PC - Magazine January.2006

www.pcmag.
com
T HE I ND E P E ND E NT GU I D E TO T E C HNOL OGY JANUARY 2006
THE NEW MICROSOFT OFFICE
Excellence
Xbox 360: More
Than Just Games
Max Out Your Batteries
First Looks: The Sexy
Motorola PEBL Phone
Excellence
Awards for Innovative
Products and Technologies
PRODUCT DESIGN
ENTERTAINMENT
DIGITAL MUSIC
CAMERAS
MOBILE
WEB
SOFTWARE
HDTV & LCD
PEOPLE OF THE YEAR
AND MUCH MORE
www.pcmag.com JANUARY 2006 PC MAGAZINE 7
K
Youll notice a new name atop the masthead of our
next issue, as Jim Louderback has been promoted
to Editor-in-Chief of PC Magazine and Editorial
Director of Ziff Daviss Consumer Technology
Group, which includes PCMag.com, ExtremeTech,
DigitalLifeTV, Gearlog, Tech-
noRide, and his popular Whats
New Now newsletter. Jim has
been part of PC Magazine for a
long time, as a regular columnist
and as editorial director of our
many Web sites over the past sev-
eral years.
Before that, he held top editorial
jobs at ZDTV/TechTV, served as
editorial director of PC Week, edi-
tor-in-chief of Windows Sources,
and the director of PC Week Labs.
Jim brings an enormous amount
of insight and enthusiasm to his
new role, and I know he has plen-
ty of exciting new ideas for the
magazine going forward. Youll be
seeing many of them in the coming months.
In my new position as Chief Content Ofcer for
Ziff Davis Media, Ill oversee the content of all of
our operations, including magazines, Web sites,
and events. Ill continue to write this column, and
youll see me on our Web site and at various indus-
try events. And with PC Magazine now published
in 40 countries and 16 languages, Ill continue to
work with our international partners. In recent
months, Ive traveled to China and Brazil, where
weve just launched new editions of the magazine.
Im still amazed to see how computer and Internet
technology are changing the way people work and
live around the world.
Ive had the great pleasure of
running PC Magazine since 1991,
and in that time Ive had the op-
portunity to work with many
wonderful people. I cant name
them all here, but Id like to thank
all the product testers at PC Mag-
azine Labs for their dedication to
fair, accurate, and relevant test
results; the writers and editors
for turning those results
into interesting stories
for our readers; the art
and production fol ks,
who are the unsung he-
roes of every magazine;
and the sales and mar-
keting teams who make
all of this possible.
Of course, PC Magazine wouldnt ex-
ist without the people who develop the
seemingly endless supply of technologies
and products that we write about every
day. And most of all, Id like to thank all
of you who have read and supported the
magazine throughout the years. Its been
a great ride.
Ive been playing with the new Microsoft Office
beta recently, and nd a lot to like as well as some
frustrations. You can read more about the specic
features later in this issue (see page 134), but here
are some quick thoughts.
Not only has Microsoft radically redesigned the
user interface, but it has also added a number of
the prominent features of competing office pro-
ductivity suites. In true Microsoft style, the new
Ofce is evolving just enough to keep up with the
competition.
The new user interface looks more like
a Macintosh application, but functional-
ly the biggest change is the new Ribbon,
which is much more task-based than the old menu
system.The idea is simple: When youre doing a
task, you see all the relevant commands. For in-
stance, as I type this, the Write tab shows up, with
the clipboard, font and style changes, paragraph
formatting, and so on. Similarly, when I change to
Review or Page Layout, I see the most frequently
used commands.
Im still amazed to
see how computer
and Internet
technology are
changing the way
people work and live
around the world.
Changes Under Way at PC Magazine
Microsoft Office 12 Preview

Forward Thinking
MI CHAE L J . MI L L E R
JIM LOUDERBACK
MICHAEL MILLER AT
THE LAUNCH OF PC
MAGAZINE IN BRAZIL
AND CHINA.
8 PC MAGAZINE JANUARY 2006 www.pcmag.com
MORE ON THE WEB: Join us online and make your
voice heard. Talk back to Michael J. Miller in our
opinions section, go.pcmag.com/miller.
One of the most important
inventions of the last few de-
cades has been the charge-
coupled device, or CCD,
which is at the heart of the
vast majority of todays
digital cameras. This year,
were honoring CCD in-
ventors Willard Boyle and
George Smith with our
Li feti me Achievement
As I talked with them recently, I was reminded
of just how long and winding the path can be be-
tween invention and product. Boyle and Smith in-
vented the CCD in 1969 while they were working
for Bell Labs, but the company couldnt commer-
cialize the technology. As Smith recalls, Bell Labs
was allowed to make only products that could be
used in the phone system. Originally, the CCD was
part of a picture-phone project, and when that was
killed, the CCD was killed along with it.
The product didnt stay down for long. As Boyle
recalls, thousands of engineers worked on it
over the years. He says that at one point more
than 4,000 papers referenced the CCD that he
and Smith created. Lots of companies worked on
pushing the technology forward. Boyle noted the
role of Japanese companies in bringing CCDs to
camcorders, and Smith mentioned work done by
Fairchild, RCA, Sony, and Texas Instruments.
Initially, CCDs were expensive, but with the
contributions of many individuals and compa-
nies costs dropped dramatically, and by now they
are used in nearly every consumer digital cam-
era and camcorder. Today, digital cameras vastly
outsell traditional film cameras, but the revolu-
tion emerged from that rst act of invention over
three decades ago. I asked Smith whether he feels
a sense of pride when he sees someone with a digi-
tal camera. You bet, he said.
The Ribbon works better than the
old menus. You can continue to write
and edit no matter which tab is open,
but some of the choices as to what
goes where will take some getting
used to. For instance, you need to go
to the Review tab and then to Proof-
ing Tools to do a quick spell check.
But I really wish it had an option to
use the old-style menus.
The new user interface also brings
to the surface several things you
might not have known how to do
before, such as applying a theme to
an entire document or changing the
way a reviewers comments appear. It also makes
certain tasks easier, such as protecting a docu-
ment. Beyond these changes, though, Word feels
much as it always has, with the occasionally mad-
dening formatting choices.
Several welcome features, such as the ability to
create PDF les from within the application and the
ability to preview font changes as you select the font
from the menu, are already familiar in competing
programs such as WordPerfect. One nice new fea-
ture that is unique to the new Word 12 is the Fin-
ish command in the File menu, which lets you strip
out old comments and identiable information.
Perhaps the biggest func-
tional improvement is the new
graphics engine for creating
drawings and charts. This works in both Excel
and PowerPoint and is a long overdue x. It offers
a lot more and much better chart types, but I still
noticed some problems with fitting labels. This
version of Excel also lets you create much bigger
models. The improvements Ofce 12 offers will
let you create more complex documents more eas-
ily than ever, and that should mean sharper-look-
ing documents for everyone.
The Office beta has a new default file format
called Ofce XMLwhich Microsoft recently sub-
mitted to a standards body. This move strikes me as
a reaction to the OpenDocument format that Suns
OpenOfce uses. The idea of an open XML-based
format is a good one, but I suspect that most people
will continue to use the old formats for a long time.
In addition to new features in the core applica-
tions, Microsoft is also taking Ofce in a new di-
rection. You can still use Office as a standalone
product (and my guess is, most of you will), but Mi-
crosoft is trying to integrate its traditional Ofce
applications and its server products more tightly
and extend their reach in new ways.
Microsoft Office 12 has more than cosmetic
improvements. Underneath the covers, Microsoft
is trying to build Ofce into something that con-
nects all your business processes together. As
applications are moving online, the company has
placed a big bet on developing its online applica-
tions. But for now, desktop applications are where
Ofce 12 is upping the ante.
Honoring the Inventors of the CCD

Forward Thinking
MI CHAE L J . MI LLE R
N
e
w
Y
e
a
rs
R
e
s
o
lu
tio
n
s

Back up your data
Keep your operating system up to date
Keep your antivirus software up to date
Run antispyware software
Check system-restore disks;
make them if you dont have them
Check your rewall regularly
Change your passwords regularly
Check your credit reports regularly
Back up again and keep a copy
in a safe location
H
ave a great 20
0
6!
POWERPOINT 12
creating it (see page 131).
award for their role in
S P E C I A L A D V E R T I S I N G S E C T I O N
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Productivity Kit comes complete
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Visit www.lemakertrial.com/business
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C
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B
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J
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Thousands of ideas crossed our desks and
lab benches last year, but only the bestthe
most innovative and revolutionary products,
services, and standardsmerit a Technical
Excellence award from PC Magazine. See if
you agree with our choices.
COVER STORY
JANUARY 2006 VOL. 25 NO. 1
CONTENTS www.pcmag.com
First Looks
28 Entertainment Technology
Microsoft Xbox 360 K
Update Rollup 2
for Windows XP Media
Center Edition 2005
32 Multimedia PCs
Apple iMac G5 (iSight) M
Sony VAIO VGC-VA11G
34 Business Software
TurboTax Premier 2005
TaxCut Premium 2005
39 Notebook PCs
Apple PowerBook 17-inch
HP Pavilion dv8000 M
49 Mobile Devices
Motorola U6 PEBL
50 HDTVs
Westinghouse LVM-37w1
Panasonic TH-42PX50U
52 Displays
Samsung SyncMaster
193p Plus
Philips 200W6 M
53 Projectors
Canon Realis SX50
Sony VPL-CX20A
58 Scanners
Canon DR-2580C
Epson Perfection 4490 Photo
59 Printers
Ricoh Acio CL7200D
63 Multimedia Software
Ulead PhotoImpact 11
PhotoPlus 10
Studio Pack
64 Business Software
Seven Server Edition 6.5
Sproqit Workgroup
Edition 1.0
Our Top Products
33 Desktop PCs
40 Notebook PCs
55 Displays
60 Printers
102

ANNUAL AWARDS
F
O
R
nd
22
TECHNICAL
EXCELLENCE

The New Microsoft
Ofce page 134
Xbox 360 page 28
Max Out Your Batteries
page 82
The Sexy Motorola PEBL
page 49
Excellence:
Awards for
Innovative
Products and
Technologies
page 102
ON THE COVER
Online
www.pcmag.com
PC MAGAZINE JANUARY 2006 www.pcmag.com 14
Pipeline
21 Toward more intelligent robots.
21 Sony serves up free video conferencing.
21 360-degree gaming immersion, in the VirtuSphere.
21 Passwords: Were loaded with too many.
22 IBMs Blue Gene/L: the fastest computer.
22 Skypes security questioned.
24 COMING ATTRACTIONS: Velocity Micros Dolby PC, Iomega ScreenPlay,
Everstrikes Universal Shield 4.0, Serious Magics Ovation, and more.
OFFI CE PREVI EW
134 Ofce 12:
Extreme Makeover
Microsofts next version of its ubiquitous
Ofce suite offers a radically different inter-
face and a more
accessible docu-
ment format. Is
this a good thing?
Read our preview
to learn if 2006
will be a good year
for suite users.
Opinions
7 Michael J. Miller:
Forward Thinking
75 John C. Dvorak
77 John C. Dvoraks Inside Track
79 Jim Louderback
81 Bill Howard
Solutions
82 Getting the Most from Your
Batteries: Here are some hints
for choosing and using them, and
pitfalls you may encounter.
84 Desktop: Congure a new com-
puter the way thats best for you.
86 Ofce: Insert images and sym-
bols into documents with custom
Microsoft Word toolbar buttons.
88 DIY Software: Windows users can
run a free partitioning tool from a
bootable Linux disc.
90 Security Watch: Sonys rootkit
is the wrong approach to copy-
protecting music.
92 Business: Free Wi-Fi access for
all? One California city is doing it
with a mesh network.
95 User to User: How to secure com-
puters using unencrypted Wi-Fi
connections, and more.
ALL- I N- ONE PRI NTERS
143 Do-It-Alls
For printing, scanning, copy-
ing, and faxing, you can have it
allin one device. Among the
seven ink jet all-in-ones that we
tested, we found gems for every
need and budget.
After Hours
162 Real-World Action Gaming:
New gadgets let you physi-
cally interact with games.
164 Gear + Games: Microsoft
Natural Ergonomic Keyboard
4000, new mobile phone
accessories, Dungeon Siege II.
Also in This Issue
73 Feedback
168 Backspace
USB Key Superguide We have
put together the ultimate guide
to ash drives, U3 keys, and USB
hard drives, all of which will let
you carry your most important
data (as well as some software)
in your pocket. (go.pcmag.com/
usbkeysuperguide)
SPECI AL REPORT
New reviews every week!
Coming soon:
Archos AV500 Portable
Media Player
HP Deskjet 460cb
Portable Printer K
Magellan
RoadMate
360 GPS
Samsung SGH-D307 Phone
Sony Cyber-shot DSC N1
(go.pcmag.com/rstlooks)
FI RST LOOKS
Discussions: Log on and participate!
(http://discuss.pcmag.com/pcmag)
Downloads: Check out our indexed
list of utilities from A to Z.
(go.pcmag.com/utilities)
TOOLS YOU CAN USE
DVORAK ONLINE
K Each Monday,
John C. Dvorak
gives you his take on
whats happening in
high tech today. Visit
go.pcmag.com/dvorak.
EXCLUSI VE COLUMNS
ULANOFF ONLINE
K And each Wednesday,
Lance Ulanoff puts his
own unique spin on
technology. Visit
go.pcmag.com/ulanoff.
Coming up:
ATI to deliver GPU-accelerated
video transcoding
ETs dual-core Media Center PC
GPS navigation that ts
in your pocket
(www.extremetech.com)
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EDITOR-IN-CHIEF Michael J. Miller
EDITOR (ONLINE) Lance Ulanoff
EXECUTIVE EDITORS Stephanie Chang, Carol L. Gonsher, Ben Z. Gottesman, Vicki B. Jacobson (Online)
ART DIRECTOR Richard J. Demler
SENIOR EDITORS Jamie M. Bsales (First Looks), Dan S. Costa (Online), Carol A. Mangis (After Hours, Special Projects),
Sebastian Rupley (West Coast, Pipeline), Sharon Terdeman (Solutions)
MANAGING EDITOR Paul B. Ross
FEATURES EDITORS Sarah E. Anderson, Sean Carroll, Sarah Pike, Michael J. Steinhart
SECTION EDITORS (ONLINE) Jenn DeFeo, Davis D. Janowski, Laarni Almendrala Ragaza
ASSOCIATE SECTION EDITOR (ONLINE) Kyle Monson
ASSOCIATE MANAGING EDITOR Michal Dluginski COPY CHIEF Elizabeth A. Parry
SENIOR WRITER Cade Metz STAFF WRITER Erik Rhey
STAFF EDITORS Tony Hoffman, Molly K. McLaughlin
COPY EDITORS Ann Ovodow, Steven Wishnia
PRODUCTION MANAGER Nicholas Cosmo
COMMUNICATIONS MANAGER Anita Anthony
INTERNS Veronica DeLeon, Nicole Price Fasig
CONTRIBUTING EDITORS Helen Bradley, Sheryl Canter, John Clyman, John R. Delaney, Richard V. Dragan,
John C. Dvorak, Galen Fott, Les Freed, Sally Wiener Grotta, Bill Howard, Don Labriola, Bill Machrone,
Edward Mendelson, Jan Ozer, Neil Randall, Larry Seltzer, Barry Simon, M. David Stone, Don Willmott
SENIOR ASSOCIATE ART DIRECTOR Michael St. George ASSOCIATE ART DIRECTOR Liana Zamora
ASSISTANT ART DIRECTOR Aaron Able GRAPHICS DIRECTOR David Foster STAFF PHOTOGRAPHER Scott Schedivy
PC MAGAZINE LABS
DIRECTOR, OPERATIONS Craig Ellison TECHNICAL DIRECTOR Richard Fisco
LEAD ANALYSTS Cisco Cheng, Robert Heron, Oliver Kaven, Neil J. Rubenking, Joel Santo Domingo,
Sascha Segan, Terry Sullivan
JUNIOR LEAD ANALYST Michael Kobrin TECHNICAL ANALYST Omar Cintron
INVENTORY CONTROL COORDINATOR Nicole Graham
PC MAGAZINE ONLINE
SENIOR PRODUCER Yun-San Tsai PRODUCER Mark Lamorgese ASSISTANT PRODUCER Whitney A. Reynolds
UTILITY PROGRAM MANAGER Tim Smith PRODUCTION ARTIST Erin Simon COMMUNITY MANAGER Jim Lynch
PRODUCT DATABASE MANAGER Gina Suk COMMERCE PRODUCER Arielle Rochette
EXECUTIVE PRODUCER, DIGITAL LIFE Robyn Peterson
EXTREMETECH
EDITOR-IN-CHIEF, INTERNET Jim Louderback EDITOR, INTERNET Loyd Case EDITOR Jeremy A. Kaplan
SENIOR NEWS EDITOR Mark Hachman ASSOCIATE EDITOR Dan Evans PRODUCTION EDITOR Gary Berline
TECHNOLOGY ANALYSTS Jason Cross, Victor Loh SENIOR WEB PRODUCER Michael Muchmore
JUNIOR WEB PRODUCER Jeremy Atkinson COMMUNITY MANAGER Jim Lynch
CORPORATE PRODUCTION
ASSISTANT PRODUCTION DIRECTOR Ivis Fundichely
PRODUCTION MANAGER Michelle Chizmadia TRAFFIC MANAGER Amanda Allensworth
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MPCM0106
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5urvey respondents who said they.
0o you keep track of a |ot of passwords, maybe even scr|bb||ng them down and
carry|ng them w|th you1 A |ot of peop|e do [ust that, and a recent survey found a
vast ma[or|ty of respondents express|ng frustrat|on w|th password management.
My Ever-0rowing
Password Collection
MOVE OVER, C-3PO. Researchers at the
Neuro sciences Institute in La Jolla, Cali-
fornia, are making strides in developing a
machine that thinks. The result is a two-foot-
tall auto maton named
NOMAD (Neurally Or-
gani zed Mobi le Adap-
tive Device), capable of
learning from its own ex-
periences through its sim-
ulated brain. That brain
has a name of its own:
Darwin VII, after Charles
Darwin, the 19
th
-century
biologist who devised the
theory of natural selec-
tion. The Darwin brain
is a selectional system,
says Dr. Gerald Edelman,
institute director and No-
bel laureate, not an in-
structional system like
a computer. He adds that
computers are essentially
electronic abacuses carrying out unambigu-
ous sets of instructions. The human brain,
however, does not work by logic like a com-
puter; it works by pattern recognition, similar
to evolution.
Though at the behavioral level of an infant,
NOMAD can sense light and sound, and can
grab objects with a mechanical gripper as it
moves around its holding area. In the course of
exploring its environment
NOMAD has developed
a preference for striped
blocks as opposed to spot-
ted ones, says Edelman.
When NOMADs gripper
picks up a striped block,
it gets a charge of current,
which Darwin VII reg-
isters as good. With the
spotted block, there is no
current. It does learning
and conditioning and has
episodic memory, Edel-
man explains.
He says that as NOMAD
generations become more
powerful, there may come
a breakthrough when they
can be hooked up to com-
puters. In that case, many pursuits centered
on computer science would be enhanced. As
Bill Gates has said, if anyone could invent a
computer that can learn, it would be worth ten
Micro softs, offers Edelman.Karen Jones
Face to Face from Far Away
YOURE ON THE GO and you need to see the
other person on the end of the phone? Sony
and Internet-based video provider Glow-
point have teamed up to offer a free video-
conferencing service called Instant Video
Everywhere that you can use anywhere
there is a broadband connection.
The application can be downloaded for
free at www.sony.glowpoint.com, and you can use it easily with
any webcam-enabled computer, but the companies are also of-
fering several fee-based services. For $9.95 a month, you can add
VoIP calling and more.Sebastian Rupley
Talk about visiting a whole
new world. The VirtuSphere
(shown), from the Univer-
sity of Washingtons Human
Interface Technology (HIT)
Lab, is a hollow ball that
sits on top of a base that
lets the sphere rotate 360
degrees. The person inside
it, equipped with a head-
mounted display, interacts
with an immersive virtual-
reality environment. The
visitor inside can walk, and
even fall, within VRML simu-
lation environments.
The spheres are pricey
$100,000but theyre
already in use for military
training, gaming, and
museum applications. The
new invention comes close
to the holodeck of Star Trek
fame, says Dr. Thomas
Furness, founder of the HIT
Lab. It also looks a little like
the wheel inside a hamster
cage.SR
Beam Me Up
Toward Intelligent Machines
California researchers have developed a robot that learns from patterns.

PI PELI NE
T E C H N O L O G Y T R E N D S & N E WS A N A LY S I S
NET THINGS All the change that the Internet has wrought will be
eclipsed by the networking of common objects, says a report from the
U.N. called The Internet of Things. The authors predict that tiny sensors
and electronic tags will eventually network most objects around us.
go.pcmag.com/pipeline
Source: RSA Security, Oct. 2005. From a survey of 1,700 enterprise users.
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COMPUTERS MAY BE ABLE to beat us at chess and calcu-
late our taxes faster, but there are still tasks we humans are
better at, such as being able to tell good photos from bad ones.
So now, a project from Amazon.com is allowing software to
ask a few good humans for help.
The service is called Mechanical Turk, and it lets program-
mers request human assistance automatically by writing a
few lines of code to
a Web-services API.
Tasks are then post-
ed at www. mt urk
.com, where anyone
with an Amazon ac-
count can answer
the requests.
Never before has
anybody had a net-
work of human intel-
ligence on tap like
this, says Peter Cohen, Web services director at Amazon.
The idea is to x gaps where a program doesnt work well.
The Mechanical Turk was an 18
th
-century chess automaton
that could beat humans. In reality it was a man in manne-
quins garb. In Amazons version, humans make comput-
ers look smarter by performing human-intelligence tasks,
or HITs. One example of a HIT is looking at photos to de-
termine which image best represents a particular storefront
(part of Amazons A9 search project). Cohen expects that de-
velopers will come up with HITs that augment AI programs.
We just wonder how long it will take students to get Me-
chanical Turk to write their research papers.John R. Quain
Help Wanted: Humans
Super-Duper
Computing
The fastest computer on
Earth just got a whole lot
faster. According to data
gathered by independent
researchers who compile the
Top500 list (www.top500
.org), IBMs Blue Gene/L
supercomputer, which runs
at the Lawrence Livermore
National Laboratory in
California, has dramatically
extended its lead over com-
petitors by achieving speeds
of 280.6 trillion oating-point
operations per second (tera-
ops)more than double the
136.8-teraop speeds the
system clocked in June.
The achievement, along
with other advancements
from supercomputers in the
U.S., mark the completion
of a ten-year challenge to
develop supercomputers for
entry-level simulations that
support a future free from
nuclear testing, says Dr.
Dimitri Kusnezov, director of
the National Nuclear Security
Administrations Advanced
Simulation and Computing
program, part of the Depart-
ment of Energy. Blue Gene/L
is primarily used to simulate
and evaluate the safety
and security of the nations
nuclear weapons.
Until 2004, Japans Earth
Simulator had spent years
ranked as the fastest com-
puter in the world. It has a
maximum speed of 35.86
teraops.SR
SKYPE HAS ALREADY made
waves in Voice over IP (VoIP)
telephone service for con-
sumers, but its more recent
extension into the corporate
arena has raised new issues.
Info-Tech Research Group, an
IT analyst rm, has released
an advisory cautioning corpo-
rate users about the potential
dangers of placing business
calls on the Net via Skype.
Though Skype calls are
encrypted from end to end, it
is difcult for IT departments
to monitor the interactions,
say Info-Tech researchers. In
industries subject to compli-
ance regulations, Skypes
Internet calls could be major
violations of corporate policy
and the law, they say.
The bottom line is that
even a mediocre hacker could
take advantage of a Skype
vulnerability, says Ross
Armstrong, a research analyst
for Info-Tech.
Skype ofcials maintain
that they have addressed the
pressing security issues. Tom
Berson, a principal at Ana-
gram Laboratories, has also
conducted a review of Skypes
encryption. He calls any sort
of attack computationally
infeasible, and stands by
Skypes security methods.
The designers of Skype
did not hesitate to employ
cryptography widely and well
in order to establish trust and
condentiality for their peer-
to-peer services, Dr. Berson
says. He says that Skype
conversations may even be
more secure than those over
a regular phone or via e-mail.
Berson also points out that in
some markets, Internet cover-
age is more widespread and
reliable than phone service.
Nicole Price Fasig
Skype Security Questioned
BUDGET PC MIT Media Labs is now demonstrating its much-anticipated $100 laptops, which are
part of a plan to give every child in the world a portable computer. The rst prototype has a 7-inch
screen and a hand crank that can provide 40 minutes of power for kids who dont have electricity.
WHOS IN
CHARGE? At the
U.N.s recent World
Summit, held in
Tunisia, negotiators
agreed to leave the
United States in con-
trol of the Internets
domain name sys-
tem. Many govern-
ments, including
China and members
of the European
Union, have been
campaigning for
shared control, while
U.S. ofcials argue
that such sharing
could threaten the
security of the Inter-
net. Currently, the
Internet Corpora-
tion for Assigned
Names and Numbers
(ICANN) manages
the domain name
system, working with
the U.S. government.
That arrangement
will stay in place, at
least for now.
PI P E L I NE go.pcmag.com/pipeline
hEC Bislay Solutions
For more new products see go.pcmag.com/productbulletin
Make PowerPoint
Bearable
O
vation takes existing Power-
Point presentations and kicks
them up a notch, using broad-
cast media graphics. Just drop a tem-
plate into the program and choose from
one of several hundred PowerLooks,
and the software will add high-quality
animated backgrounds and amazing
transitions.MKM
$99.95 direct. Serious Magic Inc.,
www.seriousmagic.com.
Keep It on the
Down Low
U
niversal Shield 4.0 both en-
crypts and hides les, folders,
or entire drives. Protected items
are completely invisible until the pass-
word is supplied. Protection remains in
place even when the drive is removed
and placed in a different computer.
The program will optionally run in a hot
keyactivated stealth mode, leaving no
evidence that anything is hidden.
Neil J. Rubenking
$34.95 direct. Everstrike Software,
www.everstrike.com.
Show Off Your
Media Anywhere
T
he sleek, portable Iomega Screenplay Multimedia Drive lets you easily play
stored movies and music and display digital images directly on any TV or
stereo. The plug-and-play drive works with any A/V receiver and transfers
content at USB 2.0 speeds. It includes an easy-to-use remote control and on-screen
menus; no computer is needed for playback. The 60GB of storage space will hold up
to 240,000 photos, 1,110 hours of music, or 90 hours of video.MKM
$219.95 direct. Iomega Corp., www.iomega.com.
Keep Your
Guard Up
PC Tools AntiVirus
watches for viruses and
related threats in real
time and, using OnGuard
technology, prevents
them from installing. It will scan the system for viruses, on
demand or on schedule, with the option to quarantine and
restore infected les. All scanned objects are logged in a
database, and the products large library of threat deni-
tions is updated frequently and automatically.NJR
$29.95 direct. PC Tools, www.pctools.com.
Protect the Kids
More than its name sug-
gests, the Netintelligence
Parental Control service
offers user-specic Web-
content ltering, time limits
on Internet and computer usage, and IM blocking and moni-
toring. It also includes automatic protection against viruses
and spyware, with no need to download local updates. The
service tracks the time each user is on the computer, along
with application usage. And it does this for up to three com-
puters, even mobile ones.NJR
$39.99 per year. Netintelligence Ltd., www.netintelligence.com.
Worlds First Dolby PC
A
udiophiles, gamers, digital media
enthusiasts, and users with home
recording studios will line up
to hear the Velocity ProMagix MSX
with Dolby Master Studio, the rst
PC to meet Dolbys rigorous audio
specications. The Intel-based PC will
integrate seamlessly with home the-
ater sound systems and offers high-
quality audio and surround sound,
complete compatibility with playback
applications, and more realistic audio
for PC gaming. Dolby Master Studio
provides up to 7.1 channels of sur-
round sound and the power to author
DVDs with multichannel surround
sound.Molly K. McLaughlin
From $1,295 direct. Velocity Micro Inc., www.
velocitymicro.com.

COMING ATTRACTIONS
PI P E L I NE go.pcmag.com/pipeline
Based oh perIormahce IesIihg ih BaIIleIeld 2
. 2005 CreaIive Techhology LId. All oIher brahds are Irademarks or regisIered Irademarks oI Iheir respecIive holders.
Moke your MP3 mus|o sound better thon the
or|g|no| CD
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W|th 24 t|mes more power thon |ts predeoessor, Sound B|oster X-F| de||vers omoz|ng|y or|sp, o|eor
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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 recipients 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 1/31/06. 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 saving and mail-in-rebate offers are valid through 1/31/06 on qualifying HP Compaq nx6110 and nx9600 notebooks, HP Compaq dc7600 desktops, HP ProLiant ML110 G3 servers,
HP Compaq tc4200 Tablet PCs, HP DeskJet 6840dt printers and HP xw4300 workstations from HP Direct and participating HP resellers. 4. Intels numbering is not a measurement of higher performance. 5. The Hyper-Threading feature is 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 Hyper-Threading. Go to http://intel.com/info/hyperthreading for
more information. 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. 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. Wireless performance is dependent upon physical environment and distance from the access point. 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. For on-site coverage, terms
and conditions apply. For more details, go to http://www.hp.com/hps/carepack. Microsoft and Windows are registered trademarks of Microsoft Corporation in the United States and/or other countries. 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. 2005 Hewlett-Packard Development Company, L.P.
INSTANT SAVINGS.
LASTING SUPPORT.
With HP, up to three years of superior, round-the-clock service and support come standard.
13
HP COMPAQ BUSINESS
DESKTOP dc7600
$188 Instant Savings
($1,087 - $188 Instant Savings = $899)
2
Intel
Pentium
4 Processor 630
4
with HT Technology
(2MB L2 Cache, 3GHz, 800MHz FSB)
5
Microsoft
Windows
XP Professional
512MB 533MHz DDR2
80GB SATA/300 S.M.A.R.T. III Hard Drive (7200 rpm)
7
MultiBay CD-RW/DVD Combo Drive
11
Integrated Broadcom NIC
Three-year on-site limited warranty
13
GET EVEN MORE:
9 x 5, 4-hour Response On-Site Coverage,
3 Years, Add $159 (CPU only)
13
L1506 15 TFT Flat Panel Display, Add $229
$899
Lease for as low as
$24 per month for
51 months
1
Includes
3-Year On-site
Warranty
13

Monitor
not included
HP recommends Windows
XP Professional.
SMART ADVICE
>
SMART TECHNOLOGY
>
SMART SERVICES
Call 1
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TM
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- Intel Pentium M Processor 740
4

(2MB L2 Cache, 1.73GHz, 533MHz FSB)
- Intel PRO Wireless 2200BG
6
Microsoft Windows XP Professional
15" XGA Display
512MB DDR 333MHz (2 DIMM)
40GB Hard Drive (5400 rpm)
7
24X DVD/CD-RW Combo Drive
9
GET EVEN MORE:
Next-Business-Day On-site Coverage,
3 Years, Add $199
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HP Common Travel Battery, Add $129
Monitor
sold separately.
Includes
3 Year On-Site
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$1,099
Lease for as low as
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51 months
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HP WORKSTATION xw4300
($1,509 - $410 Instant Savings = $1,099)
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Intel Pentium 4 Processor 640
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with
HT Technology
5
(2MB L2 Cache, 3.20GHz,
800MHz)
1GB 533MHz DDR2 EEC
7
80GB SATA/300 S.M.A.R.T. III Hard Drive
(7200 rpm)
7
48X/32X CD-RW/DVD Combo Drive
11
NVIDIA Quadro NVS 285 128MB
PCIe graphics
Three-year on-site limited warranty
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add $199 (CPU only)
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L1755 17" Flat Panel Display, add $339
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Lease for as low as
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tc4200 TABLET PC
($1,733 - $184 Instant Savings = $1,549)
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- Intel Pentium M Processor 740
4
(2MBL2 Cache, 1.73GHz, 533 MHz FSB)
- Intel PRO Wireless 2200BG (802.11b/g)
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512MB DDR2 333MHz (1 DIMM)
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HP Docking Station, add $149
$204
HP DESKJET
6840dt PRINTER
$25 Mail-in Rebate
($229 - $25 Mail-in Rebate = $204)
2
Connecticut residents not
eligible for mail-in rebate.
30 ppm black, 20 ppm color
Wired and wireless network ready,
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plus
breakthrough speed and photo printing
$1,349
Lease for as low as
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NOTEBOOK nx9600
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with HT
Technology (1MB L2 Cache, 3GHz,
800MHz FSB)
Broadcom Wireless 802.11b/g
6
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512MB DDR 400MHz (1 DIMM)
7
GET EVEN MORE:
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13
Universal Roller Case, Add $99
HP delivers great prices backed up by incredible service and support. Like all our featured
desktops and workstations, the HP Compaq Business Desktop dc7600, powered by the
Intel
Pentium
4 Processor, is backed by our three-year, next-business-day, on-site support.

13

Which means if an issue cant be resolved over the phone, well send a replacement part or
schedule an on-site visit for the next business day. So you can keep your costs down without
worrying about downtime. Yet another reason to consider the HP Smart Office Portfolio.
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HAN DS - ON T E S T I NG OF N E W P R OD UC T S go.pcmag.com/first looks
For those of you who
are trading up from
the original Xbox,
youl l be happy to
know you can play
most existing Xbox titles
on the 360, including Halo.
Unfortunately, Microsoft
includes no instructions on
how to transfer saved games
from an original Xbox to the
360, and we havent been able
to accomplish that yet either.
And you will need new con-
trollers, either wireless or
USB-connected.
Under the Hood
The 360s hardware is de-
signed for high-performance
gami ng andfar more so
than the first versionwith
aesthetics in mind. So inside
a chassis that looks as if it
was designed with an Apple
iBook or iPod very near by is
a processor capable of 1 tera-
op. The processor actually
consists of three symmetri-
cal IBM cores running at 3.2
GHz each, although rumor
has it that few of the launch
titles use more than one
CPU. Superior graphics
performance is supplied
by a 500-MHz custom
ATI processor and super-
fast memory: The GPU
and CPUs share 512MB of
GDDR3 RAM via a unied
memory architecture.
Games are supported in
high denition with a 16-
to-9 aspect ratio, at either
480p, 720p, or 1080i, with
anti-aliasing as well as
standard definition. Au-
dio can be mono, stereo,
or Dolby Digital 5.1. Dur-
ing installation, you can
set audio and video pref-
erences easily. The only
trick i s to remember
to put the HDTV/TV
switch at the base of the
A/V cable on the right
setting. A detachable
20GB hard drive comes
wi t h t he premi um
package; it can be used
Microsoft has estimated it will sell three million Xbox
360s in the next three months. It may be right. Except
for a few design issues, we were very impressed with the
console and its accessories. We get goose bumps thinking
about what games will be like when the power of the 360
is fully unleashed. This is truly cutting-edge technology in the vanguard
of next-generation console gaming.
THE MAGAZINE
WORLDS LARGEST
COMPUTER-TESTING
FACILITY
Xbox 360: Wow!
30 Update Rollup 2 for Windows XP
Media Center Edition 2005
32 Apple iMac G5 (iSight)
32 Sony VAIO VGC-VA11G
33 Our Top Desktop PCs
34 TurboTax Premier 2005
34 TaxCut Premium 2005
39 Apple PowerBook 17-inch
39 HP Pavilion dv8000
39 Sony VAIO VGN-FJ Series (FJ180)
39 Sharp M4000 WideNote
39 Toshiba Satellite M65-S809
40 Our Top Notebook PCs
49 Motorola U6 PEBL
49 Aeronix Zipit Wireless Messenger
49 Samsung SGH-e635
49 Nokia 6255i
49 Sprint PM-225 by LG
50 Westinghouse LVM-37w1
50 Panasonic TH-42PX50U
BY MATTHEW D. SARREL

GORGEOUS DESIGN and
awesome game-play graphics set the 360 apart.
F I R S T
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WHAT THE RATINGS MEAN: LLLLL EXCELLENT l LLLLM VERY GOOD l LLLMM GOOD l LLMMM FAIR l LMMMM POOR
less gaming is built in and can
accommodate up to four wire-
less controllers, which are
sold separately for $50 each;
one comes with the premium
package. Progressive-scan
DVD playback is standard,
and theres a small media-
control remote thats current-
ly shipping with the premium
package. A full-size and uni-
versal remote is available for
$30. The premium package
also includes a headset for use
with Xbox Live.
The wireless controller
is well designed and solidly
to save music, gamer proles,
and downloads.
The 360 has two slots for
add-on 64MB memory units
and three USB ports for con-
necting devices or controllers.
Networking is accom plished
with an Ethernet port; an
802.11a/b/g adapter is avail-
able ($100 street). In our in-
stallation, the 360 correctly
identified that the Ethernet
cable was connected to an
Xbox wireless gaming adapt-
er, read the settings from it,
and effortlessly connected to
our wireless network. Wire-
constructed. It fits comfort-
ably i n the hand, doesn t
weigh too much, and is well
balanced. The controls were
precise and responsive in
each of the games played. The
controller takes two double-
A batteries (included).
In choosing a physical lo-
cation for your Xbox 360,
you have to take a few things
into consideration. It can be
placed at or on its side, but
the unit throws a tremen-
dous amount of heat from
the back panel, so make sure
you provide adequate venti-
lation. The enormous trans-
former (8.5 by 3 by 2.5 inches)
is roughly one-fourth the
size of the console itself. We
wonder why the Xbox 360,
though smaller than the orig-
inal Xbox, is still so big, if the
power supply is outside the
machine. Who has room in
an entertainment center for
yet another big, bulky con-
sole from Microsoft?
But How Does It Play?
Physical design shortcom-
i ngs aside, playi ng Xbox
360 games is a transcendent
52 Samsung SyncMaster 193p Plus
52 Philips 200W6
52 Philips 190P6
52 Planar PX1910M
52 Sony SDM-S95D
53 Canon Realis SX50
53 Sony VPL-CX20A
55 Our Top Displays
58 Canon DR-2580C
58 Epson Perfection 4490 Photo
58 Canon CanoScan LiDE 60
58 NeatReceipts Professional v.2.0.2
58 IRISPen Translator Executive
59 Ricoh Acio CL7200D
60 Our Top Printers
63 Ulead PhotoImpact 11
63 PhotoPlus 10 Studio Pack
64 Seven Server Edition 6.5
64 Sproqit Workgroup Edition 1.0
RED denotes Editors Choice.

L O O K S
Media Extender Abilities are Good, Not Great
T
he Xbox nation cant play games
round the clock. (Wanna bet?
someones already saying.) For
those other times, the new Microsoft
Xbox 360 offers the ability to stream,
in high-denition video and surround-
sound audio, all manner of music, photo
and video les, TV, and recorded TV
from a Media Center Edition PC located
elsewhere in the house. Its a nice benet
if youre already buying the Xbox 360.
But Microsoft stopped just shy of making
media streaming a killer side benet of
its second-generation Xbox.
The original Xbox functioned as a Me-
dia Center Extender, but with fewer bells
and whistles. The Xbox 360 extender
solution raises the ante, with support for
HDTV and surround-sound audio. In re-
turn, it requires you to run Windows MCE
2005. The interface is a dead ringer for
the MCE interface, with the addition of an
X (exit to Xbox) button and a clock in the
upper left corner of the screen.
If you have an Xbox 360 attached to
the TV in your living room, then all the
photos on your MCE PC are available to
be shown on the TV. If its an HDTV, then
they display in high denition, up to the
720p (720 vertical pixels) maximum
resolution of the Xbox 360, and the effect
is dazzling. Modest photo-editing tools
are available. You cant print photos.
Likewise, you can play all your MP3s
or WMAs plus any home videos youve
stored as movie (WMV, MPEG) les. You
can rebroadcast TV from your PC to your
TV, including any recorded TV shows.
Though you can summon up the
multimedia features with the included
wireless game controller, more likely
youll want to use the bundled 26-button
remote. Spend a little time with the Xbox
remote, though, and youll wonder how
much Microsofts heart is in this multi-
media-via-Xbox thing. Theres the usual
MCE-green button to summon the Media
Center main menu and direct- access
buttons for live TV, for the TV guide, and
for Start Recording (to the MCE PC hard
drive, not the Xbox). But there are no
direct- access buttons for music, photos,
or videos; no marked volume buttons;
no numeric keypad for direct channel
access; and the channel page-up/down
buttons are marked in tiny letters under
the blue X and green A buttons, which
duplicate game controller buttons. Still,
for users who just want to play a media
le from start to nish, the Xbox 360
media features are more than adequate.
If youre getting an Xbox 360 anyway,
youll be happy enough. Others who want
streaming media only should look into
other media hubs, starting with the Roku
HD1000. Bill Howard
Microsoft Xbox 360
Media Center Extender
Free with Xbox 360. Microsoft Corp.,
www.microsoft.com. lllhm
THE XBOX 360 EXTENDER solution sup-
ports HDTV and surround-sound audio.
F I R S T L O O K S
Entertainment Technology
Update Rollup 2 for Windows XP MCE 2005
experience. The quality of-
graphics and audio in the
launch titles weve seen is
astounding. The only nega-
tive is that load times havent
been improved over those of
existing consoles, but they
may improve as developers
learn more about coding for
the 360.
The games weve played
so far are impressive in every
aspect. Project Gotham Rac-
ing 3 is simply beautiful, and
the details are remarkable:
Each engine sounds unique,
so you can hear a car behind
you and identify it before it
passes you. The New York
City skyline when viewed
from the Brooklyn Bridge is
exceptionally detailed. And
Ridge Racer 6 hits the nail on
the head for an arcade-style
racing game.
The animations and game-
play mechanics in Kameo:
Elements of Power are so
smooth that the main char-
acter looks al most al ive.
Activisions Gun looks beau-
tiful; when our character was
riding a horse along a ridge
and watching the sun setting
across a valley, we were cap-
tivated and paused to reect
on the insane number of poly-
gons involved in the moment.
Among shooters, Quake
4 is every bit as frighten-
ing and thrilling as the PC
version, and Call of Duty 2
swept us off our feet and into
the insanity of World War II
ground combat. For sports
titles, NBA Live is so detailed
that players sweat and their
eyes move to watch the ball.
In NHL 2K6, the texture and
ref lectivity of the ice are a
work of art. The crime drama
Condemned: Criminal Ori-
gins is highly successful at
setting the mood of a surviv-
al horror game with its excel-
lent audio and video.
All in all, the Xbox 360 is
a fantastic gaming platform,
despite its still-too-big, heat-
generating design. It sets
a new standard in console
gaming with high-denition
video and surround-sound
audio. The launch titles are
fantasticand developers
are only getting started.
Xbox 360
Core system: $300 street; premium
package: $400 street. Microsoft Corp.,
www.xbox.com. llllh
BY BILL HOWARD
W
hat , a new ver-
sion of Microsoft
Windows arrived
and there wasnt a celebra-
tion with Jay Leno and the
Rol ling Stones entertain-
ing thousands aboard the
Queen Mary? Indeed. This
ones a nice-to-have rolling
improvement and bug x for
Windows XP Media Center
Edition 2005 that will tide
us over until Windows Vista
appears sometime in 2006,
when MCE will likely be-
come one version of Vista.
Update Rollup 2 for Win-
dows XP MCE 2005, which
arrived in fall 2005, offers
more HDTV options, support
for a very cool 200-disc DVD
and CD read/write changer,
support for the Xbox 360 as
a remote media player, im-
proved stability (read: bug
fixes), and improved power
management. Its free; the
only cost is however much
time it takes you to perform a
29MB download.
If you buy a new MCE PC
and its from Sony or Niveus,
Rollup 2 lets you attach a
new 200-disc DVD changer
from Sony or Niveus and load
it with DVDs; the My DVD
Changer function then cre-
ates a library that you can
browse to see jacket photos
and film descriptions. (You
can do that also for CDs, but
those, unlike DVDs, you can
rip to disc). If you have more
than 200 DVDs, Windows
cant cache the information
and tell you to insert the disc
if its on the shelf. The chang-
er can also be used for unat-
tended MP3/WMA ripping of
up to 200 CDs at a time.
Rollup 2 supports two stan-
dard and two high-denition
TV tuner cards (of which
two can record), but theyre
only ATSC (broadcast), not
cable TV tuners. Away mode
(new PCs only) lets an MCE
PC be nearly suspended yet
still able to record TV shows
or stream media les to other
devices. Rollup 2 supports
the Xbox 360, which has
more functionality than the
first Xbox and the previous
Media Center Extenders.
Among the stability tweaks
is a daily shutdown and re-
start of individual services
at 4 a.m. The Sonic-supplied
DVD burning tool now lets
you convert an HD show to
standard def and burn a DVD
in a single step. Extender us-
ers can now remotely burn
DVDs on the host PC.
For most users of MCE
2005, theres little reason not
to add the stability and fea-
tures of Rollup 2.
Update Rollup 2 for Windows
XP Media Center Edition 2005
Free. Microsoft Corp.,
www.microsoft.com. llllm

WITH MCE ROLLUP 2 you can create a browsable library of
your CDs and DVDs with jacket photos and descriptions.
Xbox 360 Launch Games*
TITLE GENRE SCORE**
Kameo: Elements of Power Adventure 7
Project Gotham Racing 3 Racing 10
NBA Live 2006 Sports 7.5
NBA 2K6 Sports 7
Call of Duty 2 Shooter 9
FIFA Soccer 2006 Sports 7
Need for Speed: Most Wanted Racing 8.5
Condemned: Criminal Origins Adventure 8
Ridge Racer 6 Sports 8.5
Madden NFL 2006 Sports 8
Gun Action 7.5
Amped 3 Sports 7
* For more 360 game reviews, visit xbox360.1up.com. **Out of 10.
VISIT www.mpccorp.com/pcmag601
CALL 1-800-219-2284
2005 MPC Computers, LLC. All rights reserved. MPC Computers, LLC is not responsible for omissions or errors in typography or photography. All purchases are subject to availability. Prices and specifications may be changed without
notice; prices do not include shipping and handling and any applicable taxes, unless specifically required to be included under applicable contract. Seller's return policy does not include return freight and original shipping/handling charges,
and all return and warranty periods begin from the date a product is shipped, not when it arrived. A restocking fee may be charged upon the return of a product. All sales are controlled by seller's current terms and conditions of sale, and
contract terms and conditions as applicable. Copies of seller's terms and conditions of sale and contract terms are available on seller's website or from its sales representatives. On-site service is provided at sole discretion of MPC
Computers, LLC. A diagnostic determination for on-site service must be made by a MPC service technician prior to the provision of on-site service. On-site service is provided by a third-party service provider under a separate service con-
tract between you and the service provider. Intel, Intel Inside, Intel Inside logo, Intel Centrino, Intel Centrino logo, Celeron, Intel Xeon, Intel Speedstep, Itanium, Pentium and Pentium III Xeon are trademarks or registered trademarks of
Intel Corporation or its subsidiaries in the United States and other countries. Microsoft and Windows are registered trademarks of Microsoft Corporation. Product names of MPC products are trademarks or registered trademarks of MPC
Computers, LLC. Other product names used in this publication are for identification purposes only and may be trademarks of their respective companies. Note: Advertised configurations may differ from award-winning configurations.
MPC recommends Microsoft
Windows
XP Professional.
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1999
F I R S T L O O K S
Multimedia PCs
BY JOEL SANTO DOMINGO
The f i rst two ver-
sions of the Apple
iMac G5 were won-
ders of design and
engineering, and the
newest version continues on
that same path. The newest
20-inch iMac G5 adds a few
features, including upgraded
graphics and a slightly fast-
er processor, while cutting
the price by $100. Its a great
desktop for Mac users whose
needs go beyond simple Web
browsing and e-mailing.
The integrated iSight cam-
erawhich is the main focus
of the new iMac upgrade
provides iChat A/V video-
conferencing capabilities as
well as the usual picture and
video webcam duties. A neat
novelty program called Pho-
to Booth lets you select lters
for self-portraits, giving your
iChat/AIM buddy pictures
visual qualities such as sepia
toning, X-ray coloring, and
other effects.
The Apple Remote with
Front Row interface gives the
iMac features very similar to
those of a Media Center, al-
beit, unfortunately, without
the TV tuner. Its a simple yet
powerful control panel with
the same sort of long-range
viewing capabilites found in
Wi ndows Media Cen-
ter Edition. The in-
cluded i nf rared
Remote looks like
a shrunken, thinner
iPod shuffle, with the same
ve-way control pads.
Together, the remote and
the Front Row software let
the user control iPhoto (slide
shows), iTunes (music), Vid-
eos (downloads and video
podcasts), and DVD movies
from the comfort of an easy
chai r. The Apple Remote
also works with the new iPod
Universal Dock, which can
control any variation of iPod.
Now that the multibutton
Apple Mighty Mouse is stan-
dard, users switching from
Microsoft Windows will feel
right at home.
The i Mac is power-
ful enough for light to
medium graphics duties,
as well as day-to-day of-
fice and graphics tasks.
Its still not cut out to be
a gaming machine, but its
a denite improvement on
previous models.
The iMac G5 with built-
i n iSight is a very good
reworking of an excellent
product, with additions that
enhance the all-in-one na-
ture of the iMac. Its a great
mainstream Mac desktop
for people whose comput-
ing needs extend beyond
the basic functions.
Apple iMac G5 (iSight)
With PowerPC G5 processor (2.1-GHz),
512MB 533-MHz DDR2 SDRAM,
250GB 7,200-rpm SATA hard drive, ATI
Radeon X600 XT graphics card, dual-
layer DVDRW drive, built-in 20-inch
widescreen LCD monitor, integrated
Apple sound card, Mac OS X 10.4,
$1,699 direct. Apple Computer Inc.,
www.apple.com. llllh
Set Your Sights on the Latest iMac G5
Sonys Near Perfect All-in-One PC
BY JOEL SANTO DOMINGO
T
he Sony VAIO VGC-
VA11G is a prime exam-
ple of how to combine
a PC and a TV. Despite a
few wrinkles that need to be
ironed out, this is one
of the more appeal-
ing all-in-one Media
Center PCs we ve
seen. Its impressive
widescreen monitor
makes watching DVDs
and widescreen TV
easy and enjoyable.
As a TV and DVR
combo, the system is
superb. It comes with
two 160GB SATA hard
drives, for a total of 320GB,
so it can record enough
programming for an avid
TV fan and hold tons of
pictures, music, and the like.
The 20-inch, 16:9 widescreen
is bright and clear for watch-
ing DVDs and TV programs
and playing the occasional
3D game.
The remote is a standard
Microsoft Windows Media
Center Edition model, but
its IR receiver is an external
USB device that stands out
from the systems otherwise
sleek design.
Once set up, the PC dis-
plays and records stutter-
free TV programming. With
Sonys Click-to-DVD integra-
tion and MCE Update Rollup
2 enhancements, you can eas-
ily get programming off your
Media Center to display on
other devices. Theres even a
utility that will help transfer
video, music, and pictures to
a Sony PlayStation Portable.
The VA11Gs USB, Fire-
Wire/i.LINK, and cable
TV ports are well situ-
ated on the sides of the
case, easily accessible
and barely visible from
the front.
However, the VA11Gs most
irritating feature is that it
forces you to use the remote
or wireless keyboard/mouse
to change channels or raise
and lower the volume.
In addition to Media Cen-
ter Edition 2005 with Update
Rollup 2, the VA11G comes
loaded with a good amount of
software, as well as a 3.2-GHz
Intel Pentium 4 640 processor
and 1GB of SDRAM.
Only a few little annoyanc-
es prevent us from recom-
mending that you chuck the
bedroom TV in favor of the
all-in-one Sony VAIO VGC-
VA11G PC. As a Media Center
PC, its one of the best.
Sony VAIO VGC-VA11G
With Intel Pentium 4 640 processor
(3.2-GHz), 1GB 533-MHz DDR2 SDRAM,
two 160GB 7,200-rpm SATA hard
drives in a RAID 0 array, ATI Mobility
Radeon X700 graphics card, dual-layer
DVDRW drive, 20-inch LCD wide-
screen monitor, integrated Sony sound
card, Microsoft Windows XP Media
Center Edition 2005 with Update Roll-
up 2, $2,200 direct. Sony Electronics
Inc., www.sonystyle.com. llllm

THE IMAC G5
allows users to go beyond
basic computing.
THE VA11G MEDIA CENTER
is practically perfect.
F I R S T L O O K S
Top Products
GAMING/MULTIMEDIA PROS CONS BOTTOM LINE SPECS AND SCORES
Dell XPS 400
$2,399 direct
llllh

Direct XPS customer support and
add-ons. Dual-core performance.
Nice widescreen display. Quiet.
Wireless keyboard and mouse.
Could use a bigger hard drive. Dells new luxury multimedia
desktop suits demanding users who
expect more from a system and
want the best available.
Intel Pentium D 840 530J (3.2
GHz), 1GB RAM, two 160GB hard
drives, 256MB nVidia GeForce 6800
graphics. Doom 3 (10x7): 82 fps.
Falcon Northwest X2-
4800 SLI
$5,671 direct
llllh
Blazing gaming performance.
Attractive automotive paint.
Generous 600GB of drive space and
3-year warranty.
Pricey. Fingerprints collect on case. The X2-4800 SLI delivers the rich
gaming experience you demand,
with the forward-looking technology
you need for games yet to come.
AMD Athlon 64 X2 4800+ (2.7 GHz),
1GB RAM, two 300GB drives, dual
256MB nVidia GeForce 7800 GTX
Voodoo
Omen a121
$6,023 direct
llllh
Media Center in a gaming system.
Blazing gaming performance.
Distinctive case. 1TB of hard drive
space.
Pricey. Internal sound card instead
of high-end Creative X-Fi solution.
The Omen excels as a gaming
system, and has Windows XP
Media Center Edition to boot.
AMD Athlon 64 FX-57 (3.0 GHz), 1GB
RAM, two 500GB hard drives, dual
256MB nVidia GeForce 7800 GTX
MEDIA CENTER
Dell Dimension E510
$1,299 direct
lllhm

Newer EM64T-compatible
processor. Twin TV tuners. Quiet
operation. Multimedia keyboard.
Hard drive is a little small for Media
Center with TV/PVR.
This is a good Media Center for
entry-level users or those moving
beyond basic multimedia tasks.
Intel Pentium 4 630 (3.0 GHz),
512MB RAM, 160GB drive, 256MB
ATI Radeon X600 HyperMemory
graphics, 17-inch LCD.
HP z555 DEC
$1,999 direct
llllm
HDTV tuner along with two
standard-def tuners. Sleek A/V
form factor. Quiet. HP Personal
Media drives. Plenty of I/O ports.
ATSC tuner doesnt work with
satellite or cable HDTV. Some
crashes and system slowdowns
with our early-production unit.
The z555s HDTV tuner is a nice
extra, with its own share of issues.
Otherwise, this is a feature-packed
Media Center PC.
Intel Pentium 4 530J (3.0 GHz),
512MB RAM, 250GB hard drive,
128MB nVidia GeForce 6600
Sony VAIO XL1 Digital
Living System
$2,300 direct
llllm
Included 200-disc CD/DVD changer.
More input/output ports than on
any other Media Center. 802.11g
Wi-Fi.
Changer is loud during some
operations. Single SDTV tuner.
Smallish hard drive.
The XL1 approaches Media Center
nirvana. You can load 200 CDs and
walk away while the system rips
them, then load 200 DVDs.
Intel Pentium D 820 (2.8 GHz),
256MB nVidia GeForce 6200
graphics.
ALL-IN-ONE
Apple iMac G5
$2,103 direct
lllll

Simple, stunning design. Quiet.
Just one cord (for power), thanks
to optional Bluetooth keyboard and
mouse. Gorgeous 20-inch screen.
Cant upgrade graphics. Built-in
speakers dont deliver much bass.
Apple has another design coup
on its hands with the iMac G5.
Its about time someone made a
computer like this.
PowerPC G5 (1.8 GHz), 512MB
RAM, 160GB hard drive, nVidia
GeForce FX 5200 Ultra graphics, 20-
inch widescreen LCD, DVD-R drive.
Sony VAIO VGC-V520G
$2,699.99 direct
llllh

Bright widescreen display. Great
TV tuner. Wireless keyboard with
built-in touch pad. Wireless mouse.
Lots of included software.
A little pricey. No HDTV support.
Needs TV/volume controls on the
PC/TV case bezel.
In the spirit of the Apple iMac, the
PC components reside behind the
VGC-V520Gs 20-inch LCD. But Sony
adds a TV tuner and a DVR.
Intel Pentium 4 (3.2 GHz), 1GB
RAM, 250GB hard drive, nVidia
GeForce FX Go5700 graphics, 20-
inch LCD. SYSmark: 174.
VALUE AND MIDRANGE
Compaq Presario
SR1620NX
$499 direct
llllm
Dual-layer DVD writer. Good
performance. DX9 graphics
capabilities. FireWire ports. Seven
USB ports. PCIe x16 expansion slot.
Lackluster 3D game performance. The SR1620NX has a lot of appeal
for entry-level users, and the
tech-savvy tinkerer will like the
expandability.
AMD Sempron 3400+ (1.8 GHz),
256MB ATI Radeon Xpress 200
graphics. SYSmark: 142.
Velocity Micro
Vector SX-V
$999 direct
llllh
Better-than-average graphics
card. Motherboard supports the
latest technologies. Loaded with
multimedia features.
Only one optical drive. The Vector SX-V offers the latest
technologies, a wide upgrade path,
and enough horsepower to satisfy
gamers and multimedia enthusiasts.
Intel Pentium 4 540 (3.2 GHz),
nVidia GeForce 6600 graphics.
SYSmark: 188.
BUSINESS
HP dx5150 Business
Desktop
$915 direct
llllm
Windows XP x64-capable. PCI x16
slot for graphics upgrades. AMD-
enhanced virus protection. Quiet.
Built-in dual-display capabilities.
Half-height slots. May not t your
current disk image directives.
The dx5150 benets from the
future-proong and hardware-
based virus protection that the
AMD Athlon 64 platform offers.
AMD Athlon 64 3500+ (2.2 GHz),
ATI Radeon Xpress 200 graphics.
SYSmark: 155.
Our Top Desktop PCs
Visit go.pcmag.com/desktops for the full reviews of these and scores of other top-rated systems.
ANALYST'S TIP
JOEL SANTO DOMINGO, Lead Analyst
All-in-one PCs are a good t for constrained spaces, such as a dorm room or studio apartment. Whats
more, if you opt for a PC with a TV tuner card, like the Sony VAIO VGC-VA11G, the PC can do double duty as
your TV set. All-in-ones are quiet enough to use in a living room or bedroom, and most have 20-inch wide-
screen panels, which are larger than even the largest 17-inch notebook LCDs.

F I R S T L O O K S
Business Software
BY KATHY YAKAL
TurboTax has been
our favorite person-
al tax-preparation
product more years
t han not , and t he
2005 version is no exception.
Intuit has made the interface
even sleeker and more under-
standable than it already was,
and abolishing the unwieldy
rebate structure eliminated
the pricing confusion that
plagued previous versions.
ItsDeductible, the deduction-
tracking program, is now
included, and theres a new
gift-card rewards offer.
If you regularly track per-
sonal finance information
using products like Quicken,
QuickBooks, Quicken Rental
Property Manager, or others
that export in TXF (Tax Ex-
change Format)or if you
access info from last years
t ax programTurboTax
helps you glide through the
import process. And as
always, you can enter
financial information
directly into TurboTax
forms or use the guided
tour, which poses ques-
tions and transfers your
answers to the correct
forms and schedules.
Even if you cant im-
port any data, a new
nav i gat i on s cheme
makes plowing through
your return simpler this
year. Youll f ind con-
tent divided into four
categories: Income, De-
ductions, Taxes & Credits,
and Miscellaneous, each of
which is further divided.
Clicking on Deductions, for
example, brings up 16 sub-
categories rangi ng f rom
Mortgage Interest to Child
Care Expenses.
A new and welcome ad-
dition, the Where Do I En-
ter button, lets you scroll
through the list of topics such
as childs return or enter a
search phrase to go directly
to the appropriate informa-
tion entry screen.
A Get Answers box takes
you to multiple levels of help
including tax-related FAQs,
Web-based support, and live
advice for $29.95 per topic.
When youve completed
your return, TurboTax
checks for items like your
eligibility for the Alter-
native Minimum Tax.
The software also looks
for possible errors, omis-
sions, and missed deduc-
tions and gives you an
opportunity to x them.
If you have a refund
coming, you can spend
some or all of it on the
$29.95 TurboTax Refund
Bonus program, which
lets you buy gift cards
from more than 50 retail-
ers at a discount.
In overall usability, guid-
ance, and added value, Turbo-
Tax has i mproved more
substantially than its com-
petitors this year, and its our
favorite to help guide you
through the annual tax maze.
TurboTax Premier 2005
$69.95 direct; e-le: $14.95 (free
with online version). Intuit Inc.,
www.turbotax.com. lllll
TurboTax Unravels Tax Maze
TaxCut Eases Tax Chores
BY KATHY YAKAL
H
&R Blocks TaxCut has
a long history of pro-
viding tax relief with
an annual release that vastly
simplifies tax preparation.
In addition, users can save
money on related software,
either as soon as they pur-
chase TaxCut or when
rebate checks appear.
The pr og r a m i s
top-notch as usual. It
covers the tax bases
thoroughly, using sim-
ple explanatory lan-
guage, and provides
a ton of guidance on
both simple and com-
plex topics. This years
release isnt exactly a
barnburner, but there
are some good addi-
tions that users will ap-
preciate.
The product si mpli f ies
things up front, in order to
save you the labor of entering
data. You can import informa-
tion from last years TaxCut or
any program that supports the
Tax Exchange Format (TXF).
A clean, simple interface
helps take some of the pain
out of your annual chore.
Li nks to mai n program
blocks sit at the top of the
page, with subtopics such as
Dependents, Income, Deduc-
tions, and Taxes below.
Click on one and the navi-
gational outline appears: It
not only lists the primary
content elements but
also displays any forms
youve already worked
on. Each is earmarked
as To Do, May Need,
In Progress, Done, and
Not Needed. We like
this convention, but
were surprised that
Block hasnt updated it.
Beyond the help of-
fered on the prepara-
tion screens, TaxCut
provides tons of be-
hind-the-scenes guid-
ance. Click the Help
button and a window displays
context-sensitive tax tips, IRS
instructions, and customer-
support information.
The biggest news this year
is the new Worry-Free Audit
Support. Premium purchas-
ers who successfully e-file
get free audit support from
H&R Blocks network of tax
professionals. TurboTax does
not have a similar offer.
Overall, theres not much
to criticize about TaxCut,
t hough wed love to see
an inter face overhaul that
would make its individual
parts more consistent. Wed
recommend that past users
of the product stick with Tax-
Cut for the 2005 tax year. For
new users, though, our pick
this year is rival TurboTax.
TaxCut Premium 2005
Premium + State: $49.99 direct; e-le:
free after rebate. H&R Block Digital
Tax Solutions LLC, www.taxcut.com.
llllh

TAXCUTS GUIDANCE IS BOTH abundant and
easily accessible.
TURBOTAX 2005 divvies up your
tax-related topics in a clean interface.
Bring Dead Spots
Back to Life!
45
40
35
30
25
20
15
10
5
10 164 328 492 656 820 984 1148 1312 1476 1640 1804
1969
o
u
td
o
o
r te
s
tin
g
re
s
u
lts
M
b
p
s
Feet
MIMO Solution
High Power Solution (Turbo G)
Standard 802.11g
Learn more www.buffalotech.com/pcmag1
Tired of hitting "dead spots" in your wireless network? Buffalo Technologys
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 youre 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.
Further & faster than Standard 802.11g. Further than MIMO Solutions.*
1
WHR-HP-G54
Wireless Smart Router
WLI-CB-G54HP
Wireless Notebook Adapter
WLI-TX4-G54HP
Wireless Ethernet Converter
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.
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I N S H O R T
For an in-depth look at these products,
go to go.pcmag.com/guides.
F I R S T L O O K S
Notebook PCs
BY CISCO CHENG
T
here's always been
much to like about the
Apple PowerBook 17-
inch ($2,499 direct), and the
latest version is no different.
The entire PowerBook line
(including the 12- and 15-inch
models) has gotten a boost,
with brighter displays, light-
er weights, and improved fea-
tures. And perhaps the best
part: Prices have dropped.
Processing power is fueled
by the 1.67-GHz Power PC G4
processor, which is not that
impressive. Apple has final-
ly made the move to DDR2
memory (from DDR)512MB
for the 17-inchbut we expect
at least 1GB standard for a
notebook of this size. Graph-
ics memory for the ATI Mo-
bility Radeon 9700 increases
to 128MB (from 64MB), which
helped the PowerBook score a
15.6 on Doom 3.
Apple has made some great
improvements to the Power-
Book 17-inch, including light-
ening the weight, brightening
the screen, and upgrading
components, while lowering
the price.
Apple PowerBook 17-inch
With PowerPC G4 1.67 GHz, 512MB
DDR2, 120GB hard drive, ATI Mobility
Radeon 9700, 17-inch widescreen,
AirPort Extreme 802.11g, SuperDrive
DVD+R DL, Mac OS X 10.4.2, $2,499
direct. Apple Computer Inc.,
www.apple.com. llllm
The new PowerBooks dis-
play is much brighter, thanks
to a combination of 36 percent
more pixels and new materi-
als that direct more light to
the front of the screen. It also
retains an anti glare coating.
Watching movies and editing
photos here is a treat.
We were disapointed that
the PowerBook 17-inch has
just two USB ports. It does
have two FireWire ports
FireWire 800 and FireWire
400which are great for con-
necting external drives and
DV camcorders. A DVI-D port
is located in the back for con-
necting to Apples breathtak-
ing flat-panel displays. The
SuperDrive DL (DVD+R
DL) is now standard,
and Ai rPort Ex-
t r eme 802 . 1 1 g
and Bluetooth 2.0
(EDR) are built in. Storage
is improved as well, with a
120GB, 5,400-rpm hard drive.
HPs Solid Desktop Replacement
BY CISCO CHENG
T
he thinner and lighter
HP Pavilion dv8000
is not as powerful as
its predecessor, the Pavil-
ion zd8000, but it serves as
a nice desktop replacement
notebook for moderate work-
loads. It uses the AMD Tu-
rion 64 ML-40 (2.2 GHz) and
has dual 100GB hard drives.
The dv8000 is the high-
end laptop in the Pavilion
line. It has slimmed down to
8. 2 pounds, well below the
9. 5-pound zd8000. The 17-
inch widescreen with HPs
BrightView screen is ideal
for multimedia tasks.
Like the HP Pavilion
dv4000, the dv8000 is
configured with Quick-
Play, which provides quick ac-
cess to DVDs and music les
in a preboot environment.
To our surprise, the dv8000
came with a Turion 64 ML-
40 processor instead of the
Pentium M processor found
on the dv4000. In PC Maga-
zine Labs testing, the 2. 2-
GHz Turion delivered very
good SYSmark 2004 SE per-
formance, but still fell behind
Pentium M systems. The ba-
sic ATI Mobility Radeon Ex-
press 200M with 128MB of
discrete memory wont get
you very far if youre a hard-
core gamer.
Performance may not be
commanding, but the fea-
tures are. You get four USB
ports, one FireWire port, and
a 6-in-1 card reader.
Its not a media-rich note-
book, but the dv8000 is a good
general-purpose computer
for small-business owners or
multitasking home users.
HP Pavilion dv8000
With AMD Turion 64 ML-40 (2.2 GHz),
1GB DDR, 200GB hard drive, ATI Mobil-
ity Radeon Xpress 200M, 17-inch wide-
screen, DVD+R dual-layer LightScribe,
Broadcom 802.11a/g, Microsoft
Windows XP Professional, $1,579 list.
Hewlett-Packard Development Co.,
www.hp.com. lllhm
Apple Gives PowerBook a Boost
Sony VAIO VGN-FJ
Series (FJ180)
Pros: Great new colors.
Integrated webcam.
Ample hard drive space.
Cons: Large AC
adapter. Lacks built-in
Bluetooth.
Bottom line: The FJ Series
brings color and affordability
to Sonys VAIO laptop line and
is a solid midrange system.
With Intel Pentium M 750 (1.86 GHz),
512MB DDR2, 100GB hard drive, Intel
Graphics Media Accelerator 900 GM,
14.1-inch display, DVD+R dual-layer,
Intel Pro Wireless 2200BG, Microsoft
Windows XP Home Edition, $1,599
direct. Sony Electronics Inc.,
www.sonystyle.com. lllhm
Sharp M4000
WideNote
Pros: Ultralight
weight. Good bat-
tery life. Bright
widescreen.
Cons: Has only a
DVD/CD-RW combo drive.
Too few USB ports. No FireWire.
Bottom line: Impressively light
for its size, though it needs
improvement on features.
With 1.73-GHz Intel Pentium M 740,
512MB DDR2, 80GB hard drive, Intel
13.3-inch color screen, DVD-ROM/CD-
RW drive, Intel Pro Wireless 2200BG,
Windows XP Professional, $1,799 list.
Sharp Systems of America,
www.sharpsystems.com. lllmm
Toshiba Satellite
M65-S809
Pros: Good bar-
gain. Bright 17-inch
screen. Number
pad. Colorful lids.
Cons: Poorly
designed mouse
buttons. Integrated
graphics.
Bottom line: An afford-
able desktop replacement
notebook with a bright 17-inch
widescreen and customizable
colored lids. Its ideal for home
or school.
With Intel Pentium M 740 (1.73GHz),
512MB DDR, 100GB hard drive, Intel
17-inch display, DVDRW drive, Intel Pro
Wireless 2200BG, Windows XP Home
Edition, $1,499 list. Toshiba America
Inc., www.toshiba.com. lllhm

THE NEW POWERBOOKS:
More for less.
A GOOD SOLUTION
for multitaskers.

F I R S T L O O K S
Top Products
BUSINESS PROS CONS BOTTOM LINE SPECS AND SCORES
HP Compaq nc8200
$2,699 direct
llllm

Durable design. Light, despite a
15.4-inch widescreen display. Good
battery life.
Client software is not as rich as
that of IBMs ThinkVantage.
Even with a 15.4-inch screen, the
nc8200 is well suited for the road.
Its lighter and less bulky than you
might expect.
Intel Pentium M 760 (2.0 GHz),
15.4-inch widescreen. 6.2 pounds.
SYSmark: 140. BatteryMark: 4:53.
Lenovo
ThinkPad T43
$2,199 direct
llllh
Next-generation Centrino.
Terric typing experience and
security options. Top-of-the-line
management utilities.
Only two USB ports. No memory
card slots.
Next-generation Centrino
components and a robust security
suite make the T43 the perfect
business tool.
512MB RAM, 60GB hard drive, 14.1-
inch screen. 5.5 pounds. SYSmark:
134. BatteryMark: 4:49.
Lenovo
ThinkPad Z60t
$1,879 direct
llllm
More screen real estate. Built-in
EV-DO WAN option. Even better
keyboard. Titanium cover option to
break from basic ThinkPad black.
Screen is not the high-gloss
transreective type found on other
widescreen notebooks.
With an updated look, a widescreen
display, and built-in EV-DO WAN
support, the Z60t will appeal to
business and home buyers alike.
17-inch widescreen. 5.1 pounds.
ULTRAPORTABLE
Fujitsu
LifeBook P1510
$1,649 direct
llllm
Pentium M processor. Use as a
notebook or tablet. Just 2.2 pounds.
Small keyboard. Small pen.
Microsoft Windows XP Tablet PC
Edition OS not an option (yet).
The P1510 is a tiny, lightweight
notebook that converts to a tablet.
Its a very good machine for those
who want a constant PC companion.
9-inch widescreen. 2.2 pounds.
BatteryMark: 2:17.
Lenovo ThinkPad
X41 Tablet
$1,900 street
llllh
Lightest convertible tablet. Fine
pen-on-paper feel. Fingerprint
reader. ThinkVantage security
system.
No built-in optical drive. Only 1,024-
by-768 maximum resolution.
Lenovos rst tablet is the lightest
convertible around, and the screen
has a perfect paperlike feel for
writing.
512MB RAM, 40GB hard drive, 12.1-
inch screen. 3.2 pounds.
Sony VAIO
VGN-TX670P
$2,199 direct
llllm
Integrated EDGE wireless WAN
radio. Built-in optical drive.
Instant-on features for multimedia
playback. Good battery life.
Cramped keyboard. The 2.7-pound TX670P has nearly
everything a road warrior could
hope for, including built-in WAN
support and an optical drive.
Intel Pentium M 753 (1.2 GHz), 1GB
RAM, 60GB hard drive, 11.1-inch
screen. 2.7 pounds. SYSmark: 100.
BatteryMark: 5:04.
MULTIMEDIA AND GAMING
NEW
Dell XPS
M170
$3,419 direct
llllm
Top-of-the-line graphics card.
Design t for gamers. Media Center
2005 OS.
Noisy mouse buttons. External TV
tuner. Premium price.
This new XPS notebook comes
with specialized, customer-centric
support, improved security, and
top-of-the-line components.
Intel Pentium M 770; 1GB RAM;
100GB hard drive; 17-inch
widescreen; 8.6 pounds; 3DMark 05:
6,500; MobileMark: 2:34
HP Pavilion
dv4000
$1,449 direct
llllh
Excellent performance. ATI Mobility
Radeon X700 graphics processor.
LightScribe optical burner.
Less-than-average battery life. Not
very portable.
A faster processor and dedicated
GPU make the latest dv4000 more
of a multimedia dream machine
than ever.
Toshiba Qosmio
G25-AV513
$2,999 list
llllh
Multitude of A/V features.
Designed for A/V rack. Terric
screen. Large hard drives.
Heavy. Shiny chassis prone to
ngerprints and dust. Below-
average battery life. TV-in dongle.
The G25-AV513 is the best
multimedia laptop weve seen,
especially when it comes to
integrating A/V features.
Intel Pentium M 760 (2.0 GHz), 1GB
RAM, two 60GB hard drives, 17-inch
widescreen. 9.4 pounds. SYSmark:
145. BatteryMark: 1:59.
VALUE
Dell Inspiron 6000
$1,024 direct
llllh

Great battery life. DVDRW
drive. Latest-generation Centrino
technology.
Price varies according to Dells
specials at a given time.
The Inspiron 6000 is a feature-rich
desktop replacement model. It
delivers top-end components for an
aggressive price.
Gateway M250X
$1,170 direct
llllm

Good performance and features for
the price. Good portability.
Battery life could be better. Not
built for gaming.
The M250X rides the line between
ultraportable and thin-and-light
notebook. Its not ashy, but it
delivers solid value for the money.
Our Top Notebook PCs
Visit go.pcmag.com/notebooks for the full reviews of these and scores of other top-rated portable PCs.
ANALYST'S TIP
CISCO CHENG, Lead Analyst
Upgrading your system memory is an inexpensive and relatively simple way to increase your notebooks
performance, especially if your notebook uses integrated graphics. Integrated graphics can hog up to 128MB
of your system memory, so if you dont already have 512MB of RAM, consider upgrading to at least that. And
if your notebook uses integrated graphics, I recommend upgrading to 768MB or even a full gigabyte (1GB).

J UMP TO NEXT PAGE >>
For many aggressive small and midsize businesses, not being mo-
bile may be competitively equivalent to marching backwards. These
companies realize that their employees ability to securely access in-
formation and transact business quickly while away from the ofce
can give them a competitive advantage. Their logic is simple: mobil-
ity leads to productivity, and productivity creates business benets
and value.
Cookie Time is a perfect example of this trend. Based in Christ-
church, New Zealand, Cookie Time manufactures, wholesales and
distributes the number-one cookie brand in the country. To reach the
largest possible marketplace, it uses 44 mobile distributors working
a wide range of geographical domains.
Todays mobility solutions from HP enable businesses to strengthen bonds with customers,
increase productivity, streamline operations and drive competitive advantage.
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are HP Direct prices, are subject to change and do not include applicable state and local sales tax or shipping to recipients destination. Reseller prices may vary. Other fees and restrictions may
apply. All images simulated. Intel, Intel Inside, the Intel Inside Logo, the Intel Centrino Logo and Intel Centrino are trademarks or registered trademarks of Intel Corporation or its subsidiaries in the
United States and other countries. Microsoft and Windows are U.S. registered trademarks of Microsoft Corporation. 2005 Hewlett-Packard Development Company, L.P.
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1
A DEAD END FOR ANYONE ELSE.
Smart Advice > Smart Technology > Smart Services
Successful as it is, Cookie Time was not
satised with the status quo. To maximize
the effectiveness of its mobile distribution
network, the company turned to HP and HP
business partner ROCOM Wireless for an
end-to-end mobile printing solution for its
distributors vans.
Being mobile, we realized our distribu-
tors would certainly be more effective if they
had the ability to print and access data on
the move, says Chris White, Cookie Times
manager of information systems.
Under the old system, Cookie Time dis-
tributors issued handwritten invoices to cus-
tomers, entered sales details into a book,
tallied invoices at the end of the day, then
faxed or mailed them back to the ofce.
Once at the ofce, data would be re-entered
by ofce staff.
So Cookie Time enlisted HPs help because,
according to White, HP was top of mind for us
as the leader in imaging and printing technol-
ogy. We naturally turned to HP when it came
to looking for a reliable, effective solution that
would bring value to our business.
BUSINESS BENEFITS
The resulting mobile digital printing solution
consisted of an HP Deskjet 450 infrared- and
Bluetooth*-enabled mobile printer installed
in each distribution van, as well as SalesLink
software for near-real-time access to order
processing and inventory update informa-
tion. Used in conjunction with smartphones,
the mobile printers generate invoices and
sales reports through infrared connectivity.
The solution integrated easily with Cookie
Times existing IT infrastructure, minimizing
the burden on IT staff.
Says White, As a robust, fully integrated
and economical system, HPs solution has
made life simple and has allowed our sales
force to be truly mobile. And for its size, the HP
Deskjet 450 has delivered on its promise of re-
liability, page economy and performance.
Cookie Times business benets have
been bountiful. Distributors save up to
an hour a day and minimize inaccuracies,
which allows them to spend more time with
customers. Perhaps the most productive
benet of the new mobile printing system
is the ability to gather near-real-time market
data that facilitates market analysis, deci-
sion-making and inventory planning.
The solution also has direct bottom-line
benets. White concludes, We believe the
benets of building customer condence as
well as collecting important sales data for de-
cision making would help us break even on
our initial investments within 12 months and
generate incremental sales in the future.
THE IT SIDE OF MOBILITY
Just as important to the success of any
mobility solution is the IT side of the equa-
tion. IT professionals must deploy reliable,
dependable, affordable mobility solutions
that enhance the business. These solu-
tions must be a natural extension of exist-
ing infrastructure, they must augment key
business applications, and they must be
secure, manageable and easy to use. Oth-
erwise, any solutionrather than enabling
IT staff to support the needs of the busi-
nesswill cause integration and support
headaches.
One of the keys to the success of the Cook-
ie Time solution was its easy integration with
the companys existing IT systems. Another
company thats reaping the rewards of an
easy-to-use mobility solution is Middleton
Lawn & Pest Control of Orlando, Florida.
Middleton has 23 branch ofces across
Florida to serve its 71,000 customers. In the
past, servicing customers involved stacks
of paperwork. Technicians created this pa-
perwork in the eld and mailed it to a dis-
trict ofce, where other employees would
use it to update the central customer data-
base. The old system also forced managers
to wait up to ve days for revenue and prod-
uct-usage data, which negatively impacted
customer service.
The company needed a reliable mobile
solution that was easy for eld technicians
to use. It chose the HP iPAQ Pocket PC run-
ning FMC Software Solutions SmartBiz Mo-
bile, an application optimized for the lawn-
care and pest-management business. Now,
when Middleton technicians arrive for work,
they download their days route to their iPAQ
devices via a wireless connection. Once they
reach their job sites, they have access to all
the customer information they need. At the
end of the day, the technicians return to the
ofce to upload their data to the companys
HP ProLiant servers. That data is available to
managers by the next morning.
This fall, HP added a few new and updated
members to its mobile device family, all
designed to make it even easier to stay con-
nected and productive while on the go. They
include the new HP iPAQ hw6515 Mobile Mes-
senger and HP iPAQ rx1950 series Pocket PC,
and upgrades to the existing HP
iPAQ hx2000 series Pocket PC.
The HP iPAQ hw6515 Mobile
Messenger ($649) is a global
communications device that
enables users to access the
digital content and services that
they need to stay connected
and productive. This device
features GSM/GPRS/EDGE and
Bluetooth* wireless technolo-
gies, as well as an integrated
GPS receiver, HP Photosmart 1.3
megapixel camera, and built-in
keyboard. Trial versions of
mobile applications for this and
other HP devices are available
for download from the HP Mobility Solutions
Evaluation Center (www.hp.com/go/
mobile-evaluation). The HP iPAQ rx1950
series Pocket PC is a powerful handheld with
an affordable price tag ($299). Its integrated
802.11b wireless capabilities let you stay
connected to email, applications and the
Internet as you move about. A bright color
display makes it easier to view documents,
images and Web pages in both portrait and
landscape modes.
The HP iPAQ hx2000 series has
been upgraded with the new
HP iPAQ hx2790 ($499), which
includes a biometric ngerprint
sensor, as well as the HP iPAQ
hx2490 ($399) and HP iPAQ
hx2190 ($349). All three run on
Windows Mobile 5.0, and feature
144MB available memory, dual
Compact Flash Type 2 and secure
digital expansion slots for ad-
ditional storage and peripheral
devices, integrated Bluetooth*
wireless to connect to
Bluetooth*-enabled printers
and other personal devices, and
powerful data and device security via HP Pro-
tectTools secured by CREDANT Technologies.
The iPAQ hx2490 and hx2790 also feature
integrated 802.11b wireless connectivity.
NEW WAYS TO STAY CONNECTED
The new HP iPAQ hw6515
Mobile Messenger is
a quad-band global
communications device.
[4a]
[5a]
An important aspect of the iPAQ installa-
tion to Middletons IT staff was the devices
usability. Within a few hours of training,
thanks to the iPAQs simple-to-use inter-
face, technicians were up and running and
productive. The acceptance of the new tech-
nology has been so favorable, it has enabled
the IT team to develop new mobile applica-
tions, including a module that will allow
technicians to track their hours. Middletons
IT staff is also developing a way to geo-code
customer data to calculate more efcient
service routesvia iPAQ Pocket PCs with
global positioning system modules.
Whats the bottom line for Middleton?
Outstanding, says Mike Reynolds, Middle-
tons director of information technology. HP
is helping us reduce both redundancy and
time of reporting, giving us a back-ofce ef-
ciency that we werent getting before. As a
result, we can use our human resources in
ways that will give our customers better ser-
vice and increase our opportunities to cross-
sell our other products.
With its back-ofce workload reduced 75
percent, Reynolds estimates that Middle-
ton saves $10,000 per month, and that
the project will pay for itself in less than a
year. Since deploying the iPAQ devices, the
company has added ve technicians and 10
salespeople without increasing the size of
its back-ofce staff.
Working with HP reseller and agent
PowerOne has helped Reynolds and his staff
deploy new HP equipment easily. Middleton
purchases equipment directly from HPs
Web site. PowerOne then provides imaging
services and delivery of the equipment to
Middletons branch ofces, along with war-
ranty support and networking services.
MANY CUSTOMERS,
MANY IDEAL SOLUTIONS
Mobility, like most applications, must be
shaped by business needthere is no one-
size-ts-all scenario. It starts with under-
standing business needs and objectives.
Only then is it possible to determine the
right mobility strategies and the right tech-
nology t.
Many companies use a combination of
different devices to create complete, on-the-
go solutions. Two such organizations are the
RE/MAX 1st Choice agency in Pleasanton,
California, and Albert Almeda Publicitat of
Girona, Spain.
Pleasanton RE/MAX 1st Choice owner and
lead broker Mike Hyles turned to HP solu-
tions to help him become more productive
on the road. Real estate agents dont make
any sales sitting in their ofces, says Hyles.
Previously, after printing a contract or offer
sheet, Hyles would either have to go to his
ofce or nd a nearby copy store in order to
make copies or fax the paperwork to all the
interested parties, then wait to get a signed
copy back to the prospective buyer. With
the amount of vehicle trafc in the area, it
can turn into a very time-consuming pro-
cess, says Hyles.
Today, Hyles takes his new wireless LAN-
enabled HP Compaq Tablet PC and HP Desk-
jet 450 mobile printer along to meetings
with customers, which often occur in one of
hundreds of wireless-enabled Starbucks cof-
fee bars. When the customer is ready to sign
a contract, Hyles takes advantage of Adobe
Acrobat 7.0 and the Tablet PCs drawing and
handwriting features, which allow the signa-
ture to be captured directly on screen. Hyles
then wirelessly faxes or emails the signed
electronic document from his tablet to other
relevant parties. He also provides customers
with a signed copy instantly, printed on his
HP Deskjet mobile printer.
If I had to go back to my ofce to produce
a contract, I probably would only be able
to handle one client per day, Hyles says.
I recently did two contracts in a day and
didnt have to go back to the ofce for ei-
ther. I did one at a Starbucks and the other
at the clients house with the Bluetooth*
wireless technology on the mobile printer.
With that kind of time savings, my sales
volume has increased signicantly with the
Tablet PC.
Indeed, thanks to HPs mobility solutions,
Hyles spends an estimated 90 percent of his
time away from his desk working with cli-
ents, which has helped establish him as one
of RE/MAXs leading brokers worldwide with
a top-10 ranking in agent productivity.
The Tablet PC has become invaluable to
me. I couldnt live without it, says Hyles.
Another company that uses HP technol-
ogy to help serve its clients better is Albert
Almeda Publicitat, a media company that
specializes in helping customers create
high-impact advertising campaigns. Since
company founder Albert Almeda works alone
and is out of his ofce most of the time, he
needed a mobile solution that would allow
him to access his centralized data no mat-
ter where he was working. Thats because he
was losing existing contracts and failing to
win new business since he couldnt access
the data that he needed unless he was sit-
ting in the ofce.
The answer was a solution that included
an HP iPAQ Pocket PC, an HP notebook run-
ning Microsoft
Outlook, a Vodafone mobile

phone featuring Bluetooth technology and
Symantec AntiVirus software to protect the
whole package. Now Almeda carries all the
information he needs on his iPAQ, which can
be connected to the Internet via the mobile
phone. Datawhich includes everything
from contact information to radio commer-
cials in MP3 formatcan be synchronized
with Almedas notebook quickly and easily,
so its always up-to-date.
The signicant time saved by this imple-
mentation is valuable in terms of increas-
ing revenue and has allowed me to become
more exible and focused in building client
satisfaction and loyalty, Almeda notes. HP,
Intel
, Vodafone, Microsoft and Symantec

made my mobile ofce possible. Its a huge
advantage having your entire ofce inside
your pocket and accessible through such
simple tools.
Real estate broker Mike Hyles believes that his
sales volume has increased signicantly thanks to
his wireless-enabled HP Compaq Tablet PC and
HP Deskjet mobile printer.
P R E S E N T I N G T H E H P C O M P A Q d c 76 0 0 U L T R A - S L I M D E S K T O P.
An open cubicle. An unwatched desktop. Sound like a security risk? Not if its an HP Compaq dc7600 Business Desktop, powered
by an Intel
Pentium
4 Processor with HT Technology. Your data is vigilantly guarded by our exclusive HP ProtectTools. Security
features are built into the desktop infrastructure, providing enhanced protection. Access is tightly controlled. Crucial passwords
are stored in a secure file. And you can remotely control users preferences and security settings. Having award-winning HP
support available 24/7 further adds to your sense of security. Secure desktops, competitively priced.
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1
WITH INSTANT SAVINGS
1. Instant savings good on purchases made through 2/28/06. Monitor sold separately. 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 recipients destination. Reseller prices may vary. Other fees and
restrictions may apply. All images simulated. Intel, Intel Inside, the Intel Inside 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 U.S. registered trademarks of Microsoft Corporation. 2005 Hewlett-Packard Development Company, L.P.
Smart Advice > Smart Technology > Smart Services
IT MAY LOOK LIKE A TARGET.
IN FACT, IT
S MORE LIKE A VAULT.

COMMON THREADS
As weve seen, the power behind mobility
lies in the ability to change the way work
gets done, so employees are more produc-
tive and the business gets better results.
Here are some common elements that small
and midsize businesses should demand
from their solutions and solution providers:
1. Simplicity. As illustrated by Middleton
Lawn & Pest Control, easy-to-use solu-
tions can free up IT staff time for more
strategic projects. Thats why HP mobility
solutions offer simple ways for businesses
to be more productivefrom exible pur-
chasing options that make solutions easy
to own, to local expertise that makes solu-
tions easy to customize and implement.
2. Security. Mobility solutions that dont
protect data can jeopardize a business.
Thats why HP offers safer ways to help
control and protect data while mobile. HP
offers the latest encryption technology in
its mobile devices as well as access con-
trols on many of its products. And HPs
PartnerONE network of over 200,000 local
experts can help companies nd the right
security solution.
3. Seamless connectivity. Mobility is all
about enabling access to business-critical
data. HP solutions provide better ways to
connect across voice and data networks
through features like self-sensing connec-
tivity. HP also works with over 200 global
network service providers.
THE HP MOBILITY
VALUE PROPOSITION
HP has a vast repository of mobility experi-
ence and expertise. Its combination of tech-
nology partnerships, product offerings and
global channel partners puts the company in
a unique position to meet customer needs.
HPs portfolio of proven, mobility-enabled
products includes desktops, notebooks and
handheld PCs, servers and storage systems,
and networking and management software
designed to accommodate mobile custom-
ers without increasing ITs workload.
HPs lineup of notebook and Tablet PCs
is among the most comprehensive in the
industry. It includes the HP Compaq nc8230
Notebook PC and HP Compaq nw8240 Mo-
bile Workstation, both available with 15.4-
inch widescreen displays; the affordable
HP Compaq nx6110 and nc6120 Notebook
PC systems with 15-inch displays; and the
HP Compaq nx6125 Notebook PC featuring
32- and 64-bitcompatible AMD Turion 64
Mobile Technology.
Theres also the ultra-mobile HP Compaq
nc4200 Notebook PC, weighing under 4
pounds; and the HP Compaq tc4200 Tablet
PC. The latter can be purchased with an out-
door-viewable display that delivers 67 per-
cent more contrast in bright sunlight with no
loss of battery lifegreat for professionals
who work outdoors or out of their cars.
Services are also important. With HPs
worldwide network of 70,000 partners,
customers can access HP mobility services
when and where they need them, from the
provider of their choice. Through HPs certi-
cation program, customers can expect con-
sistent, high-quality service.
One company that provides a great exam-
ple of HP end-to-end expertise and solutions
at work is Sebaly Shillito + Dyer (SS+D), a le-
gal professional association in Dayton, Ohio.
So-so service, weak product warranties and
increasing support costs from its old PC ven-
dor prompted SS+D to seek a better solution.
SS+D turned to HP for a technology re-
fresh, which included HP servers, note-
books, desktops and Tablet PCs,
along with printers, scanners,
projectors and networking gear,
all protected by extended war-
ranties. The equipment is leased
through HP Financial Services,
so technology is kept fresh and
payments are predictable.
The improvements in hardware reliability
alone have the potential of making the rm
more protable and more productive for its
clients, says Beverly Shillito, SS+D partner.
This level of reliability has not come at the
expense of the IT budget. According to SS+D
Information Systems Group Manager Brian
Clayton, Im working with nearly the same
IT budget we had in 1999, but our produc-
tion from that budget is probably four to ve
times what it was. Standardizing on HP to
refresh our IT has decreased help desk calls
to our department by 75 percent.
Claytons staff is now more focused on
developing a mobile network and helping
the rms litigators use technology in the
courtroom. SS+D also relies on HP when its
legal staff travels out of town. We opted for
the extended warranty Care Pack with the
follow-me plan, Clayton explains, so our
people with laptops are covered when they
are on the go.
Today, HP mobility solutions are enabling
remote and mobile workers to access infor-
mation and business applications away from
their desks. Employees are using this new-
found advantage to work more productively,
better satisfy their customers and generate
more sales. HP understands mobility. It also
knows how to design hardware,
applications and services that
meet the needs of mobile work-
ers and the IT departments that
support them.
[8a]
* Bluetooth is a trademark owned by its proprietor and used by Hewlett-Packard Company under license.
Microsoft is a US registered trademark of Microsoft Corporation. Intel is a trademark or registered trade-
mark of Intel Corporation or its subsidiaries in the United States and other countries.
To download a
white paper on this
topic, visit http://
hpsmartbusiness.
ziffdavis.com
Copyright 2005 Hewlett-Packard
Development Company, L.P.
I N S H O R T
F I R S T L O O K S
Mobile Devices
mini-USB cable or over a
Bluetooth connection.
Speaker-independent voice
commands are part of the
PEBLs features, which is a big
step forward from the RAZR.
And they work with
Bluetooth headsets.
The photos tak-
en with the PEBLs
VGA camera had a
serious case of the
jaggies, and the
video recordi ng
mode works but is
of such poor qual-
ity that its basi-
cally useless. You
can play AAC and
MP3 ringtones with
the PEBL, and with
the phones 7MB
of built-in memory
you can even pack
in a fair number
of them, as well as
some games. Gam-
i ng performance
wasnt great, but it
was on a par with
that of the RAZR.
Treat your PEBL
with loving care. We
dropped ours from waist
height several times onto car-
peted or rubber floors, usu-
ally causing it to ip open on
impact, though it sustained
no apparent damage. We also
suspect the PEBLs hinge has
more give than those on stur-
dier phones.
Theres no other phone that
looks like the PEBL. Youll be
buying it because of its unusu-
al design. Design mavens may
also want to check out the
more feature-heavy Samsung
T809 slider phone, though.
T-Mobile will sell the PEBL
for a reasonable $199 after re-
bates. For a beautiful device
that will surely become an
icon, thats a bargain.
Motorola U6 PEBL
$299.99 list; as low as $199.99 with
contract. Motorola Inc., T-Mobile,
www.tmobile.com. lllhm
BY SASCHA SEGAN
M
otorolas PEBL has
t he smoot h con-
tours and weight
of a pet rockone you might
have plucked out of some
lovely volcanic mountain
stream during a Hawaiian
sojourn. As befits a succes-
sor to the RAZR, the PEBL
doesnt have many high-end
features, but it is one exceed-
ingly stylish voice phone.
Where the RAZR is angu-
lar, the PEBL is round, thicker
(1.9 by 3.4 by 0.8 inches), and
slightly heavier (3.8 ounces).
Its more of a phone to drop
in your purse than a phone
to slip into your pocket. You
open it by placing your thumb
on the Motorola logo and
moving it slightly forward;
the phone then flips up in a
smooth motion. Inside is a
very shiny plastic keypad
one that resembles (though
doesnt quite feel like) metal.
In fact, the whole PEBL
feels a little organic, a little
mineral, a little like a sea-soft-
ened stonethus the name.
You want to rub it, turn it in
your hands, and handle its
slight but noticeable weight.
Its the rst phone weve had
in our hands that could re-
place a set of worry beads.
Si nce a color external
screen would obviously clash
with its design and mar the
PEBLs perfection, Motorola
instead employs a basic mono-
chrome, text-only display on
the outside, showing
the time and caller
ID information.
The color screen
inside is decently
bright, though
its too reective
in sunlight, and
it has the same
176- by 220-pixel
resolution as the
RAZRs screen. Alas, both
the main screen and the shiny
keypad are horrendous nger-
print magnets, so you might
just want to keep a soft cloth
in the vicinity of your PEBL.
Reception with the
PEBL seemed good
on t he T- Mobi l e
network, and sound
t hrough t he ear-
piece was unusu-
ally sharp and clear,
though neither the
earpiece nor t he
bui lt-i n speaker-
phone were very
loud. We found that
transmission qual-
ity wasnt as good
as reception qual-
ity; voices transmit-
ted from the PEBL
sounded sl ightly
f uzzy. Li ke t he
RAZR, the phone
is quad-band for
the best possible
i nt er nat i ona l
roaming experience. Battery
life, at well over 8 hours of
talk time, was very good.
The PEBL comes with all
the necessary basic Bluetooth
1. 2 profiles for supporting
headsets, file transfer, and
dial-up networking over the
phones slow (30- to 40-Kbps)
GPRS modem. We hooked
up a Plantronics headset
and also sent les to and
from both a Mac G5 and
a Lenovo ThinkPad; all
the devices paired eas-
ily. The PEBL doesnt
connect to Appl es
iSync, at least so far,
but youll be able to
sync calendars and
contacts with Moto-
rolas Mobile Phone Tools
software through a standard
Another Design Coup for Motorola
Aeronix ZipIt
Wireless Messenger
Pros: Very easy to use.
Supports AIM, MSN,
and Yahoo! instant
messaging. Auto-
matic updates.
Cons: No support for WPA
(yet) or networks with
Web-based gateway pages.
Keyboard drops characters if
you type too fast.
Bottom line: The ZipIt is a
ne way to get IMing kids off
the family PC, as long as they
dont type very fast.
$99 list. Aeronix Inc., www
.zipitwireless.com. lllhm
Samsung SGH-e635
Pros: Tiny. Easy to use.
Cons: Mediocre call
quality.
Bottom line: The cutest
slider phone available
today, the Samsung
SGH-e635 is more about
looks than performance.
$199.99 list; as low as $149.99 with
service. Samsung, T-Mobile,
www.tmobile.com. lllmm
Nokia 6255i
Pros: Bluetooth. MP3
player with memory
card. FM radio.
Cons: A bit chunky.
Screens are dull.
Bottom line: This pretty
good midrange ip
phone helps bring
Bluetooth to the
CDMA masses.
$249.99; as low as $129.99 with
service. Nokia, Alltel, Cellular One,
MetroPCS, www.alltel.com. lllmm
Sprint PM-225
by LG
Pros: Small and light.
Excellent ergonomics
and call quality.
Cons: Lousy camera.
Short on memory.
Bottom line: This is a
good little voice phone
with a very basic camera.
$219.99; as low as $49.99 with
service. LG, Sprint, www.sprint.com.
llhmm

YOU WONT
WANT TO KEEP
your hands off the
PEBLs stylin handset.
THIS RAZR follow- up
has a more rounded look.
F I R S T L O O K S
HDTVs
BY ROBERT HERON
T
he 37-inch Westing-
house LVM-37w1 LCD
TV has garnered at-
tention by offering native
1080p (1,920-by-1,080 pixels)
resolution for under $2,000.
Its two-megapixel resolu-
tion unleashes the detail of
high-definition TV and PC
content, but it wasnt quite
as impressive with standard-
denition content, including
DVD video.
You get a surprising num-
ber of quality video inputs
for a value display, including
two for component video,
one for VGA, and a pair of
DVI-D connections that are
HDCP-enabled for protect-
ed sources. But the lack of
an integrated TV tuner rel-
egates the LVM-37w1 to HD
Ready status.
The 2-i nch-wide si lver
bezel with matte nish is at-
tractive; we just wish that
the distracting LED
stat us l i ght on t he
lower-right section
had a dimmer func-
tion. The monitors
display modes, includ-
ing picture-in-picture
and picture-beside-
picture, had surpris-
i ng l y f ew s our ce
limitations.
In the lab, the LVM-
37w1 managed its best
per f or ma nce usi ng
a DVI connection, which
offered improved color accu-
racy and image clarity as well
as access to the full 1080p res-
olution of the monitor.
Impressively, the LVM-
37w1 managed an average
contrast ratio of 719:1 (DVI
i nput), pl aci ng it second
overall among the at-panel
LCD TVs weve tested. The
backlight control was ideal
for adjusting the image to suit
ambient lighting conditions.
The most si gni f i cant
shortcoming was a subpar
video processor that was
ineffective at deinterlacing
standard-definition (480i)
video, which caused a loss of
image detail and poor sup-
pression of image artifacts.
Our resolution tests revealed
that the LVM-37w1 couldnt
quite resolve all of the detail
of a 1080i video signal,
but 720p signals were
well-dened.
Disappointingly, the
monitors analog video
quality grew increas-
ingly worse in terms of
col or accur acy a nd
detail perseveration as
we moved from compo-
nent to S-Video to com-
posite video input. The
lack of advanced color
controls limits the ability to
ne-tune output.
The monitor achieves its
low price by eliminating ex-
tras found in more expensive
LCDs. Still, the Westinghouse
LVM-37w1 is undeniably one
the most affordable ways of
enjoying 1080p resolution on
a larger at-panel display.
Westinghouse LVM-37w1
$2,000 street. Westinghouse Digital,
www.westinghousedigital.com. OVER-
ALL lllhm Image Quality lllmm
Value llllm Usability lllhm
Mind-Blowing Images, Not a Bad Price
Quality Viewing Out of the Box
BY ROBERT HERON
T
he Panasoni c TH-
42PX50U 42 - i nc h
high-denition plasma
television offers a quality
viewing experience right out
of the box, but there are com-
petitors that offer compa-
rable image quality and more
digital input options.
The TH-42PX50U
has a native resolution
of 1,024-by-768 (non-
square pi xels), so it
isnt a high-definition
device i n the truest
sense (since it doesnt
have enough pixels to
draw a 1, 280-by-720
HDTV i mage). A/V
connections include
one HDMI port, a pair
of component video in-
puts, and a CableCARD slot.
I ntegrated ATSC/NTSC
tuners allow for reception of
over-the-air digital TV and
analog broadcasts. The TV
lacks DVI or VGA inputs or
a second digital video input
(DVI or HDMI).
The remote control, how-
ever, is one of the best weve
seen. Its slender shape makes
it easy to operate with one
hand, each button is fully il-
luminated by the backlight,
and it can control up to six
additional A/V components.
We were pleased with the
TVs default picture quality,
and three presets (Standard,
Cinema, and Vivid) provide
a quick way to optimize
the picture for lighting
conditions.
Image quality using
the integrated over-the-
air HD tuner was quite
good. But there are no
image scaling/stretch-
ing options, so content
with a 4-to-3 aspect ra-
tio that is broadcast in
HD gets sandwiched
bet ween pi l l ar bars
along the left and right
sides. Our results with the
challenging Silicon Optix
HQV Benchmark DVD tests
revealed the TH-42PX50Us
video processor to be quite
adept at suppressing MPEG
and video noise arti facts
without sacricing detail.
In the lab, we found that
the not-quite-HD resolution
prevented the set from fully
resolving the ner details of
our 720p and 1080i test pat-
terns. HD imagery on TH-
42PX50U appeared softer
and less distinct than on the
Westinghouse LVM-37w1.
The Pa n a s on i c TH-
42PX50U is a good choice
if you need a plasma tele-
vision with an integrated
CableCARD slot, and you
can get by with a single digi-
tal video input.
Panasonic TH-42PX50U
$2,999.95 list. Panasonic,
www.panasonic.com. lllhm

SUPERIOR RESOLUTION for
the budget-conscious.
THE TH-42PX50U
is not quite HD.
I N S H O R T
F I R S T L O O K S
Displays
BY JOHN R. DELANEY
T
aking a page from
Apples style guide,
Samsungs Sync-
Master 193p Plus bucks
the traditional busi ness
black monitor trend. The
SyncMasters 1,280-by-1,024
19-inch LCD panel is housed
in a glossy white case with a
thin silver bezel and sits atop
a round silver MagicStand
swivel base. A dual-hinged
arm provides tilt and pivot
capabilities and can adjust
height, although height is
limited to 2.5 inches from the
desktop surface, a tad short for
the 6-foot-plus crowd. A nice
feature is the combination
of MagicPivot and PivotPro
software that automatically
rotates the screen i mage
when the panel is ipped for
portrait mode viewing.
Two video i nputs (DVI
and analog) are built into
t he base, along wit h t he
activate by pressi ng and
holding the power button.
Usi ng i mages from our
Di spl ay Mate tests (www
.displaymate.com), the Sync-
Master 193p Plus performed
well in both analog and digi-
tal modes, although its light-
grayscale performance was
slightly better when we were
using a DVI connection.
The 193p Plus handled
movie playback and game
play smoothly, thanks to
the monitors 8-ms midtone
(gray to gray) pixel-response
rating.
Budget-conscious consum-
ers and businesses may nd
the SyncMasters $500 price
tag a bit too high for a 19-inch
LCD, but if performance and
aesthetics are important, we
think the 193p Plus is a real
bargain.
SyncMaster 193p Plus
$500 street. Samsung Electronics
America, www.samsung.com. llllm
brick-style power connector.
Analog and DVI cables are
included in the box. Other
than a blue backlit power but-
ton, the monitor is devoid of
function buttons. Instead, all
adjustments are performed
via Samsungs MagicTune
utility, with the exception
of auto-adjust, which you
An IT-friendly LCD
BY JOHN R. DELANEY
T
he Philips 200W6 is an
attractive choice for
busi ness users who
need to view multiple docu-
ments simultaneously but
dont have the desk space for
dual displays. The 20-inch
widescreen LCD panel, with
a native resolution of 1,650-
by-1,050, delivers good im-
ages, and the price is right.
A narrow bezel frames the
16:10 screen on the top and
sides. The lower bezel is wid-
er and holds two integrated
2-watt stereo speakers.
The panel sits on a round
base that uses a lazy Susan
mechanism for swiveling and
a dual-hinged arm for tilt and
height adjustments.
A recess in the back panel
contains DVI and analog in-
puts and a power connector.
Below the recess are audio-in
and headphone jacks as well
as a USB port for connecting
to a PC. Another USB port is
on the left side of the display.
The 200W6 comes with
DVI, analog, audio, and USB
cables. It also has SmartMan-
age, a LAN-based
IT management tool.
Our DisplayMate image-
quality tests in both analog
and digital modes showed
that color scales were well
defined, screen backlight-
ing was uniform, and overall
color quality was good.
The 200W6 rendered text
well down to 6. 8 points (9
pi xels), but smal ler fonts
were illegible.
Moderat e smea r i ng
of moving images on our
motion tests was typical
of an LCD with a 16-ms rat-
ing for pixel response. DVD
movies looked good on the
widescreen. We were very
impressed with the monitors
wide viewing angle.
Philips 200W6
$599.99 list. Koninklijke Philips
Electronics N.V., www.philips.com.
llllm
Samsungs $500 SyncMaster
Philips 190P6
Pros: Good image
quality in DVI mode.
Lots of features.
Pivots for portrait-
mode viewing.
Cons: Expensive.
Mediocre analog
performance.
Bottom Line: The Philips
190P6 is a versatile 19-inch
LCD monitor thats loaded with
features, including built-in
speakers, a four-port USB
hub, and a fast (8-ms) pixel-
response time. But at nearly
$600, it is a bit pricy.
$579.99 list. Koninklijke Philips
Electronics N.V., www.philips.com.
lllhm
Planar PX1910M
Pros: Good DVI
performance. Highly
adjustable. Excellent
viewing-angle perfor-
mance.
Cons: Weak analog
light-grayscale perfor-
mance. Lacks necessary cable
management.
Bottom Line: The Planar
PX1910M boasts a fast pixel-
response rate, plenty of fea-
tures, and better-than- average
image quality when used
with a digital signal. However,
its analog performance was
awed.
$469 list. Planar Systems Inc.,
www.planar.com. lllhm
Sony
SDM-S95D
Pros: Ultra-thin
bezel. Dual video
inputs. Excellent
text output.
Cons: The display
lacks height adjust-
ment. Does not support
pivot rotation.
Bottom line: The Sony SDM-
S95D may not be the most
exible 19-inch LCD out there,
but if good image quality and
sleek lines are key, this monitor
belongs on your short list.
$470.99 list. Sony Electronics Inc.,
www.sony.com. lllhm

THIS 20-INCH WIDESCREEN
is ideal for business users.
SAMSUNG BUCKS TRADITION
with this stylish LCD.
F I R S T L O O K S
Projectors
BY M. DAVID STONE
A big part of what
makes t he Real i s
SX50 ($5,000 street)
wort h notici ng i s
that its built around
LCoS (l iquid cr yst al on
silicon) technology. If you
havent heard of LCoS, its
because there havent been
many LCoS projectors to
hear about. With the SX50,
LCoS takes a big step towards
becoming mainstream.
At 3.8 by 11.3 by 11.2 inches
and 8.6 pounds, the SX50 is
reasonably portable.
Granted, thats a
little heavy to
lug around on
every business
trip, but thanks
to the Canon AI-
SYS (Aspect ual
Illumination System)
engine its built around, the
SX50 is the lightest LCoS
projector on the planetby
several pounds. The native
SXGA+ (1,400-by-1,050) reso-
lution is both a strong point
and a potential problem. With
this level of resolution, slides
with lots of text and detail
like large worksheets and en-
gineering drawingsbecome
highly readable. Unfortunate-
ly, SXGA+ is only beginning to
become widespread. You may
have to buy a new systemor
at least a new video cardto
use it.
The SX50 offers plenty
of connectors, with inputs
for S-Video, component and
composite video, audio, and
both analog and digital com-
puter signals. We tested with
both digital and analog con-
nections.
Our measured 1, 428 lu-
mens is only 57 percent of
the brightness that Canon
claims for the unit, but its still
enough to use with brighter-
than-usual lighting. One ge-
neric problem with
LCoS projectors is a
relatively low con-
trast ratio. And, in-
deed, we measured
the SX50 at just 99:1.
But we saw none of the
dulling of the image that
you would normally expect
with such a low contrast ratio.
Instead, the image retained
its cri spness, and colors
popped off the screen, prov-
ing that rich, fully saturated
colors can make up for a low
contrast ratio. Even better,
as we expect from an LCoS
projector, the images we saw
were not marred by either
the screen-door effect com-
mon to LCD projectors or the
rainbow effect common to
DLP projectors.
On our DVD video tests,
the S-Video image quality
was excellent, though it paled
in comparison to the 720p
HD video clips that Canon
supplied for playing through
Windows Media Player. Alas,
we had to strain to hear the
audio at full volume from just
a few feet away. But thats
a minor f law in an excel-
lent projector, and its easily
solved with an external audio
system. If you can make use
of SXGA+ resolution, put the
SX50 high on your short list.
Canon Realis SX50
$5,000 street. Canon U.S.A. Inc.,
www.usa.canon.com. llllm
LCoS: A Better Way to Project
A Lightweight Looker
BY M. DAVID STONE
A
lthough the Sony VPL-
CX20A, at 4.2 pounds,
isnt the lightest pro-
jector weve reviewed, its
light enough to carry around.
Its also strong on conve-
nience feat ures, and t he
three-panel, XGA-resolution
(1,024-by-768) LCD engine
delivers a reasonably bright,
high-quality image.
This is one of the best-
looki ng projectors we ve
seen, with a sleek, consumer-
electronics style casebut
the design is a little too con-
cerned with looking good,
and usability suffers. With
the controls hidden on the
side, you cant read the labels
easily, and hitting the wrong
button is too easy.
Fortunately, though, you
can do everything through
the remote, which, like the
menus, i s wel l designed
and easy to use. One of the
remotes nicer touches is
the control it gives of zoom,
autofocus, and even tilt, to
raise and lower the image.
There is no remote mouse
control, however.
The units two connectors
are also on the side. One is for
HD-15 VGA, which can trans-
fer an analog computer signal
or component video. The
other is proprietary
and accepts a
supplied cable
that ends with its
own inputs for S-
Video, composite
video, and audio. Sony
also supplies a VGA cable.
The compa ny cl a i ms
brightness ratings of 1, 500
lumens for standard mode
and 2,000 for bright mode.
We measured standard at
1,177, which is enough to make
a reasonable-size image view-
able in normal lighting con-
ditions. In bright mode, we
measured 1,583 lumens, which
can stand up to brighter-than-
usual lighting. Contrast ratio
in both modes was 91:1, a rela-
tively low score.
Our DisplayMate (www
. di spl aymate. com) test s
turned up one image- quality
issue worth mentioning: The
darkest shades tended to
blend into each other, which
blurs detail in dark areas of an
image. The problem showed
up on our video tests as well,
although you can minimize
it with a feature intended for
video that dynamically re-
maps image shades to show
detail better. Otherwise, im-
age quality was good. Audio,
however, was barely loud
enough for a small ofce.
If you need a portable pro-
jector, these minor issues will
be outweighed by the
Sony VPL-CX20As
light weight and by
convenient features
such as autofocus
and remote tilt that
make setup easy.
Sony VPL-CX20A
$1,850 street. Sony Electronics
Inc., www.sony.com/professional.
lllhm

THE REALIS SX50
really makes colors pop.
THIS PROJECTOR
puts style over function.
Whens the time to replace your old systems?
(When you finally say enough is enough.)
2006 CDW Corporation
MONITORS PROS CONS BOTTOM LINE SPECS
NEW
Samsung
SyncMaster 204T
$599 direct
llllh
Excellent digital image quality.
Fully adjustable stand. Wide
viewing angles.
Average analog performance. With a Brillian 20-inch LCD panel,
sleek lines, and a exible stand,
the 204T delivers excellent digital
performance at an affordable price.
20-inch LCD (1,600-by-1,200), 4:3
aspect ratio, 16-ms claimed pixel
response rate.
Samsung SyncMaster
213T
$899 list
llllh
Portrait-mode rotation. Excellent
image quality. Analog and digital
connections and cables.
Weak printed documentation.
Smearing on moving images.
The SyncMaster 213T is an
excellent monitor, from the high-
quality LCD panel to the design
detail throughout.
21.3-inch LCD (1,600-by-1,200), 4:3
response rate, portrait mode.
PC MONITOR/TV HYBRIDS
Samsung SyncMaster
930mp
$700 street
llllm
Excellent viewing angle. Good
image quality. Built-in TV and FM
radio tuners.
Stand lacks height adjustment and
does not swivel. Does not include
DVI cable.
Featuring built-in TV and FM radio
tuners and a wide array of connec-
tion options, this multipurpose
display is worth every penny.
19-inch LCD (1,280-by-1,024), 4:3
response rate. Contrast ratio:
1,000:1.
Sony MFM-HT75W
$600 street
llllm

Great image quality. Well-designed
remote control. Incorporates
analog audio/video inputs and an
integrated NTSC TV tuner.
Screen technology is best suited for
light-controlled environments.
Delivering great image quality
and a useful selection of A/V
features, the MFM-HT75W handled
everything we threw at it with ease.
17-inch LCD (1,280-by-768),
NTSC tuner, 16:10 aspect ratio,
16-ms claimed pixel response rate.
Contrast ratio: 800:1.
BUSINESS PROJECTORS
Dell 1100MP
$799 direct
llllh

Lots of premium features at an
extremely low price. Generally
good image quality. Rugged
carrying case.
Focus is soft in upper corners.
No mouse function on remote.
Standard warranty covers only
one year.
Dell has created a winning projector
by paying attention to detail. The
1100MP delivers much more than its
stripped-down competitors.
SVGA (800-by-600) DLP engine,
1,400 claimed lumens (1,429
tested), 4.9 pounds.
NEW
Canon Realis SX50
$5,000 street
llllm

LCoS technology sidesteps common
problems of both DLP and LCD
projectors. Bright image. Excellent
color and image quality.
Your system may not support the
SXGA+ (1,400-by-1,050) resolution.
Volume on the built-in speakers is
barely loud enough to ll a closet.
The Realis SX50 is the lightest LCoS
projector on the market so far, and
it goes a long way toward fullling
the promise of LCoS.
SXGA+ (1,400-by-1,050) LCOS
engine, 2,421 claimed lumens
(1,428 tested), 8.6 pounds.
ViewSonic PJ256D
$1,500 street
llllm

Impressively small and light (2.2
pounds). Surprisingly bright image
for its size (1,581 lumens).
No on-board audio. Needs up to 2
minutes to cool down before you
can pack it up.
Weighing just 2.2 pounds, the
PJ256D is light enough to bring
along all the time, and delivers a
bright, high-quality image.
XGA (1,024-by-768) DLP engine,
1,500 claimed lumens (1,581
tested), 2.2 pounds.
HDTVS
Brillian
6501mPB
$5,999 list
llllh
Natural image quality (with
good video sources). Illuminated
universal remote. Best-in-class
contrast ratio.
Lacks an integrated HD tuner.
Needs professional installation.
Mediocre composite video quality.
The 6501mPB ranks as the best
RPTV we have seen to date. But
achieving optimal image quality is
best left to an installation pro.
65-inch LCoS RPTV, 1,280-by-720,
ATSC, CableCard, NTSC tuners.
Viewing angle: 170 degrees (horiz.).
Contrast ratio: 2,000:1.
Dell W4200
HD Plasma TV
$2,799 direct
llllm
Solid image quality. Good on-screen
display controls. Dual built-in
tuners (NTSC and ATSC). Good
price.
Needs some color/brightness/
contrast adjustments out of the box
because default settings look a bit
washed out.
Its tough to beat this deal. The
42-inch Dell W4200 HD Plasma TV
delivers very good image quality at
a very competitive price.
42-inch plasma, 1,024-by-768,
NTSC and ATSC tuners. Viewing
angles: 170 degrees (horiz. and
vert.). Contrast ratio: 2,300:1.
Optoma
MovieTime DV10
$1,499.99 list
llllm
Good image quality. Quiet
operation. Portable. Advanced
image controls.
Recessed S-Video input
incompatible with some premium
A/V cables.
The MovieTime provides good
image quality and quiet operation,
delivering a complete portable
cinema package at a fair price.
DLP front projector, 854-by-480,
DVD player. Maximum image size:
99 inches. Contrast ratio: 4,000:1.
Brightness: 1,000 lumens.
Sharp Aquos
LC-45GX6U
$7,499.99 list
llllm
Detailed imagery. Responsive
universal remote control.
Comprehensive and quick menu
system. Analog and digital tuners.
Lacks support for 1080p input via
DVI/HDMI. Minor grayscale/color
tracking problems.
The LC-45GX6U offers impressive
clarity with high-quality HDTV. Its
the best of the big 1080p LCD TVs
available today.
45-inch LCD, 1,920-by-1,080, ATSC,
CableCARD, NTSC tuners. Viewing
angles: 170 degrees (horiz. and
vert.). Contrast ratio: 800:1.
F I R S T L O O K S
Top Products
Our Top Displays
Visit go.pcmag.com/displays for the full reviews of these and scores of other top-rated monitors, projectors, and HDTVs.
ANALYST'S TIP
JOHN R. DELANEY, Lead Analyst
LCD monitors with built-in speakers can help you reclaim valuable desktop real estate (especially in a
cramped home ofce or studio apartment), but the speakers are generally underpowered and produce
tinny output with very little bass response. In most cases, a cheap set of desktop speakers will sound
exponentially better, particularly when it comes to listening to music.

New systems help you work better and faster.
Upgrading your systems means upgrading your productivity. At CDW, we have the top-name desktops, notebooks
and servers to do just that. Our account managers provide fast answers to your product questions. And with access
to the industrys largest in-stock inventories, youll get what you need, when you need it. So get new systems today,
and start benefiting tomorrow.
(In other words, theyre actually good enough.)
SMART BUY
$300 INSTANT
SAVINGS
2
Intel
Centrino
TM
Mobile Technology
- Intel
Pentium
M Processor 740 (1.73GHz)

- Intel
PRO/Wireless 2200 Network Connection (802.11b/g)

Memory: 512MB
CD-RW/DVD-ROM combo drive
15" active-matrix display
HP Compaq nc6120
Recommended accessories:
HP Docking Station $149 (CDW 808964)
HP Secondary Travel Battery $129 (CDW 810189)
Intel
Centrino
TM
Mobile Technology
- Intel
Pentium

- Intel
PRO/Wireless 2200 Network

Connection (802.11b/g)
Memory: 256MB
14.1" active matrix display
ThinkPad T42
ThinkPlus 512MB memory upgrade $139 (CDW 547666)
ThinkPlus port replicator $149 (CDW 461019)
$
1099
NOTEBOOK
CDW 699585
$
1299
-
200 TRADE-IN
1
$
949
NOTEBOOK
CDW 817916
$
1149
-
200 TRADE-IN
1
1
Eligible processors include Intel Pentium II, III or Intel Celeron Processor; AMD processors do not qualify; trade-in values are estimates only; actual trade-in values may vary from $25 to $500; all products must
be in good working condition and have a fair market value; call your CDW account manager for details; offer ends 12/31/05.
2
HP Smart Buy instant savings reected in price shown; HP Smart Buy savings based
on a comparison of the HP Smart Buy price versus the standard list price of an identically congured product if purchased separately; savings may vary based on channel and/or direct standard pricing.
3
IBM
Express instant savings reected in price shown; IBM Express instant savings based on a comparison of the IBM Express price versus
the standard list price of an identically congured product if purchased separately; savings may vary based on channel and/or direct
standard pricing. Offer subject to CDWs standard terms and conditions of sale, available at CDW.com. 2006 CDW Corporation
The Technology You Need When You Need It.
$
569
DESKTOP
CDW 791358
$
599
-
30 TRADE-IN
1
$
1829
43

CDW 768981
Intel
Xeon
TM
Processor (2.80GHz)
Delivers outstanding performance, availability and
capacityall in a space-saving 2U rack-mountable design
Ideal for storage-hungry applications in your networked
environment or space constrained data center
Offers three 73GB hard drives and 2GB of memory
IBM eServer xSeries 346 Server
Recommended service:
IBM ServicePac 3-year, 4-hour, 9 x 5,
onsite service $527.89 (CDW 317638)
Additional hard drives sold separately
Intel
Pentium
4 Processor (2.93GHz)
Memory: 256MB
40GB hard drive
CD-ROM drive
Windows
XP Professional
ThinkCentre A51
ThinkPlus 256MB memory upgrade $67.76 (CDW 806427)
ThinkVision L171 17" LCD monitor $324.95 (CDW 819492)
Monitor sold separately
Hard drives sold separately
Intel
Xeon
TM
Processor (3GHz)
Optimized for space-constrained data center installations
Embedded Lights-Out technology provides secure
text-based remote console and remote power on/off
Offers optimum fault tolerance for an ultra-dense form
factor, with redundant fans and redundant power
HP ProLiant DL360 G4p
Rack-mount Server
Recommended accessories and services:
HP 1GB memory upgrade $497.65 (CDW 675404)
HP 72.8GB internal hot plug hard drive $587.41 (CDW 442238)
HP Care Pack 3-year, 4-hour, 24 x 7 onsite warranty upgrade
$523 (CDW 643802)
Recommended accessories and services:
HP Compaq 512MB memory upgrade $79 (CDW 586440)
HP Compaq 17" LCD monitor $329 (CDW 515635)
HP Care Pack 3-year, next business day, 9 x 5,
onsite warranty upgrade $93 (CDW 514298)
$
509
DESKTOP
CDW 739192
$
539
-
30 TRADE-IN
1
Intel
Pentium
4 Processor (2.80GHz)
Memory: 256MB
40GB hard drive
10/100/1000 Ethernet
Windows
XP Professional
HP Compaq Business Desktop dx2000
$
3315
CDW 703138
$850 INSTANT
SAVINGS
3
I N S H O R T
F I R S T L O O K S
Scanners
BY M. DAVID STONE
The Canon DR-2580C
document scanner
i s ai med at t hose
in small off ices or
smal l workgroups
that need a scanner with an
emphasis on speed. Its the
fastest scanner for the price
if you want to scan to PDF
image files, and the fastest
weve seen at any price for
scanning, recognizing text,
and saving to searchable PDF
format.
In addition to the 50-sheet
ADF (automatic document
feeder), the straight-
through paper path
lets the DR-2580C
scan documents
as thick as a driv-
ers license or plas-
tic ID card. Its also
one of the few document
scanners that offer a atbed
option ($550) to scan books,
magazines, or other origi-
gram for enhancing images
that are hard to scan well,
such as highlighted text.
A document scanners core
task is turning large stacks of
paper into digital format in a
hurry, a task the DR-2580C
ex cels at. Canon claims that
the engine can process 25
pages per minute (ppm) in
si mplex mode (scanni ng
one side of the page) and 50
images per minute (ipm) in
duplex mode. Our test times
when scanni ng to PDF
image files were just be-
low those speeds, at 24.5
ppm and 49.1 ipm.
The combined tasks
of scanni ng, recog-
nizing, and saving our
25-page duplex test docu-
ment to searchable PDF
format took just 1 minute 1
second, a new record.
Canon DR-2580C
$875 street. Canon U.S.A. Inc.,
www.usa.canon.com. llllh
nal documents that cant go
through a sheet feeder.
The software bundle is
missing a full-fledged OCR
or document-management
program, but it includes a
combination ISIS and Twain
driver plus Adobe Acrobat 7.0
and Canons CapturePerfect
3.0, which can scan and save
to an assortment of formats.
The scanner also supports
VRS (Virtual Re Scan), a pro-
Photo Scanning for the Amateur
BY M. DAVID STONE
C
er t ai nl y t he most
striking feature in the
Epson Perfection 4490
Photo is the claimed 4,800-
pixel-per-inch (ppi) optical
resolutiona very high reso-
lution for a flatbed scanner,
and higher than youll find
even in some dedicated lm
scanners.
Despite its focus on
s c a n ni ng phot os ,
slides, and negatives,
the 4490 is also a good
choice as an all-purpose
scanner. Like other Epson
scanners, it offers a set of
buttons on the front panel for
scanning to e-mail, to your
printer, or directly to a PDF
le. Theres even an optional
30-page automatic document
feeder (ADF). The bundled
OCR software read both our
8-point Times New Roman
and Arial font-test pages with-
out a mistake.
Of course, the 4490s cen-
tral reason for being is to
scan film, and, for a flatbed
scanner, it does that very
well. The unit comes with
two templates: one for hold-
ing up to four 35mm slides
or two strips of
35mm f i l m,
and one for holding 2.25-inch
format lm.
Scan quality for slides is
impressive. At our standard
2,400-ppi scan resolution for
slides, the 4490 was a close
match for sharpness and de-
tail on most scans with the
Editors Choice Canon Cano-
Scan 9950F. However, the
scanner falls a bit short on dy-
namic range (the ability to see
each shade across the entire
range from white to black).
The 4490 had no problems
with photographic prints,
either. The scans were good
enough to let us print copies
(on an Epson PictureMate
printer) that were all but
indistinguishable from the
originals.
Epson Perfection 4490 Photo
$249.99 direct. Epson America Inc.,
www.epson.com. llllm
Canon Scanner Delivers Speed
Canon CanoScan
LiDE 60
Pros: Reasonably
good scan speed and
photo-scan quality.
Color restore feature
for faded photos. Offers
both a simple interface for
beginners and an advanced
interface for better control.
Cons: Minimal software
bundle includes only a photo
editor and light-version OCR
program.
Bottom line: The Canon
CanoScan LiDE 60 is one step
beyond the most basic of
scanners. But its combination
of speed, scan quality, and
exibility makes it appropri-
ate for a home ofce as well
as home use.
$79.99 direct. Canon U.S.A. Inc.,
www.usa.canon.com. lllhm
NeatReceipts
Professional
v. 2.0.2
Pros: Package includes
scanner along with software.
Enhances nearly unreadable
receipts. Creates expense
reports.
Cons: Process is slow.
Expense report format has
limited exibility.
Bottom line: NeatReceipts
which scans receipts and
keeps track of expensesis
a terric idea, reasonably
well executed.
$200 street. NeatReceipts, www
.neatreceipts.com. lllhm
IRISPen Trans-
lator Executive
Pros: Translates both ways
between English and your
choice of French, Spanish,
Russian, or German. Virtually
instantaneous translation.
Cons: Installs for only one pair
of languages at a time.
Bottom line: The IRISPen
Translator Executive requires
practice before you can scan
well, and it delivers less-than-
perfect translations. But it is
useful as a tool for translation
or for learning a language.
$229.99 direct. I.R.I.S.,
www.irislink.com. llhmm

THE DR-2580C FULFILLS
YOUR need for speed.
A FLATBED FOR ALL YOUR
SCANNING needs.
F I R S T L O O K S
Printers
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a pri nter for tab-
loid size (or larger)
output. And among
those who do, not
everyone needs color. But
for those who need both, the
Ricoh Aficio CL7200D offers
one of the least expensive
opt i ons a mong
col or l asers
and if you dont
need duplexi ng,
you can get the same
printer for even less as the
CL7200 ($2,300 street).
The CL7200D is designed
for larger workgroups. In
addition to its relatively low
price, it offers fast perfor-
mance, top output quality
for its category, and ample
paper-handling features, in-
cluding an 1,100-sheet input
capacity and duplexing, a
3,100-sheet maximum capac-
ity, two nisher options, and
a 200,000-page-per-month
duty cycle. Output size can
even go beyond tabloid to 12
by 49 inches.
With an engine rated at 32
pages per minute (ppm) for
monochrome output and 28
ppm for color, youd expect
the CL7200D to be fast. It is.
On our business applications
suite (timed with Quality-
Logic hardware and software,
www.qualitylogic.com) the
CL7200D managed an im-
pressive 7 minutes 19 seconds
total. Thats a bit slower than
the roughly 6:45 for the much
more expensive Editors
Choice, the Xerox Phaser
7750DN; but the engine in that
printer is rated at 35 ppm for
both monochrome and color.
Output quality is another
strong point of the CL7200D.
Text is excellent; most of our
test fonts were easily readable
at 4 points. Graphics showed
no problems worth mention-
ing, and the output is easily
good enough to give to impor-
tant clients and customers.
Photos are near photo quality,
and the output is easily good
enough for client newsletters
and anything else with pho-
tos that youre likely to print
on a color laser.
Also, according to Ricoh,
this pri nter supports the
widely used HP Web Jet-
Admin remote printer admin-
istration softwareanother
point in its favor. The com-
pany also claims a low cost
per page: 1.3 cents for a letter-
size monochrome page and
6.7 cents for the same size
in color. With all it has going
for it, if you need a color laser
printer for printing at up to
tabloid size and a little larger,
you wont want to overlook
the CL7200D.
Ricoh Acio CL7200D
$3,130 street. Ricoh Corp.,
www.ricoh-usa.com. llllm
Low Price, High Speed, High-Quality Color

FOR LARGE OUTPUT from a
color laser look no further.
PHOTO PRINTERS PROS CONS BOTTOM LINE SPECS AND SCORES
Epson PictureMate
Deluxe Viewer
$249.99 direct
llllh
Prints from computers, memory
cards, PictBridge cameras, and
USB drives. True photo quality.
Color LCD to preview images.
Limited to a maximum photo size
of 4x6.
This PictureMate offers high-quality
output, plus the ability to preview
images on a color LCD before
printing. It can even run on battery.
Photo ink jet; 6 colors; 4x6; direct
printing from cameras and memory
cards. 4x6 photo: 1:30.
Epson Stylus Photo
R2400
price tk
llllm
Photos are superb (with sizes of up
to 13 by 44 inches), smudge-proof,
and long-lived (with a claimed
lightfastness of over 100 years).
Different black ink cartridges for
different types of paper mean you
may have to change cartridges
repeatedly.
The R2400 is the rst printer to use
Epsons new UltraChrome K3 ink
technology, which can make your
prints water- and smudge-proof.
All-purpose ink jet; 8 colors; 13x19.
4x6 photo: 1:17.
HP Photosmart 8250
$199.99 direct
llllm

High-quality output. LCD screen.
Separate 4x6 tray makes it easy to
switch between printing documents
and photos.
Text quality, while good, is low for a
photo ink jet. Photos are water- and
smudge-resistant, not waterproof
or smudge-proof.
For photos, the HP 8250 offers fast
printing and very good quality. It
also handles text and graphics well,
making it a good all-purpose printer.
Photo or all-purpose ink jet; 6
colors; legal size; direct printing
from cards and cameras. Business
app suite: 15:01. 4x6 photo: 1:07.
PERSONAL AND SMALL-OFFICE PRINTERS AND ALL-IN-ONES
Canon Pixma iP4200
Photo Printer
$849.99 direct
llllm
Fast performance. Two input paper
trays. Duplex printing. New ink and
paper technology with claimed 100-
year lifetime for photos in storage.
Somewhat slower for photos than
the Canon Pixma iP4000 and iP3000
that it replaces.
Although Canon calls it a photo
printer, the Pixma iP4200 is good
for all-purpose printing, with fast
performance and good quality.
All-purpose ink jet; 5 colors; legal
size; direct printing from camera.
4x6 photo: 1:18.
HP Photosmart 3310
All-in-One
$399.99 direct
llllm
Printer, scanner, and standalone fax
and copier. Prints from cameras and
memory cards. Scans 35-mm slides
and lm. Excellent performance.
No automatic document feeder. The Photosmart 3310 has everything
we expect in a photocentric all-
in-one, including scanning 35-mm
slides and lm.
size; direct printing from camera,
memory cards, and slides. Business
app suite: 15:42. 4x6 photo: 1:06.
Lexmark C522n
$499 direct
llllm

Very good to excellent performance
for the price. Excellent text quality.
Includes Ethernet connector.
Graphics output is relatively low-
quality for a color laser printer.
The Lexmark C522n has excellent
performance and text quality as
well as Ethernet for easy network
sharing.
Color laser; Ethernet; legal size.
Business app suite: 11:19.
Ricoh Acio G700
$449 list
llllm

High-quality text. High-quality
graphics in best quality mode.
Extraordinarily fast performance.
Duplexing standard.
Network adapter is optional and
external. Graphics in default mode
show banding, which limits the
usefulness of default mode.
The G700 is technically an ink jet,
but it behaves like a color laser. It
offers extraordinary performance
and high-quality text and graphics.
size. Business app suite: 6:35 (ink
jet suite), 13:48 (laser suite).
Samsung ML-2250
$230 street
llllm

Compact size. Excellent text
quality. Good performance. Ample
paper-handling features for a
personal printer.
Photo quality is at the low end
for inexpensive monochrome
lasers, though its acceptable for
newsletters and the like.
The ML-2250 is faster than most
personal monochrome lasers, and
the 550-page maximum capacity is
enough even for sharing the printer.
Monochrome laser; 22 ppm; legal
size; optional networking; optional
duplexing. Business app suite: 8:09.
WORKGROUP PRINTERS AND ALL-IN-ONES
Ricoh Acio CL7200D
$3,130 street
llllm
Fast performance. Top-quality
output and low price for a tabloid
color laser. Very good paper
handling: 3,100-sheet capacity.
No stacker or sorter option for
those who want less than a full-
edged nisher.
If fast performance, great output
quality, good paper handling, and
low price are what youre after,
Ricoh has a winner with the Aficio.
Color laser; 32 ppm mono, 28
ppm color; tabloid size; Ethernet,
duplexer. Business app suite: 7:19.
HP Ofcejet 7410
All-in-One
$499.99 direct
llllm
Fast. Very good graphics and
photos. Ethernet and wireless
networking. 50-page ADF. Prints
from memory cards and cameras.
Text quality is acceptable for most
users but less than ideal for those
who need extremely small type.
With the 7410 you get fast perfor-
mance, good to very good quality,
and a 50-page ADF, plus Ethernet
and 802.11g wireless connections.
Print, scan, copy, fax; 6-color ink
jet; legal size; direct printing from
cameras. Business app suite: 16:11.
4x6 photo: 1:51.
Xerox Phaser 6300DN
$1,499 direct
lllm

Extraordinarily fast for the price.
Easy installation. Includes duplexer
and network connector.
Output, while very good, falls short
of excellent (even for text).
Equally appropriate for a large
workgroup or a small to medium-
size ofce, the 6300DN is fast and
feature-richa clear winner.
Color laser; 36 ppm mono, 26 ppm
color; legal size; Ethernet, duplexer.
Business app suite: 7:07.
F I R S T L O O K S
Top Products
Our Top Printers
Visit go.pcmag.com/printers for the full reviews of these and scores of other top-rated printers
ANALYST'S TIP
M. DAVID STONE, Lead Analyst
Theres a growing trend for ink jet printers to offer two input trays instead of one. The two trays let you
keep plain paper in one and photo paper in the other, which means you wont have to change paper every
time you change what youre printing. If you shift back and forth between printing photos and other kinds
of output very often, that can be a signcant convenience, well worth looking for.

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May 24, 2005

RoboForm Pro 6.3
More than 7 million downloads to date
Download it for FREE today!
F I R S T L O O K S
Multimedia Software
Top-Notch Image Editing and More
BY GALEN FOTT
P
hotoImpact 11, the new
version of Uleads im-
age editing and man-
agement package, adds a few
new features to the already
abundant tools and programs
offered in previous versions.
In addition to one editing and
two management programs,
you get Uleads Cool 360 pan-
orama software, GIF Anima-
tor 5, filters from Alien Skin
Software, and thousands of
royalty-free photos. Unfor-
tunately, PhotoImpact 11 fails
to improve on the previous
versions unsatisfactory im-
age-organizing tools.
The packages most wel-
come new feature may be
support for RAW file for-
mats. PhotoImpact 11 lets
you adjust characteristics of
your RAW photos, such as
white balance and color tem-
perature, before opening the
image into 8- or 16-bit color
mode. Support for
16-bit color is an-
other new feature.
PhotoImpact 11 is
an excellent image
editor and excels
at creating graph-
ics for the Web. Its
remarkably exible
interface has been
enhanced with ve
different workspace
presets, tailored to
different levels of
experience or to the
task at hand.
Two other new
features tie into the programs
High Dynamic Range tech-
nology, which is designed to
let you select and combine
the exposures from differ-
ent shots of the same subject.
The standalone SmartCurves
command automatically com-
pensates for exposure accord-
ing to the make of the camera.
The compensation is usually
too strong, so its best to apply
SmartCurves inside the High
Dynamic Range dialog box
instead, where you can tweak
the settings to taste. Theres
also a new Correct Chro-
matic Aberration command
that effectively eliminates
the purple fringing often seen
in images containing highly
contrasting edges.
Unfortunately,
Photo Impact 11 still
fails to deliver in
the area of photo
management, de-
spite some good
photo-sharing fea-
tures. Image orga-
nizing and sharing
tasks are split be-
tween two different
applications: Photo-
Impact Album 11
and Photo Explorer
8.6. Neither offers a
satisfactory way to
apply keyword tags
to images to facilitate search-
ing through your collection.
As an overal l package,
Ulead PhotoImpact 11 still
falls short. But if youre look-
ing for a good image editor
that excels at creating Web
graphics, it is a good choice.
Ulead PhotoImpact 11
$90 direct. Ulead Systems Inc.,
www.ulead.com.llllm
BY GALEN FOTT
P
hotoPl us 10 Studi o
Pack i s real l y t wo
programs: PhotoPlus
10 for image editing and Al-
bumPlus 4 for organizing
your digital photo collection.
As an overall package, the
Studio Pack isnt as strong
a choice as Adobe
Photoshop Elements
4. Nor does Photo-
Plus 10 contain the
professional print-
ing tools found in
Adobe Photoshop.
But with its afford-
able price, Photo-
Plus 10 Studio Pack
is worth a look.
AlbumPlus 4 of-
fers capable organi-
zation features in a
polished interface.
You can assign tags
and ratings to images in order
to facilitate searching through
large collections.
AlbumPlus 4 falls short
on features for sharing your
images. The program does
let you view an instant slide
show on your monitor and
e-mail photos, and it provides
a few printing options. But
you cant burn slide shows
to CD or DVD or create cal-
endars or Web galleries, and
theres no integration with an
online photo-sharing service.
Though AlbumPlus dis-
appointed us, PhotoPlus 10
amazed us with its rich fea-
ture set. The inter-
face is very similar
to those of Adobe
Phot o s hop a nd
Photo shop Elements:
PhotoPlus 10 has fa-
miliar Histogram,
History, Navigator,
Pat hs, Channel s,
and Layers palettes.
The powerful Mac-
ros palette, new to
Photo Plus 10, mim-
ics the Actions fea-
ture of Photoshop
in its ability to re-
cord a sequence of editing
steps and play them back with
a single click. And PhotoPlus
has a healthy complement
of commands for correcting
digital photos, including Lev-
els, Curves, and a command
for equalizing image shadows
and highlights.
PhotoPlus, however, has
only roughly half the num-
ber of effects lters found in
Photo shop or Elements.
The programs chief draw-
back is speed, particularly
in the application of filters,
where it is noticeably slug-
gish. But if you can deal with
the slow load times and weak
photo-sharing capabilities,
PhotoPlus is a solid editing
package.
PhotoPlus 10 Studio Pack
$80 direct. Serif Inc., www.serif.com.
lllhm
A Solid Photo Editor That Wont Share Easily

THE ALBUMPLUS 4 interface is very similar to those
of Adobe Photoshop and Photoshop Elements.
PHOTOIMPACT 11S ADVANCED MODE lls the inter-
face with the full gamut of the programs features.
F I R S T L O O K S
Business Software
BY RICHARD V. DRAGAN
W
ith a truly f lex-
ible approach to
mobile enterprise
messaging and calendaring
for a wide range of devices
and leading carriers, Seven
Server Edition 6.5 ($4.99 per
user monthly for SprintPCS
version) offers a good value
in a corporate messaging so-
lution, one that excels in giv-
ing enterprise users mobile
access to their e-mail without
burdening IT admins.
Getting started with the
Seven server module was
easy via a 10MB download
and simple setup utility. This
server component is licensed
free and sits on your corpo-
rate server connecting your
e-mail/messaging solution to
your wireless carrier. Seven
lets you connect to more
types of messaging solutions
than its competitors do; you
can use Microsoft Exchange,
Lotus Domi no, or
even I MAP a nd
POP3. We tested
agai nst a Mi cro-
soft Exchange 2003
server with Sprint
PCS as the carrier.
We found t hat
the setup process
was more stream-
l i ned than it was
with Sevens com-
petitors, requiring
fewer tweaks to the
Exchange server.
Generally the ad-
min console keeps
it simple. IT admin-
istrators can view statistics
and quickly add or delete
users. We like the ability to
share a server directory of
corporate documents for all
mobile users. End-to-end en-
cryption (using 128-bit AES)
ensures that data is safe.
When it comes to the cli-
ent side, Seven aces the eld,
with excellent coverage of
the full spectrum of wire-
less devices, including high-
end and low-end phones and
PDAs. Clients supported in-
clude Palm OS (missing from
RIMs solution, for instance),
Pocket PC, Symbian, and
even lower-end phones via a
J2ME client. We tested with
a Palm-based Treo
650. Via a welcome
e-mai l , users can
register and log on
to the service with-
out involving IT.
The Palm-based
cl ient al so favors
si mpl i ci t y. Sup-
port for cradleless
synchronization of
e-mail, calendaring,
and contacts works
wel l . We l i ke t he
ability to call people
f rom e-mai l wit h
just a click.
In general, Seven
distinguishes itself with a
simple, effective solution: It
gives enterprise users secure
mobile access to e-mail over a
wide variety of devices while
theyre away from the ofce.
Seven Server Edition 6.5
$4.99 per user monthly for Sprint PCS
Business Connection. Seven Networks
Inc., www.seven.com. llllm
Seven Keeps Mobile Users in Touch
Sproqit in Your Workgroup Pocket
BY RICHARD V. DRAGAN
D
esigned to let mo-
bi le corporate us-
ers get their e-mail
and Outlook i nformation
wherever they roam, Sproqit
Workgroup Edition 1.0 ($999
for five users) succeeds as a
worthy competitor
to more established
enterprise message
offerings, with a ex-
ible and IT-friendly
solution.
Sproqit installs on
any Microsoft Win-
dows server node
and runs all avors of
Microsoft Exchange,
as well as external
POP3/SMTP servers.
Generally, Sproqit is
less complicated to
install and congure
than its competitors
are. But its also less power-
ful, lacking extensive sup-
port for roles and policies,
although you can specify
basic security options.
The good news is that for
small rollouts, this simplic-
ity can be a denite plus. As
many as 50 users can be pro-
visioned with a single Sproqit
Agent, which connects users
to their mobile data via the
remote Sproqit Server. We
like the ability to send a noti-
cation e-mail to users, along
with support for customiz-
able boilerplate text.
But event logs are
just text les, and de-
tailed usage statistics
are not available.
We tested Sproqit
with a Treo 650 and
were up and running
fast. An installer plac-
es the modestly sized
Sproqit Companion
client software onto
your handheld when
you first cradle and
synchronize.
Vi a t he Sproqit
Server, clients con-
nect securely to your Sproqit
Agent even if its running be-
hind a rewall.
Once Sproqit is conf ig-
ured, the Sproqit Companion
client delivers true cradleless
Outlook synchronization for
e-mail, contacts, calendaring,
tasks, and notes.
Our one complaint is that
the client insists on restart-
ing the session when initially
connecting and when de-
vices are recongured. This
often results in having to re-
type passwords.
Though Sproqit is perhaps
a notch less powerful than
its immediate rivals, its ap-
proach to enterprise messag-
ing should let even smaller
organizations roll out mobile
connectivity with ease.
Sproqit Workgroup Edition 1.0
$999 per server (includes 5 users);
$149 per additional user; volume dis-
counts available. Sproqit Technologies
Inc., www.sproqit.com. lllhm

WITH ITS STREAMLINED administration console,
Sproqit lets you add and provision mobile users in
your workgroup with ease.
IT ADMINISTRATORS can view statistics for their
mobile users in the easy-to-use MMC administrative
tool available in Seven Server Edition.
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.
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-

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$899
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January/February 2006
January/February 2006
Acer
TravelMate
4060
Enjoy the Freedom of Mobility
The Acer TravelMate 4060 strikes just the right balance between
performance and affordability. Along with Intel
Centrino
Mobile Technology,
you get a panoramic 15.4 wide-screen display for side-by-side document
viewing plus integrated wireless with Acers exclusive SignalUp
technology for enhanced antenna efficiency. An excellent choice for
office or home computing, this notebook lets you enjoy the freedom of
mobility to work faster and smarter without sacrificing features.
INTEL
PENTIUM
M PROCESSOR 740
(2MB L2 CACHE, 1.73GHZ, 533MHZ FSB)
MICROSOFT
WINDOWS
XP PROFESSIONAL
(LX.TAK06.075)
15.4" WIDE-SCREEN
Intel
Centrino
Mobile Technology
- Intel
Pentium
M Processor
- Mobile Intel
915GM Express chipset

- Intel
PRO/Wireless 2200BG
network connection
Microsoft
Windows
XP Professional
512MB DDR2 533 SDRAM
80GB
1
hard drive
Integrated CD-RW/DVD-ROM
combo drive
15.4" WXGA (1280 x 800) TFT display
Intel
Graphics Media Accelerator 900

802.11b/g WLAN, 10/100 LAN,
V.92 modem
One-year limited warranty
2
For the name of a reseller near you or further
information, please call Acer or visit our Web site:
800-571-2237
www.acer.com/us
Acer recommends Windows
XP Professional.
XP Professional.
Acer AL2416Wd
Prices shown are estimated street prices and do not include tax or shipping. Retailer or reseller prices may vary.
24" wide-screen
TFT LCD
1920 x 1200
native resolution
1000:1 contrast ratio
178 horizontal
viewing angle
178 vertical
viewing angle
VGA, DVI-D signal
connectors
500 cd/m
2
brightness
6ms gray-to-gray
response time
Internal power
adapter
Silver color
Acer AL2416Wd
$919
(ET.L6102.018)
24" WIDE-SCREEN
Acer
TravelMate
2410
Maximum Mobility, Affordable Price
The Acer TravelMate 2410 is designed to deliver high performance in a
portable package that's both appealing and affordable. This all-in-one notebook
with integrated wireless connectivity and 15.0" viewing area has the
comprehensive feature set and flexibility needed for a busy lifestyle like yours.
Intel
Celeron
M Processor
Microsoft
Windows
XP Professional
60GB
1
hard drive
Integrated CD-RW/DVD-ROM combo drive
15.0 XGA (1024 x 768) TFT display
Mobile Intel
910GML Express chipset

with integrated graphics
802.11b/g WLAN, 10/100 LAN, V.92 modem
2
Acer TravelMate 2413LCi
$799
INTEL
CELERON
M PROCESSOR 370
MICROSOFT
WINDOWS
XP PROFESSIONAL
(LX.TAC06.022)
WORK & PLAY UNWIRED
20" wide-screen TFT LCD,
Acer CrystalBrite
Technology
1680 x 1050
native resolution
176 horizontal
viewing angle
176 vertical
viewing angle
Ferrari F-20
Acer
Flat Panels: Displaying Quality & Value

Two 5.0W
integrated speakers
VGA, DVI-D
signal connectors
300 cd/m
2
brightness
8ms gray-to-gray
response time
External power
adapter
Gloss black/red color
XP Professional.
Ferrari F-20
$599
(ET.L380B.063)
Acer AL2032W A
20 wide-screen TFT LCD
1680 x 1050
native resolution
176 horizontal
viewing angle
176 vertical
viewing angle
Two 5.0W integrated
speakers
VGA, DVI-D signal
connectors
300 cd/m
2
brightness
8ms gray-to-gray
response time
External power adapter
Gloss-black color
Acer AL2032W A
$539
20" WIDE-SCREEN
(ET.L380B.065)
Acer TravelMate 4062WLMi
$999
Acer
TravelMate
4060
Your Essential Business Tool
Count on the Acer TravelMate 4060 for growing your business.
Powered by Intel
Centrino
Mobile Technology, this stylish notebook boasts

high-end features at a price that wont break your budget. The wide-screen
15.4 display is perfect for viewing documents side by side. The integrated
optical drive offers flexibility and convenience, and the wireless LAN will keep
you connected and productive wherever your work takes you.
Intel
Centrino
Mobile Technology
- Intel
Pentium
M Processor
- Mobile Intel

- Intel
PRO/Wireless 2200BG network connection

Microsoft
Windows
XP Professional
100GB
1
hard drive
Integrated DVD-Dual drive (DVD+/-RW)
15.4" WXGA (1280 x 800) TFT display
Intel

802.11b/g WLAN, 10/100 LAN, V.92 modem
2
INTEL
PENTIUM
M PROCESSOR 740
MICROSOFT
WINDOWS
XP PROFESSIONAL
(LX.TAK06.079)
HI-TECH PASSION
15.4" WIDE-SCREEN
Compare LCD Prices/Features & You'll Choose Acer
19" TFT LCD with height
adjustment & rotation
1280 x 1024
native resolution
150 horizontal
viewing angle
135 vertical viewing angle
Two 1.0W integrated speakers
Acer AL1922r
VGA, DVI-D signal
connectors
300 cd/m
2
brightness
8ms response time
Internal power adapter
Silver/black color
Acer AL1922r
$349
(ET.L2508.091)
ADJUST HEIGHT & ROTATE
Whether you're working in the office, at home or on the go, productivity
won't falter if you're equipped with the Acer TravelMate 4650. Enjoy all
the benefits of Intel
Centrino
Mobile Technology. Connect to

workplace peripherals in one easy step with the optional ezDock Docking
Station. On the road, expect up to five hours of battery life (depending
on configuration and usage) from this 6.2-pound notebook. And should
you want to cut the weight, the modular optical drive is easily removed.
Intel
Centrino
Mobile Technology
- Intel
Pentium
M Processor
- Mobile Intel

- Intel

Microsoft
Windows
XP Professional
1GB DDR2 533 SDRAM
100GB
1
hard drive
Modular DVD-Dual drive (DVD+/-RW)
6-in-1 card reader for optional SmartMedia
card,
MultiMediaCard
, Secure Digital card,

Memory Stick
, Memory Stick PRO
or xD-Picture Card
15.0" XGA (1024 x 768) TFT display

Intel

802.11b/g WLAN, gigabit LAN, V.92 modem
2
Acer
TravelMate
4650
Productivity Powerhouse
Acer TravelMate 4654LMi
$1,299
INTEL
PENTIUM
M PROCESSOR 760 (2MB L2 CACHE, 2GHZ, 533MHZ FSB)

MICROSOFT
WINDOWS
XP PROFESSIONAL
(LX.T7506.046)
DVD-DUAL DRIVE
Acer
ezDock
The one-plug Acer ezDock manages and organizes peripheral
connections with ease, allowing you to add or remove devices
instantly, without turning off your notebook computer. This
compact docking solution features 21 interface ports and two card
slots for desktop-like expansion possibilities, as well as PCI Express
technology and a Kensington
lock slot.
Acer ezDock Docking Station
$299
COMPATIBLE WITH THE TRAVELMATE 8100, 4650, 4400
3000, C310, C200; FERRARI 4000
(LC.D0103.004)
Acer AL1951B
19" TFT LCD,
Acer CrystalBrite Technology
1280 x 1024 native resolution
150 horizontal viewing angle
VGA, DVI-D signal connectors
400 cd/m
2
brightness
6ms gray-to-gray
response time
External
power adapter
Silver/black color
XP Professional.
Acer
TravelMate
C310
Tablet & Full-Featured Notebook in One
The Acer TravelMate C310 is the convertible tablet that you'll want to use as
your primary computer. With a big 14.1" XGA display, full-size keyboard,
modular optical drive and optional ezDock Docking Station, it's similar to a
standard notebook but offers much more. The screen becomes a writing
surface when you rotate it and fold it back over the keyboard, perfect for
taking notes, annotating documents and completing online forms.
Intel
Centrino
Mobile Technology
- Intel
Pentium
M Processor
- Mobile Intel
915PM Express chipset

- Intel

Microsoft
Windows
XP Tablet PC Edition
4-in-1 card reader for optional
MultiMediaCard

Memory Stick
or Memory Stick PRO
14.1" XGA (1024 x 768) TFT display

NVIDIA GeForce
Go 6200 graphics
802.11b/g WLAN, Bluetooth
,
gigabit LAN, V.92 modem
Full-size EMR pen with eraser
2
Acer AL1717 Bbmd
17" TFT LCD
1280 x 1024 native resolution
150 horizontal viewing angle
VGA, DVI-D signal connectors
300 cd/m
2
brightness
8ms response time
Internal power adapter
Black color
Acer AL1717 Bbmd
$249
(ET.1717B.MD8)
8MS RESPONSE TIME
Acer TravelMate C312XCi
$1,699
INTEL
PENTIUM
M PROCESSOR 740
MICROSOFT
WINDOWS
XP TABLET PC EDITION
512MB DDR2 533 SDRAM, 80GB
1
HARD DRIVE
AND MODULAR CD-RW/DVD-ROM COMBO DRIVE
(LX.T270E.029)
Acer TravelMate C314XMi
$1,999
INTEL
PENTIUM
M PROCESSOR 760
(2MB L2 CACHE, 2GHZ, 533MHZ FSB)
MICROSOFT
WINDOWS
XP TABLET PC EDITION
1GB DDR2 533 SDRAM, 100GB
1
HARD DRIVE
AND MODULAR DVD-DUAL DRIVE (DVD+/-RW)
(LX.T870E.032)
CONVERTS HANDWRITING TO TEXT
Acer AL1951B
$379
(ET.L4108.028)
6MS RESPONSE TIME
Acer

AcerPower
FG
Affordable Yet Feature-Rich
The AcerPower FG boasts an impressive feature set in a stylish chassis at a
price that won't break your budget. Ample power means you can efficiently
perform everyday tasks. Multiple expansion slots make the system easy to
upgrade, while the eight USB 2.0 ports (four front, four back) give you the
ability to connect to the latest peripherals.
Acer

AcerPower
S260
All-Around Budget Performer
Proven technology, high-level reliability and expansion options help to make the
AcerPower S260 minitower a sound investment for home, school or office needs.
Acer
Projectors with DLP
Technology
Intel
Celeron
D Processor
Microsoft
Windows
XP Professional
256MB DDR SDRAM
80GB
1
hard drive
CD-ROM drive
Integrated SiS Mirage
TM
graphics
10/100 LAN
2
AcerPower S260
$399
INTEL
CELERON
D PROCESSOR 335
(256KB L2 CACHE, 2.80GHZ, 533MHZ FSB)
MICROSOFT
WINDOWS
XP PROFESSIONAL
(APS260-U-3500)
INTEL
PENTIUM
4 PROCESSOR 516
MICROSOFT
WINDOWS
XP PROFESSIONAL
256MB DDR2 533 SDRAM AND CD-ROM DRIVE
(APFG-U-P5160)
AcerPower FG
$499
INTEL
PENTIUM
4 PROCESSOR 519
MICROSOFT
WINDOWS
XP PROFESSIONAL
512MB DDR2 533 SDRAM AND DVD-DUAL DRIVE (DVD+/-RW)
(APFG-U-P5190)
AcerPower FG
$599
Intel
Pentium
4 Processor
Microsoft
Windows
XP Professional
80GB
1
SATA hard drive
Integrated Intel

PCI Express
TM
x16 expansion slot
Gigabit LAN
2
Digital Light Processing
from Texas Instruments is an all-digital display technology for projectors and other
products that delivers the best picture in terms of clarity, brilliance and color.
GREAT VALUE
$50 PRICE CUT!
Card reader and floppy drive
shown are not included on
featured models.
2600 ANSI lumens
XGA (1024 x 768) native resolution
16.7 million displayable colors
PC and Mac compatible
Acer PD525
2000 ANSI lumens
SVGA (800 x 600) native resolution
16.7 million displayable colors
PC and Mac compatible
Acer PD100
Acer PD100
$669
(EY.J2101.006)
Acer PD525
$889
(EY.J1501.W04)
$60 PRICE CUT!
$110 PRICE CUT!
XP Professional.
Stability, ease-of-deployment and comprehensive management tools are the
hallmarks of Veriton, Acer's premier business desktop series. Each of these
features has been enhanced in the Acer Veriton 6800, with an improved tool-less
chassis design, fortified security tools, more powerful Intel
processors and
Acer eManager software.
Acer
Veriton
6800
Optimized for Business
Replacement
Lamp for PD525,
PD116
$299
(EC.J1001.001)
Keep a Replacement
Lamp on hand for the
Acer PD525, PD116P or
PD100 projector.
Expected life in hours is
2,000 standard mode,
3,000 economy mode.
Intel
Pentium
D Processor or
Intel
Pentium
4 Processor with HT Technology

Microsoft
Windows
XP Professional
Intel

Gigabit LAN
Three-year limited warranty
2
Acer Veriton 6800
$999
INTEL
PENTIUM
D PROCESSOR 830
(2X1MB L2 CACHE, 3GHZ, 800MHZ FSB)
MICROSOFT
WINDOWS
XP PROFESSIONAL
1GB DDR2 533 SDRAM; 160GB
1
SATA HARD DRIVE, 7200RPM;
AND DVD-DUAL DRIVE (DVD+/-RW)
(VT6800-U-S8301)
For permanent placement
of an Acer PD525, PD116P or
PD100 projector in a
conference room or classroom,
youll want an easy-to-install
Ceiling Mount.
Ceiling Mount
$79
(EZ.PCM03.007)
Replacement
Lamp for PD100
$199
(EC.J2101.001)
Intel
Pentium
4 Processor with
HT Technology
Microsoft
Windows
XP Professional
80GB
1
hard drive, 7200RPM
Intel

Gigabit LAN
Three-year limited warranty
2
Acer
Veriton
2800
Powerful but Compact
Acer Veriton 2800
$689
INTEL
PENTIUM
4 PROCESSOR 521 WITH HT TECHNOLOGY

MICROSOFT
WINDOWS
XP PROFESSIONAL
(VT2800-U-P5210)
Acer Veriton 6800
$799
INTEL
PENTIUM
4 PROCESSOR 640 WITH HT TECHNOLOGY

MICROSOFT
WINDOWS
XP PROFESSIONAL
512MB DDR2 533 SDRAM; 80GB
1
SATA HARD DRIVE, 7200RPM;
AND CD-RW/DVD-ROM COMBO DRIVE
(VT6800-U-P6400)
Display sold separately.
Even if youre short on space, you dont need to sacrifice
performance. The compact Acer Veriton 2800 business desktop
gives you an Intel
Pentium
4 Processor with HT Technology,

dual-channel memory and eight USB ports for connecting to a printer
and other office peripherals.
Acer Notebook/Tablet Service Upgrades Protect Your Valuable Investment
1
When referring to storage capacity, GB stands for one billion bytes and MB stands for one million bytes. Some utilities may indicate varying storage capacities. Total user-accessible capacity
may vary depending on operating environments.
2
For a free copy of the standard limited warranty end-users should see a reseller where Acer products are sold or write to Acer America Corporation, Warranty Department, P.O. Box 6137,
Temple, TX 76503.
2005 Acer America Corporation. Information and prices are subject to change without notice. Pricing is effective from January 3, 2006
through February 1, 2006. Product images are representations of some of the models available and may vary from the model you
purchase. Acer, TravelMate and Veriton are registered trademarks and AcerPower a trademark of Acer Inc. Aspire is a trademark of Acer
America Corporation. 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. Other names and brands may be claimed as the property of others. Microsoft and Windows are either registered
trademarks or trademarks of Microsoft Corporation in the United States and/or other countries.
Quality is built into every notebook and tablet PC Acer makes, and each comes with a
one-year standard limited warranty.
2
It includes hardware technical support via toll-free phoneplus
a concurrent International Travelers Warranty for travel outside the U.S. and Canada. Extra
protection is available with one of these upgrades:
2-Year Extension of Limited Warranty (146.AB820.EX2)
$99
Prepays freight to and from Acer repair depot.
Excludes extension of International Traveler's Warranty.
Its a tough world out there, and accidents do happensticky spills, dangerous drops, nasty
knockswhich is why you should consider the Total Protection Upgrade. It runs concurrently with
the limited warranty
2
and limited warranty extension and covers the cost of a replacement unit
if your covered notebook cannot be repaired.
2-Year Extension of Limited Warranty + 3-Year Total Protection Upgrade (146.AD077.002)
$199
Prepays freight to and from Acer repair depot.
Excludes extension of International Traveler's Warranty.
For the name of a reseller near you or further
information, please call Acer or visit our Web site:
800-571-2237
www.acer.com/us
XP Professional.
Everything about the feature-packed Acer TravelMate 8100 is designed to
impress. From the power of the Intel
Pentium
M Processor to the
convenience of the optional ezDock Docking Station. From the versatility of the
integrated 5-in-1 card reader to the flexibility of the modular Super-Multi drive.
This is the notebook for users who demand the best.
Intel
Centrino
Mobile Technology
- Intel
Pentium
M Processor
- Mobile Intel
915PM Express chipset

- Intel
PRO/Wireless 2200BG
network connection
Microsoft
Windows
XP Professional
1GB DDR2 533 SDRAM
100GB
1
hard drive
Modular Super-Multi drive
(DVD+R, DVD-R, DVD-RAM)
5-in-1 card reader for optional
MultiMediaCard

Memory Stick
, Memory Stick PRO
or xD-Picture Card
15.4" WSXGA+ (1680 x 1050) TFT display

ATI
MOBILITY
RADEON
X700 graphics,
128MB DDR, PCI Express
TM
x16 support
802.11a/b/g WLAN, Bluetooth
,
gigabit LAN, V.92 modem
2
Acer TravelMate 8104AWLMi
$1,699
INTEL
PENTIUM
M PROCESSOR 760 (2MB L2 CACHE, 2GHZ, 533MHZ FSB)

MICROSOFT
WINDOWS
XP PROFESSIONAL
(LX.TAL06.096)
DESKTOP CALIBER
Acer
TravelMate

8100
The Ultimate in Portability
BROWSER MYTHS?
PC Magazine generally treats Macintosh tech-
nology fairly, and you often give great reviews
to Apple products. But I disagree with two state-
ments in your Special Report: Security article
(November 22).
On page 99, under Web-Browsing Security
you advise users to Be Different (I like that!),
but further on you say: Switch browsers. Most virus, worm,
and spyware writers go after the largest targets. Thats the
primary reason they tend to attack Windows and Internet Ex-
plorer. I disagree that this is the primary reason.
In the next paragraph, under Switch OSs. A more radi-
cal step . . . , you say: Its questionable whether these non-
Microsoft products code is any more secure, but simply
because they move below the radar theyre less susceptible
to attack. Your advice on taking steps is good, but your
rationale is misleading. Youre saying that if virus, worm, and
spyware writers really wanted to, they could attack Mac OS
X and non-Microsoft browsers as easily as they attack Win-
dows and IE. Really?
The Windows Registry is the primary reason the OS is the
major target of malicious attacks. Other operating systems are
built better, in a security-conscious manner. And its not ques-
tionable, as you say, that those other browsers are safer than
Internet Explorer; just look at their (minuscule) record of at-
tacks. They are safer.
You repeat a misconception that the Mac is ignored by at-
tackers because its too small a target. Dont you think that
someone out there would want to take credit and glory for be-
ing the rst to invade OS X and do damage to Mac users? Isnt
that tempting enough to motivate someone? Perhaps the hack-
ers havent because they cant.
Sure, Windows gets attacked because hitting a large tar-
get provides a big payoff, and Windows is an easier target
to manipulate. But youre spreading a myth when you state
that this is the primary reason why the Mac OS doesnt get
attacked, or when you suggest that non-Microsoft products
might not be any more secure.
David M. Hollander
FI NDI NG THE WRONG PRODUCT FASTER
When people transitioned from slide rules to cal-
culators 30 years ago, I coined the phrase Cal-
culators give you the wrong answer faster. I
suggest that the online shopping services can do
the same thing if a buyer isnt careful.
I tried all of those mentioned in your very use-
ful article on these services (Find It for Less,
First Looks, December 6). Ive been thinking about a large-
format printer, so I went looking for a specic model. All the
sites made nding it very easy; results in seconds. The prices
varied considerably for the same model, so I did some dig-
ging. I found several instances where a site listed the NR (net-
work ready) version of the printer as the model quoted by the
various sellers, yet when I looked at the details I found that
the actual printer offered by some sellers was the much less
expensive non-NR model. Had I not known the differences,
I could have ended up with something much different from
what was listed.
I sent an e-mail to the shopping site with the biggest price
discrepancy; it will be interesting to hear its response. Id like
to know who would have covered the problem if I had bought
the printer based on the sites description.
Whether you go shopping in a mall or online, you have to
know what youre being offered and what youre buying. The
Internet can nd you the wrong product faster.
Norman R. Dotti
GOOGLE LUNACY
Great article! (Journey to the Center of Google Earth, No-
vember 22, page 74.) Although a coworker turned me on to
Google Earth several weeks ago, I was delighted to turn my
sights on the Moon. And, when I zoomed in all the way to
Apollo 11s landing site, I was able to conrm that, indeed, the
moon is made of cheese!
Kyle Enns
The Windows Registry is the primary reason
the OS is the major target of malicious attacks.
How to Contact Us
We welcome your comments and suggestions.
When sending e-mail to Feedback, please state in the subject line of your
message which article or column prompted your response.
E-MAIL pcmag@ziffdavis.com. MAIL Feedback, PC Magazine, 28 East 28th
Street, New York, NY 10016-7940.
All letters become the property of PC Magazine and are subject to editing. We
regret that we cannot answer letters individually.
Corrections and Amplications
In our December 6, 2005, First Looks roundup of gaming PCs, we mistakenly report-
ed the total hard drive space for the Overdrive Torque.SLI: The conguration we tested
had 348GB of hard drive capacity. Also, we reported incorrect results for the machines
3DMark performance. The PC scored 14,023 at 1,024-by-768 (the best in that roundup),
and 9,884 at 1,600-by-1,200.
In our November 22, 2005, story Get Some Color we incorrectly published the color
cost per page of the Xerox Phaser 8500 at 7.4 cents. The correct
cost per page is 10.4 cents.
In our November 22, 2005, Pipeline, we mistakenly omitted
the credit for the illustration on page 22. It should have read
IllustrationGina Miller. You can view the animation at www
.nanogirl.com/museumfuture/dermaldisplay.htm.

FEEDBACK
go.pcmag.com/feedback
www.pcmag.com JANUARY 2006 PC MAGAZI NE 75

F
or the past decade or more, Microsoft has
been freaked out by the possibility that its
Ofce software suite will suddenly stop sell-
ing, and the company will be doomed. None-
theless, Microsoft has done everything in its
intellectual portfoliomostly by way of neglectto
make this happen, to no avail. The Ofce suite still
sells like hotcakes. Now the company will try to
implement the idiotic notion that users want to sub-
scribe to a word processor rather than own one.
Over the past few months, Microsoft has been
talking a big game about the so-called service
model for software. This is similar to the idea
conceived by Scott McNealy of Sun Microsystems
(circa 1998) that all software would run over the
Internet and be based on Java code. The idea was
laughable then, and its even more so now. (IBM
toys with a variation on this idea, a model called
software on demand.)
Let me make my position on this clear. If given a
choice, people do not want to run Microsoft Word,
WordPad, WordPerfect, or even WordStar over the
Net on a per-use or subscription basis. Not that its
a terrible idea, but it just wont work efciently and
will probably be too expensive. I can barely toler-
ate running software on a 100-Mbps LAN; how
could I on what is essentially a 1-Mbps LAN?
Microsoft was founded during the era of the
standalone PC, when desktop networking was
laughable. The company was late to the party
when it came to LANs, nally promoting NetBEUI
as its solution. The world eventually chose TCP/
IP. Microsoft was also late to the TCP/IP game and
to the Internet itself. But when it got on board, it
did so with gusto. This was good news for users,
but along the way Microsoft got the idea that wed
all be running at 10 to 100 Mbps at home by now. It
still thinks so, as far as I can tell.
Instead of speed, we mostly deal with sub-
megabit data transfer, even when using cable
modems. Choke points are everywhere, throttling
throughput. When you actually get maximum
speed from a connection its kind of a shock.
The Net is generally too slow for software-sub-
scription schemes to work, and Microsoft couldnt
do it right anyway. To compound the problem, its
added the developer of Lotus Notes (the most con-
voluted PIM/organizer/e-mail client ever devised)
as its CTO to spearhead the subscription project.
Take Hotmail (please!), Microsofts model for an
online application. Anyone who uses Hotmail can
imagine how Ofce Online would work. Hotmail
is interesting because it began (in its pre-Microsoft
days) as an easy-to-use, nearly elegant system for
Web-based e-mail. Over time it took on the char-
acteristics of an Italian design turned over to the
Japaneselots of chrome and Hello Kitty features
added, until the product became an ugly mess.
Worse, Hotmail goes down all the time.
For Microsoft, the subscription appeal is this:
Although its the worlds largest software company,
it cant help being jealous of enterprise specialists
such as SAP or even Oracle, with their pre-PC way
of playing in the software gameselling software
on a rigid fee-per-seat-per-month basis rather than
in a shrink-wrapped box. Just why a company that
helped pioneer shrink-wrapped affordable software
(thus becoming the worlds biggest software com-
pany) would lament a market it created is a matter
of stupendous cosmic befuddlement. Its as though
Boeing suddenly stopped selling jets and began in-
vesting in Baldwin locomotives.
Much of this insanity stems from the Google
bogey man. Microsoft imagines Google will imple-
ment an online office suite before Microsoft can
defend itself, and well all be running G-Word all
the time. More likely, wed download a featureless
Google ofce suite for free and have to endure ads
by Google as we type terms it ags as keywords.
What Microsoft should do is actually invest
some effort into improving the Ofce suite. Power-
Point, for example, is a corpse of a program. Do
something with it! Grammar checking in Word
could be improved, and there is always room for
translation services within the product itself.
Where is that feature?
Microsoft should give up on old-fashioned con-
cepts that stem from the dead minicomputer busi-
ness. Yes, SAP and other enterprise packages can
make money. If Microsoft put its energy behind a
shrink-wrapped SAP clone, how long would SAP
stay in business? Instead, the company sees the old-
fashioned model as easy moneybut it will nd this
exercise to be a waste of money. Get a clue, boys.
John C. Dvorak
Microsofts Software Subscription Fiasco
Its as though
Boeing suddenly
stopped selling
jets and began
investing in Baldwin
locomotives.
MORE ON THE WEB: Read John C. Dvoraks column
every Monday at go.pcmag.com/dvorak. You can
reach him directly at pcmag@dvorak.org.
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S
ome years ago, when Andy Grove was run-
ning Intel, AMD leapfrogged Intel in technol-
ogy. Grove, according to rumors, got mad
and let the engineers know that Intel would
never let that happen again. Shortly thereafter, In-
tel regained the technology lead. But more recently,
AMD once again passed Intel, and Intel has been lag-
ging in its attempt to catch up. AMD brought the rst
true dual-core chips to market, and its now expect-
ed that it will have quad-core shipping by late 2006.
This puts AMD, by a conservative estimate, one to
two years ahead of Intel.
Exactly how AMD gained the technology lead is
debatable, but I see it as an element of the Silicon
Valley mindset. While Im normally in agreement
with the various litanies oating around the Val-
ley, this one is just off base. Essentially it says that
the microprocessor business is going to be forever
at, so companies like Intel cannot keep riding the
pony; they must get into something else. Hence, In-
tel toys around in all sorts of venues not related to
microprocessors.
This is not to say that Intel hasnt always done
this. Years ago, it even came out with a line of chil-
drens toys that included a little digital camera (out-
standing for the price) and microscopes. This move
was perhaps in response to seeing Texas Instru-
ments become successful with products in various
consumer electronics areas. The bigger point is that
Intel has not been successful in these ventures.
The problem is that Intel has failed to see that
it had evolved differently from companies like TI
or National Semiconductor. Somehow it hadnt
noticed that it had become a specialist in micro-
processors, in the process becoming the worlds
largest chip company. AMD also ddles with other
stuff but has not bought into the notion that the
microprocessor is dead. Now its the leader. Its
focusing on mobile technology and hopes to have
some reference designs soon. This is where Intel
still leads AMD.
There is great danger here for Intel. Even
though AMD seems to have overtaken Intel in
many domestic markets and is gaining in others,
there is no landslide. But if some software comes
along that can actually use the power of a quad-
core chip and suddenly an Intel box looks like a
pig next to a less expensive AMD box, then things
would dramatically shift. The new quad-core from
AMD is what I want!
I Thought This Was Weird Dept.: According to
research conducted by Burson-Marsteller and the
Economist Intelligence Unit, most top-level ex-
ecutives would rather not become the CEO of their

J OHN C. DVORAK
Inside Track
company. This applies worldwide, except in Latin
America, where apparently everyone wants to be
the boss. And this nding seems to be a growing
trend. The rationale for it has to do with a nebulous
concept called work-life balance. In other words,
the CEO does not get to have enough normal fun
whatever that is. Im not sure myself since Im too
busy writing.
Its possible that these well-paying jobs will
eventually be peopled only by workaholic jerks.
That should have interesting ramications in the
society and economy alike.
What, Me Worry? Dept.: In another survey out
of the U.K., it was discovered that a third of PDA
and smartphone owners use no security whatso-
ever. And were talking about executives hereap-
parently the same ones who do not want to be the
CEO. The problem here is that too many of these
devices have a lot of corporate information, ad-
dress books, company passwords, and other sen-
sitive data, making the company vulnerable when
these phones and devices are stolen. In Britain
alone, 700,000 phones are stolen a year. In the
U.S., the gure is hard to come by but must be well
over a million. And apart from the risk of theft, a
PDA or a mobile phone can easily fall out of ones
pocket. Many are left on counters. At least use the
locking codes if you have any sort of information
on the devices.
Another Fine Mess Dept.: I was on the New York
City subway the other day and looked at the riders
around me. Out of ten nearby passengers, six had
iPods or other MP3 players and were listening to mu-
sic. I have seen more and more of this lately: people
detaching themselves from their environments and
living in their own little world. At least this situa-
tion is better than what we had with boom boxes 20
years ago.
Theres something interesting about this, which
Ive been noticing for a few years. Far too many
people seem to be blowing their ears out with
these things. If I can hear someones earbuds from
10 feet away in a noisy subway, then these people
are going to be hearing impaired or even deaf in
no time. This is a huge public-health issue that
needs to be addressed. When I was a kid in gram-
mar school, an audiologist would come by every
year and test the kids hearing. I dont think that
is being done routinely anymore. And there used
to be something called a health class that would
inform kids about these sorts of injuries. That sort
of education seems to be missing too. Prediction:
In the future we are going to be required to talk a
lot louder.
A third of
PDA and
smartphone
owners use
no secur ity
whatso ever.
And were
talking about
executives
here.
79 www.pcmag.com JANUARY 2006 PC MAGAZI NE

I
ts the holiday season, time to get gifts for fam-
ily and friends. We bring you the best stuff year-
round, but quality may be scarce this time of year.
For you last-minute shoppers, heres my annual
list of the years ten worst productsas scored
and reviewed by PC Magazine Labs in 2005. These
may look shiny and sharp on the shelves, but each one
is fundamentally awed. Youve been warned!
10. Oakley Thump: If youve overdone it with the
eggnog, a $350 pair of sunglasses with a built-in
MP3 player might seem a divine combination. Its
not. The poorly tting earbuds chafe, the glasses
feel imsy, and the style is dated. Avoid the rst
version, and be careful of the secondbetter, but
still not great. And what happens if you want to
rock out at night? Unless youre buying for Bono,
pick up an iPod shufe and a pair of Revos for less.
(Though the Thump was released in 2004, we re-
viewed it in 2005.)
9. Voodoo Doll D210: If you give someone this
zippy breadbox-sized PC, theyll be sticking pins
in your effigy all yearand youll be out more
than 3,000 smackeroos, too. Voodoo crammed two
CPUs and two hard drives inside, but left out the
keyboard, mouse, and monitor. If you buy one any-
way, get a pair of industrial-strength ear protectors
too, as it whines like a 747 taxiing for takeoff.
8. H2i SimplyTouch OpticalBar: Turn any monitor
into a touch screen! Thats the promise; the reality
is different. The OpticalBar sits atop your monitor
and tracks your nger as you touch special parts of
the screen. Alas, it works more slowly than the mid-
night shift at an all-night diner, and often gets your
order wrong, too. Get a tablet notebook instead.
7. Motorola ROKR E1: The Oakley Thump of the
mobile phone set; at least its a decent phone. The
hype around The First iTunes Phone created un-
fulfillable expectations. Its not as polished as an
iPod, and its limited music storage makes a medio-
cre player even worse. Glacially slow music transfer
puts the nal nail in this cofn. Sony Ericsson sells
a much better MP3-phone combo, but I suggest a
shufe and a RAZR phone: cheaper, and better.
6. Cinego D-1000: It slices! It dices! It projects
your DVDs onto the wall! You might be tempted by
this combination front-projector and DVD player,
but stay away. Marred by a minuscule remote, a
nasty interface, and terrible video quality, itll soon
be relegated to the garage or eBay. For budget home
theater, hold out for Optomas D10, or pick up a
cheaper projector and a DVD player for less.
5. PQI mPack P800 Media Player: Looking for a
portable music and video player? The mPack looks
attractiveyou can record video and FM radio
directly, and it even includes a CompactFlash slot.
But playback is a problem. Even with the most re-
cent ash update, fast-forward and rewind simply
do not work, despite the manuals direction. The
screen is terrible, the interface abysmal, and the
physical buttons erratic. Apples video-capable
iPod, the Creative Zen Vision, and anything from
Archos deliver a better experience for less.
4. Dual XNAV3500P: Even alpha males can use
a little GPS assistance now and then. This hybrid
car and portable mapping system seems solidun-
til you start using it. Marred by an awful interface
and a poor data-entry keypad, it failed our tests.
Pick up a TomTom GO, or give an IOU for Garmins
amazing nvi, debuting here in January.
3. PepperPad: Following in the footsteps of the
Audrey, Netpliance, and NIC, this is an Internet
bubble failure ve years too late. More costly than a
laptop, with a battery life measured in minutes, and
a tiny 8- by 6-inch touch screen, this home Internet
tablet has few redeeming features. Unless you like
freaky keyboards, opt for a cheap tablet PC instead.
2. Sony S2 Sports Network Walkman NW-S23:
Pity poor Sony. It invented the Walkman and then
squabbled as Apple stole its lunch. This player nal-
ly supports MP3 les, yet it lacks so much else. With
ergonomics straight from a Klingon warship, balky
software, and a poor display, it deserves a place in
the remainder rack. Youre better off with a shufe.
Now, the moment youve been waiting for . . . the
years worst productfrom a surprising source.
1. Samsung Digimax V700: Samsung can seeming-
ly do no wrong these days. It has supplanted Sony
as the top electronics brand, exuding both quality
and cool. We hope this terrible digital camera is an
aberration, not a sign of things to come. With slow
performance, lousy auto-exposure, and shutter lag,
this 7.1-megapixel camera never should have been
released. Compact cameras from Canon, Sony and
Nikon are far bettereven if they cost a bit more.
Jim Louderback
MORE ON THE WEB: You can contact Jim Louderback
at Jim_Louderback@ziffdavis.com. For more of his
columns, go to go.pcmag.com/louderback.
These may look
shiny and sharp on
the shelves, but each
one is fundamentally
awed.
Ten to Avoid: 2005s Worst Products
Strobe XP 300
Duplex Mobile Scanning Solution!
Copyright 2005. Visioneer, Inc. All rights reserved. The Visioneer brand name, logo and Visioneer Strobe are registered trademarks of Visioneer, Inc.
Visioneer, Inc. 5673 Gibraltar Drive, Suite 150, Pleasanton, CA 94588. *The NPD Group/NPD TechWorld (January May 2003), 200 dpi black and white mode.
Perfect for busy mobile professionals who need a fast and reliable duplex scanner with a small footprint. Now you
can scan and file all of your documents and photographs electronically right alongside your electronic documents
from Microsoft Office, PDF files from Adobe Acrobat and image files from numerous other applications. Measuring
only 2 x 2.5 x 12 and weighing a mere 20 ounces, the Strobe XP 300 is slim and lightweight. Fits neatly on a desk and
packs easily alongside your laptop or in your briefcase. Scans anything, anywhere because its both USBpowered
through your USB port or wallpowered mode to conserve your laptop battery. Now you can quickly scan, file and store all
of your documents, plastic ID cards, photos, articles, brochures and business cards no matter where you are.
For information visit our website at www.visioneer.com
Fast Duplex Scanner
6 seconds/page, simplex scanning*
6 seconds/image, duplex scanning*
Patented AutoLaunch Technology
Insert document to start scan automatically!
Scan to PDF
Convert documents into searchable PDF files!
Mobile
USB-powered or wall-powered modes!
Flexible
Scan business cards, plastic ID cards,
up to legal-sized documents!
Strobe XP 300
Duplex Mobile Scanning Solution!
9 out of 10 buyers choose Visioneer for their mobile scanning solution
*
Perfect for the Office, on the Road or at Home!
www.pcmag.com JANUARY 2006 PC MAGAZI NE 81

There are some challenges facing both users and
vendors. First, you dont choose the service; you
choose a phone carrier that offers the service.
Even if your recent phone is GPS-equipped, it
probably needs a rmware update that the phone
companies may not offer. Instead, theyll point you
in the direction of a new phone andsurprise!
another two-year subscriber commitment.
Services have pedestrian modes that will be-
come useful only when phones also integrate
compasses, later in 2006. Turn-by-turn arrows
presume pedestrians are pointed in the right
direction; vehicles move fast enough for the
phones to self-orient.
The standard price is about $10 a month, but some
carriers may also require a data plan for you to get
the trip information; others will roll that charge
into the monthly price. Static or moving maps, or
POI (point of interest) lookups for restaurants and
ATMs, may incur additional data charges. Much
of the pricing remains in ux, because carriers are
looking for feedback among partitioning programs
on what the trafc will bear. While its cheap com-
pared with buying a nav system, most people dont
have one to start with, so this is one more item to
add to the monthly budget. If cell-phone nav takes
off on the personal (not business) side, there needs
to be a family share plan. Some carriers will likely
offer 10-packs of trips for about $10. And for an ex-
tra $1 per trip, they could offer operator-assisted
trip downloads for technophobes; its standard on
ViaMotos rental-car offering.
Should you do it? This is a hit on the digital-
lifestyle pocketbook, along with Napster or Rhap-
sody, satellite radio, broadband service, cable or
satellite TV, DVD rentals, cellular phone service,
and the now-annual PC service fees for software
to guard against viruses, spam, and spyware. But
the odds are that once you try cellular navigation,
youll be hooked. For business, its a no-brainer.
And in your personal life, it may help with little
things like arriving on time to meet your blind date
at the new restaurant across town. If you hit it off,
youll have to ask yourself whether she was more
charmed by your personality or your cell phone.
Odds are, once
you try cellular
navigation, youll be
hooked. For business,
its a no-brainer.
Cell Phone Nav: The Next Big Thing
Bill Howard
MORE ON THE WEB: You can contact Bill Howard
directly at bill_howard@ziffdavis.com. For more of
his columns, go to go.pcmag.com/howard.
Y
ou have just enough time to make that
2:30 appointment if you dont get lost. But
your car has no navigation system, and
youre not getting far with the gas station
attendant you just queried. No problem:
Whip out your cell phone, and you have turn-by-
turn (TBT) directions. Or you will shortly. The GPS
directions service is the best example yet of location-
based services (LBS) for cell phones, and it should be
widely available in the coming year.
Move over, pictures, texting, and music. Navi-
gation is the next big thing on mobile phones. Its
cool, its affordable, and it works spectacularly
well, considering that youre looking at a 2-inch
screen. And compare its pricean additional 10
bucks a month on your cell phone billwith $1,500
to $2,500 for a navigation system in your next car
or $750 for a dash-top system.
Heres how it works: You call up an embedded
Java navigation applet, key in the destination ad-
dress, and hit Send. The phone uses cell-tower tri-
angulation to get a quick x on your location while
the phone-company server downloads directions
and a map. The display shows directional arrows
or a street map, turn-by-turn directions (on-screen
and spoken), the distance to the next turn, and the
distance and time to your destination.
We tried both current and prototype services
and were impressed by their quality and accuracy.
Cell-phone navigation is just about as good as cur-
rent built-in, dash-top, and PDA-based navigation
solutions. You have no upfront cost beyond buying
a new phone, the data is always up to date, the ser-
vices work in every car and rental car you use, and
you can still receive calls.
Several companies provide navigation services.
Motorolas ViaMoto is offered in rental cars (Avis
Assist; Alamo/National Navigation Station) for
$10 a day. Nextel subscribers can also get ViaMoto.
Nextel and Sprint support TeleNav, and Verizon is
expected to in 2006. Garmin offers Garmin Mo-
bile on the Sprint network. Networks in Motions
promising AtlasBook is expected to be out in early
2006 on CDMA phones, meaning Sprint or Veri-
zon. Others have nav, such as ALKs CoPilot Live,
on smartphones (phone PDAs). A Microsoft/Fiat
joint venture will incorporate a simple GPS data
display in the instrument cluster and use a GSM
Bluetooth cell phone to get trip downloads.
MAK I NG T E C H NOL OGY WOR K F OR YOU
Getting the Most
from Your Batteries
Batteries light up our livesand a whole array of devices.
Heres how to choose and use them. BY BILL HOWARD
B
atteries. Most every gadget
is powered by one, if not sev-
eral, of them. You probably
dont pay them much atten-
tion, except when they need
to be recharged or replacedwhich is
less frequently than ever thanks to im-
provements in efciency. But to get the
most out of your batteries, its important
to know about the different battery types
and their characteristics, and about
proper charging and storage procedures.
A BATTERY MYTH
True or false: If you run a rechargeable
battery down only halfway before re-
charging, sooner or later the battery re-
members, and you get only half as much
battery life. Mostly false nowadays, say
most battery experts, with some cave-
ats. Such a memory effect did affect older
nickel cadmium (NiCd) batteries. But
with nickel metal hydride (NiMH) and
lithium ion batteries, its not an issue, or
not one that is going to halve battery life.
Some practices will lop off running
time. One is leaving a battery always
plugged in to a charger. Heres a hypo-
thetical example: If a set of new, fully
charged batteries is capable of taking
100 ash pictures in a digital camera, a
year from now the constantly charging
battery set might be capable of taking
perhaps 95 pictures. In comparison, a
well-treated one-year-old battery might
be capable of taking 98 pictures on a full
charge, a couple less than in its prime.
No matter how well you treat the re-
chargeable battery, though, its unlikely
to last more than five years, and will
probably give you really good service
only for the rst three.
POWERING LAPTOPS
As the power needs of notebook comput-
ers are greater than those of most por-
table devices, and notebook portability
goes hand-in-hand with battery life, its
important to understand the power ca-
pacity of notebook batteries. Notebook
battery packs indicate power in amp-
hours (Ah) or milliamp-hours (mAh),
but you cant make apples-to-apples
comparisons among notebooks because
they can operate at different voltages,
typically 7.2, 10.8, or 14.4 volts (multiples
of 3.6 volts). What matters is their total
energy, expressed in watt-hours (Wh,
the amp-hour rating times the voltage). A
mainstream notebook battery pack might
provide 4.4 Ah (4,400 mAh) at 10.8 volts,
or about 47.5 Wh. A notebook battery pro-
viding 4.0 Ah at 14.8 volts would produce
59 Wh. The latter battery actually pro-
vides about one-third more power, even
though its amp-hour rating is 10 percent
less. Ultraportables might provide bat-
teries with only 20 Wh of performance,
while multimedia notebooks might ap-
proach triple digits (though theyll often
rate only around 50 Wh because users
arent expected to run these machines
away from AC power for long.)
Beware of starter batteries. To shave
costs and weight, especially on ultraport-
ables, you may be offered a four-cell bat-
tery pack, when the standard is six cells
and extended-life batteries would have
eight or nine cells. For longer run time
with a mainstream laptop, consider a bat-
tery that swaps in to the optical drive bay.
Usually its half to two-thirds as power-
ful as the main battery, and it will often
drain before the main battery. If you
always leave the bay battery in, after a
year of hard use it might be down to half
its life, while the main battery will have
been called to active duty only a couple
times a month on long ights.
MAXIMIZING BATTERY LIFE
If you buy a pack of round-cell NiMH re-
chargeables, youll want get an appropri-
ate charger. Higher-capacity batteries
call for higher-capacity chargers, un-
less you dont mind waiting a bit longer.
More important, NiMH batteries are
sensitive to overcharging and require
closer monitoring by the charger; plug
NiMH batteries into a charger designed
for NiCds and you may overcharge and
damage them. Chargers for NiMH and
lithium ion batteries monitor battery
voltage and temperature to sense when
the batteries are charged; they then shut
down or provide only a trickle charge.
Rapid chargers that recharge a four-
pack of NiMH batteries in as little as 15
minutes have some drawbacks. First,
when the green charged light glows,
the batteries are really at about 80 per-
Know Your Batteries
Here are the most common battery types found in todays gadgets:
Single-use lithium
(properly, lithium iron
disulfide) batteries
are great for digital
cameras because they
pack in a lot of energy,
are lightweight, and
dont suffer in the cold.
Prismatic lithium
batteries can be
shaped to fit inside
odd-size cavities. They
are used for small
laptops, optical-bay
batteries, and some
music players.

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cent capacity, and youll need another
one to two hours to reach full charge.
Second, battery makers say rapid char-
gers are tougher on the internal work-
ings of batteries and may reduce their
lifetime. But as Anthony Mazzola of En-
ergizer notes, You should use the bat-
tery rather than other way around. Big
deal if your $20 pack of NiMH batteries
that theoretically lasts 500 full-charge
cycles is good for only 400; its more im-
portant to have the batteries available
when you need them.
Once the batteries are fully charged,
take them out and set them aside. They
wont lose that much of a charge unless
you dont use them for a month or two.
You can store NiMH and lithium ion
batteries without charging them, but re-
member to put them back in the charger
the night before you need them. Cheap
chargers may have a timer that shuts off
after several hours, which may not accu-
rately gauge the charging process; better
ones monitor the battery temperature
and voltage, so theres less downside to
leaving the battery in the charger.
Batteries should be stored at room
temperature. There is no need to keep
them refrigerated, and its even worse
to put them in a garage or shed, where
theyll be subject to temperature fluc-
tuations. One exception to the benign
neglect rule: Lead-acid batteries should
be stored fully charged and be protected
from freezing, which is more likely to oc-
cur if theyre not charged; the batterys
electrolyte (or liquid) if discharged
could freeze in subzero weather and
crack the case or its internal plates. For
most users, lead-acid means only car and
UPS (uninterruptible power supply) bat-
teries. If youve got a car stored for the
winter, keep a trickle charger attached.
HOW LONG WILL THEY LAST?
As a rule of thumb, a NiMH or lithium
ion rechargeable battery is good for
about 500 cycles, meaning a full or
nearly full discharge and then a full
charge. A half-discharge followed by a
recharge counts as about half a cycle.
In other words, if you plug and unplug,
or dock and undock, your notebook 500
times in six months, the battery isnt
going to need replacement.
The highest-power NiMH batteries
(2,500 to 2,600 mAh) may last for fewer
total cycles than less powerful batteries
(2,000 mAh). Some NiCd batteries may
be good for 1,000 cycles. The cycle life
of a lead-acid battery depends on how
often its allowed to run down. It does
not take kindly to full discharges.
Once theyre charged, NiMH and
lithium ion batteries dont lose too much
of their power sitting in a desk drawer.
Single-use batteries, especially lithium,
are essentially unaffected by sitting for
several years.
Some notebook makers, among them
Lenovo, recommend a quarterly condi-
tioning, or full discharge, followed by
a full recharge. This overcomes any re-
sidual memory effect if there is one, and
also gets the notebooks power manage-
ment in sync with the battery. Some note-
books have a conditioning utility that
does that automatically (while youre
plugged in to AC power, so the whole
thing happens overnight). If not, go into
your notebooks power management (on
most: Start | Control Panel | Performance
and Maintenance | Power Options | Prop-
erties). Under the Power Schemes tab,
choose Always On; under Alarms, disable
any suspend or hibernate actions invoked
by the low-battery alarm and critical-bat-
tery alarm. Let the battery run down for
two to four hours, then recharge.
If your batteries are suffering from
neglect, a couple of charge-discharge
cycles may restore them partially.
BEST PRACTICES
For longest life, charge your round-
cell batteries on a standard (not rapid)
charger and take them out once theyre
charged. The highest-performance bat-
teries produce more energy per charge
but may last fewer cycles. Run your lap-
top on AC power when possible to avoid
using up the nite number of cycles.
Rechargeable batteries are likely
to stop working well after three to ve
years. Recycle spent lithium ion batter-
ies because their innards can be reused,
and recycle NiCd and lead-acid batteries
because of their toxicity. To nd a recy-
cling center, see Rechargeable Battery
Recycling Corporation (rbrc.org).
Bill Howard is a contributing editor of
PC Magazine.
Single-use
alkaline
batteries in
standard sizes
are best for
devices such
as remotes,
music players,
flashlights,
and your kids
toys.
Most
standard-size
round-cell
rechargeable
batteries
(double-A, triple-A)
are nickel metal
hydride (NiMH).
Youll find them in
digital cameras and
electronic flashes.
Rechargeable
lithium ion
battery packs
are the type
most often used
in laptops, cell
phones, and
camcorders, and
are found in
many digital
cameras.
YOU SHOULD CONDITION your laptop
battery several times a year by turning
off all power-saver options, then running
it all the way down.

go.pcmag.com/solutions
Your New Computer
Your new machine is all ready to goor is it? Our tips
help you get off to a good start. BY EDWARD MENDELSON
Y
ou got a new computer for the
holidays and youre itching to
start using it. Before you do,
check out our advice on how to turn
your new system into the one you really
wantwhich is not necessarily the one
the vendor thinks you should have. To
compile our tips, we looked at the latest
mainstream laptops from Dell, HP, IBM/
Lenovo, Toshiba, and Sony, but our ad-
vice applies to the latest desktop models
as well. So read on, and enjoy your new
machinesafely and economically.
MAKE IT SAFE
New computers typically come with
Microsoft Windows XP Service Pack 2,
but they probably do not have the latest
security updates. So when you rst turn
your machine on, leave it disconnected
from your modem (cable or DSL) or your
network router. Many systems come with
a limited-time version of an antivirus
program, usually McAfee Security Cen-
ter or Symantec Internet Security. When
you first run the system, the antivirus
software will pop up a series of dialogs
prompting you to activate the trial ver-
sions. Unless you have another security
package ready to install, you should agree
to switch on one of the trial versions, be-
cause youll want to have security soft-
ware running when you rst connect to
the Internet. (If you use one of the trial
versions, you neednt feel obliged to buy
an annual subscription when the trial
runs out.) If youd rather install other
security software from a CD, do so now.
When the software is fully installed
(youll probably need to reboot to com-
plete the process), use the Start menu to
open the Control Panel, then open the
Security Center. Make sure that Firewall,
Automatic Updates, and Virus Protec-
tion are all turned on. But dont connect
to the Internet just yet.
Next insert a blank CD or DVD into
the appropriate drive and then nd and
run the software on your system that
lets you create a recovery disc, which
will let you restore your system to its
original state. Dont neglect this step: Its
essential if rogue software or an overen-
thusiastic family member disrupts your
system to the point where you need to
return it to its out-of-the-box condition.
Nowand only nowplug in your
network cable or connect to a wireless
network. You dont need to turn off your
machine before plugging in the cable.
Windows should detect your network
automatically. When youre connected,
Windows automatic updates service
should start running automatically; no-
tice the shield-like icon on the taskbar.
If it doesnt start in a few minutes, run
Windows Update from the Start menu.
Also run any software-updating service
that may be installed with your machine.
On some systems, the updater will run
automatically; others require you to
launch a Software Installer or similarly
named program. Either way, its almost
always wise to install any updates pro-
posed by the updater.
MAKE IT SVELTE
Many systems come with limited-time
or limited-feature versions of standard
commercial applications such as Micro-
soft Office 2003, Quicken, and Adobe
Photoshop Album. They also typically
include menus that encourage you to try
and buy a dozen or more other applica-
tions. You may want to try some, but take
a good look rst to see what youre get-
ting. Some systems we tested came with
Microsoft Outlook 2003 as the default
mail softwarebut then required you to
buy a license in order to use Outlook to
send and receive mail. If you dont plan
to pay for Ofce (or Outlook alone), and
dont want to pay to upgrade the other
applications from the trial version, use
the Control Panels Add or Remove Pro-
grams applet to get rid of the unwanted
shovelware the vendor dumped on to
your system. Your system will be faster
and more responsive, and your desktop
will be uncluttered.
Dont feel you have to buy
Outlook. Remember that
Windows itself comes with
the Outlook Express mail cli-
ent. Or you can download a
free copy of the high- powered
Thunderbird mail client from
www. mozi l l a. org. Whi l e
youre there, get a copy of the
Firefox Web browser, and use
it instead of Internet Explorer
for fast, safe browsing.
Dont feel you have to buy
Office either. If your sys-
tem came with Microsoft
Works or the preinstalled
version of Corel WordPer-
fect, you already have fully
functional, no-extra-charge versions of
these programs, and you should keep
them. And now is the perfect time to try
OpenOfce.org 2.0, a free, full-featured
office suite that can open and save in
Microsoft formats.
You may also nd a variety of DVD-
authori ng and i mage-management
software; Napster (now a membership-
based music download service); Real-
Player 10.0; AOL 9.0; and, puzzlingly,
the ancient version 6.0 of the Netscape
Web browser. Youll need RealPlayer for
many Web sites, but depending on your
needs, you may want to uninstall some
or all of the rest. Computers get clut-
tered quickly enough; its a good idea at
least to start out with a clean machine.
Edward Mendelson is a contributing
editor of PC Magazine.
TOSHIBAS CENTRAL control panel includes system
information, restore, and updating features, but it
also clutters your screen with ads for hardware and a
whole catalog of software you probably dont want.
DESKTOP
84
S OL UT I ON S go.pcmag.com/solutions
PC MAGAZINE JANUARY 2006 www.pcmag.com
Exploring Word Toolbars
Customize your Word environment with these handy
toolbar options. BY HELEN BRADLEY
M
icrosoft Word toolbars include
buttons to speed up the pro-
cesses you perform regularly.
But you can customize the toolbars to
make them even more functional. For
example, if you often use a particular
symbol, you can create a button to insert
it automatically. You can also add menu
items to shortcut menus and even create
extra built-in menus to Word. Lets see
how you can make your Word toolbars
even more useful.
To create a toolbar button for eas-
ily inserting a symbol into a document,
choose Tools | Customize, click on the
Commands tab, and locate the All Com-
mands option in the Categories list on
the left. Scroll down the commands to
locate the Symbol: entry and drag and
drop it onto a toolbar. When the Symbol
dialog opens, click the symbol to attach
to the button and click OK.
What the toolbar button displays is
the font name followed by the symbol
number. To make this friendlier, right-
click the button and change the name
to something youll recognize. (Leave
the Customize dialog box open.) If your
symbol is a character that can be typed
by holding the Alt key and pressing a se-
ries of numbers on the numeric keypad,
type the symbol and name it this way.
For other symbols, you can draw your
own button by selecting the Default
Style entry from the menu and choosing
Edit Button Image.
In a similar manner, you can add a
toolbar button that lets you insert an
image in your document automatically.
Find InsertPicture in the commands list
and drag it to the toolbar. Then right-
click the button, choose Assign Hyper-
link | Insert Picture, and select a picture
to associate with the button.
You can create images for your tool-
bar buttons from any 16- by 16-pixel
image, and you can even take an ordi-
nary image and resize it down to 16-by-
16 using Microsoft Picture Manager or
other graphics software. Then copy the
image to the clipboard and paste it onto
a toolbar button by choosing the Paste
Button Image option on the menu that
appears when you right-click the button
with the Customize dialog open.
To swipe button images from other
Microsoft Office programs, open the
other programs Customize dialog, right-
click the button and choose Copy Button
Image. Once the button face is copied to
the clipboard, you can paste it onto your
Word button.
The All Commands list contains a
number of Word commands that oper-
ate like the Symbol: command. These
include Color, Column, Condensed, Ex-
panded, Lowered, Raised, FontSize, and
FileOpenFile. If you select any of these,
youll be prompted to enter a value for
the text color, the number of columns,
the amount to condense or expand text
or lower or raise it, the font size, or the
le to open. If you decide you want to re-
move a toolbar button, just drag it off the
toolbar with the Customize dialog open.
You can also tailor Word to your
needs by addi ng commands to the
Shortcut Menus. To do this, from the
Customize dialogs Toolbar tab, enable
the Shortcut Menus checkbox. When the
shortcut menu toolbar appears, choose
Text, Table, or Draw, depending on the
type of shortcut menu you want to work
with, and then choose the menu itself.
With the menu open, click the Com-
mands tab and drag and drop an item
from the Commands list onto the menu.
Another great way to customize Word
is to add one of its built-in menus such as
the Work menu. Built-in menus are also
available through the Customize dialog.
Select the Built-in menus option in the
Categories list and drag the Work menu
entry from the Commands list onto any
toolbar or onto the Word menu bar (that
is, the bar with the File, Edit, View, and
other menu choices), which is just an-
other toolbar.
The Work menu stores links to docu-
ments, letting you open the
documents by selecting them
from the menuvery handy if
youre working on a number of
related documents. To oper-
ate the Work menu, close the
Customize dialog and open a
le to add to the Work menu.
With the file open, choose
Work | Add To Work Menu,
and the document will now
appear in the list. Do the same
to add other les to the menu.
To remove a file from the
list, press Ctrl + Alt + _ (un-
derscore) to display the re-
move cursor, which is a thick
black horizontal bar. Click
this cursor on the Work menu and then
click on the file you want to remove.
The file will disappear from the Work
menu but not, of course, from your hard
drive. You can actually use this cursor
to remove any option from any Word
menu. Take care when using it, though,
because you will not be prompted to
conrm removal of the item before it is
permanently removed.
If you do lose a favorite command,
you can add it backor you can reset
the menu or toolbar to its original state,
though you would lose any customiza-
tions. To reset a toolbar or menu, right-
click any toolbar and choose Customize
and then the Toolbars tab. Select the
toolbar, click the Reset button, and an-
swer Yes to the prompt. The toolbar will
return to its default settings.
Helen Bradley is a contributing editor of
PC Magazine.
IN THIS IMAGE were adding a Print option to the
Draw | inline picture menu.
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Learn even more. Visit our web site today: www.kyoceramita.com/newproducts
Manage Partitions for
Free with QTParted
Even Windows users can run this free Linux hard drive
utility. We show you how. BY KYLE RANKIN
H
ard drive capacities are quickly
expanding, with internal desk-
top drives approaching the half-
terabyte mark. The amount of data you
can store on todays consumer hard drives
was unthinkable even a decade ago, but
huge apps and multimedia files have
pushed this expansion. As the amount of
data stored increases, so does the need
to organize it. This usually means set-
ting up a number of directories, but mul-
tition, usually labeled C: in Microsoft
Windows. Think of such a drive as a
large house with no interior wallsjust
a single general-purpose room. Nearly
all houses separate different sections
into special-purpose areas, such as bed-
rooms, kitchens, and bathrooms, to make
better use of the space. Hard drive parti-
tions operate on the same principle.
One common reason for partitioning
is to install several operating systems on
Repartitioning, resizing, or moving a
partition is risky, whatever tool you use.
Back up any crucial data on a partition
before you resize it.
According to the Web site (qtparted
.sourceforge.net), QTParted is designed
as a Linux-based clone of Partition Magic.
The utility provides a simple interface for
you to create, delete, move, resize, for-
mat, and otherwise manage partitions.
Probably the best way to use QTParted
is from a bootable Linux disc, since resiz-
ing or moving partitions youre currently
booted into is risky. Many bootable Linux
distributions, Knoppix among the most
notable, include QTParted.
Knoppix is a complete Linux distribu-
tion that runs directly from a bootable
CD-ROM or DVD. To get the OS, visit
www.knoppix.org, download the latest
700MB ISO CD image le from a down-
load mirror, and burn the image to an op-
tiple partitions are another great way to
manage high-capacity drives. A number
of tools exist to make this easy, such as
Norton PartitionMagic 8.01, our Editors
Choice (see our review at go.pcmag.com
/partitionmagic801) among partitioning
programs. But whereas PartitionMagic
costs $70, the open-source community
has a free graphical partitioning tool
with many advanced functions: QTPart-
ed. Running QTParted from a bootable
Linux CD-ROM or DVD is the safest way
to use the program, and a method that
lets even Windows users run it.
Partitions split a hard drive into sec-
tions. Desktop computers generally
come congured with only a single par-
the same drive. The rst partition might
have Windows XP; the second, Windows
2000; and a third, Linuxeach OS in its
own container. Some PC vendors use
multiple partitions for system recovery
the rst partition lls most of the drive
and holds the operating system, while
the second contains a recovery image.
Another common use for partitioning is
to separate out data. The rst partition
is devoted to the core operating-system
les; the second is for programs, games,
or general storage. This has the extra ad-
vantage of protecting you in case of le-
system errors. Should an error or hard
reset corrupt the second partition, the
rst may remain intact.
tical disc using your burning softwares
Burn Image option. After you create
the Knoppix disc, leave it in the drive and
reboot the computer to bring the system
up in the Knoppix environment. (For
more on Knoppix, see our introduction at
go.pcmag.com/knoppixintro.)
After Knoppix boots (type knoppix at
the boot prompt), start at the large letter
K at bottom left. Select K | System | QT-
Parted to launch the utility. The main
window is split into left and right panes.
The left lists any hard drives (and pos-
sibly optical drives) that QTParted de-
tects. Click the drive you want to edit
(your rstor C:drive will most likely
be labeled /dev/hda, your second /dev/
hdb, and so on), and QTParted will scan it
for partition information, displaying the
details in the right pane. The top section
of the right pane displays the hard drive
and any partitions in graphical form.
RESIZING A PARTITION in QTParted. The rst screen shows the drive structure before
resizing; the second, the resize window before any changes have been made; the
third, the resize window after the partition has been resized; and the fourth, the new
partition structure.
DI Y: SOFTWARE
Move operation and drag
the partition or manually
enter its start and ending
locations in the window
that appears.
Athough the utility
will now show changes,
you haven t changed
the actual drive yet
QTParted is only show-
i ng you the potential
results of the operations.
The tool keeps track of your changes and
lets you undo them at any time until they
are committed. To write the changes to
the drive, click on File | Commit. A con-
rmation window will appear, and once
you click on OK, the program makes the
changes. Many require a reboot to take
effect; click on K and choose Logout to
reboot. If you resize a Windows parti-
tion, run Chkdsk on it at the next reboot
Below youll see detailed information
on each partition, including le- system
type, size, space used, and where the
partition starts and ends on the drive.
To see the list of changes you can make,
either right-click a partition or select it
and click the Operations menu.
Since the default on many systems is
a single partition for the complete drive,
to create extra partitions you must rst
A fading or blown backlight tradition-
ally means death for LCD monitors, with
one-year warranties standard and new
models being introduced at a rate that
quickly leaves the older products unsup-
ported. But you may not have to junk your
screen anymore. At www.inventgeek
.com/Projects/shorts/lcdx.aspx, Jared
Bouck shows you the parts youll need
to make a x, where to get them, and
how to disassemble the monitor, replace
the bulb, and (if necessary) replace the
inverter. The price tag: less than $20.
Apples initial video library for its iPod
Video is quite sparse, but with TiVoToGo
and a few software tools, you can copy
video from your TiVo to the iPod Video.
The basic steps include using a program
called DirectShow Dump to strip the
metadata TiVo inserts (which prevents
people trading shows via BitTorrent),
converting TiVos MPEG-2 les (which
are incompatible with the iPod Video) to
MPEG-4 using the VLC Media Player, and
importing the content into the iPod via
iTunes. See features.engadget.com
/entry/1234000583063891 for details.
In looking for an underwater casing
for a camera, Jason Rollette and his son
went the do-it-yourself route and con-
structed a remotely operated vehicle as
a controllable platform for the camera.
They cut sections of PVC pipe to house
the camera and electronics (including
infrared LEDs to illuminate the undersea
world), and used six bilge pumps for
thrusters. Power for the lights, video,
and motors is supplied through two Eth-
ernet cables, whose length determines
the range of the craft (they can be as
long as about 100 feet before resistance
and voltage drop become problems).
See www.rollette.com/rov/index.html.
DO- I T-YOURSELF
resize the existing one to make room.
Before resizing a Windows partition, be
sure to boot into Windows and defrag
the drive. After youve completed these
preparations, select the partition and
choose the Resize operation. The win-
dow that appears will let you drag on the
partitions representation from either
side to shrink or grow it, or you can man-
ually set the size. Click on OK, and the
main window will display
your new partition and the
free space youve created.
To make a new partition
from free space, select the
space and choose the Cre-
ate operation. Set the parti-
tion type and size, and tell
QTParted whether to put it
at the start or end of the free
space. To move a partition
within free space, choose the
if Windows doesnt do so automatically.
QTParted lacks some features that
PartitionMagic has, such as merging
partitions; converting between FAT,
FAT32, and NTFS le systems; copying
individual les between partitions; and
managing boot options. Still, for resiz-
ing and creating new partitions, QT-
Parted is an easy-to-use, free tool that is
as reliable as commercial tools.
TO DO...
More Cool Projects to Try
THIS SCREEN SHOWS the different options you have in
creating a new partition with QTParted.
THE PROPERTIES WINDOW gives you information
about a particular partition.
go.pcmag.com/solutions S OL UT I ON S
A security hole in Macromedia Inc.s
Flash Player could put millions of Web
surfers at risk of PC hijack attacks, the
company warned. The vulnerability is
rated critical and was agged in Flash
Player 7.0.19.0 and earlier versions. Us-
ers who have already upgraded to Flash
Player 8 are not affected by this issue.
Macromedia recommends all Flash
Player 7 and earlier users upgrade to this
new version, the company said.
According to eEye Digital Security, the
rm that reported the issue to Macro-
media, the vulnerability opens the door
for a hacker to run arbitrary code in the
context of the logged-in user. Fixes are
posted at www.macromedia.com/
shockwave/download/download
.cgi?P1_Prod_Version=ShockwaveFlash.
Ryan Naraine
MACROMEDIA
PATCHES FLAW
THE LOOKOUT
KEEP YOURSELF SAFE! Subscribe to our
Security Watch newsletter and get
up-to-date info on the latest threats
delivered to your inbox automatically:
go.pcmag.com/securitywatchletter.
Heard Any Good
Malware Lately?
Digital rights shouldnt violate civil rightsas Sonys
DRM rootkit seems to do. BY LARRY SELTZER
it, and your e-mail address. Why do they
need this information? You can get an
idea of why from Sonys privacy policy,
which the form page links to. If you want
to uninstall the malicious software that
Sony put on your system without asking
permission or even disclosing the fact,
you have to let Sony send you e-mails
about the artist, promotions and special
offers. It may share the information with
third parties (reputable ones), who
may also contact you directly.
Blowing off technical questions
to First 4 Internet, as Sony does in this
case, doesnt cut it for me. Nobody, and I
mean nobody, buying a Sony CD thinks
they are buying a First 4 Internet prod-
uct. At a bare minimum, Sony needs
to say it will never do this again, and I
think it needs to clear out the channel.
We hope that by the time you read
this, Sony will have addressed this ter-
rible situation in a more acceptable way,
but as we go to print, we dont see any
encouraging signs that it will.
The law needs to clamp down hard on
this behavior and make it clear it isnt
acceptable practice for legitimate com-
panies. After all, if its okay for Sony to
install malware on my computer with-
out telling me, why isnt it okay for any-
one else to install malware on my system
without telling me?
Larry Seltzer is a contributing editor of
PC Magazine.
digital-rights.html) and parallel testing
performed by security firm F-Secure
(f-secure.com/v-descs/xcp_drm.shtml)
show clearly that attackers could take
advantage of the rootkit functionality to
hide their own les and registry entries,
and that techniques used by the soft-
ware run the risk of making the system
unusable. In fact, according to a Novem-
ber alert from security vendor BitDe-
fender, a new Trojan horse that uses the
cover provided by the Sony
DRM component to hide has
been detected in the wild.
When a vendor installs a
complicated program on your
computer, its not reasonable
to expect them to disclose
every single aspect of it, but
theres a difference between
being succinct and being de-
ceitful. As Russinovich shows,
the End User Licensing Agree-
ment (EULA) makes no men-
tion of the softwares cloaking
ability or that it modies the
operating system. The EULA
actually implies that the soft-
ware is removable (Once in-
stalled, the SOFTWARE will reside on
YOUR COMPUTER until removed or
deleted), in spite of the fact that no unin-
staller is provided and removing the les
manually will likely make the CD-ROM
drive unusable.
First 4 Internet released an update
(updates.xcp-aurora.com) that removes
the cloaking aspects of the software,
stopping the hiding of les and registry
entries beginning with $sys$. But it
wont let you remove the software. For
that, you are supposed to ll out a form
at cp.sonybmg.com/xcp/english/form14
.html and then follow instructions. The
uninstall form requires that you provide
the artist name and album title of the CD,
the name of the store where you bought
I
t bothers me when industry is viewed
as the enemy, when its assumed that
vendors will do the worst and we
have to protect ourselves against them.
But practices like Sony BMGs use of a
rootkit to copy-protect its CDs make me
understand that mindset.
Im not inherently hostile to DRM. I
live on the proceeds of intellectual prop-
erty, so I can understand wanting to pro-
tect it from theft. But theres a right way
and a wrong way to do DRM.
Sony BMG and its subcontractor First
4 Internet decided to disregard their
customers interests and install mal-
ware on their systems without asking.
Furthermore, they hid the software.
Despite Sonys and First 4 Internets
assertions to the contrary (Sony states
This component is not malicious and
does not compromise security), analy-
sis from Mark Russinovich, an authority
on Microsoft Windows, (sysinternals
.com/blog/2005/10/sony-rootkits-and-
IN ORDER TO GET an uninstaller from Sony, you need
to provide the information requested in this form.
SECURI TY WATCH
90
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Please note: Some of the listed capacity is used for formatting and other functions and thus is not available for data storage. For more information, please consult Kingstons Digital Media Guide
at kingston.com/Digital_Media_Guide. 2005 Kingston Technology Company, Inc. 17600 Newhope Street, Fountain Valley, CA 92708 USA. All rights reserved. All trademarks and registered
trademarks are the property of their respective owners.
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one of our partners.
Get with the Mesh
Free Wi-Fi access for all? Heres how one California
city is doing it. BY SEBASTIAN RUPLEY
G
etting a wireless network going
in a home or business is easy
these days, but unwiring a busy
city is a trickier proposition. When of-
cials in Culver City, California, decided
to do just thatinstall an always-on,
free Wi-Fi network for public usethey
quickly realized that problems loomed
large. But so did the payoff.
Our working population is primar-
ily young, technical, creative folks who
use technologies like Wi-Fi, says John
Richo, IT director for Culver City,
located not far from Hollywood. We
knew we could add value to downtown
visits and increase dwell time with free,
wireless Internet access.
Culver Citys recently renovated
Town Plaza, a one-mile square area,
bustles every day with film-industry
types and tech-savvy young people
outtted with the requisite cell phones,
handheld computers, and notebooks,
and aching to connect. But Wi-Fi is
radio-based technology that weakens if
youre far away from a signal. Obstacles
and weather are also problems.
In a Wi-Fi network for your home,
routers and access points hook up to
existing PCs and devices. But Town
Plaza didnt have a collection of out-
door PCs and devices, and even if it had,
a standard Wi-Fi network is often only
as strong as its weakest link. If one ac-
cess point fails, then the Wi-Fi signal
that several PCs depend on is kaput. So
Culver City ofcials searched for a wire-
less solution that wouldnt require net-
working many outdoor PCs, and would
remain on even if one component failed.
The product they settled on was the
Firetide HotPoint 1000R outdoor mesh
router.
What sold us on Firetide were its
mesh architecture and self-healing capa-
bilities, says Carlos Vega, IT manager
for Culver City. Other alternatives that
offered the reach we needed were line-
of-sight solutions. If one went down, it
couldnt automatically reroute.
Vega and his staff installed three
of the outdoor mesh routers on top of
City Hall, a theater, and the Culver City
Hotel. The routers come weatherized,
and other components, such as adapters
for access to electricity, were also placed
in enclosures that sheltered them from
the weather. At the center of the mesh
network, Vega and his team deployed a
Vernier Networks control manager for
user authentication. And a DSL connec-
tion plugged into a modem goes straight
into the mesh network to provide shared
Internet access across the coverage area,
overseen by the mesh routers and an
802.11b Wi-Fi access point. The routers
are repeaters for the Wi-Fi signal.
Within one day after the network was
turned on, almost a dozen people had
discovered it and registered for free ac-
cess. Now, people sign on every day.
You just plug these units in and cre-
ate the mesh without having to deal with
any PC conguration, says Vega. The
devices turn on and talk to each other.
With the mesh technology you can cre-
ate chains, and if a central node goes
out, the other mesh routers will seek to
nd another one.
Thats exactly what wont happen on
a standard Wi-Fi network if a key access
point fails. Each Firetide mesh router em-
ploys a 200-mW radio that can cover up
to two miles. If youre within Town Pla-
zas wireless coverage area, your PC or
Mac will pick up the signal automatically.
When you open an Internet browser, the
Vernier Networks control manager di-
rects you to a log-on page. If you already
have an account, you just log on. Other-
wise, you go to a registration page.
I was talking to one young woman
the other day who lives two blocks away
from Town Plaza and has dial-up Inter-
net access at home, says Vega. She
comes and plugs into an AC outlet out
in the plaza and instantly has broadband
access. She says walking the two blocks
saves her time in doing her work. Some
users have even been able to pick up the
wireless signal from two miles away.
Internet access isnt the only benet
of outdoor wireless access. The city can
also plug IP video cameras into the net-
work for wireless video surveillance.
With numerous others cities, includ-
ing Philadelphia and San Francisco,
planning to deploy wireless networks, a
wireless free-for-all may soon be com-
ing to your town.
Wireless Hotspot Inc. helped Culver Citys town square go wireless by positioning Firetide routers on top of
three prominent buildings. The network is expanded using long-range antennas and secured with a Vernier
Networks control manager. People can connect using their Wi-Fiequipped notebooks.
Roam Free
802.11b
Wi-Fi access
point
DSL modem
Firetide outdoor
wireless mesh
nodes
Wi-fi signal
Control
server
BUSI NESS
bar and get a continuous movement of
the cursor across the page. This makes
working very difcult and frustrating.
I replaced the keyboard, but I still have
the problem. Is there anything I can do to
correct this?
LEO KNOLL
Some users have physical difculty using
the keyboard. Their hands may tremble,
producing multiple keystrokes, or they
may have difculty pressing and releasing
a key quickly enough to get just one char-
acter. Windows includes an accessibility
feature called FilterKeys that helps these
users get around these difculties. With
FilterKeys active, Windows ignores rapidly
repeated keys and drastically slows down
the repeat rate for held-down keysex-
actly the symptoms youre describing. It
sounds as if youve accidentally activated
this feature.
To turn off this unhelpful helper, launch
Accessibility Options from Control Panel.
Uncheck the box titled Use FilterKeys, then
click the Settings button. Near the top is a
box titled Use Shortcutuncheck it. When
this box is checked, holding down a Shift
message Integer is not valid when you
click OK. If you enter a number from 501
to 32,767, Excel tells you, The number
must be between 1 and 500. Try again by
entering a number in this range. This
seems to imply that the largest number
you can enter is 500. But if you enter
any value between 256 and 500 and
click OK, youll nd that when you run
the command or reopen the Advanced
settings youll see the number has been
reset to a value between 0 and 244! The
number thats set doesnt seem to fol-
low an obvious pattern. If you try to use
the spinner control, youll nd you cant
enter values above 255; values 255 and
lower will be accepted and retained.
You have to wonder why you can enter
a 500-digit number in a box that will
work properly only with numbers less
than or equal to 255 (a 3-digit number)!
So the error in the article also draws
our attention to some bugs in Excel.
SHANE DEVENSHIRE
Great catch! We checked with Microsoft
and it acknowledged that this bug has
been in the product
since Ofce 2000 when
the Top 10 AutoShow
feature was introduced.
The company plans on
correcting the problem
in the next version,
currently called Ofce
12, which is due out in
2006 (see our review
on page 134). How-
ever, it declined to say
whether the x would
allow values greater
than 255 or just re-
spond correctly to num-
bers outside the acceptable range.BZG
FilterKeys Fiasco
When I type on my keyboard I hear a faint
dink sound as I tap each key. When I
type a word that has double letters in
it (such as beet or ll), I must pause for
at least two seconds before repeating
the letter. I cant hold down the space
Dragging a Field
I used Excel 2003 to try to replicate the
item Drag That Field Again and Again
from the PivotTable Magic story (go
.pcmag.com/pivottables). Somehow I
dont end up with same formatting you
do with two different columns. Instead,
I get two rows. Am I doing something
incorrectly? That was a wonderful
article, by the way. As a database ad-
ministrator, I never thought of Excel as
a powerful tool. With PivotTables, it is!
SHANNON KEITH CLINGERMAN
A few readers ran into this same problem.
The tip showed how you could drag a eld
into the data area multiple times in order
to perform different operations on the
data each time. For example, one instance
of the eld could show a sum of values and
the other could show a percentage of the
total. But if you drag the elds into a new
table, they may show up as rows instead
of as columns (see gure below) as we
showed in the article. If this happens, sim-
ply drag and drop the Data label into the
Columns area.Ben Z. Gottesman
Wrong Numbers
In the PivotTable Magic article, under
the topic Filter Your Data Based on Val-
ues, there is an error regarding the Top
10 AutoShow command. Although you
can enter extremely large numbers into
the spinner box in the PivotTable Field
Advanced Options dialog, if the number
is larger than 32,767, you get the error
SOME OF WINDOWS accessibility op-
tions can be confusing and irritating if
turned on accidentally.
IF IN MULTIPLE instances elds show up as rows rather than
columns, drag and drop the Data label into the Columns area.
PC MAGAZINES COMMUNITY OF EXPERTS AND READERS
Microsoft acknowledged that a bug has been in Excel
since the Top 10 AutoShow feature was introduced.
USER TO USER
gopcmag.com/solutions S OL UT I ON S
See more tips online at
go.pcmag.com/usertouser.
key for eight seconds turns on FilterKeys,
which is probably how you turned it on in
the rst place. While you have Accessibil-
ity Options open, make sure StickyKeys is
not enabled, and turn off its shortcut; this
is another option that can be unhelpful if
you dont need it. Click OK and OK again to
nish restoring normal keyboard opera-
tion.Neil J. Rubenking
Site-Specic Icons for
Web Shortcuts
I like to keep shortcuts to the Web
sites I visit frequently on my desk-
top. Some sites have their own logos,
such as MSNs buttery, which makes
it easy to identify them. But peri-
odically these icons disappear and are
replaced with a standard Microsoft
Internet Explorer icon. Is there any
way I can keep this from happening?
RON WARRICK
Web site designers can add a site-specic
icon in two ways. One way is simple:
They just include a le named favicon.
ico in the root folder of the site. The other
involves using script and is less common.
When you add a Favorite or create a URL
shortcut, the special icon gets copied into
your Temporary Internet Files folder (the
browser cache). If you clear the cache, the
icon will be lost. Even if you dont, sooner
or later it will be pushed out of the cache
by newer content.
As long as the site uses the simple fa-
vicon.ico technique, you can prevent this
disappearing act. Open Internet
Explorer, click the Address bar,
and type the sites domain name
followed by a slash and favicon.
icofor example, www.pcmag.
com/favicon.ico. If youre lucky,
the browser is now displaying
the desired icon. Right-click the
icon and choose Save Picture As
to save a copy of the icon on your
own computer. Next, right-click
the URL shortcut or Favorite
and choose Properties. Click the
Change Icon button, click the
Browse button, and select your
saved icon. This one wont dis-
appear on you!
You may prefer to get a copy of PC
Magazines FavOrg utility (go.pcmag.com/
utilities). FavOrg automatically checks all
of your Favorites for site-specic icons and
converts them to local copies. As a bonus
it will alert you to any URLs that are no
longer valid.NJR
Multield Sorting in Access
I maintain a coin collection inventory
in an Access datasheet. Each coin has a
unique Acquisition Number, and I usu-
ally sort the datasheet by this eld.
But sometimes I sort by the date of the
coin, which is one of the columns in the
datasheet. The Access A to Z toolbar
button works great for this, but what if
I want to sort by coin date and also by
coin denomination within a particular
date? Sorting by one eld destroys the
sort by the other. Is it possible to sort
an Access datasheet by two nested
criteria? With a very large collection it
would be extremely useful to sort the
coins by date and within each date have
the denominations displayed together.
ALFRED BUONAGURO
Multield sorting is easily handled in Ac-
cess using a simple query, which doesnt
change your datait just offers another
view. Start by selecting View | Database
Objects | Queries and double-click the
option Create query by using wizard. Select
the original table in the Tables/Queries
drop-down list. Click the >> button to
include all elds from that table, then click
Next. Leave the query type set to Detail
and again click Next. Give the query a
name, check the option Modify the query
design, and click Finish.
You will see a tabular view of the query
with all the data elds listed from left to
right. The second row shows the table
from which these elds were drawn, and
the third is titled Sort. For each eld you
want to sort on, click within the Sort row
and select Ascending or Descending from
the menu that pops up. Sorting will be ap-
plied starting at the leftmost eld, so you
may need to reorder the elds. To move
a eld, click the bar just above the eld
name once to select it, then click and drag.
When youre done, close the query design
window and answer Yes when prompted
to save changes. You can now open this
query any time to view your data table
sorted in exactly the way you want.NJR
HOW TO CONTACT US
E-MAIL
K
pcmsolutions@ziffdavis.com
FAX
K
212-503-5799
MAIL
K
User to User, PC Magazine, 28 East
28th Street, New York, NY 10016-7940
If we print your tip, youll receive a
PC Magazine T-shirt. We regret that we
cannot answer letters individually.
TO KEEP A FAVICON from disappearing, save a
copy of the favicon.ico le on your computer.
YOU CAN CREATE a query in Access to sort a datasheet by more than one eld.
FavOrg automatically checks all of your Favorites for
site-specic icons and converts them to local copies.
ThinkPad recommends Windows
XP Professional.
THINKPAD. NOW IN WIDESCREEN.
WIDESCREEN THINKPAD. NOW IN TITANIUM.
Availability: All offers subject to availability. Lenovo reserves the right to alter product offerings and specifications at any time, without notice. Lenovo is not responsible for photographic or typographic errors. *Pricing: Prices do not include tax or shipping and handling, or
recycling fees and are subject to change without notice. Reseller prices may vary. Warranty: For a copy of applicable product warranties, write to: Warranty Information, P.O. Box 12195, RTP, NC 27709, Attn: Dept ZPYA/B676. Lenovo makes no representation or warranty regarding
third party products or services. Footnotes: (1) Mobile Processors: Power management reduces processor speed when in battery mode. (2) Wireless: based on IEEE 802.11a, 802.11b and 802.11g respectively. An adapter with 11a/b, 11b/g or 11a/b/g can communicate on either/any
of these listed formats respectively; the actual connection will be based on the access point to which it connects. (3) Included software: may differ from its retail version (if available), and may not include user manuals or all program functionality. License agreements may apply.
(4) Memory: For PCs without a separate video card, memory supports both system and video. Accessible system memory is up to 64MB less than the amount stated, depending on video mode. (5) Hard drive: GB = billion bytes. Accessible capacity is less; up to 4GB is service
partition. (7) Thinness: may vary at certain points on the system. (8) Travel Weight: includes battery and optional travel bezel instead of standard optical drive in Ultrabay bay, if applicable; weight may vary due to vendor components, manufacturing process and options. (9) Internet
access required; not included. (10) Client Security Solution: preloaded on selected models; otherwise available by software download. (11) Limited warranty: Support unrelated to a warranty issue may be subject to additional charges. (12) Certain IBM
and ThinkPad
logo
products: are not manufactured, warranted or supported by IBM or Lenovo; IBM and Lenovo logos and trademarks used under license. Contact Lenovo for details. (13) Activating Verizon Service: Lenovo customers will be contacted after purchase to activate Verizon service. Wireless
With the Think Express Program, ThinkPad notebooks are preconfigured with your business, and your budget, in mind.
ThinkPad Z60t with Fingerprint Reader
DISTINCTIVE INNOVATIONS
ThinkVantage Client Security Solution 6.0
10
Strong security as a standard feature
SYSTEM FEATURES
Intel
Centrino
Mobile Technology
Intel
Pentium

Intel
PRO/Wireless 2915ABG (802.11a/b/g)

Microsoft
Windows
XP Professional
14" Wide XGA TFT Display
512MB DDR2 SDRAM, 80GB Hard Drive
Ultrabay Slim DVD Recordable
Integrated Verizon Wireless EVDO
Wireless WAN Integrated Bluetooth
13
THINK EXPRESS MODEL
$
1999(P/N 2511FEU)
ThinkPad Z60m
ThinkPad Carrying Case Expander
$
59 (P/N 73P3597)
ThinkPad Womens Executive
Red Leather Tote
12
$
134 (P/N 22P8858)
ThinkVantage Rescue and Recovery
one-button recovery and restore solution
SYSTEM FEATURES
Intel
Centrino
Mobile Technology
Intel
Pentium

1
Intel
PRO/Wireless 2915ABG (802.11a/b/g)

2
Microsoft
Windows
XP Home
3
15.4" Wide XGA TFT Display
256MB DDR2 SDRAM
4
, 40GB Hard Drive
5
Ultrabay Enhanced CD-RW/DVD ROM
Combo
THINK EXPRESS MODEL
$
1049
*
(P/N 2529F5U)
Portable 80GB USB 2.0 Hard Drive
with Rescue and Recovery
ThinkPlus Portable 80GB USB 2.0
Hard Drive with Rescue and Recovery
$
259 (P/N 40Y8726)
Call 1 866
-
426
-
6651
Go to lenovo.com/security/m536
ThinkPad is a product of Lenovo.
To shop or locate your local reseller
data service requires separate agreement with Verizon; service and airtime charges will apply. Roaming charges may also apply. Verizon, not Lenovo, is solely responsible for service. Service not available in all areas; purchaser is responsible for verifying that service is available for
the intended location before purchasing a computer equipped with WAN card. For complete details, visit http://www.verizonwireless.com/b2c/mobileoptions/broadband/serviceavailability.jsp?opener=b2b. (14) Based on manufacturers published figures or CNET.com and results for
the top 10 vendors in second quarter 2005 sales for all notebooks including standard and widescreen as reported by IDC. (15) Verizon Service Speed: Speed averages 400-700 Kbps based on network tests with 5 MB FTP data files, without compression. Speed declines with
distance from cell site and is limited to 1.54 Mbps at certain cell sites with backhaul limitations. Number of users on the Verizon Wireless data network may also affect maximum possible speed. Average upload speeds expected to be between 60-80 Kbps. Speed claim based on
network tests with 5 MP FTP data files, without compression. Actual speeds and coverage may vary. Trademarks: The following are trademarks of Lenovo: ThinkPad, ThinkCentre and UltraConnect. IBM and the IBM logo are registered trademarks of IBM and are used under license.
Microsoft and Windows are registered trademarks of Microsoft Corporation. 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. Other company, product and service names may be trademarks or service marks of other companies. 2005 Lenovo. All rights reserved.
Visit www.lenovo.com/safecomputing periodically for the latest information on safe and effective computing.
INTRODUCING THE WIDESCREEN TITANIUM THINKPAD Z60.
The worlds first widescreen ThinkPad notebook is also
the worlds first titanium ThinkPad. Whether you choose
a titanium or classic black ThinkPad Z60t, you get a screen
that lets you view 25% more data than a standard
14" XGA screen, security features youd expect from
ThinkPad and the wireless power of an Intel
Pentium
M Processor (select models). And, for added protection,

both 14" and 15.4" models come with a magnesium
frame.Yet our 14" Z60t is still the thinnest
7
and lightest
8
widescreen notebook offered by the top 10 notebook
vendors.
14
The Z60 ThinkPad notebooks, like all ThinkPad
notebooks, are now a product of Lenovo, a new global
company uniting Lenovo and the former IBM PC Division
under the Lenovo name. ThinkPad service and support
continues to be available from IBM in many countries.
INNOVATIVE. ATTRACTIVE. STREAMLINED. BREAKTHROUGH.
AND THATS JUST THE PRICE.
ThinkPad recommends Windows
XP Professional.
ThinkPad Carrying Case
Leather Ultraportable
This sleek black leather case is
just 2.3 pounds with dark blue
lined compartments that provide room
for your essential documents and accessories.
$
79 (P/N 73P5186)
ThinkPad 72W Slim
AC/DC Combo Adapter
$
99 (P/N 73P4485)
WHY THINKPAD NOTEBOOKS?
Each ThinkPad notebook you see here has
ThinkVantage Technologies innovations that
widen the lead between ThinkPads and all
the wannabe PCs.
Active Protection System: Help protect your hard
drive from some damage caused by certain
drops and jolts (select models).
Rescue and Recovery: Recover previously saved
data in minutes with our one-button solution.
Access Connections: Switch between wired and
wireless connections easily.
9
ThinkVantage Client Security Solution 6.0 Help protect
data and keep it private with our combined
hardware and software solution
10
(preloaded
on select models).
ThinkPad R50e
Mainstream performance and features.
SYSTEM FEATURES
Intel
Centrino
Mobile Technology
Intel
Pentium

1
Intel
PRO/Wireless 2200BG (802.11b/g)

2
Microsoft
Windows
XP Professional
3
15" XGA TFT Display (1024x768)
512MB DDR SDRAM
4
, 60GB Hard Drive
5
Multiburner Plus with DVD burner
1-yr limited warranty
11
THINK EXPRESS MODEL
$
1199 (P/N 1842SUU)
ThinkPad R50e
Mainstream performance and features.
SYSTEM FEATURES
Intel
Celeron
MProcessor 360 (1.40GHz)

Microsoft
Windows
XP Home Edition
14.1" XGA TFT Display (1024x768)
Intel Pro Wireless 2200 DDR SDRAM
256MB DDR SDRAM, 40GB Hard Drive
CD-ROM
1-yr limited warranty
11
THINK EXPRESS MODEL
$
699 (P/N 1842T4U)
ThinkPad R50e
ThinkPad X41
ThinkPad X41 Tablet
SYSTEM FEATURES
Intel
Centrino
Mobile Technology
Intel
Pentium
M Processor LV 758 (1.50GHz)

Intel

Microsoft
Windows
XP Tablet
512MB DDR SDRAM, 40GB Hard Drive
Only 1.1" thin
7
and 3.5-lb travel weight
8
THINK EXPRESS MODEL
$
1899 (P/N 18695CU)
Perfect balance of performance and portability.
10
SYSTEM FEATURES
Intel
Centrino
Mobile Technology
Intel
Pentium

Intel

Microsoft
Windows
XP Professional
14.1" SXGA +TFT Display (1400x1050)
512MB DDR2 SDRAM, 60GB Hard Drive
Ultrabay Slim Multiburner Plus
with DVD Burner
Only 1" thin and 4.7-lb. travel weight
1-yr battery limited warranty
11
THINK EXPRESS MODEL
$
1779 (P/N 2686DGU)
ThinkPad T43 with Integrated
Fingerprint Reader
ThinkPad T43 ThinkPad T43
Call 1 866
-
426
-
6651
Go to lenovo.com/security/m536
ThinkCentre and ThinkPad are products of Lenovo.
To shop or locate your local reseller
Availability: All offers subject to availability. Lenovo reserves the right to alter product offerings and specifications at any time, without notice. Lenovo is not responsible for photographic or typographic errors. *Pricing: Prices do not include tax or shipping and handling, or
recycling fees and are subject to change without notice. Reseller prices may vary. Warranty: For a copy of applicable product warranties, write to: Warranty Information, P.O. Box 12195, RTP, NC 27709, Attn: Dept ZPYA/B676. Lenovo makes no representation or warranty regarding
third party products or services. Footnotes: (1) Mobile Processors: Power management reduces processor speed when in battery mode. (2) Wireless: based on IEEE 802.11a, 802.11b and 802.11g respectively. An adapter with 11a/b, 11b/g or 11a/b/g can communicate on either/any
of these listed formats respectively; the actual connection will be based on the access point to which it connects. (3) Included software: may differ from its retail version (if available), and may not include user manuals or all program functionality. License agreements may apply.
(4) Memory: For PCs without a separate video card, memory supports both system and video. Accessible system memory is up to 64MB less than the amount stated, depending on video mode. (5) Hard drive: GB = billion bytes. Accessible capacity is less; up to 4GB is service
partition. (7) Thinness: may vary at certain points on the system. (8) Travel Weight: includes battery and optional travel bezel instead of standard optical drive in Ultrabay bay, if applicable; weight may vary due to vendor components, manufacturing process and options. (9) Internet
access required; not included. (10) Client Security Solution: preloaded on selected models; otherwise available by software download. (11) Limited warranty: Support unrelated to a warranty issue may be subject to additional charges. (12) Certain IBM
and ThinkPad
logo
products: are not manufactured, warranted or supported by IBM or Lenovo; IBM and Lenovo logos and trademarks used under license. Contact Lenovo for details. (13) Activating Verizon Service: Lenovo customers will be contacted after purchase to activate Verizon service. Wireless
WHY THINKCENTRE DESKTOPS?
ThinkVantage Technologies are innovations that
help you work more efficiently and productively.
ThinkVantage Design: ThinkCentre
desktops offer an
easy-to-service steel chassis design to help increase
uptime and protect the contents of your system.
ThinkVantage Client Security Solution 6.0: Help protect
data and keep it private with our combined
hardware and software solution (preloaded on
select models.)
Rescue and Recovery: Recover previously saved
data in minutes with our one-button solution.
ThinkCentre A51 Tower
PCI Express technology.
SYSTEM FEATURES
Intel
Pentium
4 Processor 630 with

HT Technology (3GHz)
Microsoft
Windows
XP Professional
512MB DDR2 memory at 533MHz
80GB 7200 rpm serial Hard Disk Drive,
CD-RW/DVD Combo
6 USB 2.0 Ports (2 frontside)
1-yr limited warranty with onsite service
11
THINK EXPRESS MODEL
$
839 (P/N 8131D3U)
ThinkCentre A51Tower
SYSTEM FEATURES
Intel
Celeron
D Processor 331 (2.66GHz)

Microsoft
Windows
XP Home
40GB 7200 rpm serial Hard Disk Drive,
CD-ROM Drive
11
THINK EXPRESS MODEL
$
439 (P/N 8131AKU)
ThinkCentre A51Tower
SYSTEM FEATURES
Intel
Pentium

Microsoft
Windows
XP Professional
40GB 7200 rpm Serial ATA Hard Disk Drive,
CD-ROM Drive
11
THINK EXPRESS MODEL
$
649 (P/N 81313BU)
ThinkCentre A51
(monitor not included)
ThinkCentre A51
Ultra small form factor.
SYSTEM FEATURES
Intel
Pentium

Microsoft
Windows
XP Professional
40GB 7200 rpm Serial ATA Hard Disk Drive,
CD-ROM Drive
11
THINK EXPRESS MODEL
$
749 (P/N 810524U)
ThinkPlus USB Fingerprint Reader
Integrated fingerprint swipe sensor puts your
passwords at the tip of your fingers.
$
69 (P/N 73P4774)
ThinkCentre A51
ThinkCentre A51
ThinkVision C400 Wireless Projector
Projects a bright, quality
image for professional presen-
tations using 802.11b/g
wireless technology.
$
2500 (P/N 0039WA1)
15'' ThinkVision L151p Monitor
With an ultra-thin frame design,
this monitor is ideal for use in
multi-monitor environments.
$
279 (P/N 9205HB2)
data service requires separate agreement with Verizon; service and airtime charges will apply. Roaming charges may also apply. Verizon, not Lenovo, is solely responsible for service. Service not available in all areas; purchaser is responsible for verifying that service is available for
the intended location before purchasing a computer equipped with WAN card. For complete details, visit http://www.verizonwireless.com/b2c/mobileoptions/broadband/serviceavailability.jsp?opener=b2b. (14) Based on manufacturers published figures or CNET.com and results for
the top 10 vendors in second quarter 2005 sales for all notebooks including standard and widescreen as reported by IDC. (15) Verizon Service Speed: Speed averages 400-700 Kbps based on network tests with 5 MB FTP data files, without compression. Speed declines with
distance from cell site and is limited to 1.54 Mbps at certain cell sites with backhaul limitations. Number of users on the Verizon Wireless data network may also affect maximum possible speed. Average upload speeds expected to be between 60-80 Kbps. Speed claim based on
network tests with 5 MP FTP data files, without compression. Actual speeds and coverage may vary. Trademarks: The following are trademarks of Lenovo: ThinkPad, ThinkCentre and UltraConnect. IBM and the IBM logo are registered trademarks of IBM and are used under license.
Microsoft and Windows are registered trademarks of Microsoft Corporation. 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. Other company, product and service names may be trademarks or service marks of other companies. 2005 Lenovo. All rights reserved.
Visit www.lenovo.com/safecomputing periodically for the latest information on safe and effective computing.
From industry heavyweights to nimble
bantamweights, everyones a contender
for this years prize for innovation.
22
ANNUAL
AWARDS
TECHNICAL
EXCELLENCE
nd
F
O
R
Plus we recap the highlights of the years breakthrough technologies and products.
O
nce a year, we scout the ranks of technology
players for the people, products, and innova-
tions that did the most to advance our industry
in the previous 12 months. Our editorial and
lab staffs nominate breakthrough develop-
ments and the people behind them, and we get together (vir-
tually) to deliberate (oh, how we deliberate), discuss (ditto),
and nally, vote, to determine which products, technologies,
and individuals were the champs and which were simply the
sparring partners.
In this story, we recap the most inuential tech develop-
ments of the past year in nine product categories. We look
not only at the technical excellence
winners but at the trends that influ-
enced them and the products against which they competed.
Maybe youd have guessed that the Apple iPod nano would
win for outstanding design, but you might not have thought
of the WowWee Roboraptor, the NEC WT610 projector, or
any of the half-a-dozen other contenders. The standouts this
year, from dual-core microprocessors and high-denition
camcorders to rockin Web sites and inventive entertain-
ment gadgets, truly impressed us.
We never know where innovation is going to come from,
but the debates we had as we put this story together helped
put the past year into perspective for us as much as for our
readers. Visit us on the Web at go.pcmag.com/techex2005 to
let us know what you think of our selec-
tions and what you would have chosen.
From the editors of PC Magazine
Illustration by Joe Zeff
COVER STORY
104 PCs & Components
105 Displays
106 Mobile Devices &
Components
107 Digital Imaging
108 Digital Music
110 Web Applications
111 Software &
Development Tools
112 Design
129 Entertainment
130 People of the Year,
Special Recognition
131 Lifetime Achievement
IN THIS STORY
COMPUTERS GOT THEIR BIGGEST
boost in 2005 from their brains: micro-
processors. The first with dual cores
arrived in the spring and have rapidly
become key parts of the best systems. In-
tel made waves with its Pentium D, Xeon,
and Pentium Extreme Edition 840 dual-
core chips, as did AMDour winner in
this categorywith its Opteron work-
station/server dual-core technology and
Athlon 64 X2 dual-core CPU for desktops.
(See sidebar.)
IT TAKES TWO
A dual-core chip has two CPUs, boosting
performance and drawing less power at
elevated clock speeds than a combina-
tion of single-core processors. Dual-core
chips deftly run multiple applications
at once, and their multithreading pro-
ciency really shines with multithreaded
applications such as Adobe Photoshop.
Dual-core laptops are slated for 2006,
when the AMD Athlon XP-M and Taylor
will appear, along with the Intel Con-
roe and Merom dual-cores for mobile
devices. Quad-core chips will eclipse
dual-core in the years to comeIntel
has more than ten quad-core chips in the
worksbut dual-cores success this year
seals the deal for these advancements.
Gaming machines also got a shot
of adrenaline in 2005 from the multi-
threading and other capabilities of
dual-core chips. We clocked some great
benchmark-test times in our labs on sys-
tems such as the Athlon X2-based Falcon
Northwest Mach V. Many of the
growing eet of systems aimed
at multimedia enthusiasts got
dual-core boosts as well. The
Dell Dimension 9100, based on
Pentium D 840 dual-core tech-
nology, is a ne example of one
that can speed through tasks
such as encoding video while
running antivirus software in
the background.
BEYOND THE CPU
Among PC components, special
mention goes to the Creative X-Fi
Xtreme Fidelity audio processor,
found on the Sound Blaster line
of sound cards. This is the most
sophisticated single-chip audio
architecture ever, with over 51.1
million transistors. Its great
at delivering audio effects in
games. We were also impressed
with nVidias SLI technology,
which lets PCs use two graph-
ics cards in tandem for unpar-
alleled graphics performance.
SLI was previously restricted to
high-end gaming machines but
is rapidly moving downstream.
Gamers and graphics pros
were rewarded with nVidia Ge-
Force 7800 GTX boards, which
take advantage of an ultrafast
graphics processing unit (GPU). The
GPU features nVidias newly improved
Shader Model 3 architecture. But speed
isnt all 7800 GTX cards
have going; they also offer
Transparency Anti-Alias-
ing, which improves im-
age quality in scenes with
many transparent shades.
To optimize its hardware,
nVidia modeled the op-
erations of 1, 300 common
shaders f rom popul ar
games. The cards have 24
pi xel-shader pipel i nes,
compared with the previ-
ous generations 16. The
combination of pumped-up
speed and slicker graphics
handling makes gaming ul-
trarealistic.
Improvements to Microsofts Win-
dows Media Center systems helped
them gain traction. Media Center PCs
can now exibly stream content to PCs
and gadgets throughout your home, and
they also got better at connecting to ex-
isting hardware. Muscle systems like
the HP z555 Digital Entertainment Cen-
ter can easily replace the DVD player,
CD changer, FM tuner, and DVR in your
family room. Media Center systems
ability to reach out has also extended,
for many models, to HDTV tuners and
camera and iPod docking ports. We like
the liquid cooling technology showing
up in some Media Center PCs, too.
With multicore chips in their infancy
and PCs morphing into full-edged en-
tertainment systems, 2006 is likely to
be a year of even more exciting develop-
ments.Sebastian Rupley
PCS & COMPONENTS
Can you say dual-core microprocessors two times fast?
In the race to deliver dual-
core processor technolo-
gies, Intel was rst out of
the blocks with a desktop
CPU, but AMD quickly
responded with dual-core
Opteron chips for worksta-
tions and servers followed by the Athlon 64 X2
for desktops. Servers and workstations make
extensive use of concurrent processing, so
Opteron was a huge win for AMD.
The Athlon 64 X2 and Opteron were
conceived as dual-core, with high-speed
connections built in. Intels chips werent and
can suffer from bottlenecking. AMDs System
Request Interface and Crossbar Switch
technologies let cores communicate at higher
speeds, and on-chip memory controllers
connect to memory directly, so memory
trafc doesnt rely on a chipset.
Dual-core technology will make a bigger
splash when next-generation multithreaded
software applications and Microsofts Win-
dows Vista arrive in 2006. We commend AMD
for designing intelligent dual-core chip tech-
nologies that are making big improvements in
computing today and setting the stage for even
greater improvements in the future.SR
AMDs dual-core chips let both onboard CPUs communicate with each
other at high speeds.
AMDs Dual-Core
CPU 0
System request queue
Crossbar
1MB L2 cache
Memory/DRAM controller
1MB L2 cache
32 Gbps per link running at 1 GHz (full
duplex)
S
o
u
r
c
e
:
A
M
D
6.4 GBps using DDR 400 memory
CPU 1
64KB I-cache 64KB D-cache 64KB I-cache 64KB D-cache
72-bit
HT
link 0
HT
link 1
HT
link 2
72-bit
AMDs Dual-Core Technology
W
INNER
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2005 WAS THE YEAR OF THE LCD.
DLPs and plasma TVs improved, and
new technologies are on the horizon,
but LCDsliquid crystal displaystook
enormous steps forward in the past year,
growing to dominate the PC world and
Twelve months ago, a 24-inch LCD
flat-panel display would have set you
back $1,500. Today, Dell sells good ones
for $899. A 19-inch flat-panel sells for
around $350, 17-inch models for a measly
$250, and 15-inchers are bundled with
even bottom-of-the-line desktop PCs.
LCDs are so cheap, CRTs are disappear-
ing. In October, Sony stopped producing
its famous Trinitron CRTs.
The real excitement is found at the
LCD markets high end. Sharp recently
introduced a 65-inch LCD television,
the Sharp LC-65D90U Aquos, that offers
1,920-by-1,080 resolution and an 800-to-
1 contrast ratio. Samsung demonstrated
an 82-inch at-panel LCD, the product of
a new seventh-generation manufactur-
ing plant. LG.Philips LCD is also open-
ing a seventh-generation plant.
Meanwhile, NEC introduced the rst
LCD using LEDs for backlighting, the
SpectraView LCD2180WG. Freed from
fluorescent tubes, such displays warm
up faster, last longer, and can be thinner
as well. BrightSide offers similar dis-
plays, and Sharp has announced an LED-
backlit display with an amazing claimed
contrast ratioa million to one.
We also saw improvements to rear-
projection LCD TVsa cheaper option
in which a backlight passes through a
transparent LCD panel and falls onto the
back of a separate screen.
Brillian developed a rear-projection
LCD that uses liquid crystal on silicon,
or LCoS, technology. LCoS LCDs provide
brighter, higher-contrast im-
ages. The Brillian 6501mPB is a
winner in the displays category.
(See sidebar.) This 65-inch rear
projection TV has three separate
LCoS panels, each processing a
single primary color, eliminat-
ing the rainbow artifacts some-
times seen on displays that use
DLP (Digital Light Processing),
a competing technology that re-
ects light off a matrix of micro-
scopic mirrors.
LCoS is also driving front-
projection displays, including
the Canon Realis SX50. This
business projector is wonder-
fully portable, yet it produces
bright, high-quality images. Its
a winner in this category, too.
(See sidebar.)
Of course, LCDs werent the
only eye-catchers in the
past year. Although they
are much more attrac-
tive for smaller screens,
at the high end plasma
still reigns supreme, es-
pecially for those who
watch sporting events
and other high-motion
video. This fall, Sam-
sung unveiled a plasma
prototype measuring
102yes, 102inches.
And Panasonic just
introduced the first
50-inch plasma with
1,920-by-1,080 resolu-
tion, the Panasonic TH-50PX500.
AFTER THE LCD
Mitsubi shi recent ly announced a
palm-size DLP device called the Pocket-
Projector. Using color LEDs rather than
a spinning wheel of color lters, its far
more durable and less expensive than
traditional projectors, yet still provides
a high-quality 800-by-600 image.
Well also soon see the arrival of two
brand-new display technologies. Toshi-
ba and Canon recently demonstrated a
technology called SED (surface-conduc-
tion electron-emitter display), which
could provide CRT-like image quality
from extremely thin at panels. Mean-
while, Kodak and Samsung, are showing
big-screen OLED displays that dont re-
quire a backlight.
Theres much afoot in the display, TV,
and projector market, but LCDs took the
headlines in 2005.Cade Metz
LCD
flat-panel display would have set
ack $1,500. Today, Dell sells g
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DISPLAYS
Liquid crystals learn some impressive new tricks.
OUR CONTRIBUTORS: Sebastian Rupley is a senior editor. Cade Metz is senior writer.
Davis D. Janowski is a lead analyst, and Kyle Monson is a section editor. Executive editor
Carol L. Gonsher and features editor Sean Carroll were in charge of this story.
In the world of displays,
televisions, and projectors,
we recognize two products,
built on the same ground-
breaking technology. This
year, the Brillian 6501mPB
redened the art of rear-
projection television, and the Canon Realis
SX50 took front-projection to new heights. At
the heart of each, youll nd something called
liquid crystal on silicon, or LCoS, a new alter-
native to DLP (Digital Light Processing) and
classic LCD technologies. Whereas traditional
LCDs use amorphous silicon, LCoS displays are
manufactured on pure silicon wafers. Transis-
tors are smaller and closer together, allowing
for a much brighter, higher-contrast image.
Equipped with a three-panel LCoS light
engineone panel for each primary colorthe
Brillian 6501mPB shows none of the rainbow
artifacts DLP projectors can, and its response
time is better than almost any LCD on
the market. In much the
same way, Canons new
LCoS projector, the Realis
SX50, affords the kind of
bright, high-quality image
youd never expect from
such a compact device (It
measures 3.8 by 11.3 by
11.2 inches and weighs 8.6
pounds). LCoS has been
around for ages, but thanks
to products like the Brillian
and the Realis, its nally
reached maturity.CM
For news, reviews, and opinions about the companies
and products mentioned here, visit us on the Web at
www.pcmag.com.
More
on the
Web
W
INNERS
Canon
Realis SX50 &
Brillian 6501mPB
T E C H N I C AL E XC E L L E N C E AWAR DS
MOBILE DEVICES TOOK SEVERAL
leaps forward in 2005not only in Eu-
rope and Asia, but also in the U.S.
EV-DO GETS GOING
In the U.S., the biggest story was the ar-
rival of 3G (third-generation) cellular
networks, which are old news elsewhere
in the world. AT&T launched a limited
U.S. service in 2004, but 3Gs broadband-
like speeds didnt take off in the U.S. until
Verizon unveiled its EV-DO network last
January. Available in major metropolitan
areas, Verizon EV-DO, aka BroadbandAc-
cess, provides high-speed connections to
notebooks, cell phones, and PDAs.
Cell-phone manufacturers have yet to
tap the networks true potential, but ac-
cess cards like the Kyocera KPC650 work
wonders in handhelds and laptops. In our
tests, the Kyocera reached speeds of over
760 kilobits per second, suitable for Web
surng and even downloading video.
Cingular and T-Mobile offer the EDGE
network; its known as a 2.5G network
and is about a fth the speed of EV-DO,
but it currently has better coverage. Fi-
nally, Cingular plans to bring its UMTS
network online by the end of 2005. This
should be somewhere between EV-DO
and EDGE in speed and will be available
in only a few cities, initially.
The rst digital TVready cell phone
was introduced in Korea. Analog televi-
sion was already available on Japanese
phones, but LG Electronics and Samsung
were the rst to go digital. Soon
after, Nokia and Siemens fol-
lowed suit in Europe.
The U.S. also saw the debut of
2-megapixel camera phones: the
Sony Ericsson Walkman W800i
and the Samsung SPH-A800.
Meanwhile, LG introduced the
VX8000, the first U.S. camera
phone with integrated CCD, add-
ing a new sharpness and clarity
to phone pics. Yes, there are 7MP
camera phones in Asia, but in
America, these 1.3MP and 2MP
cameras were a big step forward.
Sony unvei l ed t he f i rst
music phone with high-quality
sound: the Sony Ericsson Walk-
man W800i. And Motorola in-
troduced the first to connect
seamlessly with Apples iTunes
service: the Motorola ROKR. Un-
fortunately, the ROKR is other-
wise unimpressive.
Mobile devices took a leap
forward i n design, with the
Motorola RAZR V3. For more on
this super-slim handset, see our
Design story (page 112). Despite
a ridiculously thin profile, the
RAZR offers a Bluetooth adapt-
er for a wireless headset. This
was the year Bluetooth reached
the mainstream, and Qualcomm
has finally supplied enough Bluetooth
chips to satisfy consumers.
Were on the cusp of
the era that will see GPS-
enabled chipsets i n al l
mobile devices. GPS chip
manufacturer SiRF, our
Techni ca l Excel l ence
winner, released its sec-
ond-generation SiRFstarIII
chipsets, which are small-
er than ever, require less
power, and attain levels
of signal sensitivity previ-
ously unheard of in mobile
devices. (See sidebar.) Few
products use the chips
the Garmin nvi 350 is the
only one weve reviewed
but we expect more soon.
PDA POWER
Dell introduced the rst PDA with hard-
ware-based graphics acceleration: the
Dell Axim X50v. Equipped with the Intel
2700G and its 16MB of dedicated graph-
ics memory, the X50v delivers games and
videos with desktop-like quality. Similar
chips arrived from ATI and nVidia. And
in Korea, LG introduced a cell phone
with hardware video acceleration.
Palm launched the palmOne LifeDrive,
a PDA with a 4GB hard drive. Sharp
had already introduced a hard drive
equipped handheld in Japan, but the
LifeDrive was the rst in the U.S.
EV-DO is far from blanketing the
country, and even the best cell phones
and PDAs are far from the do-it-all mini-
computers of our dreams. Still, 2005
brought us a few steps closer.CM
Sprint expects that its EV-DO broadband Internet service will reach 150
million people by the end of 2005. Verizon is building its own network.
Sprints Broadband Wireless Service
CURRENT PROJECTED
S
o
u
r
c
e
:

S
p
r
i
n
t
,

N
o
v
e
m
b
e
r

2
0
0
5
Houston Miami
Chicago
Atlanta
Boston

Your sons out late, not an-
swering his cell phone. You
can start calling hospitals
and police stations, or you
can hit the Web, log on to
your cell-phone carriers
site, and locate your AWOL
offspring even inside a friends home.
The tiny, low-power, ultrasensitive SiRF
GSC3f GPS chipset in your tardy offsprings cell
phone provides accurate location information,
even in the urban canyons of big cities. Potential
uses for the technology abound. The chipset
can integrate with all sorts of portable gadgets
and can be embedded in valuable property, giv-
ing a practical way of tracking everything from
a sports car to truck eets.
The SiRFstarIII architecture de-
buted in 2004, but products using
it have just begun appearing. We
recently reviewed the Garmin
nvi 350, which uses the
chipset, and were impressed
with its sensitivity. Several innova-
tions make the chipset technically
extraordinary, including an integrated
assisted-GPS digital baseband processor, a ra-
dio-frequency front end, and 4 megabits of ash
memory in a single 7mm by 10mm package that
draws only 13 mA. In addition, the chipsets de-
sign lets manufacturers easily drop this ready-
made solution into an assortment of gadgets.
This is one to watch.Davis D. Janowski
W
INNER
SiRF GPS Chipsets
MOBILE DEVICES
& COMPONENTS
Gotta-have phones for music, camera, and TV.
CAMERAS GAVE US MORE megapix-
els in 2005, and camcorders delivered
sharper video. Both deepened their con-
vergence with desktop PCs, printers, and
Web services. Also, transferring pictures
and videos from one place to another is
getting easier. Equipped with PC-like
hardware, digital imaging devices are
In 2004, the leading digital cameras
made the giant leap from 5 to 8 megapix-
els. Last years jump was more modest.
Fuji introduced a pair of 9MP cameras,
the Fujifilm FinePix S9000 and E900,
and Sony debuted the 10. 3MP Cyber-
shot DSC-R1none are SLR (single-lens
reex) cameras, though. As we went to
press, Nikons new digital SLR (D-SLR),
the 10.2MP Nikon D200, was yet to ship.
Wireless Wonders
The real improvements came from the
lower end of the market. Three cameras,
the Kodak EasyShare-One and the Nikon
Coolpix P1 and P2, introduced integrated
802.11 wireless networking, letting you
easily move pictures from cameras to
printers, PCs, and Web sites.
The Nikons shipped first, but the
Kodak, with its integrated LCD touch
screen, is a more intriguing design. You
can access online photo-sharing ac-
counts from the camera, uploading pic-
tures and downloading thumbnails. You
can easily e-mail thumbnails (with links
to online albums), send images to your
desktop PC, or print.
Manufacturers have long of-
fered wireless accessories for
D-SLRs, but these were the rst
digital cameras with true inte-
grated wireless. Its a pity they
dont take the best pictures, but
more models are coming.
The Kodak was j ust one
of many new cameras to tie
straight into PC printers using
either wireless or wired con-
nections. Most notably, the
markets fourth wireless cam-
era, the Canon PowerShot SD430
Digital Elph, lets you instantly
send pictures to Canon Selphy
and Pixma PictBridge printers.
Once the SD430 connects to
your wireless network, you can
print with the touch of a button.
Transmitting a photo takes 6
seconds, and printing requires
less than a minute.
Editing software is a crucial
component of digital imaging,
and the most important new
application was Adobe Photo-
shop CS2, the latest version of
the ubiquitous image-editing
tool. The software is wonder-
fully adept at handling RAW
image formats and comes with
Adobe Bridge, a powerful new
image browser for managing
and processing photos. We also
love Flickr, a big leap forward for photo
sharing. The service creates an online
community of photo sharers
and nally brings photo tag-
ging into the mainstream.
And Apple has released
Aperture, a post-process-
ing app for pros and ama-
teurs. The software is great
at handling RAW files and
has tons of tools, including
a virtual light table that lets
you group pictures together
the way you would on a real
light table, but with all kinds
of capabilities.
Unreal Home Videos
On the camcorder scene,
one product stood out far
above the rest: the Sony HDR-HC1 HDV
1080i Handycam, our winner. (See side-
bar.) It provides high-definition video
unlike anything weve seen from a per-
sonal camcorder. In one respect, how-
ever, its behind the times: it records to
MiniDV tape. In fact, the other big ad-
vance was the growing number of cam-
corders that record to high-capacity SD
cardsmaking the transfer of video to
PCs easieror to hard drives, saving the
cost of removable media.
Panasonic leads on the SD side, with
the Panasonic SDR-S100 SD Camcorder.
JVC was the pioneer on the hard drive
side, unveiling the JVC Everio GZ-MG30U,
which, despite its integrated 30GB hard
drive, weighs a mere 13 ounces.
More megapixels is a good thing. But
true innovation is even better.CM
eras
made the giant leap from 5 to 8 megap
. Last years jump was more
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Kodaks EasyShare-One lets users transmit pictures to PCs and printers
wirelessly. You can e-mail thumbnails linked to online albums, send
pictures to your desktop, or print them on a networked printer.
Snap It, Zap It
Kodak
EasyShare-One
Home
PC
Photo
Printer
Wi-Fi
Signal
The gap between Scors-
ese and the average Joe is
shrinking. The Sony HDR-
HC1 HDV 1080i Handycam
is the rst high-def cam-
corder for ordinary con-
sumers. It may cost twice
as much as a typical camcorder, but its video is
breathtaking. Previous HD camcorders, includ-
ing the Sony HDR-FX1, were aimed at pros and
rabid hobbyists, and cost over $3,000. The HC1
cuts that by more than a third but still delivers
professional video quality. The enormous Carl
Zeiss lens and 1/3-inch CMOS sensor offer
superb dynamic range and realistic color, with
few artifacts or aberrations. The only draw-
back: Theres no easy way to burn movies to
portable media until high-def DVDs arrive.
In testing, the HC1 managed 750 lines of
resolution, easily surpassing the 300 to 400
of other camcorders. The HC1 switches effort-
lessly from outdoor settings to those for dimly
lit rooms. And its adept at capturing details,
right down to the ripples on the surface
of a swimming pool.
Dont look back, Martin.
theyre gaining on you.CM
W
INNER
Sony HDR-HC1 HDV
1080i Handycam DIGITAL IMAGING
Innovation in how we capture and handle our images.
LESS WAS MORE LAST YEAR IN por-
table music and media gadgets. The de-
sign and capacity of digital music players
seriously impressed us, and the concept
of video in your pocket came of age. With
overhauls to MP3 players and Apples
family of iPods, carrying your entire mu-
sic library with you became much easier.
NANOS TECHNOLOGY
Apple scored a hit with its iPod shufe
player, but the random-play feature
wasnt really new. For serious innova-
tion, though, the Apple iPod nano stood
out with its svelte design and its 4GB of
ash memoryenough for 1,000 songs,
which you can browse on the LCD (a
component the shufe lacks). The nano
is thinner than a No. 2 pencil and nar-
rower than a credit card. This player,
unlike many bulkier models, can be
discreetly tucked away. Hold it, and you
have to marvel.
Apple didnt entirely rule the music-
player scene. The MobiBLU DAH-1500i
MP3 player is a tiny square box about
half the size of a double-A battery, but
it stores 1GB of songs in flash memory
and lets you listen to and record radio. It
also has a small display, unlike the iPod
shufe, which has none. The design is so
smart that the headphone jack triples as
a USB port and charging jack.
Among other technical innovations in
digital music, the Pioneer XW-HT1 wire-
less rear-channel speaker proves how
easily you can get high-quality audio
wirelessly, and the Logitech Wireless
Headphones for MP3 use Bluetooth tech-
nology to untether you. Apples Garage-
Band 2 software introduced an
advanced interface for compos-
ing and playing along with mu-
sic, and the breakout M-Audio
iControl gives you a GarageBand
mixer/controller.
Apples iTunes online music
store continues its streak, but
subscription services had the
edge in innovation. Microsofts
Janus technology, pioneered by
Napster To Go, Rhapsody, and
Yahoo! Music Unlimited, is our
winner here. (See sidebar.)
TV to Go
Portable video wasnt new in
2005, but viewing it was a hassle
previously, and designs had a
long way to go. That changed in
a big way last year. The stand-
outs here are the Apples video-
capable iPod and the Creative
Zen Vision, which are both great
at juggling audio and video.
The video-capable iPod is sig-
nicantly thinner than previous
iPods. After the company made
breakthrough deals to offer Dis-
ney television shows, including
Desperate Housewives, as well
as thousands of music videos on
its iTunes service, it followed up
with the rst fast and easy way
to buy, load, and watch compel-
ling video programming on the go.
Downloading a commercial-free, one-
hour TV show requires no transcoding,
and the transfer takes 10 to 20 minutes
depending on your connection speed.
Apple didnt cut corners with the quality
of the video. Sure, its displayed on a 2.5-
inch screen, but its great-looking, 320-
by 240-pixel, MPEG-4 and H.264 video.
The content is protected by Apples Fair-
Play digital rights management technol-
ogy.
Although getting compelling porta-
ble video with the Creative Zen Vision
player isnt as easy, the player has a beau-
tiful 3.7-inch, 640- by 480-pixel screen
that produces 262,144 colors. Whats
more, it has a 30GB hard drive, and its
compatibility with TiVoToGo for viewing
TiVo video is a big step forward.
No doubt the momentum in digital
music and portable video technology
will quicken next year. Watch for more
mobile music and video on your portable
player soon.SR
Microsoft may have been
overly ambitious in dubbing
the Janus DRM scheme
PlaysForSurethe service
is anything but sure. Still,
despite the terrible execu-
tion, this is one of the most
radical new ideas in DRM technology.
This digital rights management model,
rst unveiled in the Napster To Go subscription
music service, charges a at monthly fee for
unlimited music downloads. You keep all the
music you want as long as you pay the monthly
fee (though you cant burn tunes without pay-
ing 99 cents per track). The technology has
since been picked up by Rhapsody and Yahoo!
Music Unlimited, and the list of compatible
devices has ballooned to include a large pile
of MP3 players along with phones, PDAs, and
portable media players.
The subscription plan allows for incredible
freedom and music discovery, since youre not
paying for music on a per-track basis. Still, try-
ing to navigate the sometimes rocky relation-
ship between the DRM, the music service, and
your compatible player can be incredibly
frustrating. But although serious bugs need
to be worked out, Microsoft Janus technology
and Napster To Go challenge the way we think
about digital music.Kyle Monson
W
INNER
Microsofts Janus technology
T E C H N I C AL E XC E L L E NC E AWAR DS
DIGITAL MUSIC
Online music services and tiny players turn up the volume.
HIT PARADE: MUSIC PLAYERS HAVE EVOLVED FROM CLUNKY TO CUBIST.
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WEB APPLICATIONS
Blogs, podcasts, and photo sharing hit their stride.
IN 2005, THE INTERNETS essentially
democratic nature reasserted itself in a
big way. Blogs, podcasts, photo-sharing
sites, RSS aggregators, and videocasts of
all kinds provided new ways to share and
collect information and entertainment
offerings via the Web. Way back in 1995,
when the commercial Web was young,
Yahoo! cofounder Jerry Yang said Web
site operators wont create most of the
content on the Internetusers will, and
2005 saw that prediction borne out.
Yahoo! has assembled a great collec-
tion of the tools, and wins in this space.
(See the sidebar). Sites such as myspaces
.com, LiveJournal, MSN Spaces, andYahoo!
360 have become popular vehicles for op-
erating blogs, sharing photos, and more.
These sites offer tools and templates for
sharing information and media efcient-
ly and with panache. Grouper has an in-
novative application for sharing photos,
videos, and more with friends and family,
where the size of groups is limited so ac-
tions like streaming music among mem-
bers dont violate copyright laws.
Services such as Streamload let you
securely store gigabytes of photos, vid-
eos, music, and other files on the Web,
accessible from any browser, for under
$10 a montha leap forward for the con-
cept of online storage repositories.
PIX AND FLIX
The rise of digital photography to as-
cendancy is well under way, and last
year saw many imaginative offerings
at online digital photo manage-
ment and sharing sites. Sites
such as Club Photo and Apples
.Mac added features and gained
ever-growing collections of
digital shots. But special men-
tion has to go to Flickr, acquired
by Yahoo! in 2005.
Flickr isnt your average pho-
to-sharing service. Its built to
optimize the feeling of commu-
nity. You can choose either to
share photos privately or to par-
ticipate in a rich online commu-
nity of photo sharers. The sites
method of letting you easily tag
photos for searches later is es-
pecially innovative and simple,
and gets ever more useful as you
store more images.
Sites that let you search for
video, such as blinkx and Yahoo!
Video Search, offered much more
f lexibility and reached out to
more content, and TV offerings
on the Web became more demo-
cratic and exible, too. For exam-
ple, at TVexe.com you can watch
hundreds of global channels for
free, in case you just cant miss,
say, that soccer game in Italy.
POWER PODCASTING
If you thought the economics
of running a broadcasting op-
eration seemed daunting, think again.
The enormous success of Apples nearly
ubiquitous i Pod digital
music players spilled over
into new kinds of appli-
cations, and thats how
podcasting got its wings.
Podcastsaudio broad-
casts you can download
from the Web and play on
your music playerhave
appeared for an enormous-
ly varied set of topics.
You can listen to com-
edy, debates, technology
discussions, and more, via
podcasts offered by ama-
teurs and professionals
alike. Podcast aggregation
sites such as Apples iTunes
and Yahoo! Podcasts are loaded with nif-
ty features that let you search for topics
rated by like-minded listeners.
The popularity of RSSReally Simple
Syndicationgave rise to a new eet of
aggregation sites, too. NewsGator, RSS
on My Yahoo!, Google Reader, Pluck, and
Onfolio are all very efficient at giving
you alerts when content that interests
you appears on Web sites and blogs. And
blogging services like LiveJournal can
even incorporate RSS feeds. Meanwhile,
shared searching was another new chap-
ter in this years tale of Web democracy.
Del.ici.ous, Shadows, MyWeb, and other
sites help you tag online content, book-
mark it, and share it with others.
Without a doubt, innovation in Web
applications in 2005 focused on nding a
place and a voice for everyone.SR
Web applications saw new
tools coming from several
directions in 2005, but for
assembling a cutting-edge
collection of Web-related
tools, Yahoo! is our winner.
In particular, it offers many
best-of-breed applications for sharing informa-
tion, photos, and media.
Flickr, which Yahoo! acquired last year, has
a fun, communal atmosphere. You can choose
either to share photos privately among friends
and family or participate in online groups of
photo sharers that include people you dont
know. A fantastic photo-tagging feature makes
searching easy, and its utility becomes more
evident as you store more photos.
My Web, a subset of Yahoo! Search, does a
great job of letting you save and tag Web pages
and connect to others to see what theyre shar-
ing and tagging. And while people have viewed
news headlines on Yahoo!s home page for
years, the RSS to My Yahoo! service goes several
steps beyond, letting you receive customized,
syndicated, clickable headlines throughout the
day. In addition, Yahoo! Mail has taken major
steps forwardespecially with its interface
since the companys purchase of Oddpost.
Thanks to a big basket of imaginative ser-
vices, Yahoo! gets the nod.SR
Thanks in large part to its inclusion in Apple's
iTunes 4.9, podcasting caught on in a big
way this year. And market researchers
don't see demand fizzling out
anytime soon; the number of
podcast listeners is expected
to increase by 10 million
each year.
Podcasting: For the People,
by the People
0
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20
30
40
50
60
Millions of
Consumers *
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* Figures for 2005 and beyond are projected S
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W
INNER
Yahoo!
WEB-BASED APPLICATIONS ARE
going like gangbusters, but good old-
fashioned desktop and server software
products still have plenty of life in them.
In fact, the growing inf luence of the
open-source movement sparked an un-
usual level of innovation in 2005.
The best example: Mozillas Firefox
browser, one of this years winners. (See
sidebar). Tabbed browsing, an RSS reader,
and smart keywords are among the many
innovations that brought new life to the
formerly moribund browser space.
OPEN SOURCE RULES
The inuence of Firefox and the newly
revived open-source community is
only beginning to be felt. Weve seen a
startup called Flock debut a beta version
of its own Mozilla-based open-source
browser, introducing what it calls so-
cial Web browsing. Integrated with
various online services, Flock encour-
ages the free exchange of information
among browsers. It dovetails with the
del.icio.us online service, letting you
easily share browser favorites and view
them remotely. Flock also hooks into the
innovative photo-sharing service Flickr.
Another startup, Zimbra, recently
rolled out an open-source alternative to
Exchange, Microsofts server platform.
Like Exchange, Zimbra handles e-mail,
contacts, and group calendars, but it
communicates with various clients via
XML and creates relatively light net-
work trafc.
Many old-school software
companies are beginning to
build applications around open-
source code. Sun offers the best
example, with its OpenOffice
suite of business applications
and its OpenSolaris server OS.
Even Microsoft is sharing some
code with outside developers.
And in an effort to compete with
this groundswell of open-source
software, companies have more
incentive to innovate.
On the proprietary side of
the fence, were impressed with
Adobe Creative Suite 2, an as-
tounding collection of graphics
tools, including Photoshop, Illus-
trator, InDesign, GoLive, and
Acrobat 7.0 Professional. It has
too many new features to list,
but our favorite is Illustrators
Live Trace, which transforms
bitmap images into line art,
blurring the distinction between
pixels and vectors. When youre
working with a color photo, for
instance, Live Trace can replace
the original colors with those in
a predened swatch library.
WEB VIDEO MAKERS
Then theres Macromedia Stu-
dio 8, a suite of apps for Web
designers and other developers
that includes Dreamweaver, Flash Pro-
fessional, Fireworks, Contribute, and
FlashPaper. Most notably,
Studio now lets you encode
professional-quality videos
in Flash format. Thanks to
an alpha channel, you can
even create i nteractive
movies, mixing video with
all sorts of nifty effects.
The past year was great
for graphics apps. We love
Serious Magics Ovation,
which transforms ordi-
nary PowerPoi nt sl ides
into eye-catching presen-
tations. You can add video,
moving backgrounds, high-
resolution text, and more
in a matter of seconds.
In the world of CRM (customer re-
lationship management), we were im-
pressed by Salesforce.coms Appforce,
which is being renamed AppExchange.
This suite lets you easily build, custom-
ize, and deploy your own on-demand
business applicationswithout any
heavy-duty programming experience.
Looking to fundamentally change the
way you use PCs? Consider Altiriss Soft-
ware Virtualization Solution, or SVS, our
cowinner in this category. (See sidebar.)
Converting PC applications into self-
contained units called virtual software
packages, SVS lets you easily install, ac-
tivate, deactivate, and reinstall them.
Web applications may get the lions
share of the attention these days, but
they arent the only software tools push-
ing the envelope.CM
Mozillas Firefox Web
browser, the new poster
child for the open-source
movement, wins our award
as the most innovative
piece of consumer soft-
ware. Offering the sort of
inventive new tools missing from Microsofts
Internet Explorer in recent years, Firefox did
the unthinkable by grabbing almost 10 percent
of the browser market in 2005. It popular-
ized tabbed browsing, which lets you easily
move from site to site within a single window.
It brought RSS to the fore, letting you quickly
browse online news feeds. And it introduced
smart keywords to stream data instantly to the
browser toolbar.
Meanwhile, Altiriss Software Virtualiza-
tion Solution could reshape the PC landscape
at the IT level. Your applications run as virtual
software packages, so if one app interferes
with another, you can simply turn one off. Now
you want to run that app? Turn it back on and
switch the other off. A third app is damaged in
some way? Reinstall it. All this is as easy as a
mouse click. Your base Windows conguration
stays in pristine conditionforever. SVS im-
pressed us enough to share the spotlight with
Firefox. And thats saying something.CM
Altiriss Software Visualization Solution creates a permanent virtual
machine that lets you manage programs with ease while the original
Windows configuration remains untouched.
Now You See It
Base
environment
Virtual
environment
Filter
driver
User
end view
W
INNERS
Mozilla Firefox & Altiris SVS
SOFTWARE & DEV TOOLS
Think desktop apps are on the way out? Think again.
DESIGN
Its not just what you can do; its how cool you look doing it.
FOR PRODUCT DESIGN, 2005 WAS A
banner year, with ultrasleek, gotta-have
cell phones, music players, and PCs
making their debuts. Sometimes a great
design takes an existing technology to-
ward new applications, and sometimes
it provides an afrmationa sign of ar-
rivalfor an emerging product. We saw
both this year.
MINI MARVELS
Small, thin, and mobile were the man-
tras for consumer-electronics gadgets
in 2005. The standoutsand recipients
of our Technical Excellence Award
are the Motorola RAZR V3 cell phone and
the Apple iPod nano. (See sidebar.) The
MobiBLU DAH-1500i MP3 player also im-
pressed us. Though hardly any larger
than a sugar cube, this tiny MP3 player
squeezes in a display and features you
wont find in iPods. (See page 108 for
more on these full-scale achievements
in little products.)
In laptop computers, where product
designers wrestle with stringent size
limitations, several products took the
spotlight. The Sony VAIO VGN-U750P is a
slick handheld Windows XP PCremi-
niscent of the older OQO model 01 note-
bookweighing only 1. 2 pounds and
measuring just 6.6 by 4.3 by 1 inches. And
the 2.7-pound Sony VAIO VGN-TX670P is a
very slim ultraportable with a bounty of
cutting-edge features, including a built-
in DVD burner and Cingulars 3G WAN
radio for broadband access anywhere.
Advanced multimedia features for
gaming and entertainment was one of
the biggest notebook trends in 2005. On
that front, the Toshiba Qosmio
G25-AV513 is the best-designed
multimedia notebook weve seen
to date. Its especially notewor-
thy for its integration of A/V
features. The G25 has the most
A/V ports weve ever seen on a
multimedia notebook, including
connectors for a TV tuner, com-
ponent video, and composite vid-
eo in. Its a Media Center system
and can add muscle and exibil-
ity to your entertainment center.
The dashboard, which includes
11 multimedia keys, gives you
instant access to TV and
DVDs without even need-
ing to boot up your system.
For watching TV or a DVD,
player controls, including
Play/Pause, Stop, Rewind,
and Fast Forward, are right
there in front of you.
The Lenovo ThinkPad X41
Tablet and Fujitsu LifeBook
P1510 also deserve design
kudos for being the lightest
convertible notebook/tablets
around, at 3.5 and 2.2 pounds,
respectively. Until this year,
convertibles were notoriously
heavy. And although Tablet PCs
havent had a seismic impact on
the portable-computer market,
many proponents are betting that
their future lies in designs that can of-
fer both the tablet and the standard note-
book interfaces. These new convertibles
prove that one easy-to-tote system can
swing both ways.
UNDERWATER PIX
Some hardware designs
were so far out of the box
that they surprised even us.
The Pentax OptioWP and
OptioWPi point-and-shoot
digital cameras made a
splash with a special coat-
ing that allows you to take
them underwater to ve or
six feet. Onboard video lets
you shoot moving images
whi le submergedvery
cool. Other camera manu-
facturers have underwater cas-
ings, but theyre awkward and
pricey.
The WowWee Roboraptor
robot dinosaur was another
design surprise, sending robot evolu-
tion forward by leaps and bounds. With
its ve motors, multiple touch sensors,
head- and snout-mounted infrared sen-
sors, and stereo audio sensors, its able
to move about and even inspect its envi-
ronment and react to it.
Finally, NEC engineers scored an
impressive design coup with the NEC
WT610 projector, which has a series of
mirrors and optics that lets it sit just 2
feet from the wall yet still project a big
image. Now you can place a projector
in the front of the room and not worry
about ceiling mounts or people walking
in front of the light beam.
Imaginative engineering spanned a
gamut of products last year, setting the
stage for even more spectacular design
breakthroughs in the future.SR
We were so enamored of
two of this years design
innovations that we gave
them both Technical
Excellence Awards. The
Apple iPod nano digital mu-
sic player and the Motorola
RAZR V3 cell phone are miniaturiza-
tion marvels.
The RAZR V3 was the coolest-
looking cell phone of 2005 and has
already inspired a ock of imita-
tors. Its only half an inch thick,
and its slick anodized aluminum
case redenes how a ip phone
should look. When its closed
you wouldnt expect it to have a
big, bright display, but it does.
And raised rubber keys
make typing easy.
When Apples Steve
Jobs rst introduced the
iPod nano this past September,
he made the point that its so small and
thin, you could put it in one of those tiny
pockets in a pair of jeansand you can.
But, despite the nanos size, its still
a fully functional iPod that can store
up to 1,000 songs. The nano is one of
those rare go-anywhere products.
Once you hold one, youre bound to
want it.SR
W
INNERS
Apple iPod nano &
Motorola RAZR V3
T E C H N I C AL E XC E L L E NC E AWAR DS
MOBIBLU DAH-1500I
ENTERTAINMENT
Just in case you werent already watching enough TV
NEVER BET AGAINST CONSUMERS
hunger to have TV, music, and other
entertainment anywhere, at any time.
The past year saw boundaries broken
in content delivery, with TV and video
streamed over the Internet and to con-
nected devices in ways that promise to
change the way we think about viewing.
The proliferation of broadband connec-
tions and more powerful mobile gadgets
fueled many technical advances in enter-
tainment services and media hardware.
Never-before-seen devices arrived, and
TV and video began to ourish online.
One of the slickest entertainment
technology innovations we tested was
the Sling Media Slingbox, the recipient
of our Technical Excellence Award. (See
sidebar.) But the Slingbox isnt alone in
serving up inventive ways to stream mul-
timedia content to you wherever you are,
even if youre carrying a device smaller
than a laptop. Orb (a service from Orb
Networks), Sony LocationFree TV, and
TiVoToGo all broke new ground, too.
TV REMOTE
With Orb, you can watch or record live
TV remotely from anywhere, but the
service does much more than just that,
all for free. Say youve been
busy ripping your CD collection
to your PCs hard drive, storing
songs bought online, transfer-
ring the images from your digi-
tal camera, and recording TV
shows at home. Orb Networks
client software and service is a
great solution for accessing all
of that content remotely.
The companys real innova-
tion, though, was eliminating the
need to worry about what format
a le is stored in or what the de-
vice at hand can play. A 10MB
client applet that lives on a home
PC resizes the file to match the
devices resolution and connec-
tion speed and sends the content
using a secure server.
IPTVInternet Protocol
televisionis now an official
buzzword, and communica-
tions services such as Verizon
and SBC are getting in on the
act. Among innovative devices
in this arena, Interactive Tele-
vision Networks ITVN box is
a standout. The ITVN service
streams TV over your existing
broadband connection rather
than through cable or satellite,
allowing ITVN to add inter-
active features to many of its
channels. We found the image
quality indistinguishable from broad-
cast shows. ITVN gives you a generous
number of programming choices and
serves up HDTV.
Akimbo also deserves a nod for its
Akimbo Player and its service for Win-
dows Media Center PCs, which let you
choose shows from over 150 sources. The
player plugs into your TV and broad-
band connection to download content
licensed from Internet providersgreat
for those who want special-interest pro-
gramming. You can even stream video
to an Xbox 360.
TV shows also appeared on cell phones
this year. MobiTV, available through sev-
eral wireless providers, serves up top
channels to your phone, efciently send-
ing large packets of video that are thor-
oughly watchable on the small screen.
HOME HUBS
With advances in audio hubs like the
Sonos ZonePlayera real engineering
coupyou can now pump high-qual-
ity music throughout your home, and
synchronize it, too. This digital audio
hub plays MP3 and WMA les, and the
integrated 50-watt-per-channel stereo
amplier lets you use traditional audio
speakers. The hub has an Ethernet jack,
a four-port 10/100-Mbps switch, and
proprietary wireless technology, so only
the rst hub you install has to be wired.
After an amazingly simple setup, you
can stroll from room to room playing
songs by remote control.
The latest ultracool gadgets and ser-
vices give us the ability to be ultra couch
potatoes around the house, on the go, or
around the globe.SR
The name doesnt do much
for us, but the hardware
itself does plenty. The
Slingbox, from Sling Media,
is a good-looking set-top
box that compresses live
TV, satellite, and DVR video
and transfers it from your home to a computer
anywhere in the world. Now you can watch
Desperate Housewives as it airs, even if youre
in an airport in Fiji without a TV. You dont even
have to have a PC running at home, although
your remote PC must have SlingPlayer soft-
ware installed.
The Slingbox connects to your TV set, cable
box, DVR, or a PC equipped with a TV tuner and
infrared remote. The box has a wired Ethernet
jack as well as inputs and outputs for most
kinds of video. An IR port controls power, chan-
nels, and pausing on the TV, cable box, or DVR.
You can have on-screen controls overlay the
display or appear in an adjacent window.
We were impressed with the response
time for executing remote commands such
as changing channels and pausing record-
ingsthe tasks took only secondsand video
quality is excellent. The Slingbox is a well-de-
signed, powerful way to get the TV and video
you need (or, more likely, want) no matter
where you are.SR
Slingbox
W
INNER
MOBITV ON A TREO 650
THE MOZILLA FOUNDATION HAS al-
ways been offbeat. Its president, Mitch-
ell Baker, goes by the title Chief Lizard
Wrangler at www.mozilla.org. Innova-
tion lies off the beaten track, too, and
thats what the foundation produced this
year with its Firefox Web browser and
its free e-mail app, Thunderbird.
Baker and organization chair Mitch
Kapor head the foundation, but Firefox
is the product of a core of 100 or so de-
velopers and thousands of open-source
contributors who did the unthinkable
this year: They took signicant market
share away from the dominant browser,
Microsoft Internet Explorer.
As of November 2005, Firefoxs share
of the browser market had grown to just
over 8 percent, up from 3 percent the
prior November. With 40 to 50 million
active users and 12 million downloads
a month, it is without a doubt one of the
biggest software success stories of 2005.
Its innovations make Firefox one of
the most successful open-source soft-
ware applications ever.
Tabbed browsing lets
you stay in one window
as you move from site to
site, and smart keywords
let you stream infor-
mation to your toolbar.
Firefox also has a good
RSS reader and an ex-
cellent pop-up ad block-
er, and it is targeted by
hackers less frequently
than Internet Explorer.
And Firefox wont run
ActiveX controls, which
are frequently exploited
by hackers.
The Mozi l la Foun-
dation, which began in
2003 with support from America On-
lines Netscape division, provides legal,
nancial, and other services for ongoing
open-source software projects.
For bringing competition back to
browsers when many had written off the
possibility, Mitch Kapor, Mitchell Baker,
the lead developers behind Firefoxin-
cluding Brendan Eich, Boris Zbarsky,
Mike Conner, and Robert OCallahan
and everyone at the Mozilla Foundation
earn our People of the Year award.SR
THE EDITORS, WRITERS, AND LABS
experts here at PC Magazine share a pas-
sion for technology. And what drives that
passion more than anything else is our
leader, Michael J. Miller. For more than 14
years as Editor-in-Chief, Michael has tire-
lessly shepherded PC Magazine through
many of the most transformative events
in the history of computing, and he
has championed the industry with
unstoppable enthusiasm. He will
continue to do so as he moves up to
his new position as Executive Vice
President and Chief Content Ofcer
of Ziff-Davis Media, overseeing our
corporate parents magazines, Web
sites, and business ventures, leaving
PC Magazine in the capable hands of
our new Editor-in-Chief, Jim Loud-
erback. Because of Michaels many
contributions to our staff and to
the tech industry, we decided (un-
beknownst to him) to add a special
award this year in his honor.
Michael had an appropri ate
education for his career: a B.S. in
computer science from Rensse-
laer Polytechnic Institute and an M.S.
from the Medill School of Journalism at
Northwestern University. After honing
his skills at technology magazines Popu-
lar Computing and InfoWorld, he took
the helm of PC Magazine in 1991. Since
then, he has shaped the magazine in in-
numerable ways. Under his guidance,
we expanded PC Magazine Labs to be
the foremost product testing facility in
the industry, initiated our valuable Ser-
vice and Reliability surveys, and built
PCMag.com and our other successful
online components. Michael is a widely
respected commentator on the industry
and an award-winning journalist; he is
considered one of the most influential
technology journalists writing today.
Although hes moving up, hell continue
sharing his insights and opinions in his
PC Magazine column.
Michaels passion for technology is
infectious, and his depth of knowledge
is astounding. On a more personal level,
he is renowned for responding to all his
e-mail (and the number of messages he
receives is mind-boggling), for attend-
ing thousands of product demos, and for
supporting his colleagues and staff with
incredible loyalty. For this, the staff of
PC Magazine cannot thank him enough,
but we hope that this very special Tech-
nical Excellence Award shows our and
the industrys appreciation. No one de-
serves it more.The Editors
SPECIAL RECOGNITION
P
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THE MOZILLA FOUNDATION
MICHAEL J. MILLER
PEOPLE OF THE YEAR
BRENDAN EICH (LEFT) AND
MITCHELL BAKER (RIGHT)
LEGEND HAS THAT IT THE TWO OF
them needed just an hour to launch a
revolution. On October 17, 1969, Willard
Boyle and George Smith stood at a black-
board inside Bell Labs and designed
the CCDthe cornerstone technol-
charge-
, are the foundation of
everything from cameras and scanners
to copiers, fax machines, and barcode
readers. If it captures images and turns
them into digital data, it probably uses a
CCD. Youll even nd the sensors in the
Hubble Space Telescope.
Much like a microprocessor or mem-
ory chip, a CCD is an integrated circuit
built on a silicon wafer. It includes col-
umn after column of tiny light-sensi-
tive capacitors, or photosites. When you
project an image onto it, the light hit-
ting each capacitor causes a change in
charge. The more intense the light, the
greater the change. In this way, an image
is recorded as a grid of picture elements,
or pixels. This storage information can
then be removed from the device by
shifting charges down ea ch column, one
capacitor at a time.
William Boyle joined Bell Labs in 1953,
overseeing research in quantum elec-
tronics and radio astronomy. In the early
sixties, he was part of the Apollo space
program, helping NASA decide where to
land a man on the moon. George Smith
arrived in 1959, and within five years
he took over as head of the Labs device
concepts department, overseeing lasers
and other semiconductor technologies.
When they dreamed up the CCD, they
had an eye on developing a new kind of
memory, but the CCD quickly took on a
life of its own. By 1970, it was the core
of the worlds rst solid-state camera. By
1975, it was adept enough for broadcast
television. And by the early eighties, as-
tronomers were using CCDs to map the
heavens. But the real revolution didnt
arrive for another two decades.
Todays CCDs are lightweight, con-
sume little power, and last as long as
other integrated circuits. The recent
digital media revolution wouldnt be
possible without them. Chances are
theres a CCD at the heart of your digital
camera. The technology is behind most
camcorders. CCDs are also beginning
to bring a new level of sharpness and
clarity to the leading camera phones. LG
recently introduced a CCD phone here
in the U.S., and for the rst time, Ameri-
cans can take phone pics theyd actually
like to print.
If not for Boyle and Smiths CCD,
you couldnt move pictures and videos
onto your PC with such ease, edit them
with the click of a mouse, or send them
to friends and family over e-mail. You
wouldnt be able to print photos from
the comfort of your own living room,
or upload them to Flickr, Snapfish, or
Smugmug.
In short, the PCand everything that
goes with itwouldnt be the same with-
out Boyle, Smith, and their CCD.CM E
rs
rcod
readers. If it captures images and
em into digital data, it prob
r
e
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in
ac
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October 17
Smith
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7
T
an
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CDt
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96
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rge Smit
bs a
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ur t ded j
LEG
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O
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an m ne
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u
7
T
L
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abs
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l
co
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ll
c
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c
e S
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e
B
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si s nside Bell L
on.
n
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i d ins
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d
d
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utio
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u
e yl d G
l
yl oy
v
o a
ev
Bo
t
and George
oolu
l La
corn
abs
ner
S
el
he c
o
e
e
Be sid L nsi
volutio
oyle an
rd i
e
d
d G
n
and Georg GGeo
side
e
d
d G
ns
n.
nd G
n
rge
e B
he
e S
el
c
ll L
cor
nd G
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cor
WO OF
aunch a
Willar
d at a blac
and desig
erstone tec
the fo
OO WO OF
c
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nc ch
ll
WO OF
unch a
i
u
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b
aun
Willar
a
W
t a bla
es
W
at a bla
ig dd
a
d
d at
d desig
ec
r
i l d
s. If it im p
s
ines,
imag
ng
s
I
a
ac
u
to cop
ade
a
and ba ma
ery
c
unda
hing fromcameras an
e
of
ne
tio
g ha
om ca
x mac
captur
hing
ers
rs. If it
ameras
hines,
s imag
ver
to cop
d
unda
and sca
and ba
hn
charge
tion of
ne
t
s
tt
hing
er
s. If it
om c
x ma
captur
ameras
hines,
s imag
h
charge
ion of
n
t
LIFETIME ACHIEVEMENT
P
H
O
T
O
G
R
A
P
H

(
T
O
P
)

C
O
U
R
T
E
S
Y

O
F

L
U
C
E
N
T

T
E
C
H
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O
L
O
G
I
E
S

B
E
L
L

L
A
B
S
WILLARD BOYLE
& GEORGE SMITH
BOYLE (LEFT) & SMITH (RIGHT),
SHOWN IN 1974, INVENTED THE CCD.
A MODERN-DAY DESCENDENT (INSET)
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writing and reading mail. Except for an almost traditional drop-
down File menu, the old top-line menu with its Edit, View, and
other items is gone forever, not even available as an option.
Its too early to guess at the speed and polish that youll see
in the nal version. But our tests suggest that Microsoft has
put most of its energy into xing the interface and the back-
end connections to SharePoint servers. The inner logic of the
applications remains essentially the same. The new interface
makes it easy to access features that were almost inaccessible
before, but Word and Excel still perform automated changes that
you may not want or expect, and they still expect you to learn
their own obscure inner logic before you can master them.
Overall, the new interface offers a lot of advantages. Galler-
ies of page and spreadsheet layout options drop down from the
Ribbon, so you can apply commonly used formats by choos-
ing among clear graphic options, instead of hunting through
menus for each individual feature. This means you can insert a
footer on a page simply by clicking on a picture of a page with
W
When the new version of Microsoft Ofcecurrently code-
named Ofce 12arrives sometime in the second half of 2006,
you may stop hating the suite. We looked at an early, private
beta version of it and found a lot of improvements. Although the
interface is radically changed, a lot of the underlying features and
commands remain the same. We wont promise that using Ofce
12 will be trouble-free, but so far, it looks like a big step forward.
Instead of the cluttered, impenetrable interface that developed
haphazardly over the past 20 years, Ofce 12 will introduce
a completely new interface, one based on tabs that organize
functions under headings such as Write, Page Layout, and
Review, plus a combination toolbar/menu called the Rib-
bon, which displays a different set of icons and menu items,
depending on the current tab. The Ribbon also displays differ-
ent sets of icons depending on whether youre working with
text, graphics, tables, or other kinds of data. The new interface
appears in Word, Excel, PowerPoint, and Access, but not in
Outlook, except in the window where Outlook uses Word for

OFFICE12
EXTREME
MAKE
OVER
a footer, instead of visiting Words Insert and Format menus
before you remember that the command you want is on the
View menu. Traditional dialog boxes are still used for detailed
settings, but most users will be content with the Galleries.
Ofces tools for controlling visual settings such as zoom
level and window arrangement have been moved from the top-
line menu to the status bar on the window frame, so that view-
ing options are clearly separated from options that control the
actual document. Unfortunately, users may
still be confused by the way the visual-settings
tools jump between the top and the bottom of
the screen when you switch from conventional
print and Web-based views to the Reading view
that hides most icons and other controls.
Ofce XP and 2003 use a proprietary XML-
based document format, but Ofce 12 intro-
duces a new XML-based format called Ofce
XML. Word documents get a DOCX lename
extension; Excel spreadsheets get a new XLSX extension. This
new format is actually a standard ZIP le; change the exten-
sion of a DOCX document to ZIP and you can open it in Windows
Explorer to see all the XML-based components inside. The Ofce
XML formatbased on human-readable components instead of
binary dataseems to be Microsofts attempt to answer criticism
that Ofce documents contain too much data that users cant
access but that can contain hidden corporate and government
secrets. The new format also seems to be an
attempt to catch up with the accessibility of the
new Open Document format used in OpenOf-
ce.org 2.0. The latest version of Ofce will be
able to save les in the older versions formats,
but whether older versions can be retrotted
to read the new formats is still unknown.
NEW RIBBON INTERFACE
INFORMATION SAFETY DOCUMENT SECURITY OPTIONS
IMPROVED CHARTING
NEW GRAPHICS
DYNAMIC SLIDE LIBRARY
PAGE LAYOUT THEMES
- by Edward Mendelson
MI CROSOFT OFFI CE PREVI EW
136 Word
136 Excel
137 Outlook
137 PowerPoint
138 Access & More
138 OneNote
I N THI S STORY
T
he biggest news in Word 12
is the new Ribbon interface,
which organizes Words myr-
iad features in a sensible way
for the first time ever. It also provides
quick access to features that until now
have been buried too deeply for almost
anyone to use. Integration with Share-
Point and other back-end services makes
it easy for corporate users to insert stan-
dard graphic and text elements that are
stored on a server, and when they change
on the server, they can be automatically
updated in whatever documents use
them. A new Document Properties panel
stores metadata such as title, author, and
comments in an XML-based InfoPath le
stored within the Word document. Doc-
ument-management systems can access
this metadata by reading the InfoPath le.
Just as Word makes it easier to get
metadata into a document, it also makes
it easier to get it out. A new Document
Inspector dialog lets you clear all com-
E
xcel 12 is both bigger and
better: Worksheets now can
include one million rows and
16,000 columns. Its also smart-
er, with a Structured Referencing fea-
ture that lets you select any cell inside a
table of data and click on the Table icon
from the Ribbon. The instant result is a
fully formatted table with row and col-
umn shading that you can fine-tune in
a layout Gallery, and with each column
automatically named as a range and the
column headers available as
labels for cross-referencing
from other cells. If you add a
column to the table and start
entering data, these labels are
available from a drop-down
list for quick formula creation
without using traditional cell
addresses.
Excel finally adds an ac-
tive Page Layout view to the
old and mostly inactive Print
Preview, so you can work on
a spreadsheet while view-
ing the same layout and data
that will appear on a printed
page. The rulers at the top and
sides show the row numbers
and column letters in addition to inch
measurements. The Ribbon interface in-
cludes a feature-packed Formulas ribbon
with drop-down lists of commonly used
functions, a Name manager for keeping
track of named ranges, and a panel of
Formula Auditing features that are al-
ways visible for quick troubleshooting.
As in the rest of the updated suite, the
view features have been moved to the
status bar, and a slider lets you zoom in
and out of a spreadsheet, instead of us-
ing the preset zoom percentages, as in
earlier versions.
The Conditional Format menu can
automatically apply a color spectrum to
table data so that high and low numbers
are instantly recognizable. Other condi-
tional-format options apply data bars
so that each cell is overlaid by a horizon-
tal band of color that reects its number.
PivotTables become easier to manage
with a new task-pane interface at the far
right of the window, in which you select
elds for organizing data and stack the
selected elds in the order you want the
table to sort them. Chart- building func-
tions also get their own ribbon, with
one-stop shopping for labels, grid lines,
and grouping.EM
EXCELS NEW charting options include shadow, glow,
soft-edge, rotation, and other advanced effects,
easily applied and customized from the Ribbon.
ments, metadata, tracked revisions, and
other information that you dont want
to show the world. Sadly, theres still no
easy way to prevent such metadata from
getting into the le in the rst place. A
Finish Document menu lets you prevent
any further revisions to a document
after youve completed it. Microsoft also
includes PDF export, years after every-
one else added it.
The Ribbon interface makes a re-
freshing change from the
old menus. For most of the
work you do in Word, youll
use the Write ribbon, which
includes nd/replace, font
and paragraph options, a
Quick Formatti ng panel
with frequently used styles
illustrated graphically, and
proofing tools. The Page
Layout ribbon starts with
a Theme Gallery for choos-
i ng among prebui lt font
and color palettes, plus
page and section breaks,
hyphenat i on (no more
trips to Tools | Language
to hyphenate your f ile),
and background features
such as watermarks and border designs.
Unfortunately, theres no change to the
confusing underlying system of sec-
tions with specic settings for margins,
footnotes, and other options.EM
THE NEW RIBBON INTERFACE includes drop-down
galleries of formats, including this display of prebuilt
styles for tables. The style highlighted in the gallery
automatically appears as you move through the gallery.
WORD
EXCEL
OUR CONTRIBUTORS: Edward Mendelson and Richard V. Dragan are contributing editors
of PC Magazine. Features editor Michael J. Steinhart was in charge of this story.
O
utlook 12 doesnt bring the
same shock of the new that
comes with the rest of the
updated Office, but it adds
enough features to make it worth a fresh
look. The new version has
a slightly split personality,
with the new Ribbon inter-
face evident only in the mes-
sage editor, but the whole
program works so smoothly
that no one is likely to com-
plain. The most welcome
change is a built-in indexer
that displays search results
in the pane normally used
for the message list. You can
type search terms into a box
at the top of the search pane
for quick results or create
T
he beta version of PowerPoint
12 includes two major ad-
vances over earlier versions.
The first is the new Ribbon
interface, which offers instant access to
lines, shapes, and galleries
of diagrams. As soon as you
choose a diagram type
such as hierarchy or cy-
clesthe Ribbon displays a
gallery of simple and three-
dimensional styles that you
can apply, together with a
gallery of prebuilt options
for coloring its lines and
shapes.
As in the rest of the re-
vamped suite, PowerPoints
graphics capabilities are
more exible and dynamic
than before, so you can now
convert a bulleted list into
a diagram with one click
on the Ribbon, and then
continue to modify the diagram with op-
tions that appear automatically on the
same interface.
The second major advance is a dy-
namic slide library that can be stored on
a SharePoint server. Slides in the library
can be dragged into the current presen-
tation directly from the library, and vari-
able datasuch as the names of people
with specied job titlescan be updated
dynamically from the current version
of the data on the server by using a new
Refresh Slide option on the right-click
menu. Although this refresh requires
a few clicks, we expect that fully auto-
matic updating will be possible through
programmed macros. (Microsoft hasnt
conrmed this yet.)
Other new features include an option
to save custom layouts, so that they can
be dragged into a new slide without the
tedious copying required in previous
versions, and new advanced text ef-
fects. EM
THE COLOR SCHEME you select in the drop-down gal-
lery at the right will be applied instantly to the chart
in the slide.
structured searches from an optional dia-
log that displays criteria for narrowing
the search. This feature is integrated so
tightly that you may forget it didnt exist
in earlier versions. It eliminates the an-
noyance of the old, slow search feature,
which displayed its message list in a sepa-
rate pop-up window that didnt look or
act like a standard list of messages. The
new search displays results in a list just
like the inbox list, and you can act on the
messages as needed.
The only other significant change is
the optional To-Do bar that appears at
the far right, like the Task Pane in Word,
Excel, or PowerPoint. The To-Do Bar dis-
plays agged messages, todays Outlook
tasks, and any meetings or jobs assigned
to you in Access, OneNote, and Share-
Point Servicespossibly a mixed bless-
ing, because the sight of all those tasks in
one list may make you want a day off.
A few other notable new features re-
main well hidden until you look for them.
One convenient addition is the ability to
send a calendar page or a request to share
a Microsoft Exchange calendar. And new
SharePoint integration capabilities let
you modify shared calendars without
leaving Outlook, making collaboration
easier and smoother. EM
OUTLOOKS NEW INDEXER and search functions t
right into the existing interface.
POWERPOINT
OUTLOOK
POWERPOINTS NEW SLIDE LIBRARY
displays thumbnails of presentations.
igate often-used features quickly. Adding
columns to a database is a simple matter
of typing in data. Another major improve-
ment is the visual report designer, which
offers a live preview of your data as you
build a reportno more mazes of elds
and formulas. A versatile wiz-
ard lets you group data by elds
like product or state for sum-
mary and cross-tab reports.
Anot her good reason to
move your data from lists in
Excel to databases in Access
is the new versions power-
ful sharing abilities. With one
command, Access 12 will
share a database on your ma-
chine with a workgroup. It can
also publish the database to
a whole organization via the
new SharePoint Services. The
upsizing wizard also lets you publish a
database on SQL Server, as in previous
versions. With Web-enabled solutions
available from Quicken (QuickBase) and
Alpha Five, Accesss new sharing
abilities should help it compete.
In terms of new server compo-
nents in Ofce 12, the new Share-
Point Services technologydue out
in Beta 2 in 2006deserves special
mention. Beyond sharing Access da-
tabases, it should greatly facilitate
collaboration throughout the Of-
ce 12 product line. In particular,
Microsoft envisions organizations
dening and modifying workows,
including enterprise content man-
agement schemes, using Ofce. For
example, Outlook 12 can publish
e-mail messages to SharePoint auto-
matically for archiving (a common
legal requirement for many orga-
nizations). Redmond also foresees ex-
tensive search capabilities and indexing
made available for all SharePoint data.
The new version will also ease making
business decisions, as it enables combin-
ing traditional Office documents (like
Excel spreadsheets) with the sharing,
archiving, and publishing abilities of the
next version of SharePoint.
Microsoft is clearly betting that work-
flow management will move its Office
suite beyond creating and sharing docu-
ments.Richard V. Dragan E
W
ith some slick produc-
t i vi t y enhancement s
and a completely new
interface, Microsoft Ac-
cess 12 has gotten more of a makeover
than any other component in the Ofce
suite. The new interface is far more col-
orful and graphical, with tabs for navi-
gating between screens replacing the
blank workspace of older versions. An
improved template library provides in-
depth, business-oriented databases that
let you get started quickly.
You can also easily import an Excel
spreadsheet for use as a database, proof
that Microsoft realizes that vast numbers
of users use XLS les as mini-databases.
In fact, the default look-and-feel in the
new Access is a spreadsheet-like view of
your live data, searchable and sortable by
columns. You can import address books
(and whole IMAP folders) from Outlook
12, and import XML forms designed in
InfoPath, the form-design tool Microsoft
introduced with Ofce 2003.
As with other Office 12 productiv-
ity apps, Accesss new toolbars are more
graphical, and menu options configure
themselves on the y so that you can nav-
ACCESS & MORE
>
MORE ON THE WEB
For slide shows of the exciting new
interface of Microsoft Ofce 12
visit go.pcmag.com/
ofce12
OneNote started out as an innovative
note-taking, drawing, and voice-
recording tool bundled with Ofce
2003. The new version takes the
product into the realm of digital scrap-
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2005 MPC Computers, LLC (MPC or Seller). MPC is not responsible for omissions or errors in typography or photography. All offers are subject to availability. Prices and specifications may
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Whether you use your personal printer in the ofce or your ofce
printer at home, we have an all-in-one for you. The seven AIOs we
review represent the best of all the options available today. Thats
why youll see three Editors Choices in this story, each one built
for a slightly different user. The entries range in price from
about $90 to $500. Some are designed with photos in mind;
others are made for ofce applications and business use and
have automatic document feeders (ADFs). One even prints
on CDs. Though they all print, scan, and copy, their fax
functions vary. If youre in the market for an all-in-one,
youre in the right place. Read on.Sarah E. Anderson
[
DO-IT-ALLS
]
Check out seven of our favorite
all-in-one ink jets
for the home and ofce.
144 Brother MFC-420cn lllmm
144 Canon Pixma MP500 llllm
145 Dell Photo AIO Printer 924 lllhm
146 Epson Stylus Photo RX700 lllhm
146 HP Ofcejet 7410 All-in-One llllm
147 HP Photosmart 3310 All-in-One llllm
147 Lexmark P4350 All-in-One lllhm
144 Summary of Features
145 Editors Choice
145 Scorecard
146 Performance Tests
I N THI S STORY
on excellent, with some
similar hues blending
i nto one another i n-
stead of standing
out as di fferent
colors.
Performance is
the 420cns most
notable weakness.
The total time on
our business appli-
cations suite was
the slowest in the
roundup, at 48 min-
utes 22 seconds. The
next-slowest i n this
group, t he Lexmark
P4350 All-in-One, came in
at 23:04. For photos, the average
time for a 4-by-6 was over 9 minutes.
This AIO isnt for the impatient. But
if you print only a few pages a day, you
probably wont mind the speed. And
youd be hard-pressed to find many
other AIOs with this many features at
this price.
Brother MFC-420cn
$130 street. Brother International Corp.,
www.brother.com. lllmm
If your printing, copying, scanning, and
faxing needs are light (less than 30 pages
a day), the Brother MFC-420cn is just
right. For just $130 (street), the 420cn
gives you all these functions and more,
including direct photo printing as well
as scanning and faxing over a network.
Setup is typical, with a separate
cartridge for each of the four colors.
More important, network setup is fully
automated. Paper handling is limited,
though: Capacity is 100 sheets, and the
automatic document feeder (ADF) holds
only about 10 pages. If you print and
copy more than about 30 pages per day,
constantly relling the tray can turn into
an annoying chore. If you dont need an
ADF or network connection, check out
the MFC-210c, which is otherwise essen-
tially identical.
Graphics quality is good. Text is ac-
ceptable but may be a problem in docu-
ments using small or unusual type.
More than half our test fonts
were easily readable at 5
poi nts or less, but two
hi ghl y st yl i zed font s
needed 12 points.
Most of the individual
graphics pages were
very good or excellent.
On full-page graphics,
however, we saw light
banding where the ink
didnt fully cover the
area. Graphics are good
enough for internal business
use but not much more, with
severe banding on dark back-
grounds. Photos just missed out
CANON PIXMA MP500 PHOTO AIO
BROTHER MFC-420CN
> ALL REVIEWS BY M. DAVID STONE
Canon Pixma MP500 Photo All-in-One
$199.99 direct. Canon U.S.A. Inc.,
www.usa.canon.com.
llllm
The lack of an ADF on the Canon Pixma
MP500 Photo All-in-One limits its use-
fulness in even a small office, but this
AIO earns Editors Choice for its excel-
lent paper handling and duplexing and
superb performance. At $199.99, it comes
in just under the $200 cutoff for the
Value category.
The MP500 uses ve cartridges, and
each one has a status light that turns on
to conrm that its properly installed. It
offers a PictBridge connector, memory
card slots, a 2.5-inch color LCD, and two
paper trays, for a total capacity of 300
pages. The front panel has a copy menu
that lets you copy a photo directly to
photo paper.
An option in its PC-based control
software lets you scan to your e-mail
program. If you have a fax program, the
S U M M A R Y O F F E A T U R E S
All-in-One Printers
y YES o NO
Brother MFC-
420cn
Canon Pixma
MP500 Photo
All-in-One
Dell Photo All-
in-One Printer
924
Epson Stylus
Photo RX700
HP Ofcejet
7410 All-in-One
HP Photosmart
3310 All-in-One
Lexmark P4350
All-in-One
Price $130 street $199.99 direct $89 direct $400 street $499.99 direct $399.99 direct $130 street
Rated speed at default resolution: color (ppm) 15 19 20 20 20 31 15
Rated speed at default resolution: mono (ppm) 20 29 16 20 30 32 22
Ethernet/Wireless y o o o o o o o y y y y o o
Scanner type Flatbed with ADF Flatbed Flatbed Flatbed Flatbed with ADF Flatbed Flatbed
Scanners optical resolution (ppi) 600 1,200 1,200 3,200 2,400 4,800 1,200
Maximum scan area 8.5 x 14 8.5 x 11 8.5 x 11 8.5 x 11 8.5 x 14 8.5 x 12 8.5 x 11
Copier/Fax y y y o y o y o y y y y y o
software can call on the MP500s Twain
and WIA scan drivers to scan and fax.
Output quality was more than accept-
able. More than half our test fonts were
easily readable at 4 points, though one
of the highly stylized fonts needed 12.
Graphics were good enough for inter-
nal business use and marginally good
enough for external use. Thin lines tend
to disappear, however, and full-page
graphics made our test paper curl.
Most of our test photos were true
photo quality, making them good enough
for snapshots and framing. But we also
saw a tint in our monochrome test photo
and posterization. The photo output is
waterproof from the moment it comes
out of the printer.
Performance is a strong point. The
MP500 had a total time of 15 minutes
17 seconds on our business applica-
tions suite, the fastest ink jet AIO weve
seen. Performance for photos was a little
slower relative to other printers but still
totaled 3:55 for three 4-by-6s and 3:12 for
each 8-by-10.
Wed ideally like the MP500 to have
one or more improve-
ments in the form of
an ADF, a fax modem,
or better graphics and
photo output. Never-
theless, it offers the
strongest combination
of speed, quality, and
features i n its price
range.
Dell Photo All-in-One
Printer 924
$89 direct. Dell Inc., www.dell.com. lllhm
The Dell Photo All-in-One Printer 924
has an appropriate combination of speed
and qualityas a regular printer. But
with no ADF or fax modem, its not the
best AIO. Nevertheless, its the least ex-
pensive unit in this roundup, it can scan
to any fax program that uses a modem
in your PC, and it prints directly from a
PictBridge camera.
Setup is standard for AIOs that con-
nect by USB 2.0, with a fully automated
installation program. You can install
either the included black and tricolor
cartridges or replace the black with a
SCORECARD lllll EXCELLENT llll VERY GOOD lll GOOD ll FAIR l POOR
RED denotes Editors' Choice. Text Graphics Photos
Brother MFC-420cn lll lll llllh
Canon Pixma MP500 Photo All-in-One lllh lllh llllh
Dell Photo AIO Printer 924 lll llll llllh
Epson Stylus Photo RX700 lllh lllh llll
HP Ofcejet 7410 All-in-One lllh llllh llll
HP Photosmart 3310 All-in-One lll lllh llllh
Lexmark P4350 All-in-One lllh lllh llllh
The 924 is also strong on output qual-
ity. Most fonts are easily readable at 6
points or less, with two highly stylized
fonts needing 12 points. The
very good rating for graphics is
rare for a printer at this price.
Although we saw some banding
and a tendency to lose thin lines,
graphics are good enough to con-
vey a sense of professionalism.
Though most photos are true
photo quality, we noticed that mono-
chrome photos had a slight greenish
tint and colors in some photos were
too punchy. Our quality results for the
924 were achieved with the new Dell
Premium Photo Paper, which has a light-
fastness rating of 90 years behind stan-
dard glass, according to Dell. However,
its not water-resistant.
As long as you dont mind the poten-
tial need to reprint photos that can
smudge from handling on humid days,
and you dont need an ADF or built-in
fax modem, the 924 offers a good com-
bination of speed, quality, and features
for the price.
DELL PHOTO AIO PRINTER 924
photo cartridge for six-color printing.
On our performance tests, the 924
established itself as the new rst-place
AIO among photo printers that cost less
than $150. On our business applications
suite, it managed a total time of 19 min-
utes 47 seconds. Similarly, the 924 had
the second-highest speed for photos,
total ing 3:42 for three 4-by-6s and 8:05
for three 8-by-10s.
OUR CONTRIBUTORS: M. David Stone is
a contributing editor of PC Magazine and a
lead analyst at PC Magazine Labs. Features
editor Sarah E. Anderson was in charge of
this story.
The $199.99 Canon Pixma MP500 Photo All-in-One delivers the best bang for the
buck but lacks an automatic document feeder (ADF). Even with photo in the name,
it outperforms every printer here on our business applications suitein fact, its the
fastest ink jet AIO in business printing to date. Its not loaded with features, though,
which helps keep its price in the Value category.
For ofce use, the HP Ofcejet 7410 is tough to beat. It simply offers the best fea-
tures and performance in one package. It has an ADF (essential for the ofce), as well
as a legal-size scan area, Ethernet and wireless network connections, and very good
speed for business apps.
For photos and home use, we love the HP Photosmart 3310 All-in-One. It scored
second on our business applications suite, and its photo capabilities make it a perfect
printer for most amateur photographers. It also offers a transparency adapter for
slides and a dedicated paper tray for 4-by-6 photo paper.
VALUE: Canon Pixma MP500 Photo All-in-One
OFFICE: HP Ofcejet 7410 All-in-One
PHOTO: HP Photosmart 3310 All-in-One
standalone copier and fax machine.
Its software lets you scan to or fax
from your computer even over a
network, and its memory card
slots and PictBridge connector
let it print directly from memory
cards and cameras without a com-
puter.
The 7410 is large for an ink jet AIO,
at 13.9 by 21.6 by 17.2 inches (HWD).
Connection choices include USB 2.0,
802.11g, and Ethernet, which is what we
used. The unit comes with black and tri-
color cartridges, but you can replace the
black cartridge with a photo cartridge
for six-color printing or a photo gray car-
tridge for monochrome photos. Setup is
straightforward, thanks largely to HPs
fully automated network setup.
Performance is impressive and then
some. On our business applications and
photo suites, the 7410 turned in excellent
performance, at a total of 16:11 for busi-
ness applications, 5:32 for three 4-by-6
photos, and 12:59 for three 8-by-10s.
business applications and photos. The
16-minute total on our business applica-
tions suite just missed the 15:42 posted
by the photocentric HP 3310, an Editors
Choice. The two AIOs are close for pho-
tos, too, with the RX700 totaling 3:31 for
three 4-by-6s and 7:29 for three 8-by-10s,
compared with 3:26 and 8:17 for the 3310.
Although the RX700 offers much to
like, its not as good a value as the 3310.
But if you want to print labels directly on
discs, its currently the only AIO game
in town.
HP Ofcejet 7410 All-in-One
$499.99 direct. Hewlett-Packard Development
Co., www.hp.com. llllm
For nearly a year, the HP Of-
ficejet 7410 All-in-One has
held the Editors Choice for
office-oriented ink jet all-in-
ones, and its still undefeated. Though
its the most expensive unit here, it eas-
ily justies its price with built-in wire-
less capability, fast performance, good to
very good print quality, and almost any
feature you might hope for.
Its 50-page ADF and built-in
fax modem let it work nicely as a
Epson Stylus Photo RX700
$400 street. Epson America Inc., www.epson.com.
lllhm
Although the Epson Stylus Photo RX700
is limited to printing, scanning, and
standalone copying, it stands out because
it handles photos so well. Its an intrigu-
ing choice if youre looking for a personal
digital photo lab for your home.
The built-in transparency adapter,
combined with a 3,200-ppi optical scan
resolution, lets you scan 35mm slides and
lm. Among the printers reviewed here,
only the RX700 and the HP Photo smart
3310 have this capability. The RX700 can
also print directly from both slides and
lm, as well as from memory cards and
PictBridge cameras, and it has a 2.5-inch
LCD and a well-designed menu. Direct
fax support is missing, but you can scan
and fax from your own fax program and
PC fax modem. The RX700 has a 150-
sheet tray in front and a 120-sheet tray
in back.
Setup is typical for an AIO that con-
nects via USB 2.0 and uses six ink car-
tridges. Si mply load the paper and
cartridges, run the installation routine,
and plug in the USB cable.
On our tests, colors on some photos
were a bit muddy, and we saw a distinct
color balance problem on our mono-
chrome photo, with tints of varying
colors at different gray levels. But most
prints qualied as true photo quality. The
output is waterproof immediately, which
is unusual for an ink jet. Also, the RX700
prints directly on printable optical discs.
Text is good enough for nearly any pur-
pose, with more than half our fonts easily
readable at 5 points. Graphics were okay
except for images with thin lines.
Performance was excellent on both
BUSINESS APPLICATIONS (default settings)
All times are in min:sec.
Low scores are best.
Bold type denotes rst place.
Adobe Acrobat 6.0 Microsoft Excel 2003
4 pages text and
photos (portrait
mode)
4 pages text and
photos (land-
scape mode)
1-page table
with grid
1 page, table
without
grid
1-page
table with back-
ground tints
1-page graph
Brother MFC-420cn 7:28 8:08 0:26 0:25 1:18 1:24
Canon Pixma MP500 Photo AIO 1:49 1:45 0:14 0:14 0:31 0:29
Dell Photo AIO Printer 924 2:50 2:47 0:10 0:10 0:40 0:38
Epson Stylus Photo RX700 1:26 1:28 0:24 0:23 0:28 0:27
HP Ofcejet 7410 AIO 2:10 2:01 0:15 0:12 0:35 0:38
HP Photosmart 3310 AIO 1:53 1:47 0:25 0:17 0:33 0:33
Lexmark P4350 AIO 3:15 3:06 0:14 0:13 0:49 0:46
We ran these ink-jet based AIOs
through our standard tests,
using QualityLogics PageSense
4.0 software and hardware
(www.qualitylogic.com) to
control and time them. Because
the printers claimed speeds are for draft
modes, not the higher-quality settings
we use, they dont predict results very
well. For example, the Epson Stylus
Photo RX700 tied overall with the HP
OfceJet 7410 overall on our business
applications suite, despite a much lower
claimed speed for color printing.MDS
WHAT T HE NUMB E R S ME AN
EPSON STYLUS PHOTO RX700
HP OFFICEJET 7410 AIO
Lexmark P4350 All-in-One
$130 street. Lexmark International Inc.,
www.lexmark.com. lllhm
The Lexmark P4350 All-in-One focuses
on photos for home users. It doesnt have
an ADF or a fax modem, but it does in-
clude software that lets you scan and fax
using a modem in your PC. More impor-
tant for a photocentric AIO, it offers high-
quality photos at reasonable speeds.
Setup is easy. Load the ink cartridges,
connect by USB cable, and run the auto-
mated setup program. The P4350 comes
with a tricolor cartridge and a photo car-
tridge for six-color printing, but you can
replace the photo cartridge with a black
cartridge for four-color printing.
It also has a PictBridge connec-
tor, card slots, and a 1.7-inch color
LCD on the top front.
The P4350 completed our
busi ness appl ications
suite in 23: 04, more
slowly than most of
the printers here
but more than
t wi ce as fast
as the Brother
MFC- 420cn.
For photos, it
totaled 7: 53 for
three 4-by-6s and
17:15 for three 8-
by-10s.
Most fonts were
easily readable at 5 points or less,
and all but one were easily readable at 8,
with one highly stylized font needing 12.
Graphics were adequate, though unac-
ceptable for external business use. Most
photos were true photo quality.
Photos showed a distinct yellow shift
because of a faulty photo ink cartridge.
Lexmarks policy is to replace the car-
tridge, and that should x the problem.
We wish the P4350 had an ADF and fax
modem, but if you dont need to scan or
fax multipage documents and dont need
a standalone fax machine, its a good t
as a home AIO. E
and lm, and preview photos and
video frames on a 3.6-inch color
LCD. The 3310 works as a standard
flatbed scanner and a standalone
fax machine and copier; it also lets
you use its modem to fax from a PC.
It earns extra points for including
drivers that enable scanning and fax-
ing over a network as well, and 802.11g
wireless networking is built in. Dual
paper trays, with one for 4- by 6-inch
stock, are another nice touch. To set it
up, just load paper, insert the six ink car-
tridges, and plug in the network cable.
Performance was excellent. The 3310
ran our business tests in 15 minutes 42
seconds. It also did well
on our photo suite, total-
ing 3:26 for the 4-by-6s and
8:17 for the 8-by-10s.
Output quality ranged
from good to the
high end of very
good. Text wa s
eas ily readable at 5
points or less; two
highly stylized fonts
needed 12. In high-
quality mode, prints
were marginally good
enough for external
busi ness use. Most
photos were true photo
quality or close. And
with HPs new inks and
paper, output is water-resistant, though
it can still show water stains.
The transparency adapter for slides
does not leave room for an ADF. But if
you have a particular interest in photos
and need to connect to a network, the
HP Photosmart 3310 is the photocentric
AIO to get.
PHOTOS (hi-quality settings)
Microsoft
PowerPoint
2003 Microsoft Word 2003
TOTAL
OUTPUT
TIME
Adobe Photoshop 7.0
(total output time)
3 pages
charts and
graphs
4 full-page
slides
2 pages
text
2 pages
text
and clip art
2 pages
text
and photos
12 pages
monochrome
text
12 pages
color text
Three 4x6
prints
Three 8x10
prints
5:16 9:35 0:49 1:18 1:42 4:04 6:29 48:22 27:41 59:32
1:21 2:06 0:30 0:33 0:36 1:49 3:20 15:17 3:55 9:37
1:40 2:31 0:17 0:51 0:47 1:31 4:55 19:47 3:42 8:05
1:00 1:39 0:40 0:41 0:40 3:23 3:21 16:00 3:31 7:29
1:23 2:06 0:23 0:37 0:34 1:49 3:28 16:11 5:32 12:59
1:13 1:56 0:31 0:41 0:41 2:39 2:33 15:42 3:26 8:17
2:00 3:06 0:21 1:00 0:57 1:40 5:37 23:04 7:53 17:15
LEXMARK P4350 AIO
HP PHOTOSMART 3310 AIO
MORE ON THE WEB
For extended versions of these
reviews as well as buying guides
and hundreds of other reviews for
all-in-one printers, photo printers,
laser printers, and more, check out
go.pcmag.com/printers.
Output quality is also a strong point.
Graphics, which we rated at the high end
of very good, showed only minor aws.
Photos, which earned a rating of very
good, were hurt primarily by mild band-
ing in the monochrome test photo. Text,
with a rating at the high end of good,
was easily readable at 5 points or less for
most fonts.
A few AIO ink jets offer better- looking
output, but not by much, and not with
anything like the 7410s speed. The com-
bination makes the HP Officejet 7410 a
clear winnerand the ink jet Editors
Choiceparticularly well suited for the
ofce, but strong on photos, too.
HP Photosmart 3310 All-in-One
$399.99 direct. Hewlett-Packard Development Co.,
www.hp.com. llllm
The HP Photosmart 3310 AIO ex-
cels at photo printing and also
handles text and graphics well. It
produced good output at relatively
high speeds and earns an Editors Choice
in the photocentric AIO category.
You can print directly from a cam-
era, memory cards, and 35mm slides
148 PC MAGAZI NE JANUARY 17, 2006 www.pcmag.com
MarketLink
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www.pcmag.com JANUARY 17, 2006 PC MAGAZI NE 149
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SCANNERS
SONY DCR-PC1000
2.8 MegaPixels
2.7 LCD Screen
$
819
99
DCR-PC55...................$429.99
GVD-800......................$659.99
GVD-1000....................$949.99
DIGITAL VIDEO
NIKON D50
6.1 MegaPixels
2.0 LCD Screen
$
499
99
D50 Kit (18-55 Lens) .............$579.99
D50 Kit (55-200 Lens) ...........$759.99
SONY DSC-P200
7.2 MegaPixels
3x Optical Zoom
$
279
99
DSC-W5...$224.99 DSC-W7 ...$264.99
DSC-W17.....CALL DSC-V3 ....$374.99
Policy: Visa, Mastercard, Discover, American Express, Diners Club, Money Orders, Certified Check, (Personal Checks up to 14,000.00 with name and address imprinted on check). C.O.D. orders are also accepted. Orders by mail please
print name address and phone number clearly. Shipping methods - in the Continental U.S.A. will be via Fedex, U.P.S. or Air Mail. Over size items via truck. Shipping and Handling are additional. 21 days for return or exchange (video & dig-
ital 7 days) with prior authorization only. (Call customer service for authorization number). Shipping and Handling are not refundable. All returns are subject to a minimum restocking fee of 5%. Prices may reflect mail-rebate. All returned
merchandise must be in new condition and must include all packaging and printed material in original, unaltered condition. Broadway Photo is not responsible for typographical errors. All items are covered by USA, International or Broadway
Photo and Video Warranty. Prices subject to change. Please check our website for current prices. All our merchandise is brand new and factory fresh. Quantities are limited. Thank you and enjoy your order. PCM11206
NIKON LS50
HIgh Quality
CCD Sensor
4000 DPI Optical
Resolution
$
479
99
LS-9000 .....................$1799.99
NIKON Super Coolscan LS-5000
4,000 dpi Optical Res.
2x-linear CCD
Multiple film format
$
839
99
PRINTERS
EPSON Stylus 2200P
USB/Serial Port
PC or Mac
6 Color Small
Archival Links
$
539
99
EPSON Stylus 1280
Smudge Free Inks
PC or Mac
$
399
99
Stylus 3000 ................$1179.99
NEW!
NEW!
We specialize
in Overnight Delivery.
Place Your Order by 7:00 PM EST
and Receive Your Order by
the Next Business Day!
For an Additional
$29.95
SONY DCR-DVD403
3.3 MegaPixels
10x Optical Zoom
2.7 LCD
$
669
99
DCR-DVD7 ..................$409.99
DCR-DVD92 ................$444.99
Special! DCR-DVD203 $519.99
OLYMPUS Evolt E-500
8.0 Million Pixels
2.5 LCD Screen
$
559
99
C-7000.....$369.99 C-8080 ...$499.99
D-630Z.....$224.99 E-300 .....$449.99
E-1 ...........$649.99 ST 500 ...$224.99
ST 600.....$229.99 ST 800 ...$309.99
MINOLTA Dimage Z6
6.0 MegaPixels
12x Optical Zoom
$
299
99
Z5 .........$294.99 Z10.........$134.99
Max 7D $849.99 Max 5D...$519.99
NIKON D70-S
6.1 MegaPixels
2.0 LCD Screen
$
639
99
D70-S Kit ...............................$889.99
D200..........................................CALL
FUJI FinePix S3
12.3 Mega Pixels
2.0 LCD
$
1399
99
FP E500 ...$159.99 FP E510 ..$184.99
FP E550 ...$229.99 FP E900 ..$344.99
FP F10......$249.99 FP F11.....$284.99
FP F460....$209.99 FP S20 ....$429.99
NEW!
SONY HDR-HC1
2.8 MegaPixels
10x Optical Zoom
2.7 LCD Screen
$
1199
99
DCR-TRV280...............$259.99
DCR-TRV480...............$299.99
NEW! HDR-FX1.........$2519.99
NEW! HVR-A1 ...........$1729.99
NEW! HVR-Z1 ...........$3899.99
NEW!
CANON PowerShot SD550
7.1 MegaPixels
3x Optical Zoom
$
329
99
SD30......$309.99 SD400.......$249.99
SD430........CALL SD450.......$279.99
SD500....$309.99 S70 ...........$384.99
S80 ........$399.99 Pro 1.........$539.99
MINOLTA Dimage A200
8.0 MegaPixels
7x Optical Zoom
$
494
99
G5W.........CALL X1...........$269.99
X60.......$199.99
SONY Mavica CD-500
4.0 MegaPixels
2.5 LCD Screen
$
449
99
CANON DIGITAL REBEL XT KIT
6.8.03 Megapixel CCD
1.8 LCD Screen
$
709
99
Rebel Digital XT.....................$649.99
CANON EOS 20D
8.2 MegaPixels
1.8 LCD Screen
$
1099
99
EOS5D....$2579.99 EOS20Dkit.$1169.99
EOS1DSII$6349.99 EOS1DIIN...$3199.99
KODAK Easyshare P880
8.0 MegaPixels
12x Digital Zoom
$
419
99
EShare 1. $469.99 ESP850......$344.99
ES Z700. $154.99 ESZ740......$219.99
ESZ730 . $204.99 ESZ760......$239.99
ESV530. . $214.99 ESV550......$239.99
ESDX7590 $249.99 ESZ7590....$249.99
PENTAX Optio WPi
6.0 MegaPixel
2.0 LCD Screen
$
224
99
60...........$169.99 750Z......$319.99
S5Z ........$209.99 SVi.............CALL
S55 ........$199.99 S6..........$229.99
S60 ........$179.99
FUJI Finepix S9000
9.0 MegaPixels
10.7x Optical Zoom
$
499
99
FP S5200...............................$279.99
FP Z1 .....................................$234.99
FP Z2 .....................................$269.99
NEW!
NEW!
NEW!
JVC GZ-MC500
1.33 MegaPixels
2.5 Color LCD
$
999
99
GR-D250......................$244.99
Special! GR-D270.......$259.99
GR-D295 .....................$264.99
GR-DF450 ..................$319.99
NEW! GR-DF470.............CALL
NEW! GR-DF550.........$339.99
NEW! GR-DZ7.................CALL
NEW! GR-PD1.................CALL
NEW! GR-X5 ...............$829.99
NEW!
NEW!
CASIO EX-Z750
5.25 MegaPixels
3x Optical Zoom
$
294
99
EX-S500.$269.99 EX-S600..$299.99
EX-Z10.......CALL EX-Z110..$199.99
EX-Z120.$234.99 EX-Z57....$239.99
EX-Z500.$254.99
NEW!
VIDEO PROJECTORS
OPTOMA EZPRO 739
2200 Max Ansi Lumenss
DLP
$
1049
99
EZPRO 758 ...............$1629.99
EZPRO 759 ...............$2049.99
H77 ............................$2409.99
CANON GL-2
20x Optical Zoom
100x Digital Zoom
2.5 LCD Screen
$
1699
99
NEW! XL-H1 ..............$7399.99
XL-2 ...........................$3079.99
ZR-100.........................$249.99
ZR-200........................ $254.99
ZR-300.........................$319.99
Special! ZR-400..........$364.99
TELEVISIONS
PANASONIC TH-50PX500U
50
HDTV
$
3799
99
TC-32LX50 ................$1599.99
TH-42PX50U .............$2349.99
TH-42PD50U .............$1699.99
NEW!
NEW!
NEW!
CANON PowerShot S2-IS
5.0 MegaPixels
1.8 LCD Screen
$
389
99
A410........$124.99 A510...$144.99
A520........$164.99 A610...$234.99
A620........$299.99 G6.......$469.99
NEW!
NIKON Coolpix 7600
7.1 MegaPixels
3x Optical Zoom
$
199
99
CP 4600.$159.99 CP 4800 ..$254.99
CP 5600.$189.99 CP 7900 ..$259.99
CP 8400.$399.99 CP 8800 ..$699.99
OLYMPUS P440
Dye-Sublimation
1.8 LCD
USB
$
379
99
SONY DCR-HC90
3.3 MegaPixels
120x Digital Zoom
2.5 LCD
$
669
99
DCR-HC21...................$319.99
DCR-HC32...................$379.99
DCR-HC42...................$419.99
NIKON D2X
12.4 MegaPixels
2.5 LCD Screen
$
3249
99
D2HS...................................$2299.99
SONY DSC-T7
5.1 MegaPixels
2.5 LCD Screen
$
334
99
DSC-T3.$249.99 DSC-T5. $274.99
DSC-T9..$404.99 DSC-T33$249.99
PENTAX *IST-DL
6.1 MegaPixels CCD
2.5 LCD Screen
$
489
99
NEW! *ist-DS2 .....................$659.99
JVC GZ-MG70
200x Digital Zoom
10x Optical Zoom
2.5 LCD Screen
$
649
99
GZ-MG20.....................$504.99
GZ-MG30.....................$549.99
GZ-MG40.....................$549.99
GZ-MG50.....................$599.99
NEW! GZ-MG60 ..............CALL
GY-DV5000................$3849.99
NEW! GY-DV5100 .....$3899.99
GY-HD100U...............$4049.99
JY-HD10U..................$2199.99
NIKON Coolpix S4
6.0 MegaPixels
10 Opt/4x Dig Zoom
$
279
99
CP 8700.$449.99
CP L1.....$219.99 CP P1......$339.99
CP P2.....$269.99 CP S1......$224.99
CP S2.....$279.99 CP S3......$249.99
OLYMPUS Stylus SP-700
6.0 MegaPixels
10x Digital Zoom
$
299
99
ST-P310 ..$279.99 ST-P350...$309.99
ST-P500 ..$284.99 FE-100.....$129.99
FE-110.....$169.99 FE-120.....$189.99
i:robe 300$279.99 i:robe 500.$159.99
SONY DSC-R1
10.3 MegaPixels
5x Optical Zoom
$
779
99
DSC-S40..$149.99 DSC-S60 $169.99
DSC-S90..$189.99 DSC-H1 . $369.99
DSC-M1....$339.99 DSC-M2 . $409.99
DSC-N1....$409.99 DSC-R1 . $879.99
SONY DCR-VX2100
48x Digital Zoom
12x Optical Zoom
2.5 LCD Screen
$
1949
99
Special! DSR-PDX10$1599.99
Special! DSR-PD170$2449.99
PANASONIC PV-GS250
3.1 MegaPixels
2.5 LCD Screen
$
649
99
AG-DV2500 ...............$1369.99
AG-DVC200...............$3199.99
PV-GS19......................$264.99
PV-GS31......................$299.99
PV-GS35......................$369.99
PV-GS150....................$469.99
PV-GS400....................$919.99
CANON DC20
2.2 MegaPixels
10x Optical Zoom
200x Digital Zoom
$
529
99
NEW! DC10 .................$469.99
Elura 80 .......................$329.99
Elura 85 .......................$389.99
NEW! Elura 90.............$479.99
CANON FS4000
5888 x 4000 pixels
4000 DPI Optical
Resolution
USB
$
469
99
DIGITAL CAMERAS
PANASONIC DMC-FZ30 (K/S)
8.32 MegaPixels
12x Optical Zoom
$
479
99
DMC-FX8 ....$269.99 DMC-FX9..$299.99
DMC-FZ4.....$239.99 DMC-FZ5..$329.99
DMC-FZ20 ..$394.99 DMC-LX1..$414.99
DMC-LZ1.....$189.99 DMC-LZ2..$209.99
PANASONIC AG-DVX100B
3-CCD Imaging
FLIPOUT 2.5 LCD Screen
$
2499
99
AG-DVC7.....................$869.99
AG-DVC30 .................$1169.99
AG-DVC60.................$1619.99
AG-DVX100A.............$2299.99
NEW! AG-HVX200.....$5499.99
NEW! AJ-HDX100 ...........CALL
NEW! SDR-S100 .........$809.99
VDR-M53.....................$419.99
VDR-M75.....................$479.99
Special! VDR-M95 .......$639.99
BENQ PB8120
DLP
$
699
99
PB 6110 .......................$699.99
PB 7230.....................$1499.99
PB 8240.....................$1549.99
SHARP LC-32D7U
32
Aquos Liquid
TFT Active Matrix
$
1999
99
LC-20B9US..................$679.99
LC-37D70 ..................$2699.99
LC-45GX6U...............$4149.99
IN FOCUS LP600
DLP
$
1249
99
X2 ................................$699.99
LP-640 .......................$1249.99
LP-820 .......................$2099.99
SONY KDE-37XS955
37
HDTV
$
2499
99
KDE-42XS955 ...........$3399.99
KDE-50XBR950.........$5699.99
KLV-32M1 ..................$2049.99
NEW!
NEW!
NEW!
NEW!
NEW!
CANON OPTURA 600
200x Digital Zoom
10x Optical Zoom
2.5 LCD Screen
$
719
99
Optura 50.....................$509.99
Optura 60.....................$579.99
Optura 400...................$419.99
Optura 500...................$519.99
NEW! Optura S1..........$549.99
NEW!
ML
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T E C HNOL OGY ON YOUR T I ME
be Batman will save the
day with his ghting game,
which lets players defend
Gotham City from the likes
of the Joker and Clayface. Wearing
a set of gauntlets and a chest plate for
two-way interaction with the on-screen
action doesnt just make you look the
partyoull also feel small vibrations
when youre hit. The game connects
directly to the TV, so no console or PC
is needed. But the graphics arent too
great, nor do the thrills extend much
longer than a typical Batman cartoon.
(Spider-Man and other games are also
available.)
$49.99 street. Thinkway Toys,
www.thinkwaytoys.com. llhmm
QMotions Baseball
Its never too early
to thi nk about
spring training,
and t hi s con-
t rol l er system
will help get you
into the swing of
things. Although
it i sn t a game
itself, QMotions
EyeToy: Kinetic
The problem with
most digital f it-
ness programs i s
that they can t tel l
if youre doing things
right. Thats not the case
with this game, which uses the Sony
EyeToy camera to help you through 12
weeks of training. Four zonesCardio,
Combat, Toning, and Mind & Bodylet
you vary your tness regimen as you re-
act to two on-screen personal trainers.
Some of the minigames
are focused more on fun
than tness, but anything
that gets you started cant
be all bad. Best of all,
though, as your move-
ment is tracked via the
Sony EyeToy camera, you get real-time
performance evaluations. For Sony
PlayStation 2.
$49.99 street. Sony Computer Enter-
tainment America Inc., www
.us.playstation.com. llllh
M.A.G. The Batman
Villains of Gotham
City
Get t i ng younger
kids excited about
exerci se can be
challenging. May-
Baseball will work with most PC and
Microsoft Xbox baseball simulations.
Take your turn at the plate, which is
included, along with a bat sleeve and
foam bat. (The sleeve can also be used
over a real batbut you'd better watch
where you swing that thing!) The down-
side is that you get to experi-
ence only the batting aspect of
the sport, so QMotions Base-
ball doesnt make for serious
two-player competition. But its a
good alternative to the batting cage on
a snowy day. For PC and Xbox.
$149.99 direct. QMotions Inc., www.qmotions.com.
lllhm
QMotions Golf
As with the baseball controller, this de-
vice isnt a standalone gamealthough
it does come with EA Sports Tiger
Woods PGA Tour 2004. It combines the
elements of a game with that
of a putting green and driv-
ing range and is compatible
with real clubs (again, watch
where youre swinging). Tee
off or putt with the inter-
active swing arm, which
replaces mouse and key-
board input. This
is still more of
a game than a
true simulator,
but it does offer a
very immersive experi-
ence. And you dont have to
wait to play through. For PC.
$199.99 direct. QMotions Inc., www.qmotions.com.
llllm
Real-World
Action Gaming
BY PETER SUCIU
S
ome video games really get your heart racing, and the intense action
on the screen can make you break into an adrenaline sweat. But theres
a new generation of gadgets and games that require you to move more
than just your trigger ngers. We review gadgets and software that get you up
off the couch and really put
you into the game.
AFTER HOURS
lllll EXCELLENT
llllm VERY GOOD
lllmm GOOD
llmmm FAIR
lmmmm POOR
WHAT THE RATINGS MEAN
Eyetoy: Kinetic
alistic boxing gloves for some shadow
boxing of the digital variety. The
power of your punch isnt
actually measured, but this
game will help you improve
your endurance while taxing your
reexes and speed. For XaviXport.
$59.99 direct. SSD Co. Ltd., www.xavix.com.
llllm
XaviX J-Mat
You dont get moves like Jackie Chan just
by watching his movies. Though it isnt
likely that youll be ghting terrorists or
ninja warriors in real life, you can virtu-
ally by working out with the martial-arts
star in this interactive game. It will have
you dodging on-screen
obstacles and run-
ning through Hong
Kong. The action
can be a little hokey,
though, and the vid-
eo footage of Jackie
Chan is limited. For
XaviXport.
$89.99 direct. SSD Co.
Ltd., www.xavix.com.
lllhm
Yourself!
Fitness
Remember t he
VHS wor kout
craze? A workout
tape gave the viewer
some needed direction,
XaviX Golf
Here is another way to hit the greens
without leaving the living room. XaviX
Golf features a driver and putter and uses
a swing sensor as you play through 18
holes or take part in a challenging hole-
in-one minigame. The systems clubs
have the feel of miniature golf clubs.
And since the TV-connected XaviXport
console ($79.99 direct) lacks the rened
graphics of an Xbox or PS2, you may feel
as if youre playing on an unkempt pub-
lic course. But the variety of modes, in-
cluding tournament and exhibition play,
keeps things fresh. For XaviXport.
$79.99 direct. SSD Co. Ltd., www.xavix.com.
lllmm
XaviX Jackie Chan PowerBoxing
We wished this game also featured
Chris Tucker and Luke Wilsonbe-
cause getting to punch Jackie Chans
costars would make it a contender for
game of the year. Even without them,
this one is a lot of fun: You put on re-
but the downside was that after you had
watched it a few times the repetition
made your eyes glaze over.
But this interactive program,
which features more than 500
unique exercises from yoga,
Pilates, strength training,
and cardio fitness, keeps
your interest. Maya, the
on-screen guide and
personal trainer, cre-
ates customized health and
tness routines that wont feel routine;
you can even progress at your own
pace. The six on-screen locations
are varied, including a Japanese
dojo and an Alpine retreat. And
since working out is only half of
the battle (of the bulge), Maya
offers diet suggestions from
more than 4,500 recipes.
Even without the inter-
action youd get in a
real gym class, youll
shape up faster than
you would playing
Ballistic. For PC,
PS2, and Xbox.
PC, $29.99 direct; PS2 and
Xbox, $34.99. respondDesign
Inc., www.yourselftness.com.
llllh
MORE ON THE WEB
go.pcmag.com/afterhours
See Personal Technology online for more
Quick Clips and Gear + Games reviews.
Digital Fitness
Here are some devices that can help
elevate your workout.Peter Suciu
CycleOps Pro 300PT
The weather might be frightful, but you
can still go for a spin. This bike lets you do
the miles even when youre staying put. It
uses a minicomputer that can connect to
the PC via USB and provides
biometric data, including
your heart rate, speed,
distance, time, and ca-
dence. The weighted disc
wheel lets you get a
natural spin, and,
unlike most cycle
trainers, the bike is
quiet.
$1,899.99 list. CycleOps,
www.cycle-ops.com.
lllll
Garmin
Forerunner 301
When youre
out running, you
shouldnt lose track of
where youre going. That can be tough,
though, when you hit the sidewalk in a
new town. The Garmin Forerunner 301 is
more than just a heart-
rate monitor: It also
tracks distance,
speed, pace, and
calories burned, and
its built-in GPS sensor pro-
vides basic navigation. The
unit is bulky, and you wont
win any style pointsbut at least
you wont nd yourself running
in circles.
$325 street. Garmin Ltd.,
www.garmin.com. llllm
Oregon
Scientic MP121
Nothing helps you
get into the tness groove
like a little music. This MP3 player
features 512MB of memory, an inte-
grated FM radio, a rechargeable battery,
andbest of all for exercisersa built-in
pedometer. The storage capacity might
be a little sparse for those who hit the
gym on a regular basis, but the MP121 is
the perfect size
for taking on a
run, and its
durableand
even water-
proof.
$149.95 direct.
Oregon Scientic,
www.oregonscientic
.com. lllhm
Now Presenting
T
he Mythix iWand Presenter is
a mixed blessing: lots of features
on a presenters remote control
but very closely spaced buttons. The
remote has mouse arrows and click
keys, including click-hold, blank-black
and blank-white screen buttons, and
even a dedicated start-the-show button.
Most functions work on apps other than
PowerPoint too. Youll nd the largish
aluminum metal storage case for pre-
senter and remote either neat or bigger
than necessary.Bill Howard
$90 street. Mythix Inc., www.mythix-inc.com.
lllhm
Could You
RepeatThat?
T
o use your XM Satellite Radio
receiver indoors, you need
to have a window that
faces in the right direction. But
if the room where you want the
radio is on the wrong side of
the house, the Delphi XM Signal
Repeater can solve your dilemma
and eliminate long antenna cables. Just
place the repeater and XM antenna near
a window with a good signal and connect the
repeater antenna to your XM receiver. The repeater,
which can support multiple repeater antennas and receiv-
ers, rebroadcasts the signal up to 75 feet.Craig Ellison
$169 list; additional repeater antennas, $69 each. Delphi Corp.,
www.delphi.com. llllm
Natural Comfort
F
or incredibly comfortable ergonomic designs, well take
Microsoft products any day. The Microsoft Natural
Ergonomic Keyboard 4000s groundbreaking design
features a split keyboard layout, a 14-degree rise in the center
that angles the hands, a 7-degree reverse slope for holding
them in a downward position, and a soft wrist rest. The combi-
nation feels perfectly naturallike the keyboard weve always
been waiting for. Add in a zoom slider to magnify things on
screen, and we say Microsoft has a winner. If it had a scroll wheel
and a pointer device, wed never take our hands off it.Troy Dreier
$64.95 list. Microsoft Corp., www.microsoft.com. lllll
Capture Your Video
T
he ADS Tech Video Xpress lets you capture home movies even from a
non-FireWire camcorder. Just plug one end of the included RCA cable into
your video camera and the other end into the audio and video jacks on the
USB-connected device, and you can Spielberg anything. The package includes
Ulead Movie Wizard for capturing and simple editing with titles; you can even
capture video stills. The tiny USB driver
didnt cause any PC hiccups; it sup-
ports 720by-480 NTSC video and
three common le formats (AVI,
WMV, and MPEG-1). Video clips
look superclean, even after you
burn them to DVD.John Brandon
$50 street. ADS Technologies Inc.,
www.adstech.com. llllm
GEAR + GAMES
A F T E R HOU R S go.pcmag.com/afterhours
Think
Outside
Stowaway Keyboard
Jabra A210 Bluetooth Adapter
Wireless headsets give you more
freedom, but they don t work
with older cell phones. The Jabra
A210 Bluetooth Adapter solves
that problem. Just plug the cable
from the matchbook-size adapter
into the 2. 5mm headset jack on
your phone and start talking.
The A210 works only with Jabras
Bluetooth headsets, but the one-
button Bluetooth pairing is actually
a plus, since it eliminates the usual
complexity. A three-position switch on
the adapter lets you adjust for phone-
specic interference.
$35 street. Jabra, www.jabra.com.
lllmm
Nokia Wireless GPS Module
LD-1W
This device is a step in the right direc-
tion for mobile wayfaring. The small
black box connects wirelessly to any
Bluetooth phone or PDA; your pocket
device displays your exact location or
turn-by-turn directions. To install the
Wayfinder Navigator Service, your
phone must support MMC flash cards
and the Symbian OS, but other phones
and PDAs can use third-party programs.
The GPS module works seamlessly with
the Nokia 6682, 6630, and 6670 phones.
Your mileage may vary as you drive
around town, though, since the LD-1W
needs a direct view of the sky.
$300 list. Nokia, www.nokia.com.
lllmm
Parrot Easydrive Bluetooth
Speakerphone
Now this is truly hands-free. The
Parrot Easydrive Bluetooth
Speakerphone plugs i nto
your cigarette l ighter
and connects to any
Bluetooth-
capable cell phone.
With the attached di-
rectional microphone,
you can chat easily
without wearing a
bul ky headset or
fumbling with a slippery
Motorola. In the quiet confines
of a Chevy Suburban, the Easydrive
worked flawlessly, but road noise in a
Honda Civic made it almost unusable.
A voice-recognition system that lets you
say a name to dial a number makes up
for some of the technical glitches.
$100 street. Parrot S.A., www.parrot.biz.
lllmm
Plantronics Pulsar 590
Thi s trendy metal l ic head-
set weighs just 3.5 ounces, but
when you make the Bluetooth
connection, youll instantly
notice improved fidelity. Only
newer phones such as the Motorola 680i
support the Bluetooth AD2P stereo pro-
le, although older phones still work in
mono. A pause button on the headset lets
you receive calls easily. The in cluded
Universal Adapter lets you connect to
any device with a 3.5mm miniplug, and
the stand doubles as a charger.
$200 street. Plantronics Inc., www.plantronics.com.
llllh
Think Outside Stowaway
Universal Bluetooth Keyboard
Give cramped ngers a break with this
soft-touch keyboard. It uses 18mm key
spacing for faster text messaging on,
say, your Treo 650. Bluetooth support
means the keyboard works ne with a
tablet PC or PDA. The color-coded
function keys are easy to use, and,
with a sturdy underlayer, the key-
board stays rigid on your lap during
long e-mail sessions. The power-on but-
ton might be too small for large ngers.
Also, we had to reconnect the device
over Bluetooth each time our cell phone
went on standby.
$149.99 direct. Think Outside Inc.,
www.thinkoutside.com. llllm
Cell-Phone Accessories
BY JOHN BRANDON
Hardware upgrades arent just for top-of-the-line cell phones. We take a look at
add-ons to t most phones and tastes, whether you want to hot-rod your old clunker or
augment your new beauty.
QUICK CLIPS
Dungeon Siege II
Most fantasy games have a simple for-
mula: An evil power makes an appearance,
and its up to you to save the day. Thats
the plot of Dungeon Siege II, where you
customize your character and decide
whether youre a hack-and-slash warrior,
an archer, or a mage. You recruit fellow
adventurers for your epic quest; after you
nish, you can replay at a harder level. But
unless you repeat the game, you might
miss some of its most powerful villains
and weapons.Peter Suciu
$49.99 list. Microsoft Corp., www.microsoft.com/
games. llllh
Finding Nemo:
Learning with Nemo
Youngsters ages 2 to 5 can
swim along with Nemo and
Dory in this learning title
from Disney Interactive.
The pair joins a scavenger
hunt, photographing sea animals and
plants and pausing for simple games
involving letters, numbers, shapes, and
math. Although the game is colorful and
lively, its brief and holds little replay
value, and the games arent integrated
well with the story.Troy Dreier
$19.99 list. Disney Interactive USA, disney.go.com.
llhmm
ComicBase 10
ComicBase 9 was the best
comic-collecting soft-
ware wed seen, so were
impressed that Version 10 is
a must-have upgrade. In addi-
tion to CB9s 250,000-issue
price guide, slick interface
and tutorials, PDA interface,
online price-checking features, and exi-
ble search and reporting, the new version,
with a bar-code reader, lets you quickly
enter books and updates itself every week
with new releases and pricing changes. It
offers an unmatched combination of ease
of use, comprehensiveness, functionality,
and timeliness.Don Labriola
Standard edition, $149 list; Archive edition, $299.
Human Computing, www.comicbase.com. llllh
AF T E R HOUR S go.pcmag.com/pipeline
Plantronics
Pulsar 590
What is this Notice About?
A lawsuit is pending in the Federal District Court for the Eastern District
of Michigan (the Action) that may affect your rights. That lawsuit alleges
that certain models of HP desktop computers from the Pavilion family
contain a defective motherboard that causes the computers to suffer
performance problems such as hanging, freezing and locking (the
Alleged Motherboard Defect). HP denies plaintiffs allegations and
admits no wrongdoing. The parties have reached a proposed settlement
of the lawsuit. The purpose of this Notice is to explain the settlement and
advise you of your legal rights.
Am I a Member of the Class?
The class is defined as: All end-user purchasers who purchased one of
the following models of HP Pavilion desktop personal computers: 8655c,
8660c, 8750c, 8754c, 8755c, xl756 or xl759. Excluded from the class are
all persons who are employees, directors, officers and agents of HP or its
subsidiaries and affiliated companies, as well as the Judges of the Courts
in which the Complaints are pending.
What Does the Settlement Provide?
Subject to Court approval, the parties have agreed to a settlement under
which you may be entitled to receive a direct monetary payment, a discount
certificate, or both. Your eligibility for this relief depends upon (1) the
model of HP Pavilion desktop personal computer you purchased, (2)
whether you contacted HP prior to January 1, 2004 to complain of recurring
hanging, freezing, or locking (as that phrase is defined in the Stipulation
of Settlement) with your computer, and (3) whether HP remedied those
recurring hanging, freezing, or locking problems.
What Benefits Could I Receive?
Class members who: (1) purchased a Pavilion 8655c, 8660c, 8750c,
xl756 or xl759, and (2) contacted HP prior to January 1, 2004 to
complain of recurring hanging, freezing, or locking are eligible to
claim a check for $75.00 and a $50.00 discount certificate provided
they complete, sign, and return a pre-printed certification attesting, under
the penalty of perjury, that their HP computer exhibited recurring
hanging, freezing, or locking problems, and that HPs support center
did not remedy the recurring nature of that problem when they called
HP.
Class members who (1) purchased a Pavilion 8754c or 8755c, and (2)
contacted HP prior to January 1, 2004 to complain of recurring hanging,
freezing, or locking are eligible to claim a check for $40.00 and a
$50.00 discount certificate provided they complete, sign, and return a
pre-printed certification attesting, under the penalty of perjury, that their
HP computer exhibited recurring hanging, freezing, or locking
problems, and that HPs support center did not remedy the recurring
nature of that problem when they called HP.
Class members who: (1) purchased a Pavilion 8655c, 8660c, 8750c,
8754c, 8755c, xl756 or xl759; and (2) contacted HP prior to January 1,
2004 to complain of recurring hanging, freezing, or locking will also
be eligible for up to $750.00 in reimbursement of reasonable out-of-
pocket expenditures incurred for the purpose of curing the alleged
motherboard defect, provided they attest, under the penalty of perjury,
that these costs were incurred in an attempt to cure recurring hanging,
freezing, or locking problems with their computer and submit written
documentation that identifies and itemizes these expenditures.
Class members who purchased a Pavilion 8655c, 8660c, 8750c, 8754c,
8755c, xl756 or xl759 and contacted HP prior to January 1, 2004 to
complain of recurring hanging, freezing, or locking but do NOT
complete any of the certifications referenced above, will only receive a
discount certificate in the amount of $50.00.
Class Members who purchased a Pavilion 8655c, 8660c, 8750c, 8754c,
8755c, xl756 or xl759, but did NOT contact HP prior to January 1,
2004 to complain of recurring hanging, freezing, or locking problems
with their Pavilion, will receive a discount certificate in the amount of
$50.00, provided they complete, sign, and return a pre-printed
certification attesting that they experienced recurring hanging, freezing,
or locking problems.
If you did not receive notice of the settlement directly from HP, either
by email or mail, you will, in order to be eligible for any of the settlement
Attention Hewlett-Packard (HP) Pavilion Computer Owners
If you purchased an HP Pavilion with the model number 8655c, 8660c, 8750c, 8754c, 8755c, xl756 or xl759,
this Notice is to inform you of a proposed class action settlement that could affect your legal rights.
benefits described in this section, be required to provide the serial number
of your Pavilion or some other proof of ownership of one of the Pavilions
that is the subject of the Action. If you provide only a serial number,
HP has the right to request additional documents from you in order to
establish that you purchased one of the affected computers.
What Are My Rights?
1. You Can Accept the Settlement. If you wish to receive the benefits
under the settlement, you MUST fill out and submit a Claim Form by
May 1, 2006. You can obtain a Claim Form by: (1) calling the Settlement
Administrator at 1-877-874-7559, (2) mailing a written request for a Claim
Form including your name and mailing address by regular mail to: HP
Pavilion Class Action Settlement, c/o Claims Administrator, P.O. Box 542,
Minneapolis, MN 55440-0542, or (3) downloading the Claim Form and
information at www.hppavilionsettlement.com. If you fail to timely submit
a Claim Form and do not exclude yourself from the settlement, then you
will be bound by the settlement but will not receive any benefits of the
settlement.
2. You Can Object to the Settlement. If you believe the settlement is
unsatisfactory, you may file a written objection with the Clerk of the Court
for the Federal District Court for the Eastern District of Michigan and
send copies to the following Counsel representing the Class and defendant:
Plaintiffs counsel: Defendants Counsel
Cyrus Mehri Michael J. Holston
Mehri & Skalet, PLLC Morgan Lewis & Bockius
1300 19
th
St. NW 1701 Market Street
Suite 400 Philadelphia, PA 19103
Washington, D.C. 20036
~ or ~
John P. Zuccarini
Elwood S. Simon & Assoc. PC
355 S. Old Woodward Ave., Suite 250
Birmingham, MI 48009
3. You Can Opt-Out of the Settlement. If you do not wish to participate
in this settlement, you must provide written notice so indicating. Such
notice shall include your name, current address, and the following
statement: I DO NOT WANT TO BE A PART OF THIS SETTLEMENT.
I UNDERSTAND THAT IF I AM EXCLUDED, I WILL NOT BE
ELIGIBLE TO RECEIVE ANY BENEFITS OR PROCEEDS OF THE
SETTLEMENT. PLEASE EXCLUDE ME. Such notice must be
postmarked no later than February 10, 2006. Your written notice should
be sent to: HP Pavilion Class Action Settlement, c/o Claims Administrator,
P.O. Box 542, Minneapolis, MN 55440-0542. Please be advised that if
you opt out of the settlement, you will not receive any money or benefits
under the settlement and will be responsible for any attorneys fees and
costs you incur if you choose to pursue your own lawsuit.
When Will the Settlement Be Approved?
The Court will hold a hearing on March 16, 2006 at 2:00 p.m. in the
Federal District Court for the Eastern District of Michigan, 200 E. Liberty
Street, Ann Arbor, MI 48104, to determine: (1) whether the proposed
settlement is fair, reasonable and adequate and should receive final
approval; and (2) whether the application of plaintiffs attorneys fees and
expenses should be granted. Objections to the proposed settlement by
class members will be considered by the Court, but only if such objections
are filed in writing with the clerk before February 10, 2006. Class Members
who support the proposed settlement do not need to appear at the hearing
or take any other action to indicate their approval.
Additional Information
You may seek the advice and guidance of your own attorney if you desire.
A complete copy of the proposed settlement agreement may be examined
during regular office hours at the Office of the Clerk of Court, 200 E.
Liberty Street, Ann Arbor, MI 48104. Information is also available at
www.hppavilionsettlement.com.
Please do not contact the Court or Clerk for information.
By order of the Federal District Court for the Eastern District of
Michigan
Legal Notice Legal Notice
2006? WE KEEP FORGETTINGIS THERE AN OLYMPICS THIS YEAR?
Edited by Don Willmott
PC Magazine, ISSN 0888-8507, is published semi-monthly except monthly in January and July at $44.97 for one year. Ziff Davis Media Inc, 28 E. 28th St., New York, NY 10016-7940. Periodicals postage paid at New York,
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If your entry is used, well send you a PC Magazine T-shirt. Submit your entries via e-mail to backspace@ziffdavis.com
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Ziff Davis Media Inc. shall own all property rights in the entries.
Winners this issue: Jeff Baehr, Victor Padres, Robert Palmer, Shumaes Rasheed, Afron Raymond, Eric Rhey, and Anthony Vickery.
>>
Found on the Web. You know, the
Internet. Think about it.
(www.novusnet.com)
<<
Psssst, buddywanna
buy an ad?
(www.thefacebook.com)
<<
Centralized air is happy air. (www.thermaltake.com)
>>
What a romantic quote of the day. (www.lovequote.com)
>>
And maybe youll lose some of that ab, too.
(www.knowledgeshopatlanta.com)
<<
Backspace on the Road: Anchorage, Alaska.
>>
PC Magazine staff writer Erik Rhey spotted this oddity on his
vacation in the Panamanian jungle. Our question: can you
identify the computer model?

BACKSPACE
Music, Movies,
and Games
More than 200,000 music,
movie, and television titles
on CD and DVD. Plus,
PlayStation
games, music
samples, and movie trailers.
Let Sony entertain you.
Click to DVD
Software
The easy-to-use interface lets
you turn your favorite digital
camcorderrecorded videos
into DVDs with the click of a
button. Making your own DVD
movies has never been easier.
GET SONY THE WAY YOU WANT IT.
ONLY AT SONY STYLE.
Select, personalize, and enjoy hundreds of thousands of products,
including computers, electronics, accessories, and services you
cant find anywhere else. If its Sony, its at Sony Style.
.Expert Advice
.Customized Sony
VAIO
PCs
.Unsurpassed Choice
.Easy Financing and Service Options
ImageStation.com
Website
Share your photos via online
albums and e-cards. Get
beautiful, high-quality photo
prints. Make unique, fun photo
gifts. Join today for FREE.
8
Sony Connect
Music Service
More than one million songs
with exclusives added weekly,
plus unique click-to-buy radio,
two-for-one album Tuesdays,
and more: www.connect.com.
2005 Sony Electronics Inc. Reproduction in whole or in part without written permission is prohibited. All rights reserved. Sony, VAIO, like.no.other, Digital Living System, Sony Style, ImageStation, Handycam, Cyber-shot, XBRITE, Click to DVD,
PictureGearStudio, DVDirect, SmartWi, Network Walkman, and their respective logos are trademarks of Sony. PlayStation is a registered trademark of Sony Computer Entertainment Inc. Intel, Intel Inside, the Intel Inside logo, Intel Centrino, the Intel Centrino
logo, Pentium, and Celeron are trademarks or registered trademarks of Intel Corporation or its subsidiaries in the United States and other countries. Microsoft and Windows are registered trademarks of Microsoft Corporation. Cingular Wireless is a registered
trademark of Cingular Wireless LLC 2005. All other trademarks are trademarks of their respective owners. Features, prices, specifications, availability, and promotions are valid only in the U.S. and are subject to change without notice. Prices and promotions
apply to purchases from sonystyle.com and do not include applicable sales tax or shipping and handling. Retailer prices and offers may vary. Purchases from sonystyle.com are subject to the Terms and Conditions of sonystyle.com, shipping options,
return policies, and other sonystyle.com policies. You can review these by clicking on the appropriate links in the Info Center section of the shopping cart section of sonystyle.com. For product warranty information, click on the Product Warranty link
contained on the applicable product page of sonystyle.com. Sony is not responsible for typographical or other errors in this ad. Screen images simulated. 1. Requires 802.11b or 802.11g compatible wireless access point. Some features may require
Internet service, which may require a fee. For products with Bluetooth
capability, use of a Bluetooth
-enabled device may vary, as not all Bluetooth
devices are compatible. Sony cannot guarantee the security of wireless communications. 2. DVD
media/formats are not universally compatible. 3. Offer subject to credit approval. $100 credit offer expires on January 31, 2006, and may not be combined with any other Sony Card offer. First purchase must be made by July 30, 2006. $100 credit
offer is valid after the first Sony Card purchase and is subject to credit approval. Credit will be applied to your Sony Card account within 1012 weeks after first purchase. 4. 30-Day FREE Trial: When you sign up for the one- or two-year Cingular
Wireless Data Connect $79.99 unlimited plan, a credit equal to the amount of the monthly service charge will be applied to your account. Credit approval required. Service not available for purchase or use in all areas. Taxes and other charges apply. Early
Termination Fee: None if canceled in first 30 days; thereafter, in FL, GA, SC, NC, KY, TN, MS, LA, AL, NY, and applicable parts of IN and NJ, $240 prorated over term; elsewhere, $150 flat rate. Limited-time offer. See sonystyle.com/cingular for complete
offer details, price plans, service terms and conditions, and coverage map. Call 1-888-739-VAIO (8246) for service activation. 5. Nonmetric weights and measures are approximate. 6. Screen size represents viewable area measured diagonally. 7. All Sony
Extended Service Plans are offered, administered, and fulfilled by Service Net Solutions of Florida, LLC. See Terms and Conditions at sonystyle.com/esp for complete details. Accidental Damage Protection (ADP) may NOT be sold in: DE, MA, OH, PA,
FL, ID, and MN. 8. Visit ImageStation.com for details. Charges apply for certain products and services. PC and ISP required. 9. Separate HD tuner required. 10. See sony.com/giftcard or call 1-866-671-7669 for details. 11. After $100 mail-in rebate.
Printer model may vary. Taxes and shipping charges may apply. Offer valid only when purchased from sonystyle.com. Offer expires 1/31/06. For rebate mail-in coupon, list of eligible VAIO models, and Terms and Conditions, please visit sonystyle.com.
12. Rebate offer expires 4/30/06. See sonystyle.com for coupon and complete terms and conditions.
Click www.sony.com/pc48
Call 877-689-SONY (7669)
Visit A Sony Style
Retail Store
Free Epson
all-in-one printer
11
(after $100 mail-in rebate) when you buy
any VAIO PC and eligible Epson printer direct
from Sony by January 31, 2006 (taxes and
shipping and handling charges apply).
$100 card credit after your first
purchase
3
: Apply for the Sony Card
SM
today and start earning valuable reward
points toward all the things you want from
Sony. Plus, get a $100 card credit after your
first purchase. Offer expires January 31,
2006. Visit sonystyle.com to get started.
Sony Style Gift Card: Share the joy of
Sony. Give that someone special a gift card
from Sony Style.
10
Visit a Sony Style retail store near
you: Beverly Center, Cherry Creek, Copley
Place, Fashion Centre at Pentagon City,
Fashion Valley, The Forum Shops, Galleria
Dallas, Garden State Plaza, The Gardens
Mall, Houston Galleria, International Plaza &
Bay Street, Kenwood Towne Center, The
Shops at La Cantera, The Mall at Millenia,
Metreon, New York, Old Orchard, Providence
Place, Roosevelt Field, Somerset Collection,
South Coast Plaza, Stanford Shopping
Center, Town Center at Boca Raton, Tysons
Corner Center, Valley Fair, West County, The
Westchester, Woodfield Shopping Center
Opening soon: Menlo Park Mall, The
Fashion Mall at Keystone
DSC-N1 Cyber-shot Digital
Still Camera
$
499
95
Protect your
investment with a
2-year service plan with
accidental damage protection
for only $49.99.
7
DSC-R1 Cyber-shot Digital
Still Camera
$
999
95
Protect your investment
with a 2-year service plan
with accidental damage
protection for only $79.99.
7
DCR-DVD203 DVD Handycam
Camcorder
$
799
99
Protect your
investment with a
2-year service plan with
accidental damage protection for only $79.99.
7
Your Sony VAIO PC is designed to get the very best performance out of Sony
Cyber-shot
digital still cameras and Handycam
camcorders.
NEW VAIO TX Series
Notebook PC with Intel
Centrino
Mobile Technology
Taking wireless access further than ever before. Features integrated
wireless Wide Area Network (WAN) technology that, along with a Data
Connect plan, lets you access the Cingular
national EDGE network

4
to extend your wireless coverage beyond LAN access networks and
hotspots. It also boasts an 11.1" widescreen display
6
featuring XBRITE
technology and instant entertainment features, plus innovative
SmartWi
technology that integrates wide and local area networks

and Bluetooth
connectivity.
1
Amazingly,
all this weighs less than 3 pounds.
5
models starting at
$
1,999
99
Add a 3-year onsite service plan with
accidental damage protection
for only $315.99.
7
NEW VAIO
AX Series
Notebook PC
The ultimate in mobile multimedia
performance with an exceptional
17" WXGA+ widescreen display
6
and Sonys original XBRITE
LCD technology. Powerful

desktop performance with the
convenience of a notebook.
starting at
$
2,299
99
Add a 3-year onsite service plan with accidental
damage protection for only $315.99.
7
VAIO FS Series
Notebook PC
Slim and lightweight
with an impressive 15.4"
widescreen display,
6
powerful performance,
and the full suite
of Sonys original
multimedia software.
customize your own starting at
$
949
99
7
VAIO S Series
Notebook PC
Ultramobile design with a
stunning 13.3" widescreen
display.
6
Only 4.3 pounds
(with std. battery) but
packed with power
for productivity
and multimedia
entertainment
on-the-go.
customize your own starting at
$
999
99
after Sony $100 mail-in rebate.
12
7
Available in black and silver.
starting at
$
1,399
99
7
Available in raspberry red, sky blue, jade green,
pearl white, and onyx black.
NEW VAIO FJ Series
Notebook PC
Sleek, mobile
companion with
a slim, lightweight
design and a
14.1" widescreen
display
6
featuring
Sonys XBRITE
LCD technology.
Click www.sony.com/pc48
Call 877-689-SONY (7669)
Visit A Sony Style
Retail Store
Free 30-Day Cingular
Data Connect Wireless

WAN Service Trial.
4
HDR-HC1 HDV 1080i
Handycam
Camcorder
$
1,999
99
Protect your
investment with a
2-year service plan
with accidental damage
protection for only $119.99.
7
New NWE507 Network
Walkman Digital
Music Player
$
159
95
KLV-S23A10 23" LCD Flat
Panel HDTV
$
1,199
99
Simplicity is a beautiful thing. Sony VAIO computers are engineered to work
with other Sony productsmaking it easy to enjoy music, photos, and movies.
NEW VAIO
VA Series
TV-PC Desktop PC
Your flat-panel LCD TV, your
high-performance PCall
in one. With a stunning 20"
widescreen display,
6
Sonys
original XBRITE
LCD
technology, and Personal
Video Recording, the VAIO
VA TV-PC brings high-quality
television to the desktop computer.
starting at
$
1,999
99
Add a 3-year onsite service plan for only $229.99.
7
VAIO RB Series
Desktop PC
Easily create, manage,
share, and enjoy your
digital photos, home
videos, movies, and
music. Ready for
your digital lifestyle.
starting at
$
749
99
Add a 3-year onsite service plan for only $229.99.
7
NEW VAIO RC Series
Desktop PC
The ultimate in multimedia computing, it delivers
screaming-fast performance for
the most demanding
A/V applications, in a
whisper-quiet machine.
starting at
$
1,299
99
Add a 3-year onsite service
plan for only $229.99.
7
With the dynamic sophistication of a Sony
VAIO
Desktop PC with Intel
Processors, the power to

create is in your hands. Put the full power of your
imagination to work: configure the perfect PC.
NEW VAIO XL 1
Digital Living System
with Intel
Pentium
D Processor
A new standard in digital
content management.
Your photos and high-
definition camcorder video,
your downloaded movies
and music, your recorded
TV shows, your CD/DVD
collectionyour whole
media library can be
conveniently stored
on the 200-disc Media
Changer/Recorder and
controlled with the wireless
keyboard or remote.
$
2,299
99
Free Epson
all-in-one printer
11
(after $100 mail-in
rebate) when you buy any VAIO PC and eligible Epson
printer direct from Sony by January 31, 2006 (taxes and
shipping and handling charges apply).
$100 card credit after your first purchase
3
:
Apply for the Sony Card
SM
today and start earning
valuable reward points toward all the things you want
from Sony. Plus, get a $100 card credit after your first
purchase. Offer expires January 31, 2006. Visit
sonystyle.com to get started.
Sony Style Gift Card: Share the joy of Sony. Give
that someone special a gift card from Sony Style.
10
Sony recommends
Windows
XP.

PC - Magazine January.2006

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4 Processor, is backed by our three-year, next-business-day, on-site support.

fits your computing needs.

All-in-One system, youll see that

Outlook, a Vodafone mobile

, Vodafone, Microsoft and Symantec

S MORE LIKE A VAULT.

M Processor 740 (1.73GHz)

PRO/Wireless 2200 Network Connection (802.11b/g)

M Processor 725 (1.60GHz)

PRO/Wireless 2200 Network

method, our interactive software

The fastest way to learn

May 24, 2005

915GM Express chipset

Graphics Media Accelerator 900

910GML Express chipset

Flat Panels: Displaying Quality & Value

Mobile Technology, this stylish notebook boasts

915GM Express chipset

PRO/Wireless 2200BG network connection

Graphics Media Accelerator 900

Mobile Technology. Connect to

915GM Express chipset

PRO/Wireless 2200BG network connection

, Secure Digital card,

, Memory Stick PRO

15.0" XGA (1024 x 768) TFT display

Graphics Media Accelerator 900

M PROCESSOR 760 (2MB L2 CACHE, 2GHZ, 533MHZ FSB)

technology and a Kensington

915PM Express chipset

PRO/Wireless 2200BG network connection

, Secure Digital card,

or Memory Stick PRO

14.1" XGA (1024 x 768) TFT display

Projectors with DLP

Graphics Media Accelerator 900

4 Processor with HT Technology

Graphics Media Accelerator 950

Graphics Media Accelerator 950

4 PROCESSOR 521 WITH HT TECHNOLOGY

4 PROCESSOR 640 WITH HT TECHNOLOGY

4 Processor with HT Technology,

915PM Express chipset

, Secure Digital card,

, Memory Stick PRO

15.4" WSXGA+ (1680 x 1050) TFT display

M PROCESSOR 760 (2MB L2 CACHE, 2GHZ, 533MHZ FSB)

www.pcmag.com JANUARY 2006 PC MAGAZINE 77

ThinkPad recommends Windows

M Processor 740 (1.73GHz)

PRO/Wireless 2915ABG (802.11a/b/g)

M Processor 740 (1.73GHz)

PRO/Wireless 2915ABG (802.11a/b/g)

M Processor (select models). And, for added protection,

M Processor 725 (1.60GHz)

PRO/Wireless 2200BG (802.11b/g)

MProcessor 360 (1.40GHz)

M Processor LV 758 (1.50GHz)

PRO/Wireless 2200BG (802.11b/g)

M Processor 750 (1.86GHz)