You are on page 1of 164

STOP SPAM FOREVER!

The £100 media streamer


Photos, video and internet to

INDOWS7
LAPTOPS
Quality notebooks from E
9 Inkjets
Photo, business and
multi-function printers

15 MP3 playe
Music and video in your
palm from £36 ..,:tI;Q:

12 Smartphones
Get an iPhone killer for less


How vOUrC:o,mDllter,
andu phone• track
your locatron , '
-. ,........:..
. :::tiiiii
Windows@ . Life without Walis™.
Dell recommends Windows 7.

STAR
PERFORMERS
If you're into film ,music, network ing and
g reat design, the Studio no t o nly loo ks
good, bu t delivers grea t Hi-Oef multi-
media performance too,

Available in a range of colours and designs.


Choose your favorite at dell.co.uk.

There's a Dell for everyone. Buy yours


plus 12 months' music streaming

D ELL V S0 5 ALL -IN · O N E


IN KJ ET CO LOUR PRINTER '

NOW £69 WAS £99

Price 1",,1, VAT, Exc l Delivery'

- Inlel- Pent ium- Proc~ssor T4300 • Intel' P""tillm' Processor T 4300


• Genui"" W ir>cSows 7 Home Premium wilh 64a~ • Ge",",,,,, Wir>dow. 7 Home Premium with 648<1
• 3GB MemOfY and 250GB Hard Drive • 3GB Memory ar>d 25(X;B Hard Dri.e
• 15,6- Wide!iCreen High Oelinition WLEO • 17.3' Wid""creen High o..fi nmon WLEO with TrueUl e
w ilh TrueUle • 512MB ATI Mobility'" Radeon' HD 4570 Graphic Card
- Inlegrated Intel' GMA 4500MHD Graphic Card
• Dell 1397 W ireless Card
• 2 MPWebcam
NeED HeLP GETTING STARTED?
AN EXPERT ON CAll. FOR JUST £89
- Dell 1397 Wireless card
• 2,OMP WebQm
2 YEARS COLLECT & RETURN SERVICE WlTlIIN 6 DAYS, 2
YEARS ACCIOENTAL DAMAGE SUPPORT FOR JUST £" L OG ITEC H PREMIUM
-J
HE ADS ET FO R LA PTO PS
"""" ''''''" T¢'" 500><_', "oOT & ,,",'-Y. Pri<O """" W" s..w;"g,', ""I
& 00<-..,
E·- " Code: PO>UI(n · NOOS3S01 E-I'o h .. Codo: PCf"JK1H IOO14S01
NOW £19 WAS £27

Ptlce 1",,1. VAT & o..li very,

Shown in Pink, Upgrade l or £2 9 Shown in Blue. Upg ri>de lor £29,

Click: dell,co.uk/laptops
FAST, EASY & INTUITIVE - WINDOWS" 7
. Windows7 OFFERS AN EXCEPTIONAL COMPUTING
EXPERIENCE

M cAfee '~ - PROTECT W H AT YOU VALUE. ~~::. ~~~~ :rJ.~%;%.~::;:'~ ~~·h.,'::::-::"~::'~~.·~;'2f~~nd"':oo': ~~=.~~~ :O:~Z~·..~~"Z
"" """""" " •• , www.(io. ¢)-.. • . o-.<.ve.ll ...... .90 ;.£20 •..;l . ....T ........... ~ m (............ .. !he ......... _.....).Co...um.... ~'" on"''''' '0 eo",,"' "' ...... ", ,""" ,
oIw~ £51,58 fr<:l. VAT 0... GB" bih," b>teo; oo'l»i ""pad" VO".' w~h _
_'"'9 ""'"' boeqinnno '~<loy . ft .. 'hO' """ Of ""-'" "".
..... ' ....1 orod oper.t'''II"''''"fO<V'lO<'t 00<1 "" ~ bo to", Doil lnso<""," St OOio.O>d XPS loP' ''''' and <10,,,,,,,,.
" Iudo M"''<»Oft 9.0
«0\...,'' ' '
w.,...,
•• " .. Mo td Un .... " " ,",wi. . . _11Iod. Promo,""", 1"rt.. , .P<>I\'
'0 ""<I""m~ ' .... 0/ ~ _y ... m., ,Swing I. Ml...",.,. _ _ ",,10:. 01 r... ,.,..c ....,.m<
w""~ ""Id • • • _kagO"'''''''
cur,,,,' ...""'''' onlltoe ......
... iO!"'l 10' ,1>0 bosic ,."."" wrth , ... ..-<>mOO""""
co~" uP'}'odood ;.0-., ..... 2 De11 om, .... 00'-< "' ;lh. ,rio' .._
"" ~' ; d90' USB cable "'" 0l<:Ju<Md, 1 00<'->' d>ilr<;IOS '"'V'I
from U.51 '001. VAT to £1521 'ool.

www.freedowns.net & www.journal-plaza.net


YOURS IS HERE

POWERFUL
ATTRACTION
Precision-built and housed in glistening, high-
gloss obsidian black with leather trim and
aluminium accents, it 's hard to resist the Studio
XPS'M. It's even harder when you experience its
sheer power and exhilarating performance.

Edge-Ie-ed ge Prem iu m Back li t


d isp l3Y St y ling Keybo3rd

today to get 60 MP3 downloads


for FREE. Go on, Treat Yourself.

IOM EGA e GO POR TA BLE


HOD 320GB

Price Inel VAT & Deliv....,

studiD XPS 13 studiD XPS 16


• Intel' Core'"2 Duo Processor PS700 • Intel' Co<e'"i7 proce.s.o< 7:200M
• Genuine W indows 7 Home Premium w ith 64B it • Gen"''''' Wi<'>dOW1 7 Home "'em,,,,,, wit h &lBit
• 4GB Memory 2x2048MB , 4GB Memory (1.204 8MB OOR3 1067MHz)
• 500GB H",d Orive Free F311Sensor , 500GB Hard DflWi' Free Fall Sensor
• 13.3" W LED W ide«:reen w ith TrYe-LiIt!'" , 15.6" T,uelile Full HD WLED Edge to Edge Display
• 256MB NVIDIA' GeForce'· 9SOOM , 1GB ATI R<>deon HD 4670 g r~ph i cs
• 2.0MP Web,,,m , Intel' 5100 W irele.. Card
BE L K IN 15. 6 " ENER GY • 0..11 1515 W irel" " Cdrd , 2MB Webc~m Inc luded
, De ll W irele« 370 Bluetooth C"rd
COLLECTI ON SLI M BA.CKPACK
Pro:. In<'- ToW '>w>-"",,' , VAT .. 0.<'-'>< Pri<e Ind. Tot.' ~, VAT & De......",
£-Yaluo C<><Io: PCPUKn-folOOX1303 E-V..... CocIo: PCPUKn·NOOXlS01

Price Inc!. VAT & De llve<)',


£200 TOTAL
SAVINGS
Obs id ian· bl3Ck fi nish ing & I""the. inset s Obsidian·black f ini shing & l e ~t he . inset s

Call: 0844 444 3443 8am-9pm Weekdays, 9am"6pm Saturdays,


lQam-Spm Sundays.

Count on the combination of Dell and Windows®7 to give you


fast, intuitive computing for your day-to-day tasks. Less is
more with Windows®7 - fewer interruptions, fewer steps to
complete tasks, fewer delays.

www.freedowns.net & www.journal-plaza.net


NEWS B WindDws 71aptDps SB
Fake anti-vi Ns software hacks PCs for ta$h • Ballmer hints that With Windows 7 finally here, now's a briHiant time to buy a new
Blu-ray is coming 10 the Xbox • Windows 7 OEM prices revealed laptop.We'w. gOI nine models to choose from, with prices
• Half of all finns to adopt Windows 7 in fim year · Nokia sues starting at just fSOO.With an incf"t'dible array of sizes and
Apple ~r ,Phone patent infringement . AMD launches new weights, there's the perfKt model for evef)'one
Athlon II processors · Oran~ sells 20Mbit/s broadband as
standard ' 3D maps are the future, says Ordnance SUI'Vl!Y • MP3 players 7B
Spammers use Microsoft's Bing to disguise b<ld links . Acer Take music, videos and photos on the move with you wherever
working with Coogle to deliver Chrome as • Asus Core i7 1aptop you go wi th one of these 15 fantastic players. Prices start at
preview . logitech 5queezeboxTouch preview just £35, so no matter what your budget, high-quality portable
music and video is affordable

Inkjet printers 90
If you want high-quality prints for docum ents or photos, an
What's New 1S inkjet printer is a grea t choice. This mon th we've reviewed six
The latest shiniest kit on test, induding pes, laptops and multifunction devices and three standalone printers. With print
practically anything you can plug into them costs from 1.6p, they're as cheap to n.m as they are to buy

PCs & Laptops lG Audia 38 SmartphDnes 9B


Sony's ultimate all-in-~ PC Listen to your music while Takingyour life on the movt' has never been easier with modem
and Acer's Android-powered you're swimming with the smartphones. With high-quality touchscreens, email and web
netbook on test waterproof Aquabeat support, these 12 phonts could even replace your Laptop

Handhelds 2G Starage 40
Sony shrinks its excellent We review HP's new Windows Na hiding place lOB
Reader to pocket proportions Homt' S~er Modern tKhnology makes it possible
for your eXKt location to be tracked 24
Printers & Netwarks 42 hours a day. Is it an abuse of power or a
Scanners 2B Our favourite security camera way of introducing useful new services?
Another excellent office ,nkjet now has memOf}' card storage Stewart Mitchell investigates
from HP
Campanents 44 Stap spam farever TI2
Displays 30 All the la test SOOO-series Fed up 01your iobex being full of
Need a bigger monilor?We graphics cards from ATI messages trying to sell you products
test the latest models you don·t want? Simon Edwards is hert'
Saftware 48 to he lp, as he shows you how to clean
Photography 32 In-depth reviews of Adobe's your email program of unwanted junk
Fujifilm's latest EXR model latest photo- and video-
is our favouri te compact edi ting packages Rise af the GPU llG

,.
camera to date Supercomputers have always been
r~ -
Games 5G reserved for the rich, bu t that's all
Videa 3G Football, infantry warfare and about to change. Mike Bedford explains 1,)" " ~
Western Digital updates its celestial battles all feature in how the graphics card cOIJld make ,
excellent WOTV media player this month's round-up ultra-powerful pes affordablt' for all

COMPUTER SHOPPER • JANUARY 2(1)


www.freedowns.net & www.journal-plaza.net
How To ••• 120 Helpfile 140
Share a printer with Windows Vista 120
WinSack nat working 140
Arrange meetings in Windows Calendar 121
Can't highlight text in Word 2001 140
Organise and tag photos with Picasa 3.5 122
Print multiple pictures on one sheet of paper 124 Can I remove copy protection? 141
Share music with Spotify 125 Haw do I maximise my programs? 141
Sync files with SyneToy 126 Where are bookmarks? 142
Test your hard disk 121 Importing bookmarks into IE B 142
Haw It Works 12B Remote access to NAS drive 143
Simon Handby explains how new techniques speed up audio Running old games in Vista 143
and video downloads
Office Help 144
Our resident expert answers your software queries
Web Expert 130
Nik Rawlinson explains how to make yoor website
work in mobile browsers Competition 147
Win a stunning MSI ultra-portable laptop, eReader aM more!
Multimedia Expert 132
Ben Pitt shows how Photoshop Elements' blend modes Mailbox 148
can give yoor photos some pizzazz Your monthly missives 01 wit and wisdom

Linux Expert 134 Under Development 159


The open-source OS is not immune to attacks by hackers. David Robinson longs for the days when he actually met people
Jon Thompson shows you how to secure yoor linu x PC
Rants & Raves 160
Security Expert 13& Mel's out to blag stuff; David doesn't want to 'think different'
Making online backups is the ideal way to keep your
data safe. David ludlow takes you through the options Zygote 162
Zygote wonders if missiles are starti ng to mutiny
Advanced Projects
David ludlow completes his series on configuring your
138
router with a look at advanced settings such as remote access
I Classifieds
Sag a bargain in the smaller ads
155

Your Cover Discs 152 DVD Bonus Products


Essential Toolkit 2010 TurboCAD Deluxe 12.5
A massive 44 top apps for yoor PC, including full programs The full version of this incredibly powerful
to bum CDs and DVDs, watch and stream videos, edit and CAO suite of tools, ideal for both beginners
enhance photos and convert video files. and profess ionals, worth £349.

JA NUARY 2010 • COMPUTER SHOPPER


www.freedowns.net & www.journal-plaza.net
www.freedowns.net & www.journal-plaza.net
CONTENTS

Welcome! This month, I'd like to if you're looking for a new computer. With to us all, or a scary breach of privacy? Find out
start by congratulating prices starting at just £500, there's certainly on page 108.
Janet and Colin a bargain to ~ had. Finally, you may think graphics cards are
Westwater on their If you 'd rather cany something smaller only good for playing games, but the truth is
recent marriage. around, but still have ac-cess to the intemet they are revolutionising -computing. Their
Colin's been a and your email, why not buy a smartphone powerful processors are ~gi nning to be used
long-time reader and (see page 98). We've reviewed the iPhone, but for other computing tasks, where they're
subscrib.er to the yo u can get a much better deal by buying one much faster than CPUs. Find o ut how the days
magazine, so when of our 'iPhone killers '. If music and video on of the supercomputer could be numbered, as
Janet got in touch the go are more your th ing, we can help with we look at how standard graphics cards
before the big day to our MP3 player test (see page 78). We 've produce faster results for less cash
ask if we could create a special wedding cover reviewed 15 of the latest models, with prices on page 116.
of Shopper for them, we were only too happy starting at just £35!
to oblige. (olin, we hope it was a nice surprise There's loads more to read in thi s issue of
and we wish you both all the best.
Back to this month 's issue, and we've got
Shopper. Our feature on geolocation shows
how the increasing complexity of phones and
David LudlDw
tons of great products for you to buy. Our laptops alloW!> companies to offer you services Editor
Windows 7 laptop Labs (see page 68) is ideal based on your exact location. Is this a benefit

PC SYSTEMS & LAPTOPS HP Officeje t 6000 94 Cowon 02+ DAB 82


Acer Aspire One D250 18 HP Officeje t 7000 28 Creative Zen X-Fi 2 16GB 8S
Acer Aspire Timeline 5810TG 72 HP Photosmart Plus B209 92 Edifier Ell 00Plus 39
Acer Ferrari One 23 Kodak ES P 5250 92 Hercules OJ Console RMX 39
ASu s Eee Box fB 10 12 18 Lexmark Interac t S605 93 iRiver8 308GB 8S
Asus KSO IJ 70 Lexmark Platinum Pro905 93 iRiver E200 8GB 81
Dell Studio l S 23 5amsung CLP-315 28 Logitech X-230 38
HP ProSook 45 105 71 5amsungML-1915 29 Logitech Z-5S00 Digital 39
Lenovo GSSO 70 Philips GoG ear Muse 16GB 86 Sapphire Ra de on HO 5850 l GB45
Median Akoya E32 11 70 DISPLAYS Philips SHE 2SSO btra Bass 39
Mes,", Edge 17 HD CS 71 BenQ G2220 HD 30 Philips Streamium NP2900 39 SOFTWARE
Mesh Mat rix 11 925 HD 20 Epson EH-TW420 31 Pure Avanti Flow 38
5amsung VP-P3 8GB Accountz Personal 50
MSI CX100 71 Mitsubishi HC5500 31 82
Shure SE102 Acronis True Image Home
PC Specialist Vortex is GTS 20 Panasonic PT-AE3000E 31 38
Sony wa lkrnan NWZ-E443 20 10 49
Samsung N5 10 19 Panasonic Viera TX-P42G lOB 30 SO
Sony Wa lkrnan NWZ-S544 82 Adobe Photoshop Elements 8 48
Samsung Q320-jS03U K 72 Philips Brilliance 22SP1ES 30 Adobe Premiere Elements 8 52
Sony VPC- L11SlEIS 16 Phili ps Brilliance 230C 1H SB 30 Speedo LZR Aquabea t 2GB 38
Viewsonic VP0500 81 Mapyx Quo v2 49
Toshiba Satellite USOO-1 86 71 Samsung SP-P410M 31 McAfee Virus Scan Plus 2009 50
Microsoft Windows 7 Home
HANOHELOS/SMARTPHONES PHOTOGRAPHY
IMjWl
Premium 49
Apple iPhone 3G 532GB Canon EOS 10000 & HP Media5mart EX490 40 MindGenius 3 52
Black lOS 18-S5mm IS (ens 33 Iomega eGo Portable 500GB 40 Serif PagePlus X4 50
HTC Hero 10< Canon I~us 200 IS 34 5amsuflg SE-S084 41 Stein be rg Cubase Essential 5 50
HTC Touch 2 103 Fujifilm F i nePi ~ F200EXR 33 Samsung Story Station 1TB 41
LG GC900 Viewty Smart 103 Fujifilm F inePi ~ F70EXR 33 Seagate Barracuda 1200.1 1 l .5TB
GAMES
lG GT505 lOS Nikon Coolpix P90 34 41
Sony ORX-S70U-W 40 Aion: The Tower 01 Eternity 57
Mio Navman Moov Spirit Panasonic Lumix OMC-F Z28 32 Batman: Arkham Asylum 56
500 Traffic 27 Panasonic Lumix OMC- L585 33 Western Digital My Book World
Edition 1TB 40 FIFA 10 56
Navman 530 30 26 Panasonic l umix OMC-TZ6 32 Operation Flashpoi nt:
Nokia E5S 100 Ricoh GR Digital III 32 Western Digital Scorpio Blue
640GB 41 Dragon Rising 57
Nokia N97 104 Overlord II 56
Palm Pre 104 VIDEO Plants vs. Zombies 56
RIM BlackBerry Curve 8520 100 Flip Ultra HO 37 NI':TWORKS
Tales of Monkey Island 56
Samsung GT-17S00 Galaxy lOS Humax PV R-9300T 36 3 Mobile Broadband 42 The Sims 3 56
Samsung 58000 jet 103 Med ion life 547000 36 Netgear WN OR3700 42
Sony Reader 26 Linksys WAG 160N-UK
Sony Reader Pocket Edition
T-Mobile Pulse
26
100
Philips BDP7300
Sony HO R-CX l l E
Westem Digital WO TV Live
36
37
37
Linksys WRT320 N
Linksys WVC54GCA
""
42
BYTE SIZE
Altec lansing Expressionist
Classic 24
Viewsonic VTV35 27 Xtrea mer 37 V-Cam Black 50 43 Exspect Drop 'n' charge Kit
Xbox 360 23
liJ mm '''4''''':I@1i .!it
1:liJ·111~1iii

...
AUDIO F reetal~ Everyman S11 5 23
Brother OCP-7030 29 Altec Lansing Expressionist AMD Phenom II X2 550 QOOS leather and nylon case
Canon CanoScan li DE 700f 29 Ultra 39 Black Edition lor Sam sung VP-P3 20
Canon Pixma iP l 00 with battery Apple iPod Classic 160GB 86 Antec Solo 45 Tech Air 450 1 17in

Canon Pixma iP4700


Canon Pixma MP6 40
Epson Stylus Office B40W
Epson Stylus SX2 1S
28
94
93
94
92
Apple iPod Nano 16GB
Apple iPod Shuffle 2GB
Apple iPod Touch64GB
Archos 28GB
Archos 3 Vision 8GB
as
80
86
80
81
Asus P7P550 Deluxe
AM D Athlon II X4 620
Gigabyte GA-M 720-US3
Sapphire Radeon HO 5750
Sapphire Radeon HO 5770
..
45

44
Messenger Bag
Tenbu Nio Bluetooth
security dongle
TVdean Co mbo Pac k
Ultim ate Ears MetroFi 220vi
18

18
20
24

JA NUARY 2010 . COMPUTERSHOPPER


www.freedowns.net & www.journal-plaza.net
Fake anti-virus software
hacks pes for cash
details,~

O
nline criminals are infecting PCs with fake explained Shopper's features editor, Simon
anti-viros software and conning their victims Edwards. "It will continually harass you until you do."
into h.mding over their credit card details. Symantec daims it has identified over 2S0 types
According to estimates from security firm of the rogue software. These are spread across the
Symantec, the criminals behind this scam are netting internet by a network of criminals who earn
O\fl!r £850,000 pt'r year. The company claims that commissions from the big players. Con Mallon,
the vast majority of victims (93 pt'r cent) actually product mari;eting director for Symantec, told
download the rogue security programs intentionally, Shopper: "We found a number of affiliate networks
believing they will help keep their computers safe that we were able to monitor to see how they were
from viroses and other internet threats. opt'rating. We know how much the affiliates are paid
PCs can also fall foul of the threat by visiting per installation. Some pt'ople earn $23,000 (around
malicious or hacked websites that install the £14,000) a week, which comes to O\fl!r $ 1 m pt'r year.~
software automatically. Computer Shopper's own In the UK, affiliates c.m e,nn ,nound 30 to 40
virus-testing lab has frequently encountered fake pence per installation. This may not sound much, but
anti-virus programs, which install themselves Mallon points out that PCs belonging to thousands of
automatically when you visit a hacked website. These people are being infected. This is a lucrative business
programs are 'embedded' into websites ranging from for the criminal con artists. · People go looking for
'honeypots' (such as pornographic sites designed to security software and end up on fake sites," he said.
ensnare victims) to legitimate but hacked sites "Pop-ups fool them into thinking there 's a problem
N
including those belonging to a bank, a Ch inese and they panic-buy the software.
tea-importing business and a well-known author. Fake anti-virus software can look incredibly
"What happt'ns with these infections is that a convincing. Computer Shopper has infected a system
fake anti-virus program pops up and tells you that in our dedicated virus-testing lab and created some
you've got a virus. The fake software tries to force video footage, which you can watch at http://tinyur/.
you to register in order to remove the inf«tions from comlfakeiIVSw. We've. also included some scr~nshots
your PC, which requires you to enter your credit card below so you'll know what to look out for.

._--
._ .... _-. -_..
--_---
..--..-
----
-

A If you ~ttempt to remove ~ ny of the viru ses from your A The fake ~nti-viru. software will claim that multiple
system using the fake software. It will ask yoo to register viruses are Installed 0<1 yoor machine to create an
and enter yoor credit card detail. element of fear, uncertainty and doobt

Ballmer hints that Btu-ray is


coming to the Xbox S'u-rauD/sc
Microsoft chief executive Stevt' Ballmer has hinted tha t are the additi onal qu estions t hat ne ed to be answered,
Blu-ray will be coming to the Xbox 360 in an interview such as how you'll get full HD aud io out of the console.
with tech blog Gizmodo, during which he le t slip that According to reports, the Xbo~ 360 Elite has an
the HD format would be ava ilable on Xbox. HD MI 1.2 output, which doesn 't support DolbyTrue HD
· We lll don't ~now if we need to put Blu -ray in or DTS- HD Master Au dio.A huge number of Xbox 360
t here." he sa id. · You'll be able to get Blu-ray drives as owners have consoles withou t HDMI out puts, mea ning
accessories." This would follow t he pattem t he comp.1ny they don't even have t he facili ty to output HD audio.
set when it launched its external USB HD DVD drive. For HD Blu-ray audio, any external drive will either need
Ballmer's comments would seem to hint that Microsoft to provide a dedicated sound output or the console will
won't sell the Xbox 360 with a built- in Bill -ray drive like have to be upgraded .
the Play$tat ion 3. It remai ns to be see n if anyone will buy the externa l
For d~lty n~ws, plene visit There's no word yet as to whe n an external drive Blu-ray drive, since most people t hat want Blu-ray will
_w compute,shoppe, co uk will be launched or how much it will cost. Then there already have a dedicated player or a P!aySt ation 3.

COMPUTER SHOPPeR • JANUARY 2010


www.freedowns.net & www.journal-plaza.net
NEWS

Windows 7 OEM prices revealed


The Windows 7 Original Equipment Manufacturer versions as there are on the OEM editions. The OEM
(OEM) prices have been revealed in online shops, and products are designed to be used by system builders
they're a chunk cheaper than the full boxed versioos. and don't come with any Microsoft support. You're also
Oyyy.co.uk is selling Windows 7 Home Premium not supposed to be able to purchase them if you're not
OEM for £78, a saving of £72 on the boxed edition's also buying parts for a PC at the same time,
price of f 150. Windows 7 Professional OEM will cost Moreover, they can be installed only on a single
around f 110 (a Silving 01 £110 on the boxed wr5ion's computer and have to be installed with a clean install
price of £220); U!timate OEM will cost around f 140 (a (you can't upgrade an existing versions of Windows).
saving of £90 on the boxed version's price of £230). The OEM versions of Windows are a great choice if you're
prices are identical for the 3Z-bit and M -bil versions, building a new PC and want to save money, but if you
While these deals seem good, there are some can find the full versions cheaply, you'll have more
restrictions and problems. First, retailers are heavily flexibility in the future.
discounting the boxed versions afWindows 7. Amazon As usual, the UK's OEM prices are significantly
is currently selling Home Premium for just E9O, higher than the US prices. Currently, Windows 7 Home
Professional for f 148 and Ultimate for £160. Premium OEM is selling for S110 (around £69),
These are better deals while you can get them, as Professional OEM costs roughly 5140 (around £88) and ... OEMeditions of Windows will be
more attractive when the dlscounte-d
there aren't the same licence restrictions on the boxed Ultimate OEM is selling for 5190 (around £119). retail ve~ions disappear

Half of all firms Nokia sues Apple over


to adopt Windows iPhone patent infringement
7 in first year Finnish mobile phone maker Nokia is suing Apple obtain a patent royalty of one or two per cent
According to a survey of 1,200 companies, in the US for infringing on its patents for mobile (56 to 512) on every Whone sold."
nearly half of th em plan to deploy Windows phone technology allegedly included in the US While it seems this is simply a bargaining
7 in its first year of availability. A further 11 company's phenomenally successful iPhone. move by Nokia to hasten the payment of
per cent of the surveyed companies said According to a statement released by Nokia. royalties. the Finnish company must be smarting
they'd adopt the new OS as soon as Apple is infringing on 10 patents "fundamental to at the impact the iPhone has had on its market
Microsoft releases the first service pack. making devices l'Ihich are compatible with share. The iPhone's ease of use and touchscreen
The survey was conducted by Boston- one or more of the GSM, UMTS (3G WCOMA) interface has raised the bar in the industry and
based Information Technology Intelligence and wireless LAN standards. The patents cover made Nokia's Symbian operating system on
Corp, a technology analyst firm run by wireless data, speech coding, security and smart phones such as the N97 look outdated.
industry veteran laura DiDio. DiDio said that encryption and are infringed by all Apple Further pressure has been piled on by Google,
there was no influence or funding from iPhone models shipped since the iPhone was which has introduced the Android operating
Microsoft and she hadn't yet informed the introduced in 2007.- system. like Symbisn,Android is an open-source
software gia nt of the results. NO\(ia claims to have invested more than platform but, unlike Symbian, it's a popular
"[Microsoft] needed a winner, and it looh 4000 {around £37bn} in research and platform for developers.
like it has it, barring any unforeseen mishaps, development over the past 20 years.
such as some egregious bug," said DiDio. "The basic principle in the mobile industry
Most companies have avoided upgrading to is that those companies who contribute in
Vista and stuck with the now eight-year-old technology development to establish standards
Windows Xf'. create intellectual property, which others then
DiDio believes that the positive attitude need to compensate them for: said llkka
towards Windows 7 comes in part from the Rahnasto, vice-president of legal and intellectual
good experiences IT departments have had property at Nokia, The Finnish giant was involved
while testing the beta and release candidate in a similar court feud with Qualcomm a couple
builds of the new OS. In fact, almost 80 per of years ago,l'Ihen both companies sued and
cent of those who have tested Windows 7 counter-sued, with Qualcomm threatening to
said it was either 'e~cellent " or "very good'. have No\(ia phones removed from sale in the US.
"Overall, the mood based on the survey It seems that the value of a mobile phone
comments is generally positive. However, manufacturer is not just in its market share but
some corporate customers did voice healthy also its intellectual property portfolio. Mobile
scepticism on issues ranging from application firms can make money by licensing this
compatibility to upgrade pricing for the patented technology to other companies.
commercial and business editions of While Nokia is still responsible for the
Windows 7: summarised DiDio. majority of smartphone sales. with SO per cent 01
However, 40 per cent of those surveyed the market, this has fallen from 72 per cent three
said they have no specific plans forWindows years ago. Apple now has 14 per cent of the total
7. Most cited satisfaction with their current smartphone ma rket.
Windows Xf' or Vista infrastructures; the In a recent note to investors, analyst Gene
lad of a compelling business reason to Munster at investment bank Piper jaffray said:
make the shift; and the importance of 'We believe [Nokia] has been in talks With Apple
compatibility with the applications they concerning a patent royalty payment for over a
use. Clearly, ma ny companies are not year. It appears that the companies have not
convinced that Windows XP Mode is the come to a resolution and Nokia is attempting to ... Nokia w~n t s Apple to !MY royalties on every
solution at the moment. hasten the process. Nokia is likely looking to iPhone sold to date

JANUARY 2010 . COMPUTER SHOPPER


www.freedowns.net & www.journal-plaza.net
NEWS

AMD launches new


Athlon II processors
AMO has launched several new Alnico II benchmarks and it has the highest clock speed in
processors that use even less power than the new Athlon II range at 2.9GHl,
previous models. In addition to the standard- UK prices for most of the new CPUs haven't
power processors, the lull Athlon II family now been confirmed yet,Typically, the 'e' modets cost
includes high-performance, low-power models more because of their low thermal design power
with two, three and foof cores. (TOP), so we e~pect the Athlon II X2 240e to cost AMO'S NEW ATHlON II PROCESSORS
AMO aims to underwt Intel's low-end Core 2 more than the Athlon II X2 250, for example.
MODEL TOP CLOCK PRICE'
Duo desktop processors, claiming that the new We've found both the Athlon II X3 435 and FREQUENCY
2.8GHz Athlon II X2 240e performs up to 70 per 425 in stock at Scan.co.uk, which list5 them at .l>IO _ . x, 60,. .~ ~, \"l
cent better in media and entertainment £64 and £57 respectively. It's difficult to gauge .l>IO " diM ' X, 600t <;w ~, \133
benchmarks than a 2.8GHz (Ofe 2 Duo E7400. how these will compare with existing processors, "",0 .....", . Xl.11 "w ~, .,
With power consumption of just 45W compared but they'll probably follow a similar pattern to ,;W l.1W,
with the (7400'5 65W, it should be suitable for the Phenom II X3 720, The X3 720 performs well
""'0 _ ' )(3421
.l>IO _ . Xl 405t <;w ~, "
,~

use in all-in-one pes withO\.lt overheating. in multi-core optimised applications but is less <;w ~,

Anot her newcomer is the triple -core Athlon II impressive in applications that don't use more
.l>IO ""'""' . Xl400t
<;w ,~ , '"
X3 435. AMD claims this is up to 7S per cent than two cores - we'll bring you reviews of the
.lHI) ""'""'.

.lHI) ""'""'.
Xl,..,.
Xl ll,. <;w l.1W, '"
~

faster than a Core 2 Duo E8500 in certain new chips as soon as we can, '''''..... 1,M"""

--.-
~ J1 j t

CWlytme calls and line rental


1rcm t10· . _
3D maps are the future,
says Ordnance Survey
Ordnance Survey has been
conducting trials in the use of
adding individual buildings, the
road network and aerial imagery,"
• •• accurate lasers to create a detailed explained Hart , "Given the level of
... Orange hopes to draw customers away from BT with cheaper line rental 30 map of Bournemouth.lt claims detail that we've achieved, I think
the lasers could change the way Bournemouth can confidently lay
the national mapping agenc::y works claim to being the best mapped
Orange sells 20Mbit/ s and transform the way we think of
maps. Experts say the technology
place on the planet,' he added.
Hart went on to say that maps

broadband as standard could revolutionise personal


navigation, tourism and planning.
as well as aiding architects and the
like this could be useful for the
emergenc::y services, for example,
which would be able to visualise
Orange has announced that it will Home Ultra, one of the new emergern;y and security services. the scene of an incident before
make download speeds of ·up to plans, includes the Orange Livebox Glen Hart, head of research at arriving. although this is already
20Mbitls· standard across all it5 wireless router, which can connect Ordnance Survey, said "Three- possible to some e>('[ent With
home broadband packages with up to six computers at a time,The dimensional maps in themselves Google's Street View, Ordnance
immediate effect. This will apply package also enables subscribers areo't new, but what we've Survey has also seen in terest from
to all customers in Orange's home to make calls to 30 countries at achieved in Boumemouth is a level businesses that want to view
broadband netwolt areas. any time, including calls to UK of accuracy and detail that's never buildings in 3D and calculate heat
The company is also landlines, Home Ultra costs from been done before." lost from individual floors and walls
introducing four new price plans, £10.50 per month for Orange During the three-year trial, to improve energy efficiency and
starting from as little as £6,50 mobile pay monthly customers, Ordnance Survey captured every reduce emissions,
per month. All new customers will and £13.50 for everyone else. square metre of Boumemouth with Detailed mapping in 30 should
be able to download as much Finally, the no-frills options are a combination of land-based and be here within the next five years.
multimedia content as they called Home Starter and Home aerial survey using high-accuracy You can see a video of the 3D map
want. with an unlimited usage Select. Home Starter comes With lasers. 'We started by collecting the of Bournemouth at http://tinyur/.
allowance across all price plans. wireless home broadband, and terrain, then vegetation before comlyg56lpl.
This is, of course, subject to a Orange'slandline service provides
fair usage policy. inclusive evening and weekend
As part of the refresh, Orange's calls to UK landlines.lt costs f7
Home Ma~ package, which comes per month for Orange pay
With a wireless router, will include monthly mobile customers and
evening and weekend calls to UK £10 for everyone else. Home
landlines, Home Max is free for Select is aimed at customers
the first three months, after which who want broadband only, and
it costs £6.50 per month for costs from £9 per month for
Orange mobile pay monthly Orange pay monthly mobile
customers and £9.50 per month customers and £ 12 for everyone
for everyone else. Customers will else,This package also includes
need to pay an additional £10.50 a wireless router,
per month for line rental - a For more details, visit Orange's
saving compared with BT's website at http://shop.orange.
standard f 11.25 line rental charge. co.uk/broadband. ... Ordnance SUrvey used accurate lasers to capture Boornemouth In 3D

COMPUTER SHOPPER · JANUARY 2010


.J fasthosts.co.uklhosting
Sign up today and pay NOTHING for 3 months

. - 0844 583 0717 World Class Web Hosting


www.freedowns.net & www.journal-plaza.net
NEWS

Spammers use Microsoft's IN BRIEF

Bing to disguise bad links DEU SHOWS ADAMO


XPS TEASER PHOTOS
After unvei ling the forthcoming
Internet security firm Webfoot has discovered tha t Adamo XPS laptop on 09/09/09,
spammers are using a combination of Bing's RSS feed Dell has released two more
link redirection addresses and link shrinking to bypass teaser photos of the ultra ·slim
sparn filters when sending links over email. laptop, which is leu than 10mm
5p<1mmer$ afe always looking for new ways to thick. No ot her details of t he
make their links seem legitimate. Webfoot has XPS model are known, but it will
discovered a qUirk in the way Microsoft's Bing search be the ultimate model in Dell's
engine formats links when it displays an RSS feed. laptop lineup.
Spammers have already used this to make links in
their ema ils look at lir.st glance as if they originate
with Bing. This can fool spam filters even more easily ... Bing's RSS redirects a.e a security concern DDR2 MEMORY PRICE
than it fools careless users. RISESTO NEW HIGH
'When you view an RSS feed in Bing (such as their 'Iou could come back to the front page of this blog. Of Since August, the price of
news feed, for example) aU the dickable linh in the feed course, there's nothing in place to prevent a criminal memory has been ste, dily
use Bing's internal redirect ion mechanism, so before from redirecting users to something worse, like a increasing and hu now ruched
'Iou end up on the neW5 story 'Iou want to read, 'lour drive-by download or phishing page." a level where manufact urers are
broW5er fim connects to www.bing.com/news/rssdick. As always, our advice is to avoid clicking on links in adding surcharges to previousty
asp~?redir", followed by the full URL of the site 'Iou random emails. Always hOlIer 'lour mouse over any link reviewed PCs. Mesh, for example
intend to visit,' e~plained threat expert Andrew Brandt. 'Iou receive, read the full URl ca refully and beware of has added f20 to the price of
"The thing is, anyone can plug anything into the end partially obfuscate d or shortened URLs - or URls with a both its Matrix II 620 HO (see
of that URl, and it'll red irect to that site. For in sta nce, bing.com rssclick rl'dire ct in them. L,bs, Shopper 262) , nd th e
Matrix 11925 HD (see page 20).

TOMTOM COMBINES

Product Update: Mesh Matrix II IT SATNAV AND RADIO


TomTom hu announced , new
satnav that Includes I radio
Mesh's Mat rix II IT PC won a Best If 'Iou try to order the PC from The rest of the spe cifications and IPod contro ls.The TomTom
Buy award in Labs, Shoppe' 261, Mesh's website, you'll see that the have remained the same, and GO 1-90 is a double-height unit
but the company has since made monitor has also changed to a 22in the change in processor doesn't that replaces the car's e~isting
some changes to its specification full HD model. However, you can affect the Best Buy award. It's r,dio. Th. satnav p,rt is
that readers should note. amend this by clicking the still a great-value computer. remov, ble, which means you
While the Ma t rix IIITbundle is Customise button and choosing On a related note, Mesh has can take it wit h you and even
still on sale, the processor in our the 20in monitor that we reviewed. changed the graphics card in its use it In other cars..
review system (a Phenom X4 9950) You may also want to remove the Best Buy-winning IceS 750 CS
has been discontinued. Mesh has surge protector and anti-virus PC (see Labs, Shopper 262) from SOHC CARD GIVES
replaced this with the brand new software from the basket. This a Radeon 4890 to a 5770, In YOUR CAMERA WIFI
Athlon II X4 620,We have re -tested will take the price down from our view this is an acceptable The Eye-FI combines a normal
the PC with the new processor, and f545 to f499, the original price. substitute, as its performance is SOHC me mory card with a
can confirm that it's now slightly According to Mesh, the change was virtually the same, and you gain tiny wireless networking
faster. The previous Overall score of necessary because it was having triple-monitor support, EyeFinity, adaptor that supportsWEP,
85 has risen to 88 with the Athlon trouble sourcing the liyama DirectX 11 and PAP support (the WPA and WPA2 encryption
II, and each of the sub-ca tegories E2008HD$ monitor that it included latt er supports HD audio output stand,.ds. Once configured, it
has seen a similar increase. with t he Pc. via HDMI). allows you to automatica lly
uptoad every photo or video
you save on the card to your
PC or even your favourite video
Acer working with Google to deliver Chrome OS or photo sharing websites,
such IS Fllckr, Facebook,
According to Jim Wong. Acer's preside flt of IT products Goog\e -based strategy and its traditional relationYJip Picasa andYouTube.
global operations, Acer is working with Google on with Microsoft for PCs and mobiles.
Chrome OS and plans to announce the fruits of the Lanci discussed offering customers a homogeneous
collaboration next year. environment across all devices, and Acer's plans to ship
At a press conference in london, Acer's CEO and its Android phones with Acer Sync 1.0 hints that it may
president, Gianfra flco land, described Chrome as a develop its own user interface on top of Android . By
·viable altemative to Windows operating systems adopting Chrome OS,Acer would have greater freedom
for web applications on different mobile devices". to bring this user interface to the desktop, too.
Chrome OS is rumoured to be a stripped-down An open-source approach would also make sense if
Linu~ distribution that uses Google's Chrome this customisation e>(!ended to other devices such as
browser as the interface for web services. TVs, which have more hardware restrictions.lanci
After the launch of Acer's dual-boot Windows 7 and predicts greater convergence between PCs and phones,
Android netbook and an Android smartphone, Acer and a more flexible OS strategy would suit devices that
looks to be hedging its bets between an open -source, fall between netbooks and smart phones.

Click: dell.co.u k Call: 0844 444 3242


8am-9pm Weekdays. 9am-6pm S~turdays, 10am-Spm Sundays

www.freedowns.net & www.journal-plaza.net


The ultimate Teufel complete set-for home cinema,
games and action - as we take your sound very seriously! 'Teufel
The fun begins with the sound!
---.,2 good reason! -
for Teufel speakers

Bundle price only £ 309 * »


»
»
Top-quality-best-in-test all across
Europe
Developed in our 0WI1 sound lab in Berlin
30 year5 of experience
» Unbeatable value for money
» Excel1entservice plus an a-week
moneyback guarantee
» 12years warranty on speaker5,
zyear5 on electronic parts
» Only available from Teufel direct

The complete system for Home Theatre


and Multimedia: Teufel Concept E200
5.1 loudspeaker system + Teufel
Decoderstation 5 as control center.
» 300 watts maximum performance
» Five identical full range satellites
» Connector box with integrated
Dolby Oigital/dts Decoder
» Eight inputs CONCE PT C 200 USB CONCEPT E 100 Monv 5
(4 x Digital. 4 x Analogue) Integrated sound card always Your entry-level system for Uncompromisingly superb surround-
» Remote control for all fun ctions provides good soun d
» Excenent 2.1 multimedia
surround sound at the PC
» Entry to the Teufel 5.1
sound for your PC
» Funy active universal system with
sound USB interface for souoo multimedia sound striking design
improvement » Subwoofer with 200 wiltts » Compilct six chan nel subwoofer
» Subwoofer with 200 watts amp maximu m performilnce with 250 mm bass speaker
and 200 mm bass speaker » zoo mm bass speaker in bass » 450 watt peak performance
ORDER NOW! » Two-way satellites wit h table stand reflex casing Five identical high·end micro
» Cable remole control for » Five identical satellites with satellites
SAVE 10% mk rophone and headphones high-performance drivers » Suitable for rooms up to 30m2
» Recommended for foams up
to 15 m'

CLICK: TEUFEL.EU/UK CALL: 0049-30-30093039


www.freedowns.net & www.journal-plaza.net
'Teu.fel
NEWS

Asus reveals first


Core i7 laptops
Asus has launched its first Core i7laptops, the Although there's a 16in screen, its 1 ,366~768
G60J and M60j. Until now, Intel's powerful Core resolution is small compared those of other 16in
i7 processors have been limited to desktop pes, laptops we've seen, some of which are as high as
but Asu s's new laptops are th e first we've seen l ,92Oxl,08O pi~e15.ln our brief tests, the large
with the mobile versions of Intel's flagship chips. keyboard was comfortable to use, and the
The G60J is equipped with a (Oft i7 72OQM. backlit keys were good for working in dim
like its desktop counterparts, it's a quad-core conditions. The numeric keypad is small
processor with Hyper-Threading, which ma~es compared with a standard desktop
Windows treat it as having eight cores. It should keyboard's, though. The touchpad felt accurate,
therefore speed through programs designed to but the metallic buttons were a little stiff.
.. The Core i7 processor is available in a laptop
take advantage of multiple cores, stich as The G60J is a powerful desktop-replacement
video-editing suites. laptop, but it's quite e~pensive at f 1,700. A
The laptop is atso equipped with 4GB of RAM cheaper alternative is the M60J.lts specification like the G60j's, it's smaller than a keypad on a
and two 500GB hard disks, 001 these can't be is similar to th e G60j's bu t it has a different desktop keybOilrd.The touchpad is large and felt
configured as a RAID array. The dedicated Nvidia graphics chip - a 1GBGeForce GT240M. accurate, but the bu ttons have a slippery texture
GeForce GTX 260M graphics chip has 1GB of The keybOilrd is just as large as the G60j's, and felt wobbly. It's conSiderably cheaper at
memory. There's also a Blu-ray drive for watching but the keys have a grainy texture, aren't backlit f 1,300.The M60J will be available shortly, wh ile
movies, but it can't bum Blu-ray discs as well. and felt springier. There's a numeric keypad but, the G60J will be available in November.

Logitech announces Squeezebox Touch


The Squeezebox Touch is the spiritual successor ambie nt light sensor, though. We were also see many people being prepared to spend this
to the original Squeezebox Classic in that it has pleased to see the addition of a USB port and SO much for a touchscreen player when there are
no built-in speakers and is designed to be card rea der, which allows you to play music or so many cheaper alternat ives available, not
connected to a high-quality amplifier. The 4.3in view photos from a local drive rather than having least remote control apps for older, cheaper
colour touchscreen is smaller than we'd like, but to keep the SqueezeCenter server running on a Squeezeboxes that nm on smartphones, such
it's likely to be the cheapest option to make, as computer somewhere on the network. as iPeng for iPhone and iPod Touch.
most satnavs have a touchscreen this size. The audio specifications are also imp ressive.
The Touch's menu is quite different to those Enthusiasts will be pleased to know that the
of previous Squeeze box mode15, with icons that internals have been upgraded and now
make it easier to find what you're looking for. support sampling rates of up to 24-bit/
Importantly, the local and internet music sources 96KHz. Outputs remain the same, with
have been combined, which mea ns an end to the both coaxial al1d optical S/POIF, plus stereo
rather confusing separat ion of SqueezeCenter phono and a 3.Smm headphone mini-jack.
and SqueezeNetwork. Of course, you still There's no Draft-N WiFi, but there's
have access to any intemet radio station and support forWPS, which means one-touch
podcast you like, as well as all the music on wireless setup with compatible routers. It still
your home network. has an Ethernet port, too.
In our brief test of the demo unit, we were While many internet reta ilers are
impressed with the touchscreen's responsiveness. current ly listing the Touch for £249, it won·t
It did everything we asked of it and seemed as be available to buy until much nearer Squeezebox Touch 1001<5 promising, but
accurate as an iPhone's. We couldn't test its Christmas. We hope this price drops, as we can't may prove to be a little expensive

Hawking Europe introduces A new range of high quality computer


networking prod ucts. The first prod ucts

"
from our new ranges are now available.
To find your nearest NetPro stockist,
please visit our web sites.

keeping you connected

www.freedowns.net & www.journal-plaza.net


THIS MONTH SONY
Sony's awesome new all-in-one PC opens VPC-L
this month's innovation-packed What's
New. We've also looked at the first *****
£1,389 inc VAT
From www.cheapelectricals,co,uk
Android-powered netbook (see page 18),
as Google's smartphone operating system Sony's VPC-l ll Sl EIS is a long way from the
raft of cut-price nettops we've 5een in recent
makes the jump to pes. months, costing a whopping £ 1,389. Behind its
A range of intriguing new gadgets starts huge 24in touchscreen display is an impressive
specification, though, with all the extras you'd
with Sony's Reader Pocket Edition on expect at this price.
In fact it's more t han just a PC; it's also an
page 26, while on page 33 we've got adequate replacement for yoorTV, The 24in
Fujifilm's FinePix F70EXR, which takes screen means it's big enough for use as yoor
main TV if you have a small living room, or as a
brilliant pictures in poor lighting. FinaLLy, second set in a bigger home, A dual OVB-TTV
Western Digital's excellent WD TV media tuner is fitted, allowing yoo to use Windows 7's
excellent Media (enter to watch and record
player has been updated (see page 37). programmes simultaneously, as well as browse
If you're looking to upgrade your PC, photos and music. There's also a built-in Blu-ray
dri\le, so you can play HO movies using the
we've reviewed three of All's new prO\lided WinOVO software,
SOaO-series graphics cards: the HD 5850, The amazing display has a FuU-HO
resolution of 1,92Oxl ,060. II's an optical
5770 and 5750. We've also tested the touchscreen system, using IR 5ensors around
world's cheapest quad-core processor, the the displays, so there are no extra layers
between you and the image. With \librant
Athlon II X4 620, all on pages 44 and 45. colours, consistent backlighting and plenty of
For creative types, there are reviews deta il, it's as impressi\le as any lCOTV we'\le
seen, It can even be used as one, too, thanl>s to
of Adobe's Photoshop Elements 8 and its HOMI and AV inputs. These let you plug in
Premiere Elements 8 (pages 48 and 52). an HO camcorder or play games on a console,
TV controls, such as volume and source, are on
Finally, if you need to store lots of files you the right-hand side, and also on the supplied
should check out HP's MediaSmart EX490 Media Center remote, There's e\len picture-in-
pidure, so you can keep an eye on another
home server on page 40. \lideo source while working on your Pc.
Its PC specifications aren't quite so exciting,
The 3GHz Intel Core 2 Duo E8400 processor
and 4GB of RAM scored a respectable 86
Seth Barton overaU in our benchmarks. It's not best-suited
for serious \lideo editing. but anything else will
Reviews Editor be fine, The touchscreen supports multi-tooch
gestures, which is grealfor browsing and
seth@computerstlOpperco uk

This month What's New Contents

. ........
PC Systems & laptops page 16 Pnnters &Scanners page 28 Photography page]2
~ _OC,.1IllO ,.,.,. Onon lOS lOOJO" IS-S5.nvn IS 100<. •••••
Urt C>non Con;Iun lIOl1O:)f Onon ""lOllS •••••
,.*.*,.
C>nonl'i>m.iiP lOO_ "'!!!!:I: ••** !!!e.hnd\, F lOO(X~

H'OfIic<jtt lIJOO ***** .. ~ hnd\< F7<1)(R .**••


s.,"""'IJ,Cl.'-11S •••• _,""", 1'90 U •
~ "I!Ml- 191;
•••• p _ w.-r;, DMC·Fl18
_lIoID DMC-1.$3S
.*•••
•••••
Displays page 3(] ,..-l>ort. DMC·Tl6
'""" CHoi/l"' .
•••••
u.
Handhelds page 26
Vuleo page 36

....
.***•
,.
• * ••,.

COMPUTER SHOPPeR • JANUARY 2010


www.freedowns.net & www.journal-plaza.net
maniplilating images in software that sllpports it. The remaining on standby al all limes. This mearlt it lIsed
Nvidia GeForce G2 10M chipset didn't impress in Ollr ll W even when it was effectively switched off,
gaming tests, thollgh 'lOll can play mod em titles at low Th e VPC- L11S1 EfS's dosest competitors are Apple's
resollitions and detaille~ls, 24in iMac and DeU's XPS One 24, both of which are
The whole lInit is pleasing on the Similarly priced at £ 1,499,The iMac
eye and feels swrdily constrllcted, SUMMARY has flO Blu-ray drive,TV tuner or
We partiwlarly appreciated the lack VERDICT TneVPC·L 11SlE/S'5 design Is tOllchscreen, making it seem poor
so flawle", it'slik~ Sony has built a PC
of a separate power slipply, with a
simple kettle lead plugging straight
into a TV, rath~r than vic~ Vf'r ...
AU-lN ·ONE PC I "t~leor. 2 Duo E8400,
value. The XPS has a more powerful
quad-core processor, but has only a PREVIEW
into the InlCk. The Iront is plain single TV tuner, so 'lOll can't wa tch
except lor three small indicato!"
WinOOws 7 Home "'emium 54·bit, 4GB
RAM, SOOGB hard disk. Nvidia Gdor<:~ arid record, arid riO touchscreerl. ASUS
lights, inclllding one for the bu ilt-in It may be e~perlsive, bul the
802, 11n wireless_On the left are
G210M, DVD_I_RW _I-DL BD· ROM,
141n "'~S<"'en lCDt""chs<~, VPC-l llS lEiS has everything 'lOll
Eee Box
memory card readers for SDHC and 430.SS3. 71mm (184mmo.pth inc
,tand),,,,,,, ·yur RTS worr.my
could want from an aU-in-one Pc. EB1501
Memory Stick formats, along with POWER CONSUMPTION llW st¥ldby, The monitor is superb, it loob great,
two USB ports, FireWire, headphone, 9()W idl., U1W act;"" arid it's an excellent TV arid Blu-ray Asus's Eee 80x
microphone arid lirle out mirlijacks, PAATCOD£ Vpe·Ll1S1EIS player. We're still not convirlced that EB1012 (see page
On the back are three USB ports, tOllchscreen interfaces are the 18) can do most
10/100 Ethemet arid an optical Iliture, but if you're happy to spend things a full-sized
S/PDIF Olltput, The built- in speakers this much money on a PC then you PC can do, However, it
a re capable, but a bit lac~ing in bass. ce rtainly want one irlduded.lt wins lacks a built-in optical drive. If
Our early review unit wOlildn't our Ultimate award. you want to watch DVDs or
hibemate flilly, with the display Seth Barton bllm discs, the new Eee Box
EB1501 comes complete with a
slot-loading DVD writer.
Like the EB1012 it's equipped
with Nvidia's HD -cap.1ble Ion
graphics chip, a dllal-core Atom
330 processor, 2GB of RAM arid
a 250GB hard disk , ~spite
being capable of playing HD
video, there's no Blu-ray drive.
Although compact, it's
AudiO
..
pa!le 3B

...••
Networks page 42 Sottware&Games
~-­
......
pa!le48 chunkier than previous Eee 80~
models. Despite this, it can still
_ ,lor. DJCMooIo IMX .-.
""""'_ ..... _ 2 010
_Pho<?ohopI_8
__
...
"''''''''''.
.*.**
.....
be mounted on the back of a
monitor using the il"lduded

...•••••"'.
•••••
!~8

l<Ji'odI X·2]()
L.<Ji'tdoI-I500OiIjtoi ••••• """,Tht_dUftfity VESA mounting ~it.lt will be
""lip< Slf!211O!>m 80« _ ••••• ffA 10 ..... * available shortly for around
pt;ipo S I _ Ni>l9<X>
••••• •••••
.......
M>fYx""" . l

....
I:omponents page44 £339 inc VAT, bllt we're hoping
.....~ ;' bw ** .....

-- ......
•••**
...
that retail prices will be lower,
_ ~m
••••• AMO",nIon lX< 6.'O
•••••
!.poodo l II~" 2G8 ••• AMO......."" i . ll5O k k Witioo as this is £59 more than the
EB1012 currently sells for - a
Stora!le page 40 ..... " K50~ ••• *

."'.-
.***
•••••
•••••
~"" - M7lO-UlJ
SopptIi!! bdooo liD 1/10
s.pptft _ liD mo
~lWo<>nliD lI!'I01G I
...... *
..... *
•• ** •
** •••
considerable price hike for an
optical drive.

Barry de la RDSa
Laptops and
harldhelds expert

JANUARY 2010 . COMPUTER SHOPPER


www.freedowns.net & www.journal-plaza.net
PC SYSTEMS IHAPTOPS

BYTE SIZE ACER


TENBU Aspire One D250
TECHNOLOGIES
Nio ***
£280 inc VAT
Fro m www_amazo n_co.uk

***
£40 inc VAT
From www.b lue ni o. Acer's newest Aspire One netbook is the first computer
, om we've seen that runs Android. Google's mobile
operating system. It also comes with Wi ndows. and
The Nio is a keyfob+ you can choose to boot into either OS.
sized Bluetooth device that can Apart from its dual operating systems. the
be attached to anything with a D250 is a pretty standard netbook. The Intel
lanyard hole. You pair it wit h Atom N270 processor, 160GB hard disk and
your mobile, and it sound s an 1GB of RAM performed just below what we'd
alarm jf moved too far away. expect for such a specification. This is attributable to it
There are three levels of running Windows 7 rather than Windows XP.lt·s the
risk. In our tests, even the Starter Edition that's installed. which lac~ Media supports a maximum resolution of 1.024x600. This
highest security setting let us Center and the 3D desktop. makes working in Windows feel cramped. but is huge
walk down two flights of stairs Android boots up much quicker than Windows 7. compared to an Android smartphone. The display is
be fore t he ala rm sounded.You butthe stripped-down version installed is barely useful. bright and has accurate colours.
can also t rigger t he Nio's alarm Any changes to yourGoogle account settings have to Acer hasn't used the full width of the case for the
viii Bluetooth to help you be dooe in Windows rather than Android. Google Mail keyboard. and even with small keys. the layout has
locate it, and set it to alert you synchronisation with your Google account isn't been compromised - the Enter key is half-height and
immediately if it's moved. included as standard. with only calendars and cootacts the Backslash key has moved. The raised shape of the
The Nio is easy to set up, synchronising automatically. You don't even have direct keys makes them ea"f to type on. though. and they
but t he secu rity settings aren't access to the Android Market, So provide crisp feedback. The small
sensitive enough; if a thief had you can't install any new touchpad has a single. see-saw
SUMMARY
our briefcase and got down applications. leaving you with just VERDICT ~ indu.ion of Android i,
button with little travel.
two flights of stairs, it would the basic set of apps (such as the ultimately disappointing. and othelWfse Many of the features that make
be too late. But if you travel browser. email and media player). the 0250 Isjust another netbook Android exciting - the Market.
regularly and are worried about furthermore, Android is NmOOlC 1.6GH! Int. IAtorn N270. 1GB hassle-free Google synchronisation
casual theft, it may provide designed to be controlled by a RAM. l6OGBdi'k.1I1I. IGM .... 950 graphic.. and touchscreen control - are
some peace of mind. touchscreen. and using the tiny 10.lin wideS<1ff<1 LCO. Windows 7 Starter. missing from the 0250. Windows
"".-year RTB warranty. 2S9>2()4"3-4mm.
Barry de la Rosa touchpad is laborious. Having a lull
1.4kg
7 is a far more useful operating
OETAILS www.bllm....com QWERTY keyboard is certainly a big POWER CONSUMPTION OW ,t .... db)'. 13W system. However. with a small
plus. though. especially when using l (le.16W""t ~ keyboard and touch pad. we
the quick-boot ing Android to check PAltT COOl LU.S6800.0S9 wouldn't rush out to buy the D250
TECH AIR your email and fire off quick replies. yet. Plenty of other Windows 7
450117in A battery IiiI.' of just under
PERfORMIINCE (_ _ ...
netboo~ are becoming ava ilable.
seven hours in our light-usage test and we think Samsung's N140 (full
Messeng is respectable. though the best review next month) will give the
Bag
****
netboo~ manage over nine. As
with most netboo~. its screen .~ -I 11& D250 some stiff competition .
Barry de la Rosa
£34 inc VAT
From www.laptops
dlrect.co. uk

Walking around with Tech Air's


EDITOR'S CHOICE
huge 4501 bag might make
you look like a postman. but
ASUS
it's large enough to hold a 17in Eee Box EB1012

J
laptop. The in ternal padded
laptop compartment measures
420x300x4Smm.
*****
£280 inc VAT
It has an easy·to-access
MP3 player holder inside a zip
Fro m ~~."" "."o."k

Asus' new Eel' Bo~ looks almost identical to


-- NmOP l.6GHz Im.l . . tom 330.
W,J>dow, 7 Home Premium. ZGB
pocket on the side. This is previous models. but it has been thoroughly RAM. 2SOGBnard disk. NY;dia
attached to a strap, ensu ring overhauled inside. It has a dua l-core Atom GoIOf<_ 94OOM. 222Y178x27mm.
you don't drop it. and there'S a processor and Nvidia's Ion chipset. whic h can • twQ-y. ar cQUect and return W<OrT.... ty
POWER CONSUMPTION ZW
route for a headphone cable. play HD video and pl"ovides plenty of ports.
"andby.21W "'-• . 30W act".
There's also a mobile phone Six USB ports are provided for add ing
I PART com eBl01Z-W0087

1•10e.
holder, a front zip pocket, a peripherals and stora~ devices. and it includes Ofl.... a.:s www.a.us.eom
Velcro pocket for documents 802.11n lor fast wireless networking. As well as a RJLlREVlEW Dec 2009
and a padded organiser.lt·s VGA ou tput. there's an HDMI port for connecting
great value if you can live with t he fB1012 to an HDTV. •• z
the colour. but it's a shame The dual-core Atom 330 and 2GB of RAM
there's not much room in the really make a difference in everyday use. with
bag for additional bulky items. much snappier Windows performance; it scored 50 per
such as a change of clothes. cent higher in our benchmarks than most nettops. the back of a mon itor, creating a compact all-in-one
Jim Martin Windows Xi' still ships on many nettops. bu t the Pc. Small. quiet and ye t powerful enough for HO
EB10l2 uses the far more sophist icated Windows 7. movies and Windows 7. it's the combination of
About the size of a hardback nove l. the EB1012 smart hardware design and a dual-core processor
comes with a VESA moont and so can be mounted on that edges it ahead of the competition.

COMPUTER SHOPPeR • JANUARY 2010


www.freedowns.net & www.journal-plaza.net
PC SYSTEMS & LAPTOPS

SAM SUNG
N510
***
£38D inc VAT
From www.laptopsdirect.co.uk

Samsung's N510 looks like a slightly larger seen, The finish is a strange mixture of glossy and
version of the company's N120 (see tabs, matt, It makes colours appear a little more
Shopper 260), which is our pick of the current s.aturated, but doesn't entirely diffuse
crop of netbooks.lt has the s.ame basic design, reflections on the screen. We found vertical
With a glossy lid and a sturdy casing with viewing angles a bit limited as well.
chrome detailing. The screen is larger, though This is Samsung's first use of Nvidia's Ion
- 11.6in to the N120's 1O.1in - with an increase chipset, which means the NS10 can smoothly
in resolution from 1,024x600 to 1,366x768. This play back lOBOp HD video, something most The NS10's battery life is disappointing.
is a 70 per cent increase netbooks can't marlilge. being almost halilhat of the N120, but we
in deSKtop space, which However, it will have to can't be sure whether Ihe blame lies With Ihe
SUMMARY
removes Ihe cramped VERDICT It, 72Op·upabl~ .,:r~ and downscale such content to larger screen or the Ion chipset. For a full-sized
feeling common when Ion chi p",t ar ~ _lcome,but it. baUff)' show it on its 72Op-capable laptop it would be considered more than
working on many netbooks. life Is poorwmpared to tho N120 screen. Alternatively, you can respectable, but Samsung has set the bar for
It's a high resolution NETBOOK 1.&6GHI Int~1 Atom NlBO, connect a Full-HD display via netbooks very high.
considering the physical lG8 RAM, l6OG8 disk, Nvidi~G.f ...ce the HDMI port to get the best We generally like Samsung's keyboards. Here,
dimensions of the screen, so 9400M &r~pI>ks, 11.6in w;O''' .... n lCO. possible picture. the keys are large enough, bUI the key action is
Wlndow, XP H"",," Edit""', ..... _ye ... RTB
while you'll see much finer Yoo'll need to use light, and we felt there wasn't as much feedback
w;"'~ nty , 3O>c289x200mm, 1.4I;g
detail in photos and movies, 1'OWlRCONSUMPTION lW suJ>dlry", headphones or external as there is on Samsung's other netbooks.
in Windows you may need 14W idl. , nw act~ spea kers, as the internal With a dis.appointing battery life and a
to increase the size of text PAll COO[ Np·N510· KA02UK spea kers on the NS10 are slightly mushy keyboard, the NS10 doesn't stand
DETAILS www.somsung.com/uk
to make it comfortable to pathetically underpowered. up well to the competition from its own
read.The LED-backlit display PERFORMANCE (00< _ ' " Despite its video-playback stablemates, especially for those who want to
is bright and colours are prowess, Ion isn't powerful work on the go. The larger display and HD video
accurate, although not quite enough to play 3D games, playback will appeal to some, but most will be
as vivid as some other scoring a paltry S.l fps in our happier wi th the cheaper N120,
LED-backlit screens we've Call of Duty 4 benchmark. Barry de la Rosa

Freedom to create.
Freedom to share.

Nero 9· Rel oaded - t he award wi nn ing, multimedia software IUite~;:~=


Take the liberty of bringingyolJlC music, videos, and photosto the next level with the latest version of he world's
best-semng digital me<fi3 suite. Whetheryou're an expert or-n b! 'nner, Nero 9 • RekNIded helps Yo9 achi...-e
pl'ofessional results with all your multimedia projects, Capture, edit, and en}oYyour mUSIC, videos, and pootos
through a simple user interface with integrated state-of-the-art features. Now you can restassured that your
creations will last a lifetime With the easy-to-use yet powerful data protection features from Nero BackttUp
& Burn, included for free wilh Nero 9 - Reloaded.
~ INCLUDES
Nero 9 - Reloaded Ne ro BackttUp & Burn FREE Nero BackltUp & Burn
• Create home movies and photo slide shows • Back up to hard drive, CDs, DVDs, and FREE - a £40 value
• Capture and edit your HD movies: burn DVD & Blu-ray Discs online storage
• Restore lost, deleted, and damaged files

----
• Rip and edit your mus c tracks: create MP3s

www.nero.com

www.freedowns.net & www.journal-plaza.net


PC SYSTEMS IHAPTOPS

BYTE SIZE PC SPECIALIST


QDOS Vortex is GTS
Leather case
for Samsung ****
£849 inc VAT
From PC Specialist 0844 499 4000
P3
PC Specialist'sVortex is GTSlooks identical to
****
£20 in c VAT
many of the company's previous PCs, using
the same rather bland case. What illacks in
From www.hughes
direct.co.uk style, though, it makes up for in other
areas. It's SlIrprisingly quiet, even though
If you're temp ted by it comes with one of Intel's powerful Core
Saffisung's touchs(reen P3 is 750 proceS5ors, and has a large 24in monitor.
portable audio player (see Labs, We've already seen a few Core is 7S0-equipped not lound in Windows 7 Home Premium, such as file
page 78). you may wan t a case PCs, but we're still impressed by how quickly the encryption and remote desktop hosting, but they are
for it. This leather and processor tears through our application benchmarks. too specialised to be 01 interest to most people.
polyester case f~ls well made Up to 16GB of RAM can be fined. but the 4GB There are only two P(I slots, one of which is
and is rigid and well padded, 50 included here should be more than enough for most blocked off by the graphics card. However, there are
it should prot ect your P3 from tasks lor some time 10 come. more than enough USB ports for adding extemal
oaasional knocks and scrapes. The 24in Acer widescreen display has a big nat M> devices, with 15 in total. plus FireWi re and eSATA ports.
Holes on t he bott om of the resolution 01 l ,92Ox l,080 pixels. This gives you a direct No speakers are induded, but in addition to the
case provide easy access to the pixel-to-pixel match when watching full-HD video, analogue 7.1 surround-sound speaker outputs, there's
headphone socket and the USB plus a huge desktop for working on. It's bright, with also optical and a coaxial 5/PDIF for connecting to a
port. You'll have to open the accurate-looking colours, but viewing angles aren't very surround-sound amplifier,
flap covering t he hold button wide so colour accuracy suffers unless you're sitting PC Specialist's Vortex is GTS is a good choice for
and the volume controls to directly in Ironl of the screen. demanding work, Iha nks to a large
access these bu tt ons, though. Gamers may be a lit!!e SUMMARY screen, Windows 7 Ultimate and a
The inside of the flap appears disappointed by the Nvidia GeForce VEROICT A big monitor and Window. 7 fast quad-core processor. It's quiet
to have a poc~ et for a credit GTS 250 graphics card. Although Ultimate make Ihi. a real wO<kIlorn.,but and has plenty of uselul ports, too.
card but it's too small so isn't the Vortex is mana~d a smooth beller·value deals are available Many will prefer Mesh's £800 IceS
of much use. Nevertheless, at 56.2fps in our Call of Duty 4 test, OESKTOPPC Int",~ 15 750, 4GB RA M. 7S0 C5, though {see Labs, Shopper
£20 this Ca')e is good value. Crysis was only just playable at 750GB "ard d"k, lG8 N-.idia G. foo:. 262).That has Ihe same proceS5or,
Alan Lu 27.4fps. Our tests are run at Gl) 250,OVO./·~W ./·OL,2.in but a larger lT Bhard disk and a
wlducr...n LCD. Window< 1 Ul ~'"at •.
l,68Oxl,050, so you'll need to ~3S>211'49Omm, ~· y.ar RTB w..,."nty
moce powerful graphics card (it now
D£TAIlS www.qdos$oond.com sacrifice anti-aliasing to get Crysis ships withATl's new HD 5770, see
POWER CONSUMPTION 3W starodby,
running smoothly at the monitor's lOW kll•. 19(N1 a.ctl". page 44), It has a slightly smaller
higher nat ive resolution. We're used PART COOl v,.mx is GTS 22in screen, but Ihe same 1080p
TVCLEAN to seeing moce powerlul graphics resolution. The Vortex is just
TVclean cards in PCs at this price. outdone by the better-value IceS,
One surprising bonus is that butlor those who wit! make use 01
Combo Pack Windows 7 Ultimate comes Windows Ultimate's extra features,
*****
£20 inc VAT
~'f8t·Ja
• fj' " -
pre-installed on the spacious
750GB hard disk. This has features
it's actually the better choice,
Alan Lu
From www.tvclean.co.uk

TVclean's Combo Pack is


designed to remove dust from
your scrl't'n, not move it
EDITOR'S CHOICE
around. It uses two rollers in
contact with each other: a
MESH
rubber roller picks up dust Matrix II 925 HD
from you r screen and transfers
it to a roll of adhesive paper.
When one sheet is fully coated
*****
£670 inc VAT
From www.meshcomputers.com
in dust, you simply tear it off.
You also get a MicroFiber Mesh's Ma tri~ II 925 HO isn't the
cloth to remove greasy ma rks. fastest PC £670 can buy, but
Replacement adhesive rolls it's a well-rOl.Jnded system. The
cost £12 for a pack of t hree 2.8GHz PhI' nom II X4 925 can't
and a pack of three Microfiber compete with Intel Core is
cloths costs £9.99. processors, oot few people need
The system worked really that much power.
we ll, removing all the dust Mesh has used the
from the filthiest of monitors. money saved to install
At this price, it's a bargain and several useful components.
the perfect way to dean One is the huge lTB hard
your displays of dirt. disk, which should cater for all your storage games at reasonable quality levels. Meanwhile, the
David ludlow needs. Next is the great 22in liyama E2208HD5 Ma trix's microATX is nice and compact. UnleS5 you
monitor. It's one of our favourite monitors, with really need the e~tra speed of a COfe is prOCeSSOf, the
accurate colours. Its lull HD resolution is a perfect Matrix 11925 HD is a grea t buy for £670.
match lor the Mat rix 11'5 Blu-ray drive for HD movies. Please note that due to recent memory price rises,
There's also an An Radeon HD 4850 graphics this PC now costs £20 more than when originally
card. This is powerful enough to play the latest reviewed. This doesn't affect its Best Buy award.

COMPUTER SHOPPeR • JANUARY 2010


www.freedowns.net & www.journal-plaza.net
"Free sh ipping fo. ~ limited time. on a ll orders d el i ~ered ~ i ~ Roy~ 1 M~i l ~~cket ~ost First ( I ~" w ithin the UK. Channe l 1,land,. and 1,le 01 M~n.

C2009. Luar Media. All rights reserved. Info.m~t i oo is ,ubject to change w ithout notice. Crucia l. the (",da ll ogo. ~od Th e Memory experts ~r e
trademark< and , ervice mark< of Micron Technology. Inc . All other trademark< and ",rvice mark< are property 01 their re' pective owners. Lexar Med ia
is a division 01 Micron [u'ope Limited. Phone .44 (0)1355 586100. fax .44 (0)1 355 586101. E-ma il crtxia leusupportOmkroo.(om. luar Med ia is not
responsible fo' om issions or e((OfS in typography or photography. Ad expires 30 days aft er pub lication.

www.freedowns.net & www.journal-plaza.net


There's safe. And then there's really safe.

With best-in-class security technology and free local support: no one keeps
you safer than Webfoot. Find out why Webroot products are recommended
by experts and trusted by over 20 million users worldwide. Run a free scan for
viruses and spyware at www.webroot.co.uk/freescan orlookforus at your
favourite retailer. See why there's safe. and then there's Webfoot safe.

fIIo_~~·I""".".._·"",_·t_

, _ .... _ . _ ... _ . _ ..... _ _


- tt_. _..t ___
amazon.co.uk·
...
__ . __ . . .
• ..-1..-...................
The Best Security in sn Unsecured World '"

~ ~ w...""_~_ ..
Owe b ro 0 t"
~r.w1

_ _ _ _ llfOo<n_ .. ...-g_ .. _ _ _ ._
_ _ _"_,-""""
.. _ .. __ 'I0<0I'''-'__ • _ _ _ ''' .._
,... _ _ ...
__•
I
o
<
~
"
"
'
.
_
_ _ ........... TOo ... ~ • • _ _ .. ~._ot Io< ..... ~

" " _ .. . . _01 _ _


~

www.freedowns.net & www.journal-plaza.net


PC SYSTEMS & LAPTOPS

ACER BYTE SIZE


Ferra ri One FREETALK
****
£399 inc VAT
Everyman
From www. microa nvika.com ****
£20 inc VAT
From htt p://shop.
Acer's Ferrari One is a thin netbook with stylish cut-off skype.eom
edges and a bright red lid with the fam ous prancing
horse logo emblazoned on it. Opening it up reveals a Although the
ca rbon-fibre wrist rest, and the racing car Everyman USB
theme even extends to the rubber feet headset is designed to wO(k
underneath, which are moulded in the shape of with Skype, you can use it in
wheels. A!; an homage to Ferrari it certainly works; any application. It's possible to
it's th e most eye-catching netbook we've seen. unpl ug the headphones from
Under the hood, the du al-cO(e 1.2GHz AMD Athlon the USB connector and plug
X2l3 10 processor powers the Ferrari One to an overall resolution than most netbooks, with 1,366x768 pi ~els, them into any device with a
score 0126.That's about 50 per cent laster than an giving you a far bigger desktop.The speakers. backed up 3.Smm minijack ootput.
average single-core Atom-powered netbook, though by Dolby Home Theater technology. were clear and This isn't convenient as the
it's he lped along by the 2GB of RAM. There's also a loud. There's no HDMI port, though, so you can't bulky USB plug is left to flap
large 250GB hard disk, compared to the 160GB disk OUlput HD video to a larger screen, but the headphone freely around. The microphone
found in most netbooks, and it comes with Wi ndows 7 socket doubles as an S/PDIF audio ootput. isn't detachable, so most
Home Premium rather than Windows XP. Acer has used the full width of the case for the people will prefer a separate
The ATI Radeon HD 3200 graphics chipset enables keyboard, so there are few compromises on key size or set 01 headphones, kee ping
the Ferrari One to play back 1080p HDvideo, but it's layout. However. the flat keys are hard to distinguish their USB set for computer use.
not suitable fO( games as it managed only a measly by touch and the action is too light, with hardly any If you want t o take the
2.6fps in our Call of Duty 4 test. feedback. In an effort at sty ling, t he Everyman on your journeys,
This is the first computer we've touch pad is tapered toward the the set folds flat.
SUMMARY
seen with ATl's eXtemal Graphics VERDICT It bright 'u~n and M tt~r
edge of the case; this means it lacks Sound quality was great for
Plat/O(m {XGPj port, which lets you ~rlorm.nc~ than mo.t n~tOOok., but a straight vertical edge on which to Skype, gaming and music. The
attach a standalone graphics the Ferrari 'tyllng won't ,ult everyone place a scroll area, and the buttons flexible mic was sensitive, too.
adaptor. Disappointingly, no NETBOOK 1.2CH! AMDAlhlon X2l)10, are too small, although they are At 124g t his is a fairly Ught ,
extemal adaptors were ava ilable for lca RA M,2SOGe dilk,~T1 RoM"" HO 3100 easy to locate wi th your thum bs. good quality USB headset.
testing. A plug-in graphics card is a g "' ~ks , 11.6io w;des<: ~ n LCD, Windows 7 This may be the first time we'Vf!. Jim Martin
Horn~ ~ ."" &4_bit,,,,,~.y ..r RTl!
neat idea. but withoot near universal seen ATl's XGP technology, but it's
w.n.... ty,Z4.ZBS.Z04mm,1.Skg
support from manufacIIJrers we the Ferra ri styling that's the real star DfTAIlS www.r.. •• talk.me
POWER CONSUMPTION lW standby.
can't see it catching on. 19W .... )OW OCC"'. here. If you like the look, the great
We were impressed by the PART CODE LXJ RC02.00S display and impressive Windows
I 1.6in LED-backli t screen, which DETAIlS www.o< .... co.uk
perfO(mance add substarxe to style.
EXSPECT
was bright and coloorful. It has a It's m O(e capable than Samsung's Drop'N'
glossy finish, which means that N510 (see page 19), and doesn't
colours are more sallJrated but cost much more. but the lack of an
Charge Kit
Xbox 360
bright overhead lights can cause
nasty reflections. It has a higher . ""--
os, HDMI output is a shame.
Barry de la Rosa
****
£laine VAT
From www.play.com

Exspect"s Drop'N'Charge
EDITOR'S CHOICE wireless charging kit comes
wi th a charging mat (powered
by USB Irom your console or
via the supplied power
adapto() and a replacement
*****
£680 inc VAT
LAPTOP Int. 1
battery fO( your Xbox 360
controller. Wii and Wii Fit
From Dell 0 844 444 5818
versions are also available.
like most 01 Dell's recent laptops. the vou simply place your
Studio I S is available in a range of colours charger on one of the mat's
at no extra cost, The laptop is attractive "'~ two charge areas. It works well,
and feels well built and sturdy. It has taKing four hoors to charge and
a large Keyboard with plenty of DETALS www.d<llco.uk giving eight hours of gameplay.
feedback fO( quick and FUU REVIEW Doc ZOO9 However, Microsoft's Quick
accurate typing. A backlight Charge Kit costs the same but
makes the keys easy to see in charges in two hours and gives
all lighting conditions. 2S hours of gameplay, The
Thanks to its 4GB of RAM and 2.4GHz Core 2 DfOp'N'Charge draws 2.3W
Duo P8600 processor, the Studio 15 was extremely charging and 1.lW idle.
quick in our applications benchmarks, scoring 70 At 2.7kg, the Studio 15 is light enough to carry Drop'N'Charge is good
overall. It's also one of the few laptops here powerful around with you on the occasional joumey, and value and convenient, but the
enough to play modern 3D games. However, to get the battery lile 01 almost four hou rs is fa irly Quick Charge Kit gives you
smooth frame rates you'll need to lower detaTl imp ressive. With dece nt ba ttery life, good more hours of gameplay.
settings. Playing games or watching films is a pleasure performance in applications and games and a David Ludlow
on the 1,366x768 display. It's very bright, with an even reasonable price, Dell's Studio I S is a great
backlight. good contrast and fantastic colours. aU-round laptop.

JANUA RY 2010 . COMPUTER SHOPPER


www.freedowns.net & www.journal-plaza.net
PC SYSTEMS IHAPTOPS

I "1/1'
BYTE SIZE ~~~ ~ ~~~ a ~ ~ UI' U " i\~' around £1,000 will ~t you an ultra-portable laptop
that weighs less than 2kg, but is still as powerful as
ULTIMATE EARS CHOOSING A.. . its larger counterparts. Some ultra-portables use
MetroFi 220
t,~:!-: ~~i·a
Laptop slower ultra-low voltage (ULV) processors to
increase battery life further.

From www.p lay.com Computer n If you're on a budget, a low-cost netbook is a


.:.I good alternative for portability. You won't get
Ultimate Ears was FolloW the steps to find your ideal specs a powerful processor or an optical drive, and the
set up byAlexVan 1'1IOCESSOR: 2GH. """t'Um Dual.co.. T.2OO hard disk and screen may be much smaller.
Halen (the band's MEMORY: 2GB CDR
However, you should still have enough power to
drummer) for
HAIID DISK: lSOGe
browse the web, read emails and use office
professional OPTlu..L DRIVE: OVD ...... rite<
applications. Expect to pay up to £300.
musicians. The GR/lPHlCS:. lntegfate<l (w.-, .y<t""" m....-y)
noise-isolat ing SCRnN, Is.on 1,Z80><800wide$c.ree<1 lCO IC'I lf you're not swayed by ultra-portable
plugs in its new MetroFi range EXTRAS: W~eleu Mtw<><I<;ng. ~ U chic, you can get more for your cash.
are aimed at those with more CONNECTORS: nne use port<. "'""""'>' UII-d!Nder Entertainment laptops pile on the features but
modest budgets. soFTW",RE: WIndows v.sta H _ Pr<"" lum still keep the price under £1,000. You should
The 220'5 ear buds aren't expect a 17in widescreen display, hybrid TV tuner
WtJGHT: "JI<g
detachable, but they're well Retomn"'On-de<l m,nim"'" in grey and remote control.
made and sound great. Bass
isn't quill' up to the level of ~ You can add features to a laptop without
Jays s-JAYS (see What's New, 11.:.1 increasing the weight or reducing battery life.
Shopper 262), but it's still
strong. Vocals were dear and
treble wasn't t oo harsh.
D The minimum specification shown above
is for a laptop that should cost below
£500. However, it isn't very powerful or, at 3kg,
A 320GB or 500GB hard disk will give you far more
storage space, while 4GB of RAM will help Windows
speed through tougher tasks.
Three sizes of plugs are particularly portable.
included to help you get the r:t Dedicated graphics let you play modem 3D
best fit, and we found it easier 1:1 Most modem laptops, but not netbooks, II:.iI games and are increasingly common on all
to insert the 220'5 buds than U come with dual-core processors. These but the cheapest or lightest laptops. Look for an ATI
Shure's SEtOl (see page 38). provide plenty of processing power for most tasks. Mobility Radeon HD 4650 or Nvidia Ge Force
If you own an jPod, iPhone Only those who need to undertake serious tasks, 9600M GS (hipset as a minimum for getting
or BlackBerry, the 220vi set such as editing HD video, on a daily basis should smooth frame rates on the latest titles.
comes with an in-line mic for consider a quad-core processor in a la ptop. Many laptops use integrated graphics, which
phone calls and a button that are fine for most other purposes, but use up
lets you pause music. They're a n Most laptops come with 15.4in 1,280xBoo system memory.
great choice if you're looking E:.I widescreen displays, which are great for
for a cheap noise-isolating set. watching DVDs or TV. If you want a laptop for home ~ Once you're happy with your specification,
jim Martin use, it's worth considering one with a 17in display. ....:J start to shortlist some models. Pay attention
DETAILS _ _ul t lm at ~ ~ ruom This will also have a higher resolution of at least to the quality of the keyboard and touchpad, as
1,440~900, giving you a bigger desktop. This makes these will be in constant use. Balance the weight,
it far easier to use complex appllcations such as battery life and display size against the features
ALTEe LANSING photo- or video-editing software. you'll really need.
Expressionist
. . . A modem, 10/100 Ethernet
Classic i i i port and wireless 802.11 b/g
***
£44 inc VAT
From www.micro
networking (WiFi) should be fitted as
standard. Bluetooth is handy for
connecting to a mobi le phone, but
direct.co.uk
it's usually fitted only to more
Altec Lansing's E~pressionist e~pensive business laptops.
Classic stereo speakers have a Memory card readers are pretty
striking and minimallst design. much standard, but check that
They're compact, too, at only your camera's or MP3 player's
127~127~159mm. format is supported.
They're surprisingly loud,
with plenty of bass, but they n lf portability is your main
sound muddy. which made it 1:1 priority, look for a laptop
difficult to discern subtle with a 12.1in display. Spending
backing vocals and instruments
in some tracks. They also sound
a little harsh at high volumes,
so they're not ideal if you need
to fill a room with music.
The E~preS5ionist Classic
speakers are attractive and
compact, but unless you're
particularly taken with their
, ,.
looks, you'll ~t far better
sound from Logitech's Z.1
X-230 speakers (see page 38).
Alan Lu

COMPUTER SHOPPeR • JA NUARY 2010


www.freedowns.net & www.journal-plaza.net
.co
powerful hosting solutions for
small to medium business sites .
1&1 Business Package
• NEW: 20 GO Web Space
• NEW: UNLIMITED Traffic
. 3 FREE .uk domains included

_ for 3 months·

.co.uk, .me.uk, .org.uk domains now only £2.49 first year '

· '.,m•• nd {onditoon. apply. please set wt b" te fo ' fwhe, det. i ~ . Got ] month. h•• 00 sele<t.d w.b h<>.to~9 p.{~.g •• whe n you ilgn ~p for . 1 yu, piC~i9 .1
Spf'{i. 1off." aViI,lable •• of 0111112009 ilnd fOl' iI hm it.d tom. on ly. Pric. ... <100. VAT.

www.freedowns.net & www.journal-plaza.net


en SONY

c Reader Pocket Ed ition


***
£160 inc VAT

...J
From www.waterstones.com

Sony's new Pocket Edition eBook reader has a Sin

W screen, which is smaller than the 6in display on the


original (see below). This makes it more compact.
although it's a little thicker. It feels as well built as the

:I: originallxit doesn't come with the protective leather


wallet. The front of the case uses the same brushed
aluminium as the original. but the rear and edges are
now made of plastic As a result, the Pocket Edition is

C 40g lighter than its predecessor.


The Pocket Edition allows you to change the
orientation of the screen to landscape, which helps Unl ike the original Reader, the Pocket Edition has

Z compensate for the smaller Sin screen. It has fewer


controls than the original Reader, and in landscape
mode these fall more conveniently under your left
no memory ca rd slot, and although Sony quotes an
internal memory of 51 2MB, the formatted size for
storage is "ctuaUy around 443MB. This is still big

c:( thumb. You can only reorientate the screen in one


direction, though, so you can't place the controls
under your right thumb.
We liked the fact that the original Reader had page-
enough to hold around 300 books, but you won't fit a
whole library of reading possibilities in there.
The eBook library software is stored on a separate,
read-only partition on the Pocket Edition. The eBook

:I: turning lxittons on both sides. The Pocket Edition's


central controls simply aren't as convenient to use,
and without a wallet, the device feels awkward in the
hand. The lack of a wallet and the ability to orient
store built into the library softw"re is actually just a
collection of links to Waterstones, WH Smith and
Borders. We much prefer Mobipocket"s integrated
library and store software. Unlike the original Reader,
the screen in landscape mode also Mobipodet"s PRC file format
make the Pocket Edition look and SUMMARY isn't supported, and the device
feel less like a real book, which may VERDICT With little imp'owm~nl owr isn't recognised.
put off some users. At least the the original model and lots of missing With the price of the old
featu,es,lhe Poci:el Edition Isn'l Sony's

FAQ four-way navigation control works


the same way in both landscape
and portrait modes.
bf:n Reilde'
nOOK READO. 512M B <~"",~y. S"
Sony Reader now falling to that
of the Pocket Edition, we simply
cannot see any reason to buy
600><800 ~I"'trop/lon'tk di'f'lay, ,uwort'
How u n I buy o ne Although the pages tum the Pocket Edition at the moment.
Q of Amazon 's Kindle reasonably quickly, we found that
oPU8. PC*", DOC . TXT. ~F and 88. e ~- book
lil.s, USB int.""' •. 107xlo><tS8mm.220g. The original model is more
eBook rea de rs? the controls still had too much lag one·y. ar RTl! w.rranty stylish arx! feets more like a paper
to convince a book reader to give up PART CODE PRS300S.CE7 book, plus is it has memory card
OfTAILS ............ sony.<o.uk
Amazon has announced their dead-tree copies. The controls slots and can play MP3s. ln
A that UK customers can are buffered too, so if you press a PERFORMANCE 1_ _ 111
... _1 comparison, the Pocket Edition is
finally get their hands on the
Kindle, although they'll have
to buy it from the US store. It
button twice in frustration, the
command will be carried out twice. - -- -... --
wI poor value.
Barry de Id Rosa

costs $259 (around £158) and


includes free 3G access for
downloading books and
newspapers, in<:luding The
ImtJORlSid!lH.OICE
Times, Telegraph and Daily
Mail, directly to the device. All
NAVMAN SONY .-
content is currently charged in 530 3D Reader
US dollars. Amazon claims
that more than 250,000 books
are available to UK customers,
****
£65 inc VAT ~P'''!
3m
From www.handtec.co.uk
" ***** 114fillf."i
£160 inc VAT • £iI "-
From www.play.com
and that the list is growing
all the time. The S30 3D satnav has a simple interface and Sony's beautifully des igned Reader has be{!n our
The company plans to p<"ovides trustworthy route information. It comes benchmark for eBook read ers since we started
introduce a UK Kindle store in with maps that cover the UK and Ireland, but you get reviewing them in Shopper 2S0.ln tha t time,
the near future, i1lthough it has only one year of free speed the price has fallen from
yet to announce a date. · You camera alerts. Despite it s over £200 t o £160, and EBOOK READER 192MB
can expect to see many more low p<"iee, this salnav cuts now thaI Sony has int.,,,,,1 ""'mory. SO/M.mory
books from UK publishers no important corners, lau nched new Readers, Stkk Pro !lots. bin
"Io<trop/lon'tk di$play.
available in the coming weeks making the S30 3D a this could fall even 34Sg, 260g (witr.out ca,. ),
and months,~ said }eff Belos, good choice fOf the tower. Its con trots are 8x122x17Smm, on.·y.ar
founder of Amalon.(Om. Watch occasional traveller simple, and its battery RTl! """.n1't. supports EPUB.
out for our review of the Kindle who doesn't want to life and performance are B~B, PDf. Mkrosoft Word,
TXT. RTF. Mobipoxk. t PRe
in next month's issue. shell oul for features similar to those of Ihe t.xt; MP3.AAC .... dio; IPG. Glf.
they'll never use. new models. Now is a BMP. PNG imago'
great time to pick up a PART CODE PRS·5OS
Barrv de la Rosa STANDALONE SAmAv 3v.,in. 320><240 di'f'lay. Int.grat.d
Reader at a bargain price DETALS ............sooystyl• .cQ.uk
S iR fua~1I with ''''IMIFI. II "".1"" . Navman SmMST 2008
laptops am! fUU REVlEW 0", lOO8
handhelds expert wftw .... UK and ~Iand map'
PART CODE 530 0 DETAILS www._n.com
FULl REVlEW Mar 2009
before
still stocks
looks greatrunand
out.
better value than ever.
is 11 ... _i._
t:~~!~~~~~
...!:' ._

COMPIJTER SHOPPeR • JANUARY 2010


www.freedowns.net & www.journal-plaza.net
HANDHELDS

CHOOSING A ...
MIONAVMAN
Moov Spirit 500 Traffic Satnav
***
£200 inc VAT
From www.play.com
FoJJowthe steps to find yourideaJ specs
~COV~ UK~~~
SCIlfEN SlU: 3' ,jro
POSTCOO£ SiJPIIORT; rive charKtBs
The Mio brand has ~en absent from the UK for a TftAffICDATA, ,., .....
couple of years, but the company has bought R«omm.lIdtd minimum In ,roy
Navman and combined both brands. The Moov valid, and suggested nearby street5 that
Spirit SOO Trallic represents the top of the SOO included those numbers, rather than offering to
range, with full maps of 23 European COUntries,
Bluetooth (for weather, Google local search and
hands-free calling via a Bluetooth phone) and
navigate to 'anywhere' in our chosen road,
One of Mio's goals was to tidy up the driving
view, but while the white background looks dea n,
D A satnavwith the minimum
specifications listed above
will I:ost you around fSO.lt's a
Traffic MeS5age Channel (TMC) trallic informat ion. the default zoom level (which can't be changed) is standalone device, so you
It's just 14mm thick, with a larger than average surprisingly low, and shows too much of the get everything you need in one
4.7io widescreen display. The TMC receiver is built surrounding area lor our liking, It zooms in compact handheld unit. Its screen
in, so there's no external electronics, and there's a automatically at junctions and shows lane isn't particularly big or dear to
microSD slot for adding to its 2GB of storage. guidance for motorway exits, Many will appreciate see, and it will be quite slow at
The Spirit part of t he name refers to the new the fact that it announces road names aloud, <:aleul.ting routes. It h.s UK and
interface,l'Ihich can be controlled wit h finger although audio was distorted even at low volumes. Ireland maps only, so you can't use it
swipes. This was rather hit and miss in our tests, Tapping the screen while driving allows you to in other parts of the world.
and frustrating compared with an iPhone's flawless add an intermediate destination (useful lor a brief If you've got an e.isting POA or
touchscreen interface, We prefefTed to use the detour to refuel) or avoid a roadblock ,You can also smartphone, you can buy the
afTOW controls to navigate menus. mute the sound, but you can only adjust the software, maps and, if needed, GPS
The main menu has all the buttons you're volume in the main menu - a disappointing receiver in a kit. This will convert your
likely to need, including Find, My Places, Explore oversight. The 500Traffic is packed with features, handheld into a satnav with similar
(which shows local points of interest), Traffic, Map, though. Route options includes an economy specifications to those listed above.
Capture (which records your CUfTent position) and setting that minimises the number of junctions. The cost will be similar, too,
Travel Book {a list of rather terse city guides}. NavPix lets you navigate to destinations simply by
Scroll down and you'll find the option to navigate tapping on images (some of which are preinstalled, EI To travel further afield than the
home, find a petrolstatioo, 5uc.h as Big Ben), am! the ~ UK or Ireland, you'll need new
plan a multi-destination trip MioMore desktop softwa re let5 m.ps. These are usually available from
SUMMARY
and find nearby emergency you add extra content, such as the manufacturer at an extra cost.
VERDICT A feature-packed satnav, but
services, restaural"llS and car the touchscr~n can be un ...",onsive. extra POls and NavPix locations. When you buy the maps, make sure
parks, cash point5 and other It', .lso quite expensive.nd the ... . ... However, the unresponsive you have a memory card big enough
places of interest. bf:tter-value alternatives interface and other niggles to store them, or ellOugh memory on
The Spirit 500 offers more mean we stiR preferTomTom's your PDA or smartphone.
STANDALONE SATNAV Uin, 480. 272
ways of finding a destination di,play, iot.g<at..J S<Rhtar III with
Go 530T.lt may have a slightly Alternatively, you can save a
than any satnav we've seen, Instantfixll re<:~iv . r, MioMore softw...., smaller 4.3in screen, but it has bit of money by buying a satnav
including a useful keyword Europo! mop:! (n coontries),85. 132.1 4mm, even more features and costs with a wider choice of maps in the
search. However, it occasionally two-yea, RTB warranty just t 184 including VAT from first place.
PART COO£ 5SOS
refused to let us enter house www.handtec,co.uk.
numbers that we knew were Jim Martin I:'J Want quicker route cakulation
1::1 and a beller display? Buy a
more e~pensive standalone satnav
with a quicker processor; a 4in screen

f."Il . -
or higher with a resolution of 480x272
VIEWSONIC will give you plenty of space for
VTV35 I detailed maps-If you're using a PDA
r ' ~1l 0 or smartphone and it seems slow,

****
£66 inc VAT
From www.lambda-tek.com/componentshop
I , ~lId consider upgrading to a newer model
with a quicker processor and a screen
with a higher resolution .

Viewsonic's VTV35 is the most basic portable TV an EPG providing only now-and-next information, . . . If you travel a lot, real-time
player we've seen, It has no SO ca rd slot or USB The screen flickered a bit in menus, but TV was IiJI traffic information is essentiaL
port, so you can't play MP3s or view video or fine , Our main disappointment was that the TV The most common way to obtain
image files on its 3'hin screen, This goes a long picture didn't take up the entire screen, with updates is by connecting to your
way towards explaining l'Ihy it cost5 so little, narrow black bars above and below. This is because mobile phone and downloading
The VTV35 loo~s remarkably similar to the Icy the screen is a 4:3 ratio, while the Freeview signal the latest information. This d.ta
Box IB-MP 10 l (see \.W)at's New, Shopper 256). is 16:9.You can force it to display at 4:3. but you'll is charged atllOrmal network
However, the extendable antenna is much longer either squeeze the image or lose the edges. rates, though.
than the flimsy one on the If you want to listen to Some high-end standalone
IB-MP10l, and reception was SUMMARY music, view photos or watch satnavs have a TMC chip, whic h
much better. However, it's let VERDICT A simplt portabl~ TV pla~ videos as wen as TV, receives tr.ffic inform.tion over the
down by the lack of an external the lack of mtdia tilt playback is ofhtt Hauppauge's myTV Player is FM radio network for free.
antenna port, Build quatity is by Its low price better, but it CO'>lS f40 more. Several high-end standalone units
basic, with plain black plastic PORT"WTV P1.AYER. 3Y.tin 3ZOXZ40 The VTV35 is an adequate TV have integrated microphones and can
all round, although it feels solid. ... soIu~"" LCD. 12b75.14mm. 149g. and radio, but as with all be used as a hands-free phone over
The program guide and one ·~ar RTB W¥Tant)' portable TVs,you'li often need a Bluetooth connection. To take
PARTCOOE V512801
menu system are easy to to search for good re ception. advantage, you'll need a compatible
DETAILS W'WW.vI.w'onlc.co,uk
follow and clearly laid out, with Barry de la Rosa mobile phone with Bluetooth.

JANUARY 2010 . COMPUTER SHOPPER


www.freedowns.net & www.journal-plaza.net
HP
Officejet 7000
*****
£185 inc VAT
From www.oyyy.co.uk

A3 printers haVl! lots of uses in work


environments, from promotional brochures to
A4 documents with room for annotations in
the margins. It's less likely that they'U be caUed
upon to produce traditional glossy photo prints,
though, except perhaps for surreptitious private use. We also tried the printer with HP's expensive
This is the rationale behind HP's Officejet 7000, 180gsm Superior Inkjet Paper, which is designed to
one of the least expensive A3 in~jets we've seen. Based match photo paper but has a finish that's better suited
on a similar four-ink print engine to the A4 Officejet to business graphics such as brochures.This produced
6000 (see Labs. page 90). photo printing isn't its forte. vivid colours and sharp te~t. White text on a coloured
However, costing much less than A3laser printers - background was particularly impressive, With none of
particularly colour ones - it's an attractive prospect for the bleeding exhibited on plain paper. Laser printers
small offices with limited IT budgets. Print costs at50 can produce a similar effect on plain paper, but inkjets
compare well at just 4.7p per mixed-colour A4 page. have more subtle shading. which gives smoother results
You can connect it directly to your PC via USB, or in graduated fills and full -colour graphics.
use Ethemet to share it on a network The sole inP'Jt Performance was e~cellent, churning out mono text
tray holds just 150 sheets and leaves them exposed to pages at 9.6ppm for A4 and 5.7ppm for A3. Draft print
dust, and the plastic case doesn't look like it's designed speeds were even better, at 17.6ppm for A4 and
to cope with careless use in a busy 9.6ppm for A3. Quality in Fast Draft
office. Still, the 7,000 pages-per- mode was barely distinguishable
month duty cyde is reassuring, SUMMARY from Normal mode, and was
although this is a one-time VERDICT Wilh low ",nn;"g costs. a fast certainly up to the demands of
maximum rather than suggested draft sp"~d and d"!,~nd.bl~ print everyday use. For text prints at least,
qualily, Ihi. i •• g.... 1 <hok~ for .m.n
regular use. the Officejet 7000 can keep up with
Mono text prints on cheap offices Ihal n-Hd A3 colour 0lJ"'"'''::'::---1 laser printers.A4 colour graphics
FOUR-COlOUR .0.3+ BUSINESS INKJET
80gsm photocopier paper were output was slower, though, at
4,800x1 ,2OOdpi maximum ",solution,
dark, crisp and essentially fauhless USBa»d 101100 [themet 'llOffac • • . 3.8ppm: around a third of the speed

FAQ except under the dosest scrutiny.


Business graphics looked excellent,
too, with bright. smooth block
4 02.574. 181mm. .",.·yo o, RTB W¥Tont)'
POWlRCONSUMPTION 1W 'larKby,
2W ><J. •• 10Woct~
we'd expect from a colour laser.
As a low-cost alternative to an
A3 colour laser, the Officejet 7000 is
PART CODE C9Z99A
I've seen the ColorLok colours and no visible banding. almost impossible to f'lUlt.lt's fast
Q logo o n several bra nds of Photo prints made a respectable
DETAILS WIWo'.hp.<o.uk
for text prints, running costs are
printe r paper. What is it? first impression but, with blacks incredibly low and, when used with
produced from a composite of specialist paper for critical jobs,
Colorlok is a quality cyan. magenta and yellow, dark quality is at least as good as from a
A standard that means the
paper bedring its logo meds
areas were a little pasty and had
a blue tint.
colour laser, and often better.
Ben Pitt
specific criteria for ink bleed,
drying time and a constant
~ight throughout the ream.
It originated as an additive in
HP Everyday Papers to improve
EDITOR'S CHOICE
permanence, but there's no
requirement for ColorLok paper SAMSUNG CANON
to use this. CLP-315 Pixma iP100 with battery
Colorlok has been endorsed
by HP, Epson and Kodak, as ****
£135 inc VAT
~.,.,.",,..
1M's ****
£231 inc VAT
well as a number of paper From www.techdepot.co.uk From www.morecomputers.co.uk
manufacturers. Colorlok-
certified papers are more The CLP-315 is the world's Although it's Hpnsive, Canon's Pixma iPl00 has better
e~pen5jve than basic copier smallest colour laser print quality and speeds than any portable printer
paper. A n:oam of 80gsm printer, barely larger than most we've seen. Although it's designed primarily
HP-branded ColorLok paper in~jets, and it's also one of the cheapest. Its mono to print photos in sizes
costs £S compared with £2.50 print speed of 14.7ppm is sufficient for a personal up to A4, its document
FIVI-COlOUR INKJET PRNTIR
forTesco Value paper. We've printer, although quality is also excellent, g,&eoxZ,4OOdpi ma.imum
found that ColorLok paper 3.7ppm for colour prints HOME/SMAll OFFICE COlOUR with four dye-based r. ,olution. USB, Pi<:18ridg. USB.
does improve print quality, requires some patience. \.A.S.ER bOOdpi, 16ppm mono. cartridges for photo IrOA Inf,arod Inl ~ rlac • ••
but it's worth spending extra Print quality was
wn <0100'. usa in\offac• • printing, plus a pigment 6Z>.eJZZ.18Smm, .",.·yoar
24).<388.<31)rnm. on •. y.. , on,il. walT""l)'
only if you're printing excellent, with sharp RTB warranl)' black for text. PQWERCONSUMPTIQN 1W
important documents, such black text and bright, POWER CONSUMPTION 6W nandtry, 1W idl~, 11W oct~
'I""dby, 8W i<t~, 4()8W act~
as a final dissertation. glossy colour prints. "'RTCCOE 14468028BII
PAAT CODE CLP· 31 SIXEU
Mono costs of 2.2p DETAIlS ww..-som.,mg.<o.uk

Kat Drphanides a mixed-colour page


--
aren't bad, but' 1.2p for FUll REVIEW DO< 2008

Pri nters am! makes the ClP-315


best for occasional
colour print runs only. --
:::E ___
-
....
! ..

: COMPIJTER SHOPPeR • JANUARY 2010


www.freedowns.net & www.journal-plaza.net
PRINTERS & SCANNERS

' ",,",. ,1 4,;" II"" I.I ~.r:-I..l-l.,L.L~r


1i •• Ii ".r•••
SAM SUNG ICHOOSING A.. .
ML-1915
Laser Printer
****
£83 inc VAT
From www.techdepot.co.uk
FoJJowthe steps to find YOUr ideaJ specs
R£SOLlmoN: 600~
M£MORY: 8MB
If fast print speeds arn! low ronning costs are more SI>£EO: 16fipm
important than colour, a mono laser printer is INTUlfAC{S: usa
worth considering. Samsung's Ml-1915 also PAG[S PER MONTH: 5,000
includes simple operation in its list of strengths. PAPUtnA,YS: 1S0''''NI A(
Installation was unusually quick, and the print resolution enhancement. Switching from Normal OPTIONS:
driver settings are refreshingly sparse, though given to Best quality produced even smoother lines on R«om"",~ minim min g,.y
there are no networking facilities, duplex printing curved parts 01 text , but it also made greys a little
options or mult iple paper trays, this isn't surprising. 100 dark . Choosing Best quality and SWitching the
A 250-sheet paper cassette slots into the base and
keeps the paper dust·free,The integrated power
adaptor avoids the clutier of an external adaptor,
Darkness setting to light gave the best-quality
graphics and barely made any impact on print
speeds. Selecting these options from the System
D Prices for A41aser printers with
specifications such as those
above start at around £55. These
and the boxy design is smart and compact. Tray utility made them the defaults for all print jobs. models are fine for user5 who print
The only features are Ihe manual shel'l feed The ML-1 915 pulls away from its compelitOI5 less than one ream (500 pages) of
sIal and a print screen button. The former is useful when it comes to running costs. II costs 2.0Sp per paper a month. look for good print
for printing On envelopes, card and coloured paper, page, compared to 2.4p from Canon's similar quality, flexible drivers and running
The latter takes a screenshot of the desktop and LBP310Q and 2.3p from Brother's HL-203S. With costs of below 2p per page. Ideally, it
produces a paper copy,This neat trick is ideal for everything else being pretty much equal. it's easy should store paper clean and flat in
printing out an address or a map from a website, to conclude that the Ml- 191 5 is the model to buy. a horizontal tray and allow manual
A printer thiS slraightforw,mj must be judged However, these printers must also compete feeding of headed paper and
purely on its print quality, speed and costs. We wit h colour laser5, such as $amsung's own ClP-315 envelopes with no creasing.
measured 16.7ppm in our speed tests, which isn't (see Editor's Choice, below), and business in~jets
far off the 18ppm quoted speed and ba rely such as HP's Qfficejet 6000 (see Labs, page 90), E'I You'll have to spend more for a
distinguishable from its Canon The 6000 prints pages slower, U printer with the build quality
and Brother competitOr5 (see SUMMARY but because it doesn't need to and speed to cope with a heavy
Wha t's New, Shopper 25 1 and VERDICTThe b~~fit. of mono t.. ... r warm up before printing. a workload. Heavy users or small
256 respedively).lts maximum printers ....e slim. thanks to affordable single page will usually be workgroups need up to 25 pages per
colourt..,... and bu<in~" inkj~I.S, 001
monthly duty cycle of 10,000 faster. Unusually for an inkjet, minute (ppm), and whole departments
this i, th~ bt.,t narTl!'le availa"" ;;
' :-_1
pages is up to most small-to· it's also significantly cheaper to need more. Bulk printing demands
HOME/SMAll OFFICE MONO LAS£R
medium office workloads, too, 600x6OOdpi, 18ppm mono, USB i"t erl«~ ,
run. Both the Qfficejet 6000 costs of lp per page or less.
Quality was in keeping with 197x389x36Omm. "" ~· ye ... RTB wor<amy and the ClP-315 also offer
its peer5, loa, with crisp text on POWER CONSUMPnON 3W ,(arKby. colour output. For those who n Four-pass colour lasers are
photocopier paper and little 3W idle. 8~W <>Cli ....
PAATCQO( Ml-191SISEe
are adamant that they'll never Ir:I available for around £130.
evidence of banding or need colour prints, the Ml-1915 They are cheaper, but much slower
DtTALS WMY.... om""g.comluk ---1
dithering in greyscales. The is an excellent choice. However, to print colour than a single'pass
printer has an effective we doubt that many people fall model. Fortunately even some of the
resolution of 1,200x600dpi into this category. most economical print~ are now
thanks to dri~r·based Ben Pitt single pass.

. . . Support for a printer language


Ii.I such as Printer Control language
(pel) 6 or PostScript 3 means you
can use the printer with any computer
and even some PDAs.
BROTHER CANON
DCP-7030 CanoScan LiDE 700f n Not all lasers print graphics
K:I well, but a 1,200dpi resolution
***** Mi
£120 inc VAT _ _
From www.techdepot.co.uk
I *****
£81 inc VAT
From www.lambda-tek.com/componentshop
helps. Colour lasers can often print
high-quality graphics, but should have
at least 32MB of memory.
Brother's compact mOnO This lightweight USB flatbed ~ ~~""'''''''''''''~
laser MFP has only a USB scanner has a maximum ~~ t;I A network ada~tor allows you
connection and lacks the ADF and fax optical resolution of ~~ .:.I to connect a printer to an
capabilities found on many pricier devices. 9,600x9,600dpi for negati~ scans Ethernet network, so all the networi;
However, it's inexpensive, cheap to ron and ideal and 4,800x4,BOOdpi for photo and document users can print to it directly. Smaller
for everyday printing scans. It comes with a transparency adaptor that groups can use a PC to host and share
MONO LASl"R MflI 6OOx6OOdpi
and copyi ng tasks. print l'MOIur>on, 22ppm mono can scan One frame at a time. Fast scan speeds let any printer using Windows' File and
It printed mono maxi""'m~. 6QOx2,4OOdpi you scan an A4 Print Sharing Wizard.
text at 20,3ppm and <can ,,,,otut>on, USB in t~ rI",,~ , page at 300dpi in CIS FLAreW SCANNER
greyscale documents ZS7x428x3%mm. one year 12 seconds and a 9,600x9.6OOdpi "PI;.;.I 1:"1 Duplex printing is an increasingly
""s~ ~ _rranly
at 19.2ppm.You'U POWER CONSUMPnoN SW
600dpi photo in ,,,,otut>on, 411-bit cot<>IX ootput, U affordable option and lets you
ha~ to replace the 16 seconds, but a usa int.rI""o, 44xZ92x409rnm, print on both sides of a sheet of paper
.tandby,6W kA •. 877W ott ....
ono·y.... , RTB wor<anty
drum every 12,000 PARTCQDE DCP7030Ul 2,4OOdpi negati~ automatically. A scann<:!rlfax unit

--=
PARTCQD( 3Z97BOlOAA
pages, but total DtTAIlS wwwbrolilf'.co.uk took two minutes turns your printer into a multifunction
DETAilS www.unon,co,ulc
ownership costs are FULL REVIEW Jun 2009 ,,--_~ and 12 seconds. FULL REVIEW 0<:1 2009 peripheral. large groups should get
tow, with toner
costing just l.Sp
per page.
-............ --".-,""',-
" ~-
Image quality is
fantastic with
precise detail.
-~- --
multiple paper trays to deal with
headed paper and other stationery.

JANUARY 2010 . COMPUTER SHOPPER

www.freedowns.net & www.journal-plaza.net


en PHILIPS
Brilliance 225P1 ES

~
...J
***
£215 inc VAT
From www.ebuyer.com

Not long ago, PC componenl5 were all about features,


performance or, in the case of displays. image quality.
Now, manufacturers are more likely to boast of their
products' eco friendliness, and Philips is no exception.

D.. The new Brilliance 225P1ES has PowerSensor


technology, which uses two infrared sen.sors to detect

en whether you're sitting in front of it or not. The idea is


that the screen dims when you're away from your
desk, consuming around 70 per cent less power. You
can set the distance at which the sensor is activated,
Image quality is excellent, though. Colours are rich
and the picture is sharp no matter ....mich interface you

c
or deactivate it entirely if you want. use. Contrast is also impressive, and there's no lag or
We found it effective at its default setting, quickly juddering when playing videos or games, Viewing
dimming the display, even if we 5ilt back at our des~ to angles aren't wonderful. but you need to move a long
take a phone calL This reduces power consumption way off centre before the colours begin to change.
from 25W to 15W - a saving of around 40 per cent, The menus are easier to use than those on many
Stay away lor a few minutes longer and the screen displays we've seen recently. It helps that Philips has
dims even further, reduc ing power consumption to mounted the buttons on the front 01 the bezel rather
just lOW for a 60 per cent saving_ Even the standard than under it,The menus are slick and are sensibly
2SW is respectable for a 22in monitor, especially given arranged, with enough adjustment options to kee p
the very usable brightness at this setting. tweakers happy, including colour temperature and

FAQ Another bonus is the luUy


adjustable stand. which allows you
to raise the screen by up to 130mm SUMMARY
Gamma settings and an sRGB mode.
However, ....mile the 225P 1ES does
a good job of saving power. it'll take a
I need a m onitor w it h II and pivot it to portrait mode_ The VERDICT Great Image quality and while to recoup the extra £100 or so
Q Display Port input. Whit screen has both VGA and DYI input5,
adjuSlabiUty.and the sensor works
w~U, but.t thi, prk~ it'U ~ a
it costs over othe r ZZin monitors
are my o ptions? as well as built·in stereo speakef$. The while befor~ you make any savings before you start saving money. Plus,
headphone socket and USB port are it's not hard to get into the habit of
22inWIDESCREEN LCD 1.68(1)1,050

A Currently, your options


are very limited. There are
only a handful of monitors to
also potentially useful inclusions.
One disappointment is the
re.solution: 1,680:< 1,050 seems low
natM ,...ohlt"". 1,()OO:1 (25.000:1
dynamic) contra" ,ati<>, ZSOcd/m'
bright"".. , VGA and OVI ;"puu,
switching off a standard monitor to
reduce power consumption to almost
lero, The G2220HD (see Editor'
choose from , as few now that most 2Zin monitOf$ have 1h...... Y".' onslt< warranty Choice, below) cosl5less than £130,
POWER CONSUMPTION OW .tandt.)',
manufacturers are producing 1,920x l ,080 pixels. The other problem has a full-HD resolution and is the
"W~
DisplayPort monitors at the is the price: £2 15 is steep for a PAATCoo( Z25P1ESiOO better choice il you can live without
moment. Sam sung. Dell and HP manito( With this resolution, even the 22SP1ES's portrait mode.
have models with DisplayPort considering the stand and sensors. monitor"""" jim Martin
interfaces, but theY'n! very
ex~n5ive. HP's 22in L2275W
costs BOO including VAT, for
example. while ~ll's 24in
U2410 costs a whopping £440
EDITOR'S CHOICE
including VAT. Dell also sells
27in and 30in i1ltematives, but
PHILIPS PANASONIC BENQ
they cost around £600 and Brilliance Viera TX- mm G2220HD
£950 respectively.
230C1HSB P42G10B C!iiJ
One option is to buy an
adaptor cable for around
***** ~8il'%l ***** I>li:i?d!£il
~.fii~"~""~.'
*****
£123 inc VAT Zlih ?
From www.morecomputers.
it ~:~
£10-15. This converts a £164 inc VAT • fl! 1,. £729 inc VAT iii ,om
DisplayPort output to DVI, From www.digita l-fusion. From www.dixons.co.uk
co.uk
and means you can use virtually TheG2220HD
any monitor that's currently Panasonic's 600Hz has an HDCP-
on sale (apart from VGA-only It may have a 42in plasma TV compliant DV!
models). However, this won't tilt-only stand, has amazing port and a clear
work if you're trying to run but Philips' contrast and t he menu system, and the
three monitors on one of AMD's 230C1HSB is built-in Freesat tuner takes design is simple, but attractive.
new SBOO-series graphics cards. a fantastic monitor. advantage of its futl HD resolution Its subtle Dynamic contrast mode
These require an active Image quality is top-notch and it to deliver stunning HD content is a plea5ilnt surprise and its basic
converter that provides the has HDMI, DVI andVGA inputs. from the BBC and lTV. With an image quality is great. This is one
correct timing signals for If you're after a slightly larger Etherne t port, it's ready to receive of the cheapest fuU-HD monitors
DisplayPort, and there's no full-HD monitor than SenQ's BBC's iPlayer through Freesat too. we've seen, and you won't get
definitive list of those that are G2220HD (see right ), this is an better image quality fOf the price.
42in PlASMA TV l ,92O<1 , 08On.t;v~
fully compatible. excellent choice. .-..soIutlon. 4O.()oo:1 (2,000.000:1 dynamic)
contra.t ",rio, 3. HOMi, 2. SCART, IxVG/I, 2W.inWlO£SCREEN Lct> 1,9Zonl ,08O
"'5<>1"'' ' .
:,..Jil "!,lymI!l lMI ·l rtl!l!inIiIiiiiiI
_.~
23;nWlDfSCREEN LCD 1.920. 1,080 1 componont. Ix S·lIidwand Ixcomposlt. Mt". 1,000:1 conv.o,t rotio,
M!M r"'oIu~on. VGA. DVI, HOMI, Inpuu. Inpm s. f ....... t. f, ..IIi_, on. )11:"' RTIl 300cd/ml bright"".s. VGA. DVllnpyts.
3,Smm lin~ in audio ;"put. on.-pon: use w.....,ty powo. CONSUMPTJON OW m..... yu" <>Il'~ ~ wa .... nty
Ed;'" ...b PAATCODE 23OC1HS8/0S stord>y, 240W on PAATCODE TX·P42G1OB PART CODE 9H.to71B.Q!!E
[)£TAIlS www.phiUps.co.uk DETAILS www-l>3<'Monk.co,uk DETAILS www,~.co, uk
FUU kEVlEW Nov 2009 FUU REVIEW Nov 2009 FUU REVIEW Nov 2009

COMPUTER SHOPPeR • JANUARY 2010


www.freedowns.net & www.journal-plaza.net
DISPLAYS
. .. " " .. .. , .. .... .. " .' .\Ol~ .. . ' .: .. " . " .

SAM SUNG CHOOSING AN .•.


SP-P410M LCD Monitor
*****
£44 9 inc VAT
From www.pixmania.co.uk
Follow the steps to find your ideal specs
!MAGf: SIZE: 11in
NATIVE RESOWllON: 1.280'1.02~
INPlITS: VCA
Samsung'slatest ultra-portable projector is the
1Iocommende<j m;,,;mum inll"t)'
prettiest we've 5een for a while, with a glossy black
case flanked on each side by metal grilles. It uses
LEOs rather th an a traditional lamp, and these
never need replacing. They don't take a long time
to warm up or cool down either, The SP-P410M
focus was consistent across the enti re image. At its
native SOOx600 resolution, the Windows Desktop
is crisp. The SP-P4 10M handles inputs of up to
D A basic 17in LCD monitor with
the specifications listed above
will cost around £80. It will be fine for
doesn't get very hot in use, and as a consequence l ,2SOxl ,024, but the downscaling reduces d arity. typical WindoW!; wori;, but is likely to
is fairly quiet in norm al operation. Prese ntat ions and films looke d slightly have poor viewing angles. Colour
As with other mini-projectors we've seen washed-out under typical olfi ce lighting, bu t with accuracy may not be very good, so it
recently, the SP-P410M has touch-sensitive the lights off, the image had vibrant coloors and isn't ideal for colour-sensitive wori;.
controls that aren't back-lit. They're slightly sharp edges. There are plenty of image quality
raised, but feeling for them in the dark is settings, includi ng useful presets for different E'I A VGA input enables you to use
counterproductive as you'll trigger eac h button as source material. The SP-P410M even has digital U the monitor with any PC, but
you touch it. An easier option is to use the remote noise reduction, which helps to reduce the effects may not giv~ you quite as good
control, which has large, well-placed keys. of downsca ling the image to the native resolution. quality as a DVI or HOMI input. Both
The rear of the device has VGA and composite Despite its small size, the SP-P4 10M is quite are digital connections and require a
video inputs, as well as stereo phono audio inputs heavy. and you'll have to carry the chunky power compatible graphics card, but avoid
an d a USB port, which lets you plug in a memory supply with it. Samsung provides a shoulder bag, the need for digital-to-analogue or
stick and access music, videos and pictures directly. which can hold the projectO!", power sup ply, VGA analogue-to-digital conv~rsions,
The SP-P410M supports MPEG 1, MPEG2 and XviD cable and remole.lt's strange that the SP-P410M which can reduce image quality. A
video formats, and MP3 and WMA audio formats. doesn 't have auto- keystone correction, but at least digital connection automatically gets
Sound quality from the built-in there's a tripod moont.lt does the best picture; you won't have to
1W speakers is surprisingly good, SUMMARY provide mirror and invert adjust clock or phase settings as you
although not quite lood enough functi ons, though, so you can 00 with an analogue connection.
VERDICT A good lEO projector
to fi ll a roo m. Sadly, there's no with g~a t brig~tn~ss and use it as a rear projecto!" or Many DVI and all HDMI connections
au dio output, so if you play coloUf'l .lt·, only flaw i, th ~ lad moo nt it on a ceiling. support HOCP, which lets you watch
content from a USB stick, you'll of 3ud ~ wtput The SP-P41OM is the first protected video content such as
have to use the internal speakers. ULTllA-PORTABLE PROJECTOR tOJly usable LEO projector we've Blu-ray movies on your monitor.
Image quality was great, 800x6OO ""t"", ""<>Iuti",,, 1.()()(), 1 seen, thanks to its brightness,
thanks mainly to the 17Q-lumen c""lr~'t ",100, 170 ANSl h.>m~"', image quality and quiet IC":I Unless you're on the tightest
148. 66. 146mm. 9SQg. """.'ft.,
brightness, which is the highest RTB wa",,"ty
operat ion. Howeve r, the lack of 1::1 of budgets, you should buy a
we've seen from an LED projecto!". I'OW£R CONSUMPTION 3W l tioJ><by. an audio ootput is a fOJstra ting widescreen monitor. A 19in monitor
Colour accuracy was la r beller 4'N1 actl~ niggle, and means it just misses should cost less than £100 and has a
than from BenQ's GP 1 (see PAATCOO£ SPP4 1(lMX/EN out on an awa rd. native resolution of l,440x900 or
OrTAILS www... mW"&.cQrTl/uk
W'hat's New, Shopper 262), and Barry de la Rosa 1,680xl0SO.
These are 16:10 aSjrect ratios,
but the latest models have 16:9
resolutions, which match widescreen
TVs, and are a better choice if you'll
be watching a lot of video.
Even models as small as 22in can
MITSUBISHI EPSON PANASONIC hav~ resolutions of l,92Oxl,OBO, and
HC5500 EH-TW420 PT-AE3000E this provides lots of room for working

From www.micomon li ne.co.uk From www.djxons.co.uk


*****
£1,839 inc VAT .~6'l'ij
From www.r9b
, h' ",-
fil:m
with multiple windows at the same
time. Models larger than 24in tend to
be eXjrensive, so you may be better
direct.co.uk I.!I!IiI off using a pair of smaller monitors
Better quality Epson's nop LCD projector is side by side.
and cheaper meant for home cinema use, The images from this projector
than its but we found it equally ad ept are a beauty to behold. It's II!I If you want better picture
predecessor, at office presentations. Casino pe rfect fO!" watching Blu-ray iii quality, look for a monitor with
the HC5SOO is Royale looked great, and overall movies. Lens shift and a a high contrast ratio. The higher the
an excellent 1080p p!"ojector, image quality is excellent. powered 2x l oom allow for ratio, the whiter the whites and the
with stunning sharpness and Fans are quiet and running flexible placement. It isn't the blacker the blacks. You'll al!iO be able
qua lity. Its vertical lens shift is costs are just 5p per hour. The cheapest projector, but to see more fine detail in images with
motorised, along with focus and three-year onsite warranty stunning image quality makes high contrast levels.
zoom, making it ideal for ceiling includes th e lamp, making up for this, Viewing angles are important, as
mounting. The lamp costs just this projector I and earns it an wider angles mean you don't have to
5p per hour in economy mode.

HOME CINEMA LCD PROJECTOR


1,920. 1,080 ".n"'" ",5OlUlOon , 14,()()()'1
,,,,,troll rolio. 1.200ANSllumens, HDMI.
cQrTlpor><nt. VGA, S·.ldeo .nd c<>l"1"l(lO<~ ~
a real bargain. _ 4

CROSSOVER PROJECTOR 1.280. 800 -


nat",. ,. ,<>IUlOon, 2,000:1 cQ/l1fa,t ,ati<>,
2,OOQAN51Iumens. 1.be , oom, HOM I,
VCA. S·vIdw. c<>lTlp<>S~~ Inpo"
Ultimate award.
LCD HOME CINEMA PkOjECTOR
1.920.<1.080 n." ~ '-sol,,'Oon. 60.000:1
(dynamic) cQ/l1f~st ,alio, 1.6OOAN51
lumens. Ihr«·year ,oU<:d· ~J>d · ret""'
...arranty
sit directly in front of the monitor to
get the best picture. Wider angles also
mean that more people can watch the
screen at the same time.
Fast response times cut down on
ghosting. but don't be blinded by the
inputl I'OWlRCONSUMPTION 7W PQWERCONSUMPTION 4W " ... dlry, POWlR CONSUMPTION OW staJ><by,
231W"" PARTCQOE V11H28544OlU 240W"" PAATCOOI PT·A E3000E
numbers. A res.ponse time of 25ms or
stoodlry, 204W "" PAATCQI)( HC5500
DrTA/1S wwwmllwbksh.,I...:Mc .c<>." DrTAILS www.• """".co.uk DrTAILS www.p"""s""lc.co.uk quicker is fine for all applications.
FUll REVIEW Feb 2009 FULL REVIEW F.b 2009 fULL REVIEW ~p 2009

JANUA RY 2010 . COMPUTER SHOPPER


www.freedowns.net & www.journal-plaza.net
>
::I:
RICOH
GR Digital III
***
£460 inc VAT
From www.s im p lyelect ron ics.net

11. A year ago, the compact digital camera market was


stuck in a rut, with most manufacturers offering

<:C unnecessarily high resolutions that did little to improve


actual photos. Things are markedly different now, and reserved for SLRs. Face detection is notably absent,

c::: manufacturers are finding more imaginative - and


vastly more effective - ways to boost image quality.
Ricch's GR Digital III certainly scores points for
originality. Its lens has a fixed 28mm focal length,
which means there's no zoom function at all. However,
and the basic video mode is hidden among the scene
presets, but these issues probably won't bother keen
photographers. The lack of an HOMI output is more
disappointing on a camera at this price, as is the lack
of image stabilisation, which cancels the advantage of

C!J its fl1 .9 aperture helps it capture over twice as much


light as a typical fl2 .8 lens (see oor FAQ, left). Omitting
the bright lens when shooting static subjects.
Ayear ago we would have recommended the

e a zoom helps to produce a brighter lens, but it also


makes it easier to capture shilrper images with less
distortion. Sure enough, its pictures were remarkably
crisp right into the comers of the frame. The sensor is
GR Digital III without reservation, but today it has
to compete with Panasonic's LX3 (see What'$ New,
Shopper 255). Both cameras have bright lenses, are
extremely responsive and excel for image quality. The

l- less unusual at 10 megapixels and with a V1.1in


diameter, but these specifications strike a sensible
LX3 has a slight edge for sharpness and its automatic
exposures are more reliable. but the GR's colours look

e balance between detail and sensitivity.


Other features demonstrate that this is a
serious photographic tool. The cosmet ic design is
uncompromisingly stark, and even Ricch's logo is
more natural. It's hard to choose between them at
high sensitivities, but the GR edged ahead at times.
Their features are quite different, though. The LX3
captures HD video and has a 2.sx zoom and optical

::I: missing from the front of the camera. It has a


comfortable rubber handgrip,
though. The rest of the body is SUMMARY
image stabilisation. The Ricch's higher-resolution
screen and lower weight aren't
enough to justify the fact that it

11. made from magnesi um alloy, so


it's very tough and light.
At the back, there's a 3in screen
with a whopping 920,OOO-pixel
VERDICT A true enthuslist's amera
that prioritises image quality arxl
Hgonomics <NH fa ncy futures. Stiff
competltlOllls Its only stumbling block
costs around £150 more.
The GR Digital III is also
likely to suffer in comparison
With Panasonic'sGF1 and Sigma's
resolution. which should go some DP2, both of which house an
FAQ way to help SLR owners overlook
the lack of a viewfinder. There are
COMPACT DIGITAL CAMERA 10 megapl.els
(3,648>2,736), 28mm fi. ed-loom lens,
SOI-K slot (88M8 intomal). U·ion 0< 2. AAA
SLR- si~ed sensor in a compact
body - look out for oor imminent
batt.,~s.6Oxl09x33mm. 188g."".·,.."'
lots of controls for quick access to reviews of these models. Even
Q What do th e f/2.S-style
num bers mean in digital key settings, including dual dials for
Ra_rranty
PARTCOOE H~CR·RGRIII so, it's impossible to remain
camera spec ifications? shutler speed and aperture control. O£TALS www.ricQ!,.<o.uk downbeat about what is
The menu has comprehensive PERFORMANCE 1_ _ 101 undeniably a well-conceived,

A TheSl! so-called f-nu mbers


are measurements of the
lens's a~rture. Put simply, the
colour and noise-reduction options
plus RAW capture - features usually
teM I
-. .... . ",,"
.-
expertly executed camera.
Ben Pitt

aperture is the sire of the hole


through which light passes to
hit the sensor. A wider dperture
lets in more light, which is good
EDITOR'S CHOICE
when there's not much around.
Comparing f-numbers can b.e PANASONIC PANASONIC
confusing. Lowervalues mean a Lumix DMC-FZ28 Lumix DMC-TZ6
wider aperture, so an filA
aperture is bright, while fl22 is
dilrk. The relatioll5hip between
*****
£270 inc VAT
www.currys.co.uk
~?:n:ii
_ <[1 __ t,!!~! i;rlM:l!
www.buyacamera.co.uk
the f-number and the amount
-
\- ;'~i
of light isn't linear, though. The The fZ28 is our favourite "~ , If you want a big zoom in a fairly
aperture relates to the diameter ultra-zoom camera, wi th
.
"":"
compact camera, the TZ6 is ideal. - -....:;C~~
of the lens's iris, so doubling the a big l8x optical zoom. It • Fitting a 12x zoom lens into such
aperture roughly quadruples the
amount of light it lets in.
can't compete with
budget DSLRs for image
, a small camera is a remarkable achievement, but
more impressive still is how sharp the photos are.
~ .'.
Lenses with wide apertures
help considerably with low- light
quality, but it's ahead of
the direct competition.
- .<
.' Automatic exposures were nearly always perfectly
judged, and standard-
shots. As a quick reference, the Image qu ality is UlTltA·ZOOM DlGITA.l.
definition vidt'{ls were
ULTRA·ZOOM DlGITA.l.
following apertures each let in excellent up to ISO 400, CAMERA 10 ""'&"!'iul, excellent, with smooth, CAMERA 10 "",g~pi~I'
twice as much light as the and there's support for (3.648x2.136 pi. els). 18. sharp images and a (3.648x2.136 pi. els). 12.
previous one: f/16, fill , fla, RAW format. More opticol ,oom (27-486mm) . dear soundtraCK. optical ,oom (lS-3OOmm).
f/S .6, f/4, fI2 .a, f/2, f/1.4. exciting is support for SDHC (50M8 i"l00>oI), 7.1.V
TheTZ6 has a SDHC slot (40MB intomol).
710mAh U·"" battery. ,echargeable U-ion banery.
HD video, which is 7Sx 118x89rnrn. 417g fantastic lens, responsive
""'-Y'''' RTB w."""ty
packed with detail. PARTCOOE DMC-FZ28E8·k performance and a smart PARTCOOE DMC·TZ6EB·$
Ben Pitt It's great value, and DfTAiLS .........w.p.n.SO<1ic.<:o.u k design and produces DfTALS www.panu""ic.'o.Uk
Musicand fUll. REVIEW Jan 2009 fUll REVIEW Aug 2009
you'd need to spend reliably excellent photos.
photography expert
a lot more to see
better results. . .,. '"'"- -.... -- It's a grea t camera at a
very reasonable price.
...-.. ... ~ "i -
.... - --. . .-
COMPUTER SHOPPeR • JANUARY 2010
www.freedowns.net & www.journal-plaza.net
PHOTOGRAPHY

£199 inc VAT


From www.bristolcameras.co.uk

For years we've pined for a compact camera technology).AS if that wasn't enough,
that has a big wom and takes great pictures the F70EXR has yet another trick up
in low light. We'd just about given up waiting. its sleeve for low-light photography. A
concluding that both a big zoom and a large scene mode called Pro Low-Light ta~es
sensor (required for low-light sensitivity) four photos in qUick succession, aligns
simply won't fit in a pocket-sized body. them as necessary and superimposes
However, Fujifilm has proved us wrong. them to reduce noise further. As long as there
The F70EXR is Fujifilm's first compact wasn't much motion in the scene, low-light shots Program mode and switching to EXR for
big-zoom camera, following in the footsteps of had a clarity and smoothness that wasn't far times when it's clearly needed.
Panasonic's TZ range. This is a crowded market behind that of SLR cameras. For a £200 compact Otherwise, this is a capable, dependable
(see Labs, Shopper 258), but the F70EXR starts camera. that's nothing short of extraordinary, camera. Automatic e~posures were generally
well by being the smaaest and lightest yet. At The innovations don't stop there_ Another excellent, althoogh unnecessarily high ISO
£200, it's also one of Ihe cheapest. new scene mode, Pro Foc us, simulates an 5LR speeds led to some loss of clarity in flash-lit
The compact design is particularly camera's shallow depth of field, blurring Ihe shots. Again, manual tweaking easily overcomes
remarkable, as the F70EXR has a larger sensor background to draw attention to the main this. The menu system could be tidier but it's
than any of its competitors. The 'hin diagonal subject. In practice, the border between great to see manual exposure. Performance was
isn't much bigger than the 'luin and '1",in foreground and background was often a little above average, with particularly fast autofocus,
sensors used elsewhere. but it's an important imprecise, but it's a fun tool to play with. and few people will lament the thr~ -shot limit
factor for low-light performance. Sure enough, The F70EXR also includes the dynamic in continuous mode.At the long end of the zoom
photos ta~en with the F70EXR at ISO 1600 - range extension introduced on the F200EXR, ra nge, details weren't quill' as sharp as those
the sensitivity required under typical household Overexposed highlights such as washed-out skies from the F200EXR or Panasonic's TZ7, but they
artificial light - looked significantly sharper are a common problem, but the F70EXR recovers were more than adequate for A4 prints. OI.Ir only
and deaner than the best them, capturing colour and serious grumble is the lack of an HD video mode.
from its competitors. detai15 that would otherwise With its sleek, compact body and lOx zoom,
SUMMARY
low-light image quality be 1051. This featu re uses the F70-EXR is perfect for holidays and days out,
VERDICT It's rar! t .... t a camera
gets a further boost from ~~. t .... rut~ I>00I;, and ..... n variable sensitivity in coping equally well with wide-angle vistas and
Fujililm's ingenious EXR ,arerwherllt's SO well rounded different parts of the sensor, telephoto portraits. Unlike other big-zoom
sensor design, Switching and Jlfordable which is much more effective compacts, it also takes attractive photos indoors
from 10 to 5 mega pixels not COMPACT DIGITAL CAMlRA 9.8 mogapixels than rival systems that without the flash. The fact that it costs under
only reduces the amount of [3.616. 2,712).10>< opllcal ",om simply process the image £200 is the icing on the cake. The F200EXR
noise in photos but actually (27·27Omm), SDHC .Iot (~ 7MB ime"",'), after <:apture. The downside is remains an excellent a\temative; its 5x zoom is
U-ion battery. S9x99J<27mm. 180g.one·yo.r
increases the definition of RTBw",ran!'f that it only works at its best hardly lacking and its larger sensor produces
details, It's a feature we first PART CODE Pl0NC01700A in the 5-megapixe[ EXR marginally better photos. However, the F70EXR's
saw in Fujifilm's F200EXR D£TALS www,!ujililm.<o.ukw mode, and introduces noise l Ox zoom is much more versatile. With the
{below, but see VAlat's New, PERFORMANCE (_ _ '"I when shooting at 10 added benefit of Pro Low-light Mode. it's our
Shopper 257 for a full ......, ......", I mega pixels. We recommend favourite compact camera at any price.
explanation of t his deactivating t his feature in Ben Pitt

FUJIFILM CANON PANASONIC


FinePix F200EXR EOS lOOOD& Lumix DMC-LS85
r, j iii 18-55mm IS lens !~:!~ !'Fiiqii
*****
£190 inc VAT
www.digitalrev.com www.buyacamera.co.uk
The F200EXR's sensor is www.buyacamera.co.uk The DMC-l585 is the cheapest
bigger than most at Yuin. camera in Panasonic's range. The
It can switch from 12 to The EOS l000D produces optical image stabilisation and 112.8 aperture
six mega pixels to reduce better image quality than make it far better than most budget cameras
picture noise in low-light Sony's A230, and has live 'Nhen used in low-light conditions. Its fully
conditions, and image quality is view, so you can compose automatic mode delivered well.jud~d
e~ceptional in either r::::::::o: shots using the screen on the back. It produced e~posures. Details
mode. Performance COMPACT DIGITAL CAMERA the best images of all the cameras in our budget were sharp, colours COMPACTDlGlTALCAMERA
12 mogapixot. (4,000><3.000
can be a Uttle slow, ~.ols) , 5. optkal,oom D5lR labs natural and noise 8 megapi'<e\. (3,264.2.448
but the menu (28-14Omm).SOHC and.O (Shopper 251). DICIT.... LSUtCAMEAA levels better t han poo,l,). 4. optiul zoom
system is easy to <101< (48MB intomol), 3.6V Automat ic 10.1 mOVpi.ol.[3.888x2,592 from many pricier (33-132mm), SOHC <101
use and offers
l.(l(l(lmAh U-ion i><ott"')',
exposures were
pixe l,), 3. optical loom, SOHC
cameras. The LS85 (50MB ime"",') , 2.AA
59'98."<23mm, 175g. one-year (none). 7,4V, 1.080mAh i><otw"s.62x97.3Omm.128g.
manual options. This Imlwo"",,!'f superbly jud~d, LI·IQII battory cuts back on one-yea' RTB w...... nly
ground breaking
camera easily
justifies its ext ra
cost over other
compact models.
PARTCODE Pl0NCOI290A
DETAILS www.fujitilm.<o.uk
fUll. REVIEW Jul 2009
details were sharp
and the re was
little noise, all of
which justifies the
extra cost.
PART COl)( 2766B013AA
DETAILS www,c.... on.co,uk

--
FUUIlEV1EW ~ 2009

-,,*-,.,..
frivolous e~tras.
bu t delivers on
ergonomics,
performance and
image quality.
_.
PART CODE DMClS8SE8S
DETAILS www..,..,.~ic_«>,uk
FUll. REVIEW ~ 2009

--
-,,* ...... , ...... -

JANUARY 2DlO . COMPUTER SHOPPER


www.freedowns.net & www.journal-plaza.net
PHOTOGRAPHY

'"
NIKON CHOOSING A...
Coolpix P90
Digital SLR
***
£260 inc VAT
From www.simplyelect ronics.net Camera
Nikon has pulled out all the stops with the P90, It FoJJowthe steps to fin d your ideaJ specs
has a 12-megapixel sensor and a 3in screen, but RESOlUTION: 10 meg;opixoh
top billing goes to the 24x zoom lens. Being able to The hinged screen can point 300 down or 90 0 SUHuEO I.£NS: 18-55nvn, f/3.5.f/5.6
take a 26mm wide-angle shot and then magnify a up. We appreciate being able to shoot at elbow MONITOftNG: 2Y,in, 215,000.",,0/ LCD WHto
distant speck so it fills the frame is quite a height. as iI's much more comfortable than with COHTlNuous SHoo"nNG: 25/p.
breathtaking experience. Lenses this powerful often outstretched arms. There's also an electronic 5Ul>1'IJ[[) MEMORY: N"""
come with compromises, though. viewfinder, but its colours afe much less accurate Re<~ minlroom in fI~
Our test shots revealed beaut iful colour than the screen's.The photographic options are
reproduction, expertly chosen automatic settings comprehensive and there's a dial for adjusting
and reasonably low noise up to ISO 800. However,
artificial light sometimes produced heavy colour
casts. The far reaches of the zoom range led to
settings. 001 it's a pity that white balance, ISO
speed and drive mode ilfJ! buried in the menus.
A high-speed shooting mode is well suited to
D A digital SLR camera with
the specifications shown
above will cost around 000 and
heavy lens distortions. There's an option to correct nature and sports photography. It captures 4S suit photography enthusiasts on a
these digitally, but it crippled performance. 3-megapixel shots in thll'e seconds (15fps) and budget. Despite being an entry-level
Pictures weren't as sharp as can even buffer and save 10 digital SLR, image quality will be in a
those from Panasonic's fI2S SUMMARY shots from before the shutter different league to that of all but the
(see Editor's Choice, page 32), VEROICT The mMsive zoom rangt and botton was pressed. When best fixed-lens cameras, particularly
particularly in low light. articulot..! ><Jl'tn a", highlight., but shooting at 12 megapixels, the when it comes to smooth, sharp detail
However, the higher resolution Image quality Is bettere<l elsewhere P90 takes 2.3 seconds between with minimal image noise.
and extra telephoto extension ULTltA·ZOOM DlGITALCAMEItA 12 shots and runs at l.3fps in burst
meant that it remained m~gopi ..1s (4,OOO'-},000), 2·hoptical room mode - reasonable, but not as Et Spend more and you11 get a
competitive when shooting (26·624mm), SOHC slot (47MB internal),
U·1on ba1t~ ry, 83.114>$9rnm, 46Og.
fast as Panasonic's fZ28. IIt:I camera with a higher resolution:
distant subjects in bright 1W<>-y.... RTB warranty With a huge zoom and 10 megapixels is common for
conditions. It also resulted PART COOl' VMAnOB1 high-speed mode, the P90 entry-level models. This gives finer

_ .-
in chromatic aberrations O£TAIlS _ . nikon.co.Uk has plenty going for it, but detail, although the improvement

-
and purple fringing, though, PERFQRMA/IICE( _ _ IOI Panasonic's fI28 is just £10 more over eight megapixels isn't as great as
giving halos of discolouration
around high-contrast lines.
.... and is a better aU-round camera.
Ben Pitt
the figures might suggest.

n The kit lenses supplied with


K:.I budget digital SLRs can take
excellent pictures, but their 100m
ranges and macro-focus capabilities
CANON are limited. If you're interested in
Ixus 200 IS telephoto photography, consider
buying a second lens, perhaps with a

****
£254 inc VAT
From www.lambda-tek.com/componentshop
70-200mm focal length. Alternatively,
buy a body-only camera and an
18-2oomm or similar lens. Aperture
values tell you how much light the
The Ixus 200 IS is Canon's first touchscreen lens can capture at either end of its
camera, and it's a joy to behold. The metal lozenge In 51i1l-image tests, the autofocus and auto zoom range; the lower the f-number,
shell - available in purple, bronze, blue or silver - exposure proved outstandingly re!iable, capturing the brighter the lens.
and contoured buttons bring to mind a luxury car. attractive shots time after time. However, the
It's just as slick to use as it is to look at. Some 12-megapixel sensor captured no more detail than II!I A 2'hin, 21S,OOO-pixel screen is
touchscrE1!n interfaces are unresponsive, but this the two l O-megapi~el cameras we reviewed this Ii.I standard among digital SLRs, but
3in widescreen posed no such problems. It also month, In fact. details were often a little softer, you'll be using the optical viewfinder
facilitates a one-touch spot focus mode, which particularly in low light where noise reduction to compose shots. Its through-the-
automat ically tracks moving subjects. Buttons wilt disguised noise but also discarded lots of detail. It's lens (TIL) view shows exactly what
always be better for some tasks, though, so we're a more aggressive approach than that of previous the camera's sensor will capture and
delighted that there's a dutch of them to the right Canon compact cameras, but the results are makes manual focusing easy. A
of the screen. They're quite small and fiddly but arguably more appealing if you're printing smaU second, passive LCD screen is useful
the wheel that encirdes the pictures or scaling shots down fo r displaying camera settings.
five-way pad is particularly SUMMARY to post on the web.
useful for dialling in settings. VERDICT Ima~ quality isn't t ~ !>est,
Fujifilm's F200EXR (see 1':1 Most entry-level SLRs
The touchscreen isn't the but t~ touch.cr~n, wid e-angle Itn., Editor's Choice, page 33) has I:l outperform even the fastest
only notable feature .The Sx HO vide<. mode and HOMI output the same resolution and zoom compact cameras. However,look out
zoom starts at an unusually ju.tify the high pric. range but takes significantly for a fast continuous mode, autofocus
wide-angle 24mm, a real boon COMPACTDlGfTALCAMERA 12 better pictures in cha!\enging and shutter lag if quick-fire
for vistas and group photos. m~g.pi •• 1s (4,OOOd,000), Syoptic.1 conditions. However, the Ixus photogrilphy is a priority.
So too is the 720p HD video zoom (2~- lZOm"'1 SOHC slot (n""" 200 IS's images are far from
,uppli~), Li· ion battery, S3x1C1O:<23mm,
mode, which gave fantastic 13(lg. one·ye ... RTB w.""nty
disappointing, and its HD video P.!I Digital SLRs don't usually come
results in bright light and PART COOl' 3986BOO6AA and HDMI socket are distinct 1.:1 with any storage, so budget
reasonable quality in gloomier OfTAaS _ .canon.o::o.uk advantages. If you don't mind ilround £10 for iI fast (at least 6Ox)
conditions. Videos and photos paying a premium for these 2GB CompactFlash or SD card to

--
PERFQRMA/IICE(_ .......
looked superb on an HDTV
via the HDMI socket.
- "'Fa I
.... . - features, it's an excellent choice.
Ben Pitt
ensure that it doesn't create a
performance bottleneck .

COMPUTER SHOPPeR • JANUARY 2010


www.freedowns.net & www.journal-plaza.net
12.1" HP NOTEBOOK 23" FULL HD MONITOR 1.5TB SAMSUNG F2

z h ualJ/ll aptN . L . F. U PtJ./, w cPac, ca I? FUc_

••••• £69.63 ',"0'


VlN lCbU R;Vvn\U'bW b cb FU U V 7.. W
P U chU 1'1' Sc I' U b dc\6cl1'\PI.NRJd It ,

No: 38258
£327.75 """ VAT)
• ***, £114.94 ',"0'
No: 37241 VAT) No: 37094 VAT)

ana ner
INTEL BASE UNITS 11B SAMSUNG F3 32" HANNSPREE HDTV

••••• £53.99 , ""


uW be VP b db lM' £ .. c v... c PI .. • Wx d S rt\U cb I) W W cV elb d ac d LP U W d c PU
cb da IUNn RJUd 9ac Udlt H1<J;1,a . te' mg 37ga odell So , v, <Bblit. occ ""c~k

No: 37578 £132.19 ' "0' VAn No: 37726 No: 38133 £264.44 ,,"01 VAT)

*****
RE " VAT)

E T ER (( EH WI I ERE (E I H WI
@ ana ner
INTEL E8400, 3GHZ 11B LACIE DESKTOP HDD MY FIRST DIGITAL CAMERA

cP d . dJCT6d~ c, oc, I! fCC


ca cP UPe It b<1P ,

•••••
C, Sl. 333Mc zeSR. 6MBc, c! c.. 'pc<Jplif s f, \06rdc'! n c\U c i k '" rca b d.g IV

..***£103.44
No: 30243
I! 06s, nds of l 06r duc6a enls, p! olos or a 6>d: l-fis.

No: 35981 £59.74 11,01 VAT) No : 35988 £5.69 11.01 VAT)


11,01 VAT)

www.freedowns.net & www.journal-plaza.net


c MEDION

w Life S47000
***
c
£100 inc VAT
From www.medionshop.co.uk

German PC manufacturer Medion is the latest


company to challenge Flip. maker of the excellent Ult ra

> HD (below). in the mini HD camcorder market. At just


f 100 the life S47000 Digital HD Sports Camcorder,
to give it its full name. is very competitively priced.
and its 'Sports' mon iker is well deserved too.
The rounded plastic casing has a rubbe ry ou ter
rim.l'Ihich makes th e Life S47000 feel very sturdy.
There's a hook in the top right-hand corner. so you
can attach a lanya rd, ahhough none is supplied. The exposures were occasionally off. with bleached out
camera is splash-proof. too, with rubber plugs and seals surfaces in strong sunlight. Colour balance was also
to keep water away from the ports, SDHC memory an issue. with bricks on buildings near our offices
ca rd slot and batte ry compartment. appeari ng far too orange. It wasn't much better in low
The S47000 uses a Li-ion rechargeable battery. light, with lots 01 noise and the odd stuttering frame.
l'Ihich helps keep the total weight down to a tiny 85g. The mini HDMI port lets you connect the S47000
However. it's cha rged using a separate mains cha rger directly to an HD TV - and we applaud Medion here

FAQ and can't be replaced by a pair of AA batteries in an


eme rgency. This makes it less flexible and convenient
tha n th e Ultra HD, which charges its AA-repl<lceable
for pro\l iding a suitable lead in the bo~. The re's a USB
port. but the camcorder has no built-in editing
software lor uplO<lding dips to YouTube, so you'lI need
Is there like ly to be a battery pack through its USB port.The battery lasted to do this manu<llly. The port doubles as an AV outpu t.
Q new HD standard soon for 96 minutes. providing plenty 01 recording time. Bizarrely, there's a headphone socket. as th e 547000
that supersedes 1080p video? Next to the battery is the SDHC card slot. There's can also be used as an MP3 player. It's primiti\le.
no built·in memory to speak of, so you"!t need to though. with \lery basic track navigation - there isn't
As most pes are already provide your own SD or SDHC ca rd. e\len <I shuffle command. You can
A straining to deal with the
workload that 1080p AVCHD
You ca n buy <In 8GB ca rd lor f 12
including VAT, so if you don't have
SUMMARY buy an excellent dedicated MP3
player for less th<ln fSO (see our
vt:RDICTThis int ~ptnsi~ $9la sh-
video puts on them , there isn't one already, you'lI need to factor proof camcor~ r lo,~, 001 to I ~ FUp labs on page 78). and we'd
much enthusiasm from amateur this into the cost. We were surprised Ult ... HO in term, of N '~ of y,,", ..,d recommend doing so.
camcorder users to move to an by the high video bit rate of around vidto uality The S47000 is more likely to
e~ n more demand ing fonnat . 12Mbit/s in our test recordings. HD CAMCORDER SDHC $lor.&". survi\le an act we. outdoor life than
1 .000,OOO-pi.~1 'Ain CMOS. lin l CO "' ..... n.
If you're looking for video l'Ihich equates to 85 minutes of any oth er mini camcorder, and it's
usa, he.dpllone, 1-V ;>od HOMI 00t!>UI<.
with a higher resolution than stored video on an 8GB card. 65.105<23nvn . as&- ".,. ·)'ur RTB W¥Jlnty \lery reasonably priced. However.
l,920xl ,080 (l080p), your local Despite the H.264-encoded PAATCOI)( 50032522 unless you regularly find yourself
multiplex is probably the place video's high bit ra te and 720p OETo\ILS www.me<liOO1.CO.uk gelling wet at the weekend. you're
to find it. Many cinemas now resolution. its quality couldn't P£RFQRM1-NCE 1_ _ "'I better off spending the eKtra
use digital proje<:tion. The most
common format is known as 2K,
and both the video files and the
m<ltch that ofthe Ultra HD.There·s
no lack of detail in images, bu t
....
"-, I. .,..
.- money and buying Flip's Ultra HD.
Seth Barton

projectors have a resolution of


2,048)(1 ,080 - hardly a big step
up. More impressive is the
newer 4K standard with its huge
ImtJORlSid!lH.OICE
4,096)(2,160 resolution, around
four times that of 1080p. PHILIPS HUMAX
We can't see 4K becoming a BDP7300 PVR-9300T
*****
camcorder or home cinema
standard any time soon. You C,In
buy a 4K camcorder. the Red *****
£227 inc VAT
, .~;!
From www.m ultizoneav.com
£170 inc VAT • fii I,M
From www.play.com
ESffii
One. but expect to spend in the
region of $20.000. Panasonic The BDP7300 Blu-ray player can decode HD audio Humax's PVR-9300T is
showed a 4K plasma at CES last (such as Dolby TrueHD) and output it through its 5.1 easy to use. The remote
year. but it's not on general sale. multichannel output, which IS ideal if '100 have an control has well labelled
Sony's 4K projector is available older AV receiver wit h a matching input . Its DVD buttons, and the easy-te- navigate
now but will set you back a upscaling looked excellent, Blu-ray movies loaded interface includes a dearly presented EPG. lts
shocking $11 S.OOO. quickly and it has a well·designed remote control. two digital tu ne rs are capable 01 showing a third
In a way this is good news for Its US8 port allows you to \l iew media files, and the programme while you record two others. T~ 320GB
consumers. as 1080p provides minimal me nu system is easy to navigate. hard disk prO\lides up to 200 hou rs of recording space.
great quality now at ever more It costs around £70 more than the chea~st Series link recording means that you don't have to
reasonable prices. and your players. but its all-round excellent design makes it remember to record every episode. lt·s a grea t way of
investment isn't likely to be our current favourite. enhancingyol.lf enjoyment of FreeviewTV.
superseded overnight.
BLU·AAV PlAYER Profile Z.O. HOMI. <",ml><>"H'nt. composlle.
coo. ;.! ~rod oplic.! S/POlf.•Wto .nd 5.1 multich.nneloulput>, H1-RD DISK RECORDER 3lOGB h... d disk. 2. digilal t ...,~,... HOMI.
l . seART. compo,it<:. $Wto pnooo arod optiClIl S/POIF outputs.
Seth Bartan USB <WId Ethernet. 1GB 1I.,h m.mory. se<43SdO&nm. ooe·y. ....
RTB _"." nt)'. <upport. JPEG. MP3 ..,d Ot.X <>I>'-y .... , RTBwarronly
Reviews Edito r
POWER CONSUMPnoN 16W on, 1W st<Wldby POWERCONSUMPTlON lW ".rodby.Z6W 001
PAAT COOl BOP3000/OS PAAT CODE P\Il'I:-9300T/GS DET1.LS www.hum..digitol.co.uk
DET1.LS www.ph~I ps.(o.uk fUll. REVIEW N"" ZOOB FUll. REVIEW NOli 2008

COMPIJTER SHOPPeR • JANUARY 2010


www.freedowns.net & www.journal-plaza.net
VIDEO

WESTERN DIGITAL
W DTV Live
*****
£92 inc VAT
From www.micomonline.co.uk

We reviewed Western Digital's first media servers on your network, or from


player, the WDTV, almost a year ago (~at'5 shared folders on PCs or network
New, Shopper 263).11 stood the test of t ime storage devices. The list of supported
well, appearing regularly as one of our Editor's files is comprehensive, and includes
Choices. Now we've got our hands on this every container, codec and subtitle
updated model. although you'd be hard pressed format you're ever likely to need. The only
to leU the difference at first glance. disappointment is that fast forward and rewind
The WO TV live retains the original's are limited to 16x speeds. It supports playback
diminutive size and minimalist design - both resume, so you can continue watching your browse by artist, genre, date, folder or album, and
of which are good things. like its predecessor, movie Irom where yoo left it. you get 10 aloom art thumbnails onscreen at
it's completely silent in operation too, a major Yoo can also view videos from YooTube.The once. Internet radio support comes courtesy 01
plus for a living room -based device. The most interface for this looks great, with easy access to 1WM'.live365,com,This provides over 6,000
significant change is on the rear, with the videos in various categories, such as top rated, stations, but you'll have pay a £3.75 monthly
addition 01 ,InEthernet port. The original WD recently posted and recommended. You can also subscription if yoo want an ad-free service.
TV only played files from USB storage devices, log in to watch videos from your own account. The HOMI output, with 1080p and 24fps
but this updated version can stream content The WO TV live plays HO videos too, and selects support, will remain most users' first choice.
from other devices on your network or from a the highest quality version automaticatly. The However, this new model also adds a component
selection of popular websites, only downside is that entering search terms with output, which is handy if you're short 01 HOMI
This hugely expanded functionality has the remote and onscreen keyboard is p.ainstaking. inputs on your TV.There's also an optical SfPDIF,
necessitated a new menu You can access photos from and support for both Dolby Digital and DTS.
system. Thankfully, it's as the same range of sources as The WO TV live costs f20 more than the
SUMMARY
clearly presented and easy on videos, with a Flickr option original version, which we feel is money well
VERDICT Adding streaming to this
the eye as the original's, and alrudy excellent med ia player replacing YouTube lor web spent. It's rather like the similarly priced
is controlled with the same makes it ~tt B m an .""'.11 you content. Yoo can browse photos Xtreamer, see below, although the WOTV live
neat little remote control. The oon't nftd wireless, buy this by folder or date, arld the 10 has no wireless networking and no internal bay
layout is reminiscent of the MULTIMEDIA STRlAMING PLAVlR
onscreen thumbrlails make this for local hard dis~ storage. However, its interface
XrossMediaBar on Sony's HDMI, compon..,l. compo"'", easy.There are lots of slideshow loo~ slicker, it has more thumbnails to assist
PlayStation 3 console. You mini-jack .tB"o, optkal S/POIF, options, and it even picked up browsing and it's easier to get to grips with, plus
Etheme( 10/100. Zx USB.
select from Video, Photo or the EXIF rotation data from its support for online content is better,
4O><12Sxl00mm, .,.,.·ye.. RTB
Audio options, and are then wa".anl)', support. WMA,.u( , egg.
cameras that support this, If you're looking for a media streamer and
offered a range of sources Wa .. and MP3 audio. WMV·HD, automatically displaying portrait you don't require wireless networ~ing. the WD
for each type. MPl:G 1. MPEG2 (VOB). MPEG~. X.iD, photos in the correct aspect. TV live is the one to buy. In use it feels more li~e
O",X and H.264 .""'0, BMP, Tlr and
The WO TV live can play There's no support for a consumer devi ce, such as a Blu-ray player, than
JPEG im.ges
video files from local storage POWER CONSUMPTION 9W on,
protected audio formats, but a complex piece of technical equipment.This is
devices through its two USB 4W standby otherwise codec support is an impre55ive feat for a unit with so many
ports, You can access files PART CODE WDBAAPOOOONBK· EE$N excellent, and it recognises PlS, functions, and it deserves our Best BUy award.
O£TAILS www.W<k.com
from UPnP and DLNA media M3U arld WPl playlists.Yoo can Seth Barton

SONY XTREAMER
HDR-CXll E Xtreamer
*****
£599 inc VAT
" .~ 1! . *****
£148 inc VAT
*****
£99 inc VAT
From www.dabs.com F~m

This HO camcorder produces sha rp details, The UltraHO is the lirst Flip The Xtreamer is amazing
natural skin tones and impressive low-ligh t an HOM I ou tput, so you can value. You get a media streaming device with
footage. Its opt ical image stabilisati on watch yoor HO movies back on your HO TV. It 802.11n wireless networking and space for a
minimises camera shakes, even at high zoom comes with a rechargeable battery pack that 2V.in hard d is~.lt has two USB POfts for
factors. Soond quality is the bt-st we've he ard. charges via the flip-oot USB connect Of. You can external storage, an d all t he vid eo and audio
The touchscreen t CO provides spot-focus also fit two standard AA batteries if you prefer. outfllJts you'll need. It played Blu-ray quali ty
and spot-metering The 8GB of flash memory will store around video perfectly and supports all common video
HD CAMCORDER Memory
controls, while a two hours 01 video. and audio codec.lts interface isn't the slidest
Slick Pm Duo storage, 12x
small dia l next to the ""tico! zoom, S,660,OOO-pix~1 This has a resol ution HD CAMCORDER 8GB lIosh we've seen, but it works well and reacts quickly.
lens makes manua l 'I'-'in CMOS, max "!S<>Iut>on of l,28Ox720 pixels. memory """'g'.
focusing simple. 1080i,2.7in LCD "~n,USB It looks de tailed, and 2.2...... gap~1 '1.~ncMOS MULTIMEDIA STREAMING DEVICE HOMI, composite,
It's no t the interface, AV. compollOnt and exposures were well .en<or. 2in LCD ""'''' . usa, st~o phono and optical S/POIF outputs. 2x USB.
mini HDMI (lUI. on e ·~ . ar RTB HOMI, l06xS2x23mm, 170g, 802.11n .nd 10/100 EII, . ..... I. 2V.1n SATA drl\le bay.
most compact HO balanced. It has
camcorder, but it's
w.""nl)'
PARTcOOE HORCX11£.cEH idiot-prool controls
o~·~ .... , RTB w...... n!y
PARTCoo( U21ZOBU K
162x27xlI0mm, """-I"'''
RTl! w.".<H1I)', support,
WMA , AAC. Ou. W~ .nd M P3 .... dio. WMV, MPl'G 1.

--
reasonably priced DETAILS www.wny.co.uk and comes with DETAILS www.thellip.com M PEG2 (VOB). MPEG4, Ol\txtx"m <H1d H.264 video. BMI'.
and has consistently FUll. REVIEW Jul 2009 simp le software for FULL REVIEW O<:t 2009 nr ~ nd JPl:G mage liles

commendable video upload ing your dips ......, ... ' POWER CONSUMPTION 11.$W on , OW st<H1dby
DETAIlS www.tr..xtre.m....com FUll. REVIlW o.c 2009
performance. to YouTube.

JANUARY 2010 . COMPUTER SHOPPER


www.freedowns.net & www.journal-plaza.net
c SPEEDO
LZR Aquabeat 2GB
***
£7D inc VAT
From www.advancedmp3players.co.uk

Speedo is better known for swim wear than MP3


players. That said. its new lZR Aquabeat is certainly
playing to the company's tradit ional strengths, as it's
designed to be used while you're swimming. time. Using Windows Explorer, it took over seven-and-
The Aquabeat has a rubberised casing that feels a-half minutes to transfer 500MB of songs - over twice
sturdy and is also waterproof. The back has clips, as long as many other players.
through which you can thread your swimming goggle The accompanying waterproof ea rphones are
stra ps; this means the Aquabeat will sit snugly against essential for listening to music unde rw ater. The earplug
the back of your head. In the unlikely event that it sleeves depend on a good seal to keep water out of
does come unattached it will float, thereby making it your ears. Two sizes are included, but not everyone will
easy to retrieve. get a comfortable fit that also keeps out water. The
There's no display for browsing songs, but this isn't earphones hook behind your ears, so they should stay
a huge problem du e to the small number of tracks you securely in place whatever your preferred stroke. Out
ca n fit in its 2GB of memory. There's a volume rocke r 01 water they sound tinny, and not nearly as good as
and buttons for skipping back and forth between a high-quality set of normal earphones. Underwa ter,
tracks. The play button has a ribbed te ~ture, unlike though, they sound surprisingly clear with no distortion

FAQ the others, making it easy distinguish by touch.


However, songs can't be set to play randomly, simply
cycling through a cont inuous loop until you press
and a respectable amount of bass.
Annoyingly, there's no hold switch, so it's easy to
play songs acc identally and run down th e battery. This
What are t he advantages the stop button. isn't likely to happen whe n swimming. but it happened
Q of satellite radio? The headphone socket also to us more than once when the
doubles as a USB port, so you'll SUMMARY Aquabeat was being transpolted
have to use the included USB
A Radio signals are usually
broadcast from a
ground-based transmitter
adaptor cable to connect it to your
PC (although you ca n also use an
VERDICTThe Aquabeat wlllappea(
grNrty to swi mmBs, but its genB;>!
u~ fuln~ .. i. ( ~s -...d by 3 number of
around in a bag. StilL in our tests,
it managed nearly 15 hours of
playb ack, wh ich should be enough
d esign comprom l~ s
tower - one of the best-known ada ptor cable for a second- or for even the keenest swi mmers.
examples is the transmitting third-generation iPod Shuffle). FLASH MEMORY PlAYER 2GB copa<:ity. If you want to listen to music
5upportS WMA ..,d MP3 .lId., fil~ s. USB while you swim, the Aquabea t does
station at Crystal Palace in Songs can be copied to the
inlorioc., ·Ox22>"6Omm, 34g. .",.-yoar
South london. But satellite Aquabeat using Windows E~plorer, RTB W3rT..,ty the job. However, it makes serious
radio, as its name suggests, uses but if you want songs to play in a PAltT Coot: 0902 ·0001583 sacrifices compared with other
a series of satellites in orbit specific order, you'll have to use ~~ WWW.5pO..oo.co.uk players, such as the lack of a hold
over the planet to broadcast the included transfer program. PEJlfORMANCE 1_ _ '"I switch and display, so it's a fish out
radio signals.
Satellites have more range
than ground-based transmitter
Unfortunately, it's incredibly slow
and you can add only one song at a
.... .....,.".-m! I .~
.- of water away from the pool.
Alan Lu

towers, so they can (o~r a far


wider geogrdphkal area. A
specialised receiver is required
to tune in to satellite radio
EDITOR'S CHOICE
broadcasts, but these aren 't
huge dishes; most models dr!!
PURE SHURE LOGITECH
pocket-sized or are designed to Avanti Flow SE102 X-230
be mounted in a car. Satellite
radio is especially popular in
the US, where large parts of the *****
£220 inc VAT
From www.caraudiogiant.co.uk
***** E&'tiI
£50 inc VAT • I,N' I.M
From www.superfi.co.uk
***** ~!?i!l\liI
£28 inc VAT • I, 'J! I.M
From www.plxmanla.co.uk
country have poor tern:ostrial
radio service. American satellite This streaming audi o receiver The SE 102 headphones are among Logitech's X-230 speakers produce
radio providers Sirius and XM works as an alarm dock, ;Pod the most effective noise-isolation a sOlJnd that's dearer, richer and
require a subscription and dock and DAB, FM and internet earphones we've heard. The 41 cm more balanced than that of any
provide a huge number and radio. There's a lot of internet cable is a little short, but an other set und er £50. The volume
range of stations. aud io content available, which extension lead is included. When and bass controls are on th e
Ondas Media and WorldScape you can browse using the listening to music while traveUTng right satellite and subwoofer
have announced plans to bring remote or the online web on the london Underground, we respectively, and all t he cables
satellite radio services to the interfMe. It's the were able to hear fine details t hat except power prot rude ITom
UK and Europe. However, we best all-in-one are barely au dible using many the right satellite. If you want
suspect that satellite radio is aud io device other noise-cancelling sets. a set for music or
unlikely to take off over here, we've seen. We were surprised by th e gam es, there
as digital tern:ostrial radio d ear sound, although are no
services such as DAB should be STREAMING AUDIO RECEIVER the bass wasn't as better
8O.I:.llb/g€lhem<l.iPod doc k
sufficient to eventually cover c""""cla<. h mini-jock heo-dphono
thumping as speaker5
the whole country. OUlp<JI. 7SW RMS <pNk.rs, we would for this
123. 349. 2 15mm. two·~ .. RiB have liked. price.
WO<T. nty. SUpports WM.... WMA·DRM.
Alan Lu M C .nd MP3 audio li",s EARPlUGS 3.Smm " .reo jock plug. 5nREO SPEAKERS 2.1 <onfig""'t"",.
Aullioanll POWER CONSUMPTION 5W stondby, 41cmc.bI • . 14g 32W powB, 3.Smm sl. reocobl. in""IS
stora ge e~ p e rt 8Won PAltT Coot: VL60967 PARTCOOf SEl02-K·E PARTCODE 970123· 1120
D£TAIlS www.p.....com DtTAIt.S www.""'",.co.uk D£TAILS www.logiloch.<om
fUll REVIEW juI 2009 FUU REVIEW F.b 2009 fUU REVIfW Jun 2008

COMPUTER SHOPPeR • JANUARY 2010


www.freedowns.net & www.journal-plaza.net
AUDIO

ALTEC LANSING addition to the one on the back of the subwoofer, lor
Express ionist Ult ra connecting another audio source.
Although the audio quality of the Expressionist Ultra

**
£1 80 inc VAT
From w ww.play.co m
isn't bad, we expected fa r better from a 2.1 set at this
price. The mid-range sounds Rat and compressed, so
vocals and instrume nts in many songs sound mufRed.
High-frequency notes sounds harsh, too. Adjusting the
Allee lansing's Expressionist Ultra 2.1 speakers have a treble can compensate for this, but it makes music even
distinctive look, tha l"lks to their transparent trapezoid more muffled. The bass sounds deep and full, but if you
VERDICT Alte<: Lansing"s
fronts. The subwooler looks even more striking. being boost it further th e treble sounds eve n harsher.
Exp~uionist Ultra s~a k~ ha""
almost as large as a mini lower Pc. Altec Lansing's Expressionist Ultra speakers have too many quality iUUM for. ~t
The wired remote uses a jog dial to control the numerous issues. Considering the price, this is simply at thiS price
volume, so it requires only a slight twist to make unacceptable - we'd expect a neany flawless level of
STll!.EO SPEAKERS 2.1 configura!"",.
adjustm ents. Pressing one button lets the dial control audio quality and these speakers just don't have it. We 200W ~r RMS,l.Smm stereo
the 1;.155, while another switches t o adjusting the recommend Creative's similarly priced Gigaworks T3 2. 1 Input POWERCONSUMPTK>N 3W
treble. A small series of lights visually indicate the speakers (see lMlat's New, Shopper 25 1), which sound .tao1dby. 16W
PART COOl BSll
ott"'"
volume, bass and treble levels. The remote includes a clear, rich and detailed.
handy headphone socket and a 3.Smm input, in Alan Lu

EDIFIER preferred the controls located on one of the satellites or


Ell00Plus on a wired remote, although the design does allow the
satellites to remain very small. The satellites' diaphragms

**
£40 jnc VAT
From www.johnlewis.com
are exposed and could easily be damaged, especiaHy in a
household with curious children.
The sound quality 01 the El 100Plus is mediocre at
best. The midrange sounds muddy and flat, so vocals
The subwoofer from Edifier's El 110Plus 2.1 speaker set and instruments in pop songs lack detail. The high end
in unlike any we've seen before. Its glossy black curved ca n sound harsh, especially in electronic music, and this SUMMARY
top is reminiscent 01 the vicious extraterrestrialslrom is increasingly noticeable the more you ra ise the volume. VERDICT Edifi«'s Ell00P\us
th e Alien movies, which is no bad thing. There's Increasing the bass makes music boom when it should speak...-s look g~. t .but t heir
only one 3.5mm input,located on the back of the be more focused. Sound quality suffers even more unless sound q~ lity is poor
subwoofer. but this is sufficient for a set of PC speakers. you·re sitting in the sweet spot, which is narrow. STEREO SPEAKERS 2.1 configuration.
We were less impressed with the location of the We like the unusual look of Edifier's El l00l'lus, 21W power RMS. l .5mm storeo
controls. The volume control. which also doubles as a but the sound quality leaves much to be desired. We'd InputS. one·l"'o, RTB _mint>,>
POWER CONSUMPTION
power switch, is located on the top of the subwoofer, rather have Logitech's X-230 2. 1 speakers (see below). 2W ,tondby. 8W octlve
while the bass dial is located on the back. These They don't look nearly as distinctive, but their sound PART CODE 8934Cl4OZ
are inconvenient to reach if you want to tuck the quality is far superior in every respect. O£TAI.S WIW/.~ i fi or· intomat""'aI.
,~
subwoofer away somewhere unobtl1Jsive. We'd have Alan Lu

LOGITECH PHILIPS PHILIPS HERCULES


Z-5500 Digital Streamium SHE2550 DJ Console
~~!c~! tt*~i
NP2900 Extra Bass RMX
From www.a ma zon.co. uk *****
£ 220 inc VAT *****
£5.49 inc VAT ~'f\:! Sa
i *****
£255 inc VAT
This surround-sound speaker From www.expansys.co.uk From www.a mazon.co. uk From www.pixmania.co.uk
kit has built-in decoding for Dolby
Digital and DTS soundtracks. You TheNP2900 , . These earphones may be cheap, The OJ Console RMX is Hercules'
can connect a OVO player via the streaming audio but they're superior to sets that flagship OJ product. The console
optical and coa~ial S/POIF inputs, receiver is small, come with most MP3 players. has a microphone input and a
or connect your PC's sound but its built-in They're comfortable, and their monitoring headphone outp ut.
card to its three mini-jack inputs speaKers sound rich and powerful. open speakers create a full, natural Rear ports connect to turntables
fOf surround sound. Quality is It supports a wide range of audio sound that's well suit ed to rock, Of powered sources. Its knobs,

great, with an emphasis on the formats, and the included pop and dance music. The sliders and dials can be controlled
upper mid-range TwonkyMedia Manager software ea rphones produce with the bundled AtomixVirtua lOJ
and treble. This is easy to use.A range of intemet solid bass tones, 5 for Windows and Mac as x.
set is radio stations are available, and but not at the This and a laptop
great you can add more. It's a little expense of clarity full of MP3s are
val ue. expensive, but it's excellent. and precision. all you need to
mix a full set.
SURROUND·SOUND SPEAKEltS 50SW STlIEAMtNGAUDIO ItECEIVER Ix
~'. 3> 3.S <t..-M (S.I. 3> <lereo). mlnl.Jock r-.odpllone output . Ix c,,">laI
co", ,,1 SlPDIF. optical SJ'PDIF input< ,/PDIF output, one-ye .... RTB warrant>,>, 1f~ .... "C)' ~spon~ 12-22.000HI,
POWER CONSUMPTION 9W <londby. ",ppon,WMA,AAC, Ogg, W~ and MP3 impodanco 16 ohm<
llWon ""die PAltT COOl NP2900105 PART CODE SHE2S50100
PARTCOOE 97011·0120 POWER CONSUMPTION 4W .tondby.
FUll. REVIEW Jut 09 6W 011 FUU REVIEW jun 09

JANUARY 2010 . COMPUTER SHOPPER


www.freedowns.net & www.journal-plaza.net
w HP
Med iaSmart
older backups will always be purged
to make room for newer ones.

C!I EX490
f iles stored on the EX490 can
be acce ssed from .my internet-
connected computer, as well as

****
<:C £462 inc VAT
From www.cclonline.com
the computers on your local
networi:.. For this to work, Windows

c:::
Home Server will attempt to
configure your router automatically
AWindows Home Server (WHS) is if it supports UPnP port forwarding;
an altemative to a network-attached otherwise, you'll have to do this
storage (NAS) device for sharing files yourself. Photos stored on the EX490 can

C among all 'lour networked computers.


It's basicaUy a modified PC running a customised
version of Windows. HP's latest WHS model. the
be automatically uploaded to a photo-sharing
service such as Flickr or PicaS<!, although we had
trouble getting it to recognise our Picasa account.

I- MediaSmart EX490, has several intriguing features


that make it more attractive than previous
The EX490 comes fitted with a single 1TB hard disk.
It has three additional disk trays, which are easily

en Home Servers.
The EX490 can automatically copy music, vi deo
and photos from all 'lour networked computers so
they're accessible from any connected PC via
Windows Explorer or through a web interface. In our
tests, it also worked Rawlessly as an iTunes music
accessible, for adding extra disks. It was fast at copying
both large and smaU files over our Gigabit Ethernet
network. Indeed, it was faster than many NAS devices
we've seen. The WHS operating system doesn't support
traditional RAID arrays, but 'Iou can enable folder
replication. This is similar to RAID1, and automatically
server and as a UPn P media server. duplicates 'lour chosen folders to another disk .
It's possible to view videos stored on the Configuring the EX490 is straightforward thanks
EX490 from a remote intemet-connected PC via to it5logicaHy organised configuration utility.

UPDATE a web interface. first they'll need to be re-encoded


into a specific, low-resolution
MPEG4 file format. This is done
Additional features such as a BitTorrent downloader
or FTP server can be added if required.
HP's MediaSmart EX490 is the
SONY automatically in the background. SUMMARY best WHS we've seen. It's fast,
With it5 2.2GHz single-core VERDICT HP's MediaSmart EX49Q simple to set up and quiet. It has
DRX-S70U-W (eleron processo r, this isn't a ;",1 chup, 001 it's pad~ d lull of some uniqu e features, but some,
**
£48 inc VAT
quick process, though.
Moce useful everyday features
u",fullutu'M
WINDOWS HOME SERVER lTB hard disk.
10/100/I,OOOI'1bit/' Ett.., .... t, 4, USB2
such as its vi deo re -encoding and
streaming. have only limited appeal.
From www.lambda-tek.com/ include the ability to share a USB so it's not for everyone. It's best
componentshop porU. UPnP me<J ... iTuJ><'. pr .. t . USB
printer with your networked PCs. dlsk",lW(I. on.·y~ a. RTB ",arr..,ty. suited for deman ding users whose
It can also back up chosen files 247xl-CO"<254mm needs aren't met by a high-end NAS
Sony's from each of your com puters POWERCONSUMPTlQN 2W $I..,dby. such as Synology's Disk Station
DRX-S70U-W on a schedule. Individual backup 47W""t"'. (see What's New, Shopper 261). For
PARTCODE fL704M
portable DVD writer is an schedules can't be set, though, so O£TAllS www.hp.<o.u ~
more basic storage needs, a simpler
updated version of the all your computers will be baded NAS such as Western Digital's My
DRX-S70U-R (see What's New, up at the same time. It can keep Boo[( World (see Editor's Choice,
Shopper 253). It has the same older versions of your files in case below) is much cheaper.
sturdy black brus hed metal you need to revert to th em, but Alan Lu
design, but is faster than its
predecessor at writ ing discs. It
wrote single-layer DVDs at
around 5X and two-layer DVDs
at just over 3.5X.
EDITOR'S CHOICE
Unfortunately, it retains its
predecessor's greatest flaw.
WESTERN DIGITAL IOMEGA
Although it can be powered My Book World eGo Portable 500GB
over USB using a two-plug
cable, this has to be bought
Edition lTB *****
£76 inc VAT
separately for an additional
f4. Otherwise, it ne~ds to be
*****
£122 inc VAT ~ I,
From www.mlsco.co.uk

plugged into a wall socket using From www.ebuyer.co m


the included power adaptor, Some portable USB hard disks
wh ic h is inco nvenient. This lTB NAS device looks sleek in can feel cheap and fljmsy, but
The DRX-S70U-W com pares it5 glossy white case. It's easy to " Iomega's eGo certainly doesn't. Although
poorly to Samsung's Super configure and is one of the fastest we wouldn't want t o drop any hard disk, t he
Writemaster SE-SOB4 (oppOSite), single-disk NAS devices we've eGo's metallic shell feels as though it could handle
wh ic h is f 11 cheaper, comes seen. It's quiet, too, so a few kn ocks.
with the two-plug cable and is it's unobtrusive and can NETWORK STORAGE DEVICE It's one of the
slightly quicker at burning discs. be used in a qu iet room. lTB hard disk. 10/100/ fastest portable USB PORTABl.( EXTERNAL HARD
1.()()()Mb~/' n.1'o\'<>rk DISI( SOOGB <opacity. 5.-4OOrprn
It's far better value. The MyBook World disks we've seen,
<",",,« lion, hr USB pon. UPnP Spindl. Ij)«d. USB inleff"" ••
isn't perfect - it has no medi•• iTun." USB disk ~O>d FTP whether it was lJS>:89><20mm, on. ·y•• ,
print server and its $..wr$.lhlff·y. a, RTB W<!rr.nty copying large or small ~T8 warr.nty

remote access serve r PARTCOOE WDH1N(11)()()O files, and EMC's useful PART CODE 34619
DEfAIU WNW.wuwndigOt.!. DflAIlS www . iom.g.~u..",..
isn't very we ll designed Retrospect Express HD
Alan Lu - but its performance
<~
backup softwa re is
FULL REVIEW J.... 2009 ~ REVIEW o.c 2009

. . .. ........N_
PC systems and
storag e e~pert and low cost per
gigabyte make it
great value.
--....
- ~.-..
-
included. Best of all,
the eGo costs just 1Sp
per gigabyte.
.... ,••d
,. "
b

COMPUTER SHOPPeR • JANUARY 2010


www.freedowns.net & www.journal-plaza.net
STORAGE
,
' h ~ ~ ~ ~~ •• ~ ~ ~ ~ U ~. ~ ~~ d ~ . ~ ••
WESTERN DIGITAL SAMSUNG CHOOSING AN .•.
Scorpio Blue 640GB SE-S084 Internal
*****
£92 inc VAT
*****
f37 inc VAT Hard Disk
Follow the steps to find your ideal specs
CAf'AOTY, 500GB
Western Digital's Samsung's latest
SPlNOl( SHED: 7,lOOrpm
latest 2.5in internal portable OVO writer
INTEJIFACE: PATA 0/ SATA
SATA hard disk h(ls a ~ge has a tray-loading instead of a
capacity of 640GB. Although 750GB and slot-loading mechanism. Thi s doesn'tlook as sleek, Rtcon-o~ minionum Ir> ~y
1TB models are available, these 3re too thick to fit but it will work With m ini &m-diameter discs.
in many laptops, unli ke the 640GB Scorpio Blue. A two-plug USB cable is included, so it can be
The Scorpio wrot e large files at 58.8MB/s and
read th em at 79.3MB/s, making it on e 01 the
fastest laptop hard dish we've seen. It was also
used without an exte mal power adaptor, which is
convenient for mobile use.A useful extra is the
included copy of Nero Recode. This utility lets you
D An internal hard disk with the
above specifications should
cost around £40. It's fast enough
quid reading small Ijles at 73.8MB/s but a little fit a two-layer OVO movie on a single-layer disc for genera l use and provides enough
sluggish writing them, managing only 38.7MB/s. and re-encode your movie into a MPEG4 file. storage space for an average user.
The Scorpio didn't improve the battery life of our The SE-5084 couldn't reach its claimed write Make sure you get the interlace type
test lapt op. but at least it didn't reduce it either. speeds, but was still quick at buming single - aM that matches your Pc.
At 1Sp per gigabyte, the Scorpio is a good pick two -layer DVDs. 4.7GB discs were written at SX, Parallel ATA (PATA) connector.> use
if you need lots 01 s\OI"age for your laptop. If you while 8.5GB discs were written at just under 4X. wide ribbon cables and are generally
don't need that much storage. the 500GB version Samsung's SuperWritemaster SE -5084 is the fo und in old computers. The new Serial
of the Scorpio Blue (see Liibs. Shopper 255) is a best portable DVD writer we've seen, and the ATA (SATA) interface uses a th inner
good alternative, It costs just £60, Of around 12p ideal companion for a netbook, It's inexpensive, cable and is slightly quicker.
per gigabyte, and performed similarly; it was even quick and doesn't need an exte rnal power adaptor,
10MB/s faster when writing small files. so it wins our Best Buy awa rd. I!:I PATA hard disks require a
Alan Lu Alan Lu U standard four-pin Molex power
cable. Some SATA disks can also use
SUMMARY a Molex power connector, but most
SUMMARY VERDICT Samsung's SE-S084 is a fast require a SATA power connector.
VEROICT TOe 640GB Scorpio Blue Is and goo(haw e portable DVD WTiter If your powe r supply doesn't have
ide;>! if you want Ion of storage in t hat come. w ith u•• ful""ftw.", any SATA power leads then you
your laptop, but 500GB drivel are
EXTUNAl DVD WRITER 8X DVD· R, 8X can buy a converter for around
bette!" value
DVD +R. 6X DVD·RW. 8X DVD+RW.6X £4 includingVATfrom
SATA HARD DISK 640GB h.rd disk. 598GB DVD-R DL,6X DVO+R 01, SX OVD-RAM,
f<>nnaU..J ""pacity INTFS). SATAl300 www.map/in.co.uk.
24X CO·R, 24XCO_RW.8X DVO, 24X CO,
interface, 5,4OO<pm spindle spee<I, 8MB USBlnten~
cacho. 12m$~e k time. 26d8{A} noi.e
""'on Odie
PART COOE SE·W84B11'tS8N n Buy a hard disk with the
PART COOE WD64OOe!:VT
D£TAIlS www.sa ..........·odd.com Ir:I capacity you'll need, but aim to
DETAILS www.wdc.com leave a litde breathing room, as you'll
always need more storage. A lTB disk
st rikes the best balance between
capacity and low cost per gigabyte,
but in general you should buy the
largest disk you can afford .

. . . If you want more disk space or


i i i you want to protect your data,
think about buying hard disks to
create a RAID array. These use multiple
SEAGATE SAMSUNG hard disks to create a single, large,
Barracuda 7200.11 Story Station lTB • logical disk with better performance
or protection for you r data . RAID
15TB ijifif'i
***** 5,
*****
f70 inc VAT
From www.play.com
arrays need to be built with hard disks
of the same size. Technically, these can
f84 inc VAT be from different manufacturers, but
Samsu ng's first t ry to get identica l disks if you can.
desktop external
Despite the huge l.5TB disk has a brushed n A ha~ disk's spind~e speed is
capacity of this 3'hin metal and grey plastic 1:.1 very Important as It governs
internal SATA hard disk, it finish.As well as looking sleek, it runs quietly. how quickly the disk can transfer
costs just 6p per gigabyte. We were impressed We were imp ressed with its perform ance in data.A spind le speed of 7,200rpm is
by its performance in most of our file-trans fer o ur file-transfer common in desktop drives and fast
tests; it lagged benchmarks; DESKTOP EXTERNAL HARD enough for most purposes. If you do
behind only when SATA HARD DISK 1.51B hard it's one of the DISK nl! C"f"'City, 7,200rpm a lot of video editing or you nm
disk, 1,J97GB formatted spindl. $pW1. USB i nt.rfac~.
writing sm all co~ity INTFS}, SATA/300 fastest desktop
40' 12a.193mm.thr. e. ~",
demanding applications, a 10,OOOrpm
files. Cheaper Int.nace, 7.200rpm <ptndl. USB disks we've RTBw..,. .... ty hard disk can be faster, but it will be a
, ,5TB hard disks speed. 32MB cache, 8.5m. , ..k seen, despite its POWlRCONSUMPTION 2W lot more expensive. Desktop hard
are availab le, but time. ZSdBIA) noi~ when "'. low cost per Idle. 7Wactl~ disks w ith 5,400rpm spindle speeds
the Barracuda is ~~:I~:!::e:::::;;S gigabyte of 7p.
PART CODE HX·OU010EB
DfTAILS www... mwng.co.u~
are n't common and are quite slow, but
o ur pick if yOlJ FUll REVI£W Nov 2009 Backup software FUll REVIEW M<1)' 2009 they ge ne rate less heat and noise so
need plenty of is included, so it's could be a good choice if you're
fast st orage for ideal if you need :::;::1 building a small, quiet PC.
your desktop Pc. lots of storage.

JANUARY 2010 . COMPUTER SHOPPER


www.freedowns.net & www.journal-plaza.net
~
NETGEAR
WNDR3700
***
c:::
£124 inc VAT
From www.lambdatek.co.uk/
componentshop

o Netgear's WNDR3700 is an expensive


wireless router with some enticing features,
including dual-band wireless networking. a
mode. Disabling channel-bonding limits
the rooter to a theoretical maximum
throughput of 130Mbit/s, but this

~
USB ponthat lets you use the router as a makes litde difference in our
network storage device and a wireless guest real-world tests. Channel-bonding can
network, so visitors can access the internet improve performance if you experience
but not the rest of your network. poor signal quality, but it tends to reduce
II's easy to configure using the setup the maximum range of your signal. This router

I- CD or the wizard built into the router's web


interface. It doesn't prompt you to configure
performed belter without it.
Performance in our speed tests was variable. In

w yoor wireless security settings, so don't forget to do


this straight away. The interface loob a little cluttered
but is easy to use, with detailed notes on every feature.
Useful advanced options include remote
the 2.4GHz band, we saw a maximum speed of just
2SMbit/s at a distance of 10m - poor compared wit h
every rooter in oor last group test (see Labs, Shopper
260) - but it managed an impressive 26Mbit/s at 20m,

Z management, so yoo can access its seuings from


outside yoor local network, QoS web traffic shaping
(see FAQ), a 5GHz Video Network mode to optimise
local media streaming and the ability to bloc~ specific
one of the fastest speeds we've seen at that distance.
Our 2.4GHz tests with Netgear's own WNDA3 100
wireless adaptor were disappointing. All were slower
than the results from oor Centrino 2 laptop, even when
port ranges or websites according to a schedule. we switched channels. Its SGHz throoghput with

FAQ Atraffic meter lets you limit the


total amount of data downloaded,
which is useful if you're on
SUMMARY
Netgear's own adaptor was great
at short to medium distances, with
speeds of 81Mbit/sat 1m and
VERDICT An ~xc~ll~t r"'g~ of
Whilt isWiFi metered broadband. 67Mbit/s at 10m. Sadly, the best
Q Multimedia As well as accessing USB storage
futur~s, blJ t this router p"rform~
inconsisttntly in o~r wirtltss transftr result at 20m was just 17Mbit/s,
(WMM) traffic shaping? as a Windows (5MB) share on your tests, with poor SGHz speeds which is slower than using our
network, you can share it over HTIP WlRruSS ROUTER 802.11n c:k<aI band laptop on the 2.4GHz band.

A WMM is a Quality of
Servitl! (QoS) system
that prioritises certain types
or FTP. The HTIP web page is a
simple file list and doesn't let you
upload content, but you can upload
(300Mbitls).4~ 10/10011.000Mb~/. lAN
p-orts. b W... N port. UPnP. QoS,
Z23xl S3x31mm, oo ~ -y ~ ... RTB warranty
The WNDR3700 has some
bril!iant features but its high price
and inconsistent transfer speeds
POWER CONSUMPTION 6W 00
of data over a loul wireless files via FTP. The catch is that the PART COOE WNDR3700_100UKS ma~e it hard to recommend. If yoo
~twork. WMM divides rooter supports only two accounts: DET..... LS WWWn<1l1"ar.<:o.tlk need a simultaneous dual -band
network traffic into four admin and guest. router with USB NAS capabilities,
categories - video, voicE', best Like a1l802. 11 n routers, the we recommend Linksys's similarly
effort and background - based WNDR3700 ships with channel- priced WRT610N (see What's New,
on labels in the individual bonding disabled in 2.4GHz mode, Shopper 2S2).
packets. It then handles each although iI's enabled in SGHz Kat Orphanides
category differently.
Voice and video packets have
the highest priority, so when
you're streilming a movie from
your PC to a receiver attached
EDITOR'S CHOICE
to your TV, the video is gi~n
priority over other network
02 L1NKSYS
traffic. This means it should play Premium WVC54GCA
without network lag or data
loss, which would resu lt in a
***** ***** ~,.,.."~
[g]
£15 per month (£10 for 0 , mobile customers) £93 inc VAT ' iAn ,
stuttering picture. Less From www.broadband.o2.t:o.uk From www.purel ygadgets.co.uk
bandwidth-critical traffic, such
as web-browsing or file
transfers, have a lower priority
while a video is playing.
This technology only
O,'s broadband services aren't
available everywhere, but if you're
lucky you'll be able to receive its
20Mbit/s-rated connection for £15 per
0 2
This is one of the cheapest wire less
IP cameras we'V{! reviewed. It's a
shame it only comes in black, but
it's easy to install and configure and
prioritises traffit: - it doesn't month. Our survey showed average the qua lity is above aV{!rage. There's
boost bandwidth or guarantee a download speeds of 11.1 Mbitls and high also a built·in microphone, 50 you can
strong enough wireless signal satisfaction sco res. You don't get a static IP address, hear what's happen ing.
for video streaming. Almost all but extras indude 200 free SMS messages that you Motion detection allows yoo
modem routers support WM M can send from O;s website. Packages are subject to to have video clips or still images
and have it enabled by default, a fair use policy emailI'd to you, and this
so you may be berrefiting from rather than a stated HOME BROADBAND SERVICE
can be set on a schedule. WIRHBS tp CAMERA 64{h480
the tet:hnology already. download limit. 20Mbit/ •. wi ... less routo•. "",ail, Yoo can also enable "'sol"tloo. 3Ofp<. 101100Mb~/,
If it's available where IIff instaUotion. 1Z·month streaming to a mobile [mom' I, 8Oz.11b/g wn\ess,
~ootra.ct D£TAlLS www. motion ""toctioo. MP€G4,
you live, it's well phone, which limits the
Kat Drphanides worth subscribing.
b<oadba<1d.oZ.~",uk
resolution to 160x120 at
MjPEG.90x120x37mm

_-
fUll REVIEW Sep ZOO9 POWER, CONSUMPTION 3W 00
Pri nters am! You even get a £5 1Sips. The WVC54GCA is P... RT COOl WVCS4GC ...·UK
DETAILS wwwllnks>,os.c"",
discoun t if you're an
0, mobile customer. . ... ..... a great IP ca mera at a
great price.
fUll REVIEW Sep 2008

COMPUTER SHOPPeR • JANUARY 2010


www.freedowns.net & www.journal-plaza.net
NETWORKS

--r· .. - ........ - ...............


......" . . ....
' '' ' "" .. ,I .... , . .... ,. <l .. ~ ..' ','1.,11 ~,

CHOOSING A...

Wireless
£170 inc VAT
From www.scan.co.uk Router
Y-Cam's original Black IP camera won our Best Buy sturdy stand can be Follow the steps to find your idea' specs
award in Labs, Shopper 249, thanks to its ea~ wall-mounted or STANOAAD; 802 lIn /300Mbi!/.j
configuration, outstanding image quality and placed on a convenient ETHERN£t PORTS: " 101100 Mbit/.
excellent infrared night vision. One of the few surface. It's not UoA08ANDCONN£CTION.: [~WAN poort
limitations was that, with no onboard storage, it immediately Stlitable for Recommmded minimum In groy
relied entirely on a network connection to save the outdoor use, but a weatherproof
data it recorded. This has been addre5')ed in the shell (the V-cam Shell) is available for around ESO.
Y-Cam Black SD, which has a MicroSDHC slot.
It's incredibly easy to set up. Just plug it into
your router and install the Y-Cam setup utility.
The camera can record video (as MPEG4 or
MJPEG-formatted MOV files) or ]pEG snapshots to
a memory card. networked PC or FTPserver. It can
D A basic wireless router with the
specifications above will cost
around BO. Even budget routers offer
Once the camera is connected to your network, also email snapshots or stream content over the 8OZ.11n technology now, although
you can use the setup utility to tell it to use a web, and has Real-time Transport Protocol {RTP} they don't have as many featun:os as
specific IP address, which is vital if you wish to support - the most common videoconferend ng their more expensive counterparts. It
connect to it remotely over the internet. A button standard. Support for popular free Dynamic DNS doesn't have a built-in modem, so
in the utility opens the web interface in Internet services means you'll always be able to access the you'll have to use it with a broadband
hplorer. A control panel lets you zoom in digitally, camera remotely, even if you have a dynamic IP modem that has an Etherll<!t port.
adjust the microphone level, record the feed to address. Recording can be continuous, triggered by Also available at this price are
your PC and save snapshots. You can use other a motion sensor or according to a schedule. 1SOMbit/s 'N-technology' routers.
browsers to view the video feed, but these controls Video quality was impreS5ive, with some of the These have fewer antennas, but are
aren't available. Web-based viewing is limited to a least grainy footage we've seen from a reasonably often as fast as 802.11n devices. You
small window, but over your local network you priced IP camera, although video takes on a can expect a transfer speed of around
can use the Multi-Live utility to see full-screen slightly yellow cast under energy-saving bulbs. 30Mbit/s at 10m from any modern
video. As its name implies, you can view feeds Black and white infrared footage is sharp and full 8OZ.11n or N-technology router.
from up to 16 cameras simultaneously. of detail. A gently glowing red ring of 30 LEOs
Configuring t he camera is makes the camera starld out at Et If you have ADSL, you should get
easy whatever your browser. SUMMARY night. It's not subtle, but it might E:;;:I a wireless router with a built-in
A web-based wizard helps V£ROICT " simple inlmaocl' aod IQts deter would-be intruders. ADSL modem. It will cost more than a
you configure it for an of recording features mal<e this camera With a built-in microphone, standard cable router, but it lets you
802.11b/g wirele5') network, a great buy, whethN you're kl'<'j>ing an infrared, great video quality and connect your router directly to your
~ Q(llhe cats Of securing your home
which gives you a lot more a wide range of alarm, scheduling broadband connection without a
choice about where to WIlWSS .. CAMEItA IOlnCOMS ""'SOl', ar.d recording features, the Black separate modem. ADSLZ+ modems
position the camera. The 64())(48() ",soIution, lOip<, 10/100 SO camera is great value. It costs support broadband conll<!ctions up to
Ethe rnet. 802.llb/g wirelu~ . night vision.
MicroSDHC slot is a great motion detection. 8S. SS.3Cknm. """.~ ..
around £20 more than its Z4Mbit/s with an appropriate 15P.
touch, as your camera can RTa WilfT;>nty predecessor, but the memory
continue to record security POWER CONSUMPTION 4W on card backup makes it we!! worth n Most 80Z.11 n win:oless routers
data even if your network PART cOO( YCB003
DET.... LS www.~ - cam.com
the extra. It's a Best Buy. 1::1 use the Z.4GHz frequency. This
connection goes down. Its Kat Orphanides has good range but can be prone to
interference if it's near a lot of other
Z.4GHz devices, such as other routers
and baby monitors. If you have trouble
getting a consistent wireless signal or
you want faster transfer speeds for
win:oless video streaming, it's worth
LlNKSYS LlNKSYS buying a dual-band router, which can
WRT320N WAG160N-UK use both the Z.4GHz and 5GHz bands.
Alternatively, a hi-gain antenna can
::.::: I;E:tii1il *****
£57 inc VAT ~;a~i'i boost signals and improve ranges and
throughputs to the whole house.You
From www.kikatek.com From www.kikatek.com
can also add a hi-gain antenna to a
At £58, this is the Linksys's WAG 160N-UK PC's networlt adaptor. If wired
cheapest dual-band ADSL router is easy to networlt speeds are a priority, look for
Draft-N router configure, with a standar<l set of a router with Gigabit Ethernet.
we've ever seen. Even features including QoS and local wireless traffic
though it can transmit on shaping - both of which help to prioritise . . . Many routers have built-in USB
only one band at a time, it's still high-bandwidth services stich as video Ii.I ports that allow you to connect
incredibly fast in streaming. More importantly, it produced some a USB drive and use the router as a
both Z.4GHz and DUAL-8f<NDWlkELESS ROUTER of the fastest 2.4GHz transfer speeds we've ever basic network storage device. If you
5GHz mode, both D<aft 802. lib/gIn duol ·bond seen, both with our want to share a USB printer on your
with a Centrino (lOOMbit/,), ,,.lO/IOOI Centrino Z laptop networlt, look for a wirelen router
ADSL WIRELISS ROUTER
1.()()Oto1b~/. LAN pons. bWAN
laptop and using and Linksys's S02.llb/g/n (3OOMbltls). 4. with a built-in USB print server.
P<>"t. UI'nP. QoS
its own adaptor. WUSB600N USB 10/100 LAN port" lxWAN port Alternatively, you can add a dedicated
PART COO( WRH20N
TheWRT320N ("'DSL2+ ~) . UPnP.QoS.
PQWEIiCONSUMPTION SW on wireless adaptor. The wireless print server later. Finally, if
J.4>102xI6Omm, one·)'"" ItTB
is also easy to use, DETAILS wwwJink$y$b),<is<o. WAGl60N-UK isn't you're interested in making voice calls
warqnty
,~
making it the ideal overburdened with PART Coo( WAGI6ON-UKs over the interll<!t, look for a router
FUll REVIEW 0<12009 _
choice if you don't features, but it's easy POWER CONSUMPTION 7W on with built-in VolP support (and pholl<!
need an ADSL
modem.
~~= ± ,-
-.-. -- to use, inexpensive
and very fast.
O£TAl.S wwwJinks~.b~ds<o.,om
FUll REVIEW Oct 2009
sockets) as this can save you money.

JANUARY 2010 . COMPUTER SHOPPER


www.freedowns.net & www.journal-plaza.net
en SAPPHIRE
Radeon HD 5770
I- *****
£1 26 inc VAT

Z
From www.overclockers.co.uk

w
Following hot on the heels of the excellent HD
5850 (see opposite) comes ATl's 5700-series of
graphics cards, which comprises the HO 5770 and
HD 5750 (see below). Both cards have the same
impressive feature list as the 5800-serie5, so you get

Z DirectX 11 and Eyefinity triple monitor support.


However, there are significant architectural differences support appears to be the ~ey feature, but it's ha rd to

o between the 5700-series cards and th eir larger siblings.


The HO 5770 has 800 stream processing units. This
may be a lot less than the 1,440 found in the HO 5850,
but it's the yme number as on the powerful HO 4890.
Yy whether the card is powerful enough to deliver th e
extra graphical effects that will be included in such
games over the ne~t couple of years. The card is cooler,
quieter and around 35mm smaller than the HD 4890,

D.. The clock and memory speeds are actually higher than
those of the HO 5850, but there are other issues. Like
many previous mid-range cards, the HO 5770 has a
and it's less power-hungry, requiring only a single 6-pin
power connector rather than the HD 4890'5 two. It's
also capable of outputting digital HD audio (see FAQ

~
128-bit memory interface, rather left for more details).
than the 256-bit interface used in SUMMARY If any of these tertiary benefits
more expensive models, l"kIich can VERDICT A future · pack...:! graphics appeal to you, the HD 5770 is a
card, but it isn't.s fast as the older HD

o
be a performance bottleneck. better buy than the HD 4890.
Its performance in our 4890, w\11d1 costs on ly a little more However, if you just want
benchmar~s was capable but not PC! EXf'ItESS GAAPt·nes CJ.ItO An Rode,," straightforward graphical muscle
outstanding. A score of 33.6fps in HD S770chipUt.8SOM'h con: ,~d. 1GB for running todays' games, the
our demanding Crysis test proves GOOR5 memory n.mnlng 3t 1.2GHI. PCI older card is a better option, at

tJ that even the toughest games are


playable at high detail settings, but
the score is 6fps shy of the HD
4890's, which is currently available
E,p"''' .16 2.1 intmace
PART COO£ 21161·00·2OR
least l"kIile stocks last. We looked
at both the HIS and Sapphire
versions of the HD 5770 for this
test, and they were essentially

FAQ for only around £10 more.


The newer card has other
advantages, however. Its DirectX 11
identical, so buy l"kIichever card
you can find for less.
Seth Barton

Q C,m I o ut put HD ;ludio


thro ugh my graphics
card's HDMI port?

SAPPHIRE
A HD audio fannats, such
as DolbyTrueHD and
DTS-HD Master Audio, an:'
Radeon HD 5750
copy protected by Protected
Audio Path (PAP). This means
you can't output them
****
£111 inc VAT
From www.overclockers.co.uk
digitally in all their glory
without hardware that The HO 5750 is the least expensive of the three new
supports PAP. In the past, this ATI cards we review this month, and currently the
meant buying Oil sound card. A cheapest DirectX ll -compatible card on the market.
cheaper, if messier, option was It also includes all the fancy features of t he more
to COJM'!rt the digital signal to powerful models, such as HD audio over HOMI and
analogue on your PC and use Oil triple-monitor support for games.
multi-channel output to Not surprisingly, there's little archi tectural cards provide two OVI ports plus DisplayPort and
connect your AV amplifier. difference between the HO 5750 and th e HO 5770 HOMI outputs. We've reviewed the Sapphire version
Thankfully. ATI's SOOO-series (above). The HO 5750 card has 720 stream processors here, which has a custom cooler on it, but it's not
cards support PAP over their - just 80 fewer than the HO 5770 - and slightly slower significantly different to the reference card we received
HOM I outputs. They're the first memory - 1. 15GHz rather than from ATl.All the HD 5750$ we've
cards to output the full audio l .2GHz. The key difference is the SUMMARY seen have fans that blow warm air
bitstream of HD <Iudio formats slower core cloc~ speed of 700MHz VERDICT There's little to choose into your case rather than through
(previous c.ards downsampled rather than 850MHz. be~e n the HD 5750and HD 5770 the exhaust port on the rear, which
the audio). Connect the card to Despite these differences, the at CUrTl'nt prices, but _ morg; nally isn't ideal for keeping the rest of
compatible surround-sound
Oil HD 5750'5 benchmark scores were prefer the faster card your components cool.
amplifier. such as the Onkyo remarkably similar to those of its PC! EXPRESS GRAPHICS CJ.RD An Rode,," If you're after a specific
TX-SR577 (see Labs, Shopper more expensive sibling.A Crysis HD S7SOchlpset. 700MHI con: '~d, 1GB 5000-series feature, such as HD
259), and you can get HD audio score of 29.2fps means you may GDORS memory n.mning 31 1.1SGHI, PCI audio over HOMI, the HO 5750 is a
Expr<" ,16 2.1 " lmac.
and video through a single have to siKrifice some detail to get PART COO£ ll1&o1-OO-2OR
good buy, although you might want
convenient cable. demanding games running at higher to hold off for the almost inevitable
resolutions, but it's only 4fps slower PERFORMANCE(_ _ ><I 5500- and 5300-series cards.
than the HO 5770. However, gamers might as well
Seth Bartan This isn't surprising. as the spend the extra f 15 and buy the
Reviews Edito r
two cards are close in price, with slight ly more powerful HD 5770.
only £ 15 between them. Both Seth Barton

COMPUTER SHOPPeR • JANUARY 2010


www.freedowns.net & www.journal-plaza.net
COMPONENTS

SAPPHIRE
Rad eon HD 5850 1GB
*****
£200 inc VAT
From www.cclon line.com

The Radeon HD 5870 (see Vlhat's New, Our benchmarks showed


Shopper 162) is the most powerful graphic; some differences between the
card we've ever seen, but for just over £300 cards, but only in the most
you'd be right to expect something special. For demanding games, With 88.4fps
keen garners on more moderate budgets. the in our CaU of Duty 4 benchmarl<:,
Radeon HO 5850 is a more reasonable buy at the 5850 produced a slightly new effects, There's also
£200. I\'5 still a lot of money for a graphics higher frame rate than th e 5870 achieved last Eyefinity, which lets you connect
card, but thanHully it's worth every penny. month, thanks to a new set of more refi ned up to three displays to the ca rd at
It may not be quite as drivers. In our demanding fuU-HD resolutions lor multi-monitor gaming,
powerful as its larger sibling, SUMMARY
Crysis test, the HD 5850 It has all the outputs you're likely to need,
but it's still mind-blowingly dropped 81ps compared to with twin dual-DVI, HDMI and DisplayPort, It's
VERDICT If you'~ looking for a
quick. The core clock speed
pow6lul ~ graphic.o; card, th is is th~
the HD 5870, However, it stilt 25mm shorter than the HD 5870, but still takes
is down to 72SMH z from on~.lt·' brNthtakingly fa't ,y~t ,till managed a smooth 42.4fps up two expansion slots in your P(.The HD 5850
BSOMHz and the 1GB of EI OO che"9tr than t he HD S870 at 1,92Oxl,200, proving that needs two PO-Express six-pin power connectors,
GDDR5 memory runs it's capable of pleasing results and ATI recommends at least a SOOW power
Pd EXPRESS GIlAPHICS C"RD ATI R~
200MHz slower. It has 1,440 HD 5850<hips<l , nSMHI <o;nsp«<j, on high-detail monitors. supply. There's support for multiple cards via
stream processing units, so it lGa GOORS momOl)' running at IGH',PCI Apart from raw Crossfire, although we doubt may people wiU
can simultaneously execute Exp"''' <1 6 Z, 1 " t.rta<o.244xll1x4Omm, performance, the HD 5850 need the extra graphical muscle.
on ~ · y . '" RTSwa ..... nty
this many vertex, geometry has all the features that We've never seen a ca rd this powerful at this
P"RTcoo( 21162-OO· 5O!t
and pixel shading opera t ions. made the HD 5870 so price before, and it shoold have a lengthy lifespan
That's only 160 fewer units exciting. It has full support thanks to its DirectX 11 support. If you're an avid

...
PERFORM"NCE 1_ _ '"I
than the HD 5870 has. and a
- ..... for DirectX 11, which adds gamer, we can't recommend it highly enough,
massive step up from the
800 units found on most of
the 4800-series cards.
---- _ .
- .._.....- tessellation, a\(owing lor
more complex models in
games, along with a ra nge of
but everyone else should consider the more
affordable HD 5770 and 5750 ca rds (opposite),
Seth Barton

AMD EDITOR'S CHOICE


Athlon II X4 620 ANTEC
*****
£73 inc VAT
Solo
.
From www.lambda-tek.com/compone ntshop
*****
£67 inc: VAT •
;,;, ~

fl' 1._
From www.morecomputers.c:om
.

AMD has released so many processors recently struggled in our multitasking


that even we've been struggling to keep up, It benchmark, Compared with the equivalently The Solo is among the sturdiest cases we've
has even muddied the dividing line between its cloc ked Phenom II X4 810 (see Labs. Shopper seen. Its thick side panels do an e~cellen t job
brands, launching the first dual-core Phenom 261), the X4 620 was a huge 17 points slower. of insulating noise, and it comes wT\h rubber
chips, and now th e first quad-core Athlon. This is because a small cache makes it hard for grommets on which t o mount yo ur hard disks
Making a quad -core processor that sells for the processor to deal efficiently with multiple to reduce vibrations. YQlJr dish are easily
just £73 is impressive. The next cheapest AMD intensive tasks, On the plus side, it matched the accessed via the fron t panel. The front vent
quad-core we could find, a Phenom X4 9950 X4 810 in our video encoding test, despite has a removable dust filter, making it easy to
Black Edition, cost around f 100, Intel's costing around £50 less. keep clean. It may lack fancy features, but the
cheapest quad-core processor. the Core 2 Quad It was also slower tha n most in games, INhere Solo is a good design with great build qua lity.
Q8200, costs around the same. With a clock the small cache caused problems we only usually
MIDI TOWER 4. 314i" dri~ boys, •• 514in drM bays,
speed of 2.6GHz, the X4 620 is no slouch, but see on Intel's cheapest Pent ium and Celeron 4)2. 206.47Ornrn, 9.21;g, th,....~ar RTB warranty
corners have inevitably been cut. dual-core chips. It dropped around 7fps in Call of PART CODE 076134S.oo500-7 DETAJ.S WNW,onl..: ,<"",
It has no more memory cache than its Duty 4, so it's not ideal for games, fULL kEVIEW ... pr 2009
dual -core Athlon II II your budget is tight
counterparts. There's the SUMMARY and you want a quad-core
usual 128KB of L1 cache, processor specifically for
VERDICT "n ama.ingly cheap
but only 2MB of L2 cache. q<Jad·co;n proc ~SSD/", but its smo ll
video encoding, the X4 620 is
The dual-core models have cache means It's not an aU-rounder a bargain. However, this is
1MB per core, btit here it's rather a niche requirement,
split four ways lor just "MO PROCESSOR F"", <ore< running al Most users will be better
2,6GH. , ~Ml, 2OOMH. (2GH.
512KB per core,This is the Hypo,Transpon), • • 51 2K8 t2 <.d.. , 95W
served by a dual- or
same as the high-end TOP. thrtt-year ~TB womInty triple-core processor with a
Phenom II's, but the X4 620
lacks the Phenom's 6MB
P"RT COO( AOX620WfG lBOX larger memory cac he and
higher clock speed. We •
shared L3 cache to distribtite
incoming data effiCiently. PERFORMANCE 1_ _ '"1
recommend the Phenom II
X2 550 Black Edition, which I'
- _:,1_-- -- I
This architectural costs only £71 from O'M'IN.
limitat ion was visible in our '::,:;1 pixmiJniiJ.w.uk.
benchmarks, as the X4 620 ... Seth Barton

JANUARY 2010 . COMPUTER SHOPPER


www.freedowns.net & www.journal-plaza.net
COMPONENTS

rr-r--.... .., .....--.... j


...... .. ,~ .I .... ,~ " ... ,.•. ;. ·.. '" '" .:'. ,I,.
ASUS
CHOOSING AN .. .
P7P55D Deluxe
****
£160 inc VAT
AMD
From www.lambda-
tek.com/componentshop
Motherboard
Follow the steps to find your idea' specs
Anyone who wants to build a Core i7 PC can buy a MOTHI:RIOARD CHIPSET: AMD 690G
compatible motllerboard for around £80. If you're 0/1/S/10 cont roller.Asus has ad de d a pa ir 01
ONIOAliD GR.fd>H1CS: Ye,
looking fO( the best possible motherboard, though. additional controllers tha t add an IDE port for GRAPHIcs CAliD SlOT: ern. PCI.E .16
this Astls P7PSSD Delu~e is a contender. older drives and Ihree more non-RAID SATA ports Recornm.oWd """Onom '" ,rey
like all motherboa rds for Intel's la test chips, - one of which you can connect to the supplied
the P7PSSD Deluxe uses Inte t's PSS Express e$ATA bac~plate. The rea r of the board has every
chipsel. A5 the Northbridge's fun ctions are built
into the new processors, this leaves just a single
Southbridge controller chip for dealing With
port you could reasonably expect: eight USB ports,
FireWire, two Gigabit Ethernet po rts and two PS/2
POI"ts. Foc audio it has coaxial and optical S/PDIFs
D A basic motherboard with the
above specifications costs
around £55.lt will support Socket
slower peripheral devices. and the usual set of six analogue mini-jacks. AMl Athlon and 5empron processors
The new processors' memory controllers Asus has included a number of extra featu res, and, usually with the latest BIOS
support only DDR3. This motherboard has four such as its latest power m anageme nt 1001, whkh update, the new Phenoms too. As it
slots for dua l-channel memocy. Inte l lists th e saved around l OW whe n t he PC was idling. Its has onboard graphics, you can use it
maximum memocy speed as 1,333MHz, bu t Asus TurboV EVe 1001 provides plenty of overclocking for standard Windows applications
has rated this motherboard at up to 1,600MHz, so options from Within Windows, and there's even a without having to buy a dedicated
you can confidently overdock your processor's wired remote that lets you switch between preset graphics card.
core doc k speed without having to reduce the dock speeds as required, It's a comprehensive set
memory multiplier to compensate. of overdocking tools, and ideal for those who find Et If you want to play games at
There are two PO Express slots Inte t's own Tu rbo Boost U anything other than the lowest
for graphics cards. You can either SUMMARY technology lacking in resolutions and lowest detail settings,
use one graphics card at ~1 6 speed. ambition (see our Core a PCl-E xl6 slot will let you install a
VERDICT It's packed full of f e atu~s,
or two at ~8 each. Even at ~8, no oot at tnis price it's probably suitilble i7-86O review in lVhat's dedicated graphics card. If you want
current card will ma x out the only for • .oou. entnu>iasts who lI New, 5hopper 262). to use dual graphics card, you'll need
avai lable ba ndwidth. It supports matdl lt wflll a fast Core 17 chip We should also me ntion to choose a motherboard that has
both Nvidia's $LI and All's CrossFire ItflEL MOTHER80ARD lG .... l156, 101.1
the P1PSSD's f,mtastk blue two PCI-E x16 slots and is compatible
standards. so serious gamers are P55 expn:ss chipset. 4< ODR3 colour scheme, as t his is with ATl's CrossFire technology. The
free to choose between them. 800/1066/1333/1600 .tOiS. l x pel Expn:" one of the best (ooking AMD S70X, 580X and any 7-series
The P55's Southbridge controls x16 .tolS. l< PCI Expr. .. yl .ton,lx pel motherboards we've seen chipset supports CrossFire. Some even
.tots, Ix IDe port, 9x S....T.... II pori'
the other expansion slots - a single PAAT COO( 9O·MIB8MO·GOUYOOZ
in years. It's very expensive, support CrossFireX, which allows you
PO-Express x4, two PO-Express xl DETAILS www,,"sus.com ad mitted ly, bu t for those to install four graphics cards.
slots and two PCI slots. It's a good PERFORMANCE •_ _ >OJ who are planning on
n
selection and provides plenty of
upgrade potential.
P55 supports up to si x SATA II
devices and has a built-in RAID
.; overclocking t heir PC, this
motherboard provides
every possible option,
Seth Barton
If you want to build a Media
Ir:I Center PC, look for a
motherboard with onboard graphics
capable of H.164 playba<:k, such as
the 780G chipset, and one with an
HDMI output. You may also want
to opt for a microATX motherboard,
as this will let you build your PC in
EDITOR'S CHOICE a smaller case.
AMD . . Choose a motherboard that
Phenom II X2 550 Ii.I accepts the processor you want

~~~~!~~&~j
From www.tekheads.co.uk
@ £45 inc
From ';";'.;Ig,.~;;;k-
This AM2+ motherboard is compatible with all
current AMD processors. It's th e perfect choice for
to use. The latest AMD socket is
AM1+, which fully supports the new
power-saving features of Phenom
processors. These processors will
still work in older Socket AMl
motherboards, but may not perform
This is th e first Phenom-branded processor with anyone who wants to build a capable PC on a as well because they don't have
only two processing cores. The X2 550 is an AM3 budget. There's a PO-E )(16 slot fO( a graphics HyperTransport 3.
chip, but it wilt work in many AM2+ boards too. It's card and plenty of room for other expansion
very fast , with a 3.1GHz d ock speed, and sped cards. The four memory slots support up t o 16GB 1':1 If you're installing lots of
throu gh our benchmarts with ease. of DDR2. The back
.>.MD MOTHERBOARD AM1 • •
1:1 expansion cards, look for a
Its scO(e of 91 overall makes it quicker than panel provides Nvkll. NFon:r nOO/NWlia motherboard with plenty of PO
Intel's more eight U5B ports, Nf<>«:. nOD chipset, 4. DDRl and PCI-E xl slots. If you're going to
expe nsive Core 2 AMD P1IOCESSOR Two corM and there are six 66718(0/11)6611200 .tots, b PCI install a lot of storage in your PC, a
ruoologat 3.1GHI,A M3, E'P"ss x16 <lQI<. 2" PCI Express
Duo E7400.TheX2 lOOMH. F5B IlGHI
analogue outputs motherboard with plenty of SAT A
xl .tOI<,4, PCI , 101<, h IDE ports,
550 Black Edition is a HW'rT"'ns~). 2< SI2 K8 Ll and optical and 6. SATA/300 port!. I...... "")'.'"
ports is essential. Ideally, it should
bargain at this price, coche ar>d 6MB l3 cache, &JW coaxial5/ PDIF RTB _rr.",y be one that supports RAID, as this
and is our TOP, t .... . ·y• • r RTa w.IT;ooty digital audi o PART COO( GA·Mno·uSl gives you a simple way of improving
PART CODE HOZSSOWGIBQX DETAIlS http://uk.gig' ·byk.<om
recomme nded chip outputs. performance or protecting your data.

-- -- -
DETAILS www-"rnd.com FUU REVIEW NOlI 2009
for anyone who This is easily Finally, ensure that any extras you
doesn't do a lot of
fUU REVIlW Nov 2009
the best value - - E -- want are included, such as FireWire,
processor-intensive
video encoding.
= ::J ... . -
j
----
..-.
AM2+ board
we've seen .
COI " _' ~"
..,. "
eSA TA and 5/PDIF outputs.

.. COMPUTER SHOPPeR • JANUARY 2010


www.freedowns.net & www.journal-plaza.net
Litepad N890 & N890 Premium
Super-lightweight Netbook
Mia brings you Social Networking on the move. Weighing in at a Super-lite 900 grams· and with a profile of less than 26mm
- the litepad N890 slips effortlessly Into any backpack or handbag.

" ' I_ _

..........
www .mio.com
---.._._"'-------
~,,",,*,,""_""" __"'" T ,
~iO"
explore more

www.freedowns.net & www.journal-plaza.net


w ADOBE

a::: Photoshop Elem ents 8


***** ~..,
£57 inc VAT

~
From www. amazon.co.uk

Photoshop Elements is an outstanding product,


offering a sublime mixture of powerful editing
tools, photo-management functions and
home-oriented projects. However, recent
updates have brought scant improvements,
leaving the software to coast its way to success

I- rather than extend its lead over its rivals.


Version 8 isn't much different, although it

u. has a few useful additions. The Recompose


feature, for example, lets you change the shape
of photos without cropping the edges or

c
distorting pre-defined key areas. Instead, it
squeezes or stretches background areas of the
photo. It's extremely useful for fitting images to

en
websites, photo frames or Windows desktops.
However. it's disappointing that the borders of
the image file aren't adjusted automatically - ... P hot oM~ge Exp osure combines photos taken at different
this must ~ done manuaUy to fit the new exposures, but some efforts are more successful than others
picture shape. This feature is executed better in
Xara Xtreme 5 (see What's New, Shopper 260).
FREE PhotoMerge is a group of functions that
SOFTWARE combine multiple photos. These include
panorama stitching and a tool that combines
the best smiles from a series of group portraits.
XTRANORMAL The late5t addition is PhotoMerge Exposure,
which combines photos taken at different
STATE exposures to produce a single photo in which
everything is well exposed. This high dynamic
****
From www. xt ra normal.co m range (HOR) photography is ideal in situations
where a scene contains a range of bright and
This innovative free so ftwa re lets dark areas that are impossible to resolve in a
you (reate animated 3D movies single exposure. It's nothing new, though, as
without need ing any knowledge HDR has been part of Corel's Paint Shop Pro for
of 3D graphics. It uses a script nearly two years (see What's New, Shopper
system similar to that used in 242). Alternatively, you could buy a dedicated
real movie productions. You program such as HDRsoft Photomatix Pro 3.1 ... The automati c People Recog nition function pick s out two faces
build you r movie by add ing (see What's New, Shopper 252). ar.d a shrubbery for us t o name
boxes to a list. Boxes can contain PhotoMerge Exposure worked best when the
dialogue you type in, animations, subject was static, the camera was tripod-mounted now recognises faces to simplily the task of adding
movements and changes in and the range of exposures wasn't too wide. Moving name tags to photos. It offers a few faces lor naming
camera posit ion. subjects or handheld camerawork proved too much for and, after a while, makes educated guesses about faces
Making a basic movie is easy. the automatic mode. In the manual mode, we had to it has already seen. Rather than asking 'Who is this?',
First, pick a location and actors align the photos ourselves and select which parts of questions such as 'Is this Ben?' begin to appear. More
from the small number provided. which photos to stitch together. Manual alignment often than not, it was correct, but it also mistook a lot
Place your actors in their starting was simple but area selection proved clumsy, and 01 armpits. earlobes and inanimate objects for faces,
posit ions, and t hen create a there were often vis ible seams in the combined photos. and rejecting these ~came quite tedious. Meam'lhile,
script using a series of icon5. Our favourite new feature is also one of the it missed many faces, and the system for adding them
A comput er-generat ed voice simplest. An Arrange button next to the Help menu manually was hopelessly cumbersome. Coogle's free
speaks your actors' lines, so makes it easy to tile multiple images and set the same Picasa software has recently added automatic face
don't expect Gielgud-level viewpoint and zoom level on them all instantly - very tagging, and does a far ~tter job of it.
performances. The ran~ of useful for finding the best shot in a series 01 exposures. Photoshop Elements S's new features are far from
actions is wide enough for most You can also switch instantly between fitting them essential. and many are poorly executed. Nothing here
need s, a lthough you won't be all onscreen and showing them at 100 per cent would convince us to pay £52 to upgrade. On the
making any action flicks. Your magnification. Frustratingly, clicking an image's title other hand, Photoshop Elements 5 was a great image
actors can make gestures and bar no longer provides a short cut to the Resize and editor, and subsequent versions are no worse for
facial expressions, and look at Duplicate functions. ha'ling various ancillary, if mostly mediocre. extras.
other actors or the camera. Organizer is Elements' oondled If Ado~ decided to include layer
SUMMARY
It's easy to get the hang of media manager, and it has just as masks for advanced non-destructive
VERDICT A. with previous upda te.,
and fun. You can export your many new features as the main the neW features are patchy, but
editing - a feature included in Corel
finished movies as MPEG4 application. A new lull-screen mode this lakes nothing otWay from the Paint Shop Pro - advanced users
files to show to others. includes one-click colour fixes lor superb exi.ting tools would have an incentive to upgrade.
photos. plus animated slideshows. As it is, Photoshop Elements is still
PHOTO·EWING SOFTWARE Roqui'",
There's also streamlined keyword WiI'\dQws XPNl,ral7, 2GHI pro<."o<. a great product. and Adobe has at
Seth Bartan tagging for photos, so you can add 1GB RAM. 2GB disk <paC. least saved existing users from the
Reviews Editor Pl!OOUCT CODE 65045041
tags simply by clicking on a list of need to splash out on an upgrade.
OETAlLS www.a-dobo.<omluk
recently entered options. Organizer Ben Pitt

COMPUTER SHOPPER • JANUARY 2010


www.freedowns.net & www.journal-plaza.net
SOFTWARE

ACRONIS
True Image Home 20 10
*****
£40 inc VAT
_-
,
"
~~
--
~".
-_
, "
~. ~
"
~
-.---
......... ......"... ........ .. .--
.
... . ..~~u~.
"
.

From www.amazon.co.uk "


""""~"6 • • n . . . . . • .. n . . . . .
••• •••••• •

__. _-
We've always held Acronis's TnJe Image Home shutting it down, Backup
suite in high regard. The previous incarnation
received five stars (see What's New. Shopper
2S3) thanks in large part to its excellent
interface. Unfortunately. True Image Home
files can be saved to optical
media. sent to an ftpsite.
uploaded to Acronis's online
backup storage (prices below)
_
--......_-----....__ .---
& All the tools a re easily accessed from the main Inlerface window
2010 seems to be a small step backwards in or saved locally on a hard
this respect. The general layout is the same. drive. True Image Home 2010 can also create a protection. It essentially performs an incremental
with themed tabs for Backup. Recover. Tasks secure hard disk partition for your backup files. backup every five minutes and allows yoo to roll
and Log. Acronis's Try & ~cide feature and This means they're always to hand. but you risk back your computer to an earlier state. These
Tools and Utilities. However. the home tab, the possibility of losing them to disk failure . five-minute backups are kept for 24 hours before
which used to provide a handy status overview Backup images created by True Image Home they're consolidated into individual day backups,
of your hard disks. now simply provides access 2010 can be converted to Windows Backup files which in tum are kept for a month before they're
to common tasks and a list of running rout ines. and vice versa, allowing yoo to use the image as consolidated further into weekly backups. These
Once the software has made an initial a bootable drive in the Windows 7 boot menu or can't use the Acronis Secure Zone partition like
image of your hard disk. subsequent backups mount the image natively in Windows without standard backups; you need to use an NTFS
can either be full. incremental or differential. running TnJe Image Home. This provides greater partition. Unfoltunately. True Image Home lacks
Incremental backups save only flexibility from your backup any tools to create such a partition. Once it's up
changes made since the last SUMMARY images. You can even mount and funning. however, it works without any
backup. while differential VERDICT A great bacl<1J9 and disk the backup images as drives further user input, ar.d the availability 01 a
backups save the changes imaging a,>ptk.tion with .y.t~m in a Virtual Machine. restorable historical record is useful not only in
since the last full backup. The rol(bac ~ capabKllles With Try & ~cide the event of system failure or data loss. but also
fonner allows for smaller files OISK IMAGING AND a.o.CkUP activated, any changes you for keeping track of the gradual changes you
and shoner backup times. but SOFTWARE Requi ... Window. XP/ make to your PC can be make to files throughout your working week.
the latter means you can bin Viml7(ll · and &I-bit), lGHI reversed, This allows you Acronis True Image 2010 provides a wealth
all the intermediate steps, proc.ssor, S 12MB RAM (1GB forVj<l~ or
to try out software or open of too\5 that both novice and expert computer
W" dows 1).WpporU rAT 16, FAT 32.
Backup routines can be NTFS l ilo formal .. onIi .... backup 2GB suspicious files or websi tes users will find useful. If yoo don't current ly have
scheduled daily. weekly or Ire<! lor 90 day. aJ>d thor•• ft.r tho li"l without fear of damaging your a backup application. it's a flexible and powerful
monthly. or triggered by 25GS cost €~ .95 ""rmonth. with every system or data pennanently. option. but you'll need separate hard disk
systems events such as om. SGB costing (O.79p'" mMth The Non-Stop Backup partitioning software to get the most from it.
DETAilS www.a<:ronis.com
logging on to the PC or function provides continuous David McKinnon

EDITOR'S CHOICE
MICROSOFT MAPYX
Wi ndows 7 Home Prem ium Quov2
***** t 't'iilli
£65 inc VAT - -.--
*****
99 p per 1.60 0 km' map ti le
£130 inc VAT (full ve rsio n) (minimum orsix)
From www.amazon.co.uk From www.mapyx.com

Windows 7 is the operating system that Printed Ordnance Survey maps can get wet or
Vista should have b~n, and undoubtedly lost. A better idea is to buy digital as mapping
Microsoft's best effort to date. The sHe!: new data through Mapyx Quo's softwa re and then
desktop not only looks great, but increases print your own personalised maps.
your productivity, and there's now great You can plan your excursion in detail by
support for touchscreen disp lays. The quick setting way points 0( drawing a track freehand.
launch bar has b1!en replaced by the much A 3D map option makes contours easier to see
simpler task bar, which enables you to 'pin' and you can chec~ your route using satellite
yoor most-used applications to it for easy photos in Google Maps. Mapyx is the best way
access. It runs just as fast as Vist a, so to plan a weekend excursion in the UK.
upgrading shouldn't be a problem fOf
MAPPING SOFTWAIlE R.quir« Window. XPNi<t • • 512MB
most people. MM. 300/'018 disk '!IK" OUAa.s www.mapY"'<om
If you've been persevering with FUll REVIEW Aug lOO9
Windows XP, now's the time to upgrade.
The Windows Desktop Search is a massive
improvem ent over what XP offers, enab ling on office documents. you probably won't get
you to find files and document'; quickly by much out of Windows 7. However. if you're a
typing in to the Start menu. What's more. serious PC user. this is an essent ial upgrade.
Media Center now comes as standard. so
you can browse your media files and use its Of'I'RATING SYSTEM Re<j"~OS 1GH, ~sor. lG8 RAM
excellentlV guide. Home networking has (32·bit). 2GB RAM (64.bil). Di~X 9 graphk$ card with
!laMB ""'mary (lor M rod .....I<>p). 16GB disk 'f'"'C0
been simplified. too. (32 ·bit). roes di5l< ~ (64-bil) , DVDdr~
If you've recen tly bought a Windows Vista PARTCOOE 4fC..oooo1 DETAILS www.mkro.ofl.~om
PC and just use it to browse the web and woli:. FUll R£VlEW No. 2009

JANUARY 2010 . COMPUTER SHOPPER


..
www.freedowns.net & www.journal-plaza.net
SOFTWARE

STEINBERG
Cubase Essential 5
*****
£110 inc VAT
From www.dv247.com

There's no shortage of music-production configure the software to your sound card for
software that speciali5es in electronic musical the best results. There's also music-production
genres. but few put the emphasis on recording jargon to contend with. and advanced
live instruments. Steinberg's Cubas~ is our techniques such as mix automation won't come
favounte of the latter type. but at £440, it's easily to casual users. The PDF manual is well
too expensive for most amateurs, This is where written. though. and after a few initial hurdles. '" Cubase Essential S ir>elude5 the core tools
Cubase Essential steps in. It includes the core the software is fairly easy to get up and running. of Stelnberg's professional music production
features of Cubase. jettisons various advanced Many people considering Cubase Essential S software at a fraction of the price
tools and costs a quarter the price. will bt- more interested in what it lacks compared
This is excellent news for anyone who with Cuba5e S. limitations of 64 audio tracks, 16 The most significant differences lie in the
wants a mature. dependable recording instrument plug-ins and eight global effects will bundled plug-ins. Cubase's highest-quality
environment rather than lots of sonic gadgets, affect only the most ambitious producers, reverb, compressor and EQ effects are missing. as
Features such as flexible snap-to-grid options. Meanwhile. support for up to eight insert effects are other more specialised effects, oot those that
crossfading between audio objects and support (such as bass boost) per trad is just as generous are included cover all the bases and their quality
for tempo are among the highlights. Mix as in the flagship version, and a far cry from the is far from disappointing. The instrument
automation is also included and works like two per track of previous cut-down versions. plug-ins follow a similar vein: there are only two
keyframe editing for video. allowing you to Other omissions. such as integration with compared with Cubase S's eight. but together
vary mixer settings gradually over time, external hardware. multiple mixer views and these virtual-analogue and general-purpose
Meanwhile, a 32-bit audio signal path. the surround sound support will make little synthesizers provide a broad palette of sounds.
ability to record from difference to non-professional Cubase is worth the high price for those who
multiple simultaneous users, However, it's a shame can afford it. but Cubase Essential isn't lacking in
SUMMARY
sources and sophisticated that stacked recording is also the areas that really matter. Yet another version.
VERDICTM.tu .... oI~g.nt rKoo:Iing
signal routing (where you can softwar~ for producing music with
absent. This mode records Cubase Studio. sits in the middle at £270. but its
pre-mix subgroups of audio liv~ in't rum~nts. and gr~at valu~ multiple takes to a single track, feature list is much closer to Cubase Essential's
streams) distinguish it from MUSIC-PROOUCTlON SOFTWARe making it easier to combine than Cubase's, Compared with rival cut-price
most home-oriented Requi,..s WiJ>dow, XPNista or M", OS X them into a single best take applications such as Cakewalk Sonar Home
recording software, 10.$,S. 2GH, prOC""'" (dual-c"", later. We're also disappointed Studio. Cubase Essential S is easily the most
The downside is that a ,""ommended). 1GB RAM. 4GBd"k - but not really surpri5ed - that polished and capable music-production software
'P"'e, "'SIO wund cord r«ammeoded
program of this depth isn't DETAJLS www... !~ int..<g.ne t the powerful VariAudio vocal currently available for hard-up musicians.
quick to master, You have to editor is ab5ent. Ben Pitt

EDITOR'S CHOICE
McAFEE SERIF ACCOUNTZ
VirusScan Plus 2009 PagePlus X4 Personal
*****
£35 inc VAT per year for three pes
From www.play.com
~~
" *****
£80 inc VAT
From www.serif.com
·1~·.! *****
£39 inc VAT
Fro m www.accountz.com
The outnght winner of our last anti·virus Labs. Desktop publishing is a complex task. but Accoun tz Personal is straightforward and easy
VirusScan Plus missed just one 01 our malware Page Plus X4 makes it remarkably accessible. and to use. Entering transactions is simple - type in
samples. Its grey interface isn't particularly at a fraction of the cost 01 market leaders such the date and the amount. tell the program
user-friendly, but the text descriptions of as Adobt- InDesign. You can layout almost any which nominal iKcounts should be debited and
options are easy to grasp. It has a flexib le type of drn;ument and out put your work to PDF. credited. and it does the rest. updating you r
built-in firewali and a range of additional a pnnte r or a file ready for a commercial press. Chart of Accounts as it goes.
tools. including a defragmenter and Themed sets provide matching brrn;hure. The program doesn't do online banking. but
SiteAdvisor. which uses MCAfee's collection business card. flyer. newsletter and poster it can import common bank statement file
of web data to warn you about potentially designs. and the software includes photo editing formats to check against yo ur accounts with
harmful sites. Virus$can Plus is competitively tools for tidying up yoor own images. making great accuracy,There's only a basic set of tools.
priced and its performance has improved Page Plus X4 is one of t he most feature-piKked but its t his simplicity that maKes Accountz
greatly since our last anti-virus test. creative packages you can buy. Personal such a great choice for most users.
S(CURITY sum: Requires WIndows 2Q()()fXPNi51.1 D,", SOFTWARE REQUIRES Windows XP/VistaI7, 512MB ",CCOUNTS SOfTWARE Requl~$ WIndow< XP/ViSlafl,
Vosla-04. 256MB RAM, 75MB di'" 'P"'" RAM, 440MB If.. hard disk 'pac~ PROOUCTCODt: 4FC-OOOO 1 512MB RilM. 1GH, proce,sor DET",l.S www, ,,,cou~ll: , com
DET.u.s hllp~I ... _"""f.,.,.com FUll REVIEW Feb 2009 Dt:TAJLS www....,rif.<om FUll REVIEW De<: 2009 FUll REVIEW Oct 2009

"
-- (1=--"----- I
'-
""
-! --;.:1:_ --.-
'i' = -- • .. ~--.-
-- -
-

I), = --

=-


I
.- .
!,
:~

i.;I
• --=--
COMPUTER SHOPPeR • JANUARY 2010
www.freedowns.net & www.journal-plaza.net
PERFORMANCE THAT STANDS ABOVE THE REST

oez SSDs stand up to enthusiast performance needs where other drives fall short. Providing the benefits of SSD technology,
whi le delivering the optimal balance of small and large lile write speeds, oez SSDs will transform your computing experience
like no other storage solution.

( VERTEX TURBO ) VERTEX AGILITY

Makes a winning solution even The ( ritka lly-acdaimed SSD for Designed foreost-conscious
better with enhanced host dock mainstream enthusiasts that changed consumers seeking the
speeds for fa ster performance. the industry. performance benefits of the Vertex
Se ries.
- 64MB Onboard Cache @ 180MHz
- RAID Support - 64MB Onboard Cache - 64MB Onboard Cache
- Read: Up to 270MB/s" - RAID Support - RAIO Support
- Write: Up to 200MB/ s" - Read: Up to 250MB/s· - Read: Up to 230MB/ s·
• Available in 30GB, 60GB, 120GB, - Write: Up to 180MB/s· - Write: Up to 13SMB/s"
250GB - Available in 30GB, 60GB, 120GB, 250GB - Available in 30GB, 60GB, 120GB

"based on 120GB

DC'"
=T"'''l''' ~
ocztechnology.c om

www.freedowns.net & www.journal-plaza.net


SOFTWARE

ADOBE
Premiere Elements 8
***
£57 inc VAT
From www.amazon.co.uk

It's five years since Adobe launched Premiere lurch awkwardly in the gaps between
Elements, We took an instant liking to its speech, Setting the volume manually to
powerful features, which were taken straight a consistent level is far more effective.
from Premiere Pro and wrapped in a simplified Perhaps the most significant time
interface for home users. Subsequent versions saver is Smart Trim, which automatically
have geared it increasingly towards casual discards the weaker sections of a dip.
rather than ambitious users. We suspect that You can adjust how aggressive it is with • AVCHD preview errors are a surprisingly serious problem
Adobe is determined to win over people who a pair sliders for Quality level and for such well-e.tablished software
see video editing as complex and laborious. As Interest Level. It handily rejected short
With previous versions, version B's new features sections of wobbly camerawork, bot other edits copies, speeding up preview performance.
focus on tempting these wary video camera were less e~plicable . You can review and adjust However, they took a long time to generate, and
owners to take their first steps with editing_ what is kept and discarded, but you can't tweak had to be rebUilt from scratch when adding or
The Organizer application included with the edits manually later as you can with Smart Fix adjusting effects. Better systems, such as the one
new Photoshop Elements (see page 48) also and SmartMix. in Corel VideoStudio, offer customisable
appears here, and helps users manage their The most ambitious new feature is motion resolutions and apply effects in realtime.
video and photo libraries. It's a sensible tracking. Here you lay dip art over video clips. Despite this limitation, background rendering
indusion. bot Organizer's video handling is and it follows people as they move about the is useful when editing demanding fonnats such
patchy, AVC HD clips lack thumbnails, and frame_ You can also use it to apply effects to as AVCHD, However, AVCHD previews were
full-screen video playbiKk is accompanied by a moving area of the frame, although the severely compromised by decoding errors that
music, as if it were a slideshow. sharp-edged rectangular border means the led to blocky distortions. Exports were fine, as
Organizer has its uses, though. It analyses results are far from subtle. The tracking accuracy were previews once ba6ground rendering had
videos, splitting them into individual scenes. is loose at best. Still, it's entertaining - we processed the dip, but this was far too slow.
sorts them into high, medium and low quality easily added a lightning effect to the head Adobe confirmed that this was a known issue,
and identifies problems such as shaky of our animated killer robot, but we're stunned that it would release the
camerawork.. In this latest version, a Smart Fix Bac~ground rendering is the most important software in such an unworkable state, especially
feature resolves shakes and new feature. Video editing is when version 7 had no such problems.
exposure problems SUMMARY seriously demanding for a PC, Premiere Elements offers a lot for just £57,
VERDICT T~r~ ' $lots 10 like M~,
automatically when analysed especially when editing HD but it's becoming increasingly hard to distinguish
but many oft .... new future •• ",
dips are imported into designed to appnl to people who
footage with effects, That's from its competitors_Adobe's efforts to convert
Premiere Elements. .r~·t jnlBtst...:! in vid.., editing why many packages generate ambivalent potential users with instant
Smart Mix is another new lower-resolution copies of gratification are half-baked and dutter the
feature that automates an VIDEO· EDITING SOfTWARE R"""i,., footage for editing. and revert interface for experienced users. The AVCHD
Windows 7MmIXP, ZGHI process<><,
existing OfIe. It's designed to 512MB RAM (2GB RAM 10/ HO, to the origirlals when exporting preview problem means it's no longer the best
stop musical soundtracks d... l-co:n pro<t <SOl" lor ~VCHO). the finished movie. After we option for ambitious users, who will be better
drowning out the dialogue in 4,5GB di'" spKt imported AVCHD footage to served by Sony Vegas Movie Studio Platinum
footage. Sadly, it tries too PRODUCT CODE 650458M Premiere Elements' timeline, it (see What's New, Shopper 2S3)_
DET"'ILS WHW.~.<om/uk
hard and makes the music generated l,44Ox1,080 MPEG2 Ben Pitt

MINDGENIUS MindGenius has a wealth of feat ures for •


organising projects. Tasks can be assigned
MindGenius 3 resources, dates, costs and quantities and placed •
in user-defined categories such as location, for

****
£170 inc VAT
From www.mindgenius.com
e~ample . 'Iou can then search and filter your
map by category and use the results as the basis
for new maps - so you could instant ly create a , y -- ~ •
map featuring all the tasks for a specific loca tion. ,,"TTT =
MindGenius 3 lets you create mind maps to This makes it easy to Keep track of a project, TTTT
.~

~
help you organise your thoughts. Ideas are held while the Microsoft E~cel e~port function lets T T T"!\'
in Nodes, which are connected using Branches. you create progress reports. Individual tasks can ... ......... ~

Creating a map for any project is quick and be exported to Outlook, and tasks that have
easy. You can choose from a set of pre-defined personnel allocated to them are added to that ... Create maps to organise everything. from
templates or create your own look by applying person's task lis\. Entire projects can be exported shopping li.ts to plans for" major project
different styles and adding images. to Microsoft Project, but unlike MindManager B,
Navigating around large it's not possible to show live sharing options in MindManager B, which include
maps is a bit dumsy, but the SUMMARY hcel data, drawn automatically an excellent online collaboration workspace and
map explorer helps and can VERDICT II. powerlu l mind mapping from spreadsheets, in Nodes. interactive PDF output.
quickly isolate a section of application that offers a good trade - The office export functions Although it's not as polished as MindManager
your map. Nodes can contain off Mtw<"M price and fUlUr~ make it easy to share 8 and lacks its advanced sharing options,
extensive hidden notes, 50 information from your maps MindGenius 3 is a useful business and personal
MINOMAPffiG SOnwARE R. qu;r..
you needn't have large Window. XPNi,I./7 (32- ond 64-bit) , with colleagues. YOl! can also organisation tool. It's also about half the price of
chunks of text visible. 4OOMH, proce",.., 256MB R.IoM (lG8 e~port maps as images, PDF MindManager B, and if you work or study at a
Annoyingly, there was a w~hVj,t.o ",W., 7). 100/'018 hard text documents or basic HTMl school, college or university, the identical £65
diskSpKe
lag when typing text directly web pages. This is sufficient, education edition is a bargain.
DETAILS W'WW.rnlnd ~ nl lJ$.com
into the notes editor. but falls short 01 the map David McKinnon

COMPUTER SHOPPeR • JANUARY 2010


www.freedowns.net & www.journal-plaza.net
PC Tools Spyware Doctor with AntiVirus uses layered, intelligent technology to guard
against viruses, worms, rootkits, trojans. and other threats. Recent industry tests show
that our precise protection leads the industry with powerful 100 percent wildlist and
behavioural detection rates.' He re's to good health!
"Spyware Doctor with AntiVirus 2010 ...
totally knocked my socks off!"

pctt\:Jls'
~
. ~_pom.,,,m.1SOct'''''2009

15 October 2009
1'<' , Spyware Doctor with
Ant iVi f u~2010 Sharp tools for sharp people.

www.freedowns.net & www.journal-plaza.net


VOIIr cl\oou of coiDw
......
.. I I

; Con"ct d...
c.m"",_ 1er...c10ng0
Fnt III .... I-
Lallllml I-
SIrttt _ t h Olto~
TownIClly 1-

,-
P.......
,_ IIIG2ClO
I '

I t l1 D
.. e-.

.. r_

Easily customised online ... whenever you want!


Your website, your way! Customise your websi te, change your websi te temp late, display Switch templates
special offers, add or delete sections, insert your own text and images, and much more!
You can make changes to your website anytime, These amends will be immediately displayed
online as soon as you save them,
No special tools or software download needed!
Try it for yourself and see! What do you have to lose'?

Recommended by PC Pro, Issue Nov, 2009:


=_J Display
your offers

"If your business hasn't yet gone online,


this is a surprisingly easy way to build a
professional looking site,"

www.freedowns.net & www.journal-plaza.net


_-_....._-..--_-
---_
.......
---~-
t .... _
$

~ -- ... -
.......
-~
....
.. _ .... _ _ . _ . _ .. ,
-,-.--~- ...

0 -

--
-----
' • • • tlil

-
...,........ _. ,. ,._
-----_..
-.
--'.-- ~
.. -
.. ~ . ;a ...

... ,
--_.-...................-.
-,--... - ...
-~
--~.-

Edit the text Change the main graphic


Try it for
~
~
..
~
...
~
Bre nt s
, . Ga rage
-
t- ,
-.---. ~

FREEr
Add maps and Search Engine Upload your own
directions Optimisation images

www.freedowns.net & www.journal-plaza.net


en EA

w FIFA 10
*****
£25 inc VAT

~
From www.play.com

After many years of playing catch-up, EA's FIFA


series finally overtook Konami's Pro Evotution

c::( Soccer last year to daim the crown for best


football game, FIF A has always had excellent
presentation, gliny visuals and all the official
licences, but Pro Evolution Soccer simply played a

t!J better game of footbalL EA, however, injected a


real fluidity to the action in FIFA 09, and has built
on it with this latest release.
FlfA 10 isn't a drastic update to FIFA 09, but it
.. It's business as ltSual, with FIFA 10 dominating virtual
footbalilike A ..enal's 2004 unbeaten 'Invincible,'

features some key improvements. Tighter defences, for keepers to charge out during one-on-ones makes
more intelligent goalkeeping and the dosing up of easy the lob shot ea~ to abuse. Practice it, and those hat
goal scoring loopholes are the most welcome, and tricks will quickly come your way. There's atso a strong
make for some fiercely competitive matches. feeling tha t EA has opted not to rock the bO<lt with
Standing tackles have been neatly tuned (and their FIFA 10 after making substantial improvements to the
effectiveness means that attackers must employ more franchise in recent years. While there have been
guile to earn their chances on goal), and EA has tweaks, there's nothing to really shake up your

FAQ thankfully relaxed the difficulty when making accurate


long passes. The keepers are active, too, coming up for
corners in the last minute where appropriate, and
apprO<lch to the game.
This is still a very good football game, though.
Backed up by time-sapping game options such as the
Which console should I pulling 011 saves that don't always leave the ball in the substantive management mode, the ever-developing
Q buy this Christmas? path of an attader seeking a rebound. Be A Pro (where you playas a single player on the
There's also twe 360° dribbling for the first time - pa rk ) and assorted online options, there are many ways
It's a perennial question, previous football games limited you to eight- for you to demonstrate your virtual footy prowess.
A but it's well worth
covering. The Xbox 360 is still
directional movement. The change
isn't as huge as you'd think, and it SUMMARY
FIFA 10 effortlessly reclaims the
crown it won last year, and continues
the best choice for serious requires more concentration when VERDICT FIFA 10 i. tile b~.t its reign as the football game of
garners. It's jnexpensj~ at £200 rUnning down the toochline, but you football game around, but ft', choice, but it does it withoot breaking
for the console with a 120GB can fine -tune the angle of your runs in not a hu~ update on last much of a sweat. The flowing action
y~ ... ', edition
hard disk and II top-selling a way that was previously impossible. was present a year ago, and while EA
game (all prices from www. Despite these improvements, flfA FOOTaALlGAME R ~ ~ ., Windows hasn' t completely been resting on its
XPNi~.2.4GHzo< d""i-<;oro
play.com).lt has the biggest 10 still takes two steps fOlWard and laurels, there's little determination
proc~SOf, 1GB RAM,O~IX 9
range of games, marginally one step back. Just because EA has compatible, 1281'18 graphic> c.ml. to break new groond. FIFA 10 is a
better exclusive titles than the blocked some scoring sweet spots, 6.9G8 disk 5pitC. recommended buy, but it's hardly
PlayStation 3 and a far bigger that doesn't mean a new one hasn't Pl!.ODUCTCODt 8002C18COO crucial if you already own FIFA 09.
0fTA.l.S hnp:lllila.usports.com
online community of garners sprung up. In this case, the tendency Simon Brew
(although you'll have to pay
£40 per year for the privilege
of joining them).
The redesigned PlayStation 3
is better-looking and a little
quieter than the 360. It has II
Top 5 games
built-in Slu-ray d~ for playing
HD movies, so it's good value,
even at £270 (including II
1. Batman: Arkham Asylum
~.:.t Ar~ham
£25incVAT
Asylum provides a luscious backdrop for this e~ceUellt action game,
*****
250GB hard disk and a 5T.iiii which switches between i(uld, bwtal brawling and stealthy, silent takedowns.
top-selling game). With its SUPPLIER www.a"",on.CO.Uk OETA.lLS wwwbal""narl:harnasylurn.com FUU REVIEW D« 2009
snazzy menu system, BBe
iPlayer support and great DVD
upscaling, it's a better all-round
2, Tales of Monkey Island
~
$35 (around E22)
This game revives the classic adventure series. Split in to five episodes, it's
*****
entertainment device. ~ everything fans could hope for, with clever puzzles and plenty of comedy.
Finally we come to SUPPLIER www.t<Utal. garnu,c,,", OETAILS www.tal.wlmonk.yl.tand.c,,", FUll REVIEW O<t 2009
Nintendo'sWii. Given its older,
non-HD graphics technology,
it's no bargain at £180 (with a
3. The SimS 3 E30 inc VAT
With all entire town to roam, your Sims have more freedom than ever. They're
*****
top-selling game). It provides also more individual, with a range of traits that guide their actions and desires.
more active titles, hOWj'!ver, SUP1'lJER www""",,'on.co.uk 0fTA.l.S www.the,irns3.com fUll REVIEW Sop ZOO9
such as Wii Sports Resort
and Wii Fit, and more child-
friendly fare such as Mario
4. Overlord II E24 inc VAT
Command your minion'> to raise havoc in t his action strategy game. Well-paced
*****
Galaxy and Mario Kart. gameplay, clever puzzles and bad-taste comedy make being evil a lot of fun.
SUP1'lJER www.gom .... k.co... OfTAILS www.coo.mast.rs.co,uk FUll REVIEW Sop ZOO9

Seth Bartan
Reviews Edito r
5. Plants VS. Zombies E7 inc VAT
Defend your home from a comedic horde of shambling undead using 49
*****
super-powered plants. This gore-free puzzle game provides hours of frantic fun.
SUPPLIER http://storo.st ..mpow<t,,,d.com OET.... ILS www.pop<~.com FUll REVIEW Aug 2009

COMPIJTER SHOPPeR • JANUARY 2010


www.freedowns.net & www.journal-plaza.net
GAMES

NCSOFT
A ion: The Tower of Eternit y
****
£25 inc VAT plus £9 per month
Fro m www.play.co m

Aion is an online role -playing game that's set points, At higher levels, such grinding
in a fantasy world split in two - literally - by is more than most casual players will
conflict. The two playable 1,"lionsliv!' on the endure - but the rewards are wo rt h it
inner surface of this shattered globe, (ooking for those who put the elllxt in.
up at the floating islands of rock - the Abyss - Once you reach level 25, you can
in the centre, A third race, the Balaur, also ascend to the Abyss, a player versus ... Alon's combat Is complex, and you'll need friends to take on
want5 control of the Abys~ Aion uses the s.ame player (PVP) area, to fight the opposing the most reward ing Quests
graphics engine first-person shooter Crysis.lt faction. There are three levels in the
looks stunning and it's to the developers' credit Abyss, and multiple objectives to capture and year, so there's been plenty of lood for thought.
that everything runs so smoothly, given the hold. However, if one side wins too many, the The fact that it's not a new game is a bonus, as
unpredictable nature of online gaming. Balaur - the computer-controlled third race - many early bugs have been ironed out. and
As usual, yoo must first create a character will send in their forces to retake them, there's already plenty of content However, the
and pick a side. Aion's key draw is the ability t o Aion focuses heavily on PVP play. While there grinding nature 01 advancement is also a key
fly in certain areas, and the two races, Elyos are protected areas for players up to level 10, in facet 01 KO(ean games.
and Asmodian, are distinguished by having all other areas, enemy players can travel through The game's combat mechanics are more
white or black wings respectively. The portals to the opposing faction's lands. If being advanced than those of many similar games.
character creation process is amazingly randomly killed by enemies while adventuring There are movement modifiers in combat - for
versatile, with endless combinatio!15 of hair, isn't your cup of tea, Aion won't appeal. example, if you are strafing from side to side,
skin and body type. There are four major As in other popular MMO's, such as Warcraft, your Evasion increases and your Attack falls
classes, which fit the classic lanta.sy archetypes players can from small groups and enter special slightly. Flying is also a huge factor. some classes
01 wizards, warriors, rogues and healers. No areas to fight AI enemies unhindered - often have limited skills in the air, while others excel at
class is better than all the rest, and teamwO(\( referred to as player versus environment (PvE) aerial combat. The character classes and skills are
is essential for success. play. An idea unique to Aion is superbly balanced to encourage teamwO(\(.
SUMMARY
To enhance your PvPvE, where two teams from Aion's landscapes are stunning. and the
VERDICT B~.uliful g... phia; and
character'S abilities, you first opposing sides are pitted against combat animations and eflects are spectacular,
Eastern mythology makt for a
perform quests given by AI un>que world, but the grinding
computer-controlled loes: they comic-book style explosions of colour. The
characters. Although these play wi ll pul off casual play .... can either cooperate, or try to influence 01 Korean mythology in the design
give some nice rewards and sabotage each other's efforts. of the world and its monster inhabitants is
experience points, the game ONLINE RPG R~ ~. ,Wif\dows Having long-since tired of refreshingly new to Western eyes. However,
XP!ViSI./7, 2GHz 00.1-<;0<' pro<~ $$Or.
demands that at some stage WO(ld of Warcra/t, many casual players looking for an hour 0( two's
2GB RAM, c"Fo,n 6800/RodeO<l X800
you'll have to 'grind' to reach <>rb<11Orw;th 256MB 01 RAM , 15GB veteran MMO players have had entertainment now and then may find it too
the next level - slang fO( the diSk spoee an eye on Aion as their next punishing: this is a game for those with plenty of
repetitive killing of monsters PRODUCT CODE BOOOWGU9M6 fantasy home. The game has spare time and the need lor a challenge.
DETAILS hnp:l/uk , .OOonlin~ . c"",
simply to gain experience been going in Korea for over a Barry de la Rosa

CODEMASTERS
Operation Flashpoint Dragon Rising
***
£18 inc VAT
From www.amazo n.co.uk

Computerised war tends not to be particularly Most of the 11 missions follow a simple
realistic. Real soldiers don't miraculously pattern: reach an enemy emplacement without
recover from near-Iatal wounds by lurking getting killed, destroy it and evacuate. A couple
behind the nearest wall, as in Call 01 Duty. The of rescue missions break up the formula, along
O(iginal Operation Flashpoint (OFP) was with secondary objectives, most of which also ... Dragon Rising prides itsell on real ism, so its
renowned for its realism, tactics and AI. Dragon involve large explosions. Gameplay and scenery landscape Is brown, green and gun-coloured
Rising has been developed by a different team can be repetitive, limited respawn checkpoints
but retains the original's tactical emphasiS. mean that you'll cover the same ground a lot, Your 5quad isn't too bright, but they're good
The island of Sbra is a although changing enemy at spotting enemies. You can issue orders, which
huge, drably realistic world SUMMARY tactics add variety. is essential il you want to keep them alive. Sadly,
of forests and grasslands VERDICT Dragon Rising' tactical At times the game is both the controls take after the console version of the
punctuated by the odd ~lemen t s make fo< lense realistic and fun . There's game. so tactical options are built around a
bUilding. You'u often have to gamtj)lay. bu t missions and something hugely thrilling about sequence of four-way radial menus. This can rob
,unery are r~titive
trek across miles of hostile sneaking past enemy soldiers so you of precious seconds as you navigate mult iple
territory on foot. For faster TACTICA.I. FIRST·PEIlSON SHOOTER close that you can hear them menus to order an artillery strike or retreat.
travel, you can commandeer Requires 3z.t><1 WIndows XPNil1ai7. moving in the undergrowth. If For fans of the tactical FPS genre, Dragon
2.4GH'du.l.c~ p<<><es.o<, Nvidla
vehicles including jeeps, tanks 76OO(;T 256MBo< An Xl800Xl
you're a traditional FP5 fan. it Rising has aU the right ingredients, even if they
and even helicopters. All 256MB Of b<tt~r, 1GB RAM. 8GB takes a lot of restraint not to run could have been better implemented. However,
these are hard to control but disk spoee at them, all guns blazing. but it's not as good as Arma II {What's New, Shopper
pelting along dirt mads at PRODUCT CODE 8OONMAU20 survival here requires patienc:e 260} Irom the team behind the O(iginal OFP.
DrTAILS www.codet....~rs.com
break-neck speed is stiUfun. and careful movement. Kat Orphanides

JANUARY 2010 . COMPUTER SHOPPER


www.freedowns.net & www.journal-plaza.net
HowWeTest
Find out how well products perform with the help Summary of tests
of Computer Shopper's comprehensive tests PC SYSTEMS
5h0pf>0.-o-..Q ...... !fO<'! _ _ ~ .... ,

~, r._f>!""ondOll~"""'!!it'.._
LAPTOPS
st.w«o....u ....... >p«< ocro» ruTlMIOtI~"'"
~~_"_~<>dO-'f, ....
rr,.",,, po<...,ond .. 1,61D<1'OSO ........
The actual SCoreS In
each test are shown
inside each bar

A product hitting the +100%


mark performed twice as ISCMECl4711 , O>! p<r poe< ~..,. ""I
Mono <O>b ~<O>l> ...,.1Od .. P""'* f>! poe<
Cob.r<O>b ~-..~ .. potaI>"'P"I'
O<aIt 'fIH'I T P'" """"" for aalt.q.ooIi.,. W'Ikjo! ....
ampuler Shopper's reviews and labs use reviews, you can compare the performance of

C
-.!{IOOd "P"''''''''''for<~.~.,. ....
some 01 the most exhaustive testing computers across both, and even compare Mi>oo<I<oIout'f'H'l T,,",_for~ _ ..-.I"""'b

procedures you'll lind in any PC magazine. desktops,laptops and netbooks directly. Phoro!fl<'Od 6.<.w,pMto<por.....,.. .. top<JUOl.it:t ....."
Every product is subjected to qualitative and If you're keen to see how your computer PHOTO PRINTERS
_!j?t!d 6<..,&! .. P ! _ .. t'f'~..u ..
quantitative tests that show how it performs compa res with those that we've tested, you can
MONO LASER MFP$
in practical use. download the benchm ark suite from www.
Mono «><Ii 1I<n1"'11 """ t>fJ!!"Od .. P""'* P! P9'
PerformarlCe and battery life scores are wstompc.w.uklbenchmarhlhow-to -entef.html. _!jl!!<I f'y<por_forc~.@.,. _

graphed throughout W11at'$ New, as shown MiIoN<oW-e Tpor_for~"" ..-.I~


above. You'll find a summary of the graphed 3D BENCHMARKS 'i<M1!jl!!<1 M><M"I<por_ ot1OO<p
tests opposite, and brief descriptior15 of our CRYSIS COlOURMfPs
main benchmarking software below, Crysis is still among the Mono«><li ~""-'""P'!""""P""'*,,",por
Cob.r<O>b 1I<n1"e <O>b ""fN!<,"" " P""'* po- por
most graphically demanding
tl<aIt-'flH<l f'y<por_foraalt.q.ooIi.,.""'j!I ....
SHOPPER games you can play, and _!(IH<! Tp"''''''''''for<~.~ .,. ....
BENCHMARKS one of best-looking, too. MiIo:<OcoW-e P.,.,por_for~ .... ~
This is our main benchmark Everything it does taxes a PC's gaming abilities. Phoro'fl<!<! 6.<.w,pt.otospor_ .. ""<JUOI.it:t ..... ir1
suite for pes and laptops, 'i<M1 'f'<!d M ""'" f'<'""'"'" ot JsJo<P
which we share with our CALL OF DUTY 4 DIGITAl CAMERAS
!ott!O)' i lo _01~"""'IIM.","",
sister publicat ion Cus tom PC It's designed to Call of Duty 4 is the most
lest Windows pes to the ir very limit.The suite SCANNERS
popular game in this
M!jl!!<I M""",por_ ot.lOO<p
consists of three separate tests: Image-Editing, long-running series. You'll
Fb !{lO'>d 35rm1~>Un5I"'.....,..it2 ~
Video-Encoding and Multitasking, want a super-smooth frame CAMCORDERS
We ran these tests on our reference PC, rate of around GOfps if you're going to be aou.,yilo 1bI'I,",,""_."'~
whi ch is fitted with an AMD Phenom II X4 920 competitive in this online shooter. MP3 PLAYERS
processor and 4GB of DDR2 memory. We s.u.ryilo Ron,",,""_for~~
nomnalised all its results to scores of 100.This 3DMARKVANTAGE ROUTERS
O""bnnd .... 1J>it1, .. lm _ _ >doptOf
makes it easy to draw comparisions between Futuremark's latest
~l~ Kbitl'it lm_c.runol!dop<or
test systems and our reference PC , synthetic 3D benchmark
o.",bnndl.- KbitI,"1Om"';U.""",-b:onododop!or
The resulting overall score is printed at the has tests from a number of ~ 21.- KbitI, .. 1Om.,.;thConlMolodopr<?<
bottom of every PC and laptop review. As we use different game genres. It's NElWORK·ATTAOiED STORAGE
the same tests in our standalone and Labs representative of current and future titles. ~ _.,.MIII.forrNdlwtit.of 1OOM!!!r._
!imoI tiIK _.,. Mill, for rt»dtwrb of 1OOM8 >moll t..
HARD DlSI(S
~ t ... _ . . MIII, forrHdlwrittof lOOMa!orz<;fiIos
RATINGS & AWARDS
!imoIfiIK _ . Mill, lor rHdlwrt. of 1OOM8 >mOiIf*s
ComputerShopper rates products out of five: DVDWR/TERS

* Avoid ** Below average *** Good **** Very good ***** Excellent
.R -'fIH<I
.~ tlI. !{IH<I
!rut x ~..", for _ . R dOw: bun
T... X.... "for_.....,.....,..,. ~ DI._bun

.R!fIH(I T.... x .~ lor _·R dis< bun


The be~ products can win the following awards:
·RtlI. !pO!<I T.... X........ lor_......,.....,... RDldiso:b<m
PROCESSORS
S/>of>p!<o....u A,..".""I9!!'!_""""""'~, ...,
~I _""-"t~ ....
BEST BUY BUDGET BUY BUSINESS BUY ULTIMATE MOTHERBOAltDS
BEST BUY Products BUDGET BUY The BUSINESS BUY The ULTIMATE The &lfII?!fo-.ll A_. ~""""""""""" dornondinc t.""
with outstanding very best products very best products very best products, Mul~ Ijftd"""" ........... ~~
quality and for those on a tight for work win our whe n money is no c.ldDu\)" mm../, .. IfHH'fjSO .......
perfomnance for budget win our Business Buy award. object, win our G~ICS_~S
the money win our Budget Buy award. Ultimate award. _)~Von~ o. _~ 1.61l0'''fj~_1i<AF

Best Buy award. ¥ f, _ I ' ' ' ' .6IIO>.lC50-4><M.h''f'_

COMPUTER SHOPPeR • JANUARY 2010


www.freedowns.net & www.journal-plaza.net
::;. :::'~', -::"
..... '".
::::'". ..,,, •
"

- -
~ WHITt
CH IlISTmtlS
5TIl~IGHT OUT
THE BOX
Windows· 7 ~ DlrectXll1.1. ~ Stunning Design ~
The Mat rix Bla nco 630 • Our new look system in Ice white
Features: Gorc:eous mini lower In hl",·g\oss white, MtlI matching 24"
hl",·l6efInIUOft screen, logltech keyboanland ergonomic mouse.
Powerecl br I Quld·CoreAMD processor running 112.8GHz.nd the latest
RIIIeon HD S7SO grtphlcs accelerator IOf . pure DlrectX 11 experience.
The MESH BilrtCo delivers I slunnlng Windows 7 experience lor jllsl £699.
---1-- .,

For lull deta ils pluse visit www.meshcomputers.com / xmas


I
Microsoft'

DirectXn
computers All for only £699 -Merry Christmas!
.4¥h;~ elSe ;s a C O-"'7/N'O -"'7/,se www.meshcomputers.com
www.freedowns.net & www.journal-plaza.net
ALL MESH PCs NOW WITH
MICROSOFT WINDOWS®7

most power efficient consumer


desktop. Designed to fit into your
environment while protecting the
environment.
- A~8118 ble In four colours ~

MESH elITE Inspire ~


• AMDAthlon"' UXl 215 Dual Core Processor
(2.7GHz. 2MB cache)
• Gen uine Window$- 1 Mome Premium Edition
• 4GB DDR2 667MHI Mernol}'
• 500GB SAlA Fast Hard OJi~
• 1GB ATI Radeon H03200 Graphics -Mth Torbocaclle
FOil HD (192OxI080p) with DVI aoo HOMI contleCtion
• 2ZX Mufti·Joonal Dual Layer OVO Write!
• Plus mao, additionallealures
Go online to customise )tIurs

ONLY £260 EX. VAT

£299INC,VAT

Amazing Value
Powerhouse - QtiN Cole
and High-Definition graphics.

Malrix PII Pro


• AMD Pbenom'" 11 14 955 Black Edilion Processor
(3.2GHz. 8MB cache, Quad Core)
I&p,,,iencethe Phe,no'rnen'al • Genpine Window,- 1 Home Premipm Edition
powered systems that meet your needs • 4G B DDR3 1333Mliz Memory
• _ B SATA Fast Hard Driore
• IUIIIB ATl Radeon HD4200 GraphicsAcceleratOf
-rhe Ial'est d'l"ers • 221 L!uftHormat Duat Layer DVD Writer
_ on ne<0 tec hnolo:J;l • NtwStyjish Mini Tower · PiaflO !\jack
• Plus many ad ditional features
, - call oUr SaleS teClfr? Go online to customise yours

·08441~1HI4 40 ONLY £400 EX. VAT


or ,50 cu-l/;;,e
meshcomputers.com £460'NC,VAT
www.freedowns.net & www.journal-plaza.net
•...a superb multimedia and home entertainment PC,
NOW EVEN outdoing many pes that costs hundreds of pounds more.·
FASTER! BEST BUY - Computer Shopper, Aug 09

MESH Nero 9950HD


• AM OAtblon r• II X4 630 Quid Core Processor (2.8GHz)
• Genuine Windows'" 7 Hom e Premium Ultlon
• 4GB DDR2 BODMHI Memof'1
• SOOGB SAT~ Fast Hard Drive
• 256MB ~TI Radeon HD3200 Grophics · Hybrid CrossFireX'"
and DXlO Suppert
• 22" IIYOO Full HD LeO (192Ql:l080) · [)VI, splcrs, SIllS
• 221 Mu~i·lormat Dual Layef DVOWriter
• New Sr)'1ish MiniTower Piaoo Blact
• logitech Deluxe Corded Keyboard & Optical Mouse
• Plus many additional features · see below

ONly£433 ,9l ",,,, £4991NC, VAT

WThe Matrix II 920 Nero is an excellent all-round PC. Perhaps not


surprisingly, it's one of the fastest PCs in this entire labs .n
EXCELLENT
BEST BUY - Computer Shopper, May 09
All-Rounder

MESH Matrix 11955 Nero


• AMD Phenom'· II X4 955 Blnk Ultlon Processor
{3.2GHI, 8MB cache, Qua d Core)
• Genuine Windows· 7 Harne Premium Edition
• 4GB DDR2 800MHI Memory
• ITB SArA Ultra fast Hard Drive
• 512MB An Radeoo H04850 Oirect X10,1Grapllics
• 22" IIYAMA ProLrte Full MD lCD (1920xlO8O) Monitor
• 22x Muni-format Dual Layer OVDWriter
• New SlJ!ish Mini Tower· Piano Black
• Logite!:h Cordless Ke,boa rd & Cordless Optical Mouse
• PluS man, add itionalleatures · see below

ONLY £607,83 " ,,., £6991NC, VAT

AMO's fastest ever quad-core processor twinned with All


OirectX® 11 compliant graphics, to enable the full potential
of your PC running the Windows® 7 operating system.
XTREME Mocrowft'

Performance DirectXn
MESH XGS PII965 Pro
• AM OPbenom'· II X4 965 Blatk Edition Processor
(3.4GHz, 8MB cache, Quad Core)
• Genuine Windows· 7 Home Premium Edition
• 8GB DDR3 800MHl Memory
• ITS SATA2 Ultra Fast Hard Drive
• lGB An Radeon H05750 Direct XU GOOR5 Grapllics
• 22"IIYAMA ProUte full HO Lctl (192OxlO8O) Mon~or
• 221 MuilHoro1al Dual ~ OVOWriter
• Multi·Format Memory Card Reader · 52·in·llntemal
• IIEW XGS Xtreme Gaming Chassis
• Logitech Cordless Keyb-oaro & Optical Mouse
• Plus many additional features· see b-elow

Also availab~ in
block or sii'ler

ONLY £781.74 ""'" £89 91NC, VAT

ADDITIONAL fEATURES Oil AU PCS (Unless otherwise sbleil) • 7.1 HDOnboard S<l<Jnd Card 8 Cha nnei Ci oema S<l<J1Id • free Miero,oft~

H
\I'orh 8.5' Free limited Microsoft Office Trial . Free Cybtrlink ~ideo Editinc So. ite (incl udes I tiUesl . free &IIGuarrl lntemet Securil)' 8.5 (90 da,s
Irialll.ntiVirus/flrewaiI/8adwp/Spam!ilter OPTIO NAl EXTRAS . 52·in·t MuKi·format Card Reader · 11 LSD inc. Vat

____ __
EASY FINANCE AVAILABLE - CALL _IC_- computers
OR GO ONLINE FOR FULL DETAILS
.........,__
..... ___
,,_,_I«OI_
,........ "'_""_00fI._ ..
.. _......_ _
___ ........
......._
___ . . _ .......... ... __ ... Olt'_- ...
. __ •... .. __·_. . . . . . . . .... ,_,.._
"'_" MllH ... _ .... _ · _ _ ""_,.._.,. _ _ _ _ "I:l'-"I .....
.,, ____... ........._00dI_"_""'_
...... _____ __
-_ ~ ~
.
.
.
.
,
.
I
J
(
_
"
"
I
I
·
_
~
~
... 11Ul ..
"'a-_"' ... aa:_lI1,01 ... ''''.. ,',...,. ___ ....-....·.__ .. OIi1 t _ _ _
~
_
l
~
""' '' _~~ ~ ~l1r_

Anyth'~ elSe ;05« COM'pf"O/>V·Se .


..... '-rfO),..

www.freedowns.net & www.journal-plaza.net


ALL MESH PCs NOW WITH
MICROSOFT WINDOWS"'7
(OPTIONAL ON ALL LAPTOPS)

New Model -15" portable laptop


great for al/ your web use.

MESH Edge 15 Essential


• AMDAtlll1Ml 64 n ·20 Processor (L6GHz)
• Optional Operating System
• 15.6" HDIYXGAWidescreen TH Display (136&768)
• 512MB All Radoonw XI270 O~boam Graphics
• 2GB OOR:! 6671.1Hz Memory
• 250GB SArA 5400!pm Hard 0riI'e
• OYU Super Format Duallayef OVO P,e.Writer
• W. . ., Can! ReMer, Wifl
• Built-in Intel HO Audio & Stereo Speakefs
• Plus rna", additiooal features
Call or go online to order yours

ONLY £260.04 D..VAT

£2 9 9INC. VAT

Customise your dream laptop -


Multimedia entertainment on
the go - powerful graphics for
demanding video and gaming.

MESH Edge 15 Special Offer


• lite!- Core" 2 0.0 T6500 ~ (2.1G/tl)
• Optiona l Operating System
• 15.6" HDWXGAm Displaj' (13€i&768j
• 512MB ATi 1.l000lity Radeoo HD4650 Graphics
• 4GB DDR31066MHI MemOIy
• 320GB SAIA 5400rpm Kard Drive
• D'ID Supe! Formal Duallllytr DVO R~Writer
• U Wekilll, CanI ReIIIer,Wifl, Bluetootll
roJ- the latest or.f'eJ-S • M~n Intel HD Audio& Stereo Speakers
• PM many additional features
. . - call OUr sales teQ/Y/ Go o nline to cus tomise )'Ours

08441"3lN1440 ONLY £477.39 EOAT


or 30 o;;t;ne
meshcomputers.com £549 INC. VAT

www.freedowns.net & www.journal-plaza.net


Blast through intense games. Designed as a
all-round home & office use desktop replacement,
offering a large 1r screen.
ceeE!d:ge MESH Edge 17 HD
POWERFUL • Inlel'" Core· 2 01/0 16500 DUl l Core Processor
17" Laptop (2.1GHz. 2MB cache)
• Optional Operating System
• 17" WXGA Wideso"een TFT Display (1440x900)
• 4GB OOR2 667MH z Memory
• 250GB SATA fast Hard Orive
• 512MB tMdia Geforee GI05M Graphics
• OVO Super format Dual Layer DI'!l Re·Writer
• 2.0 Webcllm, eard ReIder, WiFi
• lltJ i~· in Intel HOArJdio &- Steroo Speakers
• Plus milO)' additklOalleatures

ONLY £433.9",.,,, £499INC. VAT

•...the Ice 5 is an excellent all-rounder, with great


performance and a top-c/ass monitor.' INTEL is Microwft-

Best Buy - Computer Shopper, Dec 09 Technology DirectXn


MESH Ice 5 750CS
• IJIttP CGre" i5150 Processor
(2.66GHz. 8MB cache . Quad Core)
• Genuine Windows'" 1 IIome Premium Edltlo.
• 4GB OOR31ripie Chaonel1333MHz Memory
• UB SAIA Ulua Fast Hard Orive
• 1GB All Radoon 1105170 Dired. Xll GDDR5 Grapllics
• 22" IIYAMA Prolite FulillO LCD (1920dOSO) Mon ~or


• 22x MuitH0ffil3t Ouall.aytr OVDWriter
• NEW XGS Xtreme Gaming Chassis
• Hercules XPS 2.1 Spea~ers and Sub'llooler
• Logitel:h Cordless Keyboard &- Optical Mouse Also avil4 lable in
red OJ silVer
• Plus many additional features · see below

ONLY £695.65 """ £800INC. VAT

Cutting edge performance with Intel Core i7 power


ULTIMATE Microsoft-
Performance DirectXn
and ATI Radeon HD4850 Graphics.
FREE Double Memory and Hard Drive

MESH XGS i7 920SL


• Intel'" Core" 11920 Procesoor
(2.66GH z. 8M8 cache. Quad Core)
• Genuine Windows'" 1 Home Premium Edition
• ~ 8GB 00R31333MHz Memory
• ~ ITS SAIAUltra fast Hard Drive
• lGB ~n Radron "051&0 Direct XU GOOR5 Graphics


• 22"UYAMA ProUte Full HD LCD (192Ol:1080) Monitor
• 221 Mu~i·format Dual Layer OVD Writer
• NEW XGS Xlreme Gaming Chassis
Also 3'laitable in
• logitech Cordless Keyboard &- Optical Mouse ~ack or silver
• Plus many additional features· see below

ONLY £868.70 "'''' £9 99INC. VAT

ADDITIONAL FEATURES ON ALL PCs (Unless otherw ise silted) • 7.1 HDOnb(lard S<l<Jnd card 8 (M nnti Ooema S<l<Jr><! • rree Micro,oft~

H
W{)rks 8.5 ' Free U mite~ Mic rosoft Office Trial . Free Cybtrlink ~ideo Editi"C SIl ite (incl udes I tidesl . Free BtJ llGuard Internet Security 8.5 (90 da,s
trialll.titiVirus/flrewail/ 8ackup/Spamlillef OPTIO NAL EXTRAS . 52·in· l Multi· Format Carel Reader · 111.$0 inc. Vat

EASY FINANCE AVAILABLE - CALL OR GO ONLINE


.. _ ... ___ "'_"MllH ... _ .... _ ·__ ""_,.._.,. _ ____1C_· computers
FOR FULL DETAILS
.........,_ _ .. _ ........ _ _ _ ... _ _ ... ... _ _ ... 0lI'_· ..
,........ ~_ ,_"""_ ·_~ ~

"D<... "' ..

"'-.... ___ .,, ___ . . __·. . . . .. , _____ __ "'- '_,.._


.
.
.
.
.
,
.
"
"
_
.
.
.
,
,
·
_
~
~
... ', .... "' .. _"""_~_ ....._ .. _ ·_ .. _ _ • ... ~_ ... _ _ · · _ .. _ W l . t _ _ ... ,n
(Iooo<_:!O ... 0000Ic_16110> _ _J _ _ _ ...... _ _ _ . _ • . . : _ . . l!_~ ___ ,,~ · ..... _.~1l_

Pt · _~~ ~

4nytJ/;"j ",/s", ;s a. C=nrrcV>1;S",


..... ~tf<I)l ..

www.freedowns.net & www.journal-plaza.net


www.freedowns.net & www.journal-plaza.net
www.freedowns.net & www.journal-plaza.net
ses 2
rR 6 lIS . i 1SA? CGII

T,
lo4icN»OlkO iRdQl N7 HOTIe 6N!miu,. f
HMB 6HAN'M II X4 Su~ !:ION! ro, ..
4P'1GMF D!lPHIiNBBIO II M ~ mCHIf
8PPG F 3H2H !l leagale lllH1 FaMtHa Nl Bi Ne. lOll'1t If
eo CCg HNI D Y W R 141:- '
ccso id., M: te., R Full HB 2F2 ...

N 5~~ Gel-bX-e 701G IG~N GYJY& -W>


5.1 Fig& Def ioiUoo 8~ Tnd BcTod '
i1l!1 DeLTo" MothX 0/)((1 .
IOrnOO I lI.e XneLeAN · V068NK Pol4.Wo
8og i""- &4 iXele~TlUmedil eeM o/ x<! .
Bog il! - &4 iXe leIW:)YU-/ l MoTW •
Bo9 i l!·&8~ K1 BY el keX8 Mfi m •
l KMonl.VM..V VW- 4 {mow .

,
DoN! i7 I
~j7 1
DRM
E RH 0 RM
< =
-_.
........,
h R
V
P o
RRRRrJ./VT
R PR CN
R
y
OR
v
V
CN R TR
ORT
CN
R
R v V
R R
DRM
514PP
,
, 5
W, '!'-~. '
:"~~.l"
<::.~ ..
.. R TR
P R
V V R T
'q RV

R
R R
V R V OPO
T P
R

R T
R
R
R
0
V VT R
RTV R OR VL
R TRV ,d
8
5
"
5
T 2
T
5 " T
0-, ",
" T
C
OR
R
VVTR,RV RV
OR V R,
R
V
V , 0
R TR
V TOR-!
TR V ORT
ROV R
R
R R
'"

d de s d s "!IS
nI III III R ?R? 6 III B p?IJIIBIIII g 115M RI?R gs o mGIIP II

T ,

T MiclOOIkO iRdOI M7 HOTIe 6 N!mium


T IRieI Bu;)l DOte A87PP&NJcel+ON
HP9GMF [)(Jf4iNBB411 Mema€
--
T BPPGF l H2H Ill e"g",", 1 1!H1 Fa .... HaNl BiM< 30ac.,
< T,
T Hid(lMllk O iRdOI M7 HOme6terniurn
T1 R1el DeB i71GP6Nker+oN
T lG714M F DOI+4IiNBB4 111 HernON:
--
<

TGPPPGF lH2H Il l eaga ... l l lH1 FaM< HaNi Bi M< lOac!


T,
T MidOOk O iRdQl M7 HQone 6temium
T IRleI DOte i7 I GP6NlcetoMW
Tl 1'1CMF DOI+4IiNBB4 111 MemeN:
--<

T '8PPGF lH2 H I1 l .,a9a ... '11IIII Fa M< HaNi BiM<


' eo ceg HMlD V W R toR TH21 4adea:t4G8P l PC4 MF 6eNaNnaRce GNlOI!icM T H214adeORIII 7P BX " 6e NONnaRce GNlOI! icM
~ IoIR T RREn Itt n . a so idet-tteeR Full HB 2F2 HBMI - MR T RREn 1+1 n

• !nl/>13100 KSFMN GMA G'l/Y&i -W · BGNB6 9A2geMXjUoXOXj", • 00 NB6 9 A2 0;'< ", in· OSOIJ.. O ge4 Xjl/oX
• 5.1 Fig&Del iniUon 8T:o:DTnd BoTnd • NI L 7~0 MTlU I-bXrn/ UOSOIJ..O 9 e4 Xjl/oX • 7.1 F ig & Oet iniUon 8T)OIcTnd SoTnd
• In""l DelH~ MolJleX o/'IIJ • 7.1 Fig & OetiniUon 8T)()o'(oTnd SoTnd • AW\M)eITce Mol&X 0/ Xd
• 100100 I lhXneUBAN • V06 8NK Po.l1l\l • AWVIOelTce Mol&X oj Xd • MTlU I-k>Xrn/UMemo»4./ Xd g e/ deX ' HXeR iXe
• Bogili- &4 i Xele~TIUme d il CeMo!Xd • MT1 U I-k>Xrn/UMemo'IM.../"IIJ ge/ deX • 10010001000 I l&XoeUB/lN • 1f<D68NK Po );IJV
• 8ogil!- &4 iXelelW)YU-f l MoTW • 100l000l000 I l..&eXn eLSAN . 11'J)68NKPo);IJV • 9ogi~- & 4 iXele""""'TlUmedi/ CeM o/"IIJ
• Bo gi ~- &8KY<l K 1 SYe/keX8tNU.m • HXe RiXe · Oigi l) 175 7T neX • 8og il/o - & 4 iXeleWlOY U- /l MoM
• 1KMonL&Wo...VWi'- ~ /Wn tM ";:: :~t:~jk~ l~e~""""'TlUmedil Ce M o/ "IIJ 0 MoTIN • 8og il/o - &3530 5.1 BYe/ keXB l>fte m
B SYe/keX8~m • lKMonlVM..l/ 1W- 4/W ntM

www.freedowns.net & www.journal-plaza.net


CO 0

T
MoiicOfPf1N) iUdTl P7 HTme 7o.miMn
W IMI FT~ i' ~5 7OfcePPrO
WJll EMH FT(J'aiQC05 III M" mTO>
--
Wl9SSAH 4k3k 114eaga tt 11101 BaPNi aQl DiAl 4Race
WlO 0 k31 5 ad eTU4695 ISE4MH 7FI CI RQeI'PAOaRh ic P
FaQlP:oES4OMH FOfPF(iQa)
'o\£E" 0 id ePco.eU 8M1 HD 383
• NgC 71 xx
MqlR FyUnI RH5H OC H ge3 UfW
• 5.1 Eig& HefiniRyn SqlJ..jiqn. Syqn . • N3US He l q ~
Myf&U yl U • MqlR FyUn/RMemyU<CI U ge/ . eU
·I XmXXmXXX gf& lheRMN · 11 MJ8Ll Py Lff
• FiU,OiU, • Ayg iR.c&3 iU,(eTT MqlRme, il BeK y/U
• Aygi~c& 3 i\.ele TT OWlc/1 MyqTe
• Ayg iR.c& 253X 5.1 8 w./keUSKrR.m
• 11 Mynf&T CV TTle 31 W nIK

4mall OUice HTme OUice ~OHOI enR!LFI inmenRcen R..e fyUmy ReT401 R&i ng AamiUg - CymVij R! Lr TqVWie, DiR!.
Cy m WJ~ ur in~ n , e, lyUgenell l &,r me qTe In . Lecyll ing 754mqTic 4WcRj LeTC g/ meT. FHKflTRgll v& cT c/ll T w.y, qcing
F&LVqg&1V TeUyqT &i g&en, VVO eUqTelf. C ym WJ~lf cI n ILTy . e y'MlI Fe .. KLe my ~ eM:eW?yn/ l 3H Len, e Ung WU y lJnl nee .
Media F e~ - C ymWJ ~lf TqVWlie, eyn R¥ l. 7&T 'MUy UnI nee nyRy nLK Rf nTl/ FeT
Oi F&/ " e, &Ill O/ Le4ineLe/Te , &I ll HMtgeN- Cy mWJFelf yffe Ung eM:eWly nl L in lV Tq'M U g/m e W/ K. qRi mWf R!T
, ilk TW ee In , T\foeeil LTyfR)1 Le I UyOing 'MUyUnI nee In , . qiL, Vq l Li R<1 R/ n veUyUnI nee in yRle Ug llv&e/l
f& eymWJFelf IV. e qTe, IT I IqLl yq ffF1 n, ing WJee. I VWlicl Ry nTlike A, eye, iRng .

sco s roe o Ie: 0


s RmGIII' 6 AS rR _ m GlII'r R EM g E R I SR d _ 6 AS

~kOfPr( N) iUdTl P7 HTme 7~miMn


.... PoIO 7HCNOM II X4 6 MId FlO. 6ES
WOSJ 6MH Fla>aiOOOSIl PoIemTO>
--
WlSSSAH 4k3k 114" aga'" lIto. BaPNiaD:l DiAl 4Ra c"
T

MoikOfPr(N) iUdTl P7 HTm" 7~miMn


''''IIl~1 FTo. i9 795 7Ofc"PPfC
W4516Po1H FTa>a i0005 II M emTO>
--
WlSSSAH 4k 3 k II 4" aga'" lito. BaPNiaD:l DiAl
T

~icOfPr[ N) iUdTl P7 HTme 7~miMn


.... 1010 7 HCNOM 11169 7 0fcePPrQ
WJl1 EMH FT<J>aiOD05 II MemTO>
--
Wl9SSAH 4klk 11 4 eag att 11101 BaPNi aQl CiAl 4Ra ce
• k31 Sa d" TU4lI9S I SEioMH 7 "QTDTl aUc:" AOaRh ic P .... 315 adeTU 4075 7eQTOTI aUc:e AOaRhi cP .... 31 5a deTU 4695 15EioMH 7 eQTDTlaUce AOaRh ic P

• NgC 71 XX MqlR FyUnI RH5H OC H ge3 UR.U • NgC 71 XX MqlR FyUnI RH5H OC H ge3 UR.U • xx
NgC 71 MqlR FyUnI RH5HOCH 9 e3 UR.U
· 5.1 Eig &HefiniRynSqlJ..jiqn. Syqn. · 5. 1 Eig&Hefin iRynSqlJ..jiqn. Syqn. • 7.1 Eig& HefiniRyn SqUjlqn. 8yqn.
• [t,~l Helq ~ Myf&U y/U • (),~ I Helq ~ Myf&U y/U • i}R.1 Helq ~ My f& U y/U
• IXmXXg f&lheRMN • MqlR FyUn/RM emyU<C/lI gel eU • MqlRFyUn/RM emyU<C/lI ge/. eU
· IIMUSLI PyLR" · IXmXXgf&lheRAI>f-.I • lXIJlXXOlXXX gf&lJleRA~
. 11 Mynf&TCUTTie3/WnIK · 11 MJ8Ll PyLff • 11 MJ8L1 PyLA"
· 11 Mynf&C1/TTic3/UJnIK • FiU,OiU,
· 11 Myn f&T Cl/TTic3/WnIK

www.freedowns.net & www.journal-plaza.net


Choosing a...
Budget Laptop
lthough there's a huge choice of laptops Ultimate becomes Windows 7 Ultima te. One benefit

INTRODUCTION
A available for around £500, the budget nature of
these computers means that you can't have
everything. 3S manufacturers inevitably have to make
Windows 7 has over Vista is Ihal higher editions retain
the fealures of lower editions wh ile adding new oplions.
So, every version of Windows 7 has Media Center
compromises to keep prices down. It's vital. then, to installed. With Windows Vista, Home Premium came
It used to be that buying iI work out which features afe most important to you and with Media Center but the pricier Business didn'\.
budget laptop meant that you locus on getting these aspects right. We'll ta lk you
were studt with a bulky and Ihrough Ihe choices you'll need 10 make. SIZE MATTERS
slow computer with poor One of the most important decisions you need 10
battery life. Fortunately, times OPEN WINDOWS make concerns the size and weight of your laptop.
have changed, and you can now With Windows 7 now available, it makes sense to Most budget laptops have 1504 or 15.6in screens and
spend around £500 and have a ensure that your new computer has it installed. How weigh around 2.4I::g. This makes them suitable for
massive choice in te rms of size, you do this depends on the mod el you choose. The occasional trips and great fO( use around the home.
battery life and performance. big-brand laptops here aU come with Windows Vista If you want to travel wilh your laptop regularly, it
With the nine models instaUed. but you'll get a free upgrade to Windows 7. makes sense to look for a smaller model, such as one
reviewed here, we'll hetp you All you have to do is follow the instf1.lctions on the with a 13.3in screen. This should help red uce the
find your perfect Windows 7 manufacturer's website to register your upgrade and weight to around 2kg or less, making these laptops
computer without having to you'll be sent a Windows 7 upgrade disc. There's usually suitable for mO(e regular travel.
break the bank. a smaU charge for this, but it should cost less than £20 If travelling simply isn't an issue and you just want a
10 make the upgrade. II is well worth doing as this new laptop Ihat you pad away neatly instead of having a
operating system is far better than Windows Visla. desklop PC taking up a 101of room, look for a model
Will Stapley The disc you get will upgrade your copy of Vista to with a 17in screen. These will be easier on the eye than
IT co rrespondent
an equivalent edition of Windows 7. So, Vista Home smaller o;c;reens and you can find rnodeb that have a
Premium becomes Windows 7 Home Premium, Vista higher resolution so you can fit more onscreen. Models
Business becomes Windows 7 Professional and Vista such as this will typicaUy weigh around 3kg. Our table

COMPUTER SHOPPeR • JANUARY 2010


www.freedowns.net & www.journal-plaza.net
WINDOWS 7 LAPTOPS

This month
ASUS
K5D1J
Pa ge 70

MEDION
Akoya E32ll
Page 70

LENOVO
G55D
Page 70

MSI
CX7DO

MESH
Edgel7 HO CS
Pa ge 71

HP
Pro Book 4510s
Page 71

SAM SUNG
032D-JSD3UK
Pa geTt!

ACER Aspire Timeline


5B1DTG
Pa geTt!

TOSHIBA
Satellite U5DD-1BS
Pa geTt!

on pages 76-77 lists the screen size, resolution into smaller, lighter cases. The downside is that decent-sized keys and provide plenty of feedwck
and weight of every laptop we've tested, performance is not so good, so that you can type quickly and accurately, A
In some cases, manufacturers have used a touchpad should offer similar features, and give
BATTERY LIFE single-core CUlV processor, These are very slow you precise control over the onscreen cursor.
The general rule with laptops is that the larger in comparison to .standard dual-core laptops, as likewise, the screen should be high quality,
they are, the worse the battery life, so if you you can see in our graphs on page 75. These producing a bright, vibrant image. Our individual
intend to do a lot of travelling. make sure you single-core processors are good enough for reviews will give you all the information you'll
get a model with a decent battery life. For 17in standard desktop tasks, but editing video or large need to know,
desktop-replacement laptops we'd e~pect photos will be a bit of a struggle, They're also
battery life of around two hours, which is enough very bad at multitasking. as you can see from our EXTRAS
for occasional use around the home. performance graphs. If performaflce is what Just as you would with a Pc. you need to make
For 13.3in or 15.6in laptops we'd e~pect at you're after, look for a standard Pentium Dual sure your laptop has all the other features you'd
least four hours of battery life, which gives you Core or Core 2 Duo processor. expect to find, We'd expect at least a 320GB
the fle~ibility to use your laptop comfortably hard disk on a fSOO laptop, This will give you
around your home - if you're browsing the GAMEON plenty of room for aU your documents and
internet on the sofa or out in the garden, for The ability to play games is something that most media files, Our table lists the size of each hard
e~ample - and for a decent amount of time budget laptops lack. It's the one area where disk and how much disk space is available.
when you're out and about, look for even longer manufacturers typically decide to save money, The amount of memory that you have
battery life if you intend to spend very little time That's not always the case, though, and our affects how many applications you can have
at home or near a power socket. graphs show you how each laptop performs open at once, We'd e~pect to see at least 3GB of
when playing Call of Duty 4, Our reviews e~plain RAM, although 4GB is better, Again, our table
YOU GOT THE POWER if turning down detail settings or lowering the lists how much memory each laptop has_
The power of your computer directly affects resolution of the game win improve performance look through the table to make sure your
every aspect of your laptop, from what you can and let you play games. chosen laptop has all the other features you
do with it to its weight and battery life, Intel's need, We'U teU you how many USB ports each
new range of processors, the Consumer Ultra TYPE CASTING has, and the type of video outputs available, so
Low Voltage (CULV), are marl:ed by an 5U in the With a laptop you're locked in to the keyboard that you can use any e~isting peripherals you
processor name (see our table), They use a lot and display that come with it, and you can't may have, Look out for the networking entry: if
less power than standard mobile processors, upgrade e~cept with external peripherals. It's you have a modem 802.11n wireless router, look
helping to e~tend battery life, The lower power therefore important to make sure you get quality for a laptop with an 802.11n adaptor as this will
requirement in turn means that they can be put peripherals built in, A keyboard should have give you the best performance, 13

JANUARY 2010 . COMPUTER SHOPPER


www.freedowns.net & www.journal-plaza.net
WINDOWS 7 LAPTOPS

ASUS MEDION LENOVO


K501J Akoya E3211 G550
*****
£500 inc VAT
***
£500 inc VAT
****
£519 inc VAT
From ww w.laptopsdirect.co.uk From Medion 0871 376 1020 From Lenovo 0844 800 0 550

AsuS'S KSOIJ is a chunky laptop, but its bulk If you're on a tight budget and want an We reviewed a version of Lenovo's G550 last
gives it a feeling of sturdiness that makes us ultra-portable you can carry everywhere with month (Labs, Shopper 262), but that was the
confident t hat it will handle standard daily use you, Median's A~oya E32 11 loo~s an attractive entry-level model and was quite slow. This
and being carried around occasionally. It looks proposit ion. For just £500, you get a 13.3in month, we've got a higher-end model. The
attractive, tha nks to the glossy coating on the widescreen laptop that weighs just 1.8kg. main difference, aside from the price increase,
chassis. Thankfully. the coating hasn't been Unfoltunately, the budget nature of this is that the base specification is a lot higher,
applied to the keyboard and the standard mati laptop shines through. For stalters, opening the making this a more powerful computer.
finish makes the keys easier to see and type on, lid reveals an uninspiring si\ver-and-black The 2, 1GHz Core 2 Duo T6500 and 4GB of
The keys (Ire a little spongy, but once you design that ma~es the A~oya look cheap. RAM are a powerful combination, and the GSSO
get used to them, touch-typing at speed Inside, things aren't that much better. The did extremely well in all our benchmarb,
becomes easy. Thanks to the width provided by 1.3GHzlntel Pentium SU2 700 processor is one achieving an overall score of 62. Rather than
the 1S.6in widescreen display, there's room of the slowest models you can buy, and meant Intel dedicated graphics, there's an Nvidia
inside for a numerical keypad, which could that this laptop was very slow in our GeForce G 105Mgraphics chip. This managed
come in handy if you do a lot of number work. benchmarks. scO(ing 21 overall, despite its 4GB only 9.4fps in our Call of Duty 4 test, which
The touch pad has the same glossy coating of RAM. At this speed, the A~oya's fine lor isn't much of an improvement over integrated
as the rest of t he chaS5is. Thankfully, small basic ollice tash, but edi ting large image files graphics. However, it should provide enough
divots in the pad's surface improve friction and or videos will be mO(e 01 a struggle. power for older strategy games.
make fine control of the cursor easy. Games are also out of the question. The The 320GB hard disk provides plenty of
We were impressed by the bright screen, onboard Intel GMA4500M graphics chip storage space, and is a welcome improvement
which has excellent viewing angles, Movies managed only 4.4lps in our Call of Duty 4 test. from the previous model's 250GB disk.
loo~ed great, with vibrant colours jumping out. The keyboard's not very good, either. The All this power comes at a price, thoogh.
With a resolution of 1,366x768 there's plenty keys are a decent size, but they're very spongy While the previous G550 managed just over
of space fO( when you need to do some work. and make typing at speed inaccurate. We four hours in our battery test, this model lasted
One slight disappointment is that there's found the tiny cursor keys hard to use, while just three hours and 20 minutes. This is fine for
no HDMI output. although the VGA output the touchpad's sunken buttons are difficult to use around the home. but a bit short for travel
means that you can still connect this computer hit accurately. and poor compared to other budget laptops.
to an external display il yoo need to. Viewing angles aren't brilliant on the 13.3in While the improvements are welcome,
Performance is one area you won't have to 1,366x768 screen, but it's fine fO( one person. there are still some problems. For starters, the
worry about, thanks to the 2.1GHz Core 2 Duo The screen is bright and colours look fine. keyboard isn't the same quality as those found
T6500 processor and 4GB 01 RAM. With an Thankfully, there's a DVD drive built in - which on more expensive Lenovo laptops, and we
overall score 0163 in our 2D tests, this laptop is many budget ultra -portables don't have - so found the keys a little spongy. There's a thin
quic~. Things weren't so good in our CaU 01 you can watch movies on the go. numerical keypad squeezed in, but it's so
Duty 4 test, and the integrated Intel GMA One thing we expect from an ultra-poltable small that it's difficult to use comfortably.
X4500HD graphics managed only 4.5Ips. is fantastic battery life. At nearty four-and-a- We'd have preferred the space to be used for
Other than this, there's little to complain half hours, the Akoya can be used for a fair a better keyboard. The touchpad could do
aboot with the K501j. The 320GB hard disk time away Irom a power socket, but we've with a textured surface to make using it
means there's plenty 01 space lor aU your files. seen budget ultra-portables, such as Acer's more comlortable arld accurate.
At three hoors and 42 minutes, battery lile is Aspire Timeline 581OGT, last longer. As with the previous model we reviewed,
also pretty good lor a budget laptop, and It's not all bad news, though. The 320GB the built-in webcam can be used with the
means you can take this computer on short hard disk is generous for the price, and gives VeriFace biometric software. This is supposed
trips or use it comfortably around your house. you plenty of space for all of your documents. to unlock your computer when your face is
With its relatively high-specification The Akoya 321 1 is a compact laptop with recognised, but can be fooled by a photograph.
processor, good overall benchmark scores good hiltlery lile, but the single-core processor The GSSO is a decent laptop with a high
and reasonable hilttery lile, the K50lj is a holds back performance and the keyboard is specification for the price, but the screen's
great all-round laptop. It's excellent value uncomloltable. Sam sung's Q320 costs a little poor viewing angles detract from it and
and comes with a two-year warranty, so more, but has far better performance and mean that this model misses out on an award.
fully deselVes our Best Buy award. similar battery life. It's a much better choice. Asus's K50lj is a better choice.

SUMMARY SUMMARY SUMMARY


VERDICT AgrNt mix of dKMt p~r formanc~, VERDICT T~Al:oya £121 1 i,light and ea,y to VERDlCT Witn a fast proce"", and good atl·roond
,turdy build quality and good "",bility mak~, thi' carry around, but with a ,ingll!-core I'f("'~"or it', 5jl«ilkation, tn~ CSSO i, a w~U·bu i lt laptop and j,
laptop an excellwt choke also low-powered.and there are better altematiVfl reasonably priced. but the screw is disappointin&
CENERAl·PURPOSE lAPTOP Int~1 Un 2 Duo T6500, GENERAL·PURPOSE lAPTOf' In!~II'e<1\ium SU2700, 4GB GENERAL·PURPOSE LAPTOP Int..! Core 2 Duo T65OO,
4GB RAM. 320GB di~. Int..! GMA X4SOOHD g<ap/olcs. RAM. 320GB dl~. Int..! GMA 4500M graphics. OVO+/·RW 4GB RAM. 320GB dksk. NvkJla GcFon:e G 105M (PIIIl1c ••
DVD./-RW ./·Dl, IS.6ln wid.sc'ffn LCD, 2.6I;g _/.01., lBin ww...:,een LC~. 1.8kg DVO_/· RW +/-01. OVD'~AM , IS.6invM.ocreen LCD,2.6kg
PART COOl KSDIJ·SX043C PART COOl' 30009830 PART COOl 2958K3C
DtTALS WWW.3W'.<om O£TAlS wwwmedion.co.uk O£TALS www~novo.<o.uk

• www.freedowns.net & www.journal-plaza.net


COMPUTER SHOPPeR • JANUARY 2010
WINDOWS 7 LAPTOPS

,
"'
...........
<~I
·

COMPUT~
SHOPPERER
-
MSI MESH HP
CX700 Edge17 HD CS ProBook 45105
*****
£533 inc VAT
***
£S49 inc VAT
***
£570 inc VAT
From www.lambda-tek.comj From Mesh 0844 736 044 0 From HP 0844 875 0975
compone ntshop
Mesh's Edge17 HD CS is a large desktop- Than ks to its glossy, piano-black lid and square
If you' re looking for a laptop to replace your replacement laptop, Its 17in display is a chunk edges, the ProSook 45 10s looks both smart and
exist ing desktop computer, MS l's eX700 is a larger than the lSAin screens that come with businesslike. HP has also opted to prei nstall
good bel. Its 17.3in screen is significantly larger most laptops. Sadly, it has a resolution of Vista Business, which means you can upgrade
tha n the 1SAin displays on most budget l,440x900, whereas similarly priced 17in to Windows 7 Professional, the middle version
laptops. It also has a higher resolutioo, with laptops from other manufacturers manage a of Microsoft's new OS.
l,6OOx900 pixels. This gives a lair bit more much higher resolution of 1,600K900. The 15.6in display has a native resolution of
room on the desktop. which makes working on This could be forgiven somewhat if the 1,366~768 and is one of only two screens on
documents considerably easier. quality of the screen was incredible, but that test without a glossy coating. This mea ns it
The screen is very bright. but its viewing isn't the case. We found that it was dark and doesn't look as vivid as the other displays, bu t
angles aren't perfect and the display had a suffered from poor viewing angles. it also doesn't suffer as much from reflections.
speckled effect when looked at from an angle. The size of the screen means there's plenty With the keyboard stretching right to the
Foc single-person use, though, it's fine . of room for a decent keyboard. The large keys edges of the chassis, HP has made best use 01
The size of the screen means there's room have plenty of feedback, and we found typing the space available and, despite the indusion of
for a decent keyboard. The keys are aU large at speed was both easy arld comfortable. a numerical keypad, all the keys are of a decent
and comfortable to type on. They're a little There's room for a num eric keypad, too, but its size. Much like on Apple laptops, each key
soft, but you'll soon get used to them. There's layout is a littie odd, with the + and Enter keys pokes out of an individual hole in the chassis.
even space lor a lull-size number pad. not in their usual positions on the side. The only dOV!lOside is that there's noticeable
This laptop has a lot of power. The 2GHz Inside the case there's a 2. lG Hz Core 2 Duo fle~ing to the keyboard. The touchpad is
Pentium Dual Core T4200 processor and 4GB T6500 processor and 4GB of RAM. These responsive and sits just to the left of centre,
of RAM are a decent combination, powering helped the Edge17 to decent scores in our 20 placing it directly under the space bar.
the CX700 to a reasonable score of 49 in our benchmarks, but it lagged behind similar1y HP has fitted the ProBook 45105 with a
20 benchmarks. The multitasking test was a specified models. We think the culprit is likely 2GHz Core 2 Duo T5870 processor. It's slightly
little disappointing. due, we believe, to the SiS to be the SiS chipset, which suppons only disappointing that there's only 2GB of RAM,
chipset not supporting dual-channel memory. single- rather than dual-channel memory. especially when other laptops at this price have
While most budget laptops are poor for The Nvidia Ge FOfCe G 105M graphics chip at least 3GB, if not 4GB, of memory. Despite
gaming. th e CX700 is actually pretty good is a step up from integrated Intel graphics, this drawback, however, th e ProBod 45105
thanks to the ATI Mobility Radeon 4330. This although its score of 8.4fps in our Call of Duty still managed to return a solid set of scores
managed l4.4lps in our Call 01 Duty 4 test. 4 test shows that high-end gaming is beyond in our 20 benchmarks, with an overall score
Tum down the detail settings and resolution a it Older and less-demanding titles, such as of 56. The use of Intel's GMAX4500HD
little and playable frame rates are possible. strategy games, should run well. integrated graphics means the Pro Book 4S105
Situated at the rear of the laptop are both The 2SOGB ha rd disk seems a little stingy at isn't one for games, though, managing just
VGA and HDMI outputs. The underside is home this price, although Mesh has fitted a faster 5.1 1ps in our Call of Duty 4 benchmark
to a subwooler, which adds e~tra bass to the 7,200rpm drive rather than a 5.400rpm drive. The ProSoak 45 10 is one 01 just two
audio, but not as much as we were hoping lor. Wh ile this may slightly improve performance, laptops here to lad 802.11n wireless support.
M51 includes a massive 500GBhard disk, we'd favour storage space over disk speed. HP has also been stingy with the storage,
which is more than plenty for even the largest It didn't take much for the laptop'slans to supplying just a 250GB hard disk.
media collections. whirr up to an aud ible level, indicating that it's Considering the reasonably powerful
As you'd e~pect for such a large laptop, it's generating a fair amount of heat. The fact that processor and large display, the ProBook's
quite heavy at 2.ng. Combined with a battery it doesn't run panicularly cool could also be ballery lile is very impressive. At just under
lile 01 just over two hours, you won't want to pan of the reason behind the poor banery lour-and -a-hall-hours, it's a good choice for
carry this laptop around very often, although sco re; the Edge 17 lasted just one hour and 41 anyone looking to use it on long journeys.
it's fin e for occasional use around your home. minutes. However, weighing 3kg. it's unlikely There's nothing panicularly wrong with
The CX700 has a lot going lor it. particularly you'll be taking it on too many journeys. HP's Pro Book 4S 105, aside from its price. For
if you'd like some gaming capability on your The Edge17 HD CS is far from poor, but this much money we'd expect more memory
laptop. With a decent range of components MSI's CX700 has a larger hard disk, faster and a larger ha rd disk Asus's cheaper K50lJ has
and a large hard disk, it's our Budget Buy. graphics and a higher-resolution screen. better specifications and is a better choice.

SUMMARY SUMMARY SUMMARY


VERDICT Ad ~c~ n ! d ~ sk!op- ~p lac~m~1llap !,,!, VERDlCT !1 has a big screen and a reasonably low VERDICT An int"'~sting ~ .ign and r~asonabl.
that". capabl~ of playing gam~ •. With a large hard price. but general boJild q~a lil)l and performan« p..-fomlan<:e, but co"'id~'ing the low 'pKification
disk and powerful components, it's a grtat choice didn't m~ ~1 with oor expectations it's simply too e~pe"'rvt
DfSKTOf'·REPlACEMENT LAPTOP Int el Pentium Duol otSKTOP-«EPlACEMENT LAPTOP Int.!",,", 1 Duo auSINESS LAPTOP "'tel eo.-. 2 Duo T5870, 2GB R#.M ,
COl'< T4200. 4GB RA M.SOOGB disk, ATI M<>blll\'t R.de"" T6500. 4GB R#.M, 2SOGBdi,k, Nvidi. Gefor<:.G 105M 250GB disk, Intol GMA X4500HD graphks. DVO+/·RW
HD 4]30 grap/1ks, DVD+/-RW +/-DL DVO-RAM, 17.Jin graphks, DVD+/·RW +/·OLDVO·RAM. 17lnwki<;sc'oon +/-DL DVD-R#.M, 15.6in widescreen LCD, 2.S!<g
wideSCIff<1 LCD, 2.71<8 PARTCODE CX7O(!·021UK LCD, 3.OI;g PoIAT Coot Ed~ 17 HD C5 PART CODE VQ493EA
DETAILS WW'W.msuom DET.oJlS WW'W.mosh<:<KTlputO!fS.C<KTl __"www"""""'~."".,__________________~ ,"
L"'_~".u

JANUARY 2010 . COMPUTER SHOPPER


www.freedowns.net & www.journal-plaza.net
WINDOWS 7 LAPTOPS

SAMSUNG ACER TOSHIBA


Q320 -JS03UK Aspire Timeline Satel lite U50 0 -186
*****
£570 inc VAT
581 0TG ***
£599 inc VAT
From ww w.lapto psdirect.co.uk ***
£580 inc VAT
From www.;Ohnlewis.co m

At 2.2kg. Sam sung's attractive Q320 is 200g Fro m www.cclo nline.com At 2.1kg. Toshiba's Satellite USQO- 186 is just
heavier than our limit for ultra -portable over the 2kg weight limit for what we consider
laptops, but it's stiUtight enough to carry Acer's Aspire Timeline S8 10TG is a strange mix. arl ultra-portable laptop. That said, its 13.3irl
regularly. With a battery life of four hours and It uses low-voltage components. which are screen keeps the size of the laptop down, 50
21 minutes, it can survive for long enough typically used in lightweight ultra -portables. you could still happily carry it around. It's a
away from a power sodet to be useful but its lS,6in screen and 2.4kg weight put it shame, then, that its battery life is so poor. Less
While it may be heavier than a standard more in line with standard budget laptops. than two·and-a-half hours is far short of what
uhra-portable, the weight has been put to The single-core 1.4GHz Core 2 Solo we'd expect for a laptop of this size and weight.
good use, with 5amsung fitting high-quality SU3S00 processor doesn't make much sense in The 13.3in screen is extremely bright and
component5. The 2GHz Pentium Dual (ore a laptop of this size. Although there's 4GB of has decent viewing angles. It's a 16:10 screen
T4200 processor and 4GB 01 RAM are a potent RAM. performance was poor. with the 58 10TG with a re5OIution of 1.280x800, rather than the
combination, helping the Q320 to an overall scoring just 24 overall in our 2D benchmarks, 16:9 screen with a resolution of 1.366x768
score of 51 in our 20 benchmarks. The Nvidia This means it's fine for general computing. but found on most modern laptops. This doesn't
GeForce 105M graphiC5 are a step up from editing video will be a struggle. make much difference, though: you get slightly
integrated Intel graphics, although the score of Both Intel integrated graphics arld ATI fewer pixels horizontally, but more vertically.
9.2fps in our CaU of Duly 4 benchmarh shows Mobility RadeOrl 4330 graphics chips are Two speakers just below the display manage to
that it still can't cope with the latest games. installed, and the 5810TG can switch between output loud, if not particularly bass-rich. audio.
Less demanding strategy games and older titles the two depending on the task at hand, With With shiny and somewhat slippery keys
at low re5Olutions should be fine. though. the All graphics, it managed 8.3fps in Call of packed dose together, the keyboa rd isn't the
The bright 13.4in display has a resolution of Duty 4, which is around 6fps slower than we'd most comfortable to type on. The keys also
1,366x768. Viewing angles aren't very good. expect from this chipset. The slow. single-core have very little travel to them. However, it's
though, and moving off-centre makes the processor is almost certainly the culprit. the touchpad that really lets the USOO- l86
screen look washed out. We also found that The benefit of having Intel integrated down. Not only is it too small. but it's al50
text wasn't quite as sharp as on other laptops. graphics and a low-power processor is that the oversensitive. With the cursor occasionally
Despite the small size of the case, Sam sung battery lasts for an impressive six hours and 31 leaping from one end of the screen to the
has managed to squeeze in a slot-load ing DVD minutes_With the ATI graphics enabled, this other with just the fairlte5t of touches_
drive for watching movies. A minor annoyance falls by about arl hour. However, since it's quite A series of brightly lit touch -sensitive
is that there's no eject button and you have to large and heavy. it's not something you'd want buttons are located just above the keyboard
press Fn-Insert to remove a disc. The speakers to cany around alt day. arld provide quick access to media -related
are useful for watching a film on the move. The 15,6in widescreen display is bright and functions, Toshiba has al50 lit up the Satellite
although they distort at full volume, produced rich. vibrant colours. With decent logo arld placed a light strip across the top of
They keyboard's great. Samsung has used viewing arlgles. you can use it comfortably in the touchpild. If these illuminations annoy you,
all the available space, and all the keys are a any position. As with most current laptops it they can be switched off.
good size. They're responsive and comfortable has a re5Olution of 1 ,366~768, which gives Toshiba has installed an Intel Core 2 Duo
to type on. too, making the Q320 a decent plenty of desktop space. If you want to watch T6600 processor, It managed to perform
computer for work as well as pleasure_ movies. there's a built-in OVD drive, rea50nably well in our 2D benchmarks, with
There's a lot else to like. too. The generous The keyboard is responsive arld comfortable arl overall score of 62. The USQO-186's 3D
SOOGB hard disk provides plenty of storage to type Orl. The 320GB hard disk is about what performance was very poor. with Intel's GMA
space. VGA and HOMI outputs mean that this we'd expect at this price and gives plenty of 4500M HO integrated graphics able to muster
laptop is easy to connect to almost any space for alt your documents. only 4.4fps in Call of Duty 4. The 250GB hard
external display. from a projector to an HO TV, Long battery life is the Timeline S8 10TG's disk is a little disappointing at this price; we'd
Samsung's Q320, by virtue of its weight. biggest selling point. but we'd prefer faster expect at least a 320GB model.
isn't quite an ultra -portable, but it!; small size component!; irl a laptop of thiS size. Asus's We like the solidly built chassis, but the
means that it's still a decent travelling KSOIJ is a better choice if you warlt a powerful USOO-186's touchpad let!; it down, and for
companion. Its screen isn't quite as good as laptop. while Samsung's Q320 is lighter to such a small laptop we'd expect better battery
we'd hoped. however. so this laptop just carry around, If you want something really life. Sam sung's Q320 is a better choice if you
misses out on an award. light, Medion'sAkoya E321 1 is a good choice. want a small and portable budget laptop,

SUMMARY SUMMARY SUMMARY


VERDlCT TM Q320's n(~l~nt d~'il:n, I:",at VEROICT Its long batt~ry lift is impressive, but poor VERDICT It', wfll built, but t ~ USOO·186·s
keybo..-d and small , i... make it a dK~nt J>Nfonnance and a La~ (a~ Itt this laptop down. ~r biltt~ry life and overnnsitive toud'l'ad
travelling companion W~ 'd h;!ve preferred J mort pow6ful proces.sor Itt it down
CENERAl·PURPOSE lAPTOP Int~l P<:ntium INaI eo.... GENERAL·PURPOSE LAPTOP Intel C"", 2 Solo SU3SOO, GENERAl·PURPOSE lAPTOP Intot """ 2 Duo T66O(I,
T4200, 4GB RAM, 500GB dl,k. N\oldI3c..forc~ C 105M 4GB RAM , 320GB diP:.. IlTI Mobility Rodwn HD 4330 3GB RAM, 250GB disk. Int~ CMA 4500M graphics.
graphic •. OVO.I·RW .1·Dl. llAin w.,.sc~ lCO. 2,Zkg graphlcs, OVO+/.RW +I·DL OVD_RAM, IS.6Inwld/:-SCtftn OVO.I·RW .I·ot. OVD·RAM. fBin lCO,Z.lkg
PART COOl NP-Q320-JS03UK LCO, 2,4I;g PAltT COOE l)(,POUOX.I34 PART COOl PSU82E-(l16Q08EN
otTAI.S """"'".sam,ung.co,uk DETAI.S """""'.¥....-.co.uI< DETALS """""'.to<hib.o.co,uk

COMPUTER SHOPPeR • JANUARY 2010


www.freedowns.net & www.journal-plaza.net
Wondering
what to give
~.
. ::
this Christmas?
i i

.~
J);I
••••••• O......... i
·. ·!on>
: ",
;,.. .

A wonderful selection of gift ideas from leading technology brands including;

SONY canon acer Mictosoft j~~


and many many more... f\
www.winter-wonders.co.uk
.~

www.freedowns.net & www.journal-plaza.net


Good thing we're smarter! Is your computer virus-free?
Are you sure?
Cybercrlmlnols are getting smarter. How smart? Now, their Toke our FREE &a-second QulckScon
attockJ can lay dormant, looling many anH·vWus produch. to find out. You might be surprised
Then, wtMtn your computer is vulnerable ... they attoc k.
01 whol you find. Go 10 "lilm~!!
.. nowl
BilDefender 2010's feature "Active Vrus Control" actvaly tracks
everything going on in your PC, if it finds any stealth attacks it
slops them In their tracks. Besl of oR, this "inlerlgenl" protection Call BitDefenderTodo y on 08451305096
won't slow you down. Now, thaI's whol we coli SMART! or email sales@bltdefender co.uk

bitdefender
M8Xlmum Secunty· MaXimum Speed

www.freedowns.net & www.journal-plaza.net


WINDOWS 7 LAPTOPS

BENCHMARKS
• 20 Performance 3D Perfonnance

Overall Multitasking Call o f Duty 4 (fps)


Asus .hus MSI 14.0
Lenovo Toshiba Lenovo
Toshiba Lenovo Samsung
HP HP M"h ii~"""""",
..,
Mesh Samsung AC!r ~
Samsung Muh
----~-

3B HP .:!I
MSI MSI .hUS ~
Acer ~ Acer 4 Medion
Medion E ) Medinn 2 Toshiba
~ m ~ ~ ~ ~ m • 11 I' •

With its range of stllnning effects and massive


Image-editing Video-encoding expl05ions. plus some of the m05t realistic
character animation, Call of Duty 4 pushes a
PC to its ~mits.
SmlNGS 1,Z8Ox800 resolution, 4x AA,
normal setti ngs WEB www.callofduty.com

I Battery life Run time

Light-usage test (hOUrs)


Aeer Gh 31m
Samsung 4h 21m
------~

HP 4h20m
• MediDn 4h20m
This is our main be nchm arl<; suite for PCS an d As we use the same te sts in our standalone Asus
laptops, which we share with our sister and Labs reviews, you can compare th e bROVO
publication Custom PC It's designed to test performance of computers across both.
Windows pes to their very limit. The suite If you're keen to see how your PC compares TDShiba _ 2h 28m
consist5 of t hre e separate te st5: im age-editing. with th ose we've te sted, you c<ln download the
video-encoding and multitasking. be nchm ark suite from l'MIW.custompc.co.uk/ MSI _ 2h09m
Our reference PC is fitted with an AMD
Phenom II X4 920 processOf and 4GB of DOR2
benchmarUlhow-to -enter.html.
Mesh IiIIii lh 41m
memory. We normalised all its results to 100, 10 Ii 110 :.. ... 111 III III
SETTINGSWe run our application tests at
which makes it easy to draw comparisons l ,024x768 resolution and in 3Z-bit colour Our banery test involves light browser use with
between lest systems ,m d our reference Pc. WEB www.expertreviews.co.uk the screen at its medium brightness setting.

Labs verdict W indows 7 laptops


Budget laptops have certainly improved in high resolution of 1,600x900 makes
recent months, and there's now a decent working on it a pleasure. Throw in the fact
choice of powerful desktop replacements that it can play games and has a large hard
and light ultra-portables. Ultimately, there disk and it's an even better choice. Its
were some that stood out from the others. processor's not as fast as in some other
It's hard to beat Asus 's K501J. Th is laptops, however. It wins a Budget Buy.
general-purpose laptop has a fast Finally, if you want a laptop that's good
processor, decent screen and healthy for regular travelling, Samsung's Q3Z0 is a
battery life. It's a brilliant choice if you decent choice. Its 13.3in sc reen makes it
need a portable computer at home or for easy to carry around, and at 2.2kg it's only
occasional journeys. It wins a Best Buy. slightly heavier than what we'd call an
If you 're looking for a laptop to use in ultra-portable. Its screen wasn't quite as
place of a desktop computer, MSI's CX700 good as we'd expect, though, so it just

l~;~':;d:':'~I.:"~':I':~~'~'~7.~3:;"~d~;~'p:':,y~w~;':h~;:"~____-=m:;':':'~':o:",~o:"~,"~,w::':ro~. ______________~::::::::=- ________~::::::~~~____~ 8

JANUARY 2010 . COMPUTER SHOPPER


www.freedowns.net & www.journal-plaza.net
WINDDWS7

Mode l K50 lJ Akoya E3211 G550 CX700

p=~
Rating
*****
Intel Core 2 Duo T6500
***
Int el Pentium SU2700
****
Intel CO«' 2 Duo T6500
*****
Intel Pentium Dual Core T4200
Sp"" 2.1GHz 1.3GHz 2.1GHz 2CHz
Memory installed 4GB 4GB 4GB 4GB
Memory slots (free) 2(0) 2 (0) 2 (0) 2 (0)
Max memo<)' 4GB 4GB 4GB 4GB
Dimensions (HxWKO) 4 1x379x256 33x332x222 41x38Ox244 4Ox414x264
Weight 2.6IIg l.8kg 2.6kg 2.7kg
Sound VIA HDAu dio Realtek HOAudio Conexant HD SmartAudkl 221 Realtek HDAudio
Pointing device Touchpad Touchp<ld Tou chp<ld Touchpild
Power consumption standby 1W 2W 1W 1W
Power consumption idle 21W 14W 19W 33W
PQwer consumption active 30W 22W 3SW 4TW
DISPLAY
Screen size 1S.6in widescreen LCD 13.3in widescreen LCD 1S.6in widescreen LCD 17.3in widesc~n LCD
Graphics ildilptOf Intel GMA X4500HD Intel GMA 4500M NvidiilGeForceG 105M ATI Mobility Rildeon HD 4330
Graphics outputs VGA VGA VGA,HDMI VGA,HDM I
Graphics memory 128MB shared 128MB shared 512MBdedkated 51 2M B dedic~ted

Native resolution 1,366x768 1,366x768 1,366x768 1.""""'"


STORAGE
Hard disk {available} 320GB (286GB) 310GB (189GB) 310GB {186GB} 500GB (458GB)
Optical drive model Slimtype D58A3S TSST SN-S083B Optiarc AD-7580S lGGTlON
Optical drive type DVD t /-RW t/-DL DVDt/-RW t/-DL DVD+I-RW t/- DL DVD-RAM DVD+I-RW +I-D LDVD-RAM
PORTS AND EXPANSION
USB1 ports , 3 3 3
FireWire 0 0 0 0
Infrared port No No No No
Bluetooth No No y~ y~

Networking ]x 10/100/1,000, ]x 10/100/1,OCXJ, 801.11b/g/n 1x 10/10011,000, Ix 10/100/1,OCXJ, 801.11b/g/n


802.11a/b/g/n 802.11a/b/g/n
PC Card ~ts N~ I x ExpressCard/34 1x ExpressCard/34 I x Expres5Card/34
M od ~ No No No No
Legacy ports N~ N~ No~ Nooe
Memorycard reader SDHC, MMC, Memory Stick SDHC, MMC, Memory Stid SDHC, MMC, Memory Stid SDHC, MMC, Memory Stick
Pro/Duo Pro/Duo Pro/Duo, xD Pro/Duo,)([)
OOerports N~ N~ No~ Optical S/P DIF output
MISCELLANEOUS
Carrying case No No No No
Operating system WindowsVosta Home Premium Windows Vista Home Premium WinoowsVista Home Premium Windows Vista Home Premium

Operating system restore Restore disc Restore partit;on, restore disc Restore partition Restore partition
option
Software ioduded Cyberlink Power1Go 6
Microsoft Works 9, Nero Lenovo ReadyComm 4 Microsoft Works 85, Ulead
Buming Rom 8 Essentials, Bum Now 45 SE
_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ Nero Recode 3 Sf
Other standard accessories Integrated l.3- megapixel Integrated 1.3-megapixel Integrated 1.3-megapixel Integrated l.3-megapixel
webcam ~""m webcam ~""m
Optional extras (incVAT) None N~ No~ Nooe
BUYING INFORMATION
Parts and labour warranty Two years collect and return One year collect and return One year collect and return Two years collect and return
Price indudingVAT .500 £SOO fS19 f SH
Price exdudingVAT £435 £435 £451 £463
Details www.asus.com www.medion.co.u k www.lenovo.co.uk www.msi.com
Supplier www.laptopsdire<::t.co.uk Medion 08713761020 Lenovo 0844 800 05SO www.lambda-tek.com/
compooentshop
Part number KSO!j-SX043C 30009830 29S8K3G CX 700"()21U I(

COMPUTER SHOPPeR • JANUARY 2010


www.freedowns.net & www.journal-plaza.net
WINDOWS 7 LAPTOPS

MESH HP SAMSUNG ACER TOSHIBA


Edgel7 HD CS ProBook 45105 Q320-JS03UK Aspire Timeline Satellite USOD-laG
5810TG

*** *** ***** *** ***


Intel Core 2 Duo T6500 InlelCore 2 Duo T5870 Inte/Pentium Dual COl'(' T4200 Intel COf(' 2 Solo SU3SOO Intel Core <' Duo T6600
2.1GHz 2GHz 2GHz l.4GHz 22GHz
4GB 2GB 4GB 4GB 3GB
2 (0) 2 (1) 2 (0) 2(0) 2 (0)
4GB BGB 4GB 4GB 4GB
43x397x281 4Ox371x249 37x325x231 31x376x256 41x317x2Z8
3k, 2.Skg 22kg 2.4kg 2.1k&
RealtekHOAudio SoundMax HO Audio Realtek HDAudio Realtek HO Audio Realtek HD Audio
Touchpad Touchpad Touchpad Touchpad Touchpad
1W 1W 1W 1W 1W
38W 1M 23W 1M
52W 33W <6W 22W "'"
3M

17in wides~n LCD 15.6in widescreen LCD 13.4in widescreen LCD 15.6in widescreen LCD 133in LCD
Nvidia GeForre G 105M InteIGMAX4500HD Nvidia Geforce G 105M AT I Mobility RaOeOrl HD 4330 Intel GMA 4500M HD
VG' VGA,HDMI VGA,HOMI VGA,HOMI VGA
512MB dedicated 128M B Ylared 256MB dedicated 512MBd~icat~ 128MB o;har~

250GB (223GB) 25OG8 (232GB) 500GB (465GB) 320GB (288GB) 250GB (231GB)
lGGTlON lG GTrol TSSTTS-T633A Matshita UJ862AS lGGU10N
OVOt/-RW t/-D LDVD-RAM OVD+I-RW t/-Ol DVD-RAM DVD+I-RW +I-OL DVDt/-RW +I-D LOVD-RAM DVDt/-RW +I-OLOVO-RAM

3 4 3 , 3
0 0 0 0 0
No No No No No
y" y" y" No No
1x 10/100,802.11a/b/g 1x 10/100/1,IXXl,802.11b/g h 10/100/1,000, 1x 10/100/1,000, 1~ 10/100,802.11b/g/n
802.11a/b/g/n 802.11a/b/g/n
lx ExpresSCard/S4 1x ExpresSCard/34 1x ExpressCard/34 Noo. 1x ExpressCard/54
y" No No No No
No~ Noo. Noo. Noo. No~

SOHC,MMC SOHC, MMC, Memory Stick SDHC, MMC SDHC, MMC, Memory Stid SDHC, MMC, Memory Stick
Pro/Duo, xO Pro/Duo, xO ProlOuo. xD

No No No No No
Windows 7 Home Premium Windows 7 Professional Windows 7 Home Premium Windows VISta Home Premium Windows 7 Home Premium
64-bit
Restore partition Restore partition Restore partitioo Restore partitioo Restore partitioo

Microsoft Works 8.5, CyberLink Intervideo WinDVO 8, Roxio Cybert.ink OVO Suite Cyberlink PowerOvo, Microsoft MicrosoftWorks 9,Toshiba OVD
Po....erDVO 5 Creator Business 10 WO<1o' player

Integrated 2-megapixel Integrat~ 2-megapixel Integrat~ 1.3-megapiXt'1 Integrated 1.3-megapiXt'1 Integrat~ 1-megapixel
webcam webcam ~"'m ~"'m ~"'m
No~ Noo. No~ Noo. No~

One yearRTB One Yeilr collect and retum Of1e year collect and retum One year collect and retum Of1e year coHect and retum
£549 £570 £S70 £580 £S99
£477 £496 £495 £504 £S21
WHW.meshcomputers.com WW'IN,hp.co.uk WHW.samsung.co,u~ WHW.acer.co.uk WHW.toshiba.co.uk
Mesh 0844 736 0440 HP 0844 875 0975 WHW.laptopsdirect,co.uk WHW.cdooline.com WW'IN.johnlewis.com

Edge17 HOCS VQ493EA NP-Q32o-JS03UK LX.PDUOX.134 PSU82E-016008EN

JANUARY 2010 . COMPUTER SHOPPER


www.freedowns.net & www.journal-plaza.net
en
a::
w
~
....I
c..

INTRODUCTION
Many mobile phones can now
play MP3s and video, but there
are still plenty of reasons to
choose iii dedicated portable

Choosing an
video or music pliilyer. There's
nothing worse thim needing to
make an urgent phone call
only to discover that your
phone's battery hOJs been
drained by power-hungry
music and video playback.
Controls that are designed for
MP3 Player
P3 players come in a seemingly endless variety THERE'S A PLACE

M
dialling phone numbers are
often ill-suited to browsing of shapes and sizes, with an equally bewildering At full CO quality, music takes up around 10MB of
albums and playlists, and array of features. No matter how large or small storage space per minute, which is impractical when
some phones have proprietary your budget, there are some fundamental factors to you're trying to store a large collection on a portable
earphone jacks 50 you can't consider before you part with your hard-earned cash. player. Compressing tracks into a format su(h as MP3
replace the earphones that is the refore essential. Each of the players here (an play
came with it. CARRY THAT WEIGHT MP3 files. Other popular compressed file formats
You could be forgiven for If you have a large music collection and want to carry it include AAC, WMA and OGG, but not all players
thinking that the only MP3 around With you, you'll ne1'!d a player with lots of storage. support them. Our table on page 88 lists the file
phlyers ilvailable are Apple's If you're happy to carry a smaller selection of tracks. formats supported by each player.
iPods, but there are it wide you can save money by buying a smaller-capacity Music downloaded from online stores comes either
variety of players on sale from player. A 2GB player can store around 500 songs, but as copy-prote(ted WMA files that can't be converted to
a range of manufacturers. This most of the players here have at least 8GB of storage. other formats, or as MP3 or AAC files sold without copy
month we've tested 1S of the There are two types of portable music player on the protection. We recommend buying unprotected MP3
latest models. No matter how marl<et: those that contain a hard disk and those that files, so that you can transfer your music to any device.
large or small your budget, our use flash memory for storage. Hard-disk-based players Few stores stilt seU ORM-protected music due to a
comprehensive Labs will help provide far more storage space and cost less per lliId.lash from disgruntled customers. Some 510res allow
you find the perfect portable megabyte than flash-based players, but their moving you to download an unlimited amount of music for a
entertainment companion. parts are more susceptible to damage and there are monthly fee, but these songs become unplayable if your
fewer hard-disk-based models to choose from. Players subscription lapses.
that use flash memory have less storage space and cost Apple's iTunes Store used to sell protected AAC
Alan Lu more per megabyte of storage, but the lack of any music that would play only on iPods, but has since
PC systems and
aud io expert moving parts makes them more rugged. Some players abarnloned (opy protect ion. Music now bought from
have SO or microSO slots so they can accommodate iTunes will play on any device that supports AAC.
memory cards for even more storage. Some online stores, such as HMV.com, Play.com and

COMPUTER SHOPPeR • JANUARY 2010


www.freedowns.net & www.journal-plaza.net
MP3PLAYERS

This month
ARCH OS
28GB
Page 80

APPLE
.. 1/
iPod Shuffle 2GB
Page 80
SONY
Walkman NWZ-E443
80
ARCHOS
3 Vision 8GB
81
IRIVER
E2008GB
Page 81
VIEWSONIC
VPDSOO
Page 81

SAMSUNG
-
YP-P38GB
82
SONY
Walkman NWZ-SS44
Page 82
COWON
02+ DAB •
eMusic, sell their music as non-copy-protected benefit from a player with a large screen,
MP3 files, which you can play on any player. although these tend to be more e~pensive.
Page 82
Audible sells copy-protected audio books in
its own proprietary fOffi1at. Our table on page 88 A DAY IN THE LIFE CREATIVE
lists those players that are Audible-compatible. Hilving several days' worth of entertainment Zen X-Fi 216GB
in your pocket is of little use if the battery runs 85
GETTING BETTER out after only a few hours. EV1!n if you use your
Most of the pla~rs here sounded good at player only for short periods of time,long
comfortable volume levels and default equaliser battery life is essential. There's nothing more APPLE
settings, but some 'Mre better than others. A annoying than settling down to watch a video iPod Nano 16GB
few suffered from audio problems such as only to find that your player is out of power. Page 85
distortion when we boosted the bass. We AU the playt'rs hefl' have integrated, non-
mention this in the individual reviews.
For the best audio quality, you may have to
replaceable batteries that can be recharged
using a mini USB cable. Some, such as Apple's
IRIVER
replace the headphones that come with the iPods. Samsung's YP-P3 and Sony's WaUunan B308GB
plilyer, as the bundl~ sets tend to lack clarity plilyers. use USB cables with non-standard Page 85
ilnd bass. Each player's headphones have a connectors, so you'\\ have to remember to bring
separate rating in the table on page 88. them on long trips. PHILIPS
Battery life varied dramatically in our tests.
I'M LOOKING THROUGH YOU We e>:pect a player to last at teast 15 hours
GoGearMuse
Most portable music players can also play videos. when playing music. Four of the players here fell Page 86
Apart from ViewSonic's VPDSOO, which can play short of this, wh ile one exceeded a sta&&ering 40
a variety 01 video fOffi1ats, all the video-capable hours. We also e~pect at least four hours when APPLE
players here can only play videos of a certain file playing video; a\\ but two of the players here
fOffi1at and resolution, the full details of which managed to beat this target.
iPod Classic 160GB
are listed on the manufacturers' websites. Page 86
If your existing videos don't match these LET ITBE
requirements, you'll have to re-encode them Many portable players have extra features, such APPLE
using the software included with each device. If as FM rad ios, integrated microphones, calendars iPod Touch 64GB
you frequently watch video on the go, e5pf'ciaUy and stopwatches. Although they're of secondary
long TV programmes or movies. then you'll importance, they can be useful

JAMJARY 2010 • COMPUTER SHOPPER


www.freedowns.net & www.journal-plaza.net
MP3PLAYERS

~
ARCH OS APPLE
28GB iPod Shuffle 2GB
**
£36 inc VAT
**
£45 inc VAT
From www.pixmania.co.uk From http://store.apple.com/uk *****
£60 inc VAT
The Archos 2 is the cheapest 8GB portable Apple's latest iPod Shuffle is impreSSively From www.play.com
audio and video player that we've seen. Its comp<lct; it's comparable in size and weight to
looks don't betray its price, as it's slender, has an AAA battery. but you're unlikely to lose it Sony's Walkman 4GB NWZ-E443 portable
a 1.8in (olour screen and weighs just 54g. It since the sturdy. integrated metal clip keeps it musi c player looks striking thanks to its slender.
looh similar to an iPod thanks to its glo$sy firmly lastened to yoor clothing. shiny red metal and black plastic design.
white fascia and reflective metal back. This miniaturisation has been achieved by Using the included earphones. music
There's even a MicroSDHC slot for expanding the lack of a screen and by moving an the soonded bright and harsh. although the bass
its capacity. controls - ap<lrt from the switch for choosing wasn't as loud as we'd like. Vocals were clear
Unfortunately, the fiddly controls take between shuffle and random modes - to an and there was no distortion when we boosted
some getting used to. The rewind and fast inline remote integrated into the cord 01 the the bass using the equaliser. Music 50unded lar
forw<lrd buttons a re used to navig,,!e through included earphones. clea rer and more detailed using a better set 01
the menus, which feels odd at first . Scrolling Aside from the volume control. there's just earphones. Audio playback lasted for more
through long lists is difficult as the scre{!(l takes a single button for controlling playback and than 26-and-a-half hours. more than even the
a second or two to update. Even more navigating music. Pressing it once pauses a longest Right.
annoying. the combined power/lock switch is track. pressing it twice skips to the next song. Browsing through long lists of music is
poorly designed, ma~ing it far too easy to turn while preSSing it three times returns to the simple since the left and right buttons can be
the Archos l 011 accidentally instead olloding previous track. II you press and hold the button. used to skip quickly and easily through the list
the controts. a voice tells you the track and artist names. alphabetically. When playing music. pressing
Music soonded muddy and harsh. with little Unlike previous Shuffles. this one supports the Option button gives quick access to
bass from the included earphones. Audio playlists. To change playlists. press and hold the playback settings such as the equaliser. Oddly.
quality improved greatly using a high-quality button until you hear a tone. then let go. A long track. artist Of album names are cut off
third-p<lrty set, but the bass was still too voice will say the name 01 each playlist; press instead of scrolling to show the lull title. II you
subdued lor our tastes. Unlortunately. boosting the button again when it says the name 01 tire 01 your own music. you can use the buih-in
the bass using the equaliser atso made music your desired playlist and it will start playing. FM radio. which sounded clear and static-free
soond even more muffled. We managed to get used to these controts when used in oof central london offices.
We were atso annoyed to lind that the quickly. but they're still more cumbersome We were less impressed with the E443's
screen displays an animated soundwave while than the simple buttons on other players. We'd video playback. We could only get it to play
playing music. which can't be turned 011. preler it il they were an addition to. rather than videos encoded using a very specific H.264
leaving no room lor the name 01 the artist and a replacement lor. a standard set of buttons. profile with a re50lution of 320~240 pixels and
album of the current track. The 2 lasted just Since the controts are integrated into the a jerky frame rate of 1Sfps. Annoyingly. Sony's
nine hours and 35 minutes while playing music. earphones. you won't be able to use a different included video-conversion software sometimes
which is the shortest time 01 any MP3 player set. or even connect a pair 01 speakers without failed to work lor no apparent reason.
we've seen recently. losing the ability to control music playback. Although the screen is very bright. its small
The 2 can play DivX video files. but only il Replacement headphones are essential if you 2in size and graininess means it's not ideal for
they've been re-encoded to fit the low want the best audio quality as the included watching long videos anyway. If you do want
128~160-pi~el resolution of the 1.8in screen earphones sound muddy and lack bass. to watch video. yoo can e~pect its battery to
with a low. jerky Irame rate of 151ps. This Third-p<lrty headphone adaptors should be last four hours and 39 minutes. which isn't too
makes watching TV or films on it practicaUy available soon. but this is just an extra cost. bad. but other players here can last more than
pointless.lt·s a shame video quality isn't better. For such a small plaYl'r. battery lile was twice as long. There'S no orientation sensor.
as the lour hours and seven minutes 01 battery good at 13 hours. Although slightly larger so il you want to watch video with the screen
life we got while playing video is enough for players with bigger batteries can last even horizontal rather than vertical yoo'U have to
even the longest Hollywood epic. longer. the most serious Raw isn't battery life set this preference manually.
The Archos 2 is very cheap. but it's stilt not but the fiddly control system. which isn't worth Sony's Walkman NWZ-E443 is a
worth the money. The flawed controts. poor the comparatively small reduction in size and good-value MP3 player tha nks to its decent
screen and disappointing sound mean that weight compared with the previous Shuffle. audio quality. respectably long battery life
Sony's more expensive Walkman NWZ-E443 Sony's Walkman NWZ-E443 is a better choice and low price. Its video support is poor. but
is a much better choice. for most and has twice the storage capacity. it's a great choice for audio.

SUMMARY SUMMARY SUMMARY


VERDICT ... rchos 2 may be "eI'J cheap. but the VERDlCT The IPod ...... ftIe Is Impressively sma ll arid VERDlCT T.... Walkman NWZ-E4<43's vldeo support
poor screen. aMoying controls and mulfled sound light. but the liddly control. and restricted choice i. poor. oo t its good audio qua lity. long battery IiI••
make it impossible to ",commend of ..... dphones me.n. it', poorvalu-e compar..! to good look< and low price make it. great buy
other c0n19act MP3 players
fLASH MEMORY PlAYER 8GB ,apacity. l.8in U8xl&O fLASH MEMORY P1.AVER 4GB ,apacity. 2in 24OxJ20
",solution LCD. MkroSOHC slot.'lJIlPOI1'WMA, FLASH MEMORY PlAYER 2GB copacity. no lCD. wWQrt, r. soIution LCD. wppom WM "- WM ... ·DRM. M C. MP3
WM A·DRM . MP3 oudio liles, MPEG4 AVI video lil.s, AAC. ProtKled AAC.Wav.Audibie. MP3 .udlo fil... USB audio fil... WMV. MPEG4AVl . MPEG4 MP4viOe<> m...
jPEG ima&" 1iI.s, USB inmlac• •4Ox8x8-4mm. S4g intffiact. 17xBx45mm. 109 JPEG imag. li!.s, USB in",lac• •41,IOx83mm. S2g
AARTCOOE 501265 PART COl)( MC387QBIA PARTCOO£ NWz.E441
DETAaS www.archo •.com D£TALS www.awlu omluk DETAaS www""",y.co.uk

COMPUTER SHOPPeR • JANUARY 2010


www.freedowns.net & www.journal-plaza.net
MP3PLAYERS

.J~
.; i
.: ,. '
i~-::- I
i
i
ARCHOS IRIVER •• I VIEWSONIC
3 Vision 8GB E2008GB VPD500
**
fag inc VAT
*****
£89 inc VAT '~~ ***
£l D3 inc VAT
From www.advancedmp3players.co.uk From www.advancedmp3players.co.uk From www.morecomputers.com

Arches's 3 Vision is one of an increasing number Almost all modem MP3 players feel sturdy, but ViewSonic's VPOSOO has a huge Sin screen
of portable audio and video players to have a we were particularly impressed by how robust with a high resolution of BOOx4BO pixels. This
touchscreen. Playback controls and menu iRiver's E200 felt. The hefty, rigid metal case also means it's fairly large and heavy at just
commands are activated by simply tapping the looks classy and feels well engineered. This under 2ClOg. so it's meant to be carried in your
screen, but a very precise aim is requ ired, means it's a little heavier than the compet ition bag rather than your pocket.
especially when adjusting the volume slider. at 92g. but it's still comp.1ct and light enough It's ideal for watching video and supports a
Avirtual scroll wheel in the bottom comer to carry around all day. wide variety of formats, playing all our MPEG2,
of the screen is used for navigating menus and We weren't disappointed by the E2oo's OivX and H.264 test videos without problems.
track list5. Although it's reasonably responsive, audio quality when paired with a good It can resume playback from where you left off
d~sn'l feel as accurate 35 a physical wheel
it aftermarket pair of earphones. Music sounded and you can adjust the screen brightness and
when .sc::rolling through a long list to find a clear, rich and detailed. Bass wasn' t quite as aspect ratio wi thout having to stop the video.
particular item. thumping as we'd like, especially compared Unfortunately, we were disappointed with
Music sounded muddy and flat, with very with other iRiver players, but it still sounded the screen's quality. It's not very bright and
little bass using the included earphones. Audio pleaSing. The included earphones aren't worth contrast is poor, so distinguishing details in
quality improved greatly using a replacement bothering with, as they make music sound flat dimly lit films and programmes can be difficult.
set of earphones, but music still wasn't as rich and muffled with very weak bass, Viewing angles are tight , which isn't ideal if
and warm as we'd like. Backing voca15 in pop Battery life was disappoint ing. The player you want to wat(h a video with a friend. The
tracks sounded a little mumI'd, too. The 3 lasted just over 17 hours for audio, which is a battery lasted just over six hours when playing
Vision lasted just under 11 hours when playing little short comp.1red with similarly priced video, which is a very respectable time.
music, which is disappointing. especially for a players. There's an FM radio built in, but we Although the VPDSOO is designed mainly
player at this price. had difficulty getting static-free reception in for watching video, it can play music too, You'll
The lack of physical volume contro15 means our central london offices. need a better-quality pair of headphones to
that you'll have to fish the Vision out of your The E200's touch-sensitive buttons feel make the most of your tunes, as the included
pocket and unlock the cootrols to use the odd, especially if they're set to vibrate when earphones sound muddy and harsh. The
onscreen volume slider when out and about, pressed. Although these controls feel fiddly and VPOSOO can also receive FM radio broadcasts,
which is a little inconvenient. There's an less precise than a physical set of buttons, the although we had trouble getting a clear signal
integrated FM radio, but we had some trouble haptic feedback is genuinely useful rather than in our centralloodon offices, Unlike any other
getting static-free re ception in our central just a gimmick - with vibration turned off we player we've seen, it can also transmit an FM
London offices, were more prone to chOOSing the wrong songs radio signal without the need for an external
The 3in display has a relatively high or overshooting our intended target in a long transmitter, so you can listen to your music on
resolution of 400x240 pixels. The Vision can list. The interface's white text on da rk your car speakers even if your car radio dOl!so't
play OivX files, while the included conversioo backgrounds looks clear and sharp, even in have any audio inputs.
software can batch-coovert multiple vi deo files overly bright or dim lighting conditions. The VPD500's interface bears an uncanny
to the right format. However, despite the Videos looked great on the bright 2.8in resemblarxe to the XMB interface of Sony's
screen's relatively large size, watching video is display. The screen has plenty of cootrast and Play5tatioo. Its menus are logically organised
difficult due to the dark and grainy image videos were always displayed in the correct and easy to navigate, despite the rather fiddly
quality. The battery lasted for just three hours aspect ratio. H.264 video files aren't supported, top-mounted buttoos, which are awkward and
and 38 minutes when playing video, which is but WMV and DivX videos played Without any uncomfortable to press, especially when
the shortest time we've seen. problems. The battery lasted five hours and lO scrolling through long lists. Annoyingly it
The Archos 3 Vision is flawed in numerous minutes when playing video, which should see doesn't support music play!ists, although
ways, from its slightly cumbersome interface you through a couple of films. these can be approximated using folders in
to its less-than-perfect audio quality and We were impressed with iRiver's E200 8GB, Windows hplorer.
battery life, These flaws would be easier to It feels well made and sounds great, while At just over £100, View Sonic's VPDSOO is
accept at a lower price, but at £89 the Vision videos looked stunning on its l.Bin screen. cheap for a 16GB portable video player with
is just too expensive to recommend. Sony's &attery life is a little shorter than 00 other su(h a large screen and broad video support.
Walkman NWZ-E443 and iRiver's E200 8GB players, but you"!1 still get a decent amount of However, screen quality is poor, so iRiver's
are both beller choices. playback time between charges. It's a Best Buy. E200 8GB is a better choice for most people.

SUMMARY SUMMARY SUMMARY


VERDICT Tho Ar.:hos Vlsloo 3's flddly control VERDICT Although Its t:.attery life Is a little sIlo"er VERDICT The VPD500 Is an affordable portable
system. sho" battery life and poor ween let than that of simHarty priced pla~. tl>! E200 is a video player with wid e forma t sU9POrt. but i, let
it down cla.S}' portable audio and video playe, down by its /iddly controt. and pOll!" image ""ality

fLASH MEMORY PlAYER 8GB capacity, 3;" 4()())(24O fLASH MEMOItY PlAYER 8GB capacity, 2.8in 240020 fLASH MEMORY PlAYER 16GB capacity, S;" 8()())(480
,..oIution lCD,""ppo<t, WMA. OGG, W~, MP3 a<KIio ... soIution lCD, microSD !lot, .uppom WM A. WMA-Ofi:M, ... soIution lCD, MicroSD slot, ,upport. WM A. WMA· Ofi:M •
file', MPI'G4 1M vOd", files, BMP. JPEG image mes. USB AAC. OGG, MP) .... dio files,WMV. MPEG4 AVI. MPEG4 Way. MP3 .udio files. MPEG 1, MPEG2. MPEG2 VOB,
interface.51)(9)(96mm,62& MP4 ..odeo file., BMP, WEG irnag<' fil.., USB interface, MPEG4 AVI, MPEG4 MP4video file,. BMP,jPl'G im.g<'
PAlITCoo( S01338 5Sxl1xl0Smm , 92& fiI" ,USB interface, 131xlS><8Smm, 196&
DETAILS www.archas..:orn PART COO( [ 2008GB DETAILS wwwJrI\I."..com PAlIT cOO( VPDSOO· S08I' DETAILS www,v\tWsOnk":Q." €I

JANUARY 2010 . COMPUTER SHOPPER !


www.freedowns.net & www.journal-plaza.net
MP3PLAYERS

.-

SAMSUNG SONY COWON


YP-P38GB Wa lkman D2+ DA B
NWZ-SS44
****
£110 inc VAT **
£129 inc VAT
From www.play.com

like an increasing number of pOItable media


***
£110 inc VAT
From www.sony.co.uk
From www.advancedmp3players.co.uk

AS its name suggests. Cowon's D2+ DAB has a


players. Samsung's P3 has a touchscreen. It built-in digital radio. one of the few portable
doesn't feel nearly as sensitive as Apple's iPod Sony'S Walkman NWZ-5S44 looks and feels audio players we've seen to have such a
Touch's screen, though, arld scrolling through dassy thanks to its shiny red metal design. It feature . Unfortunately. it crashed frequently
long lists can be quite frustrating. has a slightly bigger screen than the when trying to tune into a station. even after
It has haptic feedback, so it can be set to NWZ-E443 and built-in speakers. which are we upgraded the firmware to the latest version.
vibrate when touched, which compensates for activated using a dedicated switch. As Despite its compact size. the player also has
its lack of sensitivity. It doesn't recognise expected. they sound weedy and distort easily. a 2'hin touchscreen. and there are also physical
multi touch gestures, but it does support more Vocals sound dea r on the induded volume controls on the top, The touchscreen
bask gestures such as swiping your finger to earphones. but audio quality is otherwise requires a firm aM precise touch. The interface
skip trach. A small gesture area beneath the disappointing. Instruments are bright and is also b.1dly designed, with small icons and
screen allows you to quickly access commonly harsh. with not enough bass. but there was no scroll bars that are difficult to press accurately.
used buttons and menus. SlIch as music distortion when we boosted the b.1ss using the as well as a confusing menu structure.
playback controls. There are phySical volume equaliser. Audio quality improved dramatically The toochscreen isn't suited to watching
controls on the top of the P3, but they can't be with a third-party set of earphones. although video either, It's not especially bright and looks
used to adjust the volume without you haying the bass 5till wasn't as thumping as we'd li~e. a bit grainy. Colours are washed out, too, DivX
to unlod the screen first. The battery lasted an impressive 30 hours and XviD vi deos played back fine as long as
The earphones induded with most MP3 and 38 minutes when playing music. Browsing they matched the 320x240 resolution 01 the
players usually sound very poor. so we were for tracks is easy thanks to the logical menus screen. Other videos can be re -encoded using
pleaXintly surprised by the set included with and the ability to navigate quickly through long the included software. which has a confusing
the P3, They sound dear and detailed. with a lists of tracks alphabetically. The option button interface but also a batch-conversion mode.
respectable amount of bass. You'll still need a gives easy access to the equaliser and playhac~ The below-average screen quality is all the
good third -party pair for the very best audio modes. including shuffle and repeat. If yoo tire more disappointing since the b.lttery lasted an
quality. es~cially if you like bass-heavy music. of your own music there's a built-in FM astonishing nine-and -a-hall hours when
If earphone cords annoy yoo. Bluetooth is built receiver. which sounded reasonably clear when playing video. one of the longest times we've
in so you can use wireless headphones without used in our central london offices. seen. It also fa red well when playing music.
an external adaptor. but this will reduce the This Walkman.like all the others we've lasting a lengthy 31 hoors and 38 minutes.
P3's long battery He of 29 hours and 19 seen recently. is very picky aboot the video Music was dear. rich and detailed over a
minutes when playing music. files it wi ll play. The only videos we could get it quality pair of earphones. The included set
The P3's battery also did well when playing to play consistently were H.264 files encoded have a surprising amount of bass. but you'll still
video, lasting eight hours and 14 minutes. We in a very specific way at a resolution of want to replace them for the best audio quality
had no trouble playing H264 and DivX videos. 32Ox240 pixets at a jerky 1 SIps. Videos looked as background vocals and instruments can
but the P3 refused to play XviD files . Brightness very bright. but also quite grainy, on the 2.4in soond muffled. while the high end is too bright.
can be adjusted without stopp4ng the video screen. II you want to watch films on the 5544. Despite its high price. the 02+ only has
currently playing. However. it can resume you can expect its battery to last for just over 4GB of storage. which compares badly With
playing from where you left 011 only as long as four-and-a-half hours. similarly priced 8GB or 16GB players. An SD
you don't start playing another file. The screen II the NWZ-5S44 appears similar to the card slot means yoo can add more storage
is bright, but poor contrast ma~es it hard to see chea~r NWZ· E443. that'S because it is. space later. but it's still surprising to be charged
details in dimly lit movies and TV programmes. Setting aside the awlul integrated speakers and so much and get so little.
We were a little disappointed by the quality a slightly larger screen. the only meaningful Cowon's 02+ DAB impressed us with its
of the P3's screen. while its lack of wireless advantage the 5544 has over the E443 is that it soond quality and battery life. Unfortunately.
networking and third-party applications means has 8GB of storage instead of 4GB.IRiver"s it's infuriating to use due to its poorly designed
it's not as versatile as Apple's iPod Tooch, It has E200 8GB is a better choice if you want decent touchscreen and interface, and its DAB radio is
a long battery life and good audio quality. movie playback. 1/ you want more music too buggy to use. These faults would be easier
thoogh. making it a good·value music player. storage. however. Apple's 16GB iPod Nano is to forgive at a lower price. but lor a 4GB player
If such long b.1ttery life isn't an issue. iRiver's better value. with double the storage capacity f 129 is just too expensive. Philips' GoGear
E200 8GB is a better choice. for only £25 more than the 5544 costs. Muse 16GB is a much better choice.

SUMMARY SUMMARY SUMMARY


VERDICT Samsullg's P31s all Ine ~ pef\sIve VERDICT Sony's 8GBWa lkma.n NWZ-S544Is a VERDlCT Cowon', 02+ O... B has some attract~
touchscreen player with great battery life. oo t good MP3 player. b~ t it's not a big irnprovef\1ef\\ fe a \u r~s. but its dire touchscreen. fiddly interlace
it's not ideal for watching vid~ ~th~ ' .... ap ... NWZ·E443 and high pric. ma ke ft on~ to avoid

fLASH MEMORY PlAYER 8GB capacity, li~ 480><l71 FLASH M(MORY PlAV£R 8GB capacity. 2.4in 240J<320 fLASH MEMORY PLAYER <ICe capacity•• Yoin llOxl40
",solution LCD, suppom WM A.. WM ... ·DRM. A.A.e . OGG, (. soIution LCD, wpports WM .... WM ... · DRM. AAC. MP3 f~ soIutionLCD, SO card 5Iot, suppom WM A. WM"'_DRM.
Wav. MP3 audio file" WMV. MPEG4 AVI, MI'I'G4 MP4 audio fil~. WMV. MPEG4 "'VI, MPlG4 MN """'0 Iil~s, OGG , W... , "'vdit>le, MP3 .... dio file .. WMV. MPEG4"'VI
vido-o r.t~" BMP. JPEG magi> 1iI~ .. USB int~rfac~, jl'l'G ma~ f i l ~ .. use i~t.rfac ~ , ...... tOx98mm,66g ~o m~ s,aMP. JPEG m a~ fi(~ .. USB itl1.rfac~,
Sb"1()X12mm.93g PAATeOO£ NWZ·SS44Il 78xlhS6mm.86g PART CDOE eOWOND2PLUS4GBO...B
PART cOO( VP. P3)CB DETAILS www.•• mwng.CO..... D£T... as wv,w.sooy.co.uk DETAaS www.C(7Wongl<;>bal.com

COMPUTER SHOPPeR • JANUARY 2010


www.freedowns.net & www.journal-plaza.net
~ McAfee-

Thesecret's out
Get greater protection for 50% less
McAfee is #1 in Malware Detection*

Relying on traditional security updates isn't


enough anymore. That's why we added
Active Protection techno logy. Th is excl usive
feature instantly analyses and blocks new
and emerging threats in milliseconds so
there's no gap in your protection. It detects
more threats to you r PC than ever before.

Anti. vlrus -I' "",j.yirus -I' identity Protection -I'


~ McAfee- Anti~ ... e -I' Q McAfe... Antl·'PYW.re -I' Parental Controls -I'
Internet Security Anli~ -I' Total Protection Antl~ -I' Oal'~Up -I'
£26.94 Anli-phn.hing
TwOoWoly FirewOJ!!
-I'
-I'
£31.84 Anti-phbhing
TWo-way firew.11
-I'
-I'
AdvMlC~ Home
Network Protection
-I'
Save 50% Save 50 % Anti-Theh file -I'
Was £53.89 Web Slle Safety Ratings ./' Adv~ed Web Site ./'
Was £63.69 Safety R,nlf"lg' protection
Up to 3 PC's Identity ProtedlOll -I' Up t o 3 PC's

Visit www.mcafee.co.uk/computershopperMIS or
www.mcafee.co.uk/computershopperMTP to redeem this limited offer.
McAfee products are availab le from www.mcafee.co.uk
and other good retailers.

'10, .......... Cond ition.


Th~ 0 11. . ."",;0., ..... <1\0 ... _ ,,_ , .. Me"'! .. "or. _ .. _,m<a ! <e~""'. Th~ 011 .. ~ " ' " _"'" """"""" ot ,... J ..... -en .... o. "' ......... * ut illt ...... J ...........-. of
1"",1 I'r"'"".......," ~ I>« ....b,,, lh. zoot. Th~ 0 11 .. ~ ...... ,,101 f"" 00"« n."',,"., puomo... 1<"", _.-..f.o.<o ... Th~ off .. K lor >lOW ..... , .......... OJ'''''' • _ ,.-...- '11"'"'' ••;.~
....1»<,..,,""" .......
_ ..iIy;' d""""- 01 oAc.ot.. 1It_ ... _
In,.,,,.. ""InOC,;o"
",-,"")0<1 , . _.... All "_Of: """"-,....,,,,,,,,,_, .............
~ 'oq .... od, 111 ..Ih ~ S~ .... "'~., SI.! ~, MeAt.. ~od in ,"""""'"" ""'"
... 011>0< 'og~"'«1_ ",",,_,od u .........,,' ,-.in ... tho ..... " , - " o f , ...... , _ _ - .
o lOO9 ....... ,~...... AI ,;gr... '--...

www.freedowns.net & www.journal-plaza.net


EASY STEP-BY-STEP WORKSHOPS

BUILD A

_ . ..
=--
-. .. .
~--:=
-=-
=-
.
=--:- =-
--
==-
"--'-"

:: -"'"-
":;::;",, ~
==.:---
. - .
--
~

-=-- --
;:-
-,,__...-
--
--
§ ;.;-.;..,.....•.
"-
..
"--
"----_ ...
-- .....

ON SALE NOW - Call 0844 844 0053 or visit www.magbooks.com


Free P&P on all UK direct orders
Magbooks cover a range of topics, from IT to Motoring, and Fitness to Gardening.
www.freedowns.net & www.journal-plaza.net
MP3PLAYERS

CREATIVE APPLE IRIVER




• .... . _--

Zen X-Fi 2 16GB iPod Nano 16GB B308GB


***
£1 30 inc VAT
From www.amazon.co.uk
****
£135 inc VAT
Fro m http://sto re.apple.com/u k
***
£1 39 inc VAT
Fro m www.advancedmp3p layers.co.uk

Creative's Zen X-Fi 2 bears mOl"e than a passing Apple's latest iPod Nano weighs just 34g and is iRiver's plain black 8GB B30 looks unassuming.
resemblance to the iPod Tooch with its metal no thicker than a pair of f 1 coins, but Apple but it's packed full of features. The most
back and large touchscreen, but is designed to has squeezed in an fM radio and a video noticeable is the built-in OAB and FM radio,
be held hori zont (lUy instead of vertically. camera alongside its media playback fe atures. du e to the player's telescopic antenna. In spite
Unfortun ately, the touchscreen is extreme ly The video camera records in H.264 format of this, reception was prone to interference,
aggravating to use. It's quill' sensitive but also at a resolution of 64Ox480 pixels. Video especially when held horizontally, which is
very inaccurate, making it far too easy 10 recorded in bright daylight looked reasonably necessary since the otherwise logical interface
choose the wrong song or menu option. The detailed, but it tumed grainy in low light. In our is oriented horizontally. When reception was
only way to compensate for this is to apply tests, the Nano's b.lttery lasted one-and-a-hatf interference-free though, audio sounded crystal
very firm, constant pressure instead of" light hours recording video. The only way to hold it dear whether on DAB or FM.
lauch, which makes it" pilin to use. without obscuring either the lens or the screen Music sounded rather flat both wi th the
The included noise-isolation earphones are is by its sharp edges, which is uncomfortable. included earphones and a better-quality set.
surprisingly good. The noise isolatioo isn't as Surprisingly, the camera can't take still photos. It's worth investing in third-pany earphones,
effective as from some third-party sets, but it The integrated fM radio is a first for any though. as the included set don't do bass-
worb well in most noisy environments. Vocals iPod. Finding and bookmarking stations is heavy tracks justice. The battery lasted over 30
soun d d ear and there's a fair amount of bass, si mple. A 1S-minute buffer let5 you pa use and hours when play ing aud io, which is im pressive.
but the high end can be harsh and jazz and rewind broadcasts, which is useful when The tooch-sensitive buttons can take some
blues tracks are muffled. These faults mostly listening to live sports, for example. It can't ge tting used to, but they work well especially
disappeared when we used a high-quality set record entire broadcasts, though. On stations when to set to vibrate when touched. This
of earphones, but bass stilt wasn't as deep as that support ROS metadata it can even identify haptic feedback helps by making it more
we would ha ve liked. An onscreen button gives songs being played and save these details so obvious when you've pressed a button.
quick access to options such as the equaliser. yoo can buy the m la ter from the iTunes Store. The up and down buttons are used to s~ip
Surprisingly, this model lacks built-in Beyond these new features, the Nano looks to the previoos and nexttracl<.s, instead of the
wireless networking. so it can't be used to and feels almost identical to the previous left and right buttons as we'd expect. lt"s a
listen to music stored on a UPnP media server model. The interface is as slick and easy to change that feels odd if you've ever used any
like its predecessor. The first model had an SO navigate as ever, although there's still no way other MP3 player.
card slot for storing more music and copying to adjust the equaliser quic kly. We wish there were a physical set of
photos off the card, but this model accepts Its battery lasted just over 32 hQurs playing volume buttons, <IS it can be inconvenient to
only the smaller and less commonly used music, which is a couple of hours less than the fish the B30 out of a pocket and unlock the
MicroSD cards. We had trouble getting previous model. The included earphones are controls to adjust the volume. The hold switch
static-free reception on the built-in fM radio, too quiet, lack bass and sound muddy. Even and power button are also located awkwardly
but when we did, the audio quality was clear. with quality headphones, music didn't soond as on the 830's lower left-ha nd edge.
One area in which the Zen X-fi has rich and warm as we'd expect and th e bass Video looked bright and sharp with good
improved over its predecessor is battery life. It wasn't quite as thumping as we·d like. contrast on the 2.8in display, althoogh it's also
lasted nearly 28-and-a-half hours when playing The 2.2in screen is too small for watching very reflective. Unli ke iRiver's cheaper E200,
music - which is more than twice that of the films regularly. It's very bright, though, with the B30 can play H.264 files as well as DivX
previous model - and nearly six hours when good contrast. Oi~ppointingly, its battery and XviO videos. It can't resume paused videos
playing videos, which is also a slight lasted just over four hours when playing video, from wh ere you left off, but it displayed all our
improveme nt over the first model. Video is an hour-and-a-half less than the previous Nano. test vi deos in their correct aspect ratios and
very bright with plenty of contrast on the 3in Oespite all its extra features, the 16GB has an orientation sensor so videos are
screen. The Zen can't play H.264 files, but it Nano costs no more than most other 16GB automatically displayed hori zontally. The
had no problem playing OivX and XviO videos. MP3 players. The FM radio is a welcome battery lasted six hours and 42 minutes while
The re's a lot to like about the Zen X-Fi 2, addition. but the video camera feels gimmicky. playing video, which is almost long enough for
from its good audio quality to its long b.lttery We were also di~ppoin ted tha t the battery life a tra nsatla nt ic flight.
life, but its infuriating touchscreen heavily and audio quality don't match the standard set There's a lot to like about iRiver's 8GB 830,
counts aga inst it. Philips· GoGear Muse 16GB by the previous-generation Nano. It"s a good but it's expensive. At this price Philips' excellent
is a better choice. MP3 player, but Philips' Muse is even better. GoGear Muse 16GB is a much better choice.

SUMMARY SUMMARY SUMMARY


VERDICT Creative's Zefl X·FI2 Is a good MP3 VERDICT Apple's latest IPod Nano Is Imp ressively VERDICT The B30 Is pack..:! fuU of features,
pl~r wi th excellw t banery life thaI's let down slim. but audio quality and banery life could ~ i"'luding a DAB radio. 001 it's expensive for the
by a very poor tOlKh"<:r~n b~ttH, while """'~ of the u:t"" f~1 gimmidy amount of stor.ge ",.ce

fLASH MEMORY PlAYER 16GB C"f"'City, J<n 3201<240 fLASH MEMOItY PlAYER 16GB c"f"'City, 2.2in l40x.l76 fLASH MEMORY PlAYER 8GB C"f"'City, 2.Sin 1l0><l40
r..<>Iution lCD. MkroSD slot. supports WMA. WMA - D~M . .. solution lCD, support. !<AC. Protected AAC . WAY. ..solution lCD. MkroSD slot. supports WMA. WMA-D!tM.
!<AC. WAV. Audible. M?3 .OOio meso WMV. MPEG4 AVI. Avdible. MP3 <>udio lites, MPEG4 MN .ideo liles. BM P. MP3 .OOio m.,. WMV. MPEG4 AVI. MPEC4 MN video
MPEG4 MP ~ vOdo-o iii.., aMP, TIff, JPEG ima&" file,. USB Tiff. ]pEG Knag< files. USB int",foce, 38xSJ<9Omm. 34g file" BMP, JPEG im"", mes, USB interfoc.,
interf;oce, 13xl()<S&nm. 7Sg PAATCOD£ Z[N X-FI2 16GB PlItT (OOE MC(l66QB/A S7xl1xl100r<n . 98g PIIRTCOOE B3oaGB
DETAILS http1/uk.europ<.creatlw:.com DETAJLS www.appl~ .com/ok DETAJLS www.Imo ••.com
~ ________________-, 8

JANUARY 2010 . COMPUTER SHOPPER


www.freedowns.net & www.journal-plaza.net
MP3PLAYERS

; . ! ~"
.. . Ii'

.~
~
< ~?I·
-
' .- .

--..::. ...
PHILIPS APPLE APPLE
GoGear Muse 16GB iPod Classic 160GB iPod Touch 64GB
*****
£150 jnc VAT ~ ~'" ~
.
From http://shop.p hilips.co.uk
':-: *****
£189 inc VAT
From http:(/store.apple.com/uk
*****
£297 inc VAT l'!
From www.amazon.co.uk
\I!·· ~
PhilipS' GoGear Muse looks and feels classier Other manufacturers appear to have given up Apple's iPod Touch was one of the first
than older models thanks to its brushed metal on hard disk-based MP3 players, but not Apple. portable audio and video players to have a
back. The right -handed design is unchanged, The latest iPod Classic has a huge 160GB touchscreen, and it remains one of the best,
which will put off left-handed users. capacity, yet it's no thicker than three £ 1 coins None of th e other touchscreen players we've
It's one of the lew players we've seen with tha nks to il5 single-platter l.8in hard disk. seen comes dose to the accuracy, sensitivity
built -in noise cancellation. This blocks out You might think the iPod Classic woold or responsiveness of its slick yet simple
background noise in places soch as a train have a shorter battery life than flash·based multitouch interface,
carnage or aeroplane so you can listen to music players, but it has one of the best battery lives Another pan of its appeal is its built-in
without raising the volume to dangerous levels, aroond we've seen. It lasted an astonishing 43 wireless networking paired with an excellent
II works surprisingly welt and is almost as hour5 and 14 minutes playing music and nearly web browser and email program, as well as the
effective as third-pilrty noise-cancellation and nine hoors when playing video. ability to run a huge library of third-party
isolation earphones we've tried, bUllhe Like other iPods, the Classic can play only applications. Even if you're not interested in
circuitry works only with the included MPEG4 and H.264 video files. Both looked web brOWSing on your MP3 player, the
earphones. Thankfully. these sound detailed bright and sharp on the 2'hin screen. There are third-party apps give the Tooch appealing
and dear with enough bass, although some plenty of free and low-cost video-encoding features such as streaming music services from
instruments, particularly brass and strings, applicat ions with pre-programmed Settings Last.fm and Spotify, plus games.
don't sound as rich as we'd like, so you may tai lored fO( the Classic You' ll want to use This Tooch has a faster processO( tha n the
still want a third-party set. them, too, as iTunes can be laboriously slow previous modeL If you just listen to music and
If you tire of yoor own music, you can use at re-encoding incompatible videos. watch videos you're unlikely to notice it, but it
the built-in FM radio. Reception in our central This model is almost identical to the speeds up tasks such as launching applications
london offices was free from static and previous 120GB Classic, Disappointingly, it and rendering web pages,
soonded clear and crisp. Saving a station as a doesn't have an FM radio like the latest Na no. Battery life when playing music is an
preset 0( recO(ding a broadcast is quick and Previous hard disk-based iPods have impressive 33 hoors and 27 minutes, althoogh
easy thanks to the options button and the suffered from distortion, especially at the high the previous model lasted over 40 hours. We
logically organised menus, end when boosting bass using the equaliser. were greatly impressed with the dear. rich and
We were also impressed with the quality of Sadly, this Classic suffers from the same deta iled sound quality, but you'll need to buy a
the 3in screen, Videos looked bright and sharp, problem, albeit to a lesser extent than previous quality pair of headphones to hea r it, The
with plenty of detail and contrast. The Muse models. The problem is most dearly apparent induded earphones are too quiet, mud dy and
can play H.264 as well as DivX and XviD files, on heavily compressed MC files. weak to be worth bothering with.
but it insists on stretching videos with a 4:3 FO( the best possible audio quality you'll Videos looked bright and sharp with good
aspect ratio to fill the screen. Sadly there's no need to invest in a quality set of earphOl1es. contrast on the 3'hin screen, You're limited to
option to override this, but videos with a 16:9 The included set soond muddy and weak and MPEG4 and H.264 videos, but if your videos
or an anamorphic aspect ratio look fine. will need to be replaced with a better-sounding have them you can navigate by DVD-style
Battery life is impressive. The Muse lasted set as soon as possible. Like all other current chapters, view subtitles and choose between
just under 3S-and-a-half hours when playing iPods, with the e~ception of the screen-less different audio tracks, Oddly, video playlists are
music with noise cancellation deactivated. Shuffle, the Classic can recommend tracks in listed in the music playback program.
When playing videos, it lasted just over foor your music library that would go well with the The battery lasted nearly eight hours when
hour5. These are good times com pared wrth track you're listening to. This feature, called playing video, which is impressive and nearly
portable player5 from other manufacturers, but Genius, depends on iTunes on your computer two hours longer than the previous Touch.
previous GoGear players have lasted over 48 analysing your music library first, but is useful We continue to be impressed with the iPod
hours when playing music and over six hours The 160GB iPod Classic has excellent Touch, and it's certainly more versatile than
when playing video, so owners of existing battery life and is the only choice if yoo want the iPod Classic. However, the Classic has over
models may be reluctant to upgrade, to carry a huge music library around with you. twice the storage of this 64GBmodel for £ 100
Nevertheless, Philips' 16GB GoGear Muse is It's disappointing that Apple hasn't completely less (a 32GB version of the iPod Touch is also
an excellent portable audio player in almost fi~ed the audio distortion issues, but if you can available for £224). Nevertheless, if you can
every respect. It's a little expensive, but it's live with less than perfect audio quality then afford the high price, the iPod Tooch is the
worth every penny. the iPod Classic is a good player, easiest·to-use and best MP3 player to buy.

SUMMARY SUMMARY SUMMARY


VERDICT Il lsn'l cheap, bul Phillps'GoGearMuse Is VERDICT II has plenty of stotaoge arid e ~cellent VERDlCT TM IPod Twch Isn't cMap, but II'S a
an excellent MP3 playerwilh great image quality battery Ufe. oo t niggling audio quality issues well·&s igned portable media player in almost
and good vid~ support p'.... ~nt it getting an u"'lu .tifi~ ",commendation .....ry "''!'PCt

fLASH MEMORY PlAYER 16GB cap..,il'f, lin 4OO.l40 l.8i" HARD [)lSI( PlAYER 160GB capadl'f,l'hin 3l1))cl40 fLASH MEMORY PlAYER 64GB capacity, lY>in 480.JlO
",solution LCD, suppom WM A.. WMA·DRM, A.A.C, OGG, (. <Q/ution LCD. support. Me. Prot~ed Me, WIN. f~ soIution LCD, suppom M e , I'rote<t.d AA.e,WIN,
Wav. MP3 audio file" WMV. MPEG4 AVI, MI'I'G4 MP4 ~udible, MPl audio lile .. MPEG4 MP4 video lile.. BMP, nfr, Audibl •• MP3 audio me,. MPEG4 MP4l1ldeo Iil... BM P,
vido-o r.t~" BMP, JPEG ima&!' file.. USB interf..,., jl'l'G image lile.. USB ioterf"",6lx1()x10lmm, 136g TlfF, )PEG imagelile., usa int erf..,~,6 J>:9x111mm , 106g
11()x8xSSmm, 89g PART COO£ MCl97QBIA MRTCOOE Me011811A
PART COOl SA.1MUS16K/02 DETAILS www_ pI1~ip$.co_ uI: D£TAlS wv.w."f'Ple,c<>mluk DETAaS www.apple,c<>m/uk

COMPUTER SHOPPeR • JANUARY 2010


www.freedowns.net & www.journal-plaza.net
MP3PLAYERS

BENCHMARKS How we test


MP3 players
Battery life Run time
We test the audio qUillity of tiKI! player
Audio playback and its earphones by listening to the same
set of high -quality MP3, AAC and WMA files
iPod Classic
on each one. Tllis test is repeated using a
Philips 35h 25m pair of Jays S-jays headphones (which cost
iPod Touch ]]h 27m around £50) , We also judge how easy each
iPod Nanu 3211 lim player is to use by performing ,ommon
tasks such as browsing songs, building
Cowan 3111 lam
playlists and using any bundled software.
Sony 8544 30h 38m
To test each player's battery life, we
iRiver B30 iiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiii";
3011....
11m ,harge it fully, set a moderate listening
-
Samsung 29h 19m volume and leave it to continuously play
Creative 2Bh 26m our test batch of music tracks. We repeat
this for video playback. We use a 3,5mm
Sony E443 2Gh 35m
audio splitter cable to plug the earphones
iAiYer E200 17h 3m into one jack and connect the other to a
-------
YiewSonic 14h 30m laptop's line input. We use Audacity to
iPod Shuffle iiiiiiiiiiiift_
1311 34m re,ords the MP3 player's output. After the
battery is exhausted, the recorded sound
file shows how long it lasted.
""ehus 2• Bear in mind that this recorded time is a
best-case figure , Real-wor1d use often
involves turning the player on and off or
Video play b ack
skipping and scanning tracks, which
Cowan 911 29m consumes power more quickly.
iPod Classic 8h49rn
Samsung 8h 14m
iPod Touch 7 h 57m
iftive r B30 &11 42m
-------------
ViewSonic Gh 10m
Creative -------------
5h 51m
iAiver El OO !ih 20m
Sony 8544 4h 39m
Philips ----------
411 13m
Arch os 2 4h7m
--------
iPod NanD 4h2m
---------
Sony Em lh SDm
Archos 3 3h 38m
iPod Shuffle N/A ... We use Audacity to record an MP3 player's
• <, • • ,. output to measure how long the battery lasts

Labs verdict MP3 p layers


Many of our labs tests see several products slick and responsive touchscreen. It's also If you want more capacity and the ability
vying for our recommendation, and this more versatile than the other players here to play video files, iRiver's e~cellent E200
round-up was no different. Even if you already thanks to its built-in wireless networi;ing and 8GB is a great ,hoice. Audio battery life
have an MP3 player, the mode ls here may ability to run extra applications. It's very could be a little better, but you'll still get
tempt you to upgrade. e~pensive, but a brillian t choice if you've got er'lOugh playback time to last all but the
If you want to carry around a huge library the money. It wins an Ult imate award. longest flights. It's a Best Buy,
of music and videos, Apple's 160GB iPod If you're on a tight budget, Sony's 4GB Philips ' GoGear Muse 16GB is easily one
Classic is the best choice, It has great battery Walkman NWZ- E443 is e~cellent value at of the most impressive portable players here.
life, and is surprisingly slim for a player with £60. It looks sleek, has long battery life and It sounds great, has a high-quality screen, a
so mu,h storage. It just misses out on an good audio quality, too. Although it has only long battery life and even built-in noise
award because of its audio quality, however. 4GB of storage capacity and isn't ideally cancellation. It isn't as slender as Apple's
We were impressed by Apple's new iPod suited to watching video, it's good enough to 16GB iPod Nano, which costs £15 less, but
Touch. It's an e~cellent music player, with outshine some of the more expensive players the Muse is r'IOnetheless e~cellent value and
long battery life, good audio quality and a here. It wins our Budget Buy award, wins our Best Buy award.

SONY APPLE
Walkman iPodTouch
NWZ-E443 64GB
***** *****
i:R~11ij

JANUA RY 2010 . COMPUTER SHOPPER


www.freedowns.net & www.journal-plaza.net
MP3PLAYERS

wi , ,
.. ..... ... ....m
Model 28GB iPod Shuffle 2GB Walkman 3 Vision 8GB E200 8GB VPOSOO YP-P38GB
_____~~N~"
."'~-'~Z'~.-.'~4~4"'====-~----------~~,,========
•• •• •• ••

--- ---- --
'''ROW'''!
2G8 ( I. IIG8) -4G8 (:l.6OG8) SG8(7.l IG8) 16G1!(I.38GeJ 8G!(7..1 1G8)
~ ~

F~"'~ "" ""


,~--­ ""
Utnom poI,omoo, us.a lM<nUSII Utnur.~,us.a li-kn USB '" ""o.dod '-""
' ','"
,- ,-
E~dot

.--' - ...-~
"n>SD

-- -
FH_ ~
..........,,",japboo. M~,..o., M~~
VIdto ...... opt;on.
~...., ~oa~ or, ~ use(abI..
~Vcol>lo,"'""P""""<>bIo,

AU<Io !»It")' It. 9h 35m 1"" J4m lfn3Sm lC1:1S3m


57" ~ ,~

'Mto l»It")' W. 4h 1m NlA 3h 5O"n 3h 38m .,~

soc:t-I! " . . . . tim< 3m 1.1> 2m 22, 3m 4a! lm Ii> Iml6< 3m 10< . ~.


~...oo_. WH .... W..... · DR>!.MP3 MC,PnlIododMC,W.." W......,WMA.{)RM,MC. W" .... OGG,W... MP3 WM.\ WHA·DRM,""-. W...... WMA.{)JM, W." WMA,W ..... ·t>I<>l AAl:..
....-,I<P3 MPJ ou:..H'l HPl OGG.W...., MPl
~ Onogt """'... JOlG NlA FfG SM •. JHG 8M',jOtG lM'. f'!"G S"""jP!(;
~ _ _ • "'!""A'II NlA WI-IV,MPl""'".,.HPK" ""("".\11 W.W. ""E"".'" H,ECA MPlGl. HPECo<. HPlGl WI-!V, M ' ~'AII\I-"~<

-
MP< YOI,MPlCU\IlMPEG4
MPlC _ _ o;,.Xf)(',;O ...., "" ----"'-------- ""
~ ~
""

- ""
M PlG '_ H .26<~ No
"'''''' _''''3_
_G'_Me_
---- -
No
No ---~~------~ ----~~----- ~

~"""'I"'~ W M A-()OM~ ond i""",, WI-'.o.-{)OI-' ...0.;",,,,, ond W...... - t>O>t~""ond WI-''' - OOI-'~
d<>wnIood ~ ond ~
BUYING 'NloRI-'AIION
1'ri< ' f"'''''I~ , {l..., HI' It.p ~ ~ ~ ~

-- J""'___
"", . ~ v.o.t 1-'6 .. , 160 ~ 110, Ill"
W""""Y "'"'_"b Cln<"",OlS","""""" On<,!,,,11l ",",,,,,,Ole Ono"",RTb On<,!,,, " e ",",_",e

hltpJ"',,'ul'l'lwwnU ...........p..,.«m -»IO'I<Odrrf ~ .......~ _"",,",,~om _.playe>m

_.oppIocomiul """,(,,)'m ui.


<.<>.Uk
_ _ c"",
'o.u\
""""".,<£"", _~<o.'" __I"''''
MG87~ m,t-uo 5OHl8 f.lOCl!lo2 VP0500-'i08I' YP--I'3j<:...!-

COWaN CREATIVE APPLE IRIVER PHILIPS APPLE APPLE

..... ...,.,.,.,. ......


Model Walkman 02+ DAB Zen X-Fi 2 iPod Nano B308GB iPod Touch

R.. ""
NWZ-SS44
....I',.
16GB '6GB
,.,.,.,. ..
64GB
**"'**

-,
"".~",'
""'OflOmod...,
Sot,",), 'YP' ond ~
-- -- --
4GI! (3 71G!1

"
UttU-npolyn'loo, USII
16G8 (1'56G!)

""
ll-Oon,USll
16G! (1<.<SG ! 1

""
l>-m,U!.8

-
~W>£»H, ~ Slx 1" I 1O:nrn. .... 6b:l0:<10Jmm. 1360.
nATU"£S
o;SJU) I .,,",
,-,
= ,.
- '~ ~§i'~ ~~g
12in
o;.p,.,._", 1.00.320 320x2>O:l ...::.:lx2>O:l 32O.l>O:l ....-:.3lO
E~""''''''''' .~ ; ....,050 Nono f.Ion< """"

:..
-
~ ~

:~,'- :~,-.:..,
FM'.... "'"
...... ""onIop6on. MK:rnphooo,I'.... MOcmptooo., 1inHn M<rop/>on<, ......,
Vido<>""onIoptioo' ...,... inI"i"" ""J~ Nont Nont Nont """"
-Moocamo.-.
~'"'" "".d~U!.8 ~ USll"-' ~USI<.t>io ~US8 Ho~USll

-- ~'-~~;i~~~·~r~"~·~r~~rr~"~~~
.d."".. ""' . ..... '"

...... _"'!I1h
'Moo boI',,), Iir,

soa-Ie 'tI"s(" ,Imo 3m <7,
] 1' ~
.~
1m 53<
'"-
5I>S Im
~~
~~

-"
lm 5!>
~_
3Oh

~lli
l 1m __
.)5I>_lSm

l m~
~
<3>_

~
1"'" 3 Th_
3>17m

~~

~_form'" WI-' ... W...... ·DR/-t WI-'", WMA· OOM.OGG. WMA. WMA· OOM."-"C, AAC , _~"K , WMA.WMA-{)OI-',MI'l WMI.,WMA-{)oI-', "-"C, MC,'rotoctod"-"C, AAC, _ " K,
Me, M', W ..., ........, M.3 W...., ........,MI'3 W..., _ MP) OGG.WiN,M.3 W"", ~,MI'3 W..,-.M'J

'"
WMV,MI'fGHII\
MI'!CO I-" .
8HI',JI'~
WMV,MP!:COA'"
SM' , Wf, I'£G
WMV, MP!:G<Avt.
MI'!CO I-'' '
S ~llff, IP!:C
MPKA MP'
! M ~J <'fG
WMV,t-tPlCOAvt.
MPl:C'M"
81-". J>tC
WMV, I-"£CO.o.\II.
M>tCOM"
BM', Wf,JI' ~
M'!CA M"
SM',llfF, jI'I:C
MPKA M"

~ ~ ~ ~
..-

--
M I'fG<-Moo H . ~ "'I'I"'" ..." No
I-'PIG' _ I - 'Ph .."", "" .....

MPEC...;. ,,"-"C_ .... No

ood__
. ..
""""*'"""""'P"tibM) WMA-{)OI-' ~ <ubs< ~
WMA-{)OM W...... ·t>O>t ~"" ond __
_A-ORI-' ...0.;"""" ib'lo; iT"",
..:I~ ..:I ~

'UY'NG ''''OOMAno"
""',p«~. 1~ ~

--
1135
"",. i"dudirc V.o.T 1110
Win""" Ono 'f'M m ~~m '"'
Ono'f'M !Th'
""'''''''''<''''i"' """"""''''''Y n
SuppOoo- _ .pl'fe>m ""VlhI"",.oppa.. .... pJ~o.ui; ""i'iI_,oppIt.

UNt .... ""'"


-----~
" _~.....
_M
www~""""

(OWONOllUJ~S .E N X-f' l l6G8 .~ . M(OlleTIA

COMPUTER SHOPPeR • JANUARY 2010


www.freedowns.net & www.journal-plaza.net
www.freedowns.net & www.journal-plaza.net
Cheap to buy, cheap to run and
with outstanding print quality,
these versatile inkjet printers are
ideal for the home or small office

0::
D..

Choosing an ...
INTRODUCTION
Today's Inkjet printers and
multifunction peripherals
Inkjet Printer
ven though laser printers are now cheap enough indicator of good print quality, but they don't guarantee

E
(MFPs) are more versatile
than ever before, ranging to buy for home use, Inkjet printers and it. We've described each model's print quality in deta il
from business-oriented laser multifunction printers {MFPs} still dominate in each review.
printer reptiilcements to home printing and are starting to make serious inroads Most consumer inkjelS use dye -based inks.
home photo-printing studios. into the office. The reasons are obvious: they're smaller, These semi-translucent water-soluble colours were
With low prices and running quieter, generally cheaper to buy and are less traditionally cheaper and more vivid than pigmented
costs, inkjeu are the perfect intimidating when it comes to replacing empty ink inks, but also more prone to fading. Some printers
type of printer for home and cartridges. An increasing number of modern inkjelS use pigmented inks, which contain particles of solid
small-office printing if you have print speeds that rival their laser counterparts, colour suspended in a liquid. These prints dry faster,
don't want to go to particularly when it comes to mono text, cmd few lasers particularly on plain paper, and are more resistant to
unnecessary expense. can match the subtle shading and vibrant colours that fading. but tend to be poor at producing the vivid
We've reviewed three even a cheap inkjet can produce. colours required for photo printing.
single-function inkjds and six As always, the key factors in buying any printer or Many inkjets have both pigmented and dye-based
MFPs, induding the latest MFP are print speed, print quality, cost pe r page and inks. Most commonly, a printer will use pigment-based
models from the big names. how well the printer handles the documents 'Iou want black ink for sharp text printing on plain paper and
Whether you want to print the to print. To check the capabilities of each printer on between three and six dye -based inks for colour and
odd photo or start your own test, tum to the reviews, plus the table on pages 96-97. photo printing. Note that a higher number of inks
publishing empire, we'll help doesn't necessarily mean belter photo quality.
you find the perfect partner. DOT TO DOT
Inkjets create prints by placing thousands of tiny USE YOUR HEAD
dots on every inch of the page. Printers with higher Until recently, most printers used either a built-in print
Kat Drphanides resolutions, measured in daIS per inch {dpi}, can head or disposable cartridges with an integrated print
Pri mers and
networks expert place more daIS on the page. This generally leads to head. In most models, you'll find separate ink tanks
higher-quality images, although other fact ors such as and a replaceable print head (whiCh is really designed
droplet size also playa part. High resolutions are an to last the lifetime of the printer), which you have to

•• COMPUTER SHOPPeR • JANUARY 2010


www.freedowns.net & www.journal-plaza.net
INKJET PRINTERS

This month
Inkjet MFPs
EPSON
Stylus SX215
Page 92

HP Photosmart
Plus 8209
Page 92

KOOAK
ESP 5250
Page 92

CANON
Pi xma MP640
Page 93

LEXMARK
Interact S605
Page 93

LEXMARK
Pl atinum ProS05
Page 93

Inkjet printers
HP
Olfieejet 6000
Page 94

CANON
Pi xma iP4700
Page 94

EPSON
"j'"I,s Office 840W

attach when you first unpack the printer from its IPM v PPM likely to need in your home office, from a
box. This means that you pily lower prices for In our table, you'll notice that some fax machine to an automatic duplexer for
ink-only cartridges, but can still replace the print manufacturers' quoted print speeds are listed in double-sided printing.
head rather than throwing away the printer if ppm (pages per minute), while others are slower Most of the MFPs we've looked at this month
lots of nozzles get blocked. and listed in ipm (images per minute). The old are best suited to the home or home office. If
This is our preferred apprO<lch to inkjet standard for quoting print speeds is ppm. you plan on doing a lot of printing. you should
printing arid we're pleased to see that it's been Designed to mah products look as fast as opt for a device with a high duty cycle. The
so widely adopted. If you buy a printer with a possible. it uses low-quality draft settings and quoted figure represents <lone-time maximum
non-replaceable print head, the best way to ignores the time taken to print the first few that <l device is c<lp<oble 01 if you really push it,
make sure that it doesn't become blocked is to pages. The documents used to produce these rather than the number it p<lges it can print
use it regularly rather than leaving it to sit idle speeds are not standardised, and the figures regularly, so always pick a printer wrth a duty
for weeh on end. Otherwise, you may end up aren't representative of a printer's true speed, cycle that exceeds your requirements.
wasting a large amount of ink when the printer 50 they're best ignored. If you wish to print from multiple PCS, it's
Rushes its bloded nozzles, or you may even The new ipm standard also measures how worth getting a printer With either wired or
have to buy a new printer if the nozzles are many pages are printed every minute, but uses a wireless networking c<lpabilities. Then all you
permanently blocked. specific set of documents, which includes pilges have to do is install the drivers on every P( you
of graphics, tables and formal letters. These are W<lnt to use with it. All the network MFPs here
COUNTING THE COST printed at normal quality, in accordance with the can scan as well as print over <l network
It isn't just the purchase price of a printer that criteria of the ISO/IE( 24734 standard, which connection. A(most all MFPs now have memory
you should consider, but the running costs as guarantE{!S that every printer that quotes an card slots and screens that al(ow you to print
well. A pilge with colour and black ink shouldn't ipm figure will have been tested in the same photos directly from your digital camer<l'S
cost more than 7.5p (you can see our mixed- way. Essentially, ipm figures are fa r more storage media. This is useful. but you'll usually
colour cost graph on page 95). A page of black representative of a printer's real speed than ppm. get better results and be able to use higher
text should cost no more than 2.5p. resolutions by printing from your Pc.
When it comes to 6x4in photographs, no JACK OF All TRADES Many 01 the latest MFPs have large
inkjet printer can rival online selVices such as MfPs have come to dominate the inkjet market. touchscreens and some even allow you to install
Photobox or Snapfish for cost. Printing photos on They have several advant<lges over the more free <lppS downloaded from iPhone-style app
an inkjet is more about convenience and quality !r<lditional combination of a separate printer and 5tores. This is a new trend, and we're not sure it
rather than saving money - you'll typically pay scanner. They're brilliant if you're short of space, will catch on. We've yet to see an indispensable
between 30p and 40p (including paper) for a they make it easy to produce photocopies at app, and it's not worth buying an MFP purely on
high-quality inkjet photo print. home, and many include everything you're ever the strength 01 downloadable content. 13

JANUARY 2010 . COMPVTER SHOPPER


www.freedowns.net & www.journal-plaza.net
INKJETMFPs

EPSON HP KODAK
Stylus SX215 Photosmart Plus ESP 5250
***
£53 inc VAT
8209 ***
£125 inc VAT
From www.micomonline.co.uk ****
£99 inc VAT
From www.play.com

Epson's Stylus SX215 is one of the cheapest From www,hp,co,uk Unlike most wireless MFPs, Kodak's ESP 52S0
MfPs around, but it has a lY,;n colour LCD doesn't have to be connected to a PC to be
screen along with a scanner, copier and the HP's Photosmart Plus has a 2Ain touchscreen, configured. Instead, you can use the menus on
ability 10 print from memory cards. Photo PictBridge and a selection of memory card its 2in screen. Once connected to the network,
quality is good lor a printer at this price, slots for direct printing. The screen means it's it's easy to add it to new or existing Koda~
although dark areas were a little washed out. easy to print photos from a memory card, driver installations on your PCs,
Skin tones and landscapes looked natural and Content from HP's new online App Studio can The front of the ESP 52S0 folds out into a
smooth. l'rint5 emerged very slowly, though; it be downloaded, ranging from Disney-themed l 00-sheet paper input tray, which doubles as
t<>Of; almost an hour 10 print six 6x4in photos children's activity sheets to apps for printing an output tray. Printed pages emerge from just
and half an hour for two 1Ox8;n prints. photos from your Snapfish photo gallery. above the input feed. This isn't very practical
Mono documents printed lasler. Oraft- There are both USB and WiFi interfaces, oot for large print runs, but is no problem if you
quality prints emerged at 13.4ppm but were you'll need a USB connection to transfer your print only a few pages at a time.
so pale as to be useless for most purposes. wireless settings, We'd have preferred to enter The scanner interface is basic oot
Standard-quality text came out at a sluggish network settings using the touchscreen, The functional, with picture and document modes_
45ppm. Characters were dark and legible but Photosmart Plus has a replaceable print head In picture mode, the scanne r c<ln recognise
slightly fuzzy around the edges. Colour prints that should last the liletime of the printer. This multiple items on the platen and scan them as
looked professional. with solid tones and fine holds three dye-based colour cartridges and a separate images thanks to accurate auto-
detail, althwgh small font sizes were a tooch large pigmented black ink tank for text printing, cropping, Alter scanning. your preview isn't
jagged, Coloor printing is agonisingly slow, at Photo quality was acceptable, with bright retained, but the interface remains open, Scans
less than one page per minute, even using TeKt colours. However, composite black tones had accurate colours and subtle shading. but
quality rather than TeKt and Graphics mode. looked greyish, while harsh dithering made some sharp edges appeared uneven, and faint
The excellent scanner driver has accurate subtle shading lool<; jagged . Our 6x4in photos vertical bands were visible, particularly on dark
auto-cropping. software dust removal and a were quick to print at just over a minute each areas. This isn't enough to detract from images
wide range of colour and image enhancement and cost around 31p, Draft tel« is good enoogh for the web, but coold be a problem if yoo
options, There's also a Full Auto mode, which for everyday use, and prints at a stunning want to archive photos or make enlargements,
dispenses with all of that in favour of one-dick l 7ppm. At 8.6ppm, standard-quality teKt is Copy quality was fair, if a little fullY.
scanning. $can quality is abo outstanding. with beautifully solid arld colour prints are clear, Standard-quality prints emerged at a slow
accurate coloors, even shading and pin-sharp sharp and accurately coloured, Annoyingly, the 5ppm and were also fuzzy . Colour prints
detail. Mooo copy quality was also good, but default paper size is Letter rather than A4 and suffered from slight banding. Draft mode saw
colour copies looked a little murky. it can't be changed permanently, but you can the rate double to 10.3ppm and produced dark,
This is an inexpensive MFP with a wide create your own profiles. legible teKt, oot some lines were slanted or
range of features, but its print speeds and The TWAIN scanner in terface looks more broken, 6x4in photos cost around 29p including
quality aren't good enoogh to justify the saving polished than previous versions, but still has paper and are among the quickest we've seen
for most people. The final straw is that it's problems. It carries out a 21-second 200dpi at just over half a minute per print, Unusually,
expensive to run, With a mixed-colour cost of scan whenever it's opened, doses after each the ESP 5250 uses pigment-based inks for
10.lp per page, Unlike many current inkjets, it scan and the resolution settings are hard to photo printing. A five-chambered colour
has a fixed print head, which could require find. If your scanning requirements are simple, cartridge comprises black, cyan, magenta and
extensive cleaning if it becomes clogged. you're better 011 using the basic WIA driver, yellow inks, along with a dear overcoat. Photos
This makes the SX2 1S a dubious prospect Scanned documents and photos looked great, had strong dark and light tones, but the overall
for infrequent users, as regular printing is with sharp teKt and bright, vivid coloors. effect was somewhat Rat and grainy,
the best way to prevent blockages, Despite a few irritating failings in both its Although it doesn't have individual ink
It may have a useful screen and stand- printer and scanner drivers, the Photosmart tanks, the ESP S250 has very reasonable print
alone printing capabilities but they don't Plus is great value with 10<l ds of features, good costs, particularly if you use coloured inks at an
outweigh the SX2 1S's shortcomings. Although print quality and a reasonable mixed-colour even rate. However, Rat-looking photos and
almost twice the price, HP's Photosmart Plus print cost of 7,l ppm, Canon's Pixma MP640 imperfect text make Canon's MP640 a better
is a better ooy, as it has more features, faster has better print quality, though, choice if you value print quality.
print speeds and lower print costs,
SUMMARY SUMMARY
SUMMARY VERDICT " hlgII·quality MFP thaI can print usable VERDICT Despite eKCeUent Mtwolting feat ....... s
VERDlCT Thls budget MfP lias pl .... ty of features documents at 17ppm.lt's marred only by ~d and reasonable print costs, mediocre prinl quality
for f low price, butthe~ are offset by flllstratingly drivers and imperfect pholo prints make s this an .""rage MFP
slow pmts and high costs
FOUR-COLOUR INKJET MFP 4,800.1 ,2O()dpI prlnl FOUR-COLOUR INKJET MFP 9,600. Z,4OOdpl prlnl
FOUR·COlOUR INKJET MFP 5,760.1 ,44()dpi prinl , . solUlion, 15ipm "'''''''/llil"'' colou, "",.I"'lIIn <p<.d, ,esolUlion, 30ppm ",ono/29ppon col(>IX ",axitnlJ'"
""oIullon, 3Zpp'" tnonQ/15pp'" col(>IX ",.. I",,,,,, <p<.d, 1,200xZ,400dp< scan ... soIution, USB, PictBr>dge USB, sp«d, l ,2OOdpi SU<1 ... solution, USB, 802,11(>/&
1.l00xl,~ "an ""oIulion, USB inl. rf",. 802.11 bIg .... '.Ius Inl~tf"'e < wl ... le« intM",. ,
POWER CONSUMPTION 2W sto»<l>y, lW "fe, llW oct ..... POWER CONSUMPTION 3W "andby, SW id~, l8W POWER CONSUMPTION 6W standby, 7W idl. ,nw
PART Coo( Cl1CA47311 activ.: PARTCOOE CDOl5B <>ct"'" 'ART CODE 3950565
DtTALS www.• p"",.co.uk DtTALS www.hp.CO."k D£T.oJtS www.kodak.co_....

COMPUTER SHOPPeR • JANUARY 2010


www.freedowns.net & www.journal-plaza.net
INKJETMFPs

,
CANON LEXMARK LEXMARK
Pi xma MP640 Interact S605 Plat inum Pro905
*****
£129 inc VAT
***
£184 inc VAT
***
£368 inc VAT
From w ww.oyyy.co.uk From www.oyyy.co.uk From w w w.oyyy.co.uk

Canon's feature-packed Pixma MP640 has both The Interact S605 is a great e~ample of the Le~mark's Platinum Pro90S is wince-inducingly
wired and wireless networking. memory card improvements Lexmark has made to its MFPs. expensive, but has lots of features including a
slols, a CD-printing tray. two 150-sheet paper Ink cartridges with integrated print heads have 4.3in touchscreen, a fax and a memory card
trays and an automatic duplexer. The 3in been replaced by separate print heads and ink reader. Two paper triilYs at the bottom of the
colour screen ma~es it easy to use features tanks. More visibly, it's bursting with features, printer can handle up to 300 sheets 01 A4
such as copying. direct printing and disc label including an automatic duple~er, wireless between them. The top tray can also handle
copying. It has a pigment-based black ink lor networking and a huge 4.3in touchscreen. This 6~4in photo paper and envelopes.
text print5. along with a set of four dye -based guides you through the setup process, although It also has USB, 10/100 Ethernet and
jn~s for colour documents and photo printing. you'll still need a PC to set up your wireless B02.11b/gln WiFi. If you wa nt to connect to a
Standa rd-quality text prints loo~ed great connectiOfi unless your router supports wireless network, you'll need either a router
and print speeds of 7ppm are reasonable. Draft push-button WiFi Protected Setup {WPS}. that supports push-button WiFi Protected
text appeared at almost lOppm and was dark, The Interact includes web functionality and Setup (WPS) or a temporary USB connection
sharp arid easy to read. Colour prints on plain support for downloadable apps from Lexmark's to your PC. We'd have preferred to configure
paper looked good, despite slightly pale tones, SmartSoIutions Center website. This also these using the touchscreen, which can instead
Prine; on photo paper had no such problems, means it req uires a bi t more main tena nce. be used to download free apps. Most merely
though, with rich colours and smooth Once we'd finished installing the drivers, we add settings that we'd expect the Pro90S to
mid-tOfies. The MP640 takes 50 seconds for a were directed to the website and prompted to have already, such as scanning to a file and
6~4in print. Photos cost around 39p if you use download and install a firmware update. two-sided eco-copy modes.
Canon's most expensive paper, though. The S605 has better print quality than The scanner interface is basic, but it's easy
Scan and photocopy quality was equally previous Lexmari<: printers, with sharp, black to use iilnd rema ins open between scans. Scan
impressive, with accurate colour reproductiOfi text and vivid colour prints, although colour quality is good, although scans 01 photos
and plenty of detail Canon's superb ScanGear and mono copies were rather slow at over 30 loo~ed a little cold. Copy quality is excellent
software has a Thu mbnails View mode that seconds per page. Scans looked a little cold and and we were impressed that a mono copy too~
recognises multiple documents. rotates them some pale shades were hard to distinguish, but just 22 seconds.
to remove wonk)' edges and presents each one fine detail was precisely reproduced. Our 6x4in photos printed in well under a
as a separate object for scanning. Advanced Colour print speeds were also sluggish at minute iilnd looked greiilt, with rich. vivid
settings let you tweak colour and sharpneS5 2.9ppm, but we have no complaints about a colours. However, Lexmark's expensive new
before the image is captured. normal-quality text speed 019.1ppm. Photo photo paper means they cost up to 47p each.
Occasionally, the MP640 took a hall- quality is also vastly improved, with good- Both colour and mono documents looked greiilt
minute pause for maintenance. Otherwise, it looking prints and ink that doesn't come off on at standard quality and even driillt text was
performed respectably in our tests, even though your fingers. Photos printed quickly, too, at just sharp. Standard-quality text printed at a qui ck
it's not the fastest around. Print costs are lower over half a minute per 6x4in snap. Lexmark's 7.3ppm. Unfortunately, colour documents
than average for an inkjet at 6.8p per colour PerfectFinish photo paper pushes the price of a printed at just 1.Sppm, which is one of the
page and 2.3p for a page of mono text. 6~4in print up to 47p, which is expensive. slowest speeds we've seen.
With reasonable print costs and Print costs in general are the Interact This is a deal-breiilker in an e~pensive MFP
outstanding quality on everything from photos S605's biggest problem. A page of mixed black that would otherwise be ideal for a small or
to business documents, this reliable all-rounder and colour costs 9.Bp. This is unacceptably high home office. Canon's Pixma MP640 lacks a fax
is up to almost any task. It's neither the fastest and unless the cost 01 Lexmark's new ink but can hold plenty 01 paper and is a far better
nor the cheapest MFP, but it provides a great decreases signifICantly, we can't recommend choice for serious printing. not least because it
balance between quality, speed and price. this otherwise well-rounded MFP. costs well over £200 less than the Pro90S.

SUMMARY SUMMARY SUMMARY


VERDICT This featlYe·pack...:! mu ltifunction device VEROICT Thls rema,bbly ~atlle prlnter ..... s VERDICT Slow coloo r ptfnt s;:>e...:!s toget ......
delivers on all fronts. and is an excellent choice for grea t print qI.Iality ar.d a big 4.3in touchscreen. but with an e><!remely high price cripple th is
f.."ilies with multiple PCs irs let down by high print com feature-pack...:! MFP
fIVE·COLOUR INKJET MFP 9.600x2.4OCIdpl print FOUR·COLOUR INKJET MFP 4.sooxl .2OOdpl print fOUR·COLOUR BUSINESS INKJET MFP 4.sooxl.2OOdpl
res<>lulion. 9ipm mooo/ilipm c<>lour maximum re.<>IuI""'. lllppm mono/llppm <<>I"", maxim..." print ",.".(utOon, 10ipm mono/6ipm (<>100' ma>:imum
~.4 ,lIO(Mj.6OOdpi "an re,<>Iution. USB . 10/100 ~ ,1, 2()(»(2.4OCIdpi "an res<>lution. usa, 802 . lIb/gIn ~ . 1.2()(»(4,800dpi so.n re.".(u!ion, USB, 10/100
Ether""t. 801.11b/g ... i",I"S • ..,d IrO .... Infr.... d Interfa.c"S wlreI~Ss. PktBridge USB Int~rfa< "S Ethemet. 802.llb/g/n. PktBrld~ USB IntM a.cos
POWER CONSUMPTION OW <1andby, IW Od ie, HW POWER CONSUMPTION 4W mndby, IIW idle, 18W POWER CONSUMPTION SW standby, IIW Odle, 26W
a.ctive P.... RT CODE l7411BOO11A .... <>Clive PAAT CODE 6050002 a.ctive PAATCODE 90T90l6
0£T....1lS www.canon.co.Uk OflAllS wwwlexmarl:.co.,*
,-,~",~",,-=O'·C="·C·"'~·~""· _______--' e

Click: dell.co.uk Call: 0844 444 3242


8am-9pm Wee kdays. 9am-6pm S<lturdays. lOam-Spm Sundays

www.freedowns.net & www.journal-plaza.net


INKJET PRINTERS

HP CANON EPSON
Officejet 6000 Pixma iP4700 Stylus Office B40W
*****
£62 inc VAT ~!
-j!
From www.oyyy.co.uk
"~ . *****
£79 inc VAT W .;!,~
2 ~iIi
From www.oyyy.co.uk
****
£93 inc VAT
From www.oyyy.co.uk

The Officejet 6000 won a Business Buy award Canon's Pi~ma iP4700 is the latest addition to Epson's no-fri\!s Stylus Office B40W is a sleek,
two months ago (What's New, Shopper 261) a range that has won many Shopper awards in simple and compact business inkjet. You can
tha nks to it5low price and Qutst,mding print the past. This single-function printer uses four install high-yield ink cartridges that will print
quality. It's a basic single-function printer with dye -based inks for photo ,md colour printing 99S black and 81S colour pages. The blac~
a 10/100 Ethernet port. Its 250-sheet paper and pigmented black ink for sharp text printing T1OO 1 cartridge costs around £17, meaning a
tray and SO-sheet output tray rival the on plain paper. A separate print head should mono print costs just 1.7p. That's cheaper than
capacities of many compact laser printers. and last the lifetime of the printer, but can be many mono laser printers that cost under
HP claims it can print 7,000 pages per month. replaced if necessary. £ 100. The B40W has great networking
It can chum out mono documents at The installer lets you choose any additional capa bilities, too, with WiFi and Ethernet in
82ppm, with laser-sharp text . Draft-quality software yoo want along with the driver, which addition to the usual USB port.
prints lo~ed almost as good arid appeared at is easy to use. A Quick Setup tab puts the most The printer has only a few buttons: one to
10.7ppm. As always, image-rich colour important options in one place and you can load paper. another to cancel print jobs, a third
documents were much slower, although a raIl' choose from presets including Standard {plain to change the ink and another to enable or
of 3.3ppm isn't bad. Colour document quality A4 paper}, photo {borderless glossy 6~4in} and disable the wireless radio. Unlike many recent
was out5tarldi ng. with no hint 01 graininess or paper saving {duplex). You can customise and single-function inkjets, the Stylus Office B40W
marks from the print head . Even on thin 80g.sm save your own profiles, too. has a fi)(ed print head built into the printer. This
photocopier paper, there was no smudging or Print quality is exceUe nt, with solid, sharp is inconvenient il nozzles get clogged, as it wi\!
blurred edges. Tiny 8pt text was pin-sharp and black te)([ at standard quality. Our mono te)([ require time and ink to clean. However, this is
block5 of colour and shading were flawless. document printed at 7.8ppm. Draft te )([ prints unlikely if yoo use your printer regularly.
The Officejet 6000 isn't really intended to emerged at a reasonably fast 9.8ppm and were This is a business printer, so Epson doesn't
be used for printing photos. It only uses its dea r and sharp enoogh for day-to-day use, e)(pect it to be used much for printing 6x4in
three dye-based colour cartridges when although lettering was a li ttle thin. Our holiday snaps. This doesn't e)(cuse the B40W's
printing photos, combining all three for blacks. mi )(ed-colour business documents looked poor loading of6)(4in paper, as it claims to be
This is noticeable, as dan:. areas in our test great, with solid blocks of colour, sharp detail able to print borderless images up to A4. It
pictures had a faded, blueish tint. However, and smooth shading. took quite a bit of trial and error to position
photos were detailed, with vivid colours and The iP4700 makes no compromises when it our 6x4in sheets so they coold be loaded
realistic flesh tones, making the 6000 good comes to photo quality, either. Although it has without either slipping oot of position or being
er"lough for prir"ltir"lg the odd snap. The cost of a only four colours, prints lad stunning. The trapped by the adjustable paper support. Once
6x4in print on Hp·s Premium Plus paper is 2ap. dye-based black ink produces rich, intense dark we'd resolved this, photo quality was good.
For text prir"lts, the 6000 has a la rge black tones, while skin coloors and natural shades are Even drab brown and grey shades were richly
ink tank. It comes with low-cap<lcity reproduced with great accuracy. There's even a reproduced, but solid areas of dark coloor had a
'ir"ltroductory' cartridges, which will print 420 CD printing tray and a util ity that ma kes it easy slight re ddish tint and some lOx8in prints were
mor"lO ar"ld 250 colour pages. When these rur"l to print your own artwork on CDs and DVDs. funy around the edges. Photos printed slowly,
out, we recommend replacing them with HP's With print costs of 2.3p per mono page at around three minutes per 6~4in print. but a
920XL high -yield cartridges; yoo'll get 1,200 and 6Bp per page of mixed colour and black typical photo costs just 20p including paper.
black p<lges from a £ 16 cartridge and 700 printing. the iP4700 doesn't cost too much A4 plain paper prints were blisteringly fast.
pages from each of the £7 colour cartridges. to run. If yoo use Canon's Photo Paper Pro II, At 13.6ppm for standa rd-quality mono te)([,
This produces a low mixed-colour print cost of a 6)(4in photo is a little e)(pensive 39p, but the B40W rivals some personal laser printers.
4.5p per page, with a mono page at just 1.4p. we saw e)(ce!lent results on (anon·s cheaper The sharp lettering is similarly impressive. Draft
These are some of the lowest inkjet runnir"lg photo papers, too. prints are even faster at 16. 1ppm, but suffer
costs we've seen. They're even more The iP4700 doesn't add much to a winning from jagged, pixelated text. Smooth, solid
remarkable from a printer costing just £62. formula. It doesn't cost too much to buy or colour documents printed at standard quality
Unless you want to print lots of photos, run and it put in a respectable showing in our emerged at a respectable 4ppm.
the Officejet 6000 outdaS5es other single- speed tests. If you don't need a multifunction The B40W is capable and inexpe nsive to
function inkjet s. Epson's B40W is a great inkjet but you do want something that can run, but it ca r"l·t quite rival HP's Oflicejet 6000,
alternative, but at this low price, the HP print outstanding photos as well as sharp which cost even less to buy and run.
retains its BusineS5 Buy award. documents, it's an ideal choice.
SUMMARY
SUMMARY SUMMARY VERDICT ,. simple, _ll· built .... two,;: Inkjel that
VERDICT ,. budget prl""low running com and VERDICT An ucellenl photo p<fnlef Ihal gelS perlorms well and is int~ptnsM 10 run. It loses
outstanding dowment quaUty ma ke this an evef)'lhing right. from quality and ptrlonnanct 10 out only to tM be ner·v.l ~ HP OHicejel 6000
e ~ceptional printer for a home offict ",nning costs and convenitnce
FOUR..(QI.OUR BUSINESS INKJET 5.760xl.4.4Odpl
FOUR·COlOUR BUSINESS INKJET . ,S00>c1.200dpi FOUR·COLOUR INKJET 9,6OO>c2.4OOdpi m.~imum ma)(jmum (. ,oIUli"", J8ppm mono/38ppm coloo(
"'.,Irn....,
""xlmu", ",SQlull"". 711"" ",,,,,,,/7ip'" colo..., (.<OI"lion. 9lprn mono/SIp'" colo..- ",.,Imu", .peed. maximum 'p«<j. use . 10/100 Elhem.I.802.11b/g
spud, USB, 10/100 Em~""'1 in l~rl",,~ USB, Pk Bridg< USB int.rf""., wl~I.$$ ",IM""~ '
POWER CONSUMPTION 3W modb)'. 3W ><J. •• POW~RCONSUMPT1ON OW sundt..,.. 1W "H•• POWER CONSUMPnoN 3W <landb)-, 4W "n~ .
3(NI",,11\0. PAAT cOO( C8051 ,. lSW""II\o. PAATCOO( 3742BOO8AA law KIN. PAATCOOI' (11("27301
DtTAI.S WWHhp.co.uk D£T"lS WWH"anon.co.uk D£T.oJlS WWH.epso<1.co.uk

COMPUTER SHOPPeR • JANUARY 2010


www.freedowns.net & www.journal-plaza.net
INKJET PRINTERS

BENCHMARKS _ LDngerisbetter _ Shorter is better

I Performance Pnnt speed Performance Print costs -


25·page draft (ppm) Price p er mono page
HP Pbolosmarl Plus 8209 HP ,"",,, ...

Epson Stylus OWer StOW 16.1 Kod. k ESP 5250 1.lip


13.9 EpAn Stylus Oilier UOW 1.1p
!:inn Pilma iPA1OO . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . ...
E,su Stylus SX215 13.4 2.3p
l limark I'blinum Pr0905
----------------------
'1.7 !:inOI Pilnu MP640 2.3p
HP DHicejrt 6000 10.7 HP Photosmart Plus B209 2.4p
Ktdak ESP 5250 10.3 [Psal Styl UI SX215 3.1p
- ---
Cuen Pilma iP47l1O l nmilrk l'Iitinlm PloY05 3.3p
------------------
Cino ~ PUm, MP640 9.4 lllmuk hrteract S605 3.3p
• " " • • • • • •
25-page normal (ppm) Price p er colour page
HP 01ficejet 6000
--------------
Epson Stylus Office IWOW 13.6 3.1p
l.umarlllnlrlllo:t &&05
--------------------
9.1
-----------------
3.9p
- ----
HP Pbotumart Plus 8209 B.G 4.5p
HP OHicejrt 6000 CaOin Pilm, MP6AO 4.5p
NP Pbetu mart Plus 8209 -------------------
-----------------
Llimark I'btin~m Pl0905 B.2 4.6p
!:.anDn Pilma iP47l1O Kodak ESP 5250 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .4.6p
." "

Cano~ !'Um MP640 luml lk Platilum

Ktdak ESP 5250 l limart Interact S605 6.5p

• " " • • • • • • • • •
2S-page mixed colour ( ppm) Photo cost
Epson Stylus Offier I140W

Clno~ 1'iJ1II' MP640

HP Pbotumart Plus 8209


HP IIffK:ejrl 6000

Lumart IIItllllcl &&05 HP Phatol mart Plus


Ktdak ESP 5250 Cano~

lelmark Plilinum Pr0905 Canen Pixmil i


Cllli n Pi..,.;p"OO lumnk kltmct

lumil rt "",",,"'.9("
u
" " "

Labs verdict Inklet printers


Modem inkjet printers <lnd MF Ps print <lnd produces incredibly high-quality docume nts, There <Ire sever<ll innovative MFPs in this
sGin <It such <I high stand<lrd that it can be fast print speeds <lnd some of the lowest print group, but quality, speed and running costs
hard to choose between them when looking costs around. What's more, it costs just just are more important than downloadable apps.
at quality alone. However, when you factor in £62. It wins a Business Buy award. (anon's Pi~ma MP64Q has wired and wireless
speed, features, purchase price and running If you want a single-function inkjet that networking, an automatic duplexer, good
costs, there are a couple of de<lr· cut winners. can also print photos, you'll be hard-pressed to print costs and solid print speeds. It's a great
If you m<linly pLan to print documents find anything better than Canon's excellent <Ill-rounder, with outstanding document and
and don't need <I scanner, HP's Officejet 6000 Pixma iP4700.1t wins a Best Buy <lward. photo quality, and wins a Best Buy aw<lrd.

MFPINKJETS INKJETS
CANON HP CANON
PixmaMP640 Officejet 6000 Pixma iP4700
**** ***** *****
JANUA RY 2010 . COMPUTER SHOPPER
www.freedowns.net & www.journal-plaza.net
INKJET PRINTERS

Model Stylus SX215 Photosmart Plus B209 ESP 5250 Pixma MP640
Rot""
*** •**** *** *****
.aoox ' ~
l .lOO:<2,~ (.a..bit)
9,6O:'.Ix2.~
1~(2+bi1) ''''''

BIu.tooth.....,.... (btSOO), f IS
"~
106> ~S2x407rrrn 17S>422>::lOOJTrn 171;:o:.SO:cl6Imm
'''< Mtg 8JI:&
S-4dS(A)
'''''
;W
.... !'Ialdsdo'"
Not
ow
ciscloso<l ~
W
.......
47d8(A)

,-
>W ~ 'W

"""'"
-
_ _1 ~1_ _
1 (12S)
~
, (100)

"~

Support.d~'" ')'$'_ Window< .!OXlIX~/)(I'-<6<M m. Moe 11'--' XPfIIis\liV« to <6<1, M..: OS 11'...-., XPfl/isto, M..: os X 10.4.8+
OSX 10.3.9+ X 10.4-10.6

-...-
,ure. • '" "~,~_

-
Otherf.. . in <OIour sa...."
H >lJtorNt ~ print t..>d lcm <<>Iou- >CIHfI, ~i< print "-l
,,~,ropI>«"'" print _ oIigrrnent. ~~..,.. pMt '-:I

Priceindud ~ VAT 199

£20; rso-I'¥ HP lI!;.4XL M;og«>tllrI:


Coru1<1g<. f 12, lSO-p. HP 3&tXlCyon
Irt C¥tridgt. fl~; 1~. HP .l64X1.
Y<!low InI; Corttidge £ 12

«~p.ose:«ISOIIK24nl) ----=l];~:!===========----
ZI9~(ISOIlEC2.nZl 50S

Qoot«l Ulo of ,upplied photo <ilftridgo('J"


eost per !SOllEe Z47n .... ~ incVAT
Co'l pet ISOIlEe 24712 M f'O&< "",VAT
(colou, port)
Co'l pet ISOIIIC 2471 2 M 1'>&< inc VAT
(monopon)
11''''00I)I durat"" ond t."". . ~. , , , , ,
.
"".,
l .lp
156 (Ind")
."
••
'. '••.
",

...........hp.<o,""
..............,.00...
COOlSS

COMPUTER SHOPPeR • JANUARY 2010


www.freedowns.net & www.journal-plaza.net
INKJET PRINTERS

LEXMARK LEXMARK
Interact 5605 Platinum Pro90 5
***
~.IOJ>. I .lOOdp1
***
4.1OJ>.1.Z00dpl
1,lOOx.2,~ ("i!-bit) l.2OO>:4J'1OOdpl (.f8.bit)

Maxim ..... numb<, of coIoun (CMtOOg<.) I')


QuotM photo <:kJrobility ("",,,,e) .~~::::
PHYSICAL AND ENVIRONMENTAL

...- -
SundAr", int<flo«> US8, 10/100 Eth<m<t: US8, I>i<:8ri<;lg.USB US8, 10/100 [1h<mot,
IIOZ. l 1blB w'ftb<

..
Opt"",aI int<fl>cc< ,~

- -
D~ (H ..-w:dJ ) 164.45&389mrn IS3>431.296mm 16h435<2SOrr>m

W
"""
HB>c514>:3S8rr<n lO7. 4(;Srl92rrrn
NO< .. "'"<'I ''''
46.5d6( ~) 41d8(A)

.'" 11.6tg
0u1y cydo ( ~ 1* """,til)
_ "",,,,,mpt""" \MI<tIy
7,((JOpogo>
m
Not di:sdo...:l Not disdo.od

'W
~'"
52 d8(~) ~

- .w .W
10,llC(lpogo> m
'"""'" _""""""'fII"",idIo

,-
<W <W

,- --
_ con"'mp\i<lna.:t ..... .~ ,~
~ nw
'w '"w PAPER HANDUNG
H "_poper~ .. M I1ep ..... MI1<gaI
c_
"""
m""
lJ~
2SS~
M..lmum ~ wolJlII
St.....wd~trayJ (~ity) 1 (250) 2 (.nJ) 1 (120)

... -
2!3OXl}_
1 (liD)
~
,.
Z (3OXl) Hmnu m _' I....,..(~i\y)

~
1 (2)0) 2 (.lOO)
,.
1 (120)
,~
~
"" PHOTO FEATURES :3
~ ,. l'iclljrOdgo ><wort ~
,. ~

~ UptoM Bor<I«lo>. print.,.

-
UptoM LJp toM Up toA4
~
-.So<.... '0 O;~ (PC...... ) prinl .,. ~
,.
USB W Digit...
SIJ+IC, Momory SOCklPRO,
USBW_,so,MMC ,
Momory Stick Pm,:dJ H.mory GIrd ><wort ,~
"
,~
MM(,.D
~ ~ CDprinl'" ~
,. ,.
GENERAL
~inl:jot

Microsoft w;_
X f'-6olN~"'N~u-&4.
OS X10.41 1o.S
2OC/JIXPI
M><:
W
_
Tl>ormalirol:joI
2(Xl(lIXPM>t-o, Mac:
OS X '0.3.9 -10.5
W
_ 2(Xl(lIXPIXP-&41
V~""M>cOSX I03.~105 .

"'-"<:<NIi<prin(~ """"""'i<pmt~ Non<

....
-- aljgrmen~ ~<- priro: aljB""""'~ r<?><- pm!
~

W_~~"' _to
W'-"lOOQI'<Pf)(P~~M<toI Window< ~ plXp~Mml2000/ 1..... -j'<M ooI<c! >rid "'"...
~,M><:OH 10.~.4- I'1ru641l', M>cOS K 10.4.4 - (UG069E1 f5S
10.5,Uro< l0.5.Uf'lJX
BUYING INFORMATION

- -
43inroloor~ Hin~ . >UI"""'ti<
>UI<mOti, print
'!J'b<..... ~~
~ . _~
,... ....
print ~ ol~ ropI>coobio

~
Prn"cWd"'V~T

ports..-.d pr\<ti
'"
1,2OO--p.ogo 920Xt blat.
m
3~ P9rI«II bIad:
'"
m~bI""'T l 00I.£19;
(C D97SA1'~ <1 6;1~ PGi ·5Z081:, <aZO; 67().photo 815..,. "'f'I" TlOO2. <1 1;
920Xt ')'00 (CD972Io.E), "" blad:CU-52181: , f7 57; 81S~ magt<III TIOO3,
fI. 1 S;l[().pogo~t SOS-pogo "'f'I"CU-S21C. ! l~:aIS - pogo yeIowT1(l)o1.
magt<III (CD973AE ~ H2O, H304; 4 71~magt<III
(184
510-pogo l~ l (0)(l
Ilbck fli&!>_yi<Id c..rtrirJg<. £17;
0&1
510-p0gt l.,.".... l(0)(l
8bd: High-yi<Id C...uidg<, <17;
7(:(>.poge 920Xt )'Ollow
(CD97 ..... E),!7.31
Ct~ SZI M, H.60: SOS·pogo
yeIowClI-SZI Y. f 726
'"
600-pogo L<m'IOIt l (0)(lCyan, 6O:'!--f>8< l. ,.".... l00xlO;on. Quote<llif. of ouppl;od bIa<I< «<1r1dg«s)' <20 pogo> (ISOIIK 24711 ) 350 ~ (ISOII:C 24712) 230 pogo> (ISOIIEC 2471Z)
Hogen,.. v.Iow fligh-yi<Id M>gento. ~ fli&!>-yioId
cam1dg<.! 0 <>ell; 17O-p>g< Caruldi/", 10 .>ell; 170-pag< QIIotM lifo of ~;od coIout «<1r1dg«s)' 250 (ISOIIEe 24711) SOS ~ cyan ond yMw. 310(ISOIlEC 24712)
I.o:>morl: 100 Ilbck SUond>I<I t~ 100 Ilbcl: S~ .71 POl!'" mogor>'" (!SOl
cam1dg<.! 11, lOO--p>g< ~ CMtJ1dg<, 111: 200-pag< t<m'lOlt lEe 247 12)
l000;0n. Mogona,v.Iow lOOcy." Magent .. Volow
Sand..-d Urtti<lgo:. a
170 ~SO/lI:(24712)
St>r<brdc.rtridg<. £7
llO( I SOI'K<4n~)
Quotod lifo of sllppl;od phoIO «<1r1dg«.)'
'" 670 plw:(oo "" blatk.209
photo> "'I"" 204 pI'Iotoo '"

'••.
~ .. .!OS plw:(oo yeIow
.'00 OSElIEC 24712) .'00 (ISElIK 24712) [~I

Cos11* ISCMK l471l A~ I'"&" incV~T


Cos11* ISOnK l411l A~ _ incV~T
••
I Ip
6.1p
4.2p
(<<>Iou, port)
Cost 1* ISOnK 2'712 M I'"&0Inc VAT
(mono port) •• '" ••
n-n.,...,.' RT6(wi!h
~)
_ " 'ty:JI:o.1J:.

-,
_ .a.xm..t.co.LIk

JANUARY 2010 . COMPUTER SHOPPER


W ornnt)I dumion ond"rm.

Suppi;«
~.

.~ - --
Oo< y..rR1 B
WW'N-"Y'f'i.ma.

COOSI A
Oo<y..rRTB
WioW-"fJY.m ,*

-~.
,,~
00< yo..- RIB

WWN-"fJY.< o'*

--~
CIICA2BJI

www.freedowns.net & www.journal-plaza.net


en
w
Z
C
:::I:
Il..
Ii

~
en
INTRODUCTION
Mobile phones have evolved.
Not only hiilve they virtually
replaced land line phones, but
smartphones have become
umbilical cords to the intemet,
Choosing a...
Smartphane
personal secretaries and even
status symbols.
The iPhone is the Apple
of many people's eye, but
it's not necessarily the best martphones have changed considerably in the Markel. There are advantages and disadvantages to
smartphone for everyone, imd
it's very e)(pensive. This month,
we've pitted it ilgainst the best
S year since we last carried out a group test. For
many people, though, the choice seems obvious:
buy an iPhone, However, as you'll see, there are many
both methods - Apple'S approach is arguably safer,
while Coogle's can be more convenient, if riskier.
Another new kid on the block is Palm's webOS,
the competition has to offer, reasons why altemative models might be a better buy. which, like Android, mimics the iPhone's simplicity.
from entertainment phones to WebOS is designed to be controlled with a touchscreen,
advanced webOS,Android and OPERATING SYSTEMS and lets you use multiple applications on a single
Windows Mobile 6.5 phones Much of the iPhone's appeal comes from its slick screen, as you would on a Pc. WebOS also tries to
that want the iPhone's crown. touch-operated interlace, which makes navigating merge your email. contacts and calendars so that
The com petition is hotting menus and dealing with multiple applications utterly you can see everything in a single window. Palm
up, with Microsoft, Google and intuitive. More established mobile operating systems, provides an application repository where you can
Palm releasing new versions such as Nrn:;ia's Symbian, Windows Mobile and the go to download new apps for your Pre, but as it
of th ei r mobile software. Ne w BlackBerry as, have layers of nested menus, which has only just launched, it doesn't yet have the wide
devices with larger screens means it takes longer to reach options and tools. choice that Coogle and Apple offer.
and faster processors aim What's more, the posibilities for customisation can More traditional mobile phone handsets have also
to make the most of the be overwhelming. become smarter. java-ba5ed phones have reached the
software to deliver th e A relative newcomer is Coogle's open-source stage where they offer just as much functionality
perfect balance of power, Android mobile as. This em ulates the iPhone's as their 'smart' cousins, wi th downloadable apps that
portability and practicality. simplicity but doesn't place such strict requirements on connect to web selVices, allow full synchronisation
software developers who want to \Vfite and publish with desktop pes and handle multimedia better.
software for it. for example, you have to set up an
Barrv de la Rosa account on iTunes (and give Apple your credit card OUT OF OFFICE
Laptops am!
handhelds expert details) before you can downlO<l d even free apps for When the iPhone launched, one of its major drawbacks
your iPhone. Android, meanwhile, has an option to let was a lack of support for viewing and editing Office
you install apps that aren't even listed on the Android documents. Now "there's an app for that: as Apple

COMPUTER SHOPPeR • JANUARY 2010


www.freedowns.net & www.journal-plaza.net
SMART PHONES

This month
T-MOBILE Pulse
Page100

RIM BlackBerry Curve 8520


Page100

NOKIA E55
Page 1011

SAMSUNG S8000 Jet


Page 103
HTC Touch 2
Page 103

LG GC900 Viewty Smart


Page11l3
HTe Hero
Page 104

PALM Pre
Page1114
NOKIA N97
Page 104

SAMSUNG GT-17500 Galaxy


Page10S

LG GT505
Page10S

APPLE iPhone 3G S 32GB Black


Pagel05

would say, and Android has also caught up MAP MARKERS processors and better technology, virtual
thanks to its own army of developers. Palm, All the phones this month, bar the BlackBerry, keyboards are becoming more and more usable.
Symbian and BlackBerry users will find that their include a GPS receiver, which can pinpoint your The HTC Touch 2 supports touch control but
handsets already include software for viewing position aCClJrately if you have a clear view of still needs the bundled stylus for easier option
Office documents, and you can upgrade if you the sky. Nokia phones come with the company's selection in Windows Mobile.
need the ability to edit them as welL Windows own maps application, which can handle bdsic Android phones also benefit from finer
Mobile comes with Pocket Office software. navigation functions. Android phones and control than can be achieved by touch alone,
Only Samsung's Galary requires you to iPhones come with Google maps, but this can and aU the Android phones here include some
download your own software. also be downloaded for Windows Mobile, sort of cursor control. The Hero and Pulse both
Now that cheap netbooks are available to Symbian and Java phones, for proper tum-by- have trackballs, while the Galaxy has a four-way
handle proper office work, however, smartphone tum navigation, you'll want to download a directional controL
office compatibility has shifted towards dedicated satnav application from a comp.my
synchronising calendars, contacts and email such as TomTom, Route66 or CoPilot. THAT'S ENTERTAINMENT
rather than documents. Most mobile operating With the combination of GPS and your La rge screens are better for watching movies, so
systems now support Microsoft's ActiveSync, so phone's camera, you can geo-tagyour photos to if this is a priority, buy one with a resolution of
it's easy to synchronise your work email with pinpoint exactly where they were taken (see our 32Ox480 or more, This is the iPhone's resolution
your smartphone from an Exchange server. You feature on page 108 for more on geo-tagging). and the highest resolution that Android version
can even use Act weSync to synchronise your GPS is also useful for many new location-awa re 15 supports. It's also worth looking for a model
Google email, contacts and calendars. web services, such as Google's Latitude, Yahoo!'s with an OLEO display as they're incredibly bright
The really smart handsets now have software Fire Eagle and Brightkite. These let you sign in at and colourful and have excellent viewing angles.
that pulls data from multiple sources, such as different locations so your friends can see where Most phones have gigabytes of storage space
Exchange, Googie. Facebook and other online you are, You can even download apps that wi\! available through their microSDHC memory card
services, and merges it so that you don't have locate your phone if it's stolen and send you a slots, so they're also ideal for storing music and
to update multiple sources. Palm's webOS is text message containing its coordinates. video files. Most also use a standard 3.Smm
built around this concept, and HTC's Sense headphone jack, but watch out for those that
add-on for Android is heading that way too. STAY IN TOUCH buck the trend. such as T-Mobile's Pulse. Its
Sense also creates a single screen for each of Despite the iPhone's fantastic touchscreen, 25mm jack means you'll have to use the
your contacts, and merges any calls, texts, chats, many people still prefer real buttons. The Palm, adaptor cable included in the box if you want to
email and calendar information for that person BlackBerry and Nokia phones reviewed here all use your own headphones. Some phones come
so you can track all your communications have a keyboard in one form or other. They're with adaptor cables that include microphones
with them from one place. in the minority, however, and with faster and remote controls, which can be handy. 13

JANUARY 2010 . COMPUTER SHOPPER


www.freedowns.net & www.journal-plaza.net
SMARTPHONES

T-MOBILE RIM NOKIA


Pulse BlackBerry E55
*****
Free o n £23-per-month,
Curve 8520 ***
£239 inc VAT
l8-month contract
£176 inc VAT Pre-pay
****
Free on £24-per-month, la-month
From www.handtec.co,uk

From www.t-mobile.co.uk contract Nokia's E55 is the thinnest and lightest phooe
Fro m www,orange,co,uk here, but its large screen and semi-QWERTY
T-Mobile's Android-based Pulse is one of only £1871nc VAT keyboard also make it one of the tallest. It still
two phones here that you can buy 011 a pay-as- From www.handtec.co.uk manages to house two cameras, including a
you-go tariff. It costs £176, and you can pay 3.2-megapixel main camera with an LED flash,
£ 1 per day or £5 per mont h lor unlimited The BlackBerry Curve 8520 has a wide scree n and has a 15mm headphone jack. The case
internet access (which is subject to a fair-use with a full QWERTYkeybo.lrd beneath and a feels tough, with a brushed-metal button bar
policy). If you top up by f 10 each month, clever trackpad button that senses your below the screen and a metallic backplate with
you'll also gel free text messages. thumb's movement. The keypad has the usual a funky machined pattern that improves grip.
The phone it5elf is fairly bulky and, BlackBerry layout, with oottons that have Many win be wary of the odd keypad,
considering the size of the screen, the enough travel and make a dear dick when which features a QWERTY layout but has two
resolution is quite low. The Palm Pre's .sc;reen pressed. They're a bit small for some thumbs, characters per key. In practice, it's easy to use:
has the same 32Ox480 resolution but is only but thumbnails work just as well. you either press once for the first character
3.1in compared with the Pulse's 3Ylin display. Like 5ymbian, the BlackBerry OS is staning and twice for the second, which will suit those
It's bright and dear, however, and line for to look dated. The optioos menu is a huge list who are used to numeric keypads, or you can
browsing the web or watching movies. Image of text, and the main menu icons are rather tum on word prediction, which guesses the
quality from the camera is average. There's obscure, While this is fine for long-term users, word depending on which keys you press, We
no flash, but it's acceptable for taking quick new users might be confused. Unlike Symbian, found this accura te and easy to use, as the
snaps to share on the web. RIM's BlackBerry App World is lull of useful, keys feel more naturally placed for those who
The rounded case has a glossy carbon up-to-date apps although, annoyingly, not all are used to a keyboard.
fibre-effe<:t finish that picks up greasy of them are available on all BlackBerry models. If you've used a Nokia Symbian phone
fingerprints. The ports and buttons around the With 001'1 a 2-megapiKel camera and no before and are familia r with its labyrinthine
edge are unobtruswe aM include a memory flash, we weren't surprised to see t he 8520 fare menu system, you'Ufeel at home. However, if
card slot, dedicated power aM camera buttons badly in our image-quality test. However, it did you've had a taste of the iPhone or Android
and USB and headphone ports. The latter is a better than phones with more megapixels, and interfaces, with their customisable home
2.5mm jack, but T-Mobile includes a shon its colours and cootrast were good. It suffered screens, intuitive menu systems and wide
adaptor cable, Battery life isn't great, but it's badly from noise and compression artefacts. selections of apps, we don't see why you'd
better than that of other Android phones, The 2'hin screen is bright, colourful and fine subject yourself to Symbian.
T-Mobile's installation of Android is for watching short video dips. The 8520 only Nokia's attempt at an application
fairly simple, with nooe of the sophisticated supports EDGE, so you won't get the extra repository is based 00 its own Ovi portal, which
merging and imponing functions of HTC's speed of H5DPA, although web browsing and is full of ringtones and wallpapers. This is no
Hero. However, it's not a standard setup either; downloading apps was fast enough, There's match for Apple's App Store or the Android
T-Mobile has extended the home screen to also no GPS receiver, so you can't use the 8520 Markel. Its social networking offerings and
allow more customisable areas, with widgets with Google Maps to navigate. Music Store pale against Facebook and iTunes
and larger 'widcards', which can show dynamiC The rubberised finish round the edge of the too. We can't see anyooe opting for the ES5 on
content. A customisable favourite contacts case helps with grip, and we were pleasantly the basis of Nokia's patchWork portal.
screen is also available from an icon bar on surprised to find music playback controls above The camera showed great colour accuracy
the home screen, Office viewing and the screen, so you can control your music with and contrast in our low-light tests, with detail
syrn;hronisat ion apps from Datavil are the phone in your pocket. It also has a lSmm in dark areas. However, there was also noise in
installed, and these can be upgraded to allow headphooe jack, but you'U need a memory dark areas, and JPEG compression artefacts
document editing too. card if you want to store a lot of music. were obvious. The battery life of 13 hours 21
The Pulse is a bit of a hodge-podge of BlackBerrys are renowned for their minutes was disappointing.
free and trial software, but at least T-Mobile messaging and office work capabilities, and Nokia's generally great hardware is let
has gone to some effort to make it more the 8520 is no exceptioo. The operating system down by the software here, II you're used to
interesting than the standard Android OS. may be clunky, but orn;e it's coofigured, the Symbian, you'Ufind the E55 a great phone for
It may not have the polish of more expenswe 8S20 works efficiently. It's also ooe of the messaging and office work, but it's too
models, but for the price - and on a pay-as- least expensive phones here, but the lack of complicated for consumers who want a
you-go tariff - it's a bargain, and wins our GP5 and limited EDGE speeds mean it misses no-hassle device for organising their social life.
Budget Buy award. out on an award. RIM's BlackBerry Curve 8520 is beller value.

SUMMARY SUMMARY SUMMARY


VERDICT AdK ~nl and um'''~, and a mor~
Kr~n VERDICT Th~ 8520 hM an accur~t~ uackpad VERDICT Nokia', d~n t hardwar~ i,l~t down by
cu'lomi,abl~ v~~on of Android, but th~ highlights bulla", good awlicalion ,upport.nd i, grul for ii, choke of o~aling ,y.lflTl, whkh i, outdaled
ar~ tht pay-as·you-go lariff and rusona.blt priCt musk, bullachGPS and high-spffi:I3G and lads dtveloptr support
SMAIlTPHONE 3V.1n 320. 480·",so/ullon LCD, SMARTPHONE 2'1>., 3ZO,,24O,.so/ulion LCD, SMAIlTl'HONE 1.4., 240.<320 , . so/ution LCD,
32''''''gilf'l,,1 c~m ..a, 126MB Slora&" BI.,.toolh, 2-"",gapi.el u'~r. , 256MB ""'d&', 81uetooth, 3.2·""'gilf'l,e( camera, 2S6MB Slora&" Bl.,.toolh,
wifi, USB ConfleCIMty,.tV. "".",' taUctime, 12V. day,' Wifi, USB c""".a;"'ity, 4V. hou,, ' tdlktime, 11 days' Wifi, USB confleCtMty, 6 hau,,' talkti""" 29 <loy,'
.ta<1dby, 116. 63. 14mm, 135g ".n<lly, l09~"l""'m, l06g standby, 116. 49. lOmm, 98g
PART COO( U8.220 PAIlTCoo( B(!.8S20BlJ( _U ~ PAltT cOO( 002N60S

..
D£TAa.S www.l·mobile.co." OETAILS http://uk.bladberry.com DETAa.S www.nol:i •. c...uk

COMPUTER SHOPPeR • JANUARY 2010


www.freedowns.net & www.journal-plaza.net
www.freedowns.net & www.journal-plaza.net
EXCLUSIVE READER OFFER

Britannica Online
The online encyclopedia you
know you can trust

FREE! .or H\O . .. ~I '

Britannica
with every order 2010
... ...
.",.,,, ,

1 h7 nl I I . ke . dD rtf. ge I f thig gpe, i. II ffehll ! . ke gee ?I E h. Dl the! I gf , sterTf


irTfl H . fiI m. I 71 EhOrg etfipg7 Bm. nnE I! e! - e~hip II Bhl. rmi,. Online! . keg tege. h h
eDlme. gieh NI C Cith . mErreI E. lied. , , I Errf I I the pel pie. mJ eDlrTfg th . I gh. pe the CI Hd .
Bhnging ?I E neC . mJ teDged . ~ , leg d. il?2Bhl. rmi, . Online ig . mirrD IE. -Ie tegl Eh e II h
. II the I . ! iI?2 . mJ . 9 ifg fH! Bhl. rmi, . il ig inti H . Iii m?1 E knl C 71 E , . mftEgf!

R!e e eR RleR
i edb RleR RdWVbd o Rlbe e dW
ebO ecW) db d e
N n 5he I. feg! EfT]?, II pp di. BHf. rmi,. 2kOk DVD . 1m IEdeg. , , egg II
. II thtee . ge-gpe, iQ em 7, II pedi, d. I. -. geg2Epd. led II , I O;hthe pteDI Eg 7e. Hg
CI Hd eO;rTfg2gf. figfi , 9 . mJ neC dig, I O;heg!

N n Dig, I DlHI1!l Dim g. 8g CD . EI'pII te 205! illil m7e. I'g I I I . g, im fing


omingg Cith thig edE, . fiI m I CD.

N n E . tfh 'g ErrOH m em CD. Dig, I O;hthe , h. lIengeg f. , ing Ihe E. tfh 'g
errDH nl erTf Cith thig inti H . fiO; CD.

Order this exclusive offer now

www.freedowns.net & www.journal-plaza.net


SMART PHONES

SAMSUNG HTC LG
S8000 Jet Touch 2 GC900
*****
Free on E25-per-month,
***
Free on f30-per-month ,
Viewty Smart
la-month contract
From www.vodafone.co.uk
la -month contract
From www.carphonewarehouse.com
***
Free on f24-per-month, la-month
£293 inc VAT f270 inc VAT contract
From www.handtec.co.uk From www.play.com From www.orange.co.uk
E300 inc VAT SIM-free
Samsung's Jet has a lovely OLEO screen with The Touch 2 n.ms Windows Mobile 6.5 with From www.play.com
amazingly bright colours and a high, SOOx480 HTC's own TouchFlo interlace over the top.
resolution. Only LC's Viewty matches it for Running a finger along the icons at the bottom LG's Viewty Smart follows on from the
size, but the Jet's screen blows the Viewty's 01 the display scrolls through various screens. popular Viewty. with an 8-megapixel camera
away for quality. The 800MHz Qualcomm Useful infO(mation. such as a dock. the current and a high-resolution 800x480 touchscreen.
processor makes the Jet feel zippy, and the weather and your next appointment. are It uses the same underlying interface as LG's
touchscreen benefits from the extra power, displayed on the Home screen. The Contacts GT505. but with four main screens that you
although it's not always completely responsive. screen lets you add favourit e contacts from can personalise with apps. widgets. contacts
S<lmsung's mobile browser is based on the your address book. although you'lI have to add and photos. A button on the left side shrinks
same Webkit engine as Android's and Apple's. a photo 10( each manually. Screens for ted these screens to a cube for faster switching.
and is fast and easy to use. The Jet supports messages. email. photos and music can be as scrolling through them by swiping your
ActiveSync, so you can synchronise contacts, browsed with a Rick of your finger. and you can finger across the screen is hit and miss.
tasks and calendar over Microsoft Exchange. It fill the last screen with favourite apps. There aren't many installed apps. so you'll
doesn't work wi th Coogle accoun1:5, though. Integration with desktop Office app lications probably want to find some more. There are
It comes with useful social n etwor~ing ilppS. is Windows Mobile 6.5's forte. and the new websites that specialise in Java apps. and most
including one 10( sharing photos on Facebook. Windows Phone service is clever. Your phone social networking sites have their own mobile
Widgets can be dragged to the home data is backed up to your Windows Live! version. We successfully downloaded and
screen. but while they made it look messy. Account. and can be browsed online. The only installed a Facebook app from IIMIW.gerjar.
there are three screens to spread them across. problem is that synchronising with OutlOO(( 0( com. and the process was relatively painless.
A shortcut menu along the bottom gives an Exchange server is a separate process. and We loved the Viewty Smart's high-
access to common apps and the menu. which all that data transfer will eat into your monthly resolution screen. which was bright and vibrant.
has three screens full 01 settings and apps. allowance unless you do it manually over WiFi. Its touch sensitivity wasn't perfect. but was
The large button below the screen switches The phone itself is one of the smallest here. better than that of other phones we've tested.
between the widget screens and the menu. although it's not the lightest. It feels well Scrolling through Goog\e Maps was quick and
Text entry is via an onscreen numeric built and is easy to grip. The screen has a low smooth. for example. Support for OivX movies
keypild 0( a surprisingly responsive QWERTY resolution of 24Ox320 and pixellation is and the inclusion of Dolby Mobile make it ideal
keyboard that you access by tuming the phone noticeable. Colours aren't wonderful. either. for watching movies. The only downside is the
to landscape mode. Annoyingly. the phone The touchscreen is hit and miss. It's smooth proprietary headphone/charging socket. but LG
only supports landscape mode lor text entry on the home screens. but with applications provides a 3.5mm adaptor with remote control.
and viewing multimedia - the web browser running it tends to judder. ilnd trying to hit Oespite its 8-megapixel sensor. the camera
wor~s in portrait mode. so il you're filling in a checkboxes is frustrating. eve n if you use the is a disappointment. Colours were unnatural.
web lorm and you want to use the QWERTY stylus. The display's orientation doesn't change and there was more noise in our low-light test
keyboard. you have to switch the phone back when you tilt it. although pictures and movies than on cameras with 2-megapixel sensors.
and forth between portrait and landscape are automatically displayed in landscape mode. Fine detail was lost in dark areas. and jPEG
mode. The camera is average. with poor colour Battery life is reasonably good. but with GPS. compression artefacts were evident. On the
accuracy in low light. but has great detail in synchronisat ion and WiFi usage. you'll be lucky plus side. its battery life in our light-use tests
dar~ areas and very li ttle noise. if it lasts more tha n a day on a single charge. was the best in the group at well over 40 hours.
The jet isn't quite as smart as an Android. Unfortuna tely. we were unable to test the You can add email accounts from webmail
Windows Mobile 0( Apple phone. but with new Marl:etplace. but we're sure Microsoft services 0( Exchange. but you can't synchronise
ActiveSync and a widget catalogue. it"s the will have a wealth of th ird-party apps available. your contacts and calendar automatically
smartest Java phone we've seen so far. If you Windows Mobile 6.5. although superficially with online services. which makes the Viewty
don't need sophisticated applications lor more finger-friendly than previous versions. Smart seem less smart than the com petition.
viewing or editing office documents. but you still relies on a stylus for fiddly menus and It's still a good-looking phone with great
want to O(ganise your social lile and entertain checkboxes. The Touch 2 is a decent enough multimedia capabilities. and a much better-
yourself on the move. the jet is an excellent device. but HTC also makes more user-friendly value java phone than the GTSOS. but
choice and wins our Best Buy award. Android phones. which we prefer. Samsung's jet is a better buy.

SUMMARY SUMMARY SUMMARY


VERDlCT .... n ~xc~ l .., t "", ltim ~ dia phon~ with VERDICT Sma ll and Ught with a good i ntmM~ and VERDICT D.. pit~ t ~ di.appointing camera. t~
gorgoou, (olou~ on i15 larg~ ""r~n. and pt~nty o f pl..,ty of "!Ips. but th~ tDlJc:h controlle" it down. Viewty ha. good bask app •• plffity of ,torilge.IOflg
"Pps to h~p you organis~ your social life and the W"0W1 and camera aren't the best here battery life and a great scr~n for watchi ng movies
SMARTPHONE 3.11n 800.<480 r.so/ut"", LCD. SMARTPHONE 2.81n 24().<320 ... so/utlon LCD. SMARTl'HONE 31n 600.<480 ... so/ut"", LCD.
S·m.gap",. 1,..--a.lGB "",all". 8lu<looth. Wifi. 32·...... g~pi.~1 ,am..a. lS6M~ "",all". BI .... tooth. Wifi. 8 ·megilfllxet ' ....... ra. 1.5GB storage. BI .... tooth.
USB cormect;"'ity. 3 hours·talktime. 10 daJ',. "andb)'. USB conlll'ct;"'ity. 6.2 """". tall<time. 20.8 daY'· "oodb)-. Win. usa connectivity. • .7 hours· talkti ....... 13'1\ daY'·
109.<S4.<12mm.llOg lQ4.<S5.<13mm.110g stoodb)-. 1()9xS6.llmm. 10"&
P.... RT CODE SAMSSOOOBLK..UK PART CODE 99HJZ02S-OO P.... RTCODE LGGC900BlJ( _U ~

DETAJ.5 www.!.am ..... gmob<l • .co.uk DETAJ.5 www.lotc.com


L'~"""'''' -"'""''''M'~",, _________-, 8
JANUARY 2010 . COMPUTER SHOPPER
www.freedowns.net & www.journal-plaza.net
SMARTPHONES

HTC PALM
Hero Pre
*****
£49 on E29-per-month,
***
£97 on a £29-per-month, l8-month
***
£416 inc VAT
la-month contract contract From www.handtec.co.uk
From www.orange.co.uk From www.o2.co.uk
£353 inc VAT Nokia's N97 is a beast of a phone, with every
From www.lambdatek.co.uk/ Palm's Pre is a stylish lozenge of a phone with feature imaginable in its 1SOg. 18mm-thick
componentshop/ a minimalist look. It has a single button under case. As well as the usual WiFi, Bluetooth and
the screen, but there's little else to interrupt its GPS, it has a backlit QWERTY keyboa rd that
HTC's Hero is a la rge touchscreen phone that smooth, rounded edges. Open it up, though, slides out from under the screen, a S-megapixel
runs Coogle's Android operating system. HTC and there's a full QWERTY keypad with raised camera with a Carl Zeiss lens and twin-LED
has added its own interlace, which it caUs keys that make typing easy. There's 8GB of flash, and 32GB of internal memory.
Sense. T-Mobile also sells the Hero as the intemal memory, but no memory card slot. Touchscreens are becoming ubiquitous, but
TOLlch GZ. Here we review an updated version Palm's webOS supports multi-tasking. some people prefer a real keyboard. Sadly, the
from the Hero fea\I.Jred in Shopper 26 1. so after opening an application, you can press N97's is disappointing. Its keys are flat and
The S-megapixel camera shoots video and the home button to shrink it to a 'card'. You have very little travel, so feedback is limited to
stills. Low-light shots are poor comp<lred with can flick through open applications thiS way, a beep as you press each key. The layout isn't
those from even a budget digital camera, and or simply flick one upwards and off the screen ideal, either - the Space bar is on the right and
there's no flash . However, photos had less to dose it. To go back, you swipe right -to-left is only 50 per cent wider than the other keys,
noise, more contrast and more natural colours under the screen. The system is incredibly while the sole Shift key is 011 the left. The
than from other phones. We liked the easy to learn and makes keeping track of number keys along the top row are accessible
capacitive screen, which has an oleophobic multiple apps a breeze, only via a key com bination, so making calls is
cOiIting that's smooth and doesn't pick up WebOS imports your contacts from easier with the OI1screen number pad.
fingerprints easily, plus the standard 3.5mm Facebook, Exchange, Google and Linkedln and The camera produces better results than
headphOl1e socket and mini-USB port. lets you seem them all in one interface. The most phone cameras, and the twin-LED flash
Sense provides seven screens for widgets, same system applies to email, messaging and helps in low light. However, the results aren't
web pages, apps and background images, You calendars. You can search the entire contents as good as those from even a budget digital
can save mult iple screens as 'scenes', and have of the phone simply by typing. and if no results camera. The battery lasted for over 35 hours in
different scenes for weekends, work or travel. are found, it suggests sites to search. our light-use tests, but bear in mind that WiFi,
HTCs widgets made a good impression: the The 3.2-megapixel camera takes acceptable GPS and 3G are all switched off for this. Using
email widget, for example, shows you a stack photos, and the flash helps in low light. Sadly them will reduce this time significantly.
of emails. and you can flick through the pile by there's no video mode. Colours were great, Nokia's Symbian operating system looks
flicking your finger upwards on the screen. but noise was visible in dark areas and the dated and has a complex menu system, We get
Sense includes an app that integrates resolutiOl1 isn't high enough to reduce the the impression that developers are keener to
contacts from Facebook, Gmail and your SIM effects of JPEG compression. Palm's App write apps for the iPhone and Android phones,
- an incredibly useful feature that we've OI1ly Catalog isn't as comprehensive as Apple's App as Nokia's Ovi Store is full of ringtones, videos
previously seen 0I13's INQ1. Each contact has Store or the Android Market, but there seems and games, Office and Exchange support is
one screen that shows all informat ion rela ting to be enough interest in the new phone to good, though, and apps for facebook, YouTube
to that person, including calls, messages, email. encourage developers to create more content. and other popular web services are bundled.
photos (from Flickr) and Facebook updates. The menu for each app is located in the You can customise the home screen with
Battery life is poor, and if you use GPS, WiFi top-left comer of the screen, and is incredibly widgets for Facebook, email and contacts,
and 3G, you'll need to recharge every night. easy to miss. While the main screen and menu although this felt cramped and messy. The
The new Hero is much faster than before. and feel smooth. the device can be slow to react screen changes to landscape mode when the
even with a few apps open, the interface was once a few apps are open, and its battery keyboard is opene d, or when you're watching a
slick and responsive. HTC bundles a PDF viewer lile is poor. The slide mechanism feels clunky video. Touchscreen control is accurate, and felt
and Quickoffice for viewing Office documents, and fragile and, when extended, the edges of reasonably quick most of the time. A single
but it doesn't support Office 2007 formats. the keypad are quite sharp. Finally. the USB button under the screen switches between the
Sense is a pleasure to use, and the Hero's port cover is hard to remove. home screen and the menu, and a slider on the
new firmware makes it faster and puts it on a The Pre and webOS are a great effort at side of the phone locks and unlocks the screen.
par with the iPhone. The Android Market offers creating a more intuitive smartphone, but as The N97 may be powerful and packed with
a wealth of apps, and you're not tied to using with many first -generation products, there's fea tures, but it's dated and clunky compared
one company's approved software. It's much still a way to go. We hope to see more Palm with the iPhone and Android phones. Although
cheaper than the iPhone and represents much models in the future that improve on the Pre, some will be tempted by the keyboard, the
better value. It wins our Best Buy award. but there are better phones at this price. N97 is expensive and we can't recommend it.

SUMMARY SUMMARY SUMMARY


VERDICT Th~ n..w H ~ ro is fast. with a good lCl"",n VERDICT Th~ Pr~ i. intB~.ting oot ItawN: it has vtRDlCT ~ k~yboard i. disappointing, .nd t~
aM Ulm~ra,and Andfoid', unrMtrictrv~ softwar~ is som~ amazing f~.tull" bul is 1~1 down by a !low Symbian OS f",l, outd.t..! compall'd with lhose
complemented by HTe's Sense "pps and in terfact proxtssor. poor I»tlery life and software quirks of more intuitive Android and Apple phones

SMAltTl'HONE 3.21n 320x480 .-.s<>lot"" LCD. SMARTPHONE 3.11n 320, 400 ruoi"'iQn LCD. SMAltTl'HONE 31n 360><640 ... wI"'l"" LCD. S."",gapi..1
S-~gapi .. l ca~r•. 21111MB "or'!l", 8tu.toom , 32 · ~g.pi~1 c.m .... , 8GB 'tor.~, Illu .t oo t~ . Wifi, ca~,., 3GB stor"&,,, B/.,.tooth, Wifi. use c"" ... ctivity.
use, WiFi CMnKtrvity, 7.8 hours' talkt"". 31.3 day<' use c"" ... ctivity, 5 hours ' talkt""', 12'" day" standby, 6 "o."' · t.Ucti ~, 16.7 day" standby, 117,55,18mm,
standby. 112xstixl4mm. 13Sg 101><60, 17"''''. 13Sg
PART CODE 99HHMOOS·OO PAltTCOOE lP~PREXN '''''
PAltTCOOE RM-SOS

.
DETAll5 www.htc.c<KTl DETAILS www.palm.c<KTl DETAJl5 www.nol:i •. co.uk

' COMPUTER SHOPPeR • JANUARY 2010


www.freedowns.net & www.journal-plaza.net
SMART PHONES

SAMSUNG LG APPLE
GT-17500 Ga laxy GT505 iPhone 3G S
**
£147 on £29-per-month, l8-month
**
Free on f20-per-month ,
32GB Black
contract
From www.o2.co.uk
l8 -mont h contract
From www.orange.co.uk
*****
10274 on f29-per-month,
£431 inc VAT £460 inc VAT 5lM-free l8-month co ntract
From www.handtec.co.uk From www.handtec.co.uk £538 inc VAT SIM-free
From www.02.co.uk
Samsung's Ga!axy is a smart-looking Android LG's GTSOS is exclusive to Orange on a
phone wit h a vivid OLED screen that makes contract. It isn't technically a smartphone, but Apple's new iPhone has a laster processor and
viewing photos and vi deos a pleasure. Its you can download Java apps in the form of graphics chip, and more RAM than previous
S-megapixe\ camera has a flash, and there's a widgets. These reside in a ba r at the bottom of models. Storage capacity has risen to 32GB
3.5mrn headphone jack. It has 8GB 01 internal the screen and can be dropped on to the home from the iPhone 3G's maximum of 16GB.
memory and memOlY card slot, so there's screen. You can auto·arrange the widgets by These changes have reduced app and data
plenty of storage for music, videos and photos. shaking the phone, and swiping a finger along (oading times dramatically without reducing
Samsung has if15la\!ed only the IxIsic the top of the screen takes you to your battery life. Wi th the latest firmware, it lasted
Android oper,l\ing system, but you have access favourite contacts. There are icons at the over 40 hours in our battery test, but it's worth
to a wealth 01 apps in the Android Mar\(et. If bottom of the screen for the dialler, contacts. noting that this was without power-hungry
you only use Goog!!' services, such as Gmail messaging and the main menu. components such as WiFi or GPS enabled.
and Goeg\e Calendar, this will sullieI', but The interface isn't intuitive, but it gives you As well as a higher megapixel count, the
there's no attempt to merge data between fast acce55 to common tasks once you're used camera now has autofocus, and you can tap on
services, as with HTCs Sense or Palm's webOS. to it. We're not fans of widgets, as they don't the scree n to choose where to focus. Exposure
S"msung h(lsn'\ insta lled any apps for give you as much control as a full app. They was good but photos suffered from noise in
viewing or editing Office documents, and while don't synchronise with services such as low light due to the lack of a flash. After you
you get some free apps lor viewing liles, you'll Exchange or Google either. so you'll have to record video, a timeline appears above it,
have to pay extra for an app that can edit enter your address book and calendar by hand. allowing you to trim the start and end,
them. We feel that Samsung has mi55ed a trick You can retrieve email from webmail (POP and Another new capability is voice control.
here comp:ared with the interface and apps IMAP services) but not Microsoft Exchange. which you activate by holding down the Home
that HTC provides with the Hero, for example. As wel( as Call and End call buttons, there's button. It only supports playing albums and
Dt-spite having a marginally larger screen a button under the screen that works as a quick calling contacts, but it worked reasonably well
than the company's Jet, the Galaxy's has a lower launcher and task manager. Along the side are in our tests. Our favourite feature is the new
resolution. so images aren't as sharp, It's better volume controls, a camera button and a lock oleophobic (oi( resistant) screen treatment,
than most other smart phone screens, though, button, The screen is bright and dear but soon which is also found on HTe's Hero, It won't
The camera appears to be the Silme as the Jet's gets greasy, and its touch sensitivity is dunl:'(. stop greasy fingerprints appearing on the
and photos suffered from the same washed- The camera is the GTSOS's best feature, as it screen. but it makes them easier to wipe off,
out colours and poor contrast in low light. takes vibrant images with not too much noise. and the screen is practically frictionless.
The phone feels well built, and the buttons There's a micro-US B port for data tra nsfer. There are drawbacks, though, The most
are large, except for the odd Home button. This which doubles as a headphone socket - a obvious is the price: the iPhone 3G S 32GB
has no icon, so its function isn't obvious at first 3.Smm adaptor with in-line remote is include d. costs £274 with an 18-month contract or £S38
glance. The central navigation rocker is a nice The phone has just 60MB of internal memory. on O;s Pay & Go. The 16GB model is slightly
touch, as Android benefits from having finer and Orange doesn't bundle a memory card. (ess e~pensive, at £ 185 and £440 respectively.
control of the cursor than a touchscreen alone Although you can download more apps for the We also dislike the way Apple ties you to its
offers. The screen feels smooth. but while the phone, they're limited to trial offers, slimming iTunes service, and insists on rubber-stamping
Galaxy has the Silme processor as the HTC apps and trashy 'mobile boch'. There's no applications - a major contrast with Android's
Hero, Android doesn't feel as well optimised. Facebook, MySpace or Twitter except through open source philosophy.
You have to hold a button on the side of the the browser, and no way to load more apps The 3G S is certainly the best iPhone yet.
phone to unlock the screen, which is annoying. from the internet. There's little reason for iPhone 3G owners to
While Sam sung's OLEO screen is better The GTSOS is well built with a good camera upgrade, but anyone else is likely to be sorely
than those on other phones. it's not as good as and screen, but is (et down by awful application tempted, It's a superb piece of engineering.
the Jet's, and its basic version of Android is support. The lack of memory is unforgivable at with grea t apps and a wonderful design, but it's
disappointing for the price. It t icks all the right this price, too. It has potential, but the GTSOS very expensive and ties you into Apple's highly
boxes lor hardware and features, but the is hardly a smartphone as Orange ships it, and regulated software. If money is no object,
Galaxy doesn't feel as if much effort has been it's inconceivable that it should cost more than though, it's still the most desirable phone on
put into it. HTe's Hero is much better value. the better-equipped Viewty Smart. the market. It wins our Ultimate award.

SUMMARY SUMMARY SUMMARY


VERDICT A .ub-par '«~n and an unadornN VERDICT lG·. hardwar~ ha~ potff\ti.ll. but tile VEROICT Slid and intuitiw. tile iPho"" i. nill th ~
Android in.tallation make tile GaLaxy.-n like GTS05 i. ham,trung by • lack of bundlPd ,,,,,.ummate 5martp/lone, bY t it'. expen."'" and
Itss than the SlJm of its parts appliClltions and ~ x tef11.il l memory open·source Android phones are catching up
SMARTPHONE Hin 320. 480 ~utlon LCD. SMARTPHONE lin 240. 400 ...,$OIutlon LCD. SMARTPHONE 3'1.oln 320.480 ...,solutlon LCD,
S-m.gap",. 1cam..", 8GB 'Ior.go, 8/U'loolh, Wifi, USB S-m.g~ph~ 1 cam.ra, 60MB 'lorag', BI .... looth, 3-m. gapi ..1cam..", 32GB .Ior.go, BIu.looth,
,onn"'IMty,6 hours' talktimo, 1•. 2 ~"I.ndby , WiFi , use ,on""IMI)', 3'h hours' tolktimo. WiFi, USB ''''''''''1MI)', 5 ~ours' 1.lklime, 12'/z <loy,.
116"56"12",,,,.117& 12_5 dif)','standby. 107,,56. 12mm. 98& 'landb>,>, 116x62xI2"'''', 135g
PART CODE !;GHGTl7SOOBLJ( _ U ~ PART CODE T8C PARTCODE MC133B/~
DETAU> www.... rnsun&.'o.u. DETAU> www.lgo.<:orn L"0_~"._""" __,..
www ,"",."""-________________~ ,"

JANUARY 2010 . COMPUTER SHOPPER


www.freedowns.net & www.journal-plaza.net
SMARTPHONES

...
MANUFACTURER T-MOBILE RIM NOKIA SAMSUNG HTC LG

......
,- ,-
M""'" _~
~,~
Y ",;-_ _ _ _ _ _ BI""kberry Curvt! 8520 E55 _~
~~OO
~O~R""'- _ _ _ _ _ TOUCh 2 GC900 Vlewty Sm~rt

----
...~ ••••• **** .... •••

--
-.
-~..,..,-

---
-""""''''''
,-
,~

~~
~
~I_""
~
=-
~
l-~
~
,,'"'-----
~
lI-~
~
-~,~

'....."lED-
,&
~

lI-""W"'"
~

-~
-,..
~

-
~ p
_---
~,~ ~ ~ ~
~

--
_

-............
~Wi!j,\U

_oot~""'!1511 _OO< ~WI\ l/SIl


~ ........... WJj llS8
""'"'~~ !O..oo<oX"\Wifi "SIl
~ ~ ~
• ~ • •
-,.
,~.
~. ~ ~ , ~

""""">''''''-(''''''''''' """""""'" l"""l


GSM .""""",.roI,"'" ~I '~
GSM"","""","""',_'" M;ao<[)H(i"""'!
C""""""""IIIOIY'' ' ',>O
g(J<)'1~1 00

-""""___
r.!!ti>« ~

""...,,, ....... J-_J.S w-.. _ _ ,"-' kkkry


w _ OS___ ~_60"'_
"",,"11_-" __M'_~
_11 _ _ _ _ Ih.._ " " " " ,

---
_
O
f
f
"
"
"
"
"
"
"
~
"""_......"'""'" ~­
"""",...,,11_ """J/IM" ~---
"""_"11",,_
---
-- .-
~-

,. ,.....
"'~""; '. w,,,

"""c..,0U6<,><l63
"""_"iI"'"~
""'.<.C,....::.
",-"'G ,e

.....-
,.....,.;. ,__ ....

"""c.<, ~"l""'."'''''''
--
~,~

---
.... . "". >U6<._,HZ<;~ ...


... ~""' , .......: . , _.

.
... .,~, ....,..
...:,....;·, """'· ._ · .... 00.
.... ~""""'"w.v, ....",_
". ."",'"",_ ,""',JGl, ......,""

-
~ ~--- ~---­

~-

.-.""
. -........ _ ,p(W>:lllOJ) ...",..,~.PI!o!' ...".,
o.t.,obIt,,,,,,,,, _O<>d_us. .... ""'" _ ¥>4 ........
[Io<' ''''''''''"'r
~"""""odof<D<
_ . . - . I _ W .... """,
~-
) "w>
...."'.....-
_o.t.o""",, ~

6.1"""
.""""
........... """'" ~ <JSt d ... '*"<

IOdor! ""~ """


1)"1'''' Ilh_ "'''m ' ' <6m
w. m. ,m
"" ""
.-•• -- ..- .-.
,~
.....
,_~_ "'m ...._
.. ..
••

-- -- =--
""'""'ZS~<'"O«h," · """,, "",..,'","pe-<'"O«h,l. ·_ "'" '" 12"pe-"",",~ , .. """"

..
""'''''''_<'"O«h,

--- .-
-~~
_ori«l""V'n
IItI-_ ....;..
P!l
..... _Kro.uk _ .>..ndtocro.uk
-,.,- -,.,-
..- - .
"""._ro.uk
Contc~ ......
........ .......
, """~""""''''
""'.'-.(~"

--
"'...,,"'!.'>'- •• "",","""
...... - .-"""",,",,,
"""""'-
-'''«'''''''-
_lID6<>O -
--_ ......'-
-..".,

.. ~i
..
PALM

•••
NOKIA

""
•••
SAMSUNG LG
GTSOS
•• .....
APPLE
IPl\one 3G S 32GB Black

~ --
---
o. ~11 0
-'.
~
,~

'"

,~~

~
,......". ...
r-
,~~

.
.-""""'
• ...
_"'" '"'"
p
~""
~
_~_ lISIl
............ " ' - " - ' Wifi,"," _ Wifi, lISIl

11 .,

_diom "'"',>.M.,>.M.+,>.M.-I.C,
........""'''''''' __ "', """""""""''''''r """"-'''"",,""," ....:,_...........",,0),_
""""""""oj, .w,,,

--
"'-""> pIo)t>o<lo._ Hf) "",~>.M.,"':: + ,""QC W': w,,, "~ UC''''''':''''''''y,_ ';loR _ _

...... pIo)t>o<lo._ "''1m''''''''


"",,C4,H.I<;4,~l ..... "', ~~~2E.4 "~ JGI'. ><l6<,"""'", ~l. "'" H4V,,,",V<N

-- ~- ­
, ,,_ No

"

-- _ -~.
......... ",,'"
~ n ll!!!!!-!
"_'- ___
-!If*"'"
-w-'''''
tlCm",

Labs verdict Smartphones


"h I' ''' With so many features in smartphones these but it's very expensive. For this reason it wins
days, there isn't a one-size-fits -all choice. an Ultimate award. HTC's Hero matches the
T-Mobile's Pulse is good value, thanks to its iPhone for s~d, ease-of-use and application
Android operat ing system, a decent screen support. It costs just £49 on a £29 per month
and good came ra. It costs only £ 180 on contract and wins a Best Buy award. ED
pay-as-you-go, plus £S per month for
internet access. It wins a 8udget Buy award. T-MOBILE Pu lse
*****
k*
Samsung's Jet is ideal for planning your
social life. Its fast processor and lovely OLEO SAMSUNG SBOOO Jet ~ . ,.

touchscreen make it a pleasure to use, It ***** ~


wins our Best Buy award. HTe He ro '~irit~
To test battery ~fe we time how long each
" .. " '1io0ll0M1'II!li l!l . . . . .
The iPhone has held top spot for a while
*****
APPLE IPhon e 3G S 32GB Black
phone can play an MP3 file co repeat now, and is still a remarkably good phone. *****

•• www.freedowns.net & www.journal-plaza.net


COMPUTER SHOPPeR • JANUARY 2010
YOUR COMPLETE GUIDE TO WEB DESIGN

--
8U\\'0
,..5\"£ \N
30
M\NU1' E S
_----
-_. . -...
-_.--
_..---
......
.. ...
_------
...............- ...........
-- ..~ ... ..
-

www.freedowns.net & www.journal-plaza.net


GEDLDCATIDN

NO HIDING PLACE
Yliur mollllS plffine and BE tim revSaI your Sxatl lol:litllin to all manner oRltlms and
6rganl5atHtinsvStewart MlltfiSlllllliks at tfi8 !:t 6RI!s and tllS tlTr6ats liRg66lct:l1tmn
hey know where you are. Not a trailer security cards - are used to pinpoint us to Within Skyhook are able to convert this IP address into a

T for a bad horror flick, 001 an


increasingly likely truism for the
digital <181.'. Your mobile phone ,md
computer can reveal your whereabouts, and
various organisations and authorities are very
a few metres. It's a dream for people marketing
local restaurants or taxi services, but a nightmare
for anyone who fears the long arm of Big Brother.
geographic location, For mob ile devices such as
netbooks and mobile phones, Skyhook employs a
combination of techniques to pinpoint people's
position, such as by looking at which WiFi
networks are in range and comparing it to the
interested in finding it 001. company's database.
Geolocation is potentia\(y extremely useful. ref h a a Ir
It's the technology that means that when you go Whether it's a smartphone's GPS or a wireless
to google.com from any computer in Bri tain, laptop, geolocation systems have come on in
you're automatica\(y taken to google.cQ,uk and leaps and bounds recently, sometimes pinning
have the option to search UK-based websites people down to within a few metres.
only. Hop across the Channel and the search ' In the UK we have about 75 per cent of the
results will focus on pages in French and aboot country mapped, and London is one of the best
trance. With improved geolocat ion facilities built cities in the world for accuracy: says Ted
is into Coogle's Chrome ,md MoziUa's Firefox Morgan, managing director of location provider
o browsers, the services that can help you find Skyhook. ' In London, for example, it's accurate
Syour place in the wond are invaluable for to about 20-30 metres."
1: mapping and social-networking applications. Skyhook is one of a number 01 companies
~ The more connected we become, the more providing oosiness-to-oosiness geolocation
§ accurately our position can be tria ngulated. services for commercial websites and mobile .to. Skyhook's website (www.skyhookwlreiess.com)
~ Mobile phone cell information, GPS signals and applications. It's easy for any website to see the explains how it uses WiFi, mobile phone and GPS
:I WiFi hotspots - even RFID tags built into IP addresses 01 its visitors, but companies such as networks to pinpoint customers' positions

COMPUTER SHOPPeR • JANUARY 2010


www.freedowns.net & www.journal-plaza.net
GEDLDCATIDN

'4Dell's Mi ni 10 netbook includes built·i n GPS


hardware and comes with Skyhook software
pre-installed to let users track thei r own position

the street. Go to the BBC iPlayer while abroad,


request to download last night's editior"l of Top
Gear and - even il you're a licer"lce payer - yoo
will be politely declined, The service is
available only to UK residents,
"It really winds me up, because
I travel a lot with work." says
: .._iiiiiiiii-....~:: Gillian Proctor. a fashior"l buyer
from Yorkshire, "I'd really like to
: watch the news and fa5t£nde~ while I'm
away ill'm missing home, and I should be able
to because I have already p.1id lor the service,
but just because I'm overseas it won't let me."
Movie download sites use the same sort of
can see you, However, once given permission to restrictions to enforce regiooal distribution
publish your location, it will continue to do SO models. Online gambling sites also use these
until you remember to switch the service off. restrictions to block access to comply with laws
Services such as this, which are also expected in jurisdictions where or"llir"le gambling is banr"led.
to appear on Twitter soon, can be more than a In theory, at least, only websites that you had
gimmick. Imagine how many times a friend has signed up to share your geolocatioo data With
been in the pub next door and you never knew. would actually be able to use your locatioo for
This is social networking crossing the boundaries these purposes, but often consumers grant
between the intemet and the real world, which is permissiOr"l unwittingly when they accept the
the space in which it becomes most useful. terms ar"ld cOr"lditior"ls.
However, while many 01 these tracking "In most cases you have given permission to
services are for the benefit 01 coosumers, it's be located: says Kerry Lar"lgstaff of geolocatioo
the marketing men that could be the real service specialists Quova. "Banks do it all the
beneficiaries. The first wave of geolocatioo t ime. They ~r"lOW what browser you normally use,
arrived with much ballyhoo when mobile phone what time of day you normally sign on, where
location became an affordable add-on to you're based and the sort of computer you use.
handsets around seven years ago. The marketing If you sign on and aU these things are dilferer"lt,
men became feverishly excited, overcome with then it will raise a flag:
the possibilities of selling restaurants, music or The police and other security services are also
cinema tickets as consumers came within range aware of geolocation's potential for locat ing
of retailers. Critics claim this just opens up a new suspects. They've used mobile phooe cell
Many websites that use geolocation do so to wave of corporate intrusion. inlormation to trace crimir"lals for several years,
bring its users more relevant information. Say "I don't see these as being of any advantage and IP address ir"lformation is widely used for
you were looking for a local laptop repair shop, to the general customer," says Ian Angel, tracing web-based criminals, While few people
A website will ask you to share yoor location so a professor of information systems at the would suggest the police shouldn't have access
that only businesses within a few miles show up London School of Economics. "This is just to this information for crime prevention, there
in results, possibly with mapped directions. ar"lother way for businesses and other are real concems that a lack of ur"lderstandir"lg of
The potential uses for this informatioo are commercia! operators to get at us. We've had the technology leads to horrendous mistakes.
huge, "The iPhone App Store has added 3,000 it with cold ca\ling and sp<Im, and now that Last year's report from Sir Paul Kennedy
location-based apps in just over a year," says spam will be following us wherever we are, MP, the Interception of Communications
Morgan. "Yoo ca n get fitness apps that show trying to make us go into a shop. Commissioner, revealed details of how police
how far yoo have run, a service that calls up a "If I was bomb.1rded with messages as I was had conducted a heavy-har"lded raid Or"l a
taxi based on your location, and with social entering a record store or anything else, I'd tum suspected paedophile based on his IP address.
networking you can see where you friends are - around and walk out again.' only to arrest a completely inr"locent mar"l.
if they have it switched on, they show up on a The authorities had mistakenly identified him
map. We've put together services so you can see because they hadn't accounted for international
the local weather, events near you, Flickr images time differences when tracing the IP address,
taken nearby, jobs in the area and property for which are usually issued Or"l a temporary basis
sale ... there will be potential for advertising.' The companies that are employing geolocation and passed on to other users later.
Continental Air\ines' website changes like a for new software services are only half the story. Kennedy said that "the whole process 01
chameleon, depending 00 where you are. It uses These are the friendly faces of geolocation, but obtaining data relating to IP add resses has b~n
geolocatioo to decide which version of the site they have some bully-boy cousins that use the re-examined" and that "better checb and
you will see; there are 60 different versioos in same information to exert cootrol. balances have been put in place".
eight languages. Oestinatioos arK! prices are at( Accurate location is a double-edged sword.
dependent on where you are. On the ooe hand, users will want the most
Friends on fire is typical of the way in which precise locatioo possible if they are trying to
social networks dream of using geolocation cyber-hai! a taxi or if they're using Google's
details. Published by the fire Eagle team at Location in conjunction with maps as an The biggest threat to the proliferat ion of
Yahoo!, the service marries geolocation impromptu satnav. On the other hand, if they're geolocatioo services is the concern users have
information with Facebook information, mear"lir"lg being located through their company-supplied over prwacy. People worry that a phone or
people can see their friends appear Or"l a map if mobile phone, they might hope for a fuzzier laptop with location-based services switched
they have signed up too. Friends on fire uses Fire geo-placement that won't define whether they on could make them visible wherever they are.
Eagle's conservative privacy policy, which is are in a client's office or the pub next door. Given how ohen those in authority mess up
commendable. You can set the software to show The bad news is that much of the activity with our data, this is a sobering thought.
your exact locatior"l or to show your COUr"ltry, currently utilising the ability to pinpoint There are rules governing how location data
regior"l or town, and choose which of your frier"lds consumers is detrimental to the average man on is used. They state that comp.1nies must get @

JANUARY 2010 . COMPUTER SHOPPER


www.freedowns.net & www.journal-plaza.net II
GEOLOCATION

0-_-'-
" ... --
information," says Philippe Golle, a security and

_._.
privacy expert at the Palo Alto Research Center.

-- ~!!!!!!!!I
QUOVA'
__.-••••• "But more and more people are signing up to
location-based services, often with smaller
comp.lnies. That means more people have acce55

"'-----_. 82 M.5S 105 to the traces, and the more people that have
access, the more chance there is of somebody
4

_..-
-_.; leaking. losing or stealing that information:
One suggestion for reducing the impact is to
scale back the accuracy so only the town or

---
-.......
-- ,.
neighbourhood rather than the exact address is
available, but even introducing this fuzzy layer
of geo noise won't mean that people aren't able
to identify you and your addre55 from the data,
... VI!>!t www.quova.comto
even if you conceal your name.
find out how much your IP
address can reveal about "Anonymised geolocation da ta can easily be
YOIJr location and type of traced back to the person if anyone got hold of
Internet connection the records." says Golle. "It's easy to identify the
place they spend the most time, which is uStlally
users' permission before passing on their user-generated data, which does identify the home, and then the second most time. which is
locations to third parties, and send them people, but they will normally be people who the office. Even if that data is anonymised, there
remin ders that they are ~ing tracked. have agreed to be located as a condition of are many people who are unique in where they
·Privacy is a big deal because we have to using that service." spend their time, so it's very easy for anyone to
convince the public that their location won't be Google has a strict policy, too, but stresses wort oot who yoo are."
used against them: says Skyhook's Ted Morgan. that once users have given the company But is there really any reason to be
' Otherwi5e they will simply stop using it. We are permi55ion to share their data with another concerned? Can the world's corporations, the
involved in the W3C st,mdards that will govern website, it is out of Google's hands. authorit ies or even gangs of cybercriminai5
the way people can use the information. Our "To protect user privacy, the Gears really do anything harmful by knowing your
privacy policy states that the users have control Geolocation API server does not record user movements throughout the day?
and we don't know who they are. location. However, third-party sites may do "There are lots of people who'd like to see
"If they are using the standards, then so. and we recommend that users only allow what yoo are up to and where you go,' says
whenever a website asks for your location it has websites they trust to access their location: Golle. "Imagine if your health insu rance could
to prompt you for permission so you know they the company says. see how often you went to a fast- food
are doing that - it's a big p<lrt of the standard." The problem is that, for most users, it will be restaurant - they might up your premium based
Quova Similarly points out that it doesn't very difficult to keep track of which sites they on your diet. Or a ca r insurance company coold
hold any information that can identify who the have given permission to trace their location. see how fast you drive on the motorway and up
targets of it5IP-based location are, but this With an ever-widening pool of sites with access the price. That's to say nothing of how many
doesn't guarantee anonymity, to that information, the potential for data divorces there might be."
"We don't have any identifying data, we leakage grows exponentially. Although internet tracking is the biggest
just have a database that gives the location "Most of these people are reliable arK! growth area in geo-placement, mobile phone
of an IP address," says Langstaff. "Some of the responsible, and so are the phone companies tracking is the oldest of the common geolocation
third-party sites, our customers, might have who already have access to location trace standards, and still remains fairly accurate. The

Smoke and mirrors L aYlnq low wl l h p roxy servers


t's not just criminals who want to hide customers using our geolocation service," says Choosing a proxy server based in the
I their location; there are numerous reasons
to want the website you're visiting to think
Kerry Langstaff of geolocation firm Quova.
"What those organisations choose to do with
country you where you wish to appear
resident will fool all but the most geo-
you're located elsewhere. For example, those details is up to them - some people sensitive websites. Using a free trial version
companies use geolocation to tailor the block anything coming from a listed proxy of a publicly listed proxy server, we were
content you see, but they make no address, others don't - it depends on how able to access the BBe's iPlayer and
concession for the fact that people regularly important knowing where the surfer is based download programmes, but there are other
travel. You might be away on holiday or is to the organisation." services that offer real anonymity for more
business in the US, but that does not mean A web search for · proxy server list" harvesl5 serious objectives.
you want to be redirected to US websites. dozens of websites listing sites acting as The Tor Project uses a series of proxy
Prory servers can be useful tools for hiding go-betweens, but you may need to try more relays to hide the identity of human righl5
your reallocation, and even more useful for than one. These services (especially the free wolicers, journalists and whistle blo~rs
pretending to be located somewhere else. ones) apj){!ar and disappear as often as a who would rather not let the state
Using a UK-based proxy from France, for Peckham malicet stall trader. Beware also that authorities know what they are sending
example, can give access to the BBe's iPlayer, using a private proxy without the permission and from where.
when normally it would be blocked. of the owner could be a breach of the
Beware, however, that proxy servers Computer Misuse Act, but many services are
inhabit the margins of the internet's wild freely available or offer a free trial period. If
side. Although some are credible, and even using a proxy server of unknown integrity,
offer a professional service, others are ne ver enter any sensitive information as it
considerably flakier. could be intercepted at the proxy.
Meanwhile, some websites detect the use Once you've chosen a proxy, you need to
of proxies and anonymisers, and may either tell your browser where to direct il5 traffic.
blod services or provide non-localised In Intemet Explorer, click the Tools menu
content in response. followed by Internet Options, Connections
"We currently have nearly 700,000 proxy then click the LAN settings button. Check the ... A UK-based pro~ y Server can fool the BBC's
servers on our Anonymiser proxy file list and Use proxy server .. button and enter the iPiayer into letting you download programmes
we can make them available to any of the address given by the proxy server. when you' re overseas

COMPUTER SHOPPeR • JANUARY 2010


www.freedowns.net & www.journal-plaza.net
GEDLDCATIDN

Ever decreasing circles Ttle technology berHrld geolocat lon

eolocation te<hnology is I1Qthing new; computer's IP address," the company says. The hardware is expensive, so it wasn't too
G it has been under development since
1999, and the first patents were granted in
"Then Firefox sends this information to the
default geolocation service provider, Google
good for consumer applications.
'We use WiFi network identification,
2004. But the methods used, acc:uracy and Location Services, to get an estimate of your mapping the signals of 110 million access
the ability to patch the raw data into usable location. That location estimate is then shared points, and when your smartphone or laptop
software have come a long way. with the requesting we bsite.» picks up the signals we triangulate them. The
Mobile phone trKking and the GPS More accurate systems are being developed. network is built around private and business
services in mobile phones were the first ways IP address location was fine for identifying networks and also combines with GP5 and
of pinpointing a user's location, but web which country a computer use. is based in- cell strength information to draw a picture
browsers are making increased use of this for investigating potential credit card fraud, using the best data available.~
information as it grows more accu rate. for example - but useless for finding the Even the services that rely on IP addresses
Mozilla Firefox and Google Chrome have nearest pizza restaurant. That is all changing. are getting more accurate. "Generally we can
both recently introduced location-aware "Over the last 10 to 15 years, people have get it to within 25-50 mile radius," says
browsing thilt lets websites ask the browser been working on locatio n-based services, but it Langstaff. "We use lists from ISPs, but we
where yo u are, provided you give permission. didn't always work as well as people hoped,~ also have a team of researchers that study
"If you consent, Firefox gathers information says Skyhook's Ted Morgan. "With GPS it's not network geography, the type of connection,
about nearby wireless access points and your too accurate in buildings and downtown areas. its speed and other factors.~

phone companies have known where you are for


several years. They need the information to pass
your call from one cell to another as you move While the technology currently fuelling the
through their range. They reta in that information geolocatiOfl debate requires consumers to
for regulatory purposes - so the police can use gadgets and kit that we have to enable,
demand your details if your phone has bee n the next wave could have more sinister,
logged near a murder scene, for example, Orwellian undertones.
However, the potential for abuse 01 mobile Employers and authorities are considering
phone tracking technology is huge, Companies a much more personal approach, practically
such as traceamobile,com offer services to both barcoding people to see where they are, how
parents and employers that allow them to track and when they move and who they come into
the whereabouts of any phOfle that's signed up cOfltact with. It may sound like a control freak's
to the service, These services show the 10catiOfl dream, but the technology is already ready and
of a registered phone on a map in a web browser, able - it's merely the social and ethical concerns
following its movement in real time. This has that stand in its way. .. The University of Washington's tracking system
major privacy implicatiOfls if abused. Privacy A project dubbed "the intemet of everything" c~ n monitor objects liS well ~s people

advocates have criticised just how easy it is for is under way at the University of Washington's
an employer or parent to give a snooping phone computer science depdrtment, where students concerned they'd be about the government, that
to workers or children without informing them. have signed up to a project that tracks both shot up to five out of five ,"
Traceamobile says it sends out occasional people and objects throughout a huge campus The concept of being monitored around the
text messages to the phone to remind or alert building. mapping them 011 a web browser that workplace or wider environments using RflO tags
them that they are being tracked, but privacy everyOfle can see. might seem far-fetched, but there are already 17
camp<ligners have in the p<lst complained that it The project's organisers issued RFIO tags million people in Britain carrying just such a
is far too easy to "borrow· someone's phone, set to volunteer students and lecturers, and also device. Londoners use Oyster cards to access
up the service, then hand bad the phOfle - all attached them to items such as keys and buses, trains and tubes in the capitaL The
primed for its role as a mobile snooper. laptops. These people and objects were then information of their movement is logged to
tracked though a network of 200 RFIO readers enable the transport authorities to apply the
spread throughout the building. right charges to the cards. Transport for London
"We have been looking at simple apps to find says this information is confidential. but the
friends or lost objects and that went fairly well, details are stored on the company's database
although usage dropped off when people got each time a passenger passes through a turnstile,
more familiar with the software and it was no and are available for the police to access,
longer a novelty: says Even Wellbourne, a The natural extension of this is the inclusiOfl
lecturer involved with the project. "But now we of similar technology in the government's
have improved the software so people can look proposed ID cards, and strategically placed
at where they've been - and ask "How olten readers to capture the location and date-stamp
have I used the stairs instead of the lilt?" - and data 01 anyone carrying a card.
compare their activities to their friends. "It has always been part of the card's design
"The key to getting people to use the to facilitate 'conlactless' operation using EPC!
technology is setting rules aboutl'lho can see RFIO chips," said a spokespersOfl for privacy
you and when. It might be that my boss can campaign group N021D, "The cards will not
only see me when I'm in my office, or it might be contain the audit trail that will be on the register,
that only people working on the same project so the cards could not (eak information about
can see me during lunchtime, but people need where citilens had been, but the various RFIO
cOfltro! to feet comfortable with the system." card encryptions currently available have been
According to the researchers, the amount hacked. Any new system could, given t ime,
of concem over privacy depended very much money and skills, also be cracked."
upon who was able to access the data, "On a Essentially. that is the danger with all
scale of one to five, when it was friends they the geolocation services. In their own right,
were not concerned about privacy: says they are innovative and often useful, but there
Wellbourne. "When asked about how concerned will be serious concerns about how the
... A student walks beneath lin RFID t&g reader lit they'd be about an employer seeing that data, information is used and secured as it becomes
the Unive rsity 01 Washing ton the rating shot up to 3.7. When asked how more widespread. GJ

JANUARY 2010 . COMPUTER SHOPPER


www.freedowns.net & www.journal-plaza.net
STOP SPAM FOREVER

SAY NO TO SPAM
Spam has become the bane of many a PC user's life. Luckily, there are ways to block
these unsolicited emails, as Simon Edwards explains
n'jone who uses email knows that powerful Outlool< email. contacts manager and popular email programs, though, and is a good

A spam is a serioos problem. The


amount of junk email many of us
receive is overwhelming. The best
way to deal with it is to ilVoid altrilcting it in
the first place. On the opposite page, we'll
calendar program includes a spam filter.

ANTI-SPAM SOFTWARE
Generally speaking. dedica ted anti-spam
programs are more accurate than the filters
choice if you doo't want to spend any money.
Cloudmark Oesktop. which is available for
Outlook Express, Outlook and Thunderbird,
costs $40 (around £26) per year. It appears
as a toolbar in your email program arK! displays
show you how to avoid exposing your email built into email programs. Some have a vast a series of options. You can choose to mark
account to spammers, but you're probably number of options that let 'Iou tune them and messages as spam or phishing attacks {where
al ready receiving some spam. improve how well they work, while others spammers send emails purporting to be from
There are three main ways to handle these become more accurate as you tell them your ba nk in an attempt to make you reveal your
unwanted messages: you ciln use your email
program's built-in anti-spilm filter, install
anti-spam software Of use an anti-spam service.
which emails are acceptable and which are
not. Many security suites include anti-spam
protection, but standalone programs are also
available. The optioru; include Cloudmark
.-_1_-
... -----
......... _...... _--
ill :::"::.."'::.::----........ - - .-

.-----_... _....-
BUILT-IN SPAM FILTERS

._-
Oesktop (l'VWW.cloudmarlccom) and SpamPal
II your email program contains an anti -Spilm (WNW.spampal.org).
filter, you can use this to move any spam you
download 10 a special email folder. If it worts
as it should, all your legitimate messages will
remain in the inbox, while the adverts, viruses
SpamPal is a free utility t hat scans email
as you download it. When it sees something
suspicious, it changes the potential spam
message's subject. For example, a spam
--
... --_
...... _
.... _--
_--
...................
...--_
...
-__-_
....
..
_... _
_...
....
..

~
and other rubbish will be stored in a folder
called spam, junk or similar.
Windows Mail. the free email program
1li that comes with Vista, has built-in junk email
message with the subject line "Enlarge
pills 4 u" would appear in your inbox as
"***$PAM' " Enla rge pills 4 u",
The program has a lot of optioos and, with
---.........
-- __........
..
i protection. XP comes with a free email program some tweaking. can do a good job of identifying
E called Outlool< hpress, but it lacks an anti-spam spam messages. However, it's not as easy to set
~ filter. You could insta\! Thunderbird. a free email up as many other programs, You'll also have to
§ program from l'VWW.mozilla,com that works with set up so-called rules in you r email program to
~ both XP and Vista, as it has its own junk filter. In move tagged spam messages automatically from ... Use yoo. emaIl program.sbu. lt- .n ant'-spam
:I contrast to Outlook hpress, Microsoft's more your inbox to a spam folder. It works with all prote<:tlon to help reduce unwanted mall

COMPUTER SHOPPeR • JANUARY 2010


www.freedowns.net & www.journal-plaza.net
STOP SPAM FOREVER

~Ic:

_.-
_ . _ _. -_

-- The minus touch AVOiding fa lse POS it ives and negatIVes


Weak anti-spam software allows unwanted your real email messages end up in the

. _---
:::..-=.~..-;;:--~----'-
messages into your inbox. A spam email bin and your spam ends up in your inbox.

--
that passes through your defences is When you first start using an anti-spam
described as a false negative. When your application, you should keep an eye on your
inbox is stuffed with spam, even thou gh spam folder. It's quite likely that some
you have anti-spam protection, you're genuirn! email will end up being marked as a
suffering from false negatives. The worst false positive. Similarly, don't trust every
... Set up a tree Google Mall account for activities kind of protection suffers from both false message in your inbox, as some spam is
that may expose you to spam positives and negatives. In other words, likely to get through.

,.- .. ,.
account details} and unblock useful email that
has been classified as spam by mistake,
The beauty of this program is its simplicity.
database, you're confirming that your email
address is valid and that a human is reading
~ .
There are virtually no settings for you to play email sent to it. We don't mean to offend but. by

_---
with, and installing and setting it up is very easy. trying to unsubscribe, you're also showing that

.-__.",._-
you are a bit nai've, which makes you particularly

, - -
Every time you flag an email asspam.this

......_""
, - .---
..
.... __ .......,_-_-_.................
information is fed bad to the service, which attractive to an internet fraudster.
...... ... _
.- ,-_
helps to protect other people, Finally, spammers ra rely use their own _ _ _ 10 _

ANTI-SPAM SERVICE
computers. Online crimina15 often use hijac~ed
computers to send spam, which means that
_. _" ... __ ...... .--
- -
All anti-spam utilities and email program filters replying to spam will often just send a message
check downloaded messages to see whether or
not they're spam. Anti-spam services block the
spam before you download it, so you're less
likely to end up with viruses on your PC and,
to an innocent victim of a computer virus. This
won't do you any harm, but il won't help either,
You might be wondering how a spammer got
your address in the first place. Email addresses
.....
....
..... _ . _
.- _
... -.-.........
.... _
....
,,-, ~ .....
_ ... _ _ 100. 1

if you work on the move, you'll spend less time appear all over the intemet on websites and
and money downloading unwanted email. chat forums, in databases maintained by online
Normally, only businesses can sign up for these stores and services, and in friends' address books, ... SpamPal is tree but a little complicated to set up
serviceS; however, you can get an effective Spammers can scan websites and forums for
anti-spam service for free by filtering your mail email addresses, hack databases and use viruses from ww.v,mozilla,com, Whichever program you
through GoogleMail (see page 115). to read private ad dress books. use, you'n need to set it up to download your
There's not much you can do to prevent email before the following steps will work. We
AVOIDING SPAM your details being stolen from commercial or explain how to set up Thunderbird's spam
If there's a golden rule when dealing with government databases or from a friend's PC, filtering in the bo~ on the ne~t page.
unwanted email. it's that you must never reply but you can control how your email address
to a spam email. There are a number of reasons appears on websites and forums. Consider using USING WINDOWS MAil
why you might be tempted to reply, but no good disposable email addresses for certain activities. Even though we recommend Thunderbird, you
will ever come of it. Here's why. For example, if you sign up to use a chat forum, may prefer to use Windows Mail. This email
Spam adverts may not be all they seem. create a new GoogleMail email address for free program comes with built-in spam handling and
Sometimes a genuine business will send adverts at hltp:/imaii.googie.com and use that to create in some respects is easier to use than many of
out by email. but if you didn't ask for them, the your forum account. If tOHents of spam start to the alternatives. It has the advantage of simple
business is behaving unethically and perhaps appear in this account, simply change your email Safe Senders and Blocked Senders lists to ensure
even illegally. Would you trust such a company address to something e15e - or choose a site that that you always get email from people you
to handle your credit card? Do you believe that protects its users more effectively. ~now and never receive messages from people
the software, pharmaceuticals or designer When you sign up with some websites to you don't want to hear from.
watches on offer are genuine and not fakes? If use their services. you'll probably be asked if The anti-spam engine can be tuned to be
your only contact with a company is through the company can send you special offers. Look more or less aggressive, which means you can
spam, there are plenty of reasons to distrust ft. closely and you may also see a request to tinker with the settings until you're happy with
Another reason not to reply is that spammers provide your details to other companies, If its accuracy. You can even block email from
collect email addresses. They do this so that you want to cut spam, you should untick any specific countries, which is handy if you get
subsequent campaigns reach even more people. boxes that give this permission. Use a unique, lots of spam from China but never expect to
When you reply to an email whether to order disposable email address as well, and you can see get any legitimate messages from there.
something or to unsubscribe from the spammer's if the company has betrayed you - if spam pours
Clic~ the Tools menu option and choose
in, you'll ~now that your email
address has been sold or stolen. D Junk E-mail Options from the list. It's set
to No Automatic Filtering by default. Start by
EMAil PROGRAM choosing the Low option, which offers to move
If you use Windows Mail the most obvious spam to the Junk E-mail folder,
(Windows Live Mail in Windows
7), Thunderbird or Outlook, you
already have some anti-spam

-- . -
protection to hand. Even if
you already use an anti-spam
.-.._--_
. - ..... ..-
:::::.-:::-~-~ -- -- . -

...
--- .- 1-,--
~ =~::==.:..-
service, you should still allow
your email program to help out. _-------,--
,-
.....
----.-~-

Windows Mail comes with


Vista but, even though it's free
and easy to use, we recommend
----_._---_
==.:..:::c....:-----_.
--
,--
..
- --_._-_..-
installing MoziUa Thunderbird,
This email program is also free,
but it's much more powerful
and comes with edra security
... CJoudmark Desktop is an easy way to stop spam options. You can download it

JANUARY 2010 . COMPUTER SHOPPER


www.freedowns.net & www.journal-plaza.net
STOP SPAM FOREVER

There's also an optioo beneath this that will This means email from friends and family won't Junk. The message will be returned to your inbox.
delete the suspect email. This isn't a good idea, be classified as spam. 11 you receive email from Consider adding the sender's email address to
unless yo u're sure yoo only ever want to receive people who aren't in yoor contacts list, you can your Safe Senders list.
email from Pl!ople you list in the next step. add their addresses by clicking the Add button_
CHOOSE AN ANTI-SPAM SERVICE
n Click the Safe Senders tab and make sure
U the option <lIthe bottom, called A~ trust
e-mail from my Windows Contacts, is tided.
IJ Open your email inbox and select all the
spam messages you can find. Drag them
to the Junk E-mail folder on the left. From now
One of the easiest ways to rid yourself of spam
is to let your ISP do the anti-spam scanning for
you. On the plus side, the people at your ISP are
on, the system will check any new email you likely to know what they're doing and will be

..... _--_ . __ .._ _


download, and move any messages it classifies constantly alert to new spamming techniques.

-------
.....
ni l _
. . ...
.... _ .... - . .
....
as sp<lm to this folder automatically.

li
The downside is that you might lose a real
email message and never know about it .

-
lt isn't wise to trust the anti-spam filter's ISPs often use a filtering system such as
::I":' , - - accuracy entirely, look at the messages in SpamAssassin or Brightmail to determine
your Junk E-mail folder from time to time and, if whether or not a message is spam, but you
you find any useful mail that has been moved won't see this happening in the background.
there, right -click the message, choose the Junk This is because the comp<lnies filter your

--..--
(-mail option and then click on Mark as Not email on their own servers. The most you're
likely to see of the system is a web
~- ..... page with some basic controls for
changing the aggression level of the

----
---"'- -.....--....., -
spam detection. Web-based email

_
systems such as Hotmail
... _ ...-
-.-'--,--
'-- ""-_
- _
_
allow you to enter the

-- _ _w .. _ ,.
--_.....-_-
---
...-- -.-.-
-__
---- ---
-- ....... _. ...__
--. .-- -_--'--' _
._-
_.....- _.-
....... _
...-...... -- -_.-
_.-
.- addresses and internet
domains of your contacts to
ensure that the ir mail gets

'--
through, but that's usually
...-~ .
..._
the extent 01 you r control.

--. _-- ....-_,


-_._
-_. -_
--.-- ....._ -..._._--
- Most ISPs that provide

......-
-'----_-""'="" - ---
---. ..._._--_... -
. _
-~---~
. ...
... free or very low-cost
anti-spam scanning simply
tag your incoming ma il with
a label to help you filter it in

HDWlD ...
Use Thunderbird
D Fi rst, ensure that your address book
contains the email addresses of people
from whom you always want to receive email.
junk icon, which looks like flames. It will probably
be located just to the right of the Sender
heading. Each message has a dot next to it that's
Click it again to turn it off, Make sure all
spam messages are labelled with the jun~ icon,
then clic~ on the Tools menu and choose Run
Clid on the Tools menu and choose Address aligned with this junk icon. look through your Junk Mail Controls on Folder. The spam should
Sook. Select Personal Add ress Book from the emailsand.whenyoufindaspammessage.click be sent to the Junk folder, Check this folder every
short list in the left-hand bar and check the once on its junk dot. This will change 10 look like now and then, and rescue any rea! email that has
names and addresses that appear. Click the New the flaming icon. bee n moved there by unticking ils Jun~ icon.
Card button to add more addresses, and dele te
any that you don't care about by highlighting
-'--
--
-_.
them with the mouse and pressing the Delete
_.-
key, Close the window when you've finished ,

n ------_. -----
-- --_ ...............
,------
...----......--..
Right-dick your account's OiIme on
U the left-hand bar and choose Properties.
The Account Settings window will appear.
Click on the Junk Settings option and ensure

. ~.
-
m r" --
--- _- --
~--~~:
.....·_w ':'
.. ...
......... -
~.
ill

that the option labelled Do not mark mail as


junk if the sender is in: Personal Address Book
is ticked. Tick the 'Move new junk messages to'
--
--
option and choose the Junk folder on: option.
Select your account's name from the drop-down
list. Click OK. III 'II!• /

.-.....--,-- .--. . ...-- ...


I ._. • _.

IJ (lick the Tools menu and choose Options


---1--1'- .-
.. .... - ..!..

--. - "---
from the list. (lick the Privacy button and
then choose the Junk tab. Tick the box labelled
._.. ........-.._-_.
J _ r _ _ '..,.... ......
--- - -- ...... -
...............
-- ~ -
~-

....-.. --
_......... -- .--
-- ~~ -

-- -...-_
-
.,
'When I mark messages as junk' and select the
......
'Move them to the account's Junk folder' option.
Then click OK. ...'1 _, _ _ ................
l" _"",,_,,-
.-- -_ . '-
- ~ ..-

II View your inbox containing a mixture 01


spam and genuine email. Find the small
_.-.
COMPUTER SHOPPeR • JANUARY 2010
www.freedowns.net & www.journal-plaza.net
STOP SPAM FOREVER

#i~

... __ .
=
--
.... --
~-OO._

........... _.....M_
-- ,. __. . .. ___ -

.. - - •• _ _ .. _ .. t.

"'~
•-
• '--
r:::1 ? I ~
b.:. _._------
---
~- . ----
""'--...... ~--

._--
=- ----
OM.., • .... ........-.
~- .- go.
._--
--
~--
... Spam Arrest's approach to spam is to have
every sender verify that they're a real person and ... When you use an ISP to filter spam, you may be ... CleanMyMalibox lets yOlJ SpeCIfy who yOlJ want
not a spam'sending robot able to change the filter's settings to receive email from. and deletes everything else

'lour email application. While this means you'll and some use a spam fol de r but de lete its USE YOUR OWN DOMAIN
always receive real messages, it also mea ns you contents after a set period. If you have your own doma in name, such as
have to download the spam, which isn't ideal. example.co.uk, you can usually download your
Another option is to use a service such as DO IT ON THE WEB email from a service provided by your domain
CleanMyMailbox (INWW.cleanmymailbo..-.com), Regular travellers should consider using a name registration company.
which receives email only from addresses that web-based anti-spam service, The email provider Getting your own domain is a lot less hassle
'Iou specify. For example, you can list the moves suspected spam to a folder and you than you might think. Visit a si te such as
addresses of 'lour friends and family, and the download only the messilges you want. The INWW. landl.co.uk or http://easily. co.uk,pay
service wiH automatically delete mail from downside is that you have to work online, but around fS per year and you could have a unique
anyone else (although you can log in and there are ways to get round this problem. email address that will never change. Inexpensive
recover deleted messages). CleanMyMailbox is One way to benefit from a web-based domain services usually provide free email
free for the first week, after which it costs $ 10 service's anti-spam filter while still being able forwarding. and some will apply basic anti-spam
(around £6) per month. to work without an internet connection is to filtering to tag suspected spam messages.
Alterna tively, the Spam Arrest service (INWW. download 'lour email using an email program. You can even use 'lour own domain with a
spamarrt.'st.com) intercepts incoming email and Not aU web-based services allow this, but many fuUy featured free service such as Google MaiL
replies to it automatically. If it"s the first time a good ones do, The Google Apps service comes in two editions,
sender has sent 'Iou an email they'll receive a For example, Yahoo! Mail includes an the Standard option being free. The Premium
message informing them that they need to log in anti-spam filtering system called SpamGuard, service costs £2S per year for each email
to a website and enter an attached code number. which moves potential spam into a bul~ mail account and comes with 2SGB of storage plus a
When they do, their email is sent to you. Any folder and deletes it. It's possible to set up lot of extra options.
future emails they send will go through without Yahoo!'s POP3 system so 'Iou can download If, however, you need only a few gigabytes
a problem. This will certainly help to prevent your mail using a regular l!mail client and read it to store your emails (and that's more than
spam, but it's rather inconvenient for the sender, offline. The spam stays in its spam folder, and enough for most people), the free service is
You can add your contacts to a list of acceptable you can check through it for wrongly classified sufficient and offers fantastic value, You'U
senders to reduce this problem. Spam Arrest is email when you next connect to the internet. get Google's effective anti-spam protection,
free for the first month and costs $S.9S (around GoogleMail also works this way. If you as well as web-based and offline email, and
f3.90) a month or $SO (around f32) per year, use a web-based email service and want to it will aU wort with a neat domain name,
download messages to an email program on aUowing you to have email addresses such
WHICH FREE EMAil SERVICE? your PC, check to see if it supports either POP3 as simon@example,com, vic@example.com
Webmail services such as Hotmail and Google or IMAP. These two services support popular and sarah@example,com. GJ
Mail provide free anti-spam protect ion. If you've email programs such as Windows Mail, Outlook
signed up to one of these services, 'Iou may be Express and Thunderbird,
--------_
-"- - .... .........
able to use their anti-spam tools to cut the GoogleMail deserves a special mention,
amount of spam in 'lour inbox, because not only is it free but its anti-spam

--..--.. ..
The services provide different levels of filter is also particularly effective. The service is
control Basic controls include the ability to essentially a web-based one where 'Iou log in
-~:

- ..... _...... _'.....


set the spam filter's strength using settings and read and write emails using a web browser. O_M_' _ _ • __"
such as low, medium and high. Whitelim let
'Iou specify email addresses from which mail
As with Yahoo! Mail. the advantage is that you
download only the messages you want, and the --_
=--==:-':="-:::::0:-,.,":
~:I':- -ii,=
should always be accepted, You can add
addresses to a blacklist to block them.
spam remains unread in the spam folder. You
can even use Google Mail's spam filter to filter -
Different services handle Spam in different mail in different email accounts from different
ways, Some move suspect messages to a providers - you don't even need to use your ... You may get anti-spam /Hterlng with a domain
spam folder, others delete them immediately GoogleMail email address. name. It's otten basic, but It's better than nothing

ANTI-SPAM SERVICES
..."-._---_.
.- -- _ ..... ;c:::&-

WebSite Control DetKted sp.1m


--_. ---_.-
Gonole

_-_.. ..-_-_
" ;;0

_.-..__
-- _-_.-__.. _11____ .......--,. .
..... _-_ ......... _-
, -.-..

--
_0
-. ~

...... -
""--
........ .. _
_----.--._--

-
"-- --
-"
_
---_. .... -- - ....
......_--'---"" - ....
....
....
","
,-
,
"

--
BasIC controls,
whltellst;
blacklist; content
--- --- -" ...
~-
.. - ~--
"
",
","
••
~--
... Anti-spam doesn't get much simpler than Google Mail's service. You can
repon spam and mark messages as genuine

JANUARY 2010 . COMPUTERSHOPPER


www.freedowns.net & www.journal-plaza.net
THE RISE
OF THE
Mike Bedford looks at the f we were to suggest thilt 'lour PC CPU it uses. Even so, times are ch,mging. and

graphics processing unit's


history and its new role in
bringing supercomputing
I contains a powerful and sophisticated
processor you wouldn't take issue with
us. But we're not talking about Ihe likes
of the COfe 2 Duo, Phenom II X4 0( Core i7.
Instead, we're referring to another component
increasingly the CPU is being used for jobs other
than texture mapping and rendering for 3D games.
Processing features that were designed to
accelerate high-performance graphics are also
pretty nifty at carrying out other tasks that
power to our desktops thaI rarely gets into the limelight. The Graphics require heavy number crunching. and computer
Processing Unit {CPU} on the graphics card scientists are starting to capitalise 00 this to help
works alongside the ma in processor to put today's machines run more smoothly. From
images on the screen. intricate applications for recovering lost
Unless you're a hardcore gamer or have other passwords for encrypted documents to
serioos graphics applications, you might not be state-ol-the-art supercomputers ta rgeted at
100 concerned whether the graphics card is an mind-boggling simulations in material chemistry.
ATI Radeon HD 4770 or an Nvidia GeFocce GTX the CPU is proving itself as the supt'rcomputer of
275, and you'd be less interested in what type of the future.

COMPUTER SHOPPeR • JANUARY 2010


www.freedowns.net & www.journal-plaza.net
THE RISE OF THE GPU

HISTORICAL PERSPECTIVE Power up The GPU supercomputer


In the early days of personal computing there
was no such thing as a GPU. The main processor
was responsible for placing images on the screen.
The process was simple, In graphics mode (in the
days bto:fore Windows,PCs also had an entirely
separate te~t- only mode), an area of system
memory was deSignated as graphics memory.
Unlike ordinary RAM, graphics memory took the
form of so-called dual-port memory, which
meant that it could bto: accessed both by the
processor and the hardware that was responsible
for putting images on the screen. Each part of
that memory was associa ted with a particular
pi~el on the screen. for e~ample, to draw a line
from the top left to the bottom right of the
screen, the processor would work out which
points were on that line and then. for each of
those points, write a value to the corresponding
location in the graphics memory. The graphics
hardware would then light up each of those
pi~els to form the line.
The first P( graphics card that was capable of
generating graphics rather than just te~t was
referred to as Color Graphics Adapter (CGA). To
~y it was primitive would bto: an understa tement.
The highest screen resolution in graphics mode
was 640x200 pixels, but this was only available
in monochrome. In its colour graphics mode,
which permitted just four colours, the resolution
was a mere 320x200, Needless to ~y, the
processing power needed to handle this sort 01 P(s currently have one, two, three, four or six often doesn't execute in strict sequence, Instead,
display was vastly less than what's needed today cores, while Core i7 uses Hyper-Threading to it branches out along one 01 many possible
to cope with 2,560x1,600 pixels in 16.7 million actua lly double its cores. However, top industry permutations. Programmers refer to this as
colours, especially when we remember that 30 engineers don't believe ordinary (PUs will go branching code. General-purpose software also
graphics as we understand the term now was much beyond this in the short term, That's tends to include loops whereby it executes the
just a distant dream in the days of the (GA, because, for general-purpose computing. the law same code over and over again, and reuses smaU
The 19BOs and 19905 saw the rise of the of diminishing returns comes into play. This is amounts of data.
graphical user interface (GUI) where text entry due to the fact that it becomes more difficult to Both these factors result in transistor-hungry
was replaced by a computer des~top controlled farm out work to all the cores in an effective way circuitry to improve the performance of
via a mouse, As this style of computing gained in as their number increases , general-purpose software, as Nick Stam, Nvidia's
popularity, graphics were no longer considered To give an analogy, a production line at a technical marketing director, explains, ·CPUs
an added extra and resolutions increased, piua restaurant might work weU with four include complex branch-prediction hardware to
Various technologies came along to reduce the people each handling a specific task: rolling out process branching code effectively. They also
increasing workload on the processor, the dough, adding tomato, sprinkling cheese and have large onboard caches that can store the
When hardware graphics acceleration adding other toppings. Adding a filth member code loops and small datasets, allowing high
appeared, for the first time the processor could might actua!ly slow the process down rather performance compared to having to access 5uch
issue simple instructions such as 'draw a blue line than speed it up, due to t he extra management code or data from system RAM:
from {O, O} to (1023, 767)' rather than having to involved in delegating the various taslcs and
work out the position of each and every pixel avoiding bottleneclcs.
along that line. The first graphics cards used MULTIPLE-CORE GPUs
off-the-shelf components. but this paved the While bra0Ches also occur in GPU code, they are
way for the custom-designed 20 graphics PARALLEL PROCESSING less frequent so they don't need a large amount
processor, which led to the 3D graphics Other jobs are parallel in nature. For example, in of branch-predict ion hardware. This means that
processor that we have today. These are a pea-shelling fadory, adding extra workers gives a GPU ca n use more of its tran5istors
microprocessors in the sense that they can be a productivity boost because the management implementing the hardware to actually perform
programmed to execute instructions in sequence, involved in scaling up the workforce is minimal. the processing, So rather than having a few
but their hardware is tailored specifically to the 30 graphics processing falls into this category, complex cores, a GPU has simpler cores, but
requirements of handling 3D graphics, and that's why it's possible to employ multiple many more of them. According to Nick Stam,
cores effectively. "This delivers high performance for media-rich
GPUs, therefore, have tens or even hundreds data types, including 3D graphics data, because
ANATOMY OF A GPU of cores, with the top spot currently going to the this type of media stream typically uses
Although primarily intended for the very specific AMo GPU that's used on some of the All independent data elements, such as screen
application of generating 30 graphics. a GPU is Radeon -branded graphics cards, weighing in at pi~els, that can be processed in parallel with
ultimately just a processor that carries out tasks 800 cores. However, since top-of-the-range every clock tick of the GPU·,
that involve logic and maths. In this way, it's GPUs have a similar number of transistors to Graphics cards also have high-capacity RAM
similar to a mainstream microprocessor. To top-ol-the-range (PUs, it 's dear that the cores a!locations that permit access to la rge amounts
understand what makes a GPU tick, we must in a GPU must be radically different from those of data to feed the many processing coces. This is
look at the ways in which it differs from its in a CPU. an alternative approach to the smaller-capacity,
better-known cousin, the general-purpose The major differences lie in the type of code higher-performance memory caches that are
microprocessor, For brevity, we'll refer to this as the two types of processor are designed to traditionally built into CPUs.
the (PU {central processing unit}. execute. (PUs are primarily aimed at office-type Another interesting difference C00Cerns the
The most obvious difference lies in the applications where If-Then-Else logic statements use of multithreading. a feature that Intel first
number of cores, The x86 CPUs that power our are common. In these circumstances, the code introduced under the name 01 Hyper-Threading @

JANUARY 2010 . COMPUTER SHOPPER


www.freedowns.net & www.journal-plaza.net
THE RISE OF THE GPU

Technology in some of the Pentium 45, and has photographs, acquired over a range of angles, to These desktop beasts employ GPUs working in
reintroduced in the recent Core i7 processors. A create three-dimensional images of a patient's tandem with CPUs. The multicore CPU performs
thread is an independent stream of instructions, internal organs. Advanced processing methods those tasks that are inherently sequential in
and multithreading permits more than one can require several weeks of dedicated nature. It also distributes work to one or more
thread to be run on a single core. processing time on an ordinary Pc. many-cored GPUs. Today, research and
Generally. a COfe can't process more than PreviOUsly at the university, processing was development departments are major users of
OfIe thread at the same time because it has only carried out using a cluster of sometimes this technology with imaging and simulation
a single set of e~ewtion units. However, a core hundreds of PCs, but this approach is e~pensive, applications in areas as diverse as astrophysics,
that's equipped for multithreading duplicates the takes a lot of space. consumes a lot of power and medical imaging. molecular dynamics and
circuitry that stores the current state of the core, requires considerable maintenance. The financial risk analysis. Much of the software is
so it can be switched between threads. The inherently parallel nature of these computat ions custom written, although, as we'll see later, this
benefit comes mostly when the core is stalled, lends itself to using PC clusters, and for the is already starting to change with the prospect of
perhaps because it has incorrectly predicted a same reason, it's an ideal task for GPUs, as the GPU acceleration for the masses.
branch or because it needs data that iso't in its scientists at Antwerp proved. UK-based PC system builder Workstation
cache, and has to wait for data or code to be Specialists (www.WOtkstationspecialist.com)
retrieved from the memory. Under these claims its WSX2 18 Tesla is the UK's only system
circumstances, a switch to another thread could THE FASTRA PLATFORM to have lour Nvidia C1060 cards. In addition to
permit processor clock cycles to be used that Referred to as a desktop superPC, the fASTRA these GPU-based computing cards, it has two
would otherwise be wasted. platform contains four GeForce 9800 GX2 quad-core Core i7 processors clocked at up to
Intel processors have supported a ma)(imum graphics cards, each housing a pair of Nvidia G92 3.2GHz, a system memory capacity of 64GB
of two threads per core and, despite requiring GPUs. Each GPU has 128 cores, so that's a total OOR) and up to 2TB of primary disk storage. In
many clock cycles to switch between threads, of 1,024 cores being brought to bear on the task. this top-of-the-line configuration, the system
have boasted a 15-30 per cent performance Reconstructing a lull 3D volume consisting of a shows the massive potential of GPU accelerated
boost. Nvidia GPUs, on the other hand, support billion elements, a job that took several days on computing by docking up 3.73 teraflops from
vastly more threads than that. Between its 240 a cluster of four quad-core PCS can now be its 960 GPU cores. Perhaps the price might be
cores. for example, the Tes/a no GPU can polished off within an hour using FASTRA. something of an eye-opener at just over f 12,000
support 32,720 threads and can typically switch Costing just 4,000 euros (around 0,6(0) to for a fully configured system, but in terms of the
between them on every clod cycle. build, this is truly a lot of processing bang for cost per flop this is very cheap.
your buck. Nvidia estimates that to get the same level
It's common for technologies developed in of performance using ordinary processors would
THE PERSONAL SUPERCOMPUTER academia to enter the mainstream. This is require no fewer than 48 quad-core chips. Since
In the realm of CPUs, the move to multiple cores certainly true of personal supercomputing. In a the cheapest quad-core CPUs cost about £220.
has progressed only to a moderate extent departure from its roots in high-performance to match the performance of a system with four
because there's a limit to how many cores can graphics, Nvidia is fuelling this revolution with its Tesla C1060s GPU cards using conventional
be used effectively in general-purpose Tesla GPU computing cards. CPUs would cost in the region of f 100,000 for
applications. The GPU has moved much further In a move away from traditional thinking. the processors alone. That doesn't include the
down that path because graphics processing is a the Tesla C1060 GPU Computing Processor is cost of building 24 dual -processor high-
lot easier to split into many parallel threads. Each essentially a graphics card without any performance workstations to house them.
thread can work on a different part of the screen video-output circuitry. Instead, it has been
and is largely independent of the others. optimised for high-performaoce computing.
Graphics processing isn't unique in the Based on the same n o Series GPU that powers POWER TO THE PEOPLE
degree to which a task can be split into many many graphics cards, it has a 240-core processor With prices in the region of £ 10,000, GPU-
threads that are worked on in parallel. Many of with a 1.3GHl clock speed, 4GB of memory and accelerated computing may sound like it's the
the power-hungry applications that require the achieves a speed of 933 gigaflops (that's billions sole domain of those with deep pockets and
vast computing resources of a supercomputer of floating point operations per second). To put seriously power-hungry applicat ions who can
also fall into this category. Consequently, GPUs this into conted, Intel's fastest processor, the justily the e)(pense. In reality, you might be able
are now starting to enter the upper echelons of 3.2GHz Core i7, has four cores and manages 51.2 to join the GPU computing revolution now for
superpowered computing. gigaflops. AMD has followe d a similar strategy no expenditure on hardware at all. Rather than
An exciting development that was with its GPU -b<lsed range of FireStream relying on dedicated GPU computing cards such
announced by the University of Antwerp in products, which are described as stream as the Tesla C1060, some software publishers
Belgium in May 2008 shows how this approach processors. Top 01 the range is the FireStream have included support for the GPU already
can provide a vast amount of computing muscle 9270, which perfoons 1.2 teraflops (1,200 present on the graphics card inside your computer.
for a very modest outlay. The university's Vision gigaflops) from its BOO-core GPU. One of the first companies to take advantage
lab research group is involved in the Neither Nvidia nor AMD build ready -to-go of the GPU in this way is Ekomsoft, which offers
development of new computing methods for systems based on their GPU -based computing a range of password-recovery solutions that
tomography. Tomography is a medical technique cards. However, third parties have been quick to allow you to open encrypted files even if you've
that combines a large number 01 X-ray use these products in personal supercomputers. lost the password. As a processor-intensive task,

... flfvidi,,'s Tesl" C1060 ... Using an 800-core GPU,


runs at a steady 933 gigaflops th-e FlreStream 9270 Is
lor tackling seriously AMO's top-ol-the-range
power-hungry applications \ hardware accelerator

COMPUTER SHOPPeR • JANUARY 2010


www.freedowns.net & www.journal-plaza.net
THE RISE OF THE GPU

but one that can easily take advantage of paraUel


processing. this is a dassic example of an
application that can employ the paraUel
processing architecture of the CPU to great
effect. The company claims that where a typical
PC with a Core 2 Duo could try out 350
cryptographic passwords per second in
attempting to open an Office 2007 document,
with a CeForce Cn< 295 graphics card at the
ready, this would increase to 8,400 per second,
When you bear in mind that opening a
document encrypted using even relatively weak
40-bit encryption can take several days on an
ordinary PC, it's clear just how significant an
improvement this really is.

GOING MAINSTREAM
Impressive as this speed-up may sound,
password recovery isn't exactly an everyday
requirement. But CPU acceleration is .starting to
become mainstream as yet more software
publishers recognise the benefits on offer. Adobe,
for e~ample, has provided CPU acceleration for ... The WSX218 Testa
uses foor 240'core GPUs
both ATI and Nvidia graphics cards in Photoshop to bring supercomput er
C54, the latest version of this popular image- performance levels
editing software. The CPU creates a user to the desktop
interface that can be manipulated much more
responsively than would be the case if the CPU Advanced support for the CPU has even provide performance gains in 20 graphics,
had to do all the work. made an appearance in Windows 7. Of course, gaming and multimedia, irrespective of whether
Induded on the list of benefits are real-time CPU support in the operating system isn't a or not the application supports CPU acceleration.
image rotation, zooming and panning. plus the prerequisite for application support - both Meanwhile, the fact that so much CPU
instantaneous and smooth viewing of changes. E!comsoft's password-recovery solutions am! acceleration is built into Windom means that
Adobe Photoshop C54 also taps the CPU for 20 Adobe Photoshop CS4 will work with Windows the technology is becoming standard. As
and 3D compositing and high-quality anti- XP or Vista - but it does mean that some tasks software developers start to assume that a
aliasing. which makes jagged edges of text and wiU automaticaUy benefit. For example, system will have a powerful CPU inside it, we
objects a thing of the past. Windows 7 has built in transcoding so you can can expect CPU support to snowbaU. Mac
CPU computing is also enabling 'processor- drag and drop a video file from 'lour desktop to users can also now enjoy the same advantages
heavy' video-editing and transeoding applications your portable player and it will immediately since Apple added CPU ac;celerat ion to Snow
from the likes of CyberLink, Nero, ArcSoft, begin converting that file using the CPU. leopard, the latest version of Mac OS X.
Elemental and MotionDSP, as well as more Microsoft has also greatly expanded the role Thought the supercomputer was only for the
common distributed processing applications such of DirectX in Windows 7 with four new APls, aU big boys? The days of supercomputing for all
as Folding@Homeand SETI@Home. of which can take advantsge of a CPU. This wiU might come around sooner than you think. EI

GPU meets CPU Converging processing units

JANUARY 2010 . COMPUTER SHOPPER


www.freedowns.net & www.journal-plaza.net
HDWlD ...
Share a printer with
Windows Vista
A computer connected to a PC can be shared with other
computers on your network. Julian Prokaza shows you how
laptop makes an id eal second computer for a I:'t Return to the Network and Sharing Center,

A household or smaU office that a\ready has"


desktop Pc. WiFi means it can get online from
anywhere within range of the wireless router. What it
U which should still be open. Since you 're setting
up printer sharing on a home network, Windows Vista's
network type should be set to Private. II not, dick the
can't do so easily is access the peripherals that 3re Customise option lor the network and work through
connected to a desktop PC - which, for most people, the Wizard. You will also need to enable Printer Sharing
means they can'! print. using the appropriate option in the list of Sharing and
A printer with Ethernet or WiFi built in will solve this Discovery options. Consider enabling the Password-
problem, but this is an unnecessary expef'lSe in most protected sharing option to control netwOl"k access to
situations. It's far simpler to share a printer over a your printer. Click Apply to linish.
network using Windows Vista's File and Printer sharing.
The PC that the printer is connected to must be on for E":I Click Start, Control Panel. Printer, which is
other computers to access the printer, but this is a 1::1 located under Hardware am! Sound. When t he
minor inconvenience for most people. If your pes have window opens, right-dick the printer you want to share
different Workgroup names, dick 'Change settings', and select Sharing. When the dialog bo~ appears, dick
Change and type in new names to make them match. the Sharing tab and enable the Share this Printer option.
You'll need to restart for the change to take effect. Make a note of the printer's Share name {and change it
to something easily identifiable, if necessary}. Click OK.

D First, ched that the host Vista PC (the one t he


printer is connected to with a cable) has File and
Printer Sharing enabled. Click the Start menu followed
.... Over on the other Windows Vista computer,
Ii.I click Start, Control Panel. Printers. When the
by Control Panel. Under the Network and Internet Printers Window opens, dick the Add a Printer button
heading. dick View Network Status and Tasks. On the on the toolbar, followed by Add a Network printer.
left, dick Manage Network connections. Right-dick the Vista will then display a list of network printers eligible
icon for your network adaptor {usually called Local Area for sharing. (lick the one you wanllo use and insla!l
Connection} and click Properties. When the Properties the printer in the usual way {you may need a passwOl"d,
dialog bo~ appears, make sure that the File and Printer depending on Step 2}. Repeat this last step for any
Sharing for Microsoft Networks is enabled. Click OK. other Pes you want share the printer with. CD

II

:;=---

·•• - .-.•- '-_...::-: ---


-.
",- -
-- -- ------.---
......
.. =-.:-~-
~
._...._--
' ::::.T__ -
,--
,---
:=-
._._--- -•
=--=--=--::=.
,,-.:;----
.-.--
~ ::::::...

.- L ________=~
I,;" .
COMPUTER SHOPPeR • JANUARY 2010
www.freedowns.net & www.journal-plaza.net
WINDOWS CALENDAR

HDWlD ...
Arrange meetings in
WindDws Calendar
Arranging a meeting is easier if you can send someone an invite that's added to
their calendar automatically. Adam Banks shows you how with Windows Calendar
indows Calendar comes with Vista ilnd web address for the venue 0( for a map of its ~ To add the selected contact to the

W mil~esit easy to organise your life both


at home and at work II supports the
independent iCatendar standard lor sharing
location on a site such as www.multimap.wm.
Any information you enter in the Notes
field at the bottom will also be passed on to
W invitees for your meeting. click the 'To- >'
button. The name is added to the Attendees list.
You can also add new people by clicking New
appointments, so it just takes a few click to attendees as part of the appointment file . By Contact and entering their details. When all your
send detai15 of an event such as a meeting to default, recipients are asked to confirm their participants are in the Attendees list, click OK.
everyone you want 10 invite. attendance. It's important to remember not
to enter any private notes here that others n Attendees you've ad ded appear beside
1:.1
D Stan Windows Calendar - the central
pane shows your calendar in the format
you chose in the View menu above: by day, week
shouldn·t read, such as "Must stop Oave telling
bad jokes and hogging the platfO(m this year".
Windows Calendar lets you maintain
the Invite button below. If you need to
remove anyone, click their name here and press
Oelete. Once the list is complete, click Invite.
or month, To move through the year to the date separate calendars for home, work and so on. You're taken into your default email program,
of your meeting, use the left and right arrows at If you have more t han one, use th e Calendar such as Windows Mail or Outlook, wh ere a new
the top 01 the mini-c(llendar in the Date pane at drop-down menu to select which this event message is generated with aU these contacts as
the top left. Cld a date here 10 move the main belongs to. The URL box below is for a web recipients. If you want to copy the email to
calendar view to this date, address at which this calendar will be available anyone who isn't invited. but should be aware of
Te create an appointment, right-dick a to other users; if you want to leam more about the meeting. add their addresses in the CC box.
time cell in the main calendar (or a day ceU if this particular function, click the Share menu, The details of your meeting are automatically
you're viewing by month) aM choose New Publish ... and then click the link labelled Where attached as an .ics file. This is an iCalendar
Appointment. An appointment box appears in can I publish this calendar?' document readable by many different programs,
the cell, with the name highlighted fO( you to including Microsoft Office and Apple's iCal. You
type over. Enter a title for your meeting and n In the box next to the Attendees ootton, may want to type a brief summary of the event
press Return. In the Oetails pane on the right, 1:.1 you can type the email addresses of the details into the body of the message.
edit the settings for your meeting. including intended participants in your meeting. However,
when it starts and finishes. If you can't see the since you'll probably be dealing with the same n When an invitee receives the email and
Oetails pane, open it via View, Oetails Pane. people again, it makes more sense to manage 1:.1 double-clicks the attachment, the
the ir coni act infO(mation using Windows appointment is displayed and added to their
EI When inviting others to a meeting. it Contacts. Click the Attendees button to open a calendar in their default calendar software. Any
U helps to include all the relevant details. window that lists all your existing contacts. You Notes you entered in Windows Calendar appear
If there are invitees from outside your building. can either select a name from the list on the left here as Notes too. Recipients a!so have the
enter the full address with poslCode so they can or click Find to search your contacts and select a option of making changes to the meeting and
program their satnavs. Vou could also paste in a name from the results that pop up. communicating them to the other attendees. III

--- --
-:-....-:=

~"-
--
;" ...
-
= =
';';;;; ~. --
--
- --
-----
------

JANUARY 2010 . COMPUTER SHOPPER


www.freedowns.net & www.journal-plaza.net
HDWlD ...
Organise and tag
phDtDs with Picasa 3.5
Adding tags to your photos makes it easy to find them later. Ben Pitt explains how
to sort, categorise and manage your pictures with Google's free organiser
ne of the best things about digital disk using Windows Explorer. Altematively, tell n A5 you browse your photos, add a star to

D cameras is that, with virtually no running


costs, you can take hundreds of photos
and pick the best later. This can give a massive
Picasa to search the contents of your hard disk
for digital photos when prompted.
If your photos are found in a location other
~ any ones you particularly like using the
button at the bottom of the screen. There's
another Star button at the top. under the Filters
boost to Ihe quality of yoor soaps, but it also than the My Documents folder, specify its heading. Clicking this shows only the photos that
requires a certain amount of discipline. If left location by clicking the Too15 menu, then Folder have been awarded a star. This is an excellent
unchecked, your photo collection can turn into a Manager. Browse to the folder in question and way to jump straight to your favourite shots.
huge mound 01 mostly rubbish snaps. select Scan Always. This win import all e)(isting You might also want to delete any photos that
Fortunately, there's no shortage of software photos, and also keep an eye on that folder for you definitely don·t want - just hit the Delete
to help you keep on top of your digital photo any new photos that appear there in future. key followed by Return.
library. Many of these are free, including our
favourite, Google Picasa, This program has just 1:1 Picasa presents photos in folders sorted by II!'I Anew and incredibly useful feature in
been updated to version 3.5, which adds lots U creation date. It uses the date information W Picasa 3.5 is automatic face recognition,
of new ways to organise ,md lag your photos. embedded in the photos by the camera, SO it which makes light work of tagging people you
Download and install the latesl version from won't matter when you copied them to the hard know in your photos. Most of the process is
http://picasaweb.google.com. disk or imported them to Picasa. However, this carried out automatically. To start it, simply
system becomes unstuck if the camera was set click the word Scanning on the left, under the

D When installing Picasa for the first time


rather than upgrading. you'll need to point
the software towards your photos' location on
to the wrong date. If you find that a particular
folder is out of sync with the others - perhaps
because the pictures were taken with another
People heading. It can take many hours for the
software to scan your photo library, but after a
while, faces should start to appear, ready for you
your hard disk. If you're well organised, they camera - right-click the folder name, select 'Edit to identify. Click 'Add a Name· and type in the
should aU be sitting neady in subfolders in the folder Description' and enter the date manually. person's name.
My Pictures folder, or some other deSignated If some folders are unhelpfully big with many If you use Gmail and you've signed in at the
location. However, most of us aren't quite so months' worth of snaps in a single location, top-right of the screen, names will automatically
tidy. There may be a few folders of photos on you'd be best to split them into smaller virtual link to email addresses in your contacts.
the desktop, or your photos might even be folders. This might sound complicated, but it's Otherwise, you'll be invited to enter additional
strewn haphazardly across the entire hard disk. really easy. Right-clid the picture where you information each time you introduce a new
You might want to take this opportunity to want to create the split, select 'Split Folder Here', name. If you're not interested in any particular
gather a[1your photos in one place on your hard type in a name and finally, click OK. faces that appe<lr, click the cross to ignore them.

...
.-
,--
I
Jill _ ......
--

COMPUTER SHOPPeR • JANUARY 2010


www.freedowns.net & www.journal-plaza.net
PICASA3.5

1':1 Picasa will then try to match other faces to a better one, click on the person in question add further pictures to this album using the
a with the ones you've already tagged. If it's to browse all the photos of him or her. same right-click option, but once an album is
confident - essentially, if a photo comes from Right-click the photo you like and select Set as created, it's easier to drag them to the album,
the same set - it will tag them automatically. Album Thumbnail. Another useful trick is to sort which appears at the top of the list on the left,
For other pictures, you'll need to confirm People by date so that you can see them getting Click the album name to view its contents.
whether Picasa has correctly identified them. As steadily older and wiser as you browse through Photos will appear in the order that you added
your list of tagged laces appears under the the photos! It's really simple to set up. Simply them, but you can reorder them by dragging the
People tab, those with potential extra matches right-click their name under the People heading thumbnails around the screen. Alternatively, it's
will show an orange question mark next to their on the left and select Sort Album By, Date. just as easy to right-click the album name and
names, Click on one of these and scroll down if select Sort Album By, Date.
necessary to find t he potential matches. which r:I PicaS<! 35 has improved facilities for
will have a tick and cross underneath them. 1:11 placing photos on a map, known as ~ With your photos now firmly under
Use these buttons to confirm 0( refute that geo-tagging. Click the Places tab at the W control, it's time to share the best ones
they've been correctly identified, or click the bottom-right to reveal a map of the world. with friends and family. Picasa syncs effortlessly
Confirm All button if they're all (crrect.1I Select a folder of photos t aken ilt a particular with Picasa Web Albums, which provides 1GB of
someooe h(ls been incorrectly recognised, but location, such as on holidilY. Navigate the map online storage space to host your photos.
you know who it is, simply right-dick the by dragging with the mouse and double-clding In Picasa, click the Tools menu, Options, Web
thumbnail select 'Add to People Allxim' al'l d pick to zoom in, or type in an address at the bottom. Albums. Make sure the Name Tags tickbox is
the correct l'Iame from the list. Altematively, When you've found the location where these checked and click OK. In the top-right corner of
drag the thumbnail on to the correct person photos were taken, click the green marker at the the screen, click 'Sign In to Web Albums'. Sign
under the People tab on the left. top of the map and click the point at which you in using your Gmail username and password, or
want to place these photos. Click OK, then Yes if you don't have one, click 'Sign up for Web
n PicaS<! is pretty good at correctly to confirm. If the location only relates to some Albums' and follow the instructions .
.:I identifying faces, but sometimes it misses photos in a folder, select the shots in question Once you're logged into the site via your web
a face altogether, Click the People tab at the and then tag them onto the map. To select a browser, click the Settings link at the top-right
bottom right. As you browse your library, if you series of photos, click the first one, hold down followed by the Privacy and Permissions tab. Tick
see a photo where a face hasn't bee n ident ified the Shift key and finally, click the last one. the box marked Use name tags to name people
at an, click 'Add a Person' manually at the bottom in my photos. This feature is off by default to
right, Draw a box around the face, click on 'Add a ~ When you wa l'ltto tag photos with words protect the privacy of friends and family
Name', type in their name and hit Return, ~ that aren't people's names or geographic members, so consider hiding name tags in public
locations, click the Tags button. These tags might allxims using the tick bo~ provided.
1:2 Once you've tagged quite a few photos, include a hobby or ilctivity, groups of people or You'll need to restart the Picasa software
U you'll be able to cld on people's names the time of yea r. Select a folder of images or iI before photos upload with name tag; correctly
in the left column to see all th e photos they selection of individual photos, type in a tag at embedded. Once you've done so, select some
appear in, Use the buttons towa rds the top-right the top of the Tag panel and hit OK. At the individual photos, a folder or an album and click
of the central panel to toggle between seeing bottom, you'll see recently used words appear in the Upload button at the bottom-centre of the
close-ups of faces and the full photo that they the Quick Tilgs buttons. You can easily refine screen. A new Wl!b album will ~ created
appear in. Meanwhile, in the People panel on the these by clicking on one of the free quick tilgs. automatically, or you can choose to add photos
right, you'll see a list of other people who also To search by tag. type into the box ilt th e to an existing album using the drop-down list.
appear in the selected collection of photos. To top-right of the screen. Searches wit! also include Choose from Public, Unlisted or Sign-in to decide
see all the photos with two or more particular People, folders and file names, while multiple how private your photos wiH be. Unlisted means
people, select one from the left and one or more words will find photos that match all the words. people will need to know the link to see the
from the right. To clear these filters, click the photos, while Sign-in means they'll need to have
Back to View All button in the green strip
towards the top of the screen. m Sometimes you'll want to group photos
together that come from different folders;
this is what Albums are for. Select one or more
a Picasa account and be specifically invited.
Now visitors will be able to view your web
albums, jump to photos showing specific people,
r.I Each of the People on the left is photos, right click and select Add to Album, see where they were taken and add comments,
1:1 represented by a thumbnail, lxit it's not New Album. Type in a name and any other lavishing you with praise for your fine
always the most flattering picture. To change it information you see fit and click OK. You can photography skills. Ii]

- ..

,
.
.-.-
. ~

-- =~
• .--
•• •

I =--=----;:::- •

--
JANUARY 2010 . COMPUTERSHOPPER
www.freedowns.net & www.journal-plaza.net
PRINTING PICTURES

HDWlD ...
Print multiple pictures
on one sheet of paper
You don't need complex photo-editing software to print more than one image on a
single sheet of paper, Elaine Edwards explains how easy it is to get great results
uppermost corner and initially each will be n Once yoo've chosen the layoot option

P
rinting your own digital photos is a simple
and convenient alternative to getting ticked. These indicate which photos will be K:I you wa nt, click on it. The Wizard will
them processed professionally. However, printed. If there are some pictures you don't automatically create a preview 01 the printed
it's also possible to spend hours lining up small, want to print. click in the box to deselect them. page in the right-hand box.
individual AS sheets when printing individual If the folder contains many more pictures There is also an option within this window
photos_If you only have A4 sheets, you could than you want to print, it may be quicker to click to print your images more than once, so each
a!50 waste a lot of paper if you want smaller on the Clear AU button near the bottom right, picture coold appea r up to 1S times. This is
prints. Printing mort' t han one image on to an and go throogh the pictures one-by-one, dicking useful il you want to send the same selection 01
A4 sheet could save you lime and money. the boxes 01 those you want to print. pictures to a number 01 people.
We've e~plained how to use Windows XP To print the images more than once, either
here, but Windows Vista has a similar feature n Once yoo're happy with yoor selection, type in the number of duplicates of each image
- and it's even easier to use. Select all the files 1:.1 dick on the Next button at the bottom of you want within the Dialog Box next to 'Number
you want, right -dic~ one of them and choose the window and you'll be as~ed to specify a of times to use each picture' or choose the
Print. You can set up layout5 and duplicates printer. Select the appropriate one from the number by clicking the up and down arrow
using the same techniques as listed below. drop -down menu. Click the Next button again. buttons to the right 01 it (see below).
This is a very useful function, but remember
~ You now have the opportunity to select
D Ensure aU the pictures you want to print
are in one folder, It doesn't matter if there
are other pictures in there that '100 don't want
IiJ the appropriate layout for your pictures. In
the left-hand portion of the window there are
that you will have to wt the images into
individual photos if you choose to print 10
copies of each one. This is because the Wizard
to print, because you don't have to print representations of pages, each showing different will print 10 copies of the first picture followed
everything in the folder. However, it's important layouts. Use the scroll bar to scroll through the by 10 copies 01 the second image and so on.
that the pictures you want are a\( together. options available to you. We want to have four You'll see this in the Print Preview window.
Once all the pictures are together in one pictures on one page. but there are varioos
folder, highlight the folder by left-clicking it once options to allow '100 to place two, nine or even n At this stage, you may find that you want
and the n Click on 'Print pictures', which appears 3S pictures on a single page. 1:1 to remove a picture from your selection or
in the Picture Tasks list on the left of the screen. II you're planning to display the pictures after add a new one. Click on the Sack button twice to
printing without wtting them out, it's worth open the Picture Selection window. Select or
EI The Photo Printing Wizard window wi\( grouping them according to their orientations deselect the images as before, Then click the
U now appear. Click the Next Button to before you start printing - otherwise some might Next button until '100 reach the last stage. When
continue. Large thumbnailS of all the pictures in be upside down. Yoo could put all the portrait you're completely happy with your selection arld
the highlighted folder will appear. Each individual images together in a separate lolder or select layout, dick on the Next button lor a final time
picture has a selection tickbox at its right only portrait or landscape images together. and the images will be sent to your printer. GJ

•. ----
~ _H ___ -.-
..
0" , -
- "c____---,
-:;';;-;';;;;;;;;'- - .

-::..- I~l
.---
J _ ' __
J
:::::t=.H'-------
t .r..
.-'l -- - .....
== -----
,
"
....
'-" ~~-

l.;j •• _-


---- E
=
4

, .. G:JL-' C -.:::c::;;,::) -

COMPUTER SHOPPeR • JANUARY 2010


www.freedowns.net & www.journal-plaza.net
SPOTIFY

HOW TO •••
Share music with Spotify
If you want the ultimate music collection , Spotify is the perfect tool. Ben Pitt
explains how to stream tracks over the internet and create your own playlists
~ If you end up with a collection of tracks

S
potity is a revolutionary service that has
made a huge impact on the way people
listen to music. Rather than buying songs
D Spotily's homepage makes various
recommendations, but the first thing
you'!! probably want to do is to search for your
Ii.I you want to revisit, click on the words
'New playlist' on the left, type in a name for the
up front, users subscribe for a flO monthly fee, favoorite music. Type the name of an artist, playlist <lnd drag tracks or albums to it You can
which gives them unlimited acct'S5 to millions of album or track into the Search ba r at the top and also drag tracks from your recent search results,
trilch with exceUent sound quality. It's not the hit Return. To playa track, double-click its name. the play queue or any ot her location. It's e<lsy to
only subscriptioo-based music service, but it's Alternatively, click on an album title to view the find a track yoo've recen!!y listened to, simply
easily the best, and it makes it simple to discover tradlisting and listen to in its entirety, or did dick Play queue then the Histoty tab.
new music and recommend it to friends. on an artist name to see all their available music.
Spotify also has a free service that's funded To revisit your search results, use the Back n It's easy to share music recommendations
by banner and audio advert5. However, its buttoo at the top-left of the screen. You'll <lLso 1:1 with other $potily users. Right -click any
phenomenal success has meant that Spotily is find links to the l<lst five se<lrches just below. track, album, artist or playlist and select Copy
currently not accepting any more new Spotily URL, and paste this link into an email or
subscribers to its free service except by invitation E'I Most artist listings include a biography, blog. Alternatively, drag a track, album, artist or
- Premium subscribers can invite two friends to U a Top hits sectioo with the five most play list name directly into your email software.
the join the free 5ervice each month, popular tracks plus a list of similar artists, These Yet <lnother w<ly to sh<lre recommendations is
Doing away with adverts isn't the only are great for finding new music that you might to right-c~d; any item and select Share to,
incentive to pay £ 10 a month for $potily like, <lnd the Top hits serve <IS a useful F<lcebook. This creates a link on your F<lcebook
Premium, This service also runs on the iPhone, introduction to an artist's work. At the top of profile with minimal effort.
iPod Touch and phooes running Google Android, some pages is an Artist radio tab, which It's also possible to let other people edit your
streaming music over WiFi and 3G connections. recommends music by other similar musicians, play lists to encourage some dialogue. You might
It also allows U5ers to cache up to 3,333 tracks These are listed with deta ils of the genres and start a play!ist called 'Ultimate Rock Anthems',
for playb.ack where there's no network coverage. decades their work appears in. Everything in and see what your friends decide to add to it To
Visit www.sporify.com.dick Get Started, Buy Spotily works as a link, so click a decade or genre do so, right-dick the play!ist's name and select
Premium and enter your details. Choose a to see more music that fits th05e pa ram eters, 'Collaborative Playlist'. Anyone can edit or delete
U5emame carefully as this will appear when these. so be careful where you post it.
sharing music with others. Download and run ~ Rather than just listening to the first few
the installer,launch the application, enter your 1::,1 seconds of each track, drag tracks to the r.!I Se<lrch Google for 'Spotily pl<lylists' and
usemame and password and, finally, tick Play queue on the left of the screen. Tracks will 1:1 you'll find numerous websites that let
'Remember me' You might also have to unblock now play in the order in which you add them to people publish their playlists, Use these sites to
the application in yoor firewall - if a request this list. Click on the Play queue to view the list spread the joy With your own favoorite music, or
appears, click Unblock, Yoo'll then be greeted and to change its order, Entire albums can be to discover wh<lt other people <Ire listening to,
with a Welcome screen, but ignore that and added to the Play queue too - simply drag the Clicking a link on a website is all it takes to
click Close to get straight down to business. album title acroS5 and its tracklist will pop up. import a playlist to yoor own Spotily account. Ii]

------_.. _...-
-----
_. .
..; ~..

JANUARY 2010 . COMPUTER SHOPPER


www.freedowns.net & www.journal-plaza.net
SYNCTOY

HDWlD ...
Sync files with SyncTDY
Synchronising the contents of two folders is a clever way to make easy backups,
particularly if their contents don't change very often. Ben Pitt explains how
veryone knows how important it is \0 back either an entire disk or a specific folder. For the player or satnav. Alternatively, you might choose

E up. However, it's amazing how unhelpful


even the best backup applications can be
at helping to configure a comprehensive backup
Right Folder, select a location on your PC's hard
disk If you're backing up a portable device,
create a new folder and give it a descriptive
to copy only the photos from your phone,
ignoring all other files. To do so, enter .jpg where
it says 'Files to include'.
plan. They take care of the files on your hard name such as Mobile phone sync. If you regularly
disk, but what "bout the contents of your flash back up your My Documents folder or some ~ In our case, we don't want to copy the
drive, mobile phone, salnav and MP3 player? other location, create this new folder there so it W MP3s on our phone, as these are already
SyneToy is a free utility from Microsoft that will be included in your normal backup rOl.lline. duplicated in our PC's iTunes folder. This is done
makes it easy to keep fjles in different locations Click Next when you're done. either by adding .mp3 to the 'Files to e~dude'
synchroni5ed. Synchronisation iso't the same as section, or by clicking 'Select subfolder' and
backup - it won't keep previoos versions of files E"I SyncToy 2.0 has three modes for copying unticking the folder containing the MP3s.
so it won't protect yoo from corrupted data, U files. 'Synchronise' copies any new or
virus infection or accidental deletion. However, if updated files in both directions from one folder n Click OK to return to the main screen. At
you synchronise Ihe contents 01 your portable to the other. Any file renames or deletes will K:.I the bottom right there are two buttons:
devices with a folder on your PC, you can add be duplicated too. This option is ideal when Preview and Run. Clicking Preview performs a
this folder to your normal PC backup routine. replicat ing documents on multiple PCs on a practice nm of the synchronisation, Click Run to
SyncToy has lots of other useful roles. II you network. 'Echo' makes the same cha nges, but it's copy the files, If multiple jobs are configured,
have more than one PC on a home network, a one-way process. Any cha nges to the left dick All folder Pairs on the left and then Run AlL
SyncToy can synchronise copies of your folder are replicated in the right one, but not vice
documents on each computer, updating the versa. This is the best option for backing up a n SyncToy doesn't have built-in scheduling
most recently changed or created files, regardless removable device, as changes to the backup 11:1 to make it run automatically at a certain
of which PC they were edited on, won't affect the originals, 'Contribute' acts like time of day, but it is possible to do so using
Visit http://tinyurl.comlsynctoy2and 'Synchronise' but it doesn't duplicate deletions. Windows' own Task Scheduler. To find out how
download SyncToySetupPackage.exe. Those Choose the option that bestlits your needs to set this up, cld the Help menu, then SyncToy
running 64-bit versions of Windows should and click Next. Name the folder pair - giving it a Help, and search for 'schedule'.
download the x64 installer. Double-click the file descriptive name will help if you come 10 create However, scheduling isn't appropriate if
and follow the instructions to install it, then run various other folder pairs - and dick Finish. you're synchronising with a removable device,
it from the Start menu. which will only be connected at unpredictable
n Click the 'Change opt ions' button. For times of the day. It might be useful to have a
E:I
D Connect the device that you want to
synchronise with your PC In SyncToy,
click Create New Folder Pair, Under the left
most people, the defaults will be line, but
let's take a look at what's available. SyncToy
copies any files it finds, but you might want to
shortcut on the desktop to remind you to use it
when it's connected, though. To create one,
locate SyncToy in the Start menu, right-dick and
Folder heading. click Browse and locate the exclude hidden or system files if these aren't drag it to th e desktop. When you release t he
device you wan t to synchronise. This can be relevant - perhaps when backing up an MP3 mouse, choose Create Shortcuts Here. G:I

- .... - .....
.. -_... _...... _•-.- -- --
--
-' •-- - __ H,,_
----~-~

,- - --
-
...-
...!..-
,,-
..
--
.-

COMPUTER SHOPPeR • JANUARY 2010


www.freedowns.net & www.journal-plaza.net
GST DRIVE FITNESS TEST

HOW TO •••
Test your hard disk
A fault with your hard disk can see all your data wiped out. David Ludlow
shows you how to check your drive with the free GST Drive Fitness Test

W
e've all become used to having masses
of storage space, which most of us
SlUff full of gigabytes of photos.
._-•
videos, music aod important documents without
- ---
.. - -- ---
a second thought. As wonderful as this all is, hard
disks are mecharlical and therefore quite
sensitive. They can deteriorate rapidly and, even
- I
--1-
. _--

if they don't lock up complelely. they can cause


problems with some fjles .
Although yoo should make regular backups of
your data, it's al50 worth checking your hard disk
if you're suffering from problems 10 make sure
-
that it's working properly. We'll show you how
to lest your hard disk for free using Hitachi CST's
Drive Fitness Test application (www.hitachigst.
com/hdd/supportldown/oad.htm) , Don't worry 1..--- - --, , - -01
- this works on all brands of hard disks. It's run L- J I-'"'"ll='J 1'--"1 1-" · 1
from a bootable CD, and we'll show you how to
make Ihalloo. Before you begin, we recommend
[,., ., ,~ . To"
[';".... '., - .
~.
making a complete backup of your Pc.

HOW HARD DISKS WORK


The problem with hard dish is that they're
mechanical. and are therefore prone to faults.
Inside the sealed enclosure are a series of
platters, which are disks stacked above each Heat, as for Olher components, can cause EI BOOT FROM THE CD
other, These platters, like floppy dish, store data massive problems inside a hard disk, so make U Put the CD in your optical drive and
magnetically, and are written to and read by sure that the inside of your PC is kept cool and restart your Pc. Set the 8105 so that your optical
heads that sit just above the surface. Hard disks add more cooling il necess.a ry. The Iree SpeedFan drive is the first boot device. Yoo'li be given a
are very sensitive to movements, as sudden jerks utility (www.almico.com!speEdfan.php)canhelp further menu with a choice ollwo oplions.
can make Ihe heads touch Ihe platter and you monitor your computer's temperatures. Select the second option, press Enter and accepl
destroy any data that's stored on the disk, Modem hard disks have built-in S,MAR.T. the licence agreement. The Orive Fitness Test
If you get problems when you run Drive technology. This lets your BIOS and other program will then detect your ha rd dish, and will
Fitness Test, make sure your hard disk is firmly applications talk to the disk and see if there are as~ for confirmat ion that this list is the correct
attached inside the case and that your computer any problems. S.M.A.R.T. can also notify you 01 one. Select Yes.
is slanding firm on a level surface. We've known an impending disk failure before it happens.
of a computer that was kept on an Finally, Ihe interface between the hard disk n RUN A QUICK TEST
old wobbly desk constantly having severe and your PC can cause problems if it's damaged, 1:1 Select the hard disk that you want to test
problems wi th corrupted Windows files. In this case, there's nothing you can do but and th en choose Qui(~ Test. On the next screen,
replace the hard disk. It's worth checking that dick Start. Drive Fitness Test will now I\ln a
PROBLEM DETECTION the cables are plugged in firmly firsl, Ihough. series of diagnostic tests on your hard disk to
Other problems can affecl a disk, including lots make sure it's working property. If the software
of bad areas on its surface (known as seclors).
These might be detected in normal use only
when you fill your disk up and your computer
D CREATE BOOT DISC
Drive Fitness Test runs from a CD you can
create yoorself. Download the ISO file from www.
detects any errors, you'll be told at the end of
the test; otherwise, you'll get a green completion
message. Click OK to accept it. With a new disk
starts trying to access these areas. By running a hitachigst.comlhddl5UppoTt/download.htm and this test should show that it's working correctly.
system scan beforehand, you can detect and save it to your hard disk. If you have a CD-burning If you're testing an older hard disk, follow Step 4.
avoid these bad sectors. These will be marked as utility, use thaI to write the ISO file to CD.
'bad' by the hard disk, which prevents data being If you don't have a CD-burning application, . . . ADVANCED TEST
written to them at any point in the future, but download the free ISO Recorder from http:// Iri.I The Quick Test doesn't give the drive a fuU
you should repla ce the hard disk if you find isorfforder.alexfeinman.com. Version 2 is lor workout. For this you will need to run t he
that you have a large number of them. Windows XP and Version 3 is lor Windows Advanced Test. This will run more thorough tests
Mechanical problems are also a big worry. A Visla (Windows 7 has built-in ISO support), so and will check Ihe surface of the disk for errors.
damaged disk can make a horrible, metallic make sure you identify the correct one before As this involves cheding every part of the
dunking sound. While there's little that can be downloading it. Once Ihe software is installed, disk, it will take a lot longer to I\ln than the
done to prevent this in the long term, running right-click on the ISO file that you downloaded Quick Test, but it's worth doing. particularly if
diagnostic tests that access the whole disk can and select Copy image to CD. Put a blank CD you 're chec~ing an old hard dis~ lor errors. It's
wam you 01 polential mechanical failure in the inlo your drive and click Ned. This should start also essential if you think that your hard disk
future by giving the hard disk a good workout. the process 01 copying the ISO file to the CD. could be suffering from mechanical problems. GJ

JANUARY 2010 . COMPUTER SHOPPER


www.freedowns.net & www.journal-plaza.net
HDWITWDRKS
Video &audio downloads
These days we demand vast amounts of data from the internet. SimDn Handby
explains how rich content such as videos and music is delivered to your computer
or around three decades, computer users serious demands for Quality of Service (QoS) - One longstanding solutiOll to this problem is

F have bt>en using the internet, and the


bulletin boa rd systems thaI preceded it, to
e~change information. While much of this has
an assurance that data will arrive at a sufficient
rate for the stream to be maintained without
interruption. While upgrades to the internet's
for I$Ps to implement web caches within their
infrastructure that store a local copy of remote
files as they are downloaded by end-users, Once
always been simple text messages and emails infrastrtlcture enable it to cope better, internet the first user has downloaded a file, a copy is
that comprise no more than a few kilobits of service providers (ISPs) and major content saved in the cache, which makes it available to
da ta, the nature - and amount - 01 infonrnation producers are interested in S'(5tems that reduce the I$P's other customers who want to download
sent betwe en pes hils changed dramatically. their costs and improve customers' experience. it. By caching popular files, I$Ps reduce download
As the capabilities of computers, and the This month, we look at how they work. times and save themselves money by cutting the
links between them, have grown. we've become amount of data they transfer,
increasingly accustomed to using the internet to CACHE IN HAND Many corporate networks use internet caches
source and download larger amounts of Standard internet downloads are normally for similar reasons, while all browsers store
information. In the backgrou nd, anti-virus and conducted on a one-tO-Olle basis, most recently downloaded content within a temporary
anti-spam programs rely on the net for news 01 commOllly via the same HTIP protocol by which folder. When you visit multiple pages on the
the latest threats, while our operating systems web content is transferred, In the most basic same website, your browser stores local copies of
use it to make sure that they're up to date. At scenario, a web page might contain an embedded common files such as logos and the images for
the same time, we search for the latest drivers photo that's stored on the same server as the navigation buttons so they are already to hand,
and use intemet transfers to obtain files that are web page's HTML file, When the end-user's Caching has its limitations, though. Each
la rger tha n ever before, including images as well browser loads the web page, it requests the source file must be downloaded at least once
as TV broadcasts and other kinds of video. photo from the server, which directly transfers it. before it's stored in the cache, cached content
As more users download ever larger amounts This setup works well when the file is smal! and may become outdated, and caches can't always
of data, the demands on the links that make up not in heavy demand, but for a larger, more store traffic sent through other protocols stich as
the internet have grown way beyond what was popular file - a high-res photo that illustrates a HTI PS, which is encrypted.
originally imagined, In addition, the real-time breaking news story, for example - demand for
streaming of audio, video and even the content the data can quickly overwhelm the server, or LIGHTENING THE LOAD
for online worlds such as Second Life introduce more usually its link to the internet. While most web hosts have high-capacity
connections to the internet that can more than
handle the typical level of demand for that host's
BBC iPlayer Lega l Video down loads sites, this isn't the case for an end-user, who
might still want to make a file available to large
While file-sharers have been illegally such as the iPhone, Speaking to CNET UK in numbers of people. With a limited upload speed,
transferring copyrighted TV programmes for May, Vision and Online Media Group and possibly a data cap, they could quickly be
many years, recent moves by the TV controller Anthony Rose explained that the swamped by the demand for a popular file if the
companies have seen legitimate downloads corporation aimed to stream content from host made it available via a OIle-to -one protocol
enter the mainstream, The BBC's iPlayer is UK locations but t hat "on a big night where such as HTIP or FTP.However,asMP3sand
doubtless the most succes~ul service in the everyone is watching The Apprentice, the other compressed music files grew in popularity,
UK, and its impact on the amount of data content-delivery networks'local UK servers so did file-sharing software such as Napster,
being downloaded by households has been get maxed out, and they begin delivering While today's Napster is a legitimate music
so significant that ISPs have called on the from a server in France", download service, the numerous users of the
BBC to help fund upgrades to their networks. He added: "I think that just for streaming, original program were able to share music files
iPlayer content is generally available to iPlayer uses about 60GB [or 7.5GB every freely, usually without the copyright holder's
stream, or as DRM-protected downloads. $Kond[ of bandwidth in an evening peak,» penrnission, At a few megabytes each, MP3s were
Initially, the BBC used Kontiki PZP to deliver and explained that, once downloads and considered large at a time when broadband was
downloads, but this attracted criticism from iPhone traffic W1'!re factored in, total iPlayer expensive, yet comparatively slow and dial-up
users who weren't happy to contrib ute traffic could peak at 1Z.5GB per second, and internet access was still very common, Napster
uploads to the system, The corporation says total 7 petabytes (7,OOO,OOOGB) per month, used peer-to -peer (PZP) protocols to distribute
that its December 200B move to files between users, improving download speeds
abandon P2P was partly in recognitio n and removing the need for a central server that
of a lower than expected proportion would have to store copyrighted materiaL Its
of downloads, which it says ma ke up popularity paved the way for other P2P services
only around a tenth of iPlayer traffic. such as BitTorrent, which is widely used today,
Downloads are currently served over In a P2P distribution network (see diagram,
HTIP by the BBC's own servers whic h above right), computers rtlnning the client
are operated by Siemens in two software act as both servers and clients - able to
independent facilities, download content that their users request, and
Streaming content presents a bigger subsequently provide it to other users within the
challenge for the BBC, which uses network. Unlike a traditional one-to-one
various CONs including Akamai and its download, where the client starts with a single
com pditors, along with specialised internet address where the file to be downloa ded
services that stream to mobile devices ... iPiayer no longer uses a P2P delivery method 'lives', a P2P application must first discover a list
of peers that may have the content it requires,

COMPUTER SHOPPeR • JANUARY 2010


www.freedowns.net & www.journal-plaza.net
VIDEO AND AUDIO DOWNLOADS

Bits and pieces How HTTP and P2P f ile sharing works file that they are increasingly being used by
commercial content providers as a way to
HTTP _____-'.2.
-- reduce their own bandwidth requirements. One
such example is the peer-assisted content
delivery network Kont iki, which is used by
video-on-demand services including 40D and Sky
Anytime. The Kontiki client combines pieces of a
file downloaded from a central server With other
pieces exchanged over a P2P relationship with
other end-users, speeding up each individual's
download and reducing the server bandwidth.
Kontiki claims to provide a 'netwocK topology
aware' system, where centralised servers gather
infocmation on connected clients and use it as
the basis for intelligent connections between
peers. These are optimised by proximity on the
network, so priocity is given to peers within the
same local network or on the s.ame ISP, with the
aim of maximising the bandwidth between peers
and minimising slow and unreliable net traffic.

EXPRESS DELIVERY
While both conventional downloads and P2P
transfers send data through the internet, another
distribution mode! reduces reliance on the net to
a minimum. So-called Content Delivery
Netwocks {CDNS}, such as that run by the US
firm Akilmai, use a privately owned network of
Three PCs (leechers) want to download a file (divided into three pieces: A, B and C) from a servers and links to distribute content in parallel
fourth PC (seed). With a one-to-one protocol such as HTIP (top left), a distinct copy of the file with internet traffic, reducing the reliance on
is sent to each PC at a high bandwidth cost to the seed. With P2P, (ll t he seed PC sends piece A congested and unpredictable public links.
to leecher I, (2) which forwards it to leecher 2 while the seed sends piece R to leecher 3. Next, In the most typical implementation, Akamai's
(3) the seed sends piece C to leecher 2 and is no longer involved, while leecher 1 downloads network acts as a transparent mirror site for its
piece R from leecher 3. (4) Leecher 3 now sends piece R to leecher 2, which sends piece C to customers' content. Visitocs to a client's website
leecher 1. (5) In t he final step, PC 1 sends piece C to leecher 3. All three leechers can become receive some data from the client's servers, but
new seeds for the fi le, but the init ial seed has only sent one copy, using a third of t he bandwidth requests for certain content - typjcaUy larger
HTIP requ ired, The initial seed's bandwidth savings are far greater in real, far larger, peer groups. files or file types requiring optimum QoS - are
redirected to Akamai's network, which .stores
duplicates 01 that content on various servers
As with the original Napster, this can be as network, removing the need for a central server. hosted around the world. The network uses
simple as contacting a centralised server that By using a technique known as Distributed Hash infocmation such as the visitor's location to
maintains a list of participating clients and the Tables {DHTs}, the responsibility for maintaining determine the most suitable server from which it
files hosted by each, but although this approach the tracker data is spread among the nodes on should provide the requested data, which ideally
is efficient, it also means that a server problem the system in such a way that it is resilient to traverses a minimal amount of the internet
can halt the whole network. Another approach is any of the nodes dis.appearing - as frequently before reaching the visitor. While a (DN's
to decentralise the netwock, so that each peer happens when a user loses their internet customers must pay for using it to distribute
must find others by searching through a connection or simply tums their PC off. their content, they make s.avings by reducing
pre-supplied list of those that are likely to be their bandWidth, and have greater control over
working. along with its own locally held lisL REDUCING NETWORK TRAFFIC its quality and availability to the end user.
Even when operating as a decentralised netwock, Although caching. P2P and CDNs are all
FLOODING THE GROUP BitTorrent's use of DHTs provides a structured effective ways to streamline the delivery of
On a decentralised, unstructured network, a way for a peer to find others who have the content across the internet, various groups are
cOll1pt1ter that has established a suitable peer content it needs. This removes the need for working to improve current implementations,
groop looks for content by 'flooding' the group flooded queries, reducing network traffic, but often combining existing ideas in new ways,
with a request that goes to each member. This crucially, it also means that a file can be found One example is Proactive Network-Provider
will discover peers with widely di.stributed and downloaded even if it 's hosted on only a Particip.ation for P2P, oc 'P4P', which provides a
content such as a recent TV programme, for single active machine in the entire user base. way for ISPs to publish details of their network
e~ample. It's less likely to find rarer content Ri!Torrent transfers data along the s.ame lines structure to P2P software. Armed with such
thoogh, such as an obscure MP3 file, which may as other P2P protocols. A peer - known as a seed infocmation, P2P clients can prioritise peers that
exist in the wider network of P2P users, but not - that hosts a file makes it available as a number are within the same ISP network - tests show
within a given group of peers. Another downsi de of identically sized pieces, typically around that this improves download speeds and reduces
of flooding is the large amount of signalling 2S6KB. Another peer - known as a leecher - the data flowing between an I$P and the net.
traffic it creates between P2P netwock nodes. requests these pieces and, as they begin to arrive, Work is also under way to improve P2P's
Ri!Torrent, the most widely used P2P itself makes them available to ability to stream content in real time.
protocol at present, can operate as either a other peers who wish to Ne~tShare, described as an
centralised or decentralised netwock, The download the file. A key tactic FURTHER READING open-source P2P video-
protocol ociginally relied on central servers is foc leechers to target the BitTorrl!flt delivery platform, expands on
maintaining indexes of available content and rarest pieces of a file first. to ~bi(torrem:.org the BitTorrent protocol While
'trackers', which co-ocdinate communications balance the ava ilability of all The P4P workJ Ilg group it's not yet in widespread
between peers who are sharing a specific file. of its content, and by doing so, www,OfJenp4p.II<'( public use, its developers, the
While the introduction of multi-tracker maximise the speed at which P2p-Next P2P-Next Project, claim that it
torrents helped to improve resilience in this it can be downloaded. WWw·plp-lI<'xtorg will allow everyone "to
model. a later innovation was to introduce Peer-to-peer protocols are broadcast a live stream, such
Ahmai HOVIdeo NetWOrk
distributed trackers, where the information is so effective at reducing the ~akamili.«>m as a live webcam or TV channel,
spread throughout nodes on a SitTocrent load on the initial seed of a to millions of users". EJ

JANUARY 2010 . COMPUTERSHOPPER


www.freedowns.net & www.journal-plaza.net
~ Make your website
w work on mobiles
D.. To ensure your website looks great on a handheld device, you
need separate style sheets. Nik Rawlinson explains how to do it

><
W I
f 'IOU aren't designing ')lOur website for mobile
browsers, you're weI! behind th e times. Thanks to a
new generation of smartphones, iPhones and iPod
Touches, a growing proportion of 'lour visitors are likely
to be bored commuters, kids on the school bus, or
The secret is to use one page, two style sheets and a
few lines of PHP to detect which browser th e viewer is
using. and then pick the most appropriate style sheet
for the device through which the visitor is browsing.

disappointed dates who are passing the time before IDENTITY PARADE
making their excuses. Do 'IOu wa nt 10 turn th em away? Every browser - mobile or des~top - identifies ilself to
$tat(ounler's stat s have the iPhone and iPod Touch th e .server from which it loads pages. Its name is part of
topping the mobile browser polls. Aggregating their the User Agent, which is a string of data containing its
ma<1<et share for May 2009 shows them responsible for name, version and rendering engine. You can test this
more than one third of all handheld browsing. Opera's by creating a new page containing the following code:
mobile edition accounted for a quarter, and Nokia
trailed in third place with 17 per cenL None of these <?php
browsers win trip up on a regula r page, bu l if 'Iou want tbrowser - t _SERVER [ ' HTTP_USER-AGENT ' ) ;
your site to fea ture in 'lour visitors' bookmarks 'Iou echo t browser;
should follow the lead of the Guardian and the SSC.
They both offer mobile versions of their sites that strip
down the pages to their fundamentals. We don't mea n Save it with a .php extension. upload it to your server
plain text or anything as primitive as WAP - just easy- arld browse to it twi ce: once in 'lour regular browser,
lo-read, easily scanned pages Iha t help 'Iou navigate and once in a rival browser instaUed on your machirle.
with the touch of a finger and present as much detail Each will display a different line of da ta identifying
as possible at each screen's default zoom level the specific brow.ser build. In Internet Explorer, it will
Here we'll explain how to make your website wo<1< include the term 'MS IE'. In Safari, you should.see the
on a mobile device - without doubling up content on word 'WebKi\', and if you view it on an iPhone or iPod
each page. Google hates duplicate content, and if you Touch, it wiU irlclude the words 'i Phone' or 'iPod'.
INTRODUCTION want to maintain the good search ranking for which We can interrogate this information using PHP and
you've worked so hard, 'Iou should do all 'Iou can to a search command that hunts out a specific portion of
Remember when browsing the ensu re that the page content features in Google's text. That command is strpos, which looks for a string
internet on your phone was OiIn database just once. furthermore, if 'Iou were to create of teKt (hence the 'str' part of the command) and
expensive curiosity? Mobile two versions of every page it would be more work and returns the position at which it appears (the 'pos' pa rt
browsers w ere instruments of take up twi ce the space on th e server. of th e command). The result is a number pirlpointing
visual torture that mangled how ma ny characters into the data the
pages and kept you wlliting string starts or, if it doesn't appear, returns
for seconds at iii time as they a fail. This failure is key to the job in hand.
downloaded primitive card
stacks. These days, however, . .,,, :;3-"" CODE BREAKERS
it's become a matter of
--,- - .. As we want to create a page that

.-- , .._,,-_....,
routine to check the latest --1,.- '''''- --" automatically picks a regular style sheet
cricket scores from II cllfe, " ...... for full-size browsers and a mob ile one for
emilil from the train and iPhones and iPod Touches, we can use
watc.h YouTube as you stand the command to search through th e User
in line at the bank.
The easy availability of - ,,_.--- . --.

• ---.
Agerlt lor the terms 'iPhOrle' arld 'iPod'
and, if eithe r appears, show just the mobile
always-connected mobile
devices with all-you-can-eat
..-
.......... _...... --.'-'- stylesheet. Create a new file (we've called
ours news.php) and enter the code in the
browsing tariffs hilS changed
the way we use the net
forever. Catering for mobile
- screenshot on the left (or download it
from lWMI.shopperexpert.(Q.uk) . Pass
this file to 'lour server and load it in your
viewers is no longer an _._._M_",
_ _ ,_w, ___
.."'...... _____ ..,_ N"__ .......
_._._ ._~
browser. The results aren't very inspiring,
optional extra for the jobbing _ _ . - . ·.. _ _ ... . . - . . _ .... u ........ _ _ _ .... _
but they're really just the building blods:

__.__.
_ _ . . . ._ . . . . ._ . . . .M

web designer - it's a must. all the information is there on the page,
Fortuniiltety, it's eelsy to uter and it just needs styling.
._...... - .......
to their needs with it little bit
of CSS and some snippets of
PHP, as we'll show you here.
' -----..-.....
...............
~..-..

.. -...... _.-
The most important part is th e PHP
code that appears betwee n the opening
c:?php and the ?> that precedes the

.- '.
'.N'''-'--_
.::title> tag. This .section interrogates the
User Agent and selVes up the appropriate
Nik Rawlinson style sheet. In this ca.se, we have created
Web deV!!loper Orle style sheet lor iPhOrle and iPod Touch
... The PHP code needed to determine which browse r is being used is use rs, and another for visitors using a
actually quite simple regular browser on a desktop or laptop

COMPUTER SHOPPeR • JANUARY 2010


www.freedowns.net & www.journal-plaza.net
WEB EXPERT

... --
computer. Section-by-section, it worts like this.
-_._-----
..----~
...
---,
The <?php is the standard opening for a section ~­

-----_ -
CO
of PHP code. It tells the browser not to render guardian
the code as part of the page, but to act on any
commands it includes. It is balanced by the
..... "... . ...
= .. _-----------
-~

closing ?>. There then follows this section:


.....
$brows er - $ _S E RV E R ( ' HTTP_USE ~
AG ENT ' ] ;
Si phone - ' I Phone ':
---"'- --
P"I -'--
Si pod - ' IPod ';
. _--
-::::.."':'=.:.-- L 'I =
Here we define the variables. Every piece of data
._
::::=.=
--~--- .._.-= -_. _- ~--.--
we want to use has to be stored in a variable. In
this case, we've stored the User Agent in the
variable Sbrowser, and our two search terms in
------
Guardian's front page as it would appear to anyone visiting
... The
..... --;--" +~

... ... and the sa me home page


the strings Siphone and Sipod. We could have from a desktop or laptop compoter... viewed on an IPhone
defined the search terms wherever they're used
in the code, but by assigning them to a variable pr in t '< li nk href - "no tiph one. css" which is built With the iPhone's tall narrow
we know that they can be changed in just one re l-"sty lesheet " type- " text/ css ") ' ; display in mind.
place and that. if they are used elsewhere on the )
page, each use will reflect the change. Once our STYLING IT UP
variables are defined, we can start to use them. Now all we need to do is build the style sheets
Now consider: Finally. we're going to oo t put some resuhs. Using for each platform; again, you can download
the 'print' command is like punching a hole these from www.shopperexpert.co .uk.Thefiles
I fl s t rp os (Sbrows e r, $1 phone )- f3 1se) through the PHP code section to address the iphone.css and notiphone.css are very similar.
fabric of our page directly and add to it wha t However, notiphone.css has a lot of posit ional
We come to strpos. Start with a conditional appears between the single quote marks. In this information - pulling the link's sidebar to the
statement (i0, which tests the validity of the instance, we're going to write a line of HTML right of the main body content and using the
bracketed statement that follows. In this line, we into the header of the page, as it appears within 'container'layer to constrict the elements of the
tell the browser to act only if the data stored in tag braces. As such, it won't appear on the page within a 600-pixellayer. The iphone.css file
the variable Siphone doesn't appear within the visitor's screen, but will make up a part of the is less fiddly, as it lets the layers fill the full width
User Agent data, which is stored in the variable un derlying code and repla ce all th e PHP code of the screen to accommodate either hori zontal
Sbrowser - in other words, if the result is 'false'. we're working on. or vertical viewing.
If it is, it moves on to the next line. If not - if The line is quite simple and performs just one Mobile visitors are more likely to want to
it returns a number indicating the position within function. It loads an external style sheet called browse information more qu ickly, so we've also
Sbrowser where the contents of the variable 'notiphone.css·, which is the one used to style up applied the visibility tag to any lines styled using
Siphone appear - then it ignores the rest of the any pages that are not displayed on an iPhone ·.teaser'. These lines are the short descriptions
code unt il it finds an 'else' statement. or iPod Touch and is thus optimised for regular, that explain every headline. By hiding them, we
Assuming the result is false, we know that large displays: have pulled the headlines closer together on the
the user isn't using ar"l iPhooe, so we need to mobile screen without them crashing into one
check that they're not using an iPod Touch: e l se another. A greater number of links to more
information will be displayed within a smaller
pr i nt '< li nk href- " i phone .css" space, allowing our mobile visitors to skim-read
I f( s trpos( $browser. $i pod )- fa 1se) re l - 'styl es hee t " type- "text! the news and quickly find their way to the full
{ css")' : stories should they want to read more.

This is in effect the same code as above, but this TAKING THINGS FURTHER
time it checks for the word 'iPod', which you'll You can create an unlimited number of style
remember is stored in the Sipod variable. This section of code tells the browser which style sheets for yoor websJte arld layer as many
If it doesn't find it (the result is 'false'), it will sheet to use if the result of either 'strpos' test conditional strpos tests as necessary within the
execute the line that follows. If not, it will do the returned anything other than 'false' to indicate PHP segment to pick the right one. This gives
same as it did with the iPhone search line and that we were using an iPhone or an iPod Touch. you a great level of control over how your page
jump forward to the line mariced 'else'. It calls in a different style sheet called 'iphone.css·, renders in each particular browser. but it needn't
be confIned to detecting mobile browsers.
COMMAND PERFORMANCE With just a few tweaks, it's an effective means
07:25
Tl>e H __
At this point, we've done all our checking and we of remaining backwards-compatible with older
know that we're not using an iPhone or an iPod browsers while also catering for your most
Touch. We could add further commands to check oHIIoe.co.uklnews php CI up-to-date audience.
for Android, Symbian and mobile versions of Furthermore, by using a refresh command
Opera, but for the sake of brevity we'll assume Hr.' ah.'n~ .. I.. ri.· .. within the text you 'print' on to the page, yoo
we're happy with the results and act on them. cat gets stuck up tree can open different pages to users of older
browsers. Online banks routinely use this tactic

.-- __.. --_.... ..--.-- ..


cat rescued from tree to restrict their services to the most modern and
.- .. secure browsers. You'll find II list of common
User Agent strings at http://whatsmyuseragent.
' ""
.w. com/CommonUserAgents.asp. m

--
Breaking stories

~:--.:::-----
-=- lews
Neather
port
rossword
"'~ I
Next month
DEOICATED WEB HOSTIN Ci
,"-' ... The page on lin IPhone with style sheets switched Discover how a dedicated server could
... Our news.php page as It appears In a reg ular to the mobile edition, wtl ich left-a ligns the heade r, benefit yo ur website
browser. with a Sidebar. a headline and a teaser reVI!fSeS Its colou r and puts the lI nl<.s below the text

JANUARY 2010 . COMPUTER SHOPPER


www.freedowns.net & www.journal-plaza.net
-« ~ Photoshop Elements
ffi D..><
~
w masterclass
Adding some pizzazz to your digital photos is easy using
IIIIIIIIIII:. blend modes in Photoshop Elements, explains Ben Pitt
lend modes have been in Photoshop Elements NUTS AND BOLTS

B since version 1, inherited from the full version Sometimes it's enough just to browse through the

r-: W
L..- 01 Photoshop. They're probably the most blend modes and pick one that (ooks good, but knowing

~!o~:~~c~:~~~~a~~;;otr~ ;::~~;;~etr~~:i~ji~f:~I~O use. :~:~hae~t~:~:i~lsg:e :r~/~~~: ~~~~~:::~~i~gke


:...J Often, all it takes is a quick browse through the list of
modes to give a dramat ic boost to an image.
unless you see the effect as you read about it, so we
recommend reading this section in front of your Pc.
Premiere Elements groups its blend modes into

::::J LAYERING UP
Before we begin dissecting the ins and outs of blend
brOild categories. After Normal and Dissolve, the next
group produces images that are darker than the original

~
modes, let's get up and running so you have something images. Darker Color is perhaps the simplest. It
to experiment with. We'll be using Photoshop Elements, compares each pixel from the top layer with the
but you can follow this tutorial using any image editor corresponding one underneath, and shows whichever
that supports blend modes, such as Paint Shop Pro or pixel is darker. Darken is very similar, but rather than
Serif PhotoPlus. First open a pa ir of photos; pick those compare the brightness of each pixel, it breaks them
that aren't excessively busy, bright or da rk. Type Ctrl-A down into red, green and blue channels and applies the
to select one of the images and Ctrl-C to copy it, then effect separately for each channeL As such, it can
jump to the other image and type Ctrl-V to paste the produce subtler results with less of a visible seam
first one over the second. If the Layers palette iso't between the two layers,
visible on the right, open it from the Window menu. Multiply is the equivalent to having a slide projector
Next, select the upper layer and adjust the Opacity with two slides jammed into the holder. If one 01 the
slider. This is like a volume control for the layer: 100 per layers is solid white, the other layer will be unchanged.
cent makes the top layer completely cover the lower If one is black, the resulting image will be black, Other
layer, Similarly. 0 per cent makes the upper layer colours will produce a mix of the two layers. with the
disappear. Intermediate values blend the two layers. brightness of each mult iplied together. For example,
Now restore the Opacity to 100 per cent, dick on two pixels of mid -grey (SO per cent brightness) will
the word Normal just to the left and select Dissolve. At produce a dark grey (25 per cent brightness, as 0.5
first, no change is visible, but if you adjust the Opacity, multiplied by 0.5 equals 0.25).
you'll notice that, rather than blending the colours of
both images, each pixel shows either the upper or lower BURN, DODGE AND OVERLAY
layer. The proportion of the two layers is defined by the Linear Burn works in a similar way to Multiply, but
Opacity value. Dissolve is the least interesting 01 the because colour values are subtracted rather than
blend modes, as the results tend to look harsh and multiplied, the effect is generally stronger, producing a
digital. Other blend modes combine layers in much darker resulting image, Color Bum is similar to linear
more interesting ways, so work your way through the Burn, but it preserves intense colours in the lower layer.
list to get an idea of what's possible. These five blend modes that darken images have
INTRODUCTION Once you've changed the blend mode with the equivalents in the next group, all of which lighten
mouse, you can jump to the next mode with the up and images. lighten and lighten Color are the opposites of
From party invitations to down arrow keys on the keyboard. Unlike Normal and Darken and Darken Color. They show whichever pixel is
corporate logos, ma ny graphic Dissolve, all the other blend modes have the biggest the brighter of the two layers, while lighten processes
des ign tas ks invo lve st acking effect when the Opacity is set to 100 per cent. If the the red, green and blue channels separately.
im ages o n to p of each othe r. If effect is too garish, reduce the Opacity to tone it down. Screen is the inverse of Multiply. It's akin to having
th e results seem a little fillt , two projectors, each with its own
blend modes offer a dramat ic slide, projected on to the same screen.
way to add some dynamism, The results tend to look pasty and
maki ng t he laye rs in teract in overexposed, but for wispy, ethereal
a ll sorts o f exciting ways. effects and to give a bright
Blend modes a lso have their background for dark text, it's
uses in phot o -e diting t asks, extremely useful. linear Dodge and
from adjust ing t he lighting to Color Dodge are the opposites of
radica lly a ltering colours. In linear Burn and Color Burn, and give
t his works hop we'll explain brighter, punchier results than Screen.
how t o use blend modes, and Th e next group of blend modes
reveal som e t echniques for boost the contrast of images: bright
getti ng th e most o ut o f th em. areas get brighter and dark areas get
darker. In Overlay mode, whenever a
pi~el in the lower layer is darker than
Ben Pitt mid -grey, the upper pixel is combined
Mus icand
photography expert in Multiply mode. If it's lighter than
.to. The Colo. Dodge blend mode gi ves the impression that this text is sprayed mid -grey, it's combined in Screen
onto the wall. while Linea. Light was used to superimpose the face mode. Th e result ing image tends to

COMPUTER SHOPPeR • JANUARY 2010


www.freedowns.net & www.journal-plaza.net
MULTIMEDIA EXPERT

keep a well-balanced p.1lette 01 brightness,


making it one of the most useful blend modes.
Hard Ught is e)(actly the same, e)(cept that
it's the brightness of the upper rather than the
lower layer that dictates whether each pi)(el is
processed in Screen or Multiply mode. Solt Light
is a subtler version of Hard light, making it a
useful option for subtle blends that still have
plenty of contrast.

MORE DRAMATIC EFFECTS


Linear light is also very similar to Hard light, but
because colours are added and subtracted rather
than multiplied and divided, it tends to produce
-.t Our original photo
more dramatic colours. Vivid Light follows the
(top left) was given
5<lme principles, but manipulates the contrast, more shape and
which often has the side effect of boosting the atmosphere by adding
richness of colours. this graduated liliin
Pin light is a combination of Darken Color the Multiply blend
and lighten Color, depending on the brightness mode to darken the
edges, and again in
of the upper layer. If a pi)(el is brighter than SO Soft Light mode to
per cent grey and also brighter than the pi)(el gently brighten the
below it, the upper pixel is shown. If it's darker centre of the Image
than SO per cent grey and darker than the lower
pi~el. once again the upper pi~el is shown. colour, but chOOSing other colours brings out darkened the edges a little more, but also gently
Otherwise. the lower pixel is shown. If that interesting textures within the te)(t. brightened the centre.
sounds complex, you have a good idea of what For our music flyer image at the foot 01 the
the resulting effectlool:s like. opposite page, we've used off-white text in the BLUE SKY THINKING
The linal mode in this group is Hard Mix, Color Dodge blend mode, which has picked up Washed out skies are common, but they're easy
which combines both layers and reduces colours the texture of the s<:ruffy wall to give the to fix using blend modes. The best way is to use
to a palette of black, white and the si~ primary impression that the text is written on it. The them in conjunction With Adjustment Layers,
and secondary colours. accompanying face is on a layer set to linear which we covered in Multimedia Expert. Shopper
The next two modes compare the two layers. Light, giving it plenty of contrast and saturation 254 (see the PDf on this month's cover diSC).
Difference takes each pair of pi)(els and subtracts while retaining the texture of the wall. To create the blue sky in the left half of the
the darker one from the brighter one. In practice, photo (bottom left)' we started by clicking the
this means that a pure white layer will invert the TRIAL AND ERROR Adjustment Layer button (a two-tone circle in
other image, making it resemble negative film. A This example is typical of what comes from trial the Layers palette) and selected Solid Color. We
pure black layer has no effect on the other. and error, but there are times when it pays to be picked a sky blue from the colour palette and set
Mixing two photos creates weird negat ive-like more prescriptive. Our original photo of the sun the blend mode of thiS layer to Multiply. The
superimpositions. Exclusion is a variation of shining through the trees (above) is OK, but blue tint was faded to nothing towards the
Difference, and produces a broad range of there's not much shape to the composition. The horizon by applying a white-to -black gradient fill
lower-contrast results. edited photo has a vignette effect With darkened in the adjustment layer's mask. To do this, select
The final group picks out one technical aspect corners, which lool:s much more atmospheric. To the Gradient Tool, choose black to white under
of the upper layer and applies it to the lower create it, first we generated a circular gradient fill the colour options and linear Gradient as the
one. (olor combines the colours of the upper on the upper layer, fading from white in the gradient shape. Click on the adjustment layer,
layer with the luminosity of the lower layer. centre to black at the edges. and then drag across the image to define where
Luminosity is the other way around. Hue is To do this, select the Gradient Tool and, at the layer begins and ends its fade.
similar to Color, but both the luminosity and the the top -left of the s<:reen, dick to view the In our car image, we've left the bonnet at its
saturation of the lower layer are preserved. colour options and select black to white. Click original red colour. for the blue sections, we
Saturation applies the intensity of colours in the the circular gradient shape and draw the gradient created a new layer, set it to Hue and added blue
upper layer to the lower layer. by dragging the mouse across the image. This paint using the 8rush Tool. Using Hue rather
will produce a black blob on a white background, than Color means that the greyer areas, such as
TIME TO GET CREATIVE so type Ctrl-I to invert it. the chrome trim and reflections, remain grey.
With that dense burst of information out of the Setting this layer to Multiply means that the Setting the purple area to Hue caused it to
way, it's time to see what kinds of tricks these white area won't affect the photo, but the darker become unrealistically lurid, but we fixed this by
blend modes can get up to. One of the simplest, areas darken it. In our case, 100 per cent opacity reducing this layer'S opacity so it blended with
but most effective, techniques is to apply a blend looked too harsh, so we dropped it back to 87 the blue we had painted underneath. The rool
mode to text over a photo or graphic. If the text per cent. We then duplicated this layer and set was a little trickier. 80th Hue and Color alter the
is coloured black or white, it'll usually stay that the duplicate to the Soft Light blend mode. This colour but not the luminosity, which caused the
roof to take on a murky bronze colour when
yellow was applied. For the vibrant yellow tone,
we switched the blend mode to Screen.
It's this immediacy that makes blend modes
so satisfying to use. If something doesn't work,
flip through the other modes to see what else
does. We hope we've demonstrated how useful.
easily accessible - and fun - they are.13J

Next month
IM PROVE HOME MOVIE AUDIO
... We've used a blue adjustment layer set to ... The Hue blend mode allows us to paint new Make sure your video sounds professional
Multiply blend mode on the left-hand side of the colours on the car panel. while retaining the with the help of our tips and tricks
picture to deepen the colour of the sky brightness and saturation of the original Image

JANUARY 2010. COMPUTER SHOPPER


www.freedowns.net & www.journal-plaza.net
I- Securing a Linux PC
C:: Linux may be more secure than Windows, as hackers write
W
D.. less malicious code to infiltrate it, but it's not immune to
attack. Jon Thompson explains how to protect your Linux PC

><
W
H
ackers are entirely motivated by money, and
they'll use any trick they can to get information
that they can either sell or use to make cash.
While linux has been relatively immune to altack5, as
its instal! base was too small, its increasing popularity
means that hackers now have the OS in their Sights.
this is set to 'All opt'n source application' before
entering the word 'firestarter' in the box to its right
and pressing Return.
The firestarter application should appear in the
pane below the search box. Click the square tick box
next to it to select it for installation and finally click
As such, you need to boost the security of your the Apply Changes button at the bottom left of the

><
::::J
computer. For 5tarters, every computer on the internet
needs a firewall to protect it from unwanted intrusions
by hackers, for example. Increasingly, Linux also needs
anti-virus protection. Security companies are now
waking up to the threat to linux operating systems
posed by malware, and have begun supplying basic
window. Click the Apply button in the next pop-up to
confimn that you want to in5taU Firestarter. You may be
asked for your password in a subsequent pop-up. If this
happens, enter it, click OK and Ubuntu wiU download
and instaU the latest version of Firestarter. Ooce
complete, click Close. Firestarter should now be
linux versions of most of their products. installed and ready to protect your computer,

Z THE FIREWALL
The purpose of a firewal! is to inspect every data packet
attempting to enter or leave the computer, and decide
To open Firestarter's user interface, click on the
Administration option on the System menu. The first
time you run it, after entering your password to confirm
you want to make changes to the system, you'll see a
whether or not to aUow it on its way or to block it. configuration wizard. Click forward to continue.
...J f irewal(s are very closely connected to the operating
system itself and have to be capable of running at top
spt'ed without introducing any significant drain on
The next screen on the wizard allows you to assign
the firewa Uto a specific network connection. This
should defa ult to EthO if you have a single wired
resources or network pt'rfomnance. connection, which is correct, so leave it as it is. If you're
Some commercial firewaUs have a vast range of using a wireless network card, ifU either be set as the
features, However, at their most basic, firewal(s simply default option or will be available on the IXlIl-down list.
need to decide whether to allow or 'drop' packets based Your internet gateway usually assigns alll'Cs on
on a set of rules. Configuring a firewall is therefore a your network an II' address when they boot up. Unless
matter of writing these rules to tell it which types of you've chosen to disable this and assign II' addresses
networt traffic to let through, and which t o block. manually. tick the box marked 'II' address is assigned via
Linux traditionaUy comes with a firewall caUed DHCP' before clicking the Forward button again.
iptables that requires system administrators to set it up There's no need to enable connection sharing on
using extensive configuration files, For the rest of us, your Ubuntu machine, so you can safely press forward
however, there's a far friendlier firewall called aga in and finally click Save. The ma in Firestarter control
Firestarter. like most firewalls commonly used on panel now pops up. The firewall status pane should
Microsoft Windows, this is an entirely graphical show it as being active.
application that makes configuration very simple,
ACTIVE CONNECTIONS
INSTALLING FIRESTARTER There are two important buttons on the Firestarter
Firestarter is an open-source application. To install it, control panel. The first is Lock Firewall. When you hit
first click on the System menu, then Administration, this, Ubuntu's firewall immediately blocks all incoming
INTRODUCTION and select Add/Remove from the menu. In the and outgoing traffic and the status icon changes to a
left-hand pane of the subsequent window, click on padlock. It's the button you should click if you think
Linux is wide ly conside red t o the Internet category. There's a pull-down menu at something suspicious is happening. Clicking this bulton
be mo re secure than Microsoft the top of the window marked Show. Ensure that for a second time unlocks the firewall and it continues
Windows. This is partly du e t o
it s open-source nature, which
allows anyone t o instant ly
spot and report progriilmming
errors and vulnera bilities in
_LoKt. _ _ _
.. . _ .. _--
-----.
+
th e ope rating syst e m and
its applicat ions.
It's not immune from
attack, t hough. This month
-
-- ,-
• •
--- _.--_..._-...--.
- .. ---
_. - - _
...
-
__ ~ 0
we'll show you how to boost
security by configuring Linu x's
built-in firewa ll a nd installing

-... -- ..... . . ......


......-
anti- virus software. ...... ....... 0 ':-> + 1('

a
- - .... . , .. 00-

Jan ThompsDn
IT COlTespondent ~_

'" Firestarter's main i nterf~ce with the ~ II-i mport..nt


--
'" Adding sp ecific rules to ~lI ow "TTP and "TTPS traffic
lock Firewall button for use only In emergencies through tilt! firewall for uninterrupted web browsing

COMPUTER SHOPPeR • JANUARY 2010


www.freedowns.net & www.journal-plaza.net
LINUX EXPERT

key. This will fill in the long filename for the


downloaded BitDefender package:

--
--...- - --
' .--
~
--
I\;t.
" sudo sh BI t

Hit Return and you'll be asked for your password.


Enter it and the BitDelender licence agreement
appears. Hit the space bar to scroll through it a
page at a time. Once at the bottom, you'll be
asked to enter the word 'Accept', Do 50 and

... A sm ~ 1I but useful set of configura tion o ptions


allows you to use a Drop ZOllf! f Of qukk scans
-
0 _

... BitDefender's interface looks p retty simple,


but It's a fully functional viru s scanner
BitDefender installs itself. The installation process
will also ask il you war"lt a GUI inSlaUed. Enter
the upper-case letter Vand press Return .
Once insta\lation is complete, using
BitDelencer is very simple. Open it from the
allowing traffic to pass through it as usual - online). When both HTTP and HTTPSruleshave System Tools menu 01 the desktop's Applications
subject to its security rules, of (ourse, which we'll been created, press Apply Policy. Try surfing menu. Press Set New Key and enter the personal
come to in a moment. again and everything should work. smoothly. licence key emailI'd to you earlier. Now press the
The second important button is Stop FirewalL If you normally send and receive email from Update button to download the latest virus
When yoo press this, the status changes to Ubuntu and it now doesn't work, add rules to the definitions, To scar"l a directory structure for
Disabled. This isn't a re<:ommended setting to list for SMTP and POP3. Also, add a rule for malware, press the Scanner button, select the
use other than briefly when you believe there's a Samba il you mount Windows shares. If you directory and finally dick Open.
problem with the firewall blocking legitimate need to add a rule for a port that's not named on
traffic. Another useful part to the control panel is the list, simply enter its number in the input box. CONFIGURING BITDEFENDER
Active Connections. Click the arrow button ne~t To find out the port number for a particular type Hit the Settings button on the BitDefender
to this and the display extends to show the of traffic, visit hrtpJ/tinyurl.com/portnumbers. interface and you'll see various basic, but useful.
connections you have to the outside world. options. Of these, the General Settings pa ne is
Open labs in Firefox, run Skype or an instant ANTI-VIRUS SOFTWARE the most useful. The option to ke ep the
messenger applica tion, and aU your external Due to its increased popularity, Linux is application running in the background ensures
connections will be listed here. beginning to need virus protection. We're going that the anti-virus engine remains active after
to show you how to download and install the you've dosed its control panel. This makes
PERMISSIVE MODE popular Sit Defender Anti-Virus package. This subsequent scans faster, but increases memory
Firestarter works in two modes, The first is called offers manual scanning. but with some ni fty and pro ce5sor usage. Allied to this 5etting is
Permissive and is the dela ult setting, This allows options. The installation process requires you 'Pre-load ant i-virus engines on startup'. This
aU trallic to enter and leave the computer except to use the command line, but by following our loads various malware detection modules ar"ld
for the ports the user tells it to block, The second instructions, it'll still be a simple process. keeps them loaded between scans rather than
mode is called Restrictive, which blocks aU trallic First, you need to obtain a free personalU5e loading them for each one,
except lor the datallow present on the ports you licence from httpJ/tinyur/.com/ydun6v. Clickon Vou can either exit or simply hide the
explicitly allow. For the best security, Firestarter Request Free License, enter your name, email BitDefender control panel when not in use with
should run in this second mode so that it blocks address and country, dic k the tick box to confirm the two buttons at the bottom right 01 the
aU trallic except the stull you explicitly allow. you're a private user and hit Send. Vour licence screen. When hidden, the red BitDelender logo
It blocks only outgoing traffic, not incoming key will be emailed to you. appears on the right of the desktop's menu bar.
traffic, but this is enough to stop hackers as it Next, go to httpJ/tinyurl.com/dymSjband Click this and the interface opens again.
prevents your computer from replying to any dick the i586.deb,run package if you have a If you opt to 'Hide ma in window on startup',
malicious pac~ets. 32-bit machi ne. Otherwise, click the amd64.deb. when you run BitDelender, its icon will appear on
To put Firestarter into Restrictive mode,lirst run package. This opens the download ma r"lager. the desktop's menu bar rather than the lull
dick the Policies tab just under the Lock Firewal! Select 'Save file' and finaHy dick OK. interface opening. This is useful if you use the
button. Now click the Editing pull-down menu Once downloaded, click on Accessories on 'Enable file drop lone' option,
and select 'Outbound traffic policy'. This causes the desktop's Applications menu and select With this option activated, you'll see a large
two radio buttons to be displayed directly Terminal. This opens a terminal window. In it, BitDelender icon on the desktop. Drag and drop
undemeath the menu. Select the second, marked enter the lollowing command: the file or directory you want scanning onto this
Restrictive by default, whitelist traffic. Press the and it provides a convenient method of canying
Apply Policy button at the top of the window cd IDesktop out scans. Nothing's actua!ly moved; it's merely
and open a web browser, a way of te!ling SitDefender what to scan.
Alter a few seconds of trying to connect, the Now enter the lollowing (noting the capital Bof If you enable 'Scan on drop', then when you
browser will return an error message because
Firestarter is blocking all outgoing trallic. Let's
now allow HTTPand HTTPS traffic through the ..__
'Bif), but instead of hi tting return, press the t ab

.._... ,,-
drag and drop a file or directory on to the Drop
Zone icon, it'll instantly be scanned. Otherwise,
the Drop Zone accepts files for 5Car"lning and

-
firewall so that web browsing will worl:. displays a numeric tally as you add more. If you
In the lower pane of the Policies tab, and - -"-'-'''' want to. you can right-click on its icon and select
with Outbound trallic policy selected, right-dick
- -- ......
-- --_ .. _- 'Start scanning', to scan the lot in one go. t!]
on the window's bottom pane and select Add
..
Rule. This produces a small pop-up window.
Select HTTP from its pull-down menu. Under the - .
-_
option entitled 'When the source is', choose
Anyone. Click the Add button to add your new
rule to the list and it will automat ically activate.
-_. Next month
STORE FILES SAFELY
We show you how to back up everything
Do the same for HTTPS (the secure version of ... To scan a file or folder for viruses and malware, from single files to entire disks
the HTTPprotocolusedwhenbuyingthings simply open It lind let BltDefender do its stuff

Click: dell.co.uk Call: 0844 444 3242


www.freedowns.net & www.journal-plaza.net
~ ~ Back up YDur files
Security isn't just about preventing hackers from attacking
,.., W
..... D.. your PC over the net, it's about ensuring your data is safe .

::::J ><
W
David Ludlow explains how to back up your personal files

M aking a backup of your data IS the only way


to make sure It's safe If you copy aU the files
There are lots of different ways to make backups
and plenty of options when it comes to storing them,

tJ
W
on your computer to an external storage area,
It doesn't matter If your PC IS stolen Of breaks down

:::~:"~:~"o b. , ,"cod '",",w PC


too. Here, we'll look at the some of the most practical
solut ions for 510ring all your files so you can be sure
your data is perfectly safe should the worst happen.

NETWORK
Using your optical drive to STORAGE
make bac~ups may seem a If you have more than one
good idea. After all, the computer, consider using
media is cheap (CDs cost a network-attached storage
less than 15p each and (NAS) device to store
8.5GB dual-layer DVDs cost your backups. A
around GOp) and capacities PRO Che~p ~ nd MSY combination of an external
are relatively high. However, CON Hard t o update hard disk and a network PRO lots of people
backups can bac k up at once
you can only write to a CD BEST FOR Ardllvlng files port, a NAS device can be
CON Clln be hard to
or DVD once, unless you that woo't need chllnglng accessed from any config ure; relatively slow
buy pricier rewritable discs. such liS digital photos network-connected BEST FOR Homes with
This means that making a computer in your home. multiple computers
copy of your documents folder will require a new disc The whole family can use
every time you do SO. This soon becomes impractical. one to share files and store backups centrally. You can
These discs can still be useful. though. Onceyou've even access some NAS devices over the internet.
processed your photos and edited them, it's unlikely Prices are reasonable, With 500GB devices currently
you'll ever go back an d change them again. These files available for around £80. Aside from being able to share
can be copied to disc and stored. This is ca\led archiving. storage around your home, NAS devices can be placed
and it's different to bac~ing up. If you're serious abou t out of the way, such as in the loft.
digital photography, take two copies of each set and Look for a device that contains multiple hard
keep OfIe at home and store one with a friend or family disks and supports RAID 1 (mirroring) or 5 (parity).
member who lives at a different address. This way, if These mean that your data is protected against a single
the worst happens and your PC is stolen or destroyed disk failing in the NAS, so you always have
by fire, you still have a copy of your pictures. some protection against mechanical faults .

INTRODUCTION EXTERNAL ONUNE


While it's eels)' to think of HARD DISK Online storage is rapidly
computer sKurity ils simply An external hard dis~ is one becoming more popular as
being iI way to prevent of the best ways to store broadband speeds increase.
hackers from attacking you or backups. As it's external, The systems, such as those
avoiding viruses, it's a lot you can quickly plug it into included in Webroot's
mOl'"e than that. In reality, another computer. They Internet Security Essentials,
security is about protecting are also fantastic value, work by giving 'Iou storage
your data. This means taking with 500GB of storage space that you can use PRO e..ckup s safe
PRO Simple to connect from local disasters
regular backups of your costing around iSS. over the internet
CON WorI<s on only one CON Slow; II b>lckup
important files 50 that if your External disks usuatly PC at atlme
This means that your can break your
computer is lost, stolen or connect via one of two BEST FOR Regu lar backups can't be stolen flllr-u511ge p olicy
destroyed by "",,ide"t, you main methods; USB or backups on a single PC along with your computer, BEST FOR Important files
haven't lost your woB. ln this eSATA. With USB you and can't be burnt down
Security Expert, we'll examine simply plug 'lour disk into a sp<lre USB port on your PC with 'lour house. The companies providing these
where you should back your and Windows automatically detects it. USB is pretty services ma~e sure that 'lour data is backed up again, 50
data up to and making online quick, too, beating the backup rate of optical drives. it's the most secure method of backup that you can
backups. Our online backup If you want faster transfer rates. an eSATA make. As online storage can be accessed from
steps were performed using drive is your best bet. Provided that your comp\.ller has anywhere with an internet connection, you can easily
Webroot Internet Security an eSAT A port (you can convert a SAT A port using a £3 back up your data on the move.
Essentials (www.webroot. blanking plate), you can get the fastest transfer rates The biggest problem with these services is the speed
com) , but these are similar to available at the same speed as an internal disk. at which they wor~. All broadband connections have
many online backup packages. The main benefit of using a hard disk for backup slower upload speeds than download speeds, and the
is that data can be rewritten, so you can leave the drive fastest upload speed you can get is around 1Mbit/s
plugged in and make regular backups to it. The danger (122Kbit/s). This means you could spend days backing
David LudlDw with external hard disks is that they are attractive to up. With most broadband upload speeds even slower,
Edito r thieves and offer no protection if 'lour house bums you're loo~ing at a lot longer. Also, be careful that
down. That said, for regular and convenient home backing up your data doesn't aCCidentally exceed any
backups, they're a great all-round choice. monthly download limits on your connection.

COMPUTER SHOPPeR • JANUARY 2010


www.freedowns.net & www.journal-plaza.net
SECURITY EXPERT

--
. --_.
..-.-
.--
.--
..--
...-
-
-
':..- .
.-
,-
.-.-
.-
:==._-------
_. _. . ... ..
....
~:~
...... .
: :;,;

-,--
~

:qn : -

.. It'. best to cl>oose which files ~nd folders you


want to back UP manually on yoor PC
-
• You ~Iso need to select how often you want
to back UP your chosen files and folders
-
• You c~n view backups by dilte ~ nd flIter the
types of files you want to restore at any time

MAKING AN ONUNE BACKUP CHOOSE WHAT TO BACK UP back up files, which is advisable if you've just
On ce you've chosen your backup media you can We'd recommend that you choose which files and created or edited an important document.
use your favouri te backup 1001, or the built-in folders you wan t to back up manually, making
Windows application. to save copies 01 your files. sure that you only select the most important RESTORE FILES
However. for really important files it's wOI'th and valuable files to store online. Other files can Clicking the Restore Now button under Backup
backing up online. Here we're using Webroot be backed up using alternative methods to one lets get your files back. If you click Next on the
Backup, which is included as part of Webroot of the other storage methods we've outlined. first screen you can view aU your backed· up files,
Internet Security Essent ials. The steps here are Put t icks in the boxes of the folders and files but you can also select a date if you know when
similar for oth er online backup services. that you wan t to back up. The meter at the your file was backed up or if you want to restore
bottom of the screen shows you how much disk to a specific version. You can also filter backed-
ACCESS BACKUP SETTING space you choices will ta~e up. You'll also get a up files by type, making it easier to find one.
To access your backup settings. dooble-click the warning if you exceed your online storage limit. On the next screen, put a tick next to the
Webroot icon in Windows' Notification Area. If Click Next when you're done and you'll be folders and files you want to restore and dick
you haven't yet created your free <lecount, you'll prompted to set your backup schedule. You can Next. You then get the option to restore files to
need to dick the link to create an account and select how often the backup fI.lns in terms of the ir original location or to a new one. Restoring
then type a username and password into the weeks, although the default of once a week is to a new location makes sense if you want to
web page, Once you've done this it will take up sufficient. Then select which days you want the compare muhiple versions of files. Click Next
to an hour for your account to be created. backup to run. For important files, selecting thell Finish to restore your files.
Restart your computer and you'll be every day is a good option.
prompted to type in your online backup Click Next and then Next agai n. On the EASY ONLINE ACCESS
usemame and password. You can t ick the box to following screen you'll see a summary of your One of the advantages of online backups is
remember your password. backup settings. Click Finish to apply them. You that you can access your files from anywhere.
Go bad to the Webroot Internet Security should run a backup manually now, so that your for Web root just visit http://myaccounr.
Essentials main window and you can click on the files will be safe in the event of a problem. Click webroorbackup.com and log on to the web page
Backup button to configure your backup settings. the Backup Now button. You'll get a pop·up using your username and account. Click Manage
By defa ult the software will be set to b.1ck up all message from the Notificat ion Area telling you Shares and you can browse through any files
the user accounts on your computer, which is that your files are being backed up. You can use that you have backed up. Click on the Share\
bound to exceed your 2GB limit. You can click the Backup Now button every time you want to Recover link next to any file 0( folder for more
the Increase Online Storage Button link and options. On the next page cliding the file or
upgrade your space to between 5GB and 50GB folder will download it to your Pc. Click the
for between £20 and £50 per year. Share button and you can send a friend a link to
the file for them to down!OiId.lt's a handy way

--- ._---- to share files that are too large to email. lD


~ -- .. -rr::::::-
0fIIne e.cllwp Prog....

,;~~~~ ~-=- --------..- Next month

c.:- PROTECT YOUR KIDS ONLINE


How to protect your children by specifying
• You can vIew your backup's current status. so • Download files from your online account or which websites they can and can't visit
you c~n see how long it will t ~ke to complete share them with friends via ~ link in ~n emllil

• Stop vi ruses and spyware


• Block hackers alld
protect privacy
• Optimize speed and
performance
• Automatic file backup
• Free online support and
local-rate phone assistance

Order online at
www.webroot.co.uk/wise

Owebroot"
www.freedowns.net & www.journal-plaza.net
ffi ~ Adv~nced ~outer
tJtJ configuration
zw Last month we showed you how to deal with your router's IP

~i3
address settings, this month David Ludlow explains some of
its more advanced settings and shows you how to use them
nee you've got your router working the way you works you know Ihal your router is connected to the

D want it to, there's nothing more frustrating that intemet properly and can locate websites.

cO:::
having a serious problem that requires you to Next is the Ping test. This lets you see if a computer
reset the whole thing and start all over again. on the internet or your local network is alive and
Fortunately, it doesn't have to be this way: it's easy responding. For exam ple, if we were to use our rou ter to
to bdc~ up and restore your rou ter's configuration. ping 209.85.227.99 we'd be t esting that our internet

<:(Il.. First, to make a backup you need to log on to your


router's web-based management page. In one of the
menus (often the Advanced or Backup Settings menu)
connection was working to www.googie.co.u/t
If you get an error with this test it could just mean
that the website you're trying to ping is down or set up
you shoold see an option for configuration, Select this, not to respond to ping requests, Try a different site, first
the n dic~ the button to make a bdc~up of your current using the DNS tools to get an IP address. If you get a
settings. A file will be downloa ded to your Pc. Go to the response from a website, it shows that your internet
folder Ihat Ihis file was downloaded to and copy your connection is working satisfactorily.
router configuration to a sale place. fina lly, your diagnostics tools will also let you
II you make multiple backups as you change reboot your router without physically having to tum off
settings. it's worth renaming each configuration file to the power. This is reaUy useful if yoo've got a problem,
something especiany memorable, such as 'WPA secu rity such as a computer that can't access the intern et, as
with FTPportforwarding'. That way, you'll know which rebooting your router can fi)( in termittent faults. You
file 10 restore at a later date if anything goes wrong. can also pe rform this aClion remotely.
It's just as easy to nash your configuration bad to a
different point. On the s.ame menu as the backup REMOTE ACCESS
setting you'll have the option to choose a configuration There are times where it's handy to be able to access
file. Select this, navigate to a bdckup file and click the your router's manageme nt pilges remotely over the
button to reSlore your configuration to the settings internet. In particular, it's useful if you're the only
kept in your backup file. Any changes made since you tech-sawy person in the house and wanl to be able 10
created the backup will be lost, so only use this option deal with problems from anywhere or when you're
when it's absolutely necess.ary, trying to get port forwarding to work. Fortunately, all
Finally, most models will also provide a button that routers let yoo tum on remote management.
erases all settings and puts the router bdd :. into its Look for the relevant option in your router's
INTRODUCTION Default mode. This is useful if yoo're suffering from management pilges. When you find il yoo'li see a
multiple problems and can't work oot which setting is range of options. First is the option to turn remote
As we SilW from last month 's causing the problem and need to start all over again, management on, Next, you'll need to select which
Advanced Project5, route.- computers can access the remote maroagement page by
manufacturers pack the ir DIAGNOSIS MURDER specifying their IP address. This needs to be the external
devices full of advanced II can often seem that problems with the internet are IP address of the remole network, rather than your PC's
features to make them caused by your router, but there's a simple way to internallP add ress, but you're unlikely to know the
perform II range of different ched if this is the case using yoor router's built-in extemallP addresses 01 the network you'll be using.
jobs. This month we'll show diagnostic options (often listed under Advanced), These Finally, you can specify on which port you want to
you how to activate them usually offer three use ful tools. First, there's the DNS connect to the management page. This needs to be
and go one step further. lookup test. This lets you type in a web address and find typed in directly after your router'S extemallP address,
As with Last month, we're oollhe resulting IP address. For e)(ample, www.goog/e. such as 83.7S.61.10:8080, or its dynamiC DNS
showing you how to use co.uk has an IP address of 209.85.227.99. If this test hostname, such as shopper.homeltp.net:8080.
features that shoold be
included with most routers,
but there's no guarantee
that yours will have all the
options WI! mention. Before

_...__-...
-
you give up, check your
router's manual - router
manufacturers ilil put
options in different plac!!s,
so it may just be that you 're
.-- ....
- --........
..... "'~

looking in the wrong place.

David LudlDw
Edito r
'" 11'. ~Iw~y. wi.e 10 b;oock up ~n d re.lore your rouler'. '" You, ,oule,'s diagnoslics p3ge leis you 110.1 you,
conliguratiOll. SO that yoo can restore settings quickly internet connection and reboot the device

COMPUTER SHOPPeR • JANUARY 2010


www.freedowns.net & www.journal-plaza.net
ADVANCED PROJECTS

1~"-''-''-''-''-''-''-,'''1, ~::c::::"" .,._ .... __. -_.... . . ..__ . _to_


--
~.-

--
F ____

----
-", . ..
---
-- --.
'-- - _..--
----
"
--..._----
_--
'_00 _ _ - ." - - -
-~-
'-----
--
-- ---
------
'-"'--'---
& II'S possible 10 set up remot e access to your compute r through your ro uter ... You can often configure the advanced setti ngs on your router SO that
settings, but only allo w thi s high leve l of access to you r PC 11 11'S vital tt>e Wireless network is avai lable only duting cenaln ti mes of the day

Selecting a different port number other than firmware or increase reliability. It's likely that Find the Upgrade option in your rooter's
the usual port 80 for web traffic is good for two yoor router will have an update available for it, settings and click the button to choose the file
reasons: fir5t, a hacker won't stumble across it by particularly as the S02.111'1 sta ndard has now to upgra de. Navigate to the file that you've
simply point ing a web browser at 'lour home been ratified, meaning thilt Draft-N products downloaded, then select it. Click the button to
network and try to hack in; second, it leaves port need to be upgraded to meet the new standard. upgrade and let the process begin. Your rooter
80 free to be used for port forwarding if you You should only ever upgrade your router will reboot when the upgrade has completed.
want to set up your own web server. from a PC that's attached via a cable; doing an Check that all your settings are correct, and
We recommend using remote management upgrade from a wireless PC could break yoor upload your saved configuration file if necessary.
sparingly for those times when you have to get router if the network connection is lost part-way Tweaking your settings doesn't end t here,
access to your router. Make sure that you set a through the upgrade procedure. and many modem mode15 have a selection of
long and difficult-to-guess password to prevent advanced too15, such as the ability to block
hackers from gaining entry to your rooter and UPGRADE YOUR FIRMWARE specific websites. These filtering tools tend to be
causing damage by altering settings_ To find out if yoo need to upgrade the firmware, very simplistic, so avoid using them if yoo can,
first go to your rooter's management pages and Our feature next month wiH show you how to
NETWORK HOPPING look for the Status or Informat ion option. This add web filtering to your network lor free.
If you're worried that your network may have should tell you which version of firmware your
been compromised, your router gives you a router is currentiy running. Next, find out the QUALITY OF SERVICE
handy way to tell who's currently connected. model of yoor router. This should be printed on Other routers also have quality of service (QoS)
Look for the Attached Devices or similar setting the router itself. Make a note of the exact model settings, which let you prioritise traffic, such as
in your router's menu. Select this and yoo'li be number, including the revision, as upgrading to voice caUs, These can be easy to set up, but
presented wit h a list of all the devices that are the wrong firmware coold cause a range of some routers require yoo to configure services
connected to your router. moderately serious problems. manuaUy. This is very similar to the way that yoo
This will include the connected device's When you've noted down yoor router's configure services for port forwarding (see last
current IP address, its MAC (hardware) address model and firmware version, visit the month's Advanced Projects for more detai15).
and, if available, its device name (for a PC thiS ma nufacturer's website and look for the support However, befo re you dwe into this configuration,
will be the computer's na me as set in Windows). section. Find the support p.lges for your specific ask yourself: do I need QoS? If you make a lot of
If you spot any computers in there that aren't model and download the latest firmware, making voice calls and stream a lot of video and don't
your own, someone has managed to get on your sure that this is a higher number than the one notice any problems, there's no need to tinker
network. Change your wireless encryption that's currently installed. with any of the settings; if yoo do get regular
password immediately to block their access, With the file downloaded, switch lxick to problems, QoS could well help.
From time to time router manufacturers, just yoor router's management pages. Make sure One other sett ing to look out for, which is
like all other hardware ma nufacturers, will yoo've backed up your router's configuration, becoming a lot more popular on modem routers,
release updates 10( their products. These will as sometimes firmware updates will reset the is an option to schedule the times when the
either add new features, fix problems in the older router back to the faClDIY default settings. wireless netwO(k is turned on. This doesn't save
much power, but it means that it's harder for
hackers to get on yoor home network, as yoo
NUGIAI!
can tum it off when you know you're not using
it. This setting can be useful if yoo're concerned
aboot the security of your network, but we're
not overly convinced that the extra protection it
offers is worth the hassle of not always having
your wireless network available, 1!J

Next month
MEDIA CENTER:THE ULTI MATEGUI DE
Find out how to tum Media Center into the
ultimate entertainment centre, with free
... Upgradi ng you r router's firmware can improve ... With this view (under Maintenance), you can online streaming TV stations and more
reli abi lity as well as add more features or f l~ bugs easily see which pes are attached to your router

JANUARY 2010. COMPUTERSHOPPER


www.freedowns.net & www.journal-plaza.net
HELPFILE
WinSock not working
Q I have a PC running Windows XP w ith
Service Pack 3. I've installed Internet
Explorer 8, Adobe At:robat 7 and
netsh winsock reset catalog

The only downside of this method is that it resets


Micr050ft Office 2003, but no other programs. Win Sock to its default settings, so applications that
After a few weeks, my internet and network rely on it, such as Google Desktop, will no longer
connection started to tennioate abruptly for no wor\( and will have to be reinstalled. If the problem
apparent reason, usually between three and five returns, it's likely that you have some spyware or a
hours after starting. It does this every day, and I virus on your Pc. If you haven't got a security suite
have to reboot the PC to regain the mnnection. at the moment, we recommend that you download
I've run the Diagnostk Tool, ,lnd the error Ad-Aware free (www.lavasoft.wm)aMAvast! Home
message is: "Error attempting to validate the Edition (www.avast.com).Usetheseproductsto
WinSock base providers: 2. Not all base service scan your hard disk thoroughly and remOlle any
provider entries could be found in the WinSock suspicious software. You may also need to use the
catalog. A Reset is needed." two commands above to complete the process,
Can you identify the problem, and more
importantly, how un I fix it?
BL Faulkner

Win Sock is used by all networl<: applications

A to access Windows' TCP/IP stack (the


protocol used to communicate over the
internet). In your case, it woold appear that something
has corrupted the catalog of applications. The way to
reset the infonl1ation is to get a command prompt up
from the Start menu. First, you can try to reset the
--_ ---
_...-.-...
-- -_-- . ..
. - --.
.. _---------
_ ,-

Windows T(P/IP stack to its defaults by typing in;


-----------
--- --- ;:,;-_...-
netsh in tip reset

Try your networ\( connection again to see if this fi~es


-
your problem, If it doesn't you may need to reset the • Yeo should scan your system for spyware II Windows
WinSock catalog, At a command prompt type: st~rts to report erron with WinSock

Can't highlight text in Word 2007


I've just hit a really annoying problem in running Word in Safe mode. To do this. open a Run
Q Word 2007. I pasted some teKt from a
web page into a blank document On<:!
morning. and was a little bemused when I found
bo~ by typing run in Vista's search box, and type
'winword la' without the quotes. Word should now
load without any Add-Ins, and you should be able to
that I couldn't select any text in it. I wondered if select text and change options withoot any problems.
there was something unusual about the text I'd The next job is to find out which Add-In is causing
pasted, as if it was write- the problem. Open Word Options,

--
protected, but when I tried other which you'll find lurking at the

-'--"_..-0-
documents on my hard disk, I bottom of Word's Start menu.
found the same problem.
I looked in the Options
section, but I can't select
anything there, apart from the
top-most Popular category. -------
':""'.-:
.·;';:-.-
••-i iii"·l =
Navigate to Add-Ins. select
Word Add-Ins from the Manage
drop-down box and a new window
will open. Here, you can uncheck
all your Add-Ins, and then go
Apart from this, everything
else on my PC, which is ronning
'_ 1 through the process of re-enabling
them one by one until the
Vista, seems to be working fine. problem appears again.
How can I fix this? Obviously, if you can live
Tony Smart ... _ 0\... _ _ _ _ without the offending Add-In,
the problem is solved. Otherwise,
It's likely that the (_ ] CD "" -1 you may have to look fora
A problem lies with a
plug-in - or an Add-In,
as they're known in Word 2007.
1;;;"_0:..___';;;__;"__:1 specific solution on forums or
• Word Add·lns can sometimes cause
havoc, such as preventing you selecting
contact the Add-In provider's
support to try to find a way to
You can easily check this by te.t and changing options fix the incompatibility.

COMPUTER SHOPPeR • JANUARY 2010


www.freedowns.net & www.journal-plaza.net
HELPFILE

Your experts
Can I remove copy protection? HELPFILE 14D
David LudlDw
Q I recently bought some musk tracks from
the Nokia store and would like to put
them on my ,Pod. Unfortunately, all the
David has been writing about
technology for 11 years and
tracks are in WMA format and DRM protected. Is specialises in solvil"lg
there any way to n!move the protection so that L networking and PC
can uS!! these files anywhere? hardware problems,
Daniel Burling having previously
worked in IT support.
The technical answer is that Ihere are

A applications that will remove the protection


from DRM-protected WMA tracks; however,
it's illegal to do so. Unfortunately. although the
·1It.iZ1I.- Wl .... ~.
c.-~ r_I.""-r=.,...
J im Martin
Having reviewed PCs for over 11
years arld with a keen interest in
other music stores have started to sell DRM-free digital video and
tracks, Nokia is dragging its heels and has yet to __lL photography, Jim cal"l
do the same, although there are rumours that it will solve your hardware
drop ORM in 2010. & It's best to buy music downloads trom stores such and productivity
Even if that happens, you'll be st uck with your as Amazon, as the files are not DRM protected problems.
DRM -protected music tracks. The best advice we can
offer is to buy the tracks again from a ORM -free Slore, its MP3 file downloads will play on anything. whereas Simon Edwards
such as Amazon.co.uk or iTunes. We prefer Amazon, as Apple insists on using its own AAC format. With more than 16 years of PC
experience, focused on protectil"lg
computer users from
hackers and other

How do I maximise my programs? threats, Simon's the


best man to help
solve security woes.
I'm running Windows Vista Home application, it should be ma~imised. Repeat these steps
Q Premium. I like my applications
and Windows Explorer to
for every application that you wal"lt to appear
maximised. If you want Windows
stilrt with their windows maximised. DFFICE HELP 144
r
I've tried setting Explorer to
~~~~;;;=;;:;~~i
.. - _ _
Explorer to start maximised, select its
shortcut icon from the Start menu and Kay Ewbank
remember each folder'S view, but I r--'_ _ "'";:;:" follow the steps above. Database developer al"ld

--..- -- ----
still can't make all Windows appear If your applications WOl"I't start
maximised. Can you help? IJ - - ma ximised, there's a trick you can try
Peter Johnson ...--- that achieves a similar effect manually.

-. -
Simply start an application and then

A
The solution to your problem resize its window until it fills the entire
has two parts, one for
applications and one for
folders. First, each application has to be
manually told to open maximised. You

- -..--..-
~--
--~.
screen (place the cursor on any side of
the wil"ldow ul"ltil it becomes a
double-headed arrow icol"I. then click
and drag to make the window bigger).
can do this by right -clicking a program's When you're happy with the size and
icon and selecting Properties. Click On
the Shortcut tab and change the Run
drop -down menu to Maximised, then
- position, close the application. Next
time you start the application, it will be
.. You need to tell applications the same size and in the same posi tion .
CONTACTS
click OK. The next time you run the to start maxlmlsed This worb with all applications.
Please contact t he relevant
department at the email
address listed above. You
Reader's tip uSB keybmrd SL..ppuct 1'1 BIOS can also write to us at:
Help
I was interested to read about Bill Selecting the Integrated Peripherals menu and

ISZI Wood's problem of an inactive keyboard


while installing Windows XP (Helpfile,
Shopper 261) al"ld believe that there
enabling USB keyboard support fixed the problem.
Daug Morrison, dmdougie@gmail.com
Computer Shopper
30 Cleveland Street
London
W lT 4JD
may be another solution. As Bill
states, the FB key doesn't work Please try to give full details of
because "the keyboard is disabled at your problem. We need an email
this pointN. Your solution is that the address or daytime and evening
keyboard may have an 'F' lock, telephone numbers in case we
which has to be enabled/disabled to l"Ieed more information.
allow the 'F' keys to wor'k. However, Although the policy of
having encountered a similar issue ComputerShopper is not to
recently, ' think the problem lies in publish readers' email addresses,
the BIOS configuration. we include them in Help so that
I recommend that Bill enters the other readers with experience of
BIOS al"ld el"lsures that the keyboard similar problems can share their
is active during the installation solution (please also cc al"ly
process. For me, the problem comments to the relevant Help
occurred on myoid PC, which had & Checking that your USB keyboard is enabled in the BIOS could solve the department above). If you would
an MSI92SX Neo motherboard. problem of 31"11t"1actlve keyboard during Wll"ldows Instlllllltlol"l prefer not to have your email
address published, please say so. @

JANUARY 2010 . COMPUTER SHOPPER


www.freedowns.net & www.journal-plaza.net
HELPFILE

Where are bookmarks and autocomplete file?


A quicker way is to navigate to the
Q I've just upgraded to Windows 7
from Vista. Following the advice in
your feature last month, I installed
bool<;marks file on your old hard disk and
copy it to the corresponding folder on
.-.--- ..--_-
it on a new hard disk. I still have the old disk your new disk. You·ll need to type in the

--
in the PC and have already transferred my path, as the AppData folder is hidden in
the Users folder in both Vista and - --- --
.-
,-
.- ---_.
documents to the new disk. Howeve r, I want
to move my Google Chrome bookmilrks
across, but I can't find where they're stored.
Windows 7. The path to the folder,
assuming E is the drive le tter of your old .- ---- -_. .;;
--_._.
I've also taken the opportunity to upgrade
from Office 2003 to 2007, and while
hard disk, is: E:\Users\<yourusemame:>\
AppData\Local\Google\Chrome\User
-- --
'-

---
--
-_.
---
-
...... ---

--
--
everything works fine, I'm wondering jf Data\Deiault. In this folde r you should
there's a way to get Outlook 2007 to see two fi les: Bookmarks and Bookmarks.
complete recently used email addresses bak. Copy these to the same lolder on
---
--_. •
--
-0-.
automatically, rather than me having to your new hard disk, load Chrome and
type them in. Does Outlook store this your bookmarks should be there. If the
information in a file somewhere? Bookmarks bar isn't visible. hit Ctri-B.
Chris Martin You're also in luck regarding
Outlook's autocomplete feature. The file ... Chrome stores its bookmar1<s in a folder that you 're
will have a .nk2 extension (it may be

A
The official way to transfer your unlikely to find Just by hunting arouJld
Chrome bookmarks is to use the called Oudook.nk2 or youraccountname.
Bookmark Manager to e ~port them. nk2) and can be found in E:\Users\ menu in a Windows hplorer window. then clid
In Chrome, press Ctd-Shift-Band choose <yourusemame:> \AppData\ Roaming\Microsoft\ folder and search options. Click the View tab and
Export bookmarks .. . from the Tools menu. This Outlook. Anyone running Windows XP can fin d untick the 'Hide extensions for known file types'
will save the bookmarks as an HTMl document the fi le in <driveletter:>:\Documents and box. Simply copy the file into the corresponding
(in a similar lashiooto Internet Explorer 8, Settings\<yourusername:> \Applicatioo Data\ folder on your new hard disk. II you're using
below), which you can then import using the Microsoft\Outlook different account names for Outlool<; and your
Import bookmarks .. . command on your new To make it easier to find the file, you might Vista installatioo, you may need to rename the
installation. If you haven't deleted the want to turn on filename extensions, as they're file to match the existing .nk2 file you'll find in
Windows folder on your old hard disk, you hidde n by default in Windows 7, just as they you r Outlook 2007 folder. You'll need to dose
could boot your PC from it and do this. were in Vista. To do this, click the Organize Outlook to overwrite the file.

Windows Importing bookmarks into IE 8


7 partition I understand that the European for the Bookmark.htm file if you want to change

question
Q version of Windows 7 won't
include Intemet Explorer. I have
it from the default setting. Once you've done
this, click Export and then finish. You'll need to
backed up IEB and, independently, my copy the file you've just saved to a portable
Favorites. Could you please tell me how, device if you intend to move ft to another
In your article on installing when the time comes, I can install a browser, computer, or share the folder it's stored in if you
Q Windows 7 (Shopper 261) I
noticed that in one step there was
as presumably I can't access the internet
until I have one. I may not choose IE8, of
want to transfer it over your network
To import your Favourites to Internet
a 100MB System Reserved p<lrtition. What wurse. Also, how do I im port Favorites into Explorer 8, click Favori tes, click the down -arrow
does this do and do I need it? IE8 as I can't find an import facility. next to Add to favorites and then click Import
Brian Gravestcx:k nessuno@blueyoncier.co.uk and Export Gust as you did to export in the first
place). Click Import from a file, then click Ne~t.
The System Reserved partition is There's been a lot of confusioo Tick the Favorites tidbox and click Next.

A creat ed automatically by the


Windows 7 installer. It's used by
Bitlocker, the encryption tool in Wind ows 7
A surrounding Windows 7 and Internet
Explorer 8, but t he final verdict is
that the browser will ship with the OS. When
Intemet Explorer creates a Bookmark.htm file in
your Documents fol de r buy defa ult. However,
you can import favourites saved under another
Ultimate. II you won't use Ultima te or you first load it, you'll be given the chance to name. To do this, click Browse, select a lile and
Bitlocker, you don't technically need it, but change the default search provider, but you'll click Next. Select the folder in which you want
it's best to leave it alooe, as it's ooly small and have to install alternative browsers yourself. to put the imported bookmar\(s, and click Import.
won't cause any damage. We're not quite sure what you mean by
backing up IEB, but it certainly makes sense to

... --
...-- ..... --_. _. ._- save your Favourites. We'll explain both the
export and import process here, just in case
you've used a different method .
_N_"J'CI"_.~)'OIO

_.
---
__ _

. -'-' -- _.-
••.. -
To e~port your Favorites folder from
Internet Explorer, click favorites, click the
down-arrow next to Add to favorites and then
click Import and Export. Click Export to a file,
--
-~

and then Next. Tick the Favorites tickbox and


)1- .,_ . ....
... ~ ... .. r--.:I- ~ .......... click Next.
Select the Favorites folder you want to
export. If you want to export all Favorites,
select the top-level Favorites folder. Otherwise,
... WIJldows 7 makes a Syslem Reserved select the individual folder you want to export, ... 11's easy 10 export you r b ookmarks from
partition automatiCillly du ri ng installation then click Next. You can now specify a name Internet Explorer and import them in Windows 7

COMPUTER SHOPPeR • JANUARY 2010


www.freedowns.net & www.journal-plaza.net
HELPFILE

Remote access to NAS drive


Q I bought a Synology DiskStation
05209+ on the strength of your
points to your currentl P address. When the
IP address changes, your 05209+ can inform
---- -------
. ..m~

-_.._-
---- --
review earlier th is year, and it's DynDNS. You'll find the DDNS settings in the
been great. However, I want to be able to Dis\(Station's management interlace under ~ ~­

-
_ _ .... _ ......-.t
access its manage ment interface n! motely so
that I can control file downloads from work
and use its other features, such as the IP
camera surveillance. I've heard that it's
Network SelVices. Simply enter your DynDNS
a((ount name and password.
To route SSH traffic to your DiskStation,
set up a port forwa rding rule in your router's
-
--- ---...-_----_.-...
--
~
possible to do this securely using SSH, but interface to send incoming traffic on port 22 to
I've no idea how to se t th is up. Can you help ? your DiskStation's IP address (you'll need to give '-
~ ~....
JDSmith your DiskS tation a stat ic IP address or make sure
your router always assigns it the same address). ~

We certainly can. First, (og into Forward port 5000 to your DiskStation too, as ,-
"'
A your D5209+ and enable SSH,
which you'l! find in the Terminal
options under the Network Services heading.
this is the port its interface uses. For more help
on port forwarding. see W'NW.ponforward.com.
The next task is to download Putty, a free
--~.
~

• The tree Putty client lets you create a SKLlre


Next, if your broad~ nd package uses dynamic SSH client, from www.putty.org. Install it and SSH tunnel to your home network
(constantly changing) IP addresses, sign up for launch the program. Enter your DynDNS domain
an account at www.dyndns.com.ThiswillaUow name under Host Name, and make sure SSH is Go back to Putty. Load the saved session and
you to choose a free domain name that always selected. Now click the + symbol next to SSH in click the Open bLlttOn. YOLl should see a prompt
the left pane and select Tunnels. Check the for your usemame. Enter root, and then type the

-"--...._--
.... ..---
"-.--'---~---'--'"
:.;:.-~
Dynamic radio button. Type a port number into
the Source port box (it doesn't matter what you
choose - you could opt lor 3000) and th en click
password you use to log on to your DiskStation's
interface <IS the Syo;tem administr<ltor. Finally, in
Internet Explorer, type your DiskStat ion's 10c<lIIP

_ .---
_ ... I

--,. • <OJ
~
Add. Click back on Session at the top 01 the left
pane, type in a name for the connection under
address, followed by :5000 (for example,
http://192.168.1 .3:5000). YOLl should see your

• •_.-- -
-- - - -_. -,-_.- . • •
Saved Sessions and click Save.
Now fire up Internet Explorer and choose
D5209+'s interlace and be able to log in as if you
were on your home network.

-- • '~". '" Internet Options from the Tools menu, Click You're now browsing the inte rnet using you r

-- - -.--.. - -
the Connections ta b and then LAN settings. home broadba nd connection, so you ca n visit
,~-. -
Place a tick in the 'Use a proxy selVer' tickbox other sites as usual or use 1M clients. However,
,~- and click Advanced. Type local host in the remember to untick the 'Use a proxy selVer'
Socks box and enter 3000 (or whichever tickbox in Internet Explorer's options when
.. FOI'Ward POrt 22 lor SS H and port 5000 for port number you chose) into the Port box, you've finished using your DiskSt<ltion, En<lble it
your NAS drive's management Interlace Click OKto dismiss all three windows. ag<lin when you next want to use it .

Running old games in Vista


_-
_--.-. .
-
I Go<W.ic-.

-
..1_ 1_ _

-- -
.. ....
I _ _ ~_ . . _ - . - - " "

Q I'm running Windows Vista, but I


have some very old games, such
the computer to drop to a 64Ox480 screen
resolution and disabling Vista's advanced visual ttoip... • ...-
... ~-­
as Warhammer. Shadow Of The effects (visual themes, Desktop composition and
Horned Rat and Grim Fandango, that only s'<lling). Try these settings. Finally, il you're still
, """-"-"-""

-
run on Windows 95 or 98. 1also have a having no luck, try selecting the option to Run ~.
Windows 9S CD that I bought on eSay. this program as an administrator. Once you've
Is there a way of running both operating installed your game, YOLl may find that it won't

---
~ .. 5 _
systems on my laptop so that I can play run. Don't panic: jLlst follow the instructions

---
1lon_'<O.... _ _
these old titles? If not, can I do anything to <lbove for the game's execut<lble file,
Vista to make it run games designed for Unlortun<ltely, you may lind that non e of
Windows 95 or 98?

A
Paul Nolan

There are a few things you can try


to ge t your old games working.
The easiest is to use the program
the above settings works. At thiS point, it m<ly
be worth turning to the intemet for help. II the
game you want to rLln is popular enough, you'll
probably find some advice on getting it to run.
Try typing the n<lme of the g<lme you want to
play plus 'Windows Vist<l' into Coogle.
--..- ....-
_ _ - . . ... IIIII>Dft_

Compatibility settings in Windows Vista. When we did this for Crim r<lnd<lngo,
These let you tell Vista to act like an older we found The Department 01 Death (www.
operating system for certain applications. grim -!andango.com) website. This provides • Try changing your game's compatibility mode
You may need to set Compatibility for your instrLlctions on getting the game to run under to get it running under Windows Vista
games' installation files, too, Vista, includi ng downloads to two new files: a
To do th is, right-click th e program you Vista insta ller <lnd game launcher. These should ca n use virtu<ll machin e software to run
want to run and select Properties. Click on the fix your pro blems. You '<In find similar help for Windows 95 under Wind oW5 Vist<l.
Compatibility Tab and select 'Run this program the other games you mentioned. Microsoft's free Virtual PC 2007 (www.
in compatibility mode for:' . You can then It's possible to install both Windows 95 and microsoft.comldownioadsldelails.aspx?Familyld
choose which version of Windows you'd li ke to Windows Vista on your laptop, but the ",04D26402- 3199- 48A3 -AFA2-DCOB4OA 7386
emulate, including Windows 95 and 98, Try procedu re is complic<lted <lnd YOLl may run into &displaylang"en) lets you create a virtLl<l1
both settings to get your game working. If you problems, as you're unlikely to be able to find computer on whi ch you c<ln inst<lU Windows 95.
have no luck, you may need to change the Windows 9S drivers for all your laptop's You should then be able to install your games on
Compatibility Settings. These include forcing hardware. Don't give up yet, though, as you the virtual machine and run them from that. t::I

JANUARY 2010 . COMPUTER SHOPPER


www.freedowns.net & www.journal-plaza.net
WIl.. Get name of Excel worksheet
tJ...J Q How can I get the name 01 the worksheet
as shown on the tab at the bottom 01 the
~ I ioI "
~ ----.--.--
..;.;'
-
u.. W pa~ to appear in a cell in Excel?
Me/Andrews

""--,.;----,~--,.~j
:
' 11

==;,.:
~
. ,," . . .

310 .6.

...
.. ...

..... .

==~>",,",=...,.,~""
~

""
_

"f ..

u..::I: A You can use the Cell function to get the name
01 the file so long as YOOJ 've 5<1ved the
workbook at least once. II you use:

- Ce ll (M Fi I ename n )
,'-
,'-
,'-
,'-
,'-
~ 0 I , •

C You 'll get a resu lt something like:


.;-
• Want to know the name of the current wor1<sheet
t"b? Use the Cell funct ion to find the ""me of it
C: \data \ [ expenses . xi s JThi sMo nth
To get just the name of the tab, just use this fonnula :
This would show that the workbook was saved in the
data folder under the name expe nses.xls, and th e -HI O( CE Ll("fi 1 ena me" . AI) . FI NO("]" • CELl( nfl l e
currenllab was called ThisMonth. na me" . AI»+ I ,32 )

Cancel Outlook Access totals


alarms
Q
I have a Totals Query in Access 2003 that

Q I'm being driven mad by Outlook 2007.11 I


edit an eVi!nt in the past that had an alarm
I want to use as the basis of a calculated
field on a n!port.ln the query I find the
sum 01 two fields - Amount and Quantity. I want
set, the alarm is t riggered and the to find the value 01 Amount/Quantity, but when I
Reminders window appears. I want to be able to edit try with the expression:
past events so I can assign them to particular
categories, but having to cancel an alarm that [ SumofAmount ) /[SumofOuant l ty )
(Kcurn!d in the past is very lrostrating. My current
workaround is to move them into the futun! just so I I get the error message "Error 3203 - Subqueries
can set their categories. Any better ideas? cannot be used in the expression <expression >".
Jon Ball How can I get my expression to work?

A The answer is to dismiss the reminder when


you're editing the event. That way, yOOJ aren't
Richard Wheeler

Error 3203 usually means that you've used


reminded of the alarm every time you open
the event. If you forget and the reminder appears,
simply dismiss it on the reminder dialog .
A a Select statement that includes an
aggregate function that evaluates another
aggregate function . Instead you should create a

.::::~~~
. ... ..... .. --.-__.
Select query instead of a Totals query, using SQL
. j~;.; ,-
INTRODUCTION
. .
.
atong the lines of:

Have you got a spreads heet ij--- .- -


~--

-. SELECT Supp l i er . SUM(Amountll


t hat doesn't add up? A Word
_.__.- 1',,-
---
~--
SUM(Quantit y )
document thilt needs a
text-folTrlatting macro or it
databiilse thill'S wa iting for a
--
- It ~
... - ~--~
G--
=="] ~
FROM Yo urTab l e
GRO UP BY Sup pl i er

report to be written ? Don't • Dismiss reminders In Outlook to avoid belng This assumes your table is calledYOOJrTable and you
fret: we're he re to he lp. Just repeatedly nagged over events from the past have a Supplier field t ha t you're finding the unit price
send your query t o t he ema il for. On a design note, it prob.llbly makes mO(e sense
address below and our to store the Unit Price and the Quantity fO( items
resident office applications you buy or sell, and calculate the amount per sale
expert will find your solution.
Please provide as much Word rather than having to wor'.; backwards at the end.

... ..: -
information as you ca n,
formatting lost "-:==
-_. y:.--
-.-.-
C I ii!I ' l *I 1 0.1 . =_
including the version of t he -:,; =----:--~-;; -~
app li cation you're using. OJ
When I save my Word documents as .doc ,-
sample of any datil and dellliis
of any steps you've alreildy
take n to so lve th e issue.
Q files in Office 2000 I lind that the original
formatting is lost when I reopen the files.
There's also a lot of gobbledygook, with information
about root entries, object pools and default
Kay Ewbank
paragraph lonts. How can I stop this happening?
Database developer and
productivity expert
Ewbank offers help
Andy McKibbin
.-
Ii:-
A
For some reason your File Open type has
office applications.
been set to be 'RecoverText from any File' • Use a Select query not a Totals one to avoid
Simply change it to 'All Word Documents'. aggregating an aggregate when calculating totals

COMPUTER SHOPPeR • JANUARY 2010


www.freedowns.net & www.journal-plaza.net
OFFICE HELP

Make Outlook Excel cell Fit Word


calendar formatting document
default view Q When I enter product codes in the
format 'number dash number ', such to one page
as 12-6, Excel changes it into a
I use Outlook 2007, and I want to date, such as 12-June, If I try Undo, Excel I have a document in Microsoft
Q see my Calendar when I first open
Outlook. At the moment, it opens
deletes the entire entry. How can I get Excel
to leave my entries alone?
Q Word where the text is in various
sizes of the same font (Headings,
on my Inbo., and I have a tendency to start J Piper Capitals and t ower Case). My document
answering emails rather than checking my prints out on multiple A4 pages, but I need it
calendar. Is there a way to change this? Excel is t rying to be helpful. If you're to fit to a single page. How can I do this?
John Pounder
A entering a one-off value, Ihe way
round your problem is to put an initial
quotation mark , so enter your value as '1 1-6.
Bil/Walton

The easiest option is to shrink the

A
You can set Oudoc!< to open any
of its folders first, including Inbox,
Calendar, Contact. Notes or Tasks.
From t he Tools menu, choose Opt ions, Othe r.
You won't see the quote,just the value 12-6,
However, as you are entering product codes,
you're probably putt ing them all in th e same
A document in the printer dialog. If
you're using Word 1007, choose Print
from the Office button, th en choose Prinl
Next. dick on Adva nced O pt ions, and at the column, so before you s1art data entry, tell Preview, On the Previ ew di splay, choose the
top of the dialogyou'U see a setting for Startup Excel that the entire column should be treated option 'Shrink one page'. II you're using a
in this folder. Click Browse, navigate to the as te ~t , Select the range that should be left as previous version olWord, you need to choose
folder where you want Outlook to open when teKt, then right-click, choose format Cells, and File, Print Preview. II you hover your mouse

,--.... .--
you start it, then click OK. select Text. Excel should now behave itself. over the icons, you'll find 'Shrink to Fit'.

- -- ,- -'--
- .. -

.. __
.-
-- ---- -...- ,; - -

-
,,-
..~ - .= ~ ...__-_
'= ... _-_.
.... _-_.- -__... _---
._...
_"_"_"jf
L

'"
:::::: =
!!i'-
"'- ..
.1=-
.. Set the value for Startup In this folder to alter • Set c~llormat s to Text to prevent E~cel
----- ..
- - - --.~ - -- --~
-.- -~--- -~----
- -.-~ --. - -- ----.-
--~--- ..--
• Shrink your mult lpage document In Prlnt
what you s ee first wken Outlook starts automatically converting text to dates Preview to lit it all on to a single page

Combine Powerpoint presentations


Q I am trying to combine two
PowerPoint 1000 presentations
that have different backgrounds.
to your two existing presentations when you
copy it between presentations.
Create a third presentation and add you r
change 'On Click' to 'After Previous'. Select th e
third entry, click on th e Start drop-down and
change the value from 'On Click' to 'With
Each has its own design template. My bla nk side twice to it From the Insert menu, Previous'.Your first two presentations will now be
problem is that if 1 insert the slides from one select Object , Create from File. Browse until you set up correctly. Move to the second slide and
into the other, the background changes, and I find your first presentation. Click on Link, then repeat all th e actions for inserting the
want them to stay the same. Please help! Display as Icon. You should see the PowerPoint presentat ion, the text box and custom
Elizabeth B document icon on you r slide.You need to drag animations, but choose you r second presentation.
this icon off the visible slide area; if you can only To view the complete show, you simply
If you we re us ing a more modern see the visible slide area, ~oom out by choosing display your linking presentation. When you

A version of PowerPoint, this would be


fa irly easy, as the ability to use
multiple design templa tes was added in
200m from the Vi ew menu, Add a text box (also
011 the edge of the ma in slide) and enter some
text to remind yoursell th at this displays another
load it, PowerPoint will ask: "This pre sentation
conla ins links to othe r files - Do you want to
upda te them?" Select the 'Update Links' option.
PowerPoint XP. As you're still using Powe rPoint presentation. Right-click on the te~t bo~ and You 'll also need to click three times when moving
2000, you'll have to choose one 01 a number of choose Custom Animation. Clid on the Add from the first presentation to the second. I!]
worka rounds. One possibility is to embed the
slides from the second presentation rather than
insert the m. To do this, you have your
Effect button. and set the Entrance
elleclto Box. Click on the Start drop
down and change the value from 'On
-- .-
'destination' presentation in the Slide Edit view,
with a blank slide. The 'source' presentation
should be in Slide Sorter view, Choose a slide
Click' to 'With Previous'.
You now need to set the custom
animation lor the presentation you
.. -_.
••
--,
.
,., ._....-
from the source presentation and copy it using
Ctrl-C. Go to the blank slide in Ihe destination,
and paste the sli de using ClrI-V. You ca n th en
added earlier. Right-click the icon and
select Custom Animat ion. Click on the
Add Effect button and set the Entrance Click to add
,
t
--
,~~

itle
'1 ~ _'

resize the embedded slide so it's the right size. effect to Appear. Click on the Add Effect
You'll need to repeat this for each of the slides button aga in and change the Object ( Idto.,d lub(lt
you want to get from your sou rce presentation, actions to Show, so that Power Point
The second option is to link the will show the presentation.
presentations by having a third one. First, you You should now have three Custom
need to create a start and end slide that use Animation entries, Select the second • You can use cu.tom animation. to link presentations iI
the Blank layout, so it doesn 't get reforma tted entry, click the Start drop-down and you're using PowerPolnt 2000

JANUARY 2010 . COMPUTER SHOPPER


www.freedowns.net & www.journal-plaza.net
SUBSCRIPTIDN DFFER

when you claim 3 trial issues of


Computer Shopper DVD edition

YOUR GREAT DEAL


• Save 26% on the shop price
• FREE Pakuma eco2bag
• 3 triaL issues to start your subscription
• FREE delivery to your door
• Get ~ery issue before It hits the shops
• If you're not satisfied, claim a FUll REFUND
during your trial period

Your FREE Pakuma Laptop Bag


The Pekuma ecoa.. ~ the perfect protection lOr your t.ptop. NCh case;

• Is made from 100% rec:yded plastic


• Uses the: COCOON System
~ the: ultimm protectioo
apinSt knods.nd~
• Has a soft !mer UfWlg a'ld zipper
Up to prevent 5IntdIes

_ _-_._
• Features, front pocket for OVO's

_..-...- ..... ........


and srrIIlI eccessorIes

--...- ............. -. ..... ... ......,.

CALL NOW ON 0844 844 0031


Order securely online at www.dennismags.co,uklcomputershopper enteringoffercode P1 001 or retum the invitation below

fill' YlSI I'Io6e st.t ffPJ subscription to <:.orrpJter Shopper with 3 ~.fUE trW a-
n ~lMmy FItEE,t/IIurN Uptop .... 1~tNt if rmnul ~wtioIied,
I ... write to anceI. durirc my trill pMod ...-d cWn a f\JU ItEfUND.

-
YOUR OETAILS - ~ t:empIeu: In BLOCK CAPlTAI.S
,.... _ os
...-",
I I
,,= ~-
.....!I
II I
""'WDI

-
"""'"!!2i ~!Q

~.-
QlmpIetf! @ithH.wctIon ao.qu.. ClWlltc.d 01' . DINct o.wt 1 I I I
0!eque1er.cltc.rd~ · 12"'" DYD . ~"'Z __ (SAVl14")
• 0 I eI1CkR • cheque mille peyIbIe to Demis ~ WI. ....... ""
Freeport RLZS-ETGT-BCZR, Computer Shopper Subsoiption~
• O ~ a..ge my: []VISA D MIISI~ O AMEX 800 Guillat Avenue, Kent Science Pa~ Sittingbourne ME9 SGU
OSwitdv'Maestro (Issue No.c=J) _ - . . . ( U l Q Ud ....
__
I~PrW:y_ . ~)W

InIotrnaIion. RltfUl_ pIeHe _ ... _


__
___
~ _ _ _ . . 1O
. . on
~~ =~
-~
~
C
O
'
~
O
/
"
"
"
a..w "" 005a. ')<11< _ _1lbnIaIrC _ _ _ _ ..,...,.. ......
II 1LJ....Ll1 II I
.".~I)I-.""

I I I I II I I II I I I I I I I I I I )0.1 """""" _ . 1Nt _ _ ... _ _ ,...,. COIIIIoCt)<ll< 1tIOUl1'fO<\.Cll _ _ _ 1Nt'" be 01


*"' ... --...
-
-- -
_IO,OU ..... _
... ~ @ ... . _
...... - - . . .... _ SMS. l'lu _ OPt_ IItNft
... a..wa.u~ .

.......... ... ............ - ~--., I otter Code: Pl00l I


www.freedowns.net & www.journal-plaza.net
COMPETITION

Z WIN MSI X4D[]


CJ Notebook
~ M
51'5 stylish X400 Laptop is a super-slim ultra-
portable that you can cany everywhere. It
weighs just l.5kg. but has a 14il'l widescreeo
display with a resolution of 1,366x768. This gives

~
plenty of desktop space and is perfect for movies.
The dispLay has an LED ba<:klight, which saves
battery power, while the Consumer Ultra LowVoltage

W (CULV) (ore 2 SU3500 processor enables you to use th is


laptop for hours away from a power socket. With a 320GB hard
disk, built-inWi Fi and Bluetooth, the X400 has evl!rythingyou

11. need for computing o n the move.


We have one to give ilway, worth £500.
www.oyyy.co.uk

~ WIN Carel Digital WIN CDDL-ER ebaak


CJ Studia2010
Taking a revolutionary approach to photo editing and
reader and .EGO ebaak
taken
tl movie making. this mu!\imedia software provides aU
the applica tions you need in one box. You can organise
all your digital media in one place and edit photos,
bum music and tum video dips into movies in minutes.
The COOL-ER is a small,
light and fashionable
electronic book reader.
Digital Studio also S<.Ipports HD video and It uses E Ink, a new
Windows 7. You'll be able to share yoor memories on technology that gives
popular sites such as Facebook, Flickr and YouTube, you a paper-like display
professional-quality CDs, DVDs or high-definition that 'Iou can read even in
AVCHD discs, and direct sunlight.
'lour iPod, iPhone or Power is required
PSP device. only to tum a page, and
We have eight a single charge lasts for
to give away, each 8,000 page turns, Also, the
worth £60. electronic display allows you to
www.corel.com change the text size to suit 'Iou. The
reader can store hundreds of books on
its 1GB internal memory. It is Windows
ENTER ON THE WEB PC- and Mac-compatible, and supports Adobe
www.elfpertreYlews.co.uk Digital Editions digital books.
a.o~,.... O ~n:

P\..,.trQJ"''P'' .... ryrN<ilo< ... by


~S !tl jat....-ylOl0.

- We have three bundles to give away, each


worth £250.
www.coolreaders.co.uk

COMPETITION QUESTION
How big is the MSI X400's screen?
a) 14in b) lSin c} 20in

To answer the question and be in with a chance of winning one of these


fantastic prizes, go to www,expertreviews.co.uk

COMPETITION RULES
00 ,,,.,.,.,.,... itId -..ottioS "'" ,,,,,,,,,,,I,,,, 'I"" \\Oil bo.....,.,...,UI)o oI ......... \\Oilootbo~ .. prooIoI_ryar>d""~ . '""""t-. . ~,..._m;o\op<t<>~ it i0n5
....~ ... o . "'_ t «_o! t l><o<.,......No~ .,;( bo can b< ocap"" k< _ " " " <INyM. ... _ 0< Jo< ""I~ w... "'"'-,""""'PIoN~lO~St. l~ W 1 T.p.~ tho _
... _d ""oitld .... ~wllboo'!ob/loO t>; po .. "' _ _ 28 '" to< ""' ........ _ rN)' " , ......... ,~~.,., to bo dl<rupl.d '" 0I . ~~_ to t ... up . pm.Jc<'""'i"'''''''''''' E.;1'''
<Irj< 01 to. ' Iosio( dot•. Th<c.,.....,..-, ~..,. op<O to ~ 01 corrupt""- '....,.". _.,...".... om.. 10 ~.., rutfigflt ........ '" "',....., .... riftM: 10 _"" k to .... ilttmil'" _ , " ' _ _ _ tho fct
o->i<~"'~~~O>g'--...No' ................ wiII ","-to. """'Pd'b'' '' ....!d;,,,, ~ t" ';'1>1 to '''P''' ."....., •.(••"" ,..,""' . . ..,. b< "'gli:I!< Jo< '""'i ""'" 01 tho pn,.who,..,...,. Iht
bo_Thoroi'.{!I _ _ ... _ _ ...... dot.oI~ ~ .. ioo.
10 " I< pM! .. on <trn .... "'11 ,<JIll'"
(or';' brtokori- wt.... to< "'" '""'" [<!iior', _ ~ lNl .oo ~ ~. ,ond~"" 01 <ntIy to ""Icoro;><!iIion

f _ """IOC' ''' thot ~ tho """""'.,.,<11 ..........


""'01 to. roil< - . .... ..,............,....., roi«> 00 _ . tilt fdi!or,.,....., to. riftM: 10 ..... tho _~tQ b< _l>I t .... ..... _ , thty b<
~ duo to ... """ ~ Comp.Ito< Shoppor'. ,""""., """'-h """I, COI><iJct.'""'*'_to<ltl ........ tn. ......... "' .......... "''' 'prIIe< ~bl""", or not.w thot tho ~"tho !d~or ood J~ '" '""'i
..~,_Ioo. VI"J or ort1<f'Id .... _ " , , 1orId tho rHd<r _ _ thot lInIm "'_ ..... td.<ntIy 10 Il c.",..,..k"'" ~ _rieltd to _ _ mmtr _"""" - . 001 01 o< c<>nr«ttd wilo tlltcoro;><!iIion ....
"" liobO;,y_bo "tiICo.< toCorT>p<lt<rSl!opp<r ... "",, _ _ 01 18"1""" . 0< """. .... """ 01",""" \\Oil b< ... iobIt ""...:tip<: 01 fNl No put:"'" 01 tift ~ i, r>tCtS>iI)'.

JANUARY 2010 . COMPUTER SHOPPER


www.freedowns.net & www.journal-plaza.net
MAILBOX
This month you tell us why building a PC is better than buying
one, while one reader has a great tip for preventing companies
taking unauthorised payments from your credit card

Card sharp How to stop automatic payments


Read ing about Zygote's McAfee indefinitely by anyone apart from a formally

121 campaign (Shopper 261) warmed my


heart's cockles immensely. I .Ilso hate
having things forced on to me.
recognised and regulated financial organisation,
and even they aren't perfect.
Meanwhile, here's a useful tip. I use a separate
However, no resting on laurels: there's more debit/top -up card for web purchases. Mine is from
work to be done. There are at least two other PayPal. but many different ones are available. The
similar finms to address, namely Symantec and PC card is only valid for a year, and isn't a cred it card
Tools. Both use the same system of insisting that - you top it up, keeping as much or as little in it as
they automatkally renew your subscription by suits you. Every year you get a new number, and
retaining your credit card details indefinitely. you can't ever lose more than the amount you carry
I have no idea whether they would send you a in the card, even if your PIN number and card are
prior warning, but even if they do, that isn't really stolen. I keep a minimal amount in the account
good enough. You might be away on holiday at the unless I know I'm going to need more. This way, the
time and not able to respond, and you may well card will expire before the subscription does, so you
have decided to change to anoth er product. I have can buy your McAfee licence without the security
no idea what I might want in a year's time! risk. The card is also very useful when you go on
And PC Tools insists that you agree to send holiday, for similar reasons.
them fresh details if you change your credit card, or I spent many years working for an overseas
if it expires before the subscription renewal date! (ethicali) banking group, specialising in credit risk
This seems to be a trend that is getting worse; management, and I'm astounded at some of the
I've come auoss other institutions going the same exploits that are allowed to happen these days,
route. The really important issue is that these even after the worst global financial meltdown in
organisations insist on taking responsibility for history. I can only say, non iIlegitim;carborundum
retaining your credit card details indefinitely, and - don't let the b ...... sgrind you down.
you have no idea as to how reliably and securely jan B
they maintain this vital information. If your card
details are compromised and money is stolen from We'll pass yOOJr request to Zygote and see what he
your account, will the card company refund you? comes up with. That's a great tip, though, and we're
Also, how will you know which organisation was sure it's one that plenty of other readers will use. It's
responsible for the leak? And interesting. too, that you
even if you do know, how
likely are you to win a case
..,.., .-. mention PayPa! since many
online companies (including
against a major software Zonealarm) now accept PayPal
company, even if you could as a payment method.
afford the legal costs? This is great news, as it's
I would be interested if free to set up a PayPal account
Zygote or anyone else could to buy products, and it means
CONTACTS
LETIERSPAGE
establish how the card
companies view this kind of
development. Whatever the
.--
...--
_ ICCI _:=O: . ....- those companies you buy
from never get to see yOOJr
card or bank details. It also
letters@computerYlopper.co.uk answer,l can't recommend to .. Pa ying by PayPai stops companies ge tting means they can't take a
anyone that they allow credit l\oId of your credit card details to ta ke repeat payment without
TECHNICAL ADVICE card details to be kept payments automatica lly your authorisation.
helpfile@<:omputershopper.co.uk
offkehelp@<:omputershopper.CQ,uk

COVER DISC ENQUIRIES


SEVEN UP
coverdiscs@(:ompulershopper.co.uk

121
I'm not a regular reader of Shopper but I specific,l currently use Windows XP Home Edition
bought the November issue because of and Office 2000 Professional (in partkular Access).
SUBSCRIPTION ENQUIRIES
(omputershopper@cisubs.co_uk your guide to Windows 7, whkh I needed I think I'm right in saying that if I had upgraded to
or caU 0844 844 0031 to get up to speed on. I thought the magazine was a Vista I would also have had to spend a small fortune
or visit www..lubsinfo.co.uk very good read indeed. (for very little gain) on the more current version of
However, what I found disappo inting was that Office Professional.
WRITE TO US AT within the Top 10 reasons for considering upgrading My point is this; even if there are 10 good reasons
Computer Shopper, to Windows 7, there was no discussion at all on the for upgrading an ope rating system, if that upgrade
30 Cleveland Str~t, impact such an upgrade might have on the ability to also means shelling out several hundred pounds on
London wn 4JD continue using any existing applications. To be more new applications packages, then there is at least one

COMPUTER SHOPPeR • JANUARY 2010


www.freedowns.net & www.journal-plaza.net
LEITERS

very good reason for NOT upgrading. Some was no indication as to w hen they would be.
discussion of this, in the int~est of balallCe, I just had to be patient but it was unlikely that
would have been useful. it would be for another two months. However,
Specifically, by upgrading to Windows 7 this time before ringing off, I asked il they
Professional- with its XP Mode - would I be could send me a copy of the terms and
able to continue using Office 2000? Some conditions. No problem, they said, we'll see
retailers tell me ~s, while others say no. what we can do.
D~s the XP Mode Ojrerate like Windows XP, Shortly after, I received a strange email
or d~s it just look like XP? from Acer:
Christopher Wright "Hi. We have nothing in writing
that stipulates that it is something
We didn't include much info rmation on that we offer. If we go by Trading
Windows 7's XP Mode, as it will affect only a Standards they deem three months as a
minority of users. Almost all applications that reasonable timeframe for a repair. But we say
.... Getting your laptop repaired out of warranty is
run under XP will work fine in Windows 7, 10 working days dependent on the availability not only cosily, but can 1I1~ lellve you wltoout a
Office 2000 included. This means you won't of spare parts." computer for months on end
need to buy a version of Windows 7 that While wondering what "it" referred tO,1
comes with XP Mode. received another email stating that my laptop
XP Mode isn't just for looks: it's a real had been fixed .md was on its way back to me. BUILDING A GOOD REPUTATION

121
virtualised operating system that is designed I dm now waiting patiently for it to drrive. 1 bought d PC from Gingert; for my
to allow businesses to upgra de to Windows 7 The mardi of the story is: if you get a bill son last November as a Christmas
even ilthey need to run programs that won't that quotes terms and conditions which aren't present. It duly arrived in time for
work properly with Vista or Windows 7. there to read, ask for them as it can make me to install Windows and set it up for him.
However, because it's a virtual operating previously unobtdinable spare parts magically He was chuffed at Christmas and all was
system, you'll need a computer with a processOf appear out of thin air. well. However, the PC refused to boot dt the
that supports virtualisation. As long as you have Gavin Sinnott first attempt in January, dnd slowly got more
an AMD Athlon processOf that uses the AM2 reluctant over the weeks. I tried to contact
sodet or later, you'll have the necessary support. It's uncommon for a repair to take as long as Ginger6 by several means, but had no reply.
With Intel processors, it's a little trickier. It's best yours did, but you're right that it's always worth Eventually the PC wouldn't boot at all, and
to check your particular model on Intel's website reading the terms and conditions. Of course, this the BIOS couldn't find the hard disk , I knew if I
to see il it supports virtualisation, will only enlighten you as to the facts, and opened the CdSI' the warranty would be void,
doesn't help much il you don't like what they but I put in a sp.are disk and set it bdCk up.
TERMS OF ENGAGEMENT say. An alternative is to take your out-ol- I carried on trying to contact Ginger6, but

121
1bought an Acer laptop two years warranty computer to a third·party company, there was still no response.
ago with one ~ar's warranty, but as we saw when we did an undercover Eventually I logged on to Seagate's >vebsite
Unfortunately, after the warranty investigation of such firms (see Shopper 247), and within five minutes I had an order for a
had expired, the laptop started to develop none was particularly impressive. warranty return. I posted the drive to the US
stress fractures on the top 01 the case next to When buying a laptop or a desktop but only had to pay to send it via Royal Mail to
the hinges. I rangAcer and agreed to pay an computer, it's crucial that you also take its UPS in Derby. Three days later I had a brand-
'assessment fee' 01 £S2 so that the engineers warranty into account. It's one of the important new SooGB disk.
could take a look at it. They received the factors in our overall star ratings in our reviews, I have now gone back to building my own
laptop on 7th August. and we reward companies that provide two or PCs and spent £SOO sourcing the components
Five days later I received an email asking more years' worth of cover. It's a shame that separdtely online, all of which were delivered
for a further £67 to cover the repairs, payable more laptops don't come with longer warranties, on time. I will never buy a pre-built PC again;
within seven days or the laptop would be and it doesn't even matter how much you spend, the standard of customer service Irom
returned without repair, Anxious to get the as certain companies have a standard one-year component manufacturers is on a different
laptop back so my wife could get her Facebook warranty across the bo<lrd, even if you're paying planet to the box-shifters.
fix, I paid over the phone the same day. upw<lrds of £ 1,000. Mark Sud/ow E>
At the bottom 01 the bill, it said that I
should allow 10 working days for the repair
subject to terms and conditions. Paying it no
heed, I just sat back and waited for the laptop
to return, but to no avaiL
By 7th September, with my wife's queries
WRITE IN AND WIN!
ringing in my ear, I decided to ring to lind out If you want to make the most out of your home movies and photographs,
where the laptop was.Acer customer service then Adobe's Photoshop Elements 8 and Premiere Elements B are the best
politely pointed out that they didn't have the and easiest way to do so. If you fancy getting your hands on thoese
parts in stock yet and didn't know when they products, there's no need to put yoor hand in yoor pocket; all yoo have to
would amve. When I referred to the statement do is write a great letter. Get it printed as our Star Letter, and a copy of
about 10 worldng days, customer service were both applications will be winging its way to you in the post.
kind enough to point out that it was subject to Photos hop Elements 8 is the best home photo-editing application. Its
terms and conditions. Indeed they were kind powerful featu res are taken from the full Photoshop application, so you
enough to S<ly it several times during the can get thoe sam e resu lts, but Elements is a lot eas ier to use. Prem iere
conversation whenever timescale was Elements B d~s a similar job for movie making, pulUng its features from
mentioned. We agreed that I would just have the high-end Premiere software, but making it easier to use so you'll be
to wait for an email saying it was ready. able to produce Hollywood- style movies from the comfort of your home.
I went iJWay scratching my head as there
>verI' no terms and conditions attached to the
bill, but hOjred lor my wife's sanity that it
would be returned soon. PLUS!
On 1st October (at 9am as I thought I'd Every published letter-writer w ho provides their
beat the queue) I rang again and was again
told that the parts weren't in stock, and there address also recei ves a Computer Shopper mug

JANUARY 2010 . COMPUTER SHOPPER


..
www.freedowns.net & www.journal-plaza.net
LETTERS

This is the first time we've heard of a problem You might not benefit fro m the convenience
with Ginger6's communication, but you're of a pre-configu red operating system or a single
certainly not the only person to decide t hat it's point of contact for warranty repa irs, and you
belter to build your own PC instead of buying a might even end up spendi ng a little more, but as
pre-built system. Naturatly, there are p!"os and long as you 're happy to deal wit h any defe ctive
cons to each approach, but having built pes hardware yourself, it's often an excellent way to
oorselves, we know how 5<ltisfying it is to fire up get a new Pc.
a computer that yoo've j)\JI together yourself.
You atso gel the benefit of choosing exactly DESTROYING DISCS (PART III)

121
which components you want, and gellhe best Following the discussion in the
prices for each one. As long as you can wield a previous couple of issues about
screwdriver, it's incredi bly easy to build a PC, how best to destroy your ... A surefire way to destroy data on a hard disk Is
and all t hese reasons are why our book, Build a unwanted CDs and DVDs, I use a simple to put it through a shredder
Better PC (see www.magbooks. c;om).hasbeen hammer blow to smash discs very easily.
selling so well over the past couple of years. Of course, you must first cover them with a DVD. We're sure there are plenty of other faster
cloth to prevent flying shards and splinters. ways to destroy DVDs and we're keen to hear
It's also a foolproof method of disposing of about other inventive ways of doing it.
unwanted hard disks. Talk ing of dest roying hard di sks, we're not
Syd Mercer convinced that a ham mer blow will obliterate
hard disk platters, unless you first remove the
I'm sure you're right to say that cover. Wh ile you can't exactly buy one for home
using a shredder with an optical use, industrial hard disk shredders are rathe r
disc slot is the best way to destroy amusing to watch in action. You can see our
optical discs. Unfortunately, I don't havt' one, favourite clip at hUp://tinyurl.com/disk5hredder.
but I do have a blowlamp. t stand it on my hob
with the extractor fan going, and waft each CANT BUY AWARD-WINNER
For months now you've been

121
disc through a gentle flame until it warps and
the write layer bubbles. I'm confident that recommending the MSI Digivox
this is an effective, if smelly, way of making Duo TV tuner (Editor's Choice,
them unreadable. Shopper 261, page 38), but I've never yet found
Ciary Seymour any online retailer who has any in sto(k, even
the ones you quote in the magazine. For
For anyone wonde ring how this topic started, it instance, www.<:ustomptwarehouse.w.uk
was our review of liteOn's iHAS 324 DVD writer in issue 261 doesn't even list it. If you do a
... Alloough most people prefer to btJy a complete (see What's New, Shopper 260). As well as Google search for it, you get some reviews, so I
pre-built pc, building one yourself isn't difficult burning data, it can also erase discs, but takes guess it does actually exist somewhere, but it
and there are lou of advantages ages - around ha lf an hour for a single-layer doesn't seem to be available to buy.

COMPUTER
SHOPPER
SHOPPER OFFICE
Editor David ludlow
ADVERTISING
Fax 020 7907 6600
CO NTRIBUTO RS
contlibutO(s@>compu!ers/Joppe,.co,uk
Adam Banks, Gareth 8.earn, Mike
PIIODUCTS &. £DITOItIAl SlIIHI_

_....""""""'-"""'...
~,.,_-""' '' ..fomw _ " , .... ''''

...
, . j , . . . - ..... - , ... ~~
- ... """
david@computershoppe',co.uk
~puty Editor Jim Martin
Email iJdl.5hopper@dennis.co.uk
Group Advertising Director
Richard Bennett 020 7907 6640
Bedford, Simon Br~, Mel Croocher,
Elaine Edwards. Kay Ewbank, Steve
H a i ~s, Simon Handby, Da~ id Md in oon,
,-.....,,""""' -...,.
"", ~",,,,,,,,"''''' to
"-,..-...,.,."'...,,
.. _ · ' ' ' " ' ' - .....~_ _

... .
"""--
.... ""' ... ""I" ... ~""~~; .,-'"
........ '''''k<
...... .
~01

i im@Computershopper.co.uk
..
",-..oy-..o_.w. ,,,,,,,,,_ , ,,,,...
....,,... -,,,

.. _
~puty Advertising Manager Stewart Mitchell ~n Pitt, J u~an ProkaUl,
Nik Rilwiin>an, Da~ id Robin>an,
--",, -., ,,,,, ,~,,,,,

Reviews Editor Seth Barton

-'
~
ArnJrea Mason 020 7907 6662 Will Stapley, Jon Thompson, lain White
~eth@Computershoppff. CO. uk
Senior Sales hecutive .... """_
Features Editor Simon Edwards Adam WiUboum 020 7907 6621 PHOTOGRAPHY
M" ....
""" ,"'""', .....
_notbo~~
....... -...- ...
5imon@Computooi>apper,co.uk New Media Account Manager
Danny Bird, Timo Hebd itch, ....-''''_r.-w .. c_'''''-.
--...,."'a........."-.c..-wn.jO
''''''''
Andrew Ridge , Hugh ThrelfaU
Gary Rayneau 020 79lJ 7 6812 ~~
OnUne Editor Tim Sm~lley
tim@Compu termoppff.co.uk Ust Rental
Anthony White 020 7907 6471
MARKETING
Marketing Manager ( Iaire Serase
~,.,_"" ...t<, .. _~
........,-,'''"''''..,-.",'''''-, ..,
INTLItN..rIONAl UClN~
.
Editorial and Marketingksistant
~"'-""-"'--'"
.... _ .....m ......00 " '" _'"HI.
Emily Hodges _ "",,,,w_,,,,,,-
PRODUCTION ADVERTISING PRO DUCTION Com~titions Manager Emma Winfield ""'l-..
Production Editor Janey Go-ulding Fax 020 7907 6066 02079076260 ~

Marketing Production Manager """' ..... <00">,.., '_ .."'........ ......,.... ...
Art Editor ( olin Mackl~wOfth Production Director Robin Ryan
Gemma Hills ..'""""~bo ..... ~"" .........oq ..
.
~putyArt Editor Anand P~rmar
GroupArt Editor Bill Bagnall
02079076052
Production Controller
Natasha Ross 020 7907 6OS5
MANAGEMENT
Tel 020 79076000
Publishing Director John Garewal
""""""".,."..,~""",-~
_""'
_ .. tho..."bo"'"""_
.... """'''''lII:pri< .. " "....
_
_.<_
... .. ,....... ....... tlO".,"""""t~

... -
".,,"'_~

..."""...,..,..-,. ,,,tho_...... "'''''''-


""-,--,,.-; ~
Group Advertising Director
SHO PPER LABS COV ER CD/ DVD CONTACTS Julian Lloyd-Evans
Graham Smith 020 79076335 Circulation Director Martin 6e1>an
Senior Staff Writer Alan lu Finance Director Bfen Reynolds
alan@computerl hoppe,.co.uk Cecil Ashitey 020 7907 6333
Group Finance Director l ~n leggett
Senior StalfWriter Kat Orphanides
k~t@computer$hoppe,.co.uk
SUBSC RIPTIO NS
Chief Executi~e James Tye
Chainnan Feli. Dennis --,--"-,-",,,,",
.. _-,........
A <><N ... f'IIIUC~TJOt<

"'--... -
.-
"..,.......,.

-- -.... CD
Tel 08448440031 . _ ......... e _ _ ....... ' .....

Stall Writer Barry de la Rosa Fax 0844 8S6 0650


PRINTING
Printed by BGP, Bicester, Oxon .-~
... ...............
..,. .. "
barry@compu tersh0ppff.co.uk Emailcom~eheipHne.co.uk Distribl.ltOrs Seymou r020 7396 8000 0"""'''''''

COMPUTER SHOPPeR • JANUARY 2010


www.freedowns.net & www.journal-plaza.net
LEITERS

Ii> We try hard 10 ensure l!\a! the price, but instead we have a rigorous checking of components in the specifications when they
products We rec:ommerKI ate system where prices and suppliers are supply their hardware?
available to buy. but slock does triple-checked just before we go to press. Th e Graham Lloyd-jones
occasionally run out
reasOfi we do this is because it makes little
sense to compare products based Memory can be a confusing component to
Perhaps you should on artificial prices. identify. as the various types do indeed look very
check whether the However, we obviously similar, Most PCs today have 00R2 RAM, but
items you recommend have no control over what this in itself isn't enough information to match
can actually be found happens over the four weeks the memory currently installed.
in the real world.IUke after the magazine goes on sale, There are various easy ways to determine the
you r magazine, and and it's not uncommon 101" the supplier we type of memory you need. The easiest is to
have bought several things based list to run out of stock, even though we try to download CPu-z from www.cpuid.com.This will
on your reviews, but I've come up against a ensure that we pd a suppli er with plenty of tell you a wealth of information about what's
brick wall on this one. products ready to ship. inside your pc, including the part number of 'lour
Peter How motherboard and processor. It goes into great
I CAN'T FIND MY MEMORY detail with memory, especially if you click on the
We're sorry to hear that you've had trouble SPO tab. Here, you'll find the speed of each

121
You would think that replacing a
buying a Oigivox Ouo, but we're assured by MSI RAM module wou ld be easy. I've installed module {under Max Bandwidth) along
that it's still a current product. Currently we done it before with no difficulty, with the manufact urer, part number, serial
can't find it in stock, either, and have removed it but that was when I knew what type I needed. numb er and even the week it was manufactured.
from the Editor's Choice section. The reason we With my current PC, I'm unsure of the type of The drop-down menu lets you select each RAM
haven't replaced it with another tuner is that module I need because it slot so you can see which are
we liked MSl's software more than other
companies', although Terratec's recording
application is also good.
isn't specified on the
eKiSling module itself.
When I looked for a ---
--
~-
-- --
empty and ready to accept
more memory_
Using this information,
If 'Iou have a version of Windows that comes replacement module online,
---
-- --- - _... you should be able to buy
with Media Center, however, you should simply
buy whichever dual-tuner USB dongle is the
cheapest, as they all work with Microsoft's
I found a vast array from
whi ch to choose. Many of
them looked the same, but --_.-
-- '- -- --
. --
additional modules from a
supplier such as Crucial
(www.Cfuciai.comluk).This
excellent interface. We didn't want to assume
that all readers have access to Media Center,
hence our choice of the DigivoK Duo.
had different na mes such as
DDR, DDR;! and SDRAM,
I've not had much help
---- ..... ..... . ."•
• ••
"•

site includes a System
Scanner tool, which you can
use to check that you're
We pride ourselves at Computer Shopper on
providing an extra service Ihal many magazines
and websites don't checking for the lowest
prices from reputable online retailers. We could
from Mesh's technical
support, either. Do you
think it would be a good -=
... CPU-Z is .. free utility tkat will tell you
idea to force manufacturers more about your memOfY modules than
buying the correct RAM .
It also shows a diagram
of your memory slots,
showing what size module
simply print the manufacturer's recommend ed to supply a plain English li~ you'll ever need to know is installed in each. til

JANUARY 2010 . COMPUTER SHOPPER


www.freedowns.net & www.journal-plaza.net
1'1 COVER DISC GUIDE

Full Products
Agnitum Outpost Antivirus Pro 6.7
With Outpost Antivirus Pro 6.7 you can
browse the internet in safety, as this software
will protect your comptl!er from malware,
With this new version of the program the core security
layer has been improved to withstand the latest
internal sabotage attach.
Perfocmance ciln be a big issue with security
software, bot not with Outpost Antivirus. It has been
written from the ground up to be incredibly efficient.
The result is that you can stay safe from malicious
software without suffering any performance reduction.
Keyloggef5 are one of the biggest threats today, as protection ensures that no malicious or unauthorised

c they let hackers record usernames and passwocds that


yotl enter on your computer. With Outpost Antivirus
Pro yotl can rest easy, as the dedicated keylogger
keyboard interactions are possible.
This vef5ion 01 the software comes With 180 days
01 free security updates.

Agnitum Outpost Advanced WindowsCare


Firewall Pro 6.7 V2 Professional 2.9

il
l While an anti-virus application provides Advanced WindowsCare Professional is an
• much needed protection against malware, a all-in-one PC healthcare service with
firewall helps prevent other more direct anti-spyware, privacy protection,
attacks against your comptlter. Agnitum Outpost perfocmance tune-ups and system-cleaning
Firewall Pro 6.7 is one of the more advanced pe~onal capabilities. This precision tool fixes stubborn errOf5,
firewalls available and gives you peace of mind cleans out dutter, optimises internet and download
whenever you surf the intemet. speeds, ensures personal security and maintains
Whether you're a security novice or expert, yotl ma)(imum computer performance automatically.

._.,
can easily configure Outpost Firewall Pro to meet your This powerful utility
needs. Than ks to automated and context-sensitive works continuotlsly, ~
help, it can learn how to handle alerts and make automatically and quietly
decisiOl15 for you. in the backgrotlnd.You can
Firewall Pro is
incredibly efficient,
so you get high-
set it to run according to
your own schedule oc just
let it work automatically
--
--
quality protection
without any
when your PC is idle.
This is an essential .--
performance hit. 1001 for aU PC owners.

GETTUSSJ.IRT[D
...., ......... ,.... . . _ ... c... ProcessCapture 3.1
--
~-
........

...... ....... ...


,......
mPll(lBLEIIS1
.......
-~,-
_.lJ1PIOm ........,_ ..

,...."""' IIId_ ...


_.11>0 11 _.....
IMSI TurboCAD
Deluxe 12.5
. TurboCAD Oelu~e 12.5 helps you produce
ProcessCapture automat ically records a visual
''''~I''''~'' any activity that you perfocm
your Pc. You can then use this visual asset

iI
~ _ C-GK:

• precision-designed graphics and visual for documentation, training and automated testing.
OIJEC/M DISCS
. ,....iIoo ~~~
f*-"II adInIo, _
..... rftnlt.tho
.... _ :
content. It provides a fully customisable The screenshots captured by ProcessCapture have
environment for developing better digital objects. The many uses, including protecting know-how should key
~,..,

o...t.iI s..-. .................. Kin! SOMa Pat,


~, "'~E9IG1J, advanced new LightWorks 7.5 engine provides usef5 personnel leave your company, providing t raining
_ _ .... II I11o .... oIlIpll ... 1II4L
with even better visualisation capabilities. materials, generating documentation for compliance
IIIMlliIT IlfDRWnol • Hundreds of custom designed effects available purposes, simplifying problem-solving for IT
Jt._"""_~_""lUIJIOli
hir ~ ~ PIIIIiding LftU! 1:OIn! .... through UghtWorks Archives Flicker departments, supporting automated testing and
",,~t.,",""'~"."" __ _11 • Free rendered views while moving, rotating memory joggers for rarely used processes.
!kJt1o' - . "III.-....
_ 1IU ._ ~<r>!mhl"",,

usOIiI_ .. _ ....
_" __
II!' c...w
dItI .. - . and zooming If you regularly write long documents and take
manual screenshots,
.... _ oIfnll<lWl:to ~.­ • Adjustable density

-
o-iIPIJIIiotiog.
.. _ ......_
........
_ IhoI""dors dlido
U~ IfIiI.., ~.

levels for scattering ProcessCapture is


mediums, such as fog easier, faster, -- ~
::.
• E)(port to GIF and PNG updatable and .. , :..
:: :-:--.
Graham Smith
Senior Disc Editor
files with transparent
areas (Alpha Channels)
• Redesigned PDF file
e)(port.

t produces more
consistent results
with the minimum
of fuss.
--
::i2" .-.

COMPUTER SHOPPeR • JANUARY 2010


www.freedowns.net & www.journal-plaza.net
COVER DISC GUIDE

The Panorama Factory Ashampoo Slideshow


V4.5 Legacy Edition St udio 2010
If you'd like to put a stunning p.1noramic photo on your wall or create With its easy point-and-click interface, Slideshow Studio 2010 allows
clever virtual tours for a website, The Panorama FactcryV4.5 legacy you to create great auto-playing slideshows with music and animated
Edition is the application lor you. It stitches together images taken with a transitions quickly and easily.You can export your finished masterpiece
normal camera. Images can be taken from tripod-mounted cameras, a as a Windows Media Video (WMV) file and upload it to YouTube, making
handheld camera, a rotational camera or scanned images and documents, it viewable on just about every computer.
There's a step -by-step wiza rd to gui de you through the creation process. 1/ you want to get creative, you can insert your own text and graphics,
Multiple-row panoramas (such as for creating a full sphere image) can overlay photos on other images, add subtitles and even brand your
also be created. For Ihe most stunning effects, there's even support lor slideshows with a comer logo. As you'd expect. you ca n choose which
HOR images,The software can create web pages to display panoramas and transitions are used between photos, and match the length of the
const ruct vi rtu(lilours using both jPEG and QTYR formats. slideshow to your bacbng track.
Using its library of 1/ you want a
over 800 cameras, The slideshow wi th the
Panorama FactOlYV4.S minimum of hassle,
corrects common just choose a theme
problems including barrel and let Studio 2010
distortion and vignetting do th e work for you.
at the edges of pictures. Alternatively, the
Precise control of the tirneline lets you
blending overlap region control every element,
is provided in the including text fading
software. enabling the in and out. The editor
inclusion or e)(clusion even lets you resize
of moving objects. and rotate images.

COMPUTER ovo
SHOPPER ON"

1m Driver Magician Lite 3.55 Back up and


Advanced Office Password • update drivers lor your hardware
Recovery Home Edition 4.12 1m PixelCryptor 1.2 Encrypt files using an
• image file as the key
• Password-protectirlg your Microsoft Office documerlts is a great m Prevent Ois.able the delete, rename, cut,
• way to make sure that cOrlfiderltial informatiorl doesn't fall irlto • copy and paste funct ions
• the wrong hands. But what happerls if you forget the password to 1m Songbird 1.2 Play almost any audio format
Orle of your incredibly important files? With Advanced Office Password • and listen to online radio
Recovery Home Ed ition 4. 12, you no longer need to panic. This essential _ Ultimate WindowsTweaker 2 Twea k
tool uses a combination of well-known hacks and brute force attacks to • hidden Windows settings easily
help you recover passwords on an Word and Excel documents from _ VirtualDub 1.9 Batch-edit your videos
versions 2.0 to 2007. • quickly 3rld easily

"rnM Proc.".Scann.< 1.1 f ind 001 ...,,.1 SNt'\u. B.andwidm Mol... 1.3
MM~or tt.. amou:>I of data
M ..:Ii.Mon~ Standard 3.1
~rrM..llic""""'8'r
v.ctanc. Add 0 Wondowl "'I~
la<lbor 10 ~p andVino.
7_Zip 4.65 Ve<>oIiIe file· proc..1e< a", runnir"!! '"' your K.
''''''I'"enion utility. S<Softwan! Sand<> lite ZOO9.9 )'00 dowrio.o<j every """,,0. Stamp 2.8 Add . l ime ,~mpto v..ta Slo<t "I....., 3,21 Md ~IU,",
BC.t.n:""'" 2_02~ E!.scntill diognostks utility, SPAMfighl ... SW><Wa 6.6 ywr d~ol phoIos. 10V~~',S~rtmonu .
your file< and ,oIdtr<, Spybo. S..,,:h & Dest roy 1.6 ~ <pam ffom hinir"!! ywr inbo< V!d<O~ t or 2.2 find ou' mi:jj WindowBlOnd> 6.4 Try the«
S!>Yw"'" ~ tool about ywr vid<o file<_
BWetoot~Voew 1.30 MM~or ywr
8! uetooth~
Cob<on s.ckup 9.5 Sd>ed.ol. full.
Startup~ 2.S~
W""'*""' stallop.
with thi$ """""'"" lilt.,.

..,--.
SRWa... Iron l SIo!d; and q.rd IIIiIVLC medii ploy., 1
Goldeneye Sir• .", your
Il<W

')1t""',
skin, Ioryour OI'e<at"'s

~tal or diff",,,,,,ioI backups. W., P.troI l 6.1 Slam the do« web<"oot OW<1Op fi~ 5.8 """,""files. om«
Copemic DflIrtop SNrch-Hcme l.2 or> """"'- for good, Sw.ore your K W-...ll'holophanl l R<~ze .... ge AtliWon:! 2.6 Slirr-.Iine WQld pnx ......,
Feall..-.-p.o< kNl PC SNtch l00L WirtRAR 3.90 8a<k up yoor WinHTIlKk 3,43- 7 Ellid ..." offlin< fries with tIli$ bouh ~ tool mi:jj A<Iobe It...;.,,- 9 _2 View, print
cpu·z l.S2 l«oIl.,,1 ....~ ... da ~ and re<b:. f~ Iil... """"ingulil.ily, and .. Ilfth PDF lila
OeI«l ion UI~ i ty, W.,Zip 12,1 SI. the best Z;p ENHANCEMENTS C<rte POfW';t... 2.8 Tum a..I)'
~"'1,13 file~utility¥OYrod , SOUND A N D VISION A")'Passwoni 1.« Slore.ooyni.. doc""""l inlo ~ PDf filP,
Denagm<rtl your hard d;,l; or "'->dKity 1.2 Tumyour y o.,1lY> and g«>er.t< Pi"S"'<""'- Em Editor "'ol... ion.! aOG
ind",Ohl/ fil.. ,
0\10 IdeM;fi ... 5.2 f.-.d out v.I>o
INTERNET
Avant _ l 1 . 7 MhCeUenl
and.-..logv< tape. into dig ....
",,<>rdirtgs
I:Iii BurnA ..... ffft 2,4 Bum
(0" OVo, and Btu .,-".,. disc~
P<lwerful tOX! .d.or.
N~ .. S,. E:o:,eUen,
"","""O<lond)'OU, I:JI.>N:- ovo-.. t:ro......r thai ule< u-.. """'.ngin< IIIiI d~ Mu"cCo,.".rt... (lipCKt.. p", 3.4 Extend your NOI"f"d ",p.c.,."."t
fll.oclru p 4.2 ~ up YWJ dal.l<>..,., a, in,...".,1 LopIom. 13.3 E.<tract II<Jdio , ... , from clipb<l.lrcr, fun<lionaLty, Op<nOIIi«.org 3.1 n-..best
k>uI or networl: kJution f..-dDemon V Manog< and ywrCDs. Fi _ t6 . 1 (1 ~ l ime and I"...... ..... aIt"""'l~ off",. "'~. 10
f,.,hO~ a 18 Moly$< ",><t<>miIO y.,..- RSS leeds EosyThumbnlils l
",,<;\Kate thumbnoil$.
""at. H.. ~Tob 3 Ched:frIP ... sh
iIllormation_
Mk",..,II".Olf",. ,
pdffactory Prof""'onaI. 3.50
and .asily bMchmarl your FileZiIi.l.2 EoIy· to-ulO FW d ;"",_
PC', pt<forma""e. fileZiti. StrWf0.9s.taR .... bIe F"""View 7.78 llr~ lor OfE<!nioirlg IrngBum 2.5 Writ. imogo files 0-.. .. PDf, from ""y appIkat"",
r ,.,M.1l ala Cmfigur< and FTPW<'m. rruftimedia iii... 10 CD< .rod OVDl. q.rk kly and 'asiIy.
optm"'Windows. frdlDowolood 80ll Turt>o-d1_ GIMP 2,6 Try,hii .""eltrtt . nd KeyT..., 3. 13 AIrlorrwlion !r1i1ity. Ql01.2Trylhis~""
HWMonitM 1.14 Keeptrockol ~,- ....l<K.- ~ked I'hol~ ..I.r ..... ~, LodCOYPI 2.29 Secure YWJ o.la "'y-IO-<M 1"'<1 od~<><,
your K'. «>rropor>Mt t..-np..-at",,,,, CigoTrib< 2.52 Cruteywr Hyj>er$nap 6.61 ..... g< grolJt>er with high .qu.rlity r:n<I)P1ion. Some PDF 10 word Convert ...
and coolirlg 'an<. ""'" privat. n<twM. and ..:Iitor_ SlysoftVirtu. ClonrDrM 5.-4 1.5 Edit !'Of dowm."" in
tnfralle<:ordtr 0 ,50 P<lwerful
disc:. wril ir"!! ",/two",-
IiIi:II ..,..,
Lir*SU<lt 2 0rg0niI0 yor.. IIIiI lm.g. T" ..... 1.2
Ilatch ..... , .. c~ t and
«""'~ ",",uai oiM"
T•• Iob..- Shulli. 2,S Cu'lom'"
Micr"",ftWord,

~ IsoBu".,. 2.6 CO and OVO ml RC 6.35 tnl""""" reWy ,hal d""l. w.ol.........-i )'O'S pI>ot ... tt.. ~ill>¥ and SylI"'" Tray.
data-""~
IIIiI OutSKI<
'ooL
PIu. 7 Qukkly ..,--
Molill. firel... 3,5 The Iot ..t Firelo' ki.,View 4.25 ere.t .... g<_.
ifr.............. t nu .. . "",, ·iPod MP~
T....copy 2.01 Add """¥>Oed option.
to file,,,.,.,.,,g,
IlImlliil!ir.
and eMily bac~ "" 01 your
Miaoso/t OUtlook f i lP~
!'erlMonilor 1 Monitor your
Molill> Thur>d<rt>ird 2 I'uw<rIuI and
~-l o-<M""",~ dier11.
Nets.elM.., 2.5 Switch .oiil)-
pIay<, withiTur>es
~ Light><;reen Aut""", .. tho
p<oC«S <>I tabng and
TlffSi .. Prole"; ..... S.2
~e<~)'OO' hord dill: $pO""_
Unlod.r-1.8 """" , I ~ 01
mlIH:;1[111-
1'(', po-r/ormoru. b<tw«n networl: profiles. _g SCIffI1sh>u. wril. -pr<>!PC!ion probltrn" mllilQIDI. 8

JANUARY 2010 . COMPUTER SHOPPER


www.freedowns.net & www.journal-plaza.net
II EBm BI§E e~IB~
~-1~l&~~M Reader Offers
,- The Panorama Factory 5.3
If you like The Panorama factory 4.5 legacy Edition, • Support for enern al blending software
free on this month's cover disc, 'IOU can use your free (PS O and TIFF formats)
registration key to claim a discount when upgrading to • Support for cu bic QTVR images
the latest version - The Panorama Factory 5.3 - which Whether '100 want stunning artwork or incredible
includes a faft of new photo-stitching features. shots to help promote your business, this software is
One main difference is Support for Windows an essent ial tool
Imaging Component (WIC).WIC supports a variety of Shopper readers can upgrade to version 5.3 by
image file locmals, notably many camera RAW visiting www.panoramafactory.com/purchase.htmland
formats. through plug-ins that are available from selecting the upgrade option for'The Panorama factory
camera manufacturers and third parties. V4 to VS'. Enter your registration key in the field
• Support for Windows 64- bit, enabling virtua lly provided and you can get the latest version of the
un limited im age sizes software at the bargain upgrade price of just S29.9S
• Suppo rt for Mac as x 10.3.9 or highe r (aroond £19), a saving 01 SSO (around £31).
• Colour-manage d workflow Offer ends 28th February 2010.

Agnitum Out post Agnitum Antivirus


Firew all Pro 2009 Pro 2009 .:..
The two-way firewall stops inappropriate or malicious
• With Agnitum Antivirus Pro 2009 you benefit
access to your computer from both internal and from two independent, complementary
external sources. It provides protection against hackers, anti-rnalwa re labs working togethe r to provide
loss of data, un~nown rnalware and unauthorised program activity. the most comprehensive and up-to-date threat
• Advanced firewall fo r secure connect ions coverage.Virus, Trojan and other infective
• Antispyware to keep your PC spyware-free malware research comes from the VB100-
• Host protection to block zero-day threats certified Virus Buster team, and Agnitum's
To renew the 180-day free licence on this month's cover disc, visit research team provides the spyware, worm,
www.agnitum.comlpurchase/antiviruslrenew-antivirus.php.Prices start adware and other snoop-ware inteUigence.
from £13 including VAT for three PCs. • Fast and effi cient virus protection t o keep yo ur computer d ean
from malware
• Comprehensive ant i-spyware to safeguard your personal data
• Secure digital safe to store your confident ial information
IMSI TurboCA D Del uxe • Host protection to stop ze ro-day t hreats
• URL blacklist to block m.llicio us inte met sites
TurboCAD 16 Deluxe gives you unlimited design options • Self-protection t o prevent una uthorised termination of your security
with hundreds of professional drafting and design tools, To renew the 180-day free licence available on this month's cover disc,
incredible file support, video and interactive tutorials visit l-WAV.agnitum.comlpurchase/antivirus!renew-antivirus.php.licenc es
and photorealistic rendering. It provides everything you cost from £ 10 including VAT for three pes.
need to create presentation-ready home plans, technical
drawings, mechanical designs, artistic iUustrations, crafts,
school projects and more.
Shopper readers can upgrade to TurboCAD 16 with a Ad vanced
25 per cent discoont off the RRP. To upgrade to TurooCAD 16 Deluxe for
£29, go to www.softwareparadise.w.uklbuyl203656432andusethe code System Ca re Pro
Computershopperturbocad0909 when ordering.
Advanced SystemCare Pro speeds up your PC
and improves reliability with a single click of
yoor moose. It includes a high-speed disk
A sham poo Slideshow defragmentation tool, s.afely cleans Registry
jun~, compacts the Registry for maximum
Studio HD performance and finds and fixes Registry errors
using Deep Scan technology.
Slideshow Studio HD lets you create stunning photo It can scan and remove spyware and adware
slideshows, complete with slid-looking transitions using up-to-date definition files, preventing
between photos, captions that follow curves you've spyware, hackers and hijackers from installing
defined, backgroond music and graphics. You can output malicioos software on your computer. For privacy, System(are erases and
the slideshow in a number of ways: bum to DVD, updates yoor PC's activity history.
generate 720p HD videos 10rYooTube or MyVideo, or even export MPEG 1, It also deans missing liles, destroys unwanted files, deletes obsolete
MPEG2 or MPEG4 video files. The Slideshow Editor's timeline is intuitive files and removes junk files, so improving yoor PC's performance.
and shows the whole slideshow graphically.Yoo get a live preview and can To protect and repair your system, you simply install SystemCare and
just drag and drop items onto it. forget it.This powerful utility works continuoosly, automatically and
Shopper readers can upgra de from Slideshow Studio 2010 on this quietly in the background on your Pc. You can set it to run to your own
month's cover disc for just £4.99, hal/the usual price 01 £9.99. Simply schedule or just let it work automatically when your PC is idle.
install the program from the disc and upgrade via the Internet menu. Visit www.iobit.com for more information.

COMPUTER SHOPPeR • JANUARY 2010


www.freedowns.net & www.journal-plaza.net
STORAGE SOLUTIONS I MUlTIMEDIA ' POWER SUPPliES I INPUT DEVICES I CASES COOLING www.sharkoon.com

For SHARKQON products p!Ine r.ferto:


---
amazon.co.uko
www.freedowns.net & www.journal-plaza.net
e buyer.com O ku'tom
To advertise in Computer Shopper Classifieds,
please call 020 7907 GG21

GO BEYOND 158 IN KWELL 156

IMAGE TEK 156 MAN X 156

ORDER ONLINE NOW or Call


."
~

.
CC\IIOIi
10' to find simply the BeST deals
.. lII01P '".,
......... ." brol:hBr on Quality compatible and
1~ branded ink I toner cartridges etc.

....,,,n...
10'
~p.l
u, All makes & models supported.
u, Also JettManx refill products .
10% I " y • ~ ,
80% of our orders are repeats or
onnntt recommendations.
EPSON
Nationwide Supplies to Home,
cg·):W!;M:I!f- LEXM.\RK Business & Public Sector users

FREEPHONE·
08000190607
RICOH
••••
SPECIAL RATES for
SCHOOLS, LOCAL GOVT
& COMPANIES
Call free for Details
"We pay tot your call. No 0845 or 0870 rip off nere

PflntBntaln group Is operated by Manx Pnnt Care Ltd. ~


THE consumables spedallsts for 15 years
Clocktower Industrial Parll., Foxdale 1M4 3HF

To advertise here please


call Adam on
02079076621
www.freedowns.net & www.journal-plaza.net
TO ADVERTISE CALL: 0207907 &&Z1
n
!;
111
--
111
."
CHANNEL
Want to find out what's really m

PRO
The IT Tr.de Homepaoge
going on in the IT trade?
CI
111

Keep up at CHANNEL PRO


The UK IT trade's
essential resource for:
~ The Inside track on the latest industry news
... Comprehensive, searchable database
of authoritative product reviews
-+ Mixture of analysis and practical
features to provide users with information
and education on industry issues
... IT trade community online

www.channelpro.co.uk

www.freedowns.net & www.journal-plaza.net


THE ONLY WINDOWS 7MAGAZINE
YOU'LL EVER NEED TO BUY

ONL'f
£799

EaSYUpgradel leerll.lIII. LIIptopbooit


How to transfer files From MoYieMaker' TIps and tTlCks fOf
from XP and Vista to pantntalcontrots better battery hfe

www.freedowns.net & www.journal-plaza.net


UNDER DEVELOPMENT

UNDER DEVELDPMENT
BIDDd, sweat and custard
Modern work methods have improved David Robinson's life no end, but he longs for
the days when he met his custards in person and helped them air their dirty laundry
nee upon a lime, writing would respcod with the boat's

D this column was a dodd Ie: a


quick blast on the keyboard
once a month to recount the events
unique ID. By compilring this wit h
the registration details on the
database, they could see who the
of the past few weeks and the daft owner was. The technology could
things Cllstards had said and done, be compared to today's RFID
The most difficult part was deciding systems, except that it supposedly
what to leave out Trn-se days it can worked for ranges up to hall a mile.
be reaUy hard. So what's changed? Once we'd installed the
I guess it's the environment we're registration database, MD Richard
working in - not the rooms and commissioned us to put together
bUildings, but the way we work. The some computer-driven
dozy customers are certainly no less demcostrations, which they
dozy than they used to be. planned to exhibit at all the big
Back in 1986, when I started boat shows. No expense was
writing UnderDevelopment, the spared, and there were visits to
deal was that if anything went conferences, expensive glossy
wrong with a Cllstard's system, we'd brochures and BMWs all round,
first try t alking to them on the Everyone was lull of enthusiasm,
phone to divine what the problem except Madge the accounts lady
was (as opposed to what they said One morning. Richard the As a consequence, I spend far who had a face like bag of spanners
it was) by asking questions and development director needed a fewer miserable hoors traipsing and bingo wings that wouldn't be
getting them to try stuff, lift into the office (a modem about the congested motorway out of place on a jumbo jet, Her
A common problem, for two -storey glass and steel affair system consuming scarce resources opinion of the management team
example, would be that the 5(:reen with a mezzanine floor), so I and reserves of good humour. That, was quite derisory and she referred
was blank, which the user volunteered to pick him up from in the main, is wonderful, but with to the Managing and Development
interpreted as a broken mcoitor. his flash 'condo' He came out much less face -to-face interaction Directors respectively as Big and
Usually all that had happened was clutching two black plastic bags, with the custards, I get to know little, coupled with the diminutive
that the office cleaner had one of which he chucked into a about fa r fewer 'black plastic bag' form of their first name. I kept on
accidentally tumed down the large wheely bin. ' Rubbish type events. I need some AI the right side of Madge, which was
brightness or contrast while dusting. collection day: he explained. The software to run on clients' pes that a good move as she ensured that
and the images were too dark to other went co the back seat of the acts as a bozo detector,logging all we got pilid promptly.
see. So that was the first thing Vauxhall. I asked what was in the the mistakes and sorting them into
you'd get them to check, bag and he said it was his laundry. a hierarchy of stupidity, SHOW WHAT?
After a couple of miles with the car The passage of time, however, I went to the first exhibitico to set
BIN THERE, DONE THAT heater on, it was beginning to pcog does mean that I can finally up the equipment for the rolling
It divination didn't solve the a bit (actually a lot) and I said so. complete the saga of the tracking presentaticos, which were to be
problem, the only optico would be He tlIrned a purple colour and had company. The system we installed displayed co big 5(:reens at each
a car joomey. With customers all me urgently tum round and go back did stllfl such as receiving enquiries end of the stand. Meanwhile. little
over the country, I made a lot of car to the flat, because he'd binned the from the coastguard and the police set oot copioos supplies of the
journeys and, at one point, had a wrong bilg. Fortunately, we got and then telling the enquirer glossy brochures.
large Vauxhall estate car (no there just as the rubbish truck whether or not the boat had been "Wouldn't it be a good idea to
laughing) that had done over arrived, so his shirts were saved reported stolen. In those days, when have a chip at one end of the stand
200.000 miles. Once you were at from the landfill site. This was the the internet was in its infancy, and a gun unit at the other and
the client site, you'd interact With man in charge of a comple~ communication was done by actually demonstrate the
human beings who, due to their technical development. modem, and there was a bank of identification process?' I asked.
limited viSion of how computers eight modems waiting to answer "Ahhhhh: said Little. "We
worked, provided loads of incidents REMOTE CUSTARDS dial-up calls on a multiplexed haven't started co that bit of
that were worth writing about. Thanks to the near-universal phone line. Broadband ADSl the business yet."
A classic example was the availability of high-bandwidth simply didn't exist. As the system Yoo'll be surprised to leam


~
time I went to the south coast to
do some system updates for a
company that was developing a
internet services, almost all
technical support is now done by
remote access. We simply set up a
was text only, its respcose speed
was really fast, even if you had a
lowly 2,400-baud modem.
that we never got as far as issuing
a ma intenance and support
contract for the system. Shame


,
system for tracking and identifying
stolen boats. Our contribution was
a database system that recorded
who owned which boat and
VPN connection to the client server
and a Remote Desktop Protocol
{RDP} session to sort out the
software or operating system.
The detection part of the
system, as it was de5(:ribed to us by
the managing director (atso called
Richard). involved a chip embedded
really, because our bit worked
exactly as designed. GJ

~ provided a remote querying facility, That's enough, unless the problem in the boat's hull. A port supervisor David Robinson
Software and
~ The server was a Unix box capable requires a screwdriver with engineer or official would have a gun-like systems de~eloper
~
_
-'
of handling 32 simultaneous users
- all trom a single 486 processor.
attached, which is rare these days
as hardware is generally so reliable.
detector that would send a signal
to the chip in the boat, and this

JANUARY 2010 . COMPUTER SHOPPER


www.freedowns.net & www.journal-plaza.net
1'1 RANTS & RAVES

-----

RANTS & RAVES


Why spend any of your hard-earned cash when there's so much free stuff out there
on the net? argues hard core blagger Mel Croucher. Just log on to start raking it in

MEL CROUCHER becoming expensive, First of alii had pay for the searching on 'spendlessonline freebies', and

RAVES p<lper ar.d ink., then I had to part with even more
c<lsh before I could tr<lde in my money-off
vouchers and claim the discount. But not any
wonder why anyone bothers to pay for anything
any more when there's so much free stuff on
offer, Its variety is mind-boggling.
more! I've waved goodbye to voucher misery Last week I signed up to MoneySavinglxpert's
and embraced the freebie philosophy. free mail service, which delivers all the latest
MONEY FOR NOTHING A genuine freebie involves no money-off money-for-nothing opportunities direct to my
What value do you put on your personal dignity? vouchers, no sneaky contracts, no added post mobile phone, This week it blaggI'd me a lOild of
00 you ignore" coin in the street because it's and piKkaging costs, and no hidden subscription Pedigree Dog Treats, a SIM card with £5 credit
not worth picking up? I'm happy to admit that I charges. Most genuine freebies involve new on iI, a copy of Dancing Times magazine, a
rol\ in the gutler and get dog waste under my product launches and short-lived opportunities, magnetic car tax disc holder, a bar of Dove soap,
fingernails to grab a penny or a pound. No coin is so I know that to take full advantage I've got to a meal at Strada, two movie tickets, and three
too small for me to trouser. [like free money, be quick off the mark. The good news is th<lt months' membership of the National Trust. I also
and I'm going to let yoo into a secret. I can pick there are legions of people who have done all the got three condoms, some Vagisil wipes and a
up money for nothing ilny time I like, ilnd I don't hard work for me. They spend hours digging out pregnancy testing kit, as well as a free cup of
even have to bend over. That's because I've got a genuine IreI' offers and posting the best deals on McDonalds coffee, for which I demand a refund.
free cash machine O!"I my desk. You've got one the web. My standard formula for getting free So the 1'11')('1 time you see a lost coin, bend
100. It is called a computer. Interested? Of goods and services is very simple, I connect to down and pick it up. This will not only stop it
cour5e you are, let me explain how you too can the internet, kick-start my favourite search fa lling into the hands of terrorists, iUegal aliens or
tum your PC into a freebie machine. engine and type in the magic words the unemployed, it will also be good exercise.
I used to go online and print off discount 'moneysavingexpert freebies'. Try it yourself and After all you don't want to go soft because of all
vouchers for anything and everything. but it was see what happens. You'U be amazed. Now try your new-found tree living. do you?

•• COMPUTER SHOPPER • JANUARY 2010


www.freedowns.net & www.journal-plaza.net
RANTS & RAVES

The reason for this is that most of the people Screenwipe in both tone and content. so those
shopping in the store seem to be total idiots who who don't like his rather angry and unflinching
need to talk to an Apple person for a couple of commentary won't be won over, This I felt was a
hours before they feel comfortable enough to missed opportunity, as Brooker's bare-faced
buy one of the aforementioned three products. honestly about the violent nature of many
This leaves nobody free to tell you that if you games will simply suppor1 the blinkered opinions
know what you want. you have to queue up of many as to the gaming sector as a whole.
at the front desk where all the stock is kept - The show did have its high points. It was
although you don't know if what you want is in great to see Brooker lamenting and celebrating
stock until you reach the till. our own gaming past, with 1980s classics such
In essence. Thinking Different has made the as Manic Miner discussed as well as global
Apple Store terms a bit like a crap Argos without superstars such as Mario and Sonic. It would also
the stock-checking computers. It's not helped by have been positive to note the ongoing strength
the fact that the queue is populated by the same of the UK's thriving games industry,
idiots who have just had a very long chat. and Sadly. there simply wasn't enough time to
are now slowing you down. cover that, and many other impor1ant issues
Take. for e)(ample. the man I stood behind. surrounding games. the media and the UK.
whose baffling. but amusing conversation at the Gameswipe's broad sweep did prove one thing.
till went something like this. though - that a regular series of in-depth
"I'd like to buy an iMac,' says the man. discussions into gaming is needed, There have
"Which would you like?" replies the Apple been plenty of good programmes on film.
man (no doubt. invisibly rubbing his hands). architecture. ar1 and literature on BBC four.
"The metal one,' pipes the man. which is the best use of the extra broadcasting
'like these ones?' says the Apple man space allowed by digital TV. Now I'd like to see a
pointing at the iMacs they use for tills. season of programmes. some by Brooker and
"No," says the man, neurones warming up a some not. to cover this ever-burgeoning and
little. ' I'd like t he metal fold-up one. please: impor1ant area - as a leisure "ctivity. industry
The Apple man looks a bit confused, and then and. dare I say it. "r1 form.
the key to his customer's fractured logic slowly

----
dawns on him: "Do you mean the Mac Book?'
Life imitating art? It looks as though Apple's DAVID LUDLOW
customers really do 'Think Different',
RAVES
, 1/I /~O~(I~ SETH BARTON
~ RANTS TURN ON, DON'T TUNE OUT
~. I recently stumbled on a very good reason why
you should protect your wireless network and
change your router's default administration
CHECKPOINT CHARLIE password. This isn't about your network being
There's a wide range of political opinion misused or YOllr computers being haded from
DAVID LUDLOW represented here at Shopper - we don't share it within, although both are very important,

RANTS with you though. because we're IT journalists


and not political commentators. Despite our
varied leanings. however. we do generally tend
What this is about is the potential for a very
embarrassing situation. Visiting my pi!rents
recently. I needed to log on to their wireless
to agree that Charlie Brooker. a regular columnist network from my phone to look up something
for the Guardian. is a man worth listening to, online, Searching the wireless networks ava ilable,
THINK DIFFERENT If you never read the Guardian. then you may I found their sensibly named, fully protected
Apple's Th ink Different' campilign was largely have encountered his Scre enwipe series on BBC2 network. some other secured networks and one
credited with saving the company's fortunes. The or his Channel 4 'Big Brother with zombies' unsecured network with a. shall we Si!Jy.
company's decision to follow its slogan has been mini-series. Dead Set. Most of Brooker's latest fruity-sounding name. And then some.
incredibly successfut the iPod is leagues ahead content has concentrated on explaining and In fact, replacing the rude words with stars.
of other MP3 players in terms of use, while the analysing the production methods of TV, but he the name of the network was, '.. . . .. ....... .
iPhone is the fastest and easiest-to -use started his career as a games joumalist. This ...... Essentially, it was the rudest parts of the
tou<;hscreen phone, and it showed the world means it came as no surprise when he presented Profanisaurus. The words were such that a
how multi-Iouch gestures could reaUy be used. a one-off show called Gameswipe as par1 of BBC Tourette-sulfering dock worker would have
The question is, does Apple really need to four's excellent Electric Revolution season (more blushed at the expletive-heavy workout.
'Think Different' everywhere? I recently had the details at www.bbc.co.uklbbcfouf) . The problem. it turns out. is that the network
misfortune of going to the Apple Store in central I won't go into too much detail of what belongs to next-door, My parents' neighbours
London. In my defence, I didn't want to, bul Brooker discusses on the show. as you can watch had been in such a hurry to tum on their new
HMV didn't have the iPod Touch I wanted and I it for yourself on iPlayer. However. it did seem at router they hadn't bothered with any of its
hadn't the time to order online. times a little unsure of its target audience. Was it security. At some point. someone had logged on.
If you haven't been in an Apple Store before aimed at those who already play games. who changed the network name to something
it's a lot like wa lking into a living. breathing Ikea wouldn't need the basic explanations of genre; or incredibly offensive and then altered the
catalogue. Rather than having shelves full of to educate those who know little about them. administrator password on the router to prevent
products that you can pick up and buy - some and poSsibly hold the kind of preconceptions the hijacked network being renamed.
would say this 'feature' is a hallmark of what that Brooker rallies against? Brooker explains Sadly. said neighbour doesn't seem to
makes a shop a shop - there are cafe-style tables that TV has always given games a hard time. but understand how to reset the router to its default
with Apple products on display. he never attributes part of this rough treatment settings so that they can configure security and
Apple's philosophy is that rather than simply to the fact that they are a simple competitor for pick a new network name. despite some offers of
buying something. you should sit down at a table our time spent in front of the gogglebox_ help. The offensive network name still stands
and have a nice chat with the finely manicured The show has shor1 pieces on many of proud (and unprintable) for all to see. I think
store employees about which of Apple's three Brooker's favourite old games, and longer pieces that's a lesson to us all: network security really is
products (Mac. iPod or iPhone) you'd like to buy. about newer releases. It's nearly identical to a necessity. not a luxury. t:::I

JANUARY 2010 . COMPUTER SHOPPER


www.freedowns.net & www.journal-plaza.net
1'1 ZYGOTE

ZYGOTE
Around half of men surveyed in
Britain declare that they change
their underpants every day,
compared with only a quarter of
women. Imagine that. Better not.
Zygote was shocked by this
revelation, until remembering
Even with armed robots going AWOL and net TV reducing the Benjamin Oisraeli's observation
that there are lies, damn lies and
licence fee to an irrelevance, ZygDte is cheered by the fact that statistics. On further investigation,
not only are women twice as
45 per cent of WDmen change their underwear twice a day security conscious as men about
net passwords, they are also twice
HELL'S TEETH detector vans can pinpoint far less than 4S days, along the as clean in the panties department.
The Rise Of The Robots has begun unlicerl5ed PCs receiving live li nes of, "then get up off your fat It's true that only 26 per cent of
at last. Five tons 01 Predator-S broadcasts, but this is rubbish as ,irSI' and go sit on your computer". women change their knickers daily,
unmanned aircraft recently took broadcasts over the internet but that's made up by the fact that
off from an American airbase in don't generate any TV signals. TOXIC TEXT TAX 4S per cent change them at least
northern Afghanistan, armed with According to the BBC Trust, 40 Like most other governments, the twice a day.
14 Hellfire miS5i1es under strict per cent of students use laptops as Filipino regime has sunk deep into This column has no more room
instrudion t o hunt and kill their ma in way of watching TV, debt. But unlike most other to debate the number of women
"emerging targets·, A few minutes and the older members of society governments, the Filipinos have who update their underwear more
after take-off, the robot chose \0 aren't very far behind. tried to plug their deficit by often than this, or less often than
disobey its orders and made a dash Dedicated handheld machines slapping a ta~ on every text this. or simply wear no knickers at
for freedom over the border. are available that include Freeview, message and email sent from a all. Meanwhile, speaking of pants..
Worried that the Predator iPlayer and a digital recorder, and mobile phone, This proved a tax
might turn on its masters, US Air watching clips on mobile phones is too far for the public, who reacted CARDSHARP
force pilots engaged the aircrilft in already widespread. by using their texts and emails to The Home Office has appointed
aerial combat and shot it down. Zygote believes that as PCs organise mass protests. Sir Joseph Pilling as the National
According to the US military, and TVs merge into a single screen, The Filipino government has Identity Commissioner to oversee
the Predator-B is controlled by the the TV licence will become an backed down fast, bi.it in a devious the roll-out of our biometric 10
most advanced logistics system of irrelevance and the state-funded move they have now saddled the cards, Zygote notes that he has the
any drone hunter-killer/50 Zygote system will collapse, Tick, t icl; ... self-same tax on mobile service power to act on wha t he finds. In
(,m only deduce that the machine providers instead. Mobile operators fact. Sections 2l and 23 of the
worked cullne futility of the CASH FOR QUESTIONS have been warned that if they Identity Cards Act would seem to
Afghan war for itself and mutinied. America's first detox clinic for attempt to pass on the levy to their contradict this bold claim.
internet addicts has opened for customers then the government Sir Joseph will only report to
ALIVE A LlVE-O business near Seattle, It's run by will suspend their franchises, the Home Secretary once a year,
UK law states that if you watch lwe the appropriately named Hilarie Let's hope our own dear and his report can be censored.
TV or record live broadcasts then Cash, who charges well over eight Chancellor isn't reading this, either Even Richard Thomas, the new
you must pay f 142.50 for a colour thousand quid for a 4S-day course by text or, indeed, email. Information Commissioner, has
television licence. The law also of aversion therapy. more power than this. At least he
says: ' you do not need a TV Before her clients are allowed All CHANGE gets to report to Parliament.
licence to view TV programmes on to start treatment in her five-acre A survey conducted by PC Tools Poor Sir Joe has no budget
the internet, as long as what you centre, Miss Cash asks them to fill has found that 47 per cent of men for investigating complaints, no
are viewing is not being shown on in a comprehensive survey. And use the same password for every sanctions to wield against 10
the TV at the same time.' In other yes, they have to complete the website login they deal With. abusers afld flO power to halt the
words, you can view everything on survey using the internet. compared with 26 per cent of flow oflO card-related cock-ups.
the wonderful BBC iPlayer or A typical question reads as women. Spookily, the rate at which Zygote also notes that Sir
commercial catch-up services, and follows: "Are you experiencing the sexes refuse to change their Joseph has served time reviewiflg
not pay a penny. weight gain from lack of exercise passwords is the same as the rate senior appointments at the Church
The licensing authorities are and poor health from poor at which they refuse to change of England and the Civil Aviation
more than happy for scare stories nutrition?" For which Zygote can their underwear. What are the Authority, so he'll be able to spot a
to be spread around that TV supply a much cheaper remedy in chances of that happening? flying pig whefl he sees ofle. GJ

The first British computer Unfo rtuna tely. due


was field tested 3.600 to a malign virus a nd
years ago inadequate firewa lls... ... it crashed .

COMPUTER SHOPPeR • JANUARY 2010


www.freedowns.net & www.journal-plaza.net
For all offers call 0161 248 4848 or visit microdirect.co.uk

ASUS Motherboard Intel Core i5


Core i5/ Core i7 JI5I..6' 2.66GHz Processor
IQuickCod., S024645) [Quick Cod., S024594)
Model, P7P550 · Intel Core i5-750
New Intel P55 Chipset • Socket LGA1l56 (Socket H)
Socket LGAI156 cor.e i!Vi7 • 2660MHz clock speed
No. I Performance , BMB L3 Cache
No. I Safety • · 45nm processor
• No. I Reliability

£115.00
inc VAT
a=== £159.72
inc VAT
Samsung 500GB Epson Stylus SX415
EPSON'
Internal Hard Drive AII-in-one
IQuickCod., S024095) [ Quick Cod .. S024B27 )
· 1000 GB storage space • Printer, Scanner, Copier
· SATA II 300 up to 3Gb/s data rate ...--..,.-----,
· fas17200 rpm
· 32MB Cache
· 6.3 cm LCO screen
· High Quality photo pnnts
· High Speed USB 2.0 interface
..
· 5 years manufacturer's warranty - -

HIW anly Hawanly -


£59.21 "--0,;;: £109.95 ~---J
inc VAT inc VAT
PCs, Components, Home Entertainment, Gadgets & More
Showrooms : 275a Upper Brook St. Manchester. M13 OHR .
Blackbroo l, Trading Est . Weybrook Road . Manchester. M1g 2QD (A6 · Opposite Mcvities) .
·Prlle~ mily l,""mge w ithou t not 'te l & Ol

www.freedowns.net & www.journal-plaza.net


12.1" HP NOTEBOOK SEAGATE 5DDGB HOO
VlN LebU PcV\'o \U' blUY
h cb RJP U chU PP \~V b Y keel' \P Ycdd
LNUSc P d\PVP 'M: P (Y. qw.! . IN. 2'IN\\! "y 2nd q\'(0<:IN2ddYY.l.l72g.
UNP c P TRJP d V Tca RJcV n U c11Ur P c i k alNV aPlN,
U I' TUlaPP. LWi' uVcdd PLNIU U YV c Pi k . T d P d
. nW-Ovop.n" . luq7NJ\'kooT U c Vall.V Pc~ g S\Gtnd:W 2nd )()()A
LW ac !9)(YLg2nw aUvVaPUI,cU aeV P d c cbcaYT
nowlook (nOlvd Y2n 2' pI. 414lGP ):hll ,OZN)I'Z(b! pvwz dl. )70Z".,1 'iWz 1 d(l )\'0) 2Y
d1(u. 72 12w.7l'Ca:. ndlN4.1C1' kS B j d R: TOO W ac\t!\\U keeP
N.o plDO. Y'6z2nd4GP: SB tI 2q4G PA It,.. . S g. tlW qwzn21 ) 2;rl d;o(u. (Y,l'\(>,2nd z 1(211. ;
2nd S9(; 2d. Otl: 64L.50gt2p)(OYtm' l'\I.cy e el'cdd Pl}.!RJu PMozl2p\lJP!
'b. '41 dnd24la Fr nowl00k 2w;)(Yp;{U!

Quickcode: 38258 £327.75 1,",1. VATI Quickcode: 38268


£51.69 1'"" VATI

an
INTEL SYSTEMS EDiMAX 802.11N ROUTERS
naY Tc cPhc PW
I de! 2q <U\1&'ZYj""I\>k .. P Tinn(ng 2T2alW riiiii~~:;;---'
c "'b db c U.v e\{lP "'I..M' c T e dRJeV\UV~ _ _ _.
cb au,VT1.NW , cU acYa aY eeebPUI'Ucca .. b ..... _ ~
U b P UPcPPd c r d \\C TUlaPl}.! U krDch
c U 'tIurn It PV a flM.' ) cP V w co PIx\{l dP
£ V.., h . g U R:P e\tll}.! U kr D TLV V ),
Wd cV c\tl cWV PW c ' 9 ). Yld(! 2q;u\"\\7.Yfu!. T(";- w
I \'(ld O\,"W! Pt>1Yw Nwz '(I. qdQ2WJn. U bcaY 2I1d H I I 4 L! on";-Yln
. LP \\UI aLW P g nkg
LAPTOP REPAIRS n U'aPd k I'T,
c P lU aUA' aNN a V c\tl \\tp
fu! pl2(mVdq . d:.~! bl5p.zl2p\\lp~. p2(l.d.
,,.,,, ,.....
_If~' " ""USb
,. """"""...
,<

www.aria.cQ .uk 133 (inci. VAT) Quickcode: 37820 £47.09(InC' VATI


*****
fromE ADSL 8021 1N ROUTER

e: S -DOD PV£C7 U EH S WI W W· FE R - FE ( EVISH WI

500GB HITACHI ESPRESSO SEAGATE 1.5TB (SATA 2)


9)(Y.. d(X- nWl(£) 02p~WJLSa F(\2{)( . w71g. j"'Mgow u. n 0) :!p. zT(I)· " . vluI.!C
z 1(2 11. : . 2g2\\' 4 .59P Il'! 5 0\' )2u. v.o go 2
d eRJPTe\tl
long T2Nv.odnd2 ) 2ald;.(u. 2I1Nr ) z n. 2z2Y
ik ."e "aeb U eb TV Ullc ek c cPo alM'TeV e e U
\y. 10CI.9). F(\OO) (I'(:lzVb)2YI..n . qp.;o(. nO. ! 2I1v,2Ow;.(ng " .. dn. 'M)2al ill(u. Y
d Vdb U \ii ePn vVe \t 2nd ) 2u. d.u.lop.dnvl "-wYp2v.TlIlr'(n"·.(z d.ld.
lit eVTV P ae d V V<I edd Y T WI' TWa U S I'
lJ\1 lJ\1 U \\c H e d IIC ell. .
4- 30. 9) (YY 211 d;>(u. ) 2'1'2
&r2 17. 2WJ)o(O. (. N)\" 0 .. d 24.59 1' ill(u. ".M'
TV P UC S aY S I'c\tl co, \\Ul Vd V cP
21T21\W2n,,(wrc..,. Nw! 211. ,de(. 0--:;1 00; 1'13 2I1d) 2Y21~. 3U1 I' !I!lJ) . .

£51.69 1'"'1. VATI £74.69 1,"01 VATI

www.freedowns.net & www.journal-plaza.net

You might also like