Network-attached storage comes at a premium price.

400GB SimpleDrive Deluxe External

$418

400GB

8MB

7,200rpm

FireWire, USB 2.0

2 lbs.

Massive storage space with an equally hefty price tag.

Dual-Option Backup USB 2.0 External

$124.99

120GB

2MB

7,200rpm

USB 2.0

2.9 lbs.

Handy dual-option feature lets you set ondemand or automatic backups.

Passport Portable USB Drive

$169.99

80GB

2MB

5,400rpm

USB 2.0

9.8 oz.

Highly compact; draws power from USB, eliminating the need to carry a power cord.

160GB Dual-Option Combo External Drive

$179.99

160GB

8MB

7,200rpm

FireWire, USB 2.0

3.1 lbs.

Provides more space and speed than the above drive, plus has dual interfaces.

USB 2.0 Hard Drive WD Essential

$189.99

250GB

2MB

7,200rpm

USB 2.0

3.2 lbs.

Bare-bones drive is short on features but big on space.

FireWire/USB 2.0 Lighted Drive

$214.99

250GB

8MB

7,200rpm

FireWire, USB 2.0

3.1 lbs.

Features an attractive light-up exterior, plus dual interfaces.

Dual-Option Media Center

$279.99

320GB

8MB

7,200rpm

FireWire, USB 2.0

3 lbs.

Multimedia junkies will appreciate this roomy drive and its eight-format card reader.

NetCenter Network Drive

$329.99

320GB

8MB

7,200rpm

USB 2.0

6 lbs.

Easy to set up; USB ports let you attach printers and additional drives.

www.seagate.com 877-271-3285

SIMPLETECH

www.simpletech.com 800-367-7330

WESTERN DIGITAL

See computershopper.com for full reviews of products in boldface.

130

March 2006 computershopper.com

www.wdc.com 949-672-7000

NEED TO KNOW

FLAT-PANEL DISPLAYS (18 INCHES OR LARGER) ASPECT RATIO The standard proportion of width to height for a computer monitor is 4-to-3, although some monitors that double as televisions have a wider format of 16-to-9, designed for viewing movies or high-definition television (HDTV) in wide-screen format. RESOLUTION An LCD looks best at its native resolution. Make sure you’re comfortable with this resolution before you buy the monitor. CONTRAST RATIO A contrast ratio of at least 400-to-1 will provide a more dynamically detailed image. The ratio is measured in varying ways, however, so rely on such figures cautiously. PIXEL-RESPONSE RATE This measure, cited in milliseconds (ms), refers to how quickly a pixel can change colors. Lower numbers mean you’ll tend to see less ghosting or streaking in movies and games. Most panels have response rates of 16ms or less; gamers and video buffs should look for response rates of 8ms or less.

Model

Price

Size

LUMINANCE Luminance, or brightness, is expressed in either nits or candelas per square meter (cd/m2). A measurement of 200 to 250 nits is suitable for most productivity tasks; 450 nits is better for television and movies. DIGITAL VERSUS ANALOG CONNECTIONS LCDs must convert analog signals before they can be displayed. A graphics card with a Digital Visual Interface (DVI) can send the signal straight to the display in digital format—no conversion required. Most LCDs come with an analog input, some have both, and a few are digital-only. A digital connection is best. VIEWING ANGLE Brightness and image colors shift if you view an LCD off-center. Make your own observations, if at all possible, of the panel you’re considering, and remember that viewing-angle issues become increasingly critical as panel size increases. —Louis Ramirez, Hardware Editor

PixelNative Contrast Typical Response Resolution Ratio Brightness Time Interface

Editor’s Take

Find Out More us.acer.com 800-733-2237

ACER

AL 1932d

$349.99 19 inches

1,280x1,024 500-to-1

400cd/m2

12ms

Analog, digital

Glossy black LCD doesn’t skimp on features and complements both home and office settings.

Ferrari F-20

$599

20 inches

1,680x1,050 800-to-1

300cd/m2

8ms

Analog, digital

Flamboyant display features the Ferrari logo and a fire-engine-red bezel and stand.

20-Inch Cinema Display

$799

20 inches

1,680x1,050 400-to-1

250cd/m2

16ms

Digital

An ultrasleek, high-style display—now both Macand PC-friendly. Plus, features ports galore.

23-Inch Cinema Display

$1,299

23 inches

1,920x1,200 400-to-1

270cd/m2

16ms

Digital

Big and beautiful, yet not exactly a budget model. One look, though, and you’ll fall in love.

FP931

$429

19 inches

1,280x1,024 450-to-1

250cd/m2

16ms

Analog, digital

More expensive than Dell’s 19-inch E193FP LCD, but has both analog and digital connections.

FP937s

$449

19 inches

1,280x1,024 500-to-1

250cd/m2

12ms

Analog, digital

For only $20 more than the FP931, you get a 12ms response time and a higher contrast ratio.

FP91E

$499.99 19 inches

1,280x1,024 1,000-to-1 250cd/m2

25ms

Analog, digital

Extras include built-in speakers and image presets, but image quality is so-so for the price.

FP2091

$799

20.1 inches 1,600x1,200 400-to-1

250cd/m2

16ms

Analog, digital

Large viewing area and solid image quality makes this model a great choice for watching DVDs.

FP231W

$1,499

23 inches

1,920x1,200 500-to-1

250cd/m2

16ms

Analog, digital

Pricey, wide-screen unit will give your desktop serious home theater appeal.

E196FP

$349

19 inches

1,280x1,024 500-to-1

300cd/m2

8ms

Analog

An excellent bargain, though we wish it had DVI connectivity. Can be found for under $300 online.

UltraSharp 2001FP

$629

20.1 inches 1,600x1,200 400-to-1

250cd/m2

16ms

Analog, digital

Decent image quality with lots of features. Only graphics pros will be disappointed.

UltraSharp 2405FPW

$1,199

24 inches

1,920x1,200 1,000-to-1 500cd/m2

12ms

Analog, digital

Gorgeous wide-screen display offers a lot of screen real estate for your dollar.

$1,899

21.3 inches 1,600x1,200 550-to-1

250cd/m2

30ms

Analog, digital

Designed to meet the needs of graphics pros. Excellent image quality and adjustment options.

www.eizo.com 800-800-5202

1,280x1,024 500-to-1

250cd/m2

16ms

Analog, digital

Generic looks; save your money for Westinghouse’s similarly priced LCM-19v5.

www.gateway.com 800-555-2076 www.hp.com 888-999-4747

APPLE COMPUTER

www.apple.com 800-692-7753

BENQ AMERICA

www.benq.com 866-700-2367

DELL

www.dell.com 800-449-3355

EIZO NANAO

FlexScan L997 GATEWAY

FPD1965

$349.99 19 inches

HEWLETT-PACKARD

Pavilion f1905

$430

19 inches

1,280x1,024 450-to-1

250cd/m2

16ms

Analog, digital

Dual-hinge design lets you raise and tilt the panel; built-in stereo speakers are a welcome addition.

Pavilion f2105

$750

21 inches

1,680x1,050 900-to-1

300cd/m2

12ms

Analog, digital

Excellent for entertainment purposes; we especially like its brushed-steel look.

See computershopper.com for full reviews of products in boldface.

132

March 2006 computershopper.com

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TECHMARKET FLAT-PANEL DISPLAYS (18 INCHES OR LARGER)

Price

Size

PixelNative Contrast Typical Response Resolution Ratio Brightness Time Interface

319

$999

19 inches

1,280x1,024 600-to-1

270cd/m2

18ms

321

$1,599

21.3 inches 1,600x1,200 500-to-1

250cd/m2

$549

19 inches

LG1981Q

$579

19 inches

L2013P

$799

Model

Editor’s Take

Find Out More

Analog, digital

The 321’s sibling packs a faster response time, plus a better contrast ratio and brightness.

www.lacie.com 503-844-4502

20ms

Analog, digital

Offers precise color and shading capabilities, and multiple inputs—if you can afford it.

1,280x1,024 1,000-to-1 250cd/m2

25ms

Analog, digital

This staid model will serve any office well, but other 19-inchers offer more for less money.

www.lenovo.com 866-458-4465

1,280x1,024 500-to-1

250cd/m2

8ms

Analog, digital

Stylish display features a touch-sensitive on/off switch and pivot capability.

us.lge.com 800-243-0000

20.1 inches 1,600x1,200 400-to-1

250cd/m2

16ms

Analog, digital

Preset brightness controls make it easy to adjust the display’s settings.

LACIE

LENOVO

ThinkVision L191p LG ELECTRONICS

NEC DISPLAY SOLUTIONS OF AMERICA

AccuSync LCD92V

$354.99 19 inches

1,280x1,024 450-to-1

250cd/m2

16ms

Analog

Inexpensive, analog-only model features 160degree viewing angle and the ability to tilt.

LCD1935NXM

$449.99 19 inches

1,280x1,024 450-to-1

250cd/m2

16ms

Analog, digital

An ultraslim profile will free up desktop space, and the sleek, attractive design will spruce things up.

AccuSync LCD200VX

$589.99 20.1 inches 1,600x1,200 400-to-1

250cd/m2

16ms

Analog, digital

Bundled NaviSet software lets you tweak display settings with your mouse and keyboard.

MultiSync LCD2180UX

$1,499

250cd/m2

20ms

Analog, digital

This MultiSync’s high 1,600x1,200 resolution promises a crystal-clear view.

1,280x1,024 1,000-to-1 250cd/m2

8ms

Analog, digital

Highly adjustable; features a high contrast ratio and a good response rate.

21.3 inches 1,600x1,200 500-to-1

www.necdisplay.com 866-632-6673

PLANAR SYSTEMS

PX1910M

$479.95 19 inches

PX212M

$1,169

21.3 inches 1,600x1,200 1,000-to-1 300cd/m2

8ms

Analog, digital

Offers solid image quality and a useful array of multimedia and connectivity options.

SyncMaster 910T

$399

19 inches

1,280x1,024 1,000-to-1 260cd/m2

25ms

Analog, digital

A great price, solid image quality, and lots of adjustability options.

SyncMaster 930MP

$775

19 inches

1,280x1,024 1,000-to-1 250cd/m2

25ms

Analog, digital

Comes with a built-in TV tuner, FM radio, and a remote control, along with a plethora of ports.

SyncMaster 243T

$1,699

24 inches

1,920x1,200 500-to-1

300cd/m2

25ms

Analog, digital

Big, expensive screen features wide viewing angle, height adjustability, and swivel flexibility.

www.planar.com 866-475-2627

SAMSUNG

www.samsung.com 800-726-7864

SHARP ELECTRONICS

LL-191A

$479

19 inches

1,280x1,024 500-to-1

220cd/m2

16ms

Analog

Adequate for general use, but specs fall short of similarly priced models.

LL-T1820

$799

18.1 inches 1,280x1,024 400-to-1

220cd/m2

30ms

Digital (two)

Includes an integrated, self-powered USB hub with two downstream ports.

LL-T2020

$1,299

20.1 inches 1,600x1,200 350-to-1

220cd/m2

25ms

Digital (two)

We applaud the two digital connections, but the response rate is too slow.

www.sharpusa.com 800-237-4277

SONY ELECTRONICS

SDM-HS95P/S

$549.99 19 inches

1,280x1,024 550-to-1

400cd/m2

12ms

Analog, digital

Costly for a 19-incher, but advanced in design. Appealing to those who value desktop style.

MFM-HT95

$799.99 19 inches

1,280x1,024 1,000-to-1 450cd/m2

12ms

Analog, digital

Integrated TV tuner, high-definition support, and picture-in-picture will please media enthusiasts.

PremierPro SDM-P234

$1,399

23 inches

1,920x1,200 500-to-1

250cd/m2

16ms

Analog (two), A clean design and decent performance, but few digital extra features for the high price.

VX924

$469

19 inches

1,280x1,024 550-to-1

270cd/m2

4ms

Analog, digital

Packs an impressive 4ms response time that will please gamers and home theater buffs.

VP201s

$779

20.1 inches 1,600x1,200 400-to-1

250cd/m2

16ms

Analog, digital

HD-ready display lacks a TV tuner, but has other advantages, such as built-in USB ports.

VP2130b

$1,039

21.3 inches 1,600x1,200 1,000-to-1 300cd/m2

8ms

Analog, digital

Above-average contrast ratio should make whites and blacks stand out.

VP231wb

$1,559

23 inches

250cd/m2

12ms

Analog, digital

Wide-screen and HD-capable; supports both portrait and landscape modes.

280cd/m2

10ms

Analog, digital

Attractive, with built-in speakers and a low price, but lacks adjustability and an adequate warranty.

www.sonystyle.com 877-865-7669

VIEWSONIC

1,920x1,200 500-to-1

www.viewsonic.com 800-888-8583

WESTINGHOUSE DIGITAL ELECTRONICS

LCM-19v5

$349.99 19 inches

= Editors’ Choice

134

1,280x1,024 400-to-1

See computershopper.com for full reviews of products in boldface.

March 2006 computershopper.com

www.westinghouse.com 866-287-5555

NEED TO KNOW

DIGITAL CAMERAS (4- TO 5-MEGAPIXEL) RESOLUTION The quality of digital photos is measured primarily by the number of pixels a camera’s image sensor can capture. A 5-megapixel camera, therefore, should capture more image detail than a 4-megapixel model. Still, whether you choose a 4- or a 5-megapixel camera, you should be able to print good-quality images up to 11x17 inches. LENS A glass lens is preferable to a plastic one, though vendors often don’t specify which you get. The ability of a digital camera’s lens to magnify faraway action (that is, its optical zoom) is measured in x. Look for a model with at least a 3x optical zoom, or more if you often need to catch distant action. Pay no attention to digital-zoom specs. STORAGE MEDIUM Most digicams use wafer-thin flashmemory cards like CompactFlash, SD/MultiMediaCard (MMC), Olympus’ xD-Picture Card, or Sony’s Memory Stick. Cameras usually come with a small-capacity card,

so you’ll want to invest in an additional, roomier card with at least 128MB or 256MB to store more photos. If you already have a PDA or a flash-based MP3 player, consider cameras that use the same storage format so you can share cards between devices. BATTERY Some cameras offer only a proprietary rechargeable battery, usually either lithium-ion or nickelmetal-hydride, that can’t be swapped out if it runs out of power while you’re shooting. Better are models that can also handle disposable lithium or alkaline batteries you can carry with you to use in a pinch. VIDEO RECORDING Many digicams can record short video clips, most with sound. Some older models limit recording to 30 seconds or less, though most newer ones will record as long as your storage will allow. A number of cameras can record up to 30 frames per second and/or at VGA quality (640x480 pixels). —Sean Portnoy, Hardware Editor

Price

Resolution Optical Included Storage (Megapixels) Zoom Memory Type

Battery Type

Weight Editor’s Take

Find Out More

PowerShot A520

$199

4

3.6x

16MB

SD/MMC

AA

6.4 oz.

Smaller and lighter than the bulky A610, but with lower resolution and a slightly shorter optical zoom.

usa.canon.com 800-652-2666

PowerShot A610

$299

5

4x

16MB

SD/MMC

AA

8.3 oz.

An excellent option for a wide variety of photographers; delivers a great feature set and very good image quality.

PowerShot SD300

$299

4

3x

16MB

SD/MMC

Proprietary

4.6 oz.

Outstanding performance and solid battery life in a pocketable package; offers few manual controls, however.

PowerShot SD450

$349

5

3x

16MB

SD/MMC

Proprietary

4.9 oz.

High-performance ultracompact features long battery life, an able movie mode, and decent image quality.

PowerShot SD30

$399

5

2.4x

16MB

SD/MMC

Proprietary

3.7 oz.

Canon finally gives fashionista photo fans a zoom lens— but it’s only 2.4x. Cam comes in a choice of four colors.

PowerShot S2 IS

$499

5

12x

16MB

SD/MMC

AA

14.3 oz.

Excellent features and improved performance make this model more attractive than its predecessor, the S1 IS.

Model CANON U.S.A.

CASIO

Exilim EX-Z50

$279.99 5

3x

9.3MB (internal)

SD/MMC

Proprietary

4.3 oz.

Marries form and function with a great design, satisfying manual controls, a 2.5-inch LCD, and good image quality.

www.casio.com 800-836-8580

Exilim EX-Z55

$299.99 5

3x

9.3MB (internal)

SD/MMC

Proprietary

4.3 oz.

Few manual features and poor outdoor imaging, but a large (2.5-inch), bright LCD and outstanding battery life.

Exilim EX-Z57

$299.99 5

3x

9.3MB (internal)

SD/MMC

Proprietary

4.5 oz.

Identical to the EX-Z55, except that it bumps the LCD size up to 2.7 inches and loses the optical viewfinder.

Exilim EX-S500

$349.99 5

3x

8.3MB (internal)

SD/MMC

Proprietary

4.1 oz.

A great companion for snapshot photographers who like to travel light but don’t need large prints.

Exilim Pro EX-P505 $399.99 5

5x

7.5MB (internal)

SD/MMC

Proprietary

7.6 oz.

Features a flip-out LCD, along with decent 30fps, VGAquality MPEG-4 video recording and a built-in stereo mic.

4.1

3x

16MB (internal)

SD/MMC

AA

5.6 oz.

Great price for features, but judging from past models, expect only average image quality.

www.concord-camera.com 954-331-4200 www.kodak.com 800-235-6325

CONCORD CAMERA

Eye-Q 4363Z

$149.99

EASTMAN KODAK

EasyShare C330 Zoom

$149.95

4

3x

16MB (internal)

SD/MMC

AA or CR-V3

5.6 oz.

Despite a small 1.5-inch LCD and jerky video capture, it’s easy to use and produces relatively high-quality photos.

EasyShare CX7430 Zoom

$179.95

4

3x

16MB (internal)

SD/MMC

AA or CR-V3

6.3 oz.

Intuitive controls, strong performance, and decent images make it a good value.

EasyShare LS743 Zoom

$199.95

4

2.8x

16MB (internal)

SD/MMC

Proprietary

5.8 oz.

Slim design, good burst mode, and great battery life offset an anemic optical zoom.

EasyShare Z700 Zoom

$199.95

4

5x

16MB (internal)

SD/MMC

AA or CR-V3

7.7 oz.

Solid image quality and a nice zoom lens for a competitive price, but 1.6-inch LCD is small and frustrating to work with.

EasyShare V530

$249.95 5

3x

16MB (internal)

SD/MMC

Proprietary

4.6 oz.

Available in black, pink, red, or silver; less than an inch thick. Doesn’t ship with a dock like the V550 does.

EasyShare Z730 Zoom

$249.95 5

4x

32MB (internal)

SD/MMC

Proprietary

7.9 oz.

On the hefty side for a point-and-shoot. Advanced manual and custom controls.

EasyShare Z740 Zoom

$299.95 5

10x

32MB (internal)

SD/MMC

AA or CR-V3

10.1 oz.

Comes with an all-glass lens; greatly steps up the optical zoom from the Z730.

EasyShare LS753 Zoom

$349.95 5

2.8x

32MB (internal)

SD/MMC

Proprietary

5.8 oz.

An extra megapixel over the LS743, but still equipped with the same weak zoom lens.

See computershopper.com for full reviews of products in boldface.

136

March 2006 computershopper.com

TECHMARKET DIGITAL CAMERAS (4- TO 5-MEGAPIXEL) Model

Price

Resolution Optical Included Storage (Megapixels) Zoom Memory Type

Battery Type

Weight Editor’s Take

Find Out More

Slick little camera and its even slicker dock make short work of the entire digital-photography process. Features a big zoom lens, an electronic viewfinder, and manual exposure controls, but image quality is only average. Big zoom lens and lots of manual controls, offset by middling image quality. Mediocre images drop this full-featured shooter down a few notches. More features than most Kodak digicams, including RAWfile support, though it produces only mediocre prints. One of the first Wi-Fi-enabled digital cameras; comes with a huge 3-inch LCD, but other features are below-average.

www.kodak.com 800-235-6325

Has a modest set of features, including a good macro mode; produces decent photos. $50 more than the A345 for a 1-megapixel boost.

www.fujifilm.com 800-659-3854

EASTMAN KODAK

EasyShare V550

$349.95 5

3x

SD/MMC

Proprietary

5.1 oz.

SD/MMC

Proprietary

12.3 oz.

SD/MMC

Proprietary

11.9 oz.

SD/MMC

Proprietary

12.3 oz.

SD/MMC

Proprietary

14.2 oz.

3x

32MB (internal) 32MB (internal) 16MB (internal) 32MB (internal) 32MB (internal) 256MB

EasyShare Z7590 Zoom EasyShare DX6490 Zoom EasyShare DX7590 Zoom EasyShare P850

$349.95 5

10x

$399.95 4

10x

$449.95 5

10x

$449.95 5.1

12x

EasyShare-One

$599.95 4

SD/MMC

Proprietary

7.9 oz.

xD-Picture Card xD-Picture Card xD-Picture Card xD-Picture Card

AA

4.7 oz.

AA

4.7 oz.

Proprietary

4.6 oz.

AA

13.1 oz.

SD/MMC

AA

4.2 oz.

SD/MMC

AA

4.1 oz.

SD/MMC

AA

5.3 oz.

SD/MMC

Proprietary

5.3 oz.

SD/MMC

7 oz.

SD/MMC

CP1 or proprietary Proprietary

SD/MMC

Proprietary

6.7 oz.

FUJI PHOTO FILM U.S.A.

FinePix A345

$149

4.1

3x

16MB

FinePix A350

$199

5.2

3x

16MB

FinePix Z1

$349

5.1

3x

16MB

FinePix S5200

$399

5.1

10x

16MB

16MB (internal) 16MB (internal) 16MB (internal) 32MB (internal) 32MB (internal) 32MB (internal) 32MB (internal)

Sleek, compact cam with an internal zoom lens and standout lowlight shooting. Lacks a burst mode, however. Well-designed and well-built, plus very good performance. A bit bulky, however, and produces images of mixed quality.

HEWLETT-PACKARD

Photosmart M22

$129.99

4

None

Photosmart M23

$139.99

4

None

Photosmart M417

$179.99

5.2

3x

Photosmart R607

$199.99

4.1

3x

Photosmart R707

$249.99 5.1

3x

Photosmart R817

$299.99 5.1

5x

Photosmart R818

$349.99 5.1

5x

6.7 oz.

Ease of use and an affordable price don’t make up for poor performance and below-average image quality. Mostly identical to the M22, except body is champagnecolored (instead of silver). Soft image quality and narrow feature set limit appeal, despite affordable price and built-in red-eye removal. Pocketable and lightweight, this sleek-looking compact has a bevy of automatic and manual options. Nicely styled, though photos were often overexposed and undersaturated. Manual controls and context-sensitive advice outweigh long battery charge and lack of optical viewfinder. Longer 5x zoom gives this model an edge over similarly priced 5-megapixel compacts here.

www.hp.com 800-282-6672

kmpi.konicaminolta.us 800-509-9022

KONICA MINOLTA PHOTO IMAGING U.S.A.

$399.99 5

3x

15MB (internal)

SD/MMC

Proprietary

8.5 oz.

Tiny pocket shooter exchanges viewfinder for 2.5-inch LCD. Internal zoom lens enables under-a-second startup times.

Coolpix 4600

$179.95

3x

SD/MMC

AA

4.6 oz.

Coolpix 5600

$249.95 5.1

3x

SD/MMC

AA

4.6 oz.

Coolpix 5900

$299.95 5.1

3x

SD/MMC

$329.95 5.1

3x

SD/MMC

CP1 or proprietary Proprietary

5.3 oz.

Coolpix S1 Coolpix 4800

$349.95 4

8.3x

SD/MMC

Proprietary

9 oz.

Coolpix S2

$349.95 5.1

3x

SD/MMC

Proprietary

4.9 oz.

Coolpix 5200

$399.95 5.1

3x

SD/MMC

Proprietary

5.5 oz.

Coolpix P2

$399.95 5.1

3x

14MB (internal) 14MB (internal) 13.5MB (internal) 12MB (internal) 13.5MB (internal) 12MB (internal) 12MB (internal) 16MB (internal)

SD/MMC

Proprietary

6 oz.

Despite its limited ISO range and lack of manual settings, www.nikonusa.com includes Best Shot Selector feature, built-in red-eye removal. 800-645-6687 Extra megapixel over the 4600; has an underwater mode to be used with an optional underwater housing. Good image quality, Face-Priority Autofocus, Best Shot mode compensate for poor low-light autofocus, inaccurate viewfinder. Ultracompact design with some nifty automatic features, though it’s saddled with few manual options, average images. Excellent zoom range and decent electronic viewfinder. Limited manual controls and noisy images, however. Identical to the S1, except it has a water-resistant cover and a rubber ring to keep memory card and battery dry. Fit for beginners looking for large prints, but qualityconscious shooters should look at Casio’s EX-P505 instead. Nikon goes Wi-Fi, letting you transfer images wirelessly from camera to PC. Supports wireless PictBridge printing, too.

xD-Picture Card xD-Picture Card xD-Picture Card xD-Picture Card xD-Picture Card xD-Picture Card xD-Picture Card

AA

4.9 oz.

AA or CR-V3 AA

4.9 oz.

DiMage X60 NIKON

4

4.2 oz.

OLYMPUS AMERICA

FE-100

$149.99

4

2.8x

D-545 Zoom

$179.99

4

3x

FE-110

$199.99

5

2.8x

D-595 Zoom

$219.99

5

3x

IR-500

$249.99 4

2.8x

28MB (internal) 14MB (internal) 28MB (internal) 14MB (internal) 16MB

C-5500 SportZoom

$279.99 5.1

5x

16MB

D-630 Zoom

$299.99 5

3x

14MB (internal)

AA or CR-V3 Proprietary

5.5 oz.

AA

8.6 oz.

Proprietary

4.4 oz.

See computershopper.com for full reviews of products in boldface.

138

March 2006 computershopper.com

4.9 oz. 5.3 oz.

A beginner’s camera at an entry-level price. It even has a built-in help guide and takes acceptable images. Built-in help system, plus 19 scene modes, will please beginners, though little here for manual tweakers. Delivers only mediocre images and strips features to the bare minimum—weak zoom and smallish 1.5-inch LCD. Options for manual aperture and shutter-speed control give budding shutterbugs room to grow. Cool, convenient, and especially versatile in playback mode with the included dock, but zoom lens is weak. Bulky sport-centric shooter with fast startup time, solid zoom lens, and high-speed burst shooting. Ultracompact model manages to house a 2-inch LCD; don’t expect to shoot VGA-quality video, however.

www.olympusamerica.com 888-553-4448

TECHMARKET DIGITAL CAMERAS (4- TO 5-MEGAPIXEL) Model

Price

Resolution Optical Included Storage (Megapixels) Zoom Memory Type

Battery Type

Weight Editor’s Take

Find Out More

OLYMPUS AMERICA

IR-300

$349.99 5

3x

16MB (internal)

xD-Picture Card

Proprietary

4 oz.

Part of Olympus’ Total Imaging Solution line, this pointand-shoot has many auto settings and easy-share options.

www.olympusamerica.com 888-553-4448

Lumix DMC-LZ1

$229.95 4

6x

SD/MMC

AA

7.8 oz.

$229.95 5

6x

SD/MMC

AA

7.8 oz.

Lumix DMC-FZ4

$399.95 4

12x

SD/MMC

Proprietary

11.5 oz.

Lumix DMC-FZ5

$429.95 5

12x

16MB

SD/MMC

Proprietary

11.5 oz.

Lumix DMC-FZ20

$549.95 5

12x

16MB

SD/MMC

Proprietary

1.1 lbs.

Lumix DMC-LC1

$1,599

5

3.2x

16MB

SD/MMC

Proprietary

1.4 lbs.

Movie mode is strictly low-res, but cam’s zoom, imagestabilization feature, and good-quality images are worth price. Same compact design and specs as the DMC-LZ1, but adds an extra megapixel of resolution for same price. Lowest-cost cam with a 12x zoom, but comes with a small 1.5-inch LCD and tends to overexpose highlights. A resolution increase over the DMC-FZ4, but, oddly, its performance is not quite as robust. A remarkable zoom lens, solid manual focus, and generally speedy performance. Handling is mediocre, however. Well-made advanced shooter’s cam with several unique and efficient analog controls. Large, heavy, and expensive.

www.panasonic.com 800-662-3537

Lumix DMC-LZ2

14MB (internal) 14MB (internal) 8MB

11MB (internal) 10MB (internal) 9.3MB (internal) 11MB (internal) 10.5MB (internal)

SD/MMC

6.3 oz.

SD/MMC

Proprietary

4.2 oz.

SD/MMC

AA or CR-V3 Proprietary

4.8 oz.

An affordable compact that takes pleasing images. Shooting speed, however, is quite slow. Stylish ultracompact has plenty of modes to offer and decent picture quality, but tiny size is not ideal for big hands. Average picture quality compromises attractive attributes like above-average movie capture and a bright 2.5-inch LCD. A fun ultracompact with some handy features, but slow burst mode and inconsistent image quality are drawbacks. WP equals waterproof. You can take this feature-laden model under 5 feet of water for up to 30 minutes.

www.pentaximaging.com 800-877-0155

SD/MMC

AA or CR-V3 Proprietary

16MB (internal) 16MB (internal) 16MB (internal) 50MB (internal)

SD/MMC

3.9 oz.

SD/MMC

Proprietary

4.7 oz.

Pocket cam that’s as light on features as it is in actual heft. Good price and resolution, but little else. For $30 more than the A402, you get a lot more, including a 2-inch LCD, a 3x zoom, and VGA video with audio. Like the A402, small and light, though it lacks features found on other 5-megapixel models—most notably, optical zoom. Slim model offers a competitive feature set and top-notch LCD, but marred by slow performance and below-average photos.

www.samsung.com 800-726-7864

SD/MMC

AA or CR-V3 AA or CR-V3 Proprietary

Memory Stick, Memory Stick Pro Memory Stick, Memory Stick Pro Memory Stick, Memory Stick Pro Memory Stick, Memory Stick Pro Memory Stick Duo, Pro Duo Memory Stick Duo, Pro Duo Memory Stick, Memory Stick Pro

AA

4.8 oz.

A fine value in a point-and-shoot camera, thanks to good performance and strong battery life, but LCD is small.

www.sonystyle.com 800-222-7669

AA

7 oz.

Boosts the DSC-S40’s LCD size by half an inch, and adds options like manual control over aperture and shutter speed.

AA

7.1 oz.

Offers a lot for the money, including a 2.5-inch LCD and superior low-light performance, despite slightly soft images.

AA

6.9 oz.

A 2.5-inch LCD, decent image quality, and flexible controls make this a competent camera for the casual photographer.

Proprietary

4 oz.

Proprietary

4.7 oz.

AA

1.5 lbs.

Superior to, and equally as stylish as, its T7 sibling, though image quality is mediocre—notably, noisy high-ISO shots. Snapshot photographers who prefer style over substance may overlook this shooter’s unimpressive photo quality. Photos could be sharper, but otherwise a capable megazoom camera offering speedy performance.

PANASONIC

PENTAX IMAGING

Optio S50

$199.95

5

3x

Optio S5i

$299.95 5

3x

Optio S5z

$299.95 5

3x

Optio S55

$299.95 5

3x

OptioWP

$299.95 5

3x

SD/MMC

4.2 oz.

4.8 oz.

SAMSUNG ELECTRONICS

Digimax A402

$119.99

4

None

Digimax A400

$149.99

4

3x

Digimax U-CA 505 $179.99

5

None

5

3x

Cyber-shot DSC-S40 $179.95

4.1

3x

32MB (internal)

Cyber-shot DSC-S60 $199.95

4.1

3x

32MB (internal)

Cyber-shot DSC-S90 $229.95 4

3x

32MB (internal)

Cyber-shot DSC-W5 $299.95 5.1

3x

32MB (internal)

Cyber-shot DSC-T5

$349.95 5.1

3x

Cyber-shot DSC-T7

$449.95 5.1

3x

32MB (internal) 32MB

Cyber-shot DSC-H1

$499.95 5.1

12x

Digimax i5

$349

SD/MMC

4.9 oz. 3.9 oz.

SONY ELECTRONICS

32MB (internal)

THE BEST RECENTLY REVIEWED DIGITAL CAMERAS (4- TO 5-MEGAPIXEL) HP Photosmart R817 • $299.99 • Editors’ Rating: 7.6 Despite its compact size, the 5.1-megapixel R817 packs in a 5x optical zoom, some unusual photo-enhancement technologies, and a strong feature set.

HP Photosmart R817

Fujifilm FinePix S5200 • $399 • Editors’ Rating: 7.4 This well-designed, well-built 5.1-megapixel camera offers a fast, high-quality 10x zoom lens, snappy performance, and solid image quality at high ISO speeds. Canon PowerShot A610 • $299 • Editors’ Rating: 7.4 The 5-megapixel A610 puts a great feature set in an affordable camera that produces above-average images. It’s an excellent option for a wide variety of photographers. computershopper.com March 2006

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WEB BUYER THE BEST SITES FOR ONLINE SHOPPING • BY KEVIN SAVETZ

>>TECH PRODUCTS acortech.com Inexpensive PC accessories abound at Acortech.com. We found 17-inch LCD monitors for under $300, flash drives for under $20, optical mice for less than $5, and other low-cost goodies for certified tech geeks.

amazon.com Amazon.com is an unparalleled superstore with a massive inventory equaled only by its special features, such as personalized product recommendations and mobile access. The Early Adopter Products pages show what’s fresh in electronics, video games, and DVDs.

bestbuy.com Our readers voted Best Buy their favorite place to buy peripherals, handhelds, and storage. The selection in each department is comprehensive and impressive. The best part? You can have your gadget delivered or ready for pickup at a nearby store.

circuitcity.com Plug in to Circuit City, where you can choose from a quarter million movies, video games, and CDs. The inventory also includes digital cameras, televisions, and PDAs. Have your products delivered, or pick them up in a Circuit City store. The well-organized CompUSA rounds out the usual selection of PC hardware, peripherals, and accessories with areas devoted to home electronics and wireless gadgets. Set your own price on PCs at CompUSA’s auction site.

computers.ebay.com eBay is an unparalleled auction site and a unique shopping experience. Shoppers can set their own prices on components, including new and used PCs, software, tech books, and vintage computers.

computersecurity.com

computers4sure.com At Computers4Sure, you’ll find 21 departments well-stocked with a broad spectrum of products, including networking gear, PDAs, and scanners.

connectxpress.com

buy.com Buy.com’s vast million-product inventory includes computer hardware, software, electronics, video games, books, music, and DVDs. Sister site BuyMusic.com delivers music downloads starting at 79 cents a song.

buyxg.com XtremeGear caters to PC enthusiasts with its lines of Gaming Elite desktops and Action notebooks. If you’d rather build your own system, the company sells sleek cases, powerful upgrade cards, and other essentials.

www.cablemax.com In addition to a substantial variety of computer and networking cables, which the company manufactures itself, CableMax sells surge-protection devices, add-on PC cards, electronics tools, and test equipment.

Illustrations by Bill Rieser

cambridgesoundworks.com Cambridge SoundWorks sells home-audio and home-theater products that will please everyone from the budget-minded to the serious audio buff. The site provides a 45-day price-protection guarantee and a 45-day satisfaction promise on most items.

cdw.com In addition to a wide selection of hardware and peripherals, CDW offers an Outlet section where you’ll find deals on clearance merchandise and customer returns. Click the Mac Warehouse tab to reveal a medley of Apple hardware and peripherals.

Tech Products Motherboards DVR Hardware and Software Direct PC Vendors Software Linux Applications and Resources

MOTHERBOARDS

compusa.com

Make sure your computer and data stay right where they belong. Computer Security Products’ PCprotection gear includes steel cables, stealth tracking/recovery software, and disk-drive locks.

Belkin Wireless G Plus MIMO Router from Best Buy

141 141 142 143 144 144

With oodles of cables for computers, audio/video components, and networks, ConnectXpress will get you more wired than a triple latte. You get a lifetime warranty on all cables.

cpusolutions.com CPU Solutions will entice you with inexpensive computer components and upgrade kits. The site offers several complete desktop computers for under $500, plus PC kits for under $300.

crucial.com One of the largest providers of memory upgrades on the Web, Crucial Technology offers RAM for 15,000 computers, along with a lifetime warranty. Crucial also sells speedy USB drives and seven types of flash storage media.

crutchfield.com In business for 30 years, Crutchfield assembles an impressive catalog of camcorders, digital cameras, and audio/video products for your home and car. If sound is more important than looks, tune to the Scratch & Dent section for deals.

databazaar.com Visit Databazaar.com for inkjet and toner cartridges, specialty paper, backup tapes, flash memory, and cables. All orders ship free.

directron.com Directron.com has the stuff tinkerers dream of. The massive selection of PC gear includes cases, storage, mods, lighting, motherboards, and more. Plus, orders earn you the right to pick through the Free Stuff bin.

ecost.com Look to eCost.com for deals on PC components, software, electronics, and DVDs. You’ll be enticed by short-lived but sweet deals in the Bargain Countdown area.

bioscentral.com In some cases, minor repair work and an upgraded BIOS can breathe new life into an old motherboard. Enter BIOS Central, a technical reference site with information and free downloads for diagnosing all your mobo’s ills. indigo.intel.com/mbsg Intel’s Motherboard and Barebones Selector Guide will help you find the right motherboard among models from nearly 40 manufacturers. Choose how you’ll use the board, as well as the form factor, processor support, and other features, and the guide will show you which boards meet your needs. jncs.com J&N Computer Services specializes in pretested motherboard/CPU/memory bundles. The abundant custom-configuration options include Athlon 64, Opteron, Pentium 4, and Xeon bundles, many with three-year warranties. mbx.com MBX Systems sells more than 100 motherboard models from five manufacturers. The search tool will display your options based on the chipset, number of processors, form factor, and other criteria. When you purchase a motherboard and processor together, the company covers both with a three-year warranty. motherboardsdirect.com Buy a mobo and chassis from Motherboards Direct, and the company will install the board and provide free technical support for as long as you own it. You can upgrade your whole system while you’re there. The site also sells drives, add-on cards, and other PC upgrades. motherboards.org Use the MOBOT tool at Motherboards.org to get manuals, drivers, and BIOS updates for thousands of motherboards. The Motherboard Ranking tool shows the most popular boards on the market, and reviews provide in-depth looks at new models. xtechnology.com Click X Technology’s Motherboard Kit link, and you’ll find AMD and Intel motherboard/CPU bundles. You can custom-configure the processor, type of cooling fan, and amount of preinstalled memory on your new motherboard.

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WEB BUYER SHOPPING SITES

DVR HARDWARE AND SOFTWARE

etronics.com Etronics.com is a techie’s dream: a megastore offering satellite radio, home-office gadgets, and appliances. You’ll also find barbeques and pens in the site’s diverse catalog—with a 30-day satisfaction guarantee on everything.

ewaggle.com

digitalnetworksna.com/replaytv At the official site for the ReplayTV digital video recorder, shoppers will find an interactive demo and deals on new models. The MyReplay TV feature (www. myreplaytv.com) allows you to control your unit from any Web browser. microsoft.com/windowsxp/ mediacenter The Windows XP Media Center Edition operating system includes DVR functionality and a host of additional media functions. Learn about the features of the OS and find out where to buy a Media Center PC at Microsoft’s Windows XP Media Center page. mythtv.org MythTV is an open-source digital video recorder (DVR) for Linux. In addition to recording TV shows and pausing live broadcasts, the free program includes basic video-editing capabilities, picture-in-picture support, and the ability to rip DVDs. sage.tv SageTV will turn your Windows PC into a DVR that can record two or more channels at once, play DVDs, and organize music files. In addition to the software, the site also sells video-encoder hardware and remote controls. slingbox.com A SlingBox is a nifty device that allows you to watch TV programming (from a DVR or cable box) from any computer with a broadband Internet connection. Watch your favorite shows on your laptop when you’re out of town, or teleport the Desperate Housewives from the living-room television to your PC in the den. snapstream.com Beyond TV 4 from SnapStream Media can transform a Windows PC into a home entertainment center. The device records high-definition broadcasts, will automatically skip commercials in recorded programs, and can even record FM radio. tivo.com Find out how TiVo works and try the online demo at the ever-popular DVR’s online home. Some TiVo boxes include a DVD burner for archiving or viewing shows on your laptop or portable DVD player. Add-on software lets you transfer recorded shows to your laptop, handheld, iPod, or PlayStation Portable for watching while you’re away from home.

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The Upgrade Guides explain how to install RAM and troubleshoot common memory problems.

mwave.com Mwave.com’s friendly site sells a multitude of PC hardware products. The Top Ten Sellers and New Products pages link to hot items. Check the Refurbished section for deals on as-is, refurbished hardware.

Yes, eWaggle.com has a silly name. It also has good deals on all types of PC peripherals, including monitors, external hard drives, and networking cards—all with a 30-day money-back guarantee. Look for the tiny truck icon, which means you’ll get free shipping on that product.

neutronexpress.com

frozencpu.com

newegg.com

Focused on PC cooling and case modifications, FrozenCPU.com will delight PC builders and overclockers. The catalog of freakishly cool accessories includes transparent PC power supplies, LEDilluminated fans, and modified cases.

Newegg.com is a nest of good stuff for do-ityourself PC upgraders. The selection focuses on hard drives, motherboards, CPUs, optical-storage add-ons, and consumer electronics.

You may get a charge from the dense nucleus of PC peripherals and networking hardware at NeutronExpress.com. Visit the Specialty sections for PC components, low-profile peripherals, and PC security products.

geeks.com With no qualms about the tech-savvy of its customers, Geeks.com is a fun-to-browse tech site that’s perfect for people piecing together a PC or looking for a geeky project. Check out the new and refurbished computer gear, such as cheap optical drives, and gadgets like a wearable TV watch.

geekstuff4u.com Looking for something different? GeekStuff4U. com specializes in high-tech gadgets from Japan. The selection includes hard-to-find and downright weird products like an iPod movie recorder and sushi-shaped USB memory keys.

Archos AV 500 from Newegg.com

insight.com

onecall.com

Insight delivers IT products for businesses, including networking hardware, projectors, and servers. The stellar Narrow Your Results feature and comparison tools will help you find the best product.

Choosy gadget shoppers will find a wide assortment of camcorders, digital cameras, and speakers at OneCall. Free three-day shipping is available for many items.

jdr.com

outpost.com

JDR Microdevices sells a decent selection of PC hardware and accessories at reasonable prices. In the Electronics section, you’ll find electronic components and kits, integrated circuits, and technical reference books.

Shoppers at Fry’s Outpost.com enjoy an ample catalog of hardware, software, cameras, and video games. Notable features include the Power Search function, special deals, and a 30-day money-back guarantee on most products.

jr.com

pcconnection.com

Televisions, MP3 players, office products, and appliances abound at J&R Music and Computer World. Read the Product Guides for tips on buying and using audio and video gear, computers, digital cameras, and more.

PC Connection can connect you to a world of PCs, peripherals, and software. Use the Rebate Center to find products with cash-back deals, or visit sister site MacConnection (www.macconnection.com) for Mac OS wares.

kvm-switches-online.com

www.pcliquidator.com

Let your monitor, keyboard, and mouse share more than one PC. KVM Switches Online is dedicated to keyboard/video/mouse switches for every type of hardware. You’ll also find video splitters and rackmountable LCDs.

At PC Liquidator, the inventory is inexpensive and ever-changing. You might choose an older Pentium 4 motherboard for $24.99 or a 4GB hard drive for $14.99. Check the Dollar Bin for ultracheap software and parts.

laptoptravel.com

pcmall.com

If you tote a computer wherever you go, take a trip to Laptop Travel, a site that specializes in portable-computing and international-travel gear. The site stocks cases, electrical adapters, modem converters, mobile desks, and security accessories.

Catering to businesses of all sizes as well as consumers, PC Mall’s catalog includes more than 100,000 products, with hot deals on notebooks, LCD monitors, and digital media. Sister site MacMall (www.macmall.com) is devoted to Apple hardware and software.

lik-sang.com So you think you’ve seen every possible gaming peripheral? You haven’t been to Lik-Sang.com, which imports video-game accessories from around the world. Discover mod kits for game consoles, hard-tofind imported games, and unusual controllers.

memorysuppliers.com MemorySuppliers.com’s customer-friendly policies include $4.95 flat-rate shipping, a 30-day money-back guarantee with free return shipping, and lifetime warranties on memory and hard drives.

pdasmart.com Is your broken PDA out of warranty? PDASmart.com offers do-it-yourself repair kits, as well as mail-in repair and upgrade services for many PDAs and iPods. Look for extended-life batteries, replacement LCD screens, and bezels.

radioshack.com RadioShack stocks a variety of phones, cables, digital-audio players, and PC peripherals. Get free shipping on orders of at least $50.

WEB BUYER SHOPPING SITES www.shop.teleadapt.com

cyberpowersystem.com

The global travel products at Teleadapt include regional phone and power converters, along with portable surge suppressors to keep your hardware safe even on questionable foreign power grids.

Power up with a customized Intel or AMD system from Cyberpower. The selection includes 64-bit machines, gamers’ dream systems, Media Centers, and budget PCs for everyday use.

store.palm.com

dell.com

This is where Palm sells its popular Tungsten and Treo PDAs, plus software, accessories, and replacement parts. Visit the Factory Outlet for deals on blemished and open-box units.

Dell’s electronic storefront has always led the way in ease of use. The site is jam-packed with detailed information that makes it a snap to match a machine to your needs. Each system is configurable to the nth degree, and you can get quick access to online support customized for your PC.

superwarehouse.com Super Warehouse stocks printers, monitors, storage, scanners, and digital cameras. The site’s selection of printers is particularly large, including plotters, dot-matrix, and other printers for special needs.

tigerdirect.com For deals and discounts, visit TigerDirect. This sizable catalog includes low-cost PC components, PDAs, and office equipment. Geeks on a budget can find desktop PCs for as little as $250 and laptops for under $500.

tristatecomputer.com TriState Camera stocks a plethora of digital and analog cameras, plasma televisions, computer peripherals, and necessities for home or office.

tweeter.com Tweeter offers a large selection of portable music players and digital-imaging devices, as well as plenty of home audio and video products. Take advantage of free shipping on most products.

falcon-nw.com

zones.com There’s a zone for whatever you need at Zones: the home page for hardware and software, the Mac Zone for Apple stuff, the Creative Pro page for graphics pros, and the Zones Clearance section for special buys.

>> DIRECT PC VENDORS abspc.com Expect gaming, multimedia, and business PCs aplenty at ABS Computer Technologies. The company offers a choice of Intel or AMD processors, a three-year parts and lifetime labor warranty, and tollfree technical support. Visit the Outlet Store for shortlived specials.

alienware.com Alienware can custom-build your dream game machine—desktop or laptop. Each is available with out-of-this-world cases in a rainbow of colors. Buyers get a personalized owner’s manual and tollfree technical support any time of the day or night.

buympc.com MPC Computers sells desktops, notebooks, and servers. You can custom-configure a high-performance Millennia desktop, tuned to your specifications, for business, multimedia, or gaming.

Monarch Computer Systems creates build-toorder desktops, workstations, and servers. Configure the computer you want, then lock in the price for up to a week. If you’re building a PC, check out the PC Parts section for components and peripherals.

overdrivepc.com Sleek, pre-overclocked PCs for gamers and professionals highlight Overdrive PC’s offerings. Each computer includes a quiet cooling system, free antivirus software, and no-cost shipping.

sagernotebook.com

gateway.com

shopprostar.com

One of the biggest players in online computer sales, Gateway has an enormous and informative site that sells custom-built desktops and notebooks.

Each computer in ProStar Computer’s line of notebook PCs is backed by a 30-day money-back guarantee, a speedy-repair promise, and free tech support.

hpshopping.com

sonystyle.com/vaio

At this site, choose among Hewlett-Packard and Compaq desktop and notebook computers, plus networking accessories, printers, handhelds, and digital cameras.

Sony Style is a sleek-looking site selling Sony’s line of VAIO desktops and notebooks, plus digital cameras, displays, and storage devices.

Specializing in notebook computers, Sager offers a variety of options, from budget machines to speedy multimedia units. Service includes a 72hour repair-turnaround guarantee and free lifetime tech support.

starfishtech.com Starfish Technologies offers PCs with plenty of customization options, plus motherboards, sound cards, and other components for do-it-yourself PC architects.

HP Pavilion s7220n Slimline

usedhandhelds.com UsedHandhelds.com is a marketplace dedicated to pre-owned Pocket PC, Palm, and other PDAs, with plenty of information on the differences between older models. The company also buys used Windows Mobile, Windows CE, and Pocket PC handhelds.

monarchcomputer.com

Once you get your talons on a Falcon Northwest PC, you won’t want to let go. The heavyweight desktops and totable FragBox computers include the hardware you want, the way-cool look you crave, and the personalized system-rescue discs you may one day need.

usbstuff.com Need gadgets to fill those empty USB ports? USB Stuff has it all, including digital cameras, CD-RW drives, printers, and input devices. Check out the USB microscopes, GPS receivers, and other remarkable peripherals.

tion includes sleek-looking and colorful desktops, space-saving X-Cube machines, and powerful laptops.

store.apple.com The Apple Store’s well-designed site lets you custom-configure any Macintosh and offers a wide array of Mac-compatible software and accessories. For frequent (or compulsive) customers, the one-click-ordering feature makes purchases extra simple.

toshibadirect.com

hypersonic-pc.com Need computing power that’s faster than fast? Go hypersonic. Visit Hypersonic PC for gaming systems, workstations, and laptops outfitted with the latest high-performance peripherals. Enthusiast options include 3D-graphics optimization and case customization.

The custom-configured notebooks and Tablet PCs at Toshiba Direct range from budget models to the unique Qosmio laptops, which combine PC, TV, DVD, and audio features.

us.fujitsu.com/shop Fujitsu’s site focuses on portable computing, including notebook PCs and pen-based tablet computers. Each computer has several warranty options.

ibuypower.com

velocitymicro.com

iBuypower can power up your workspace with a 64-bit PC for less than $500. Even the company’s least-expensive PCs include large hard drives, dedicated graphics cards, desktop speakers, and other essentials. All products are backed by a 30-day money-back guarantee.

Looking for a 64-bit processor to push your games to the limit? They’re in Velocity Micro’s Gamer’s Edge and Raptor models. The customconfiguration menus offer a mind-boggling array of component choices.

idotpc.com

Creating “hardware for the hard-core,” Vicious PC sells desktops with clear cases, high-output ventilation, easy-access sliding rails, and front-accessible USB ports. Washable air filters mean your computer’s innards will remain dust-free.

Find a customized desktop, an economical bare-bones PC, or a personalized laptop at iDotpc.com. Menus allow you to create the PC that’s right for you, letting you specify the processor, memory, optical drive, and other necessities.

lenovo.com/think

viciouspc.com

voodoopc.com

Lenovo sells IBM’s former lines of ThinkCentre desktops, ThinkPad laptops, and ThinkVision monitors. Configure built-to-order PCs, and choose among accessories such as memory and printers.

Nobody else can do the voodoo that they do so well. VoodooPC specializes in high-end PCs for gamers, with a choice of Intel or 64-bit AMD processors. Take your pick among tower systems, laptops, and portables—all thoroughly customizable, of course.

maingear.com

winbook.com

MainGear specializes in premium PCs with advanced specs for gamers and other power users. The selec-

WinBook Computer sells laptops and desktops with a 30-day money-back guarantee, a one-year

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WEB BUYER SHOPPING SITES warranty, and free tech support. Ironically, some of the best deals,“Web specials,” can only be ordered by phone.

>> SOFTWARE

The company provides free shipping on orders of more than $99.

atomicpark.com

999software.com

www.ztgroup.com

Free shipping is available for AtomicPark.com’s entire selection of business and productivity apps. Plus, you’ll never pay a restocking fee. The new Direct Downloads section lets you use new software in minutes, not days.

Every program at Just999, including a huge mix of entertainment and educational titles, costs $9.99. A number of themed $29.99 bundles deliver four applications in various categories, such as games and learning. Shipping costs a flat $5, no matter the size of your order.

ZT Group builds and sells desktop and notebook computers for every type of user. The selection includes PCs for gaming, media, home offices, and businesses, with your choice of AMD or Intel processors.

LINUX APPLICATIONS AND RESOURCES

bigclearance.com Offering current-version software at clearance prices, the big selection at BigClearance.com includes wares from Microsoft, Macromedia, Corel, and others.

buycheapsoftware.com The name says it all. Buycheapsoftware.com’s selection consists primarily of business and utility apps. The company offers flat-rate $5 shipping on small orders and free shipping on orders over $200.

buypcsoft.com distrowatch.com Keep up-to-date with the latest Linux and FreeBSD distributions with DistroWatch. You’ll find news about free operating systems and detailed descriptions of the 10 most popular distros. freshmeat.net If you’re hungry for big portions of thick, juicy non-Windows software, look to Freshmeat, a well-stocked fridge of applications for Linux. Chew on the 10 most popular downloads, then chow down on Linux-related articles and tutorials. happypenguin.org The Linux Game Tome is an index of more than 1,000 game titles for Linux, each accompanied by a screenshot and description. Chat about the games with other players on the site’s discussion forums. justlinux.com Want to learn more about Linux, but don’t know where to start? Just Linux is a bustling message forum where you can discuss every aspect of the alternative OS, from choosing a distribution to system troubleshooting. Scroll down to Hot Threads for the popular discussions du jour. linuxhardware.org LinuxHardware.org provides in-depth hardware coverage of everything Linux-related. You’ll find reviews of Linux-friendly motherboards and handhelds, plus a community forum to dissect the latest news. osdisc.com If you want to install a new version of Linux but don’t have the bandwidth to download four CDs of binaries, try OSDisc.com. The site sells popular Linux and BSD distributions on ready-to-run CDs and DVDs. Shipping is free on orders of $20 or more. tuxmobil.org Take Linux on the road with help from TuxMobil, a site focused on running Linux on laptops, PDAs, and cell phones. You’ll find a list of vendors selling hardware with Linux preinstalled, plus manuals and a mailing list for users on the go.

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Buypcsoft.com sells Windows software in categories from business management to virus prevention. It’s an efficient site with a good selection of big-name applications.

download.com CNET Download.com will help you find shareware and free software, linking to thousands of programs for PC, Mac, and mobile devices. Well-written newsletters and down-to-earth reviews help you find the perfect program. (CNET Networks is Computer Shopper’s parent company.)

driverguide.com With more than 100,000 downloadable drivers for every conceivable piece of computer hardware and operating system, Driver Guide is indispensable when you’re repairing a malfunctioning system or piecing together a PC from spare parts.

ebgames.com EBgames.com is a gamer’s paradise, selling new and pre-owned titles for PCs and every game console under the sun. Check the Hot Deals list for short-lived discounts.

freewarefiles.com FreewareFiles.com is an index to free downloadable software for Windows. Articles and tutorials deliver advice on free software and computer maintenance.

gamehippo.com GameHippo.com provides more than a thousand absolutely free downloadable PC games. You’ll find descriptions, ratings, and easy-to-read icons that show whether a game supports multiple players, a network, and so on. Check the Top 20 Rated Games to discover other players’ favorites.

gamespot.com

nonags.com Nonags offers software that’s useful, tested, and (as the name suggests) won’t nag you to pay. Basic access to the site is free, but a subscription to the Plus version adds MP3 downloads and “best of” software links.

nothingbutsoftware.com You’ll make much ado about Nothing But Software. This collection of apps includes games, educational titles, graphics programs, utilities, and more—all with flat-rate shipping. Try the programs in the Specials section for as little as $7.

palmgear.com Palm OS users will appreciate the large selection of free and commercial programs downloadable from PalmGear.com. Check out the list of “essential” apps, then sign up to get software news and tips.

pdfstore.com The PDF Store specializes in software for creating content. Shop for applications that produce Portable Document Format (PDF) files, e-books, and printed materials.

serverfiles.com ServerFiles.com is a directory of software for network administrators and IT professionals. The selection includes network-security, collaboration, and server applications.

software-blowouts.com Software Blowouts is home to oodles of inexpensive Windows and Mac OS software, with flat-rate shipping. Peruse the Blowouts page for education, entertainment, and utility titles, many for just $9.95.

softwarecheaper.com Software Cheaper is a funky little bargain basement that sells Windows and Macintosh software, most for less than $6. Every order gets you a pick from the Free Software page. Domestic U.S. shipping is always free.

softwarediner.com You’ll want to feast on the software selection at SoftwareDiner.com, which focuses on low-cost applications and utilities for home and smallbusiness users. You’ll save money but only receive a CD; manuals and boxes aren’t included.

With game news, reviews, and cheat codes, GameSpot is a one-stop shop for PC and console gamers. Downloadable previews and a pricecomparison tool will help you get good deals on games you’ll love. (GameSpot is owned by CNET Networks, Computer Shopper’s parent company.)

softwareoutlet.com

gamestop.com

Purplus Software is a well-regarded seller of software for business, graphics, and music. The site offers free shipping on orders over $45.

GameStop.com is an elegant site that specializes in new and used games for consoles and PCs. Recent price drops, top sellers, and “just arrived” products are highlighted, so you’ll always know the score.

jumbo.com Jumbo is a fitting name for this monstrous file archive, featuring shareware, freeware, and commercial-software demos for PC, Mac, and Linux.

9software.com #9 Software is stocked with applications in nine categories, ranging from games to business applications.

Plug in to SoftwareOutlet.com, a veritable virtual bargain bin. You’ll find dirt-cheap applications and hardware accessories. Browse older software from defunct companies, plus modern titles.

store.purplus.net

tucows.com Tucows is an incredible library of freeware and shareware for Windows, Mac, and Linux. This recently designed site makes it easy to find the newest, most popular, or top-rated software.

viosoftware.com Emphasizing low prices and great customer service, VioSoftware.com sells applications from Adobe, Macromedia, Microsoft, and other big-name publishers. Shipping is always free.

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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 March 31, 2006. Odds of winning depend on the number of entries entered by the deadline. One entry per person. For a complete set of rules, see computershopper.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 magazine 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 March 31, 2006. © 2006 CNET Networks, Inc.

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AD INDEX 1 & 1.................................................www.1and1.com ...................................................99 - 114 ABS ..................................................www.abs.com............................................................72, 73 Alienware .......................................www.alienware.com/fast ..............................................71 AOpen..............................................www.aopen.com...........................................................135 Ateck Computers, Inc....................www.ateck.com ..............................................................82

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Beach Camera ................................www.beachcamera.com ..........................................86, 87 BenQ ................................................www.benq.us/2006/cs ....................................................15 Buffalo Technology ........................www.buffalotech.com/cs1...............................................8 Buffalo Technology ........................www.buffalotech.com/cs...............................................16 CDW Corporation...........................cdw.com .................................................................120, 121 Cyberpower, Inc.............................www.cyberpowerpc.com .........................................35, 37 Dell...................................................dell.com/shopper......................................................30, 31 eCost................................................ecost.com...................................................................94, 95 HP.....................................................hp.com/go/mag1.......................................................22, 23 iBUYPOWER ....................................www.ibuypower.com..............................................45 - 47 InFocus............................................www.infocus.com/workbig ...........................................29

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Kingston..........................................kingston.com/U3 ............................................................39 Magix Entertainment Corp...........www.magix.com...........................................................131 Mouse Solutions ............................www.msplususa.com...................................................119 Nero .................................................www.nero.com..............................................................137 Newegg.com ..................................www.newegg.com.........................................................4, 5

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PC America .....................................www.pcamerica.com ...................................................117 PC Pitstop ........................................pcpitstop.com/shopper ...........................................Cov. 3 PC Tools Software...........................www.pctools.com ...........................................................55 Penn Foster Career School............www.pennfoster.edu ..............................................49 - 51 Prostar Computer ..........................shopprostar.com.............................................................41 Sager ................................................sagernotebook.com ............................................59, 68, 69 Softwaremedia.com......................www.softwaremedia.com .............................................91 Sony.................................................www.sony.com/bx2 ........................................................11 Super Warehouse..........................TKTKTKTKTK................................................................133 Systemax........................................www.tigerdirect.com................................................12, 13 Thermaltake ...................................www.thermaltake.com ..................................................88 ThinkPad ........................................lenovo.com/wide/m438 ...........................................64, 65 TigerDirect.com .............................TKTKTKKT.............................................................Cov. 2, 1 Toshiba ...........................................toshibabydesign.com/R200 .........................................2, 3

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Tripp Lite.........................................www.tripplite.com/wincs..............................................43 Twinhead ........................................http://computershopper.twinhead.com ...................140 USA Notebook ................................www.usanotebook.com ...............................................123 U.S. Robotics ...................................www.usr.com ..................................................................19 Videoguys .......................................www.videoguys.com ....................................................129 Visionman.......................................www.visionman.com ...................................................125 Vonage.............................................www.vonage.com ...........................................................75 Willoughby's ..................................TKTKTKKTK ..................................................................127 Zalman ............................................www.zalmanusa.com ....................................................60

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Zipzoomfly.com .............................www.zipzoomfly.com...............................................53, 67 ZT Group .........................................ztgroup.com/go/computershopper ................................6

Bold type indicates CNET shopper.com merchants. All advertising is subject to Publisher’s approval and acceptance without recourse. The advertising herein that is typeset and/or designed by Computer Shopper is the property of Computer Shopper and not that of the advertiser. The advertiser has purchased the right of reproduction 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 mistakes, misprints, or typographical errors and will not issue credits of any kind for such errors. Advertisers and their agencies assume responsibility for the condition of the contents of advertising printed, and agree to indemnify the Publisher of Computer Shopper for any and all claims and expenses arising therefrom. Computer Shopper standards suggest to the advertiser that statements concerning shipping and 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. 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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computershopper.com computershopper.com March 2006

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HELP & HOW-TO

BUYING BASICS HOW TO BUY

The Right Ultraportable Notebook BY BRIAN BENNETT SHOPPING SPECS

SIZE You can safely classify any laptop that weighs less than 4 pounds (not including its AC adapter) as an ultraportable machine. Though many of these notebooks forgo an internal optical drive to cut down on weight, try to find one of the few models that manages to squeeze one in.

PROCESSOR Most ultraportables are based around Intel’s Ultra Low Voltage (ULV) Pentium M CPUs, which typically range from 1GHz to 1.2GHz in clock speed and provide Level 2 memory caches of 1MB or 2MB. If you have a choice, go for the fastest processor you can get.

BATTERY LIFE When you’re traveling, you never know where or when you’ll find the nearest AC outlet. Look for a laptop with a battery that lasts for at least four hours when running standard business applications.

Sony VAIO VGN-TX670P

If you’re a frequent business flier, you’ll need a notebook PC that won’t weigh you down. Here are the key specifications to look for when you’re in the market for a laptop that weighs less than four pounds, plus some great models we recommend. 3 GREAT BUYS GOOD Dell Latitude X1 (www.dell.com, starting at $1,509) This notebook weighs just 2.5 pounds, in part because it lacks an optical drive. Running a 1.1GHz ULV Pentium M 733 processor, the X1 offers Bluetooth and 802.11b/g wireless networking, a 12.1-inch wide-aspect screen, and a battery life of more than three hours.

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BETTER Fujitsu LifeBook P7000D (www.fujitsupc.com, starting at $1,699) Although it’s small, the 3.3-pound P7000D doesn’t sacrifice any features. Built around a 1.2GHz ULV Pentium M 733 CPU, it offers a battery life of almost five hours, a 10.6-inch wide-screen display, an optical drive, and 802.11a/b/g Wi-Fi connectivity.

DISPLAY In notebooks this small, displays usually range from 10 to 12 inches across. Even so, more ultraportables are shipping with widescreen displays, great for movie watching and viewing of multiple documents.

WIRELESS NETWORKING Look for ultraportables with an 802.11b or 802.11b/g Wi-Fi radio built in. Some models also come with built-in cellular modems that help you connect to the Internet when Wi-Fi signals are hard to find.

BEST Sony VAIO VGN-TX670P (www.sonystyle.com, $2,499) The 2.8-pound VGN-TX670P lasted 6 hours and 36 minutes on our battery tests. It has a 1.2GHz ULV Pentium M 753 CPU, a double-layer DVD burner, and an 11.1-inch wide-screen LCD. You also get both 802.11b/g Wi-Fi and Bluetooth networking, plus a Cingular cellular modem.