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Boot Up

REVIEWS

DfSKTOPS
22 HPToud1Smart tQ816
2. eMachlnes BLl200-05w
2. Dell Studio Desktop
LAPTOPS
20 HP Mini 1000
28 Lenovo ThinkPad X.200Tablet
30 Asus N]O,c
34 Son)' VAIO II.W170Y/Q
3. en ILiA PC
36 LIt,lOVO Ide-aPad $10
38 Asus C50V~·Xl,
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COMPONENTS
40 AT! gadeon HD 4550
40 Antec Skeleton
., Antec Micro Fusion
Remote 350
" Shuttle SN78SH7
N8WORKING
42 ZyXelNSA220
42 Netgear XAVB101
Powerline AV gthernet
Adapter Kit
PERIPHERALS
44 Iogear wlreless
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44 D-lillk Wireless Internet
Photo Frame
DISPLAVS
.. 001 teway FHlJ2401
•• wesunghouse L'L:9-16HW PRINT£RS

48 C-anon Selphy CP770

48 Xerox Phaser 3300 MFP CAMERAS

49 Canon powershct $0990 IS

COttSUMrRTECH

50 Apple iPod Touch

(Second cenerauom

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52 Spore

52 crysrs WlIhead SOFTWARE

54 Adobe Premiere Elements 7 SS RQ'xlo Creator 2009

THIS MONTI-I'S TOP PRODUCTS 57 Top Five Input Devices

58 Top Five tcettooks

compctershoppe.com Janvary 2009 3

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G.j~'.;~'t1i JANUARY 2009 VOLUME 29 NUMBER 1 ISSUE 346

HELP &. HOW.TO

COMPUTER CURfS

87 Si10ppef roi tors offer advice on

replacing the battery in ycur coropnen changing your print seusogs. me difference between sleep, hibernate, and shutdown, and mudt more

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ALSO IN THIS ISSUE

BOOT UP

In our new opinion section, Comp1.lcer Sllopper's editors discuss tara.com and its tmpact 011 the music industry. offer tips on selting stuff online, a nd bicker about

a giant TV. an ovetprlced keyboard, and I .. tel's Nehalem. Plus, Editorin-Chief Emeritus stan Veil takes us back to the early years

11 Geek Speak

12 Q&A

14 Clicl::ab"le cuue re 14 TedlMom

.~lI!.f9_'!t'~

98 30Ye.a.rs or Compu,t€r SflopJlil:t! In this, our :IDUl annteersary year, \1Je dig back into Shopper'sarchtve-s for a look ar rhe way rhingswere: rom

years, four very different Shopper.;.

D_Ee"ArftMENI_S_

6 Editor's Note

97 Adtndex

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co-oputershocper.com J<!(lJ.3ry 2009 5

This Month Online

ComputerShopper.com

RoYlOWS I ~ Prloos I Top P_uOl5 I H_To I Buying GUllI"" I 00101110<111< I ...... I Blog I Forum. I a_be

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9 ... fore you start ,,>hopping cnllne. we can help yO\.J locate the best deal on whetever tech product vou'r e in the market for.

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Guide

Before you hit the stores this holiday season. check In with us for all the nps you'll need for b1.Jymg

the best tech gfft;<; compulershopper.coml holldilyguide

Buying Guides

Ready to buy, but not sure what you're rooking for? Our tech guidl"!s11;:11 you I;ve!)'thing you need to know to rneke the right :P urchese.

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Check out our blog every day fo r the Daily Download, where Assistant Editor Matt Safford of~1"5; you 1115 tlps tor-the hottest free dcwnlceds.

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correute-shooper.com J(!nL.l,;lry 200g 7

EDITOR'S NOTE

John A. Burek I

"FREEl" AND uHERESYI", Cries ofboth roiled the SllOpper ranks as our cover story, "The Best Free Software,' took shape. Let's be frank: In tough-and, heck, even not-so-tough-economic limes, free anyIj! fna has major pull. and we conceived a story idea ("Do you really need to buy software?"] that 'has the attraction of

a giant electromagnet. Would we be able, category by category, to find credible free- alternatives to iconic commercial programs?

The verdict? Free apps have their place. Many of the programs we looked at were impressive, but, by the lime we. were done, we weren't quite so sanguine about frf"i;'W3leH;placing-I'Ut'lymillij on our pcs.The free image editors we looked at; Jot example, did a credible job at basicto-moderate-level tasks such as cropping and color tweaking but the video-editing candidates won't make noobe Premiere Elements lose any sleep. Still, we uncovered plenty cf'free gems. Check out our megaroundup starting en p. 50, and you may be able to brl.!lg capabiliti-es to

your Pc that you thought. were beyond yom: budget. Plus, browse our editors' favorite freeware games=vou 're sure to find a lim diversion (or 10).

Speakil1gof''ft:ee~ and "image editors;'

Vista-based PCs have some robust "free" capabilfttes you might notbe aware of Vista's Photo Gallery tool, 'Ii.!tlt 'Within the OS, hall some substantial photool'g;iinizing:2Jnd -edlting chops. Senior Editor Matthew MLD.Ely.gVe5 a ccmprehensivepumer on using this bandy tool in this month's Weekend Project, "Perfect'rour Digilal

Images" (I' 90).

Murray also spent major time 1111S: month with Intel's scorching

new CPU line. the Core i7. and came

away mightily impressed.The Corell is based on a smaller micron pmc€-ss than the Core z line. and. in am initial tests. it looks poised to define the 2009 desktop market. We expecrtt to bting 2DOB levels of high-end performance to 2009 midrang€ PCs and herald a renaissance of low-cost power.In "Core (i7} Competency=tp. 73), we test the Tnle~ Cote'l7 processors. iii patr olrnctherboerds that accept them, and three newly mi.nted .PCs that lise this vanguard hardware, warning:

Expectrc get your hair mussed.

We've ~t plenty else inside. Check out p, 2'0 and p, 30 for reviews of two dynamic new netbcoks, the HP Mini 1000 and Asus Nl0Jc, a pair of Intel Atom-based variants on compact pewee.And in "Flash DMlCEt (p, 82), we lake a doser Iookat the ubiqultous USB flash drive, resting 10 of these byte, bearers fer llUOU~lPllt and usabilltyFmslly turn to p.11, .. nd you'll see Boot Up, our new opinion secnon, where you'll find our editors holding court on the tech issues of the day, from the irreverent (''Ceek Speak") to the practical (''TechMom'j.lt's complemented by Shut Down our-new c\osJ~ngpage (p.98). For2009,ShutDown"ll.iU highUgci~~XOO;rpts 'from CompCoIter Shoppers storied history 'in thrs.our zotf eoruversary year;

That'll right! In continuous publication since 1979, Compt.!ter Shoppn will be entering its fourth decade of provicmgyou smart tech-buying advLce.And as ever, in print-c-or online at Computershcpper.ccm-c-we want to know how we're doing. Write us a~f~dback@wmput~rshoppe._oom.

8 J~u~r-t 2.009 correute s-ocoer.ccn

~DITDR·1N-CJ.lI ~F John A. Burek -- - - - - - -- - - -~,j-A-~-:;'~IHG -~-D~rG-~- J~"ih.~-R~~;;'t-ur ilI~~(1'O~ T<dI:I9.JII~rlry

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J(Jt'IIt~B:wrH.,JofrtRo..:f~l"II!'p', ~[r9I-sr..Stho'lC~floel't Bill O'&lo!I1.-As~ 5Drn~J"j

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GeekSpeak

M&J plan One Last Heist, spin a Core i7 fish story, and battle for the Best Keyboard Ever!

ON TIlE 10TH FLOOR of Shop- stElJ.?gllrring '12 percent drop on

per HQ in the beart ot mfdrown 4O-inm 10aDp sets in the third

M;i!JlhalI;:;lJl, two enterprising editors on a diet of tech, talk, and cheese bring you their impressions of the connected Iife .. Ju a dtscormecteo way.

FILCH NOIR

EveJ: seen oueof those 19SOS Fre-nch noir films in which <'I bunch of:iJging crooks pulls off One LastHeist but everything sees borribly wrong? (llrink R.esFJ'lt.1<JirDO!)s.bLit with Gallic accents, less blood, and more black citrcensj Well, there stood Matthewandjcbn at Manhattan's Metropclitan Pavilico, transbxedby one awe-inspiring tech object Pioneers KuroPDP-5020FD So-Inch plasma HDTV. A Pioneer rep's excited spiel dissolved

fum static iii Matthews and jobrrs ears.Their brain waves marched in sflern.lockstep; One. Last Heist

Oh, temptation! M&) had, all year, been scavenging the bettlefields of the Great HD Former War, acquiring f:allenHDDVD titles (Doh, 'i'ruilsfrumt'ls~l and occasional Blu-rcys, And'rvprices are falling---a lot. Consumer Repo'ts estimates LCD sets cost 20 percent less-Qnd plasmas 200030 percent less-than a year ago, Pricescan reports a

quanero{>08arooe. Bigger sew (and rninuerones=the Knrc is less than four inches thick) are falling too; and with the I:tIV transition imminent, the giantTV snowball is only going to keep, well. snowballing.

Nevel: mind th:aL at $5,500, tim otherworldly Pioneer costs double whatjchn's first two ail'S did----(,OOlbinoo.And never mind that, at S feet long and

BY MATTHEW MURRAY AND JOHN BUREK

U1e building had bought a Karol The Last l-leist is 00.

John's honing his breaking-and-entering skills by wa tching Mis!liQI1: Jmpcssfble clips on YOlffilbe, and Me~thews measurmg sfght lines

in his lloingrocrn. Matthew ihinks he's getting clleTV. and that John won't betray him at the-end ettbis caper. Socre Mll'u! He'll fInd out

BIG FISH TALE

Pale Mond,ay,moming light streamed 'in the windows of Shopper HQ as John settled m his desk, bleery-eyed.Hismugof makeshift mccha=cocoa plus vendfng-machlu .... espresso=wasn't helping. A. sheaf

of papers had appeared over U1e weekend stamped SHOPPER U\JlS 'JESr H.ESULTS. But why the- red ink? Red W<l13 reserved for ... Ul1~ usual cases.

He lifted the first page, eyes darting ever the numbers This »asr 00 a mistake, he thought, He read ou.Tbis too. But tbis number correlates, these scores are in Iine.. .could it really be that a $1,250 desktop PC Was; in some ways, outperforming one costing over SG,ooo?

Now be was wide awake, Bilek to the front page-sf-ere was Matthe-w's signatme, shakier thau usual looktngflke tt had been scribbled at 3:37 am. or

on Day lS of a hunger strike Scrawled beside ir \'.IaS one word:

NeJI(~iem.

Nehalemi Was ita Middle-

more than 100 pounds, g.=tting it into. Malthew's living room would resern tie coaxing a shinccetcs into a Mini Cooper They both knew:'I must have it.

Loand behold.john left Shop-per HQ cuerught, in the shadow of the famed FmpireStateBu.ild· ing He Sidestepped a Yell-size pile efcurbside trash th-e-n drew up short Prepped up ly a pater of discarded Yellow Peges and take-cutccntainers \!JaS the biggest empty cardboard boxbed (!IIf!J. seen.The wotds"PIONEER 6O"leapt out at him SOHl.eOiJ8l in

Eastern flashpoint that had fallen out of tne news for a few days? A cousin of lhat universal grunt ofindifference, ~Meh~~

1\ handwritten type, related to "teh'? JohnhQa. to know.

He found Matthewfn the labs, slumped over a ~SL bench strewn with energy-bar wrnppOSTS, motherboards, and PC towers, Between snores. a word escaped his llpa '-'Neh~ lem,"

John whispered, ~Wh~t is

NehaLem?"'

Mauhewshot awake. "lrs a river Jn Oregon, brimming with leaping salrncutlts the name of a Native-American tribel It's.. .. ~ He paused and looked around. "lt's ... Monday"

"You spent the weekend here again, didn't YOu?"

"Blame Nehalem! It's the name cf the mkrc-arcbltecnrre used in Intel's new COle i7 processors.rve been testing them for days.The implications are sta~eling;:"}-Je stormed past. ~l l1E1ia to get a salmon burger."

"But it's 9 am.l' "Preciaelyt"

John shook' his head. read thelest, and realized: Mauhew was right. This report mcst be shared with the worl-d. It's onp, 73.Ad· vk:e: It goes best with oockl.<til

DASBOOT

(Srrn~~_101-lNJs OffiLF_ HeJsiyping MATIHEW etH~rsi!!Jt i-LJ'Hlill~ (i snazzy black keyboorrt rzyes as t.;,~ (IS ccesteriaed CD·Rs.)

comoute-shopper.com JsnlJ~ry 2009 11

___ • BOOT UP GEEK SPEAK

"floe-bold the Das Keyboardl" John i'gnores him.

Matthew tries again: "lt's betrer than cerman chocolate cake with chopped walnuts."

John hears, "Grumble CHOCO!.JI.TE CAKE grumble grumble.' and keeps typing.

"It's better than .. , the Northgate Omuigey 101.~

Now tllaris seotlcge!

In days of yore, when

Ieptcpstand issues

of S"OPP1:'r~ weighed 10 pounds.john cur his joumadstic. tooth OIl the OmniKey, the ruwdll'st, clackiest, most sausfying keyboard ever built by bumans. Springy keys: check. Perfeet tactile feel: check. K'ily noisegalore, broadcasting to your co-workers and boss that YOI,lLre working reany hard: check. John's OmniKey gave way to a succession of sordid. mushy OEM: keyboards and Logltecl:i and Micro-soft nice- tries. Had

he known it would vanish like Crystal Pepsi and Mr. Ccodbars with reel milk chocolate. he'd have hoarded a dozenl

"Nothing's better than the Omnikeytjchn barks. grabbing the keyboard and restingit across his lap. "Not even B!'19lal'l cbocolate=He positions his fingers and types: The quick brown fO]Ljump~d ever the lazy OMG OMG OMG OMG

It's clackery! Lots ofnoise!

The keys bite back in the nicest possible way! No- funky media keys or screwy scroll wheels or gamer-friendly gewgaws. Now rnis is a keyboard for men. (And wo-mei tool)

John cries out, "Minel" M;;iuhew: 'Not on your lif'e!" After the tug-of-war is bro-

ken up by Managing Sdircrjon-

12 J,"",'Y 2009

ethan rWhat's rhenmtter with YOLi gLlysn, Matthew clutches

the keyboard tight

")'11 h3VE; to buy cneyjchn concedes. "What's h ccsti" Mettbew's eyes shift. ·W.n .... .$1.29."

~$129 for a keybool'r.:I?"'

~Jt used to be$89:·M!l.tO~ew Hays} his voice Ultdling. "Then they added a USB hub. Now it's :MOmore:'

Memo rc Mam.glngEditoT Jonathan! Please send the following telegram to

Das;

Love yow eeyboard. RE'crliy we do. But $W for a rJSB ,",ub? PIl'CYLe! P1euSF ren-

stare the "d1eaper"moaet/r's stm rtofiooU5, bur CO'ls[delirlg thefi"~r, Wf"'d keep this keyboard iDl.til E~Jeml!t"jcld.:~m"ow·skuH mtFrfacesshow up or ure're ready ;;o$l-Il.lJ.fleoff:thismortiliroli.

DEM BONES

"SO let me g~t this straight," john said, "This. .. thing"-he waved at the mysterious metal mass on his desk-~'is

::I PC case?"

It: was called the Skeleton, and it dion't Ioox like any case John had ever seen.tr didn't look like a case cit (lfL More like a prototype for R2-D2, better suited to bringing you coffee than housing a motherboard.

·Yes, it's ('1 case," Matthew said patiently "But it's open. Ha5 no sides, no top,"

John peered inside, ;~nd

everything is ccoled by ... ?'

•.... by the big fun on lop. yes:. ':And this I,J.mrksr

"lt seems to.~

John had spent so many years WOI'k;ing~nside teniJ::H.y cramped PC cases designed, apparently, by'Ictquemeda that skepticism shone out of every pore. "And it I spill beer ontc It?"

"Uh,"Matthewgulped, "you really shouldn't do that,"

"Or my canary lands on the nOl'l11blidge cblpsee"

"Clearly," Matthew said, yankingaway the Skeleton, "Lhfs is no;: fJleright case fer you. Maybe you'd be happier with one with purple [lowe(S and crystals on iU r think

ln \jJjn makes one of those."

"And dust? MuSl I mcve'intc a clean-room environment and wear a bunny sulr?"

Matthew rolled his eyes.

"No_ But you'll upgrade your

PC twice as fast.And have your drives and boardsdglu before you, to adore with googly eyes."

John pursed his lips, reexamining the Skeleton. After his PC build-of-theweek. he'd have fast access to all those cables he always plugged in backward. He

cot! ld swap vldeo cards pronto. Overheating problems could be diagnosed scientifically [Touch the Ol[J heat sink, see if you get a

second-degree buru.)

He sighed, took om his credit card "This column's getting expensive," 11e said. "rell whoever'sreading to see p. 40 for our review of this thing-And sto-p bringing gear in here, okay?"

Matthew grinned and agreed-until next month,

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Clickable Culture

BY MAlT SAFFORD

Lale brings music back to the Web-but will it bring dollar-s?

IT'S BEEN A PAlNFUL decade Ior dfgital-mustc fans. Since the early days ofMP3.com and the demise of free-for-ell Napstet; we've-suffered through Sony CDs that install compromising software on our computers, music files that work only with certain players and software. and lawsuits meant to frighten us away from

mey cnange tbe wey we ccnsume music,

Lela diffetentlates Itself Ircm

by offeri.ng songs for

a dime anc whale albums tor under a buck The songs are only playable from the Web; if you declde co download them, Lala chaiges an addluonal79 cents P~[ MP3 (you can also listen LO any songtn Lela's catalog one Lime for free). "Ole site also makes it easytc recommend music to other users, so sharing that killer track ~"o1,J just discovered is (I breeze,

Th e Lela Mover software is: wen more impressive.Run it on your:Mac or PC, and it syncs the musk on your computer=even scngs purchased from other services-with your Iala account en the Web, where you can play them trcm any Flash-enabled browser.

Lala works slmjlarly to the long-defunct My.MP3.com service, wlnchleunched back ill 2000_ 'The record labels killed the service becausethey were Afraid that plracywculd oat into their still-soermg prcflts from CD sales.But now that te\JpI1LJoS' MS u.mbled, developers and music oistntcrors are finally playing nice, and with sites like tela lheyre actually making il easier to buy (and share) music than steal it.

Unfortunately It tcokmore man a decade

to get to this point. and draconian anuplracy measures have pushed loads of music fans co embrace less-than-legal options. Lala and ether innovative shes just. may entire some consumers back from the blink aud push up profits for artists as wen as labels. But labels and developers will have to be smatter than ever, because there's now an entire generation of kids who wonder why their parents ever paid for m usic.

14 Jarwe-v 2009 contputershopper.corn

BY SARAH E. ANDERSON

Find hidden money at home:

Make C ra ig5Iist and eBay pay the bills with! hese selling secrets

wrnr LIVING expenses skyrocketing saving money and cmnlng up with extra cash ere tasks that often fallto the mom, but let's face it Clipping coupons and sever-eo budgeting are not for everyone. (Meinduded!) So how de we getfrcm cne peycheck to the next whil.e still paying thababy-siUer?\Ve start selling---carefully. Allbaugh O<rigslist and eBay ;;ITe nOl:hLflgnew to savvy shoppers (and sellers), knowing what to

sell=end when-cis vital

I've learned these lessons the hard Mo/T(l once sold a pair ofshces fm$1, wbirb made sl-dpping tbem a chorej vcu don't have to. Checkout these tips before you gE:[ started

SEASCt,lMAnEltSol'm writing this <;01- limn ill the: tall, So Halloween ccsuirnes and holiday decorations are hot-ticket itema=r saved last years costumes and sold them to buy this year's. 1 also Like to freshen up my holiday decorations every year but don't have the space

to buy and store, So keep in mind the season Skis, coats, and boots will be in demand during the winter, nct injune,

ID.ANDDvn, OON'l"SEU WEU.[lINLESS THEY DO). ResE!iJingl'l1usic and mcv-

ies generally isn't worthwhile=resale prices tend to be slim.But there are exceptions, such as Disney movies that have gone back into the Disney vault, A usedcopy that's no longe!' availeble can command as much as anew DVD, (Use eeeys "completed listings" function for research] Other good sellers are TV selies 01'1 DVD, especially when the show has ended its run or is in later seasons.

STARTASWSH FlJND. Set up seperete Pavpal acccunts fur certain types of ltsms.Forex a mplc, my husband has a revolving accouru just for video games. Be- buys new games only with money from rhat account, genera~ from seiling games; if there isn't enough cash to buy the next.Crsnd'IhetrAutc, he has

to sell somelhing!This is also a gJ:ea~ my to leach teens good budgeting

KEEPITlJ)(ALSellingon elsay means facroriogfn shipping. If you can keep-it local, post on Ctalgslist iustead-cespedaUy for big items, And ityou can handdeliver your item [fer a fail' fee). say so ill the ad" This is 'til ttracrive it, areas where people rely on public transit, 'It means 1TI0l'e money. and it could trigger a sale that otherwise migl:1.t not happen.

AVOIIJ COMI=£TITION. Unloading 01 Nintendo Game Boy Advance in perfect condition?That'S: greab-except it'll be one of hundreds. Research similitr Items for sale andmake jours stand out with a lower price, accesscttes. cr free shipping Or hold off until there an: fewer sellers

TRADE GOOOSFOI! GOOO~ Savlng on things you need is as good as making money to buy them. for this, look for barters and trades Thls OVO w[ll

You can find plenty probably not sell.

of items and services far exchange on Craigslist=everything from toys to bab)'-slu:ing to trcmbcne lessens.

TAJ(t.AGlT. out ofitems to s~ll? Ask friends and famllyft vou can sell anything on theirbehalf, for .. commission: 15 percent of semetbing is better than 100 percent otnothing But.hancle your own shipping. so as not to riskyour standing en eBiiI)';

Following these tips can inject

some green into YOlJr budgett can't premise they'll make you rich, but they om help ~t yOl,l from chicken and SUII'Sl fer dinner to steak and porarces. And-cbcnuslc-yoe'll lid the house of some clutter,

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Mitsubishi is so proud ants latest multimedia projector that the company slapped the Diamond name onto it.. Like the flagship Diamond LCD and rear-projection iunvs, tile HC7000U has a native 1080p resclutiou. perfect fOJ: high-definition Btu-ray movies. It also has a dynamic contrast ratio of 72,000- to-r, :1lnd it's oue of the quietest projectors on the market The HD7000U retails fOL $3,99S.Jfthat's too much for ycut wallet,

a lower-end unit (the HCGSOOU) costs $2,995, with a dynami-c contrast ratio of1SpOO-lo-l. Mii:silbishj Di~ital E1e("iJDnirn Am!!ricCl, WUJ!.V.Hl;rsubishi<rlOHleWeater.ec:»n

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16 January 2009 correute-shoope.com

<II Apple LED Cinema Display

If you're lucky enough to gel yo ur hands on one ct the new M a cBook~MaC:Book Pro, or MacBook AiT laptops. pail it with the musthave 24-incli LED Cinema Dls-p-la:y from Apple ($399). The m onitor uses an LED backlight, which turns on. faster than traditional monitor bulbs. Plus, the LEDhe\ps make the mcnircr brighter. Using the new Displaysort interface, the monitor connects to the new laptops through one cable. which can also charge the connected laptop. App!e, lvwlV,app~e.c(lm

[omega StorCenter ix2 ~ If you're Looking fof::lil easy way to share digital media withfn your household, add the Iomega StorCen[er ix2 to

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and the unit supports the UPnP and DLNA protocols, :;;0 compatible devices like gaming consoles> music-streaming devices, and security cameras can access the content 011 it, teo.Two USB po-rts 1 et YOLI share printers or hard drives, and

yo u can plug in a USB-based Bluetcoth dongle rc transfer files Irom a phone La the drive. fom€'9ri, W'\I!w.IQIll!ga.com

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The B~ackBeny Storm is RIM's answer to Apple's: ipbone. featuring a touch screen that supports multi-touch gesnnes and "clicks" when you type on the virtual keyboard. Unlike previous BlackBeny srnarrphonss. the Storm retrieves messages and connects to the- Web much faster thanks to veriacn Wirel-ess' SVDO network. and it has a completely revamped interface that's sleeker looking and easier to use. Resl;Qrdl In M\ll~OII, wWlIJ.bhl-ckben-Y.i.·rnn

... Sony Reader Digital Book

Condense your library fmc the compact Sony Reeder Digital. Book ($:399.99). The latest model (PRS-7UO) irselfresembles <I small hardbound book. with a soft cover and s wejg11t oflO ounces. A s-tncf touch s-creen allows readers to highlight teat and create notes. The e-paper technology is viewable under bright sunlight, and there's

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I

HP Mini 1000

Netbook has a killer keyboard, so-so speed

HP'S MINI-NOiE 2133 STOOD OUT with tts highres screen, Windows Vista OS-and high price, The new, low-priced Mini 1000 doesn't seem 35 dlsrincrive, however, since its specs are almost identical to those of its competitors.

Th,eMini 1(1)0 is impressive, with solid construction, til stylish and svelte case, a superb keyboard. and a super-bright screen.The glossy black lid now sports a subtle Swirl pattern, TI~e keys are no longer slick and shiny but subtly textured and the screen has grQ.\v'J:1

(rom 8.9 to 1.0.2 inches. Despite the larger display, ~1i;3~E~~;~~~~~;:Is;~;i~~

the M.ini 1000 has slimmed down to 1x10.2x6.6 ...

inches (HWD) and 2.5 pounds, m:aking it [he

smallest, thinnest netbock yet with a full to-mch-wtde keyboard.

The standout feature of the Mlni 1000 is its 92 percent key- Performance is in line with that of other Atom-powered

board.The keys feel solid, without the usual tapered edges, giv. notebooks. 'The Mini 1(100 scored 135 on Cinebencb 9.5. 'tasks

ins them nal LOpS with a sUghtly larger surface to hit. Thelayou l like: e-mail. Web browsing. word processing. and Jjghl i1i.1rT1 her-

'am(,l'f"jl,'.uWlt ,z,

! I j I I I! I ! I i

u II !OYlER» 10

~ SUperbkeyboa.rd le:el,Si7.e, l3y.oul; very good audboi Ihini IIghl\W'Lg~l; bright screen

~ VGA oort reQwlres ;:'claapter cable: awl:-wlIrd teuen-oed-buuon placement

mm 1.6GHz ITlI!;!1 Atom N17O; iG-e RA"~; 50GB hard dll~i !o.2-in~h disp!<lY; letel GMA 950; 2,5 lXlurJds; lxl0_3";o:6.6In~h~, Window::> XP Herne Edllion SP3

H .. wlett-peckerd, 88e-gI7-S00~ www,~pJ:am

Dired Price 5549

is excellent, with none of the misplaced OJ: shrunken keys found on other netbooks. The wide touch pad is very responsive: its buttons are easy to press, although we wish they were below the pad instead of off to the side.

The 1,024x600-pixel dtsplayts so bright that blacks looked gray at full brightness. Turning down the brightness solves

this issue. The display

is sharp and has a very wide viewing angle, but its glo~fsy finish Is sometimes

annoying. Though Hl' plans to offer ail 3.9-itlc'h screen as au option, the high-res 1,28Ox768 screen from the Mini-Note 2133 will not be available.

The 2:133's ane-mic VIA processor has been replaced by the netbook-standard 1.6Gl-Iz Intel Atom N270, backed by 1GB of DDR2 memory and running Windows Xf' Home Edition SP3. HP included a 60GB hard drive wtth ourrevfew unit; 8GB and 16GB SSDs, 2GB of RAM:, and a Linux OS with a friendlyt'MobileInrernet.Experience" front end will be: available as options

20 Jeruerv 2009 comp u tershcoceocom

e For more: computershopper.com / laptops

It

crunching were all smooth, but as with all netbooks, in terms of multimedia the Mini l000js more suited for vid-eo and audio playback than content editing and conversion. The netbock completed 01.1 r Windcws Media Encoder test in 27 minutes and 8 seconds and our i'Itmes encoding test ill 19 minutes and 24 seconds, which is almost identical. to the $439 Lenovc tdeagad S10's scores. With the Included three-cell battery the 'Mini 1000 lasted 2 hours and 21 minutes playing back an MPEG-4 movie; tighter usage, such as wn ttng and browsing die Web, squeezed

out another 20 minu tes.

The lnregtated CMA. 950 chfpser does a fine- job with Windows applications and fun-screen video playback, but its poor 3DMark06 SCOl"e of91 means gam ... rs will be best off reliving Bve-year-old classics. The speakers QI"e- crsatlvely placed behind a grille inside the-laptop hinge, and although they don't have a lot of volume, the audio clarity is superb.

For networking the Mrni 1000 includes 802_11bfg'Wi-Fi and Bluetcoth 2.1 radios, 1l;S well as (110/100 Ethernet port. You'll also lind a pair orUSB 2.0 ports. a combination headphone/ microphone jack, an SD/MMC slot, and a VGA webcam Il.Iith a microphone. Though the notebook has a. VGA monitor output, it uses a small custom connector, so you'll need to purchase an optional adapter cable to use an external monitor.

The Mini 1000 offers!': randcut, solid construction lind com fort.

It is a worthy ccmpeutor in [he uetbcck market; giving users the small siae of the Lenovc Ideal-ad S10 without the compromised keyboard. Unfortunately, we're not convinced thatits keyboard and weight are enough to ottset the $80 to $120 price premium over competitors from Asus, Leuovo, and MSI that provide nearly identical performance. -DE:ntlY Adl'm

Epson Artisan 800

Quite possibly the periect multifunction printer

U.l,ul·;j·'.'W'1 G

I! I ! I ! I I I II! o 9ETTU H 10

I:iliI!l:l Peckedwth features; irllullM:: control panef; slonnlng ~h010 OUIPIJ~i fast Pfir11 UmE!S,.! easyweeless seuc

mm Prl«:w bulky

Epson Amerks, 1300·-453·7766

WW'JU.epSOr'1.oom

Ust Price $299.99

THE EPS ON ARTISAN 800 is as near a perfect all-in-one as you 31 e likely to find. The

Artisan 8oo's features read like a wish list: legal-size color printing and copying six-color photo prfnttng, 4,800- dot-per-Inch (dpi) color scanning. and COIOl' faxing. II. can print from a PC connected via USB, Ethernet, or Wi-FiOT without a PC, from an attached PtctBlidg(! camera, memory card, USB drive, or Bluetooth interface.

'rhe touch screen and the adjacent keys {Iil with pleasing amber LEDs) make cboosing a function and navigating through options easy You can edit photos via the onscreen menus.

sen, p is straightforward. Fer wireless setup you will need to connect

to your Wi-Fi. router temporarily wiLh the included Ethernet cable. If your router is inaccessible. you can get the MFP on your network by connecting

La a PC that is connected to your wireless network; just, be sure your com-

purer is Set to obtain fin TP address automatically,

Epson claims the Artisan 800

can hit 38 pages per minute (ppm)

in draft mode. We didn't see that throughput on our tests (using normal-quality settings), but per. fcrmance was still impressive 'for

an tukjet. The primer produced our to-page Microsoft Word docu meru

in 1 minute and 20 seconds. and our t-page color PDF rile took just 15 SeC~ ends. Photo-output speed was also impressive: The Artisan 800 produced 4x6 images in Best Photo mode from an installed memory card in 25 seconds. Expect to see color copies in 18 seconds and black-and-white copies in 12 seconds.

Output quality is also strong. Text printed on plain inkjet paper was: well-fanned, with no sign o l breakup, though it didn't have quite the darkness of laser-printed text, Color graphics primed on plain paper using the Text and Photo mode showed no banding in solid areas. though sepataricn between gradient fllllevels was nonexistent above 7) percent. Copies were dean and accurate, though more washed out than the originals.

The Artisan 300 Lives up to its name when it comes to phOLO output. Colors were rich and accurate, and the printer reproduced details that would be lost on a lesser printer. And Epson claims the photos will last 200 years before fading if they are stored in a 'Photo album.

The Artisan 300 isn't cheap. but Bpscn includes enough ink to justi.fy the prtce. You

can get faster print speeds and sharper text from a $300 personal color laser printer, but you'll give up photo quality and the Artisan 800's bevy of features.

-}amie Bsales

*

22 DESKTOPS

HP TOIl<:hSmarl1Q815 eMachines El1200-fY.iw Dell St Lldlo Desktop

28L,APTOPS

tenovo ThinkPad X200 Tablel

MLJ:o;:N10JC

SlJny VAID AWr70Y/Q GLiLlA PC

tenovc Idea Pad 510 Asus G50Vt~XI Gat!"l..r.ayM0803L1

liD COMPONENTS AT! R;;:tdeQn HO "550

Anti!C: Skeleton

Anter.: Micro Fu'!i:ion Remole J.;iO Shuttle SN78SH7

Ii2NETWOIUCIN(i ZyXtINSAl20

Nelgear XAV8tol Powerune AV ahernet Adapter KId

4li PERIPHERALS

logear WIreless USB-io-VGA Kid D-l!nkW11'!!Ie:;;:o;: Internet Photo Frame

MSDISPLAVS

Gil tew.ay 'FH D2401

We s Ijnqhou s e L19!6HW

.48 P~NTERS

Gmon So::lphy CP770 Xerox Phaser 3300 MFP

50 CONSUMER TECH

Apple iPod Touch (Second GeneraUon) T-Moblle Gl

5.2GAMINCI Spore CrySi!lWilr~ead

S(aSOn'WARE

Adobe Prem ere Element 7

Roxco Creator 2009

nus MONTH'S TOP PRODUCTS S7 Top FAA:!. Input Devices

sa Top Frve Netboc s

Gel More Onlme

C!,.;i< tc compulcrshoppcr com lUI H ~ rlJlu~ I' ~l'lf~ rL"IC'o'S ..tdL"t.~ .I' r 1" eLJd ,""._.

coo-putesboocer.corn Jamrary 2009 21

REVIEWS DESKTOPS

HPTouchSmart IQ816 Touch PC is finally ready for HD

WHEN WE REVIEWED HP'1i ctiginal Thw::hSmarlIQ506, we were very impressed by everything the touch-oriented all-in-one offered to those looking fer a catch-all home media and computing soluuon.Aboutall we thought

\:VBS missing was satisfactory HD support-pretty much precluded by the presence of a 22-incb monitor and the absence of a Blu-ray drive.:HP has now released the newel; larger'rouchsmart JQ316, available for $2,099, to address this concern. It offers a BD-ROM/DVD",RW optical driveand <OJ 25.S-inch integrated display, But while we're glad

to see that the line is taking some important steps toward addressing ne-wer tachnologiss, w~'re not completely satisfied with the results.

Specifically, the rQB16's Blu-ray playback struck us es

only £afr. Wat.ching X·MIll'l~nl~ Iest Slilna. I:I~" colors were grainy and the video was far less sharp then we'd hope for with en HD system. (The- overall quality wasn't appreciably better than what we saw with our standard-deftnidcn Dvp of The Matrix.) Using ourl-ID HQV Benchmark tool. we detected plenty of jOl~ed edges on what should have b-een smooth lines. as well. as more of the "noisy" video that prevents an absolutely clear viewing experience.

WE: were also a bit annoyed at [he overinflated dfmenaicns of the'Ibuchsmart '1QB16's display, whi-ch made it somewhat

more difficult to deal with than its predecessor. wbereas the I,Q506 was viewable n"g11t

1:"luwf-j",H!m1 e

to the edges ct its display's bezel, the IQ8'l6 is net: It has t-fnch black bands on the left and right sides of the screen and quarter-Inch bands on [he top and bottom, ~II of which add more bulk to an already fairly large machine. Because of this,

WE' had more difficulty

m oiling aud seurng up the IQ816 than we anticipated-. ideally, it's a two-person job

That said, we still found quite a bit to llke in this newesr'Ioucbsrnart, beginning with improved performance. The 2.1GHz Core 2 Duo

1'8100 processor and Nvidia GeForce 9600M GS graphics represem considerable jumps from the-IQS06>s components. Although the IQ:&16>~ scores aren't spectacular, they ate noticeable tmprovemcras: 699 in Cinebench 9.5, 4,633 in Cine-bench 10 (both using the tests'

64- bit versions), 7 minute-s and 55 seconds for Windows Media Encoder, i1fjd q.rnlnutes and 31. seconds lor t'Iunes. (As wtth the IQS06, none of our full-system tests=Puturelslarks PCM-arkOS, :?CMark Vantag-e-, or SYSMark 2007-would run: neither would our 3D tests, 3DMark06 or 3DMarkVantage.) The biggest change WOIS in gaminc_:"lhe IQ816's average frame rates of

o Ilif:T"U:~» 10

rnm Attr.ill.:liw h"Hdwill'i!, scuwale deslgCli nice Vilflcty of ports-; imploved gam~ng performance

m:::D Large, unwie!dy~ HD p!aybeck lacks QlJa!lIy

mm 2,IGHz: Mobile Cor-e 2 0"" TE 100; 'CB DD~l, 750G8 hard drbe: ElD-ROM/DVD~RWi ir'll~g~l&i 25.S.~llCh LCO; NvidiCi GeFon::e 9600M GS graphic~ (512MB!i Windows Vf:5tii Herre Premtum CEi4·bil)

Dtreee Price 52,099

22 Jal"llJ<'I1"jI2009 computershcppeccorn

10 frames per second (fps) in Company of Heroes in DirectX 9 (DX9) and Sz.Sfps in Dx'lu are solidly playable in a way the IQS06's: were nOL (mat system 'Scored 9.3fp;: in the DX9 Company of Heroes test).

A bigge-t' hard drive (7S0C:a,. Vi;>ISUS sooceJ and a generous <leS of RAM round out the package and keep the'Iocchsmart IQ816 a good choke for watching and recording television shows usjng [he integrated TV Hiner and the 64· bi t Wlndcws Vista Home Premium ope-rating system" There are lois of other connectivity options as well. from a muldformat 'Card reader to five USB z.oports, S/PDIF and S-Video jacks, audio-in and -out jacks, a port for an lR blaster, and a webcam in the top of the bezel, Other nice touches arc the volume controls on the right side or the display, which let you raise or lower the volume withe ut having to disrupt your movie watching. and the light beneath the display that can illuminate your desk or keyboard (the TQ81.6 comes with a wireless one, as well as a wireless mouse), as you see fit

We also remain fans cf theIouchsmart software, which eases navigation through the often labyrinthine menus in which WjndQWS often hides its programs. Anyone who wants to be able (0 access frequently used apps and browse photos or music with the flick of a finger can use the soft wale without any lessons; for anylhing more complicat-ed. the Windows desktop is just iii click away

No, the software isn't for advanced users, but it W'((;; never supposed to be-it's for people who want to keep their computing simple. So we can't. quibble with the'Icuchsmatt's overall design philosophy. We just wish that the IQ816 were more HD· and back-triendly dt's heavy and velY wide) so it could realize even more cflts promise as the ulttmate mediamanagement PC for your horne. -Mauhew Murray

(j For more: compUlershQPper CQm/desklo~

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REVIEWS DESKTOPS

eMachines EL1200-0Sw Tiny desktop, tiny price, tiny performance

WE CAN UNDERSTAND the appeal of micropriced, microsized d esktops. People want small, cheap, bask computers fOJ: doing basic thmgs. WIth eMachines' latest entry in the small-fcrrn-Iactor category the E11200·05w, people win get exactly that, for just $29&. But as part of [be bargain, they'll gel molasses-bke speeds, painfully limited functionality. and nonexistent expandabilny

Tl1.e- ,EI.1200·05w measures 10.7x4.2x15 inches (H\VD}, and contains little more than what you'll need to push through everyday tasks- a single-core Athlcn 64 26SQe proceSSOl', IGIi MDDR:? RAM', integrated Nvidia GeForce 6150SE gtaphics;a 160GB hard drive, a DVD±.RW drive. and Windows XP Home E:.d_jtion 011 the front panel, you'll find a multiformat card reader. headphone and microphone- jacks, and two USB 2.0 pons; on the rear panel ere six-channel

10

audio outputs. an Ethernet port, tour more- USB pons, VCA-Ollt, and two legacy PS/2pmts for connecting the included old-school mouse and keyboard

'TWo hal f-height expsnston slots are basically worthless:

One contains a modem, and the ether isn't even linked

to a slot inside the system. There's also no room fur a second bare drive or more memoryThis netrcp Isn't in-

~ Smell ;;lu; w,r)i rnexnensverceeent software bundle

~ Poor ~Iormiln~r:;i Ilmill"d I!xpam:liOlbillly

mm I.6GHl. Aihlon 64 2650~ 1G8 DOR1; 150GB hEm:l driv~i DVO:l:RW; 00 monitor; lnteqrated Nvidia glap~il:Si Window; XP Home Edilion

eMac.hine'S:,4108-273-0888 IWNI.~mil~hlnes.wm

Direct Price $298 tended for compulsive tinker-

ers, of course, although its performance et.enytheg cther than Web beowslng or reading e-mail mi)j'1.t prove problematic for othetsrthe system's scores on our beucbmetk tests were among the Lowest we've seen-only As:us:'s even smeller Eee Box lagged behind it in terms of overall slowness.

At least you g'i!~;a cue-year parts-aud-l a bcr warranty and a fair selection of software that includes Microsoft.Works 9.0 and 6O-day Ire .... trials of Microsoft Office Home and Student 2007 and the Norton 360 security software. But you'll need to decide whether these benefits outweigh the other trade-efts you'll have to make. -MauF:u~1Ji Mum!)'

24 JanuOlr)' 2009 ccmputershccper.ccm

Dell Studio Desktop Media-ready machine has some limitations

DELL'S $1,129 STUDIO DESKTOP LOOKS and behaves exactly like what It.is' an uneasy blend of midrange and home-theater components that results in a less-thancohesive machine.

Clossyblack en the top and Irout.panels and gnnmetal gray

on the side, the system's looks lean toward sedate, Butit5 size definitely makes an im-

pression; don't expect to easily fit this computer inrc vcur entertainment center, (A version using Dell's slimmer case style is also available]

Still, the SLL)(Eo Desktop offers some healthy connectivity. including a 15-in-1 card reader, [WO Fil'e\vjre ports, sill. USB ports, sevenchannel audio. and an e'llternai.802.lln wireless adapter.The 2.33GHz Intel Core 2 Quad Q82001m.-oeessor makes it.a potent performer, in large part because its 64-bitv~sion cfwindcws

Gm' 64-~1 cperaunq s-y:;temi IOI!> 01 RAM: TV tuner ,,00 large Il~rd dri>re idt!a.1 to use: with Medi!l G:,111~ri wtrejess adi'lpl"', Includ~d

om:o No BII,J-raydri~; limited 30 cepebljtles. expansion room; rot d"";;igl'lf"d for mC!':1 eraertalnment centers

mm 2.33GHl. Cere 2' Quad Q820a; liGB DDR2i 540GB hard c:lrN'ejDVD±RW; no-monltol; ATI R-iideor. HD 3650(256M8); WindCl"Mi Vlsta Herre Premium (64-bll)

Di!II,80(}-9'Ei.33'55

'vt'l'tIi'.cJ.e:II..com

Direct Price Slrl29

vista'l-lome Prermum can

take advautsge ofeverybit "fits 4GB ofDDR2RAM:.A 2:;6MBATI R a deon HD 3650 graphics card packs a modest punch, and the 5'lOGB hard drive is a decent size for use w:itli vista's Media Center software and the included H::ltIpp<lugeHVRllS0TV tun-er.

Unfortunately, although our test system's motherboard had an HDW·out port, it was equipped with justa standard DVD burner and no Btu-ray drive; YOII can add one, but you'D need to shell out at leastgzuumore, Expansion potential is also limited:

There's only one free per slc r., and the cramped case layout makes installing a second hard drive in the sol ... av.1il~b1e-inu~rn<1L bay dlfflcelt.

On Out benchmark 1:e$I:S, the Studio Desktop proved mostly adept at everyd{ljl media chores and could even handle basic 3D gaming at reasonable frame rates. for heavy 3D tasks, the Studio Desktop isn't thebest; ber itremains a solid choice [0.1' a starter home theater PC. -MMe

Uses up to 5x less power in normal opera~on than any other battery backup,

Let's protect what's important.

WI'lat's in yOUt ccrrcuter? Pbotoa. rnu:'j;j,c. ce.sonatfues. tlrenclal dena. broadband access, videos, and more. Your computer Mas never been more importsnt, and

Vet it has rever been at higher risk

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REVIEWS LAPTOPS

Lenava ThinkPad X200 Tablet Deluxe tablet gets almost everything right

WE WERE IMPRESSED with the Lenovo Thfnkl'ad X200 ul traportable notebook tbatdebu ted tbis past su mmer with Intel's Centrino {. platform, and for an

encore, Lenovc has a treat for the tablet aflcfonados among us: the ThinkPad X200 Thblet This business- focused machine has all the benefits of the X200 notebook, with added features the t make it an outstanding-e-lf prtcey-ctabler,

Wrapped in their familiar matte-black cloaks. the X200 and X200 'tablet look very similar. but there ale some subtle differences. The X200Thblet is actually a bit larger, measuring three-quarters of an inch deeper frcut-tc-back.It's 31,,0 about hat!' a pound heavier (3 . .55 pounds, versus 3 pounds tor the standard X200J. But other attributes remain the same, from the Impeccable (and vel)! peckablej ThinkPad keyboard to the lack ofan onboard optical dlilfS---'.Si typical, though not universal, omission in this class.

Th accommod a te tablet mode. the optional fingerprint reader 1'l35 been moved to the screen bezel Buttons on the bezel also let you switch the screen orientation; launch a quickacceas meuu for tablet and pen settings. brightness, volume. and s-o on; access the menu choices for shutting doWYI or restarting the device, and disable the tablet buttons so you don't

~ trradverrsntty press them.

131! ... J·f. ... ~'.1iml1 ~ The biggest new feature

10 I:::rrm:1 &J:-ellerlttilbl~1 re<lture~ good battery fife; COrYIp;3Ck and hfl~lwelghli e;.;ct!IIf!IIL kf!ybo,udi sL.I'Derbdigilirer

Ii!IlDI Pril:ey) no onboard optical drivei 1'10 touch PCld; typj(ClI bl{ll1d ThinkPad look

~ L86GHt Core 20lJo SL9400; 2GB RAMi 160GB hind dr;"",; 12J-illL~ dIsplay,:

Il'llel X450Q HD; 3.6 r.l"ourlds.; 1.3x.IO.b:11.6Inches (HWDJ; Window; Wit" BlJslne-ss

Dire<:t Price $2,339

is the optional Wi_deView M~l~rrouch '1' Mul[jVlew

LIID backlit panel This 1.2:3Ox200 11.1-itld~ screen costs $275 more than the available standard WXGA panel. bu t it makes the X200 r a blet much more- usable. For starters, the L.ED backlight provides <I brighter image that's easier to see outdoors while also

m"ilking the: machine Ughler and more power efficient.

YOLI can use the panel as a tcuch screen (controlled by your fingeT) cr with the pen stylus (be-tter for

writing and actions that require greater prectsiou). Lenovc reports that the touch screen requires less pressure to register gel> lures than the panel found on the previous-generation Thtnkpad X61 Tablet. When the pen comes within lSmm of the tablet surface, the active digitizer automatically disables the finger-touch seusttiviry This. keeps the machine from incorrectly interpreting your stray touches as yo LI work w nth

the, pen.

O~Jr test unit carne with the sr:yIIlS-0T11y screen, which

has plenty of user 'benefits of its own. Most important, tiledigitizer is one cf the most irrvisfbte we've seen; on some tablets, [he overlay lends <I soft-focus effect to the panel, but not here. Il';; 111so exceedingly aCC'LIYale, and the cursor ore-

28 Janu;;.ry 2009 cornoutersl-ocoe.con

movement even when the stylus

tip is almost an inch from [he surface, which makes zeroing in on buttons and other cnscreen targets easier, Vie abo love the "Ilick" gesture support. which lets you use

pen strokes to perform navigational and editing tricks such as scrolling, ccpytng and pasting.

Standard connections include three USB ports, VGA, Ethernet, Express-Card. a 5·in·l memory card reader, and headphone and mic jacks: there's a Wi-J'j radio switch and a slot for the srylus as well.Lencvo also equips the X200TIlbll2-t with

every wireless technology under the sun, Includingyour choice of mobile broadband (A1"&'l' fer $80 or verlaon for $lSOj. plus Cenutno :1" Wi-Fi, WiM.AX. wireless USB. Blcetoorh. end CPS.

Our X200Thblet came with the L86GHz.lntel Core 2 Duo SL9400Pfocessor. This uura-low-voltsge CPU gives up Same performance compared with other processors, but the machine's cenutne 2 platform still delivers decent productivity performance for this class. The X200 Tablet scored n respectable 3, lOS on Futuremark's PeMark Vantage benchmark suite.It also handled our Cinebench 10 test ve-ry wen, witb

a score 00>867. The X200l'ilblet managed 'to convert our 11 tnmes files tn a speedy 5 minutes and 9 seconds and complete cur Windows Media Encoder test in a quick 7 minutes and 57 seconds.The 3D graphics from Intel's X4S00 HD chjpset were also decent, "With a 3DMark06 SCOT€- of 838 <It the display's

native 1,230>:300 resolution

The miserly processor also helped the machine deliver vert good battery life from the eight-cell power pack: It tan for 3 hours and 5 minutes on OUI" demandingDvlxrundown tesrtwe used the optical drive on the UlrraBase, which came \Vim OUl" system)

For those who can spend closer tc $3,000, Lenovo offers: all manner of cutting-edge features. The optional. 64GB solid -state drive ($635) provides laster performance than a traditional hard drive, <IS well as crashpreof reliabif ty ideal for road warriors. OUI: biggesL qualm is the lack of a [ouch pad. Bu l because the digitize.r is ~Q good. this is less of an Issue,

If YOIl ne-e-d 8 tablet that's comfortable to held and powerful enough to be your only business computer, the Thinkjao X200 Tablet is the \-'Jay to gO.-J~mie ssales

(j For more: compUlershQPper com/laptQp_s

It'

em ~

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-_ ...

FRYS.COM

THE ASUS Nl0)C NETBOOK suffers from an identity crisis Even Asus stumbled when categorizingtt, first calling it an ultraportable a nd then a netbook. Now that we've had a chance to review it, we understand, the couundnrm. Buf.its unclear identity doesn't make It a bad choice.

At the crux of the confusion

:;II:e two key attributes: its discrete graphics. which can handle liD video and visually intensive applications Gust noUD g.;JHles); and itsS64:9price. which makes it.amoug the more expensive netbooks 011 the-market and puts it in direct competition with larger and more-powerful

budget note-books. As a netbcok=and by definition, a secondary, low-cost, bighlyportalxe po-ahe N1QJc

seemingly cornea up short.But as a budget ultrapcrtable {an oxymcronic term in itsel~, it offers something unique: a hfghly

~ portable Pc with discrete

'~"I"i''''j'Bljllll ~ groprucsat.lnQfforoilD"tepn·ce

Theglossy champagneand-black color scheme

is sharp yet subdued.

At 3.1 pounds, tile N10)c

is Light enough, bur.its 1.2S-ro-l.S-inch thickness is similar to that of a fullsize note-book. On the plus: side, 50 is the selection of ports; three USB, microphone, SfFDIF-en<lblE<l headphone, LAN, VGA, end HDM!. It even has <I 34mm txpresscard slot. and en 8-in-1 memory-card leader.

REVIEWS LAPTOPS

AsusN10Jc A netbook with pep

~ SODl'li5UCjjlt~d look.; swltchable grnphicsi~rygood lreyl:Q"rd fur I flls,cles.s; long beuerv ~f",; Iwo-~<lr W'i'lrri'lnly with one-year acndentel diilmagi!

I!::!:Ia Chunkier than other netbecks, di:s.uliile g~~hi~s don't ildd encuqh vajue to olf~t once

mE 1.6CH:o; Intel AtDm N270, 1GB P.AM: 160GB hard drive; 1O,2-inch distl~ay; Nvidi<3 GeForce S100M GS (256MB), Intel GMA 945 ('5\'litchjjlble); 3,1I:lol.lru:lsi 1.5xI0.8;-:7.7 inche.o;_; WlI1L1ow~ XP Home Ediuen

Asu:<>TekComjjuto'lr, 888-678-3688

List Price $649

'fhe- 10_2-mch widesere-en display delivers

a brigbt, CI1SP ima_ge The panel's resolution is l,024x600, which means you 11 often need to scroll

vertically'The rnest.welcome ergonomic feat u te of the N'lO]('i~ its keyboard: Just slightly undersized, it is much easier to type on than those of most nerbooks we've tried. The right-hand Shift key is small, but at Least it's in the right place.

The "l.6GHz Intel Atom N270 with 1GB QfR.AM:, a 160GB hard drive [bu t LlO solid-state drive option), and Windows XP Herne Edilion are all standard netbook fare, as is the lad:: of sn opl:iall drive. soz.rta/b/g/n and Bluetocth wireless capabilities, a fingerprint reader, and a 1.3-megapixel Webcam are also onboard

The N1D)c is the only netbcok to offer net just discrete

30 Januart 20m;) corroutesl-ocoer.ccn

im- ~-- See our video review:

____...._ oompulershopper com /videos ~

graphics but switchable graphics. You'Il find Intel's 94·5 chipset as well as an Nvidis Gefcrce .9300MGS CPU with 2S6lvffia£VRAM_A toggle on the side of the Nl0)c lets you decide whether to use the Intel graphics to seve battery life or the Noidia GPU for enhanced graphics performance. Hew enhanced? We tan Futuremark's 3DMal'kD6 using the Intel graphics, and tile NIOJc scored

an abysmal 90. Switching 011 the Nvid.i a chip (which requires a reboot) gave usa score of 1, 575. which ill good enough [0 handle moderate 3D tasks. That score destroys not just every other netbcok score, but it outperforms all the budget 15<4-in-ch systems as well

By 0 tiler performance measures.

the low-power Atom processor shows irs limitations.

We couldn't getPCMark05 to run, and our media-encoding teste were sluggi!3h. TIle N10)c needed 24 minutes to complete our Windows Media Encoder 9 trial and 24 minutes and 25 seconds for our ffunes conversion tellt---long for most notebooks but JlQ-[ fcr netbcoks. It managed ebcve-average scores of13·4 on Cmebench 9.S. and 774 011 Cinebench 10.'Those numbers aren't loa far oft from Hp's :Mini 1000. which earned scores of ~7 mtnutes and 8 seconds tor th ... \VJvtE [eSI, 19 min~j tee end 24 seconds for i'n,nf;8, and 135 and 835 on Cinebench 9_5 and '10, respectively. Unferumataly for Asus, the Mini 1000 costs $100 less and has an even better keyboard.

Of course, a netbcck like the [:·no)c is not intended as a workhorse but as a communicator. We were able to surf the Web via Wi-Fl, listen to streemlng Internet radio, and open multiple Iotemet Explorer sessions without mud"]; trouble. Battery life while surbng aud perfcrmmg other chores was around 3 hours while using the Nvidi:a graphics, and it was 3 hours and 10 minutes with integrated graphics, which is good.

111 addition to windows XP, Asus Includes its Express

Gate pre-boot environment. Express Gate lets you access the Splashtop Browser, basic rn usic and photo managers for accessing files on the hard duve and attached USB devices, the Pidgin JM applet, and the Skype VoJP ~Jtility without booting

into Windows

ASLIS backs the N10)c with its standard two-year global warranty, which includes 24-hour toll- free tech support and free ovemtght shipping, There's even <lone-year accidental damage warranty that covers drops, fire, spills, and power s urges.

If all YOLI need is e-mail and Web access while you're ou ~ and abou t, one of the less-expen stve netbooks on the market should suffice. But if you want all the-portability and some of the graphics pOl.veT of an ultraportable notebook without the $2,000 price I:ag. AS~H"S NlqJc is the way to go_ -Jamie .IlSQ~s

(j For more: compulershopper com/laptQp_s

It'

Sony VAIO AW170V1Q

Packed with features, power, and a gorgeous screen

REVIEWS LAPTOPS

THE SONY VAIO AW170Y/Q IS the latest desktopreplacement notebook to feature a breatmaktngia.e-tncn display and a wealth of features. Break om this s.a-pcu nd eye-catcher, and you'll be the envy of the laptop-toung set. Plus you'll send a signal that you're surviving the market crash just fine, thank you, since you just dropped $3,300 on 8 new laptop. Unfortunately, we're not convinced LheAW170Y/Q

is 'fast enough to justify the price.

Compared with other 'lg-inch notebooks, such 85 the $2,199 HP Pavilion HDX18 or the $1,549 Toshiba Oosmio G~5-Q802, the VN'O seems way overpriced. But irs vastly superior feature set puts tt more in line with Dell's XPS M1730, which sells for $02>899 ar its best conflgurauon. 'That's a $1;00 gap that gets filled in with Sony's bundled scttware and chic design, which may net be enough for most users.

TIleVAlO cuts a dramatic pta file. Its shiny, piano-black case opens to reveal a subdued, classic matte-black mterior, a gargantuan wide-screen display, and a ru ll-eize keyboard with Chiclet-style separation A sleek speaker grille above the keyboard houses a rowof touch-seustrive media buttons, while a wide wrist.rest, textured to feel like leather, frames the touch pad. sony has otherwise exercised admirable restretrn, adamill€! th€:V.N.OAW170Y/Q with

BIIUUlof-g".um .. e

I I I I I I I I [ I I

" Ii ~ r r Ii: R ~~ 10

~ Hug""gOrgM~di:;,:olay; rerawte-srze hard driw :aIrilY; mcjuded 1V tl.)n~r; enviable software bundle

I:!:!I::DI &,peI1Sive; quirky perlorrnanoes JlD~ DVQ driw vibrates. sub!>lanliallYJ huge AC brick

~ ::2.'5'3GHllntei Core 2: OLIO 19400; 4GB flAM; two 500GB h~lddrM::;; 811.1·royIOVO:tRWi li3.4-inch di5p~ay; Nyidia (ie:Fom: 9500M GT(S12MS);Wlnd.;I"NS Vi'itll Illlfmele

Sony Ele(lrontts, f{f7·8fE-7f,59 www>'So"YSlyleJ:om

Drrect Price 53,299

not much else save a subtle, green l.ED that lights up (slowly) when the system turns an, TI'Je power switch, meanwhile, is housed in an elegantly recessed cylindrical cover 'runge.

On the inside, the VAlO

is loaded with power. A 2.S3GHz Core 2 DuoT94(JO CPU is coupled with a dual hard drive am~y (RAID

LE:VeJ 0), providing a whole terabyte of storage space.

A built-in Iv tuner, 4GB of RAM, and a noisy Blu-nlyl DVD burnet ;:1I:e just some of the signs that you're entering desktop-replacement country.

Sony also throws in a fingerprint reader, a bezel- mounted Webearn. :&J2.l1aJb,lgln, and Bluetoctb with A2DP technology Connecrtvny will never be a problem, since the system has }fiNU, optical-out, Fue'Wire, and two memory-card slots along wi th the standard hostcf ports.

All those lop "notch features aside, the 13.4-inch display is the VA10's Teal claim to fame. Featuring an LED backlight and Sony's ~li.ljl:¢nil"ctivu >CF.IIit€ technclcgy the screen is sturmlng When we watched TIll! Squid cmd tlre Wh(l le, colon were crisp and blacks deep and rich, F"ull1080p t-ID support lets you play the latest DVDs. while the screen's l,92Ox1,080 native resoludon accommodates an intimidating number of spreadsheet

34 JanlJ.fIl)' 2009 conputershooee.corn

was very smooth. and audio

came through low:l and dear, though we did experience a couple ofhiccups as we watched our restmovie.

In general,theVilJO hendles datlytasks with ease.It sped through cur nuoes conversion test in Sminures and 29 seconds; and took Sminutes and 48 seconds toccmplere our Windows Media Encoder test-two scores that 'are in line with theT9400- based systems from Sony and lBuypoweT we recently tested. But [h~VAIO faltered cnFuturemerk's PCMark'Vantagca- test.tumfng in a scoreof~147, more than 300 points behind the Sony and over SOOpointsbehilid rhe iguypcwer.The VAlO alae matched these LWO systems in Cinet'li!n<::h testing. :!loonng 5,219.on version 10.

111 30 !esting, the VAIO'!l Sl2MB GeForr,;e 9600M GTgraphic>:: card delivered a truly impressive 6,351 on Futuremark's 3DMark06 test, blowing the other sys~ems our of the water. Even at its native resolution. the VAlO 'kept p~lmping out pixe I:>, scoring a solid 3,686. But then it, docked <I more pedestrian 30 frames per second (fpsJ on our. :F.E.A.R. tests at, 1,024>:768 resolution and an unimpressive 'l Sfps at na tive reselu LiOI1. That's fast enough 1:0 pray most titles, but true garners will be left

wanting more,

Meanwhile, the VAlO's relatively small 4.&OO,nAh battery lasted just"] hour and 180 minutes on our OVD rundown tQ;;L If you plan on takingyourVAIO on the road. you'll want to opt

for the $SO e-xtended-life battery

Part of wily the VAlO COSlS m are, of course, is that Sony preloads its software suite+which includes media. audio, and moviemaking packages, as well as Microsorl works-como the hard drive, Ii. one-year warranty comes standard, and you can purchase up to three years of protection for $299

lf ycu're in the market for a true multimedia powerhouse notebook with Blu-ray=and style is a main conc:ern-lheVNO is worth a look. But film editors, multimedia pros who have their OWl. software, and even families looldng for a single, do-everyrtnngbome computer can get more bang tOI: the buck with highend systems from Dell.Hk'lbshiba, and even MSL You'll giVE' lip some resolutlcn and some style pctnts, but you'Hsave serious cash and get roughly the same performance -Asa Somers

(j For more: comRutershoQRer.comlla!llimS

It'

REVIEWS LAPTOPS

CTLILlAPC

Buyer beware: You can do better in a netbook

GTL WEN'l' FOR II MINIMALlST DESIGN on tl1elLlA-but not in a good way. At 1.7x9.6x6.S inches (HWD) and 2.7 pounds. it's lighter than the 3:2-pound Asus Bee PC lOOOH, but you pay for that with discomfort while typing. Much like the keyboards on elder-generation netbooks, the IL1A's: keyboard is cramped and make-s touch-ryptug neatly impossible. The touch pad is too small, 'as ar-e the loud touch bu ttons belo w ·.

Tht;; 8.9-,inch LED· beckllt display is 'blight, though

its l,ONx600 resolution causes some windows and dialog boxes to extend off the screen. You'll find a VGA and two USB ports, a a-tn-t card reader, as well as headphone. mic, modem, and Etbemet jacks. A 1.3- megapixel Webcarn. a mic, and speakers are available for video chats.

'The system is painfully slow. II:S 1.2GH7. VlA C7-M processor, 1GB of RAM, and

~ SI1)i;lili Ilghtweighti bright sereen with good vimlng angles

.lim' Sl~wjs~~rt bauerv life; onIy60GBof:!>to t ;ag~ iiny keywiI,d, tcueh red, mouse buttons

mm 1.2GH, VIA G-t.<; K;B RAM, 60GB hard drlv.e; 8.9-1n~h diSplay-; VIACl'lIome9 HC3IGP (64MB): 2.7 poun'd~ 1.7;.:9.&:6.8 Inches: WindO\'JS XP Home Edition

m.800-642.3087 W'tVW.Cllcolp.com

list. Price $449 integrated VIA Cbromes

HC3 rcp graphics with 64MB of video memory couldn't handle even basic tasks. Booting up Windows XP Home Edition took 1 minute and 27 seconds, and surfing the Web taxed our patience. Also, the system crashed I11Ql'e than once and lost all ability to find

wireless networks.

·I11e U .. 1A needed 1 hour and smluutes for ourWME test and 48 minutes and 6 seconds to convert 11 mmee files. Likewise, iLS Clnebeuch ]'0 score 0 f319 was ve~y disappointing. Battery life was less than impressive at 2 hours and 48 minutes, well below the ·,l3S- avenlge-. Even the 60GB hard drive is <I letdown: other uetbocks offer up to 160GB of storage. 'The C'fI_. system comes' with the company's one-year No HassleWarranty

'The bright screen and light weight are the ILlA'(l only redeeming qualities. With OJ relatively high price, a cramped keyboard, slewperformance, and screen-resolution issues, the-iLlA Just isn't a good choice considering the (;ompel:itilJ"r1.-5a~}j E. Anderson

36 JaIiLlOlr)' 2009 ccmputershccper.ccm

Lenovo IdeaPad 510 A 3G ExpressCard-ready netbook

LENOVO'S IDEAPAD SlO DOESN'T STRAY far from the netcook pack, but Irs expanoabibty features give j t an edge.

The z.z-pound 510 has solid construction and precise I1t~ and-finish.Its attractive. matt .. -white shell closely resembles a mcre squared-offverslon of the MSl Wind. The 10.2~in<:h l~CD is very bligl.1t, with rich color reproduction and wide vie .. ving angles. which you'll appreciate when showing information

to someone else, It offers both 1,024x168 and 1,024x600

resolution. You often have LO scroll vertieally at 1,024x768, however; unlike the tee PC lO(Wa. the S10 lacks the option to drop pixels vertically too fit the

smaller screen.

Its keyboard is mixed.

The layout doesn't include any unpleasant surprises, but it's still a little cramped. At just an inch in height. the touch pad is among tho: smallest we'vr?! seen, but it's reasonably comfortable LO use. The dual butrcns are responsrve,

'tbe 1,6GH~ Intel Atom

l:uldwLiN·ul:IIt S

I I I I I I I I Ii I I CI 8[Tr .. >I"

IIim SIl'1:eli, lightweight; Exoressu.rd2.):p:'ln;;i[jn~li Lard ~:'I~[ !i~pport's wlh5DOiru:l MIlmo1j'Stkki good '~<lk.ees-: inexpensrve

:DmJ1. Cremced keyoo<l,d;

sbcrt battery lilll:

mm I.6GHllrlti!1 Alom 1'1270; 1CB RAM; 160CB hind driIRi 10.2-iocli dlSiplay: Intel GMA 930~ 2.7 pounds; '.3x9.9;O.lIr-..:t.es-; WlndnW3 XP Horne (dillon

Le.ru)\IO,866-428-4465 www.lerovc.ccm

Direct Price $439

N270 processor, 802.11g

wi-n and Bluetocth redlcs.La-megapiael Webcam, and Windows XP Home Edition ale standard netbook f a re, Our 510 featured 1GB ofDDR2 667 memory and a spacious 160GB

'The SI0':;, standout feature is its Expre£sCanl/34 slot. which lets you add a 3G wireless modem. We also appreciate that the S10's card reader supports SD, :Ml'J;C. and Memory Stick fcrmars. You'll 'find a VGA mcnttcr curput; 10/100 Ethernet, headphone. and mic jacks; and two USB 2.0ports. The :510·s speakers offer abcve-average vclcme and clarity

Performance is average for this category The S10 scored a strong 827 on our Cinebench 10 test bu t.lasted just 2 hours and 44 minutes with

Wi-Fi on in power-

s3ving mode.

The S10isa worthybut unremarkable netbcok The nearly ldenticelly sized MS[VJind Ul00

\vill be a mom attractive

choice fur many, given fts largurkeyboan::1 and longer battery life.

hard drive.

REVIEWS LAPTOPS

Asus CiSOYt-Xl

Gaming on a budget just got easier

AVAll.ABLE ONLY AT BEST BUY. the Asus GSOVt·X1 offers one-touch overclcckmg and interactive lighting effects. AlthOUgil it struggl.a= with some 3D'PeTrorn~:{JTIce> it cen ru n today's nneetx 9 gaming titles with ease.

The z.z-pcund G50Vt·Xl SPOTtS'" piano-black lid with blue

ExpresaCard slot,

and a DVD burner.

A 32 OeB hard drive comes with 64-bit Windows Vista Home Premium

Wit.h a 2.2'6GHz Intel Core 2 Duo P8400 processor, 4CB of system memory, and a 512MB

Nvidia Cefotce 9300M CS graphics controller, the GSUVt-Xl turned in an above-average Peturemark PCMal'kVantage SCOH; 0(3,690. Its WME SCOTE!! of 6 minutes srrd ,t8 seconds was also strong. In Turbo Extreme mode (2.49GHzJ the system SCOTed 3,703 on PCMarkVant;:lge and finished the WJvU; test in 6 minutes and S. seconds-not a great improvement The system's 3DMark06 (1,024:-:768) score of 8,873 was excellent. however>

An impressive score of74.3fps On our Company of Heroe-s test proves this machine's'DX9 gamfngprcwess.The sy:;t-em managed only 23.9fp5 on the DX10 version, however. 'the six-cell battery lasted a scant 1 hour and 35 minutes.

This system is comparable to the Gateway P·7BllFX, which is less portable.The Asus GSOVt-Xl is good for permy-ptnchlng garners who need an~g to travel with -John R"De!Q~le'y

detailing. The same glossy black trim suncuuds the 15-.6·inch, l,366x768 d.lsplay, which offers good viewing angles. 'The- III ll-siae keyboard

and wide touch pad ate responsive and comfortable. A 3.1·inch OLEO display sits above the keyboatd. and 'fOUT buttons let you change the look and performance, You can toggle among Normal (2c26GHz), Turbo (BaCH,). and 'lurbo Extreme (2.49GHZ:) modes, wirhcut having to reboot or enter the BIOS.

The GSOV[-Xl. is equipped with HDMl.'VGA.Fire'i.Vil.eo. external SATA (,eSATA), SIPDIF audio, and four USB ports, along with a, multifctrnat card reader, an

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Iilim:'J Solid DX9 gamirlg performOlncE!; coollighLing e fleeLS; one-touch Ovt:r.:locking

IiiID R..eliliiv.e:ly IOW-rE:.50ILlllon display; short batiery Ilk:; weak DX10 pe-ferrnenee

mm 2.25GHz Irltel Con; 2 DUll P8~OO; 4GB RAM; 320GB hllrcldrlw; DVO±RW; 15..15-

ineh .ai~~I<lYi NvidLEI rererce 9S00M GS [512MB); 7.2 pljund5; 1.5lI14.SxlO.4 ioc~e;; Wlndllws vlsta Hom-e Plemlum (64·bil)

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List Price $1.249

Ciateway MC7803u Beautiful outside, a little slow inside

~5tunl'linggoodlook!:;i ~PElCIOU:; hard drl...-e; attractfve crlce mclumecla ccntmlkeyc HOMI p:1rti some 30-gaming ability

am Disappo.nll~ prcouctfv jly and media-encoding pe-jcrmance: weak speakers. nClBILI-my drlVl'.:

10(2,153);,

THE MC7303U delivers stunutng good looks and. plenty of multimedia features. This 'lji-inch system

appeals to buyers who take their media on the

road, and at $999.99, the price 'is right.

'fh~ 7.l~pound MC]80:lu features a burgundy b·d (or you can opt (or black); [he chrom e stripe down the

is 11 our W'lIAE 9 trial,

The AU Mobility Badeon liD 3650 CPU (with 512MB of dedicatee VRAM.) delivered playatl-e frame cates On F.E.Afl at 1.024x768., we saw 47'fps, but wnen we upped the resolution and effe-cts for Company of Heroes, the sys. tern managed only'10.2fps. The eight-cell batterylasted R good 2 hours and 15 minutes on our DVDnmdown test

mm 2GHz Intej Core "1 Due T5800; 4GB RAM; 320GB ~''" drlw; DVD,.,RWi 15-ln..:::h di!ipl::lY; A11 Mobility Fedeon HD 3650 CS~2MB); 7.1 pound~; 1.5)':1S..3.:do.~, Tnches;'WIndowsVlsla HomePremium

center is split by a leather-looking strip

insert. The te-lncb, te-re-s widescreen Is ensconced behind edge-to-edge glass. We love themultimedia buttons and Fullsize, backlit keyboard.

The MC7B03'u is equipped with a generous 320GB hard drive, a La.megaplxel \Vebcam. a 5 -in-t card reader. an ExpressCard/54 slot, Bluetocth and B02Tllafblgln wireless, an HD:Ml port, ana al1 8x DVD burner; The LCD's resolution 011 om test unit was 1,920:-:1,080, bur final ~mjts wlll h:<lv~ l,366x768. Our

test system reproduced good colors and video motion.as well as clean scuud, but the audio lacked depth.

11)2 4GB otDDR2 RAMiS-~ plus.and the 2GHz Intel COI'-sl! 2DLlo i"'S800 ls solidlymldraoge. ThE MC7803u scored a sl,lbpar2,21L! on Futuremark's Pr'Mark \/anUlge, and its showing on Cinebench

Gateway, 800-369-1409 www.gatlf:Wiiy.rom

Direct Price $999.99

The Gateway MC?803u isn't. the most powerful m ulnmedia laptop on [he market, But its style rivals the best in its class, and the 16-in.:;l1 screen and ettractiveprice make il Q good tit lor enthusiasts . .....,.-arMi!' t:S<li€:::

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REVIEWS COMPONENTS

All Radeon HD 4550

Budget graphics for media, not gaming

THE ATI RADEON HO 4·550 OFFERS superb video playback, rnuntple-mcrutor support, and usable-if-unimpressive 3D performance at an enny-tevel prtce. This com pact. card is a perfect addition to a horne theater PC, particu larly if you want to play HD video, bUL garners should consider the ne')(~ card up 'In ATI'~ Itneup

The compact HD 4550 draws all its power from [he PCI E::tptess (PC!~l :<l6 stet H pi ug~ into, milking it (I good ctoice fOT PCS with small power supplles.rrhe card 'is passively cooled and completely silent. using a l1!rge metal beat si nklnstead or a Ian

The card we tested featured a dual-link DVI connector <IS well as both HDM! and tnspiayton outputs.There's onboard elghtchannel sound when usill.g the- HDM! output, which is more -(;011- ventent than Nvidia's HDMl.-equipp€d cards. which requite you to run an audio cable to your motherboard

Along with .5-12MB of Dmn RAM. the 45S0 has Olrectx 10_1 3D support and the excellent Unified vtdec Decoder (Ul/D) 2, which accelerates decoding ol bcth DVD and hfgh-deftnttion or Btu-ray content. Thts rakes the decoding load off the computer's processor. allowing smooth playback of video content on inexpensive, midrange computers, even at, 10S0p resolution. Both HD video and upscal ed DVD con tent played back flawlessly with vfbre nt color and no visual arttracts, on our 1 ,8GHz Cor-e :2 Duo res t system,

The 4550's€:<0EIIe-m videoplayback suppon and silent 'OPE-ration make it an cutstandtng chotce for us-e wtth a horne theater PC:.lf YOII spend any time gaming, however, you'd be far ~t[e-r sewed by me Radeon HD -1670, whim offers more than dcubte the 3D performance-car half the ccse era single game

-ceMYAL'li:jn

nm' Excellent Video-ptayback quality In standard and high dl!:flniiioni' inexpet']s.i'K:i 5ilenl

Iim:l Mediocre 3D pertormence AcMinCEdMicro[le!VICl!s 877·2B9-,56-'i

anamd.com

Oi reel Pr tee S 55

40 J1'II1U::tr)' 2009 cornputershcppeocom

Antec Skeleton

U niq ue ca se offers unprecedented accessibil ity

IN A MARKET WHERE MOST CASES BOAST eboutfea[UTe.S that isolate PC components from the ervfronment arouno them, A11tec'S Skeleton case is umque. lt leaves yo~~r PC'sinnmd:: exposed to the open air.

The Skeleton's two-level design allows room for the power supply two 3.5-inc:\1 drives, and two S.2S-inch drives below the motherboard tray Four addilionaI3.5·imh drives can be mounted on the sides of the case. A mil on the front of the case has power and reset switches, as well as audio, liSB. FireWire. and external SATA

(eSi\fA) ports. u.u lrl-fi t~.Wfl ~

'TheATX motherboard and

power supply are mounted on slide-out trays, and for the most part. the open-air design makes :insi:.-alli.ng parts In uch easier than in a naditional case. The trickiest part is rcudng cables In the Skeleton's tight quarters. lusralling cerds is 1:1 snap. though with larger cards you'll want to remove the transpareru caro gmde's two

screws to stmplify installation.

Despite the lack cf a tradltional afrflow path, cooling doesn't seem to be an issue. With the massive 2SOmm 'Itt-Cool fall set to a barely eudlble medium setting. our CPU and chipset temperatures were about the same as when wefnstalled the motherboard in a different case. One warning: 'The case's open design means you'll hear lots otncises usually muffled by a dosed case.

Our bigge-st concern with the Skeleton is its lack ofproteclion against the. environment around the case. In a bouse

wtth pets or curious, small kids, leaving the components exposed might be nerve - wrecking 01: even dangerous Ana though the airflow from the fan should keep most dust away. you should invest in iii large value pack of canned-air cleaners.But In

n e E 1 TEA " ~o I]l!J;J IkryeY'i!·c:alchil1g; easy iI~~f5S: to ~iilrts:; sliding motherboard tray; good cooling

Iiim:1 Cable rm.illclg can be chaltenglng; susceptible 10 dust) could be lHI~[e around small kido;;Qf

Al1lec,410-nO-1200

\·IW\.'I,~me«~om

Direct Prtce $179.99

a controlled environment,

the Skeleton could be ideal for chronic upgrl;ldeTs.-{V •.

REVIEWS COMPONENTS

Antec Micro Fusion R.emote 350 Compact home-theater case has some limitations

~ J50-waH power suppr.r. ~ttractive tront-renet LCD; rigid ecnstneuon

THE $2.39.95 ANiEC MICRO FUSION 3500 REMOTEis all Mote crucially. the case

I!illH llJoW-pro-fite.eXP{ln-s'On cards only; Irid:y cable muting; w511y

attractive bome-theater-Pc case with some design gotchas that give I.lS pause.

Measurtng 4.SxlS.1x16.1 indies, the sturdy, compact case accepts on1y NlicroATX motherboards. We wish Antec had left a wider perimeter around the board .mourrting chamberwedginc cur test maiuboard into place was tight. Also, the single hard drive bay a removable cage.Is buried deep in the front of the case. We had to remove the front-panel LCD--

a delicate operation-etc access it.

Interior cable Hmti!lg is t::dc;:ky, too. There's minima! space for wiring; apart from piling it atop the motherboard, The Included 3S0-watt power supply uses srandard-cnot removable=leads,

limits your expansion-card options. The slim profile mandates only "true" lew-profile cards with low-profile mounting brackets, gl'Q31:Iy limiting your choice of graphics card and TV tuner. For-

tunately, the lid is high enough to accommodate a normal CPU cooler-ca stock Intel heat sink fits comfortably.

The: case's home-theeter lit-and-firfsh does shlna The slumirurm bezel looks comfortably dressed in a crowd of home-theater components (though this case is too deep for most media tacks) Your DVD drfve hides behind a flip door, and we like the

cusromizeble LCD, which shews media-file playbackInfo and mote via included software. The-bundled remote, however> feels uke e truow-irc small. in hand and generic-looking. no match for the most basicdedicated Media Center remote.

While we like this case's compact size and exterior styling it should 1J€. cheaper-and better designed imide, -Joh~.A. .Bl.m:k

DiroNl Pri(e $239,95

Shuttle SN78SH7

Bare-bones system primed for HO home-theater use

AS l.ONG AS YOUR NEEDS /\.RE~nd wi]! teruain-c-bmtted, Shuttle's $299 SN7SS:H7 bare-bones system should suffice as the :i-r2Jrtillg point tor a smart; small.heme-theater 'PC.

You have plenty of options for powering this 7.4x8.2xll.B-inch system: It uses an AM2+ socket ready for the latest Arhlon X"2 or PhGflOm processors. The two RAM slots can hold up to 4GB afDDR2 RAM. The chipset is the new Nvidia GeFol"CE- 8200.

rm ... I· ...... ·'.u!W1 GJ

I I 1 I I I ! I !II ~ I I

[J I'!I;:T'1'r;Il'» 10

mn:m Atlriill~IM:, ccmracr case: wl:!l-de'ilgned, inSide 03l1d out: lOIS or home-theater connectlvltv QPllo~':i, IndlJdlng two .;-SATA IXIrts.; chipset SI.lP~OJt:; Dire(IX 10 and Hybrid Sll

which supports Dir'eci:X 10 and is optfmtzed for HD video playback without requiring a discrete graphics card. (Hyou decide to add

a CPU, though, you can use it in concert with the lutegrated graphics=thanks to built-in Hybrid SU: technology-and boost YO~lr video performance]

The SN78SH7 has microphone and headphone jacks, lWQ USB 2+0 ports, and one four-pin FireWire

.I!1:.'!m:J SlWIllo;1u, greatly limil;: expand:abillty

Silutt~ I1lmpLJIf':rS, 888-972-1818 WWW_-;lhultle.cnm

Dir-ect Prtce 5199

jack O'I~ the. front panel: andVG.Aout, HOMI, and six-pin F:i~VJ'i1'@ ccnriections. two earemal SATA (eSATA) ports, four more 'USB ports, an Ethernet jack, and eight-channel audio on the beck. There ate two expansion -s10lS (one PCI Express x16 and one regular PCI), and three drive bays (one each of external 5.25> external, 3,5, and internal 3.S}-all

in a removable drive rack-for components. An cu r-ef-the-way 300-wau power supply and pre-tied cables help contribute to overall interior neatness.

Storage could present a problem forMeoia Center chores:

You m ny need those eSATA ports, as there's no room fOl: .. second hard drive, In fact, we had trouble reins talung the CPU's fan-and-heat-sink combo after om test build. though it and the drive tray were easy to rem ave. You'll also have to settle for a midrange graphics card at best, don't expect the longer E=ingle--sl-ol, or double-slot; kinds to Iit_-MClClhew MLrttay

REVIEWS NETWORKING

ZyXel NSA220

Home server is a breeze. to set up, but pricey

ZYXEL'S NSA.220 IS A VERSATILE network-storage device that does mere than let you store and share files across a: network. It also offers built-in FIP, H1TP, and Bit'Iorrent download services: acts as a media server and :3 print server; and feanrres built-in RAID capabillries, Its price- pet-gigabyte ratio

is off the charts, however.

A,vaiJable thr;ougb the dlsufbuticn channel, the unit em be purchased withoutdrfves, 01' with up to 2TBofstorage.Oul"l'evIew unit lists forS2S19_99~_nd \I,,(lS ;.::onfigure<l with two Western Digital drives for a tot<llQf4tOGB of storage, which is expensive considering many new home-NAS drives cost tess and offer 1"fe of srotage

The NSA220 bas two USB ports for transferring up to 1.0GB of data from aUSB device. 0'1 for print-server functionality But we were disappointed by tbe lack of SUP-P0rL for eSAT.A devices.

Setup was a breeze. thanks to helpful tutorials. Bundled software inclu des a DLNA (Digital :UvingNetwork Alliance) program that ensures the NSA220 will work with approved

digital home- components for media serving plus the popular Mernec lnstant.Beckup

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o ElErrER"

~ E.a::;ylo:s<:1up; Inl.egrvh:d RAID

application. The NSA22Owas preccufigured (or .RAID "1 (mirrored drtves for backup). but you can set

it for RAID 0 (data striped across both drives).

Performance was above average in the R,A,ID 1

con D:gumlion. The NSA220 required IS minutes and 49 seconds 1:0 wrtte a 10GB (ll¢ and 16 minutes and 30 sec-

mil Expensi've; no Support fOr eSATA drNE:S-

ZyXJ::1 Glmmul1icaUOtl; 300-255-,101 """","".zy:«:l.cam

Direc.t Price $299.99

onds to read it. That's much faster than many of the NA_.S products we've reviewed. Plus, if you configure the device for RAID 0, you'll see even faster transfer speeds. -j{l1u1 R. Delaney

42 January 2009 ccnputershcooer.con

Netgear XAVB10l Powerline AV Ethernet Adapter Kit

Extend your home network with existing wiring

IF A WIRELESS NETWORKING setup isn't feasible in your home, and you want to bring wired-network connectjvtty [0 othe-r parts of the house without having to run new Btbernet cable, consider Netgear's XAVB101 Pcwerhne AV Ethernet Adapter Kit ($] '19.99).

power-line networking uses your house's electrical wiring LO ccrmact to your existing network. lu ether words, 9r1Y

power outlet becomes a networkpert, Thc;-XAVB101's adapters are compatible with Hcmel'lug AV and

cat- deliver speeds of up to 200Mbps, which allows you to stream HD video and transferlarge files without choking the network or degrading video quality.

You'll needa rcmer ec use the XA.vBI01 kit, which

consists of rwc bulky :fb\verline Ethernet adapters {addjlimlal cues COSl$79.99l1rnch) and two Eth ... m e t cables to cormecr.tc your computer and rou ter,

Setting up the Pcwerline network couldn't be easier, we 'plugged one adapter into a wall outlet next to our router and plugged the other a dapter into en outlet on the other side or the house. A Powetline network was immediately established and the laptop obtained an III address from the router within 30 seconds.The entire precess took less than a minute and did not require <tny sort of software Installation or interaction with our existing router.

In our tests, it t.ook 1S minutes and 35 seconds to transfer a 4GB video file from our laptop to a desktop on the network The same file tool 22 mine tes and SO seconds via our W~.lln Wi-l-!: network. We had no trouble streaming video from the rruernet or from our host PC. -J.ltD

I~.)u.pf"a,"'·!m' EI

I I I I I I I I,ll I I

CI 8[Tr[;! >I

~ EElSYSB.lup;goOO Ihl'!Clughp6l1

Dirf"d price 5149.99

REVIEWS PERIPHERALS

logear Wireless USB-to-VGA Kit Easy streaming from PC to external monitor

IOGEAR'S WIRELESS USB-TO-VGA KIT lets yO~J display your laptop content on an external monitor-an HD'1V in particular=without cables. Bu t the unit carries a st-eep $2:29.95 price tag. so If you're looking to economize, you might be better off plugging your laptop directly into the'rv and using

<I wireless keyboard.

Setup is simple: Connecting the two wireless dongles [0 their respective devices (one for your laptop, the other for the

BIIUUlof-"".,.um .. e

I I I I I I [ I F I !

CI B&:"TT'ER" 10

~ Simpj",~",tk.lmwo.rh'Nl"'ll for s.lrBaming r,;.plol'J content to an HOTV

II!!I3 ExP!Hl5iW:i 1080p resohnlon not !iupportoo; external entenna majes USB dongle cumber-some

external display) takes just a couple ofminutes, and once everything is plllS6~ in, your laptop should see the external display and you em drag any applicaucns righl onto the screen.

Ull fortunately, the device doesn't support fuU·HD resolution at 1080P. hut fts maximum 1.68Oxl.050

log~r. 8oo·876·9375 (01' 1.600x1)200) resolution

~.iog<'!af.tom is enough tor most tasks,

Direct Price 5229.95 including watching HD con-

tern hi 720p T~olLJ OO)i.1'1"1 OUT tests, the Wireless USB-to-VGA Kit. had no problems

dered more than 30 feel away. Wheu we walked back into signal rauge, the external monitor automatically reconnected after a delay of ebou t 10 seconds, If you want to stream nap video. you'll have to stay wnbin 15 feet, but that's more than enough range for most

D-Link Wireless Internet Photo Frame A photo frame that's more than a pretty picture

living rooms.

We found the screw-on antenna annoying, 8:;' it makes

the USB dongle sticking out of yout l-aptop larger and more unwieldy. Om other gripe is the puce. You're better off with

a Media Center keyboard with a built-In mouse control, but if $229,95 doesn't put a dentIn your wallet, Iogear's Wireless USB-to-VGA Kit is <I great way to get your PC to your-TV withom I.Vires.-Mal[ Safford

streaming Web content to an external monitor from <I natbook and the signal was gutch-fr~ 'uTlI:H we wan-

& For more; com~utershopper.com/p~herals

~

MOST DIGITAl. PHOTO FRAMES leave uute to talk about:

Plug in a memory card. tum it on. and watch it go. With its $250Wirel~ss Internet Photo Frame (DSM-210), however, D-Link ups the ante in the photo-frame market by adding a slew of features U13t work really well

The- DSM·210 features a 10·jilCh wide-screen dfsplay capableof'8.00x480 resolution. In our tests, the display was vivid and hrigllt. but we wish there were controls to adjust brightness and contrast to suit your tastes and viewing environment We "~SQ feu that a wide aspect ratio \V8.!3 an odd choice for iii photo frame, considering that photos are net captured in 16~to-9 format;

In terms of' connectivity. tbe DSM·210 supports wired lOJlOOlVtbps: Ethernet and wireless 802.l1g connections. It h a s 1GB

of built-in storage and also accepts auxiliary storage via USB and llash-memcry cards. The ,DSM·210 has a simple, easy-to-use Interface with large and easy-to-understand

44 );;Il1uarr 2009 computershoppe-com

wireless remote.

icons. The unit is primarily controlled by the included

I ~.Il"j.f ... 't.i i 1m' CIt

I I I I I I I! I f I o ;tIOTT[R ..

~ Greal f~illu~ seu reee dl~~~a'f; easy-to-use lnterfacaj seemless Framefhannelmeqrauon

I!Im:l Wide-~fIt:-en<l';pe(1 rauo i5 OICl odd choce 101 pholovlOWfil'lg

What is unique about the DSM-2l0 is its networking capability Once yow connect to YO\jl home network, 1:I~e DSM-210 can stream photos from a Universal

Plug and Play (UPnP) server. YQLJ ca n browse a media server's folders Sind stream photos to the-frame.

'Iaking it one step further, the FrameChannel component offers 3J:1 absolute wealtb of photo-sharing opportunities. Here, you can set up "channels" that Interface with popular photo-sharing W¢b sites, O-Link has also rolled out additional channels such as: weather. 'NfL scores and standings, and even one for Getty Images. YOI,.! C.<'In also SEt I.J p:RSS feeds to stream to you]' IT8me. -Rldl Gr€ch

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REVIEWS DISPLAYS

Ciateway FHD2401 Sleek-looking display fumbles with gray

WHEN WE SET UP THE FHD24·01. we were instantly impressed, The silver-an-black bezel, hidden LtD touchsensitive controls, and br[ghl {.QlkdJml display make for a stunning addition to any desktop. Unfortunately, the Fl-ID2401 doesnt.perfcrrn 'as well as its looks would have us believe.

Although its 1,92Oxl.200H~·!lolu tion and 16-to-10 aspect ratio are fairly standard for 24fnch monitors, Gateway makes the FI=ID2401 stand out by adding brushed-aluminum accents to the monitor's piano-black bezel. The silver stand Is sturdy, although it doesn't allow he~ght or angle adjustment,

h~ cur O:isplayMaLe fwww.displayrnat.;o,.rnm) teats, we saw gray-scale issues em both the dark and light ends of the spec-

I:U!.""F.lI"_'W!IIItJ)

I I I I I I I I I I I

Q ElETTE" >' 10

~ Slitkdesigl\i bri_ghL display; vivid colors: excejlent texl reproduction, even Wil~ small tents

Im:H Gray-~cale asues cn

beth ends of the spectrunu glos.sy screen frIVlles. g}ar!:j no height or nngf,;, adjustment

Gale\..a)',949-340-3822 W\IY'W...g:a!!!way.com

List Price 5469.99

trum. The I-l-ID2401 failed to display the three lightest and darkest s hades of gray. We also noticed rippling 011 the dark end of the colo]" ramp test, a further indication of grey-scale problems.

The monitor does

display text well: even when we shrank OLIT font size down to 5.3 points. [he words were readable and crisp. Still, a stand with height and angle adjust-

ment would

go a long way toward making tbe monitor more productivityfriendly,

TheFHD2401

gained some ground in SU blective gaming and DVD testing. thanks to its 2,OOO·to~1 contrast ratio and glossy Sr.r-QeI1. We noticed some slight loss of detail ill

gray areas. but the 2'~Jnilli~ecQnd (Way"to .gray) pixel-response time kepi: ghost..ing from affecting the image, even in the fastest-moving scenes of The Boume .Ir.!ent:ity,

Overall. the FHD2401's bright> glossy screen and excellent design elements make it a serious con tender for those who value form over function. While it performs wen enough for productivity and casual multimedia USE', discerninggamers and film geeks looking for a rncni tor that excels at reproducing the darkest (and lightest) shades of gray should look elsewhere. -Man SaffOrd

(I For more: m!!!p-utershopp-er.com I lcd-monitors

It

Westinghouse L1916HW Big-screen resolution in a small package

'THE AFFORDABl.E WESTINCHOUSE tl91,6HW packs a 22·im:b monitor's resounion into a 19·jnchd:isplay.lJl1fortul1ately, ergonomics and gray-scale performance limil:ir.t:iol1s t~mil r1~e monitor's usefulness.

i111el.1916I--fW's screen boasts an ample l,6Wx1,OSOre~olution that's great for prodwcDviLy. because you em have several, windows open with little layering end clutter. Its blight screen and 3,000-10·1 dynamic cmuast ratio are more than adequate for dlSplayingLs-xt and surfing U'1.eWeh In our Displa:yM:ale (www.di:ppl.aymat.l!-.oom) testing. me L1916HW kept text readeble down rc S..3points, although ar 511m a high resolution \Ve had to lean forward to lead the- tiny text

n,eL1916HW slruggled with the 10 darkest shades of gray. all of which sppe a roo black in our tests. The

llght e-nd faredbettei; but

we wculdu't recommend this rncnitcr fcr wQlking with Images of graphics.

46 );:Irtl;;-ry 2009 conouteshccoe.com

The Ll916HW performed adequately in our DVD and gaming ~[S~ thanks to

the fast zms (gray-to-gray) fe!3ponse time. Dark comers with detafl of Len IOoOked black, however

The toccn-sensitive control "buttons" are- among the worst we've

urIJitl-f ... tlilm' e

I I I I I I I I I I I

n !I ~ TT·~r:: •• 10

I::il:im Irlr<XPfHl~lvl':i deskscece-sevmc W'<IV to boost screen space

ED Aby.;mal buuon controls: below-;ai,ol;!rage.grily-s.cillie perterm1in(~; stand !ad:;-.: hf'!ght eno :cIngle:cldJLlslment::

\'W:s.lingholJSe ElecuiC, 212-355-SI)lt,g www.weslinghou:;e1jigita~,cQm

Mfr_ Est Price 5199

seen. Hidden behind the screen where you can't see them, they can rum screen adjustments into an exercise In anger management the power brnon worked too well, freqcenuy causing us to rum off themonitcr whlle adjusticgilie scr-een, Other buttons didn't work until we found just the light way to swipe a finger over them.

SoU. wtthtts low price, th{<- Ll9'.lGHW;:; a decent momtor for a cramped donn room-as long as you have simple productivity needs. Its light ~ight makes tteasy to move and somewhat makes up for tne stand's adjustment issues, though you'll probably need a third-partymcnitcr stand to gel the screen to the rigl"it haight. -M.s.

REVIEWS PRI NTERS

Canon Selphy CP770 Snapshot printer isa mini photo lab

THE 3./.:-POUND CANON SELPH'Y CP770poTt.able snapshot printer is a solid choice for those who

print In ore than the occasional photo at home. It has

some qutrks, but once you see its image quality. you may never go back to a traditional il1kjel printer.

Th~ $119.99 ep77D's dye-sublfmatlon printing module nestles into the top of an oblong bucket that stores theAC adapter, paper trays, ink ribbon, and papel'. The lar-ger: tray accepts 4)(6 postcard paper; J!Jnd the smaller tray handles stock about the size ora business card A memory-card slot and a:

Pictlsridge USB port allow for plinting ,.vl thcut a PC.

Bu trans for navigation, the menu, back, and printing are on LOp. The z.s-tncr. LCD shows fI.l"ilZY images and limits tbem to 2 inches, thanks to menu icons. Still. navigation

is easy. The menu INS you COITect red-eye, convert a color photo to black-and -white or sepia, enhance the contrast and color depth. choose borderless prints. and print more them one image en a sheet.

Prints are true photo quality. Details were flawless, flesh tones accurate, and colors vivid without oong cversaturcted, B-ecause the postcard media isn't the same aspect ratio as the photos from your digital camera, however, you'll lose half an inch. Bill the [01' coal protects the- photo from water and helps it last up to too veers In an :album. Punts take about 1 minute and 15 seconds each. which

is okay bu t not great

You'll spend a befty 22- or 33 cents per print, depending on the ldr you buy. Also, other portable snapshot prtnrers offer larger LeDs and St~PPO[t Sx7-inch output.

Nonetheless, we');", so11 enamored of the Canon Selphy Cl?no. We love the bucket concept. for portability and the near-flawless image qU8LiLy. -icfrnieEs.aIe;

IME3 Beautiful photo output; eesyto user=bucket" cese end opnonel battery make ii irLJly portable

I!!'I3 P~lcJ;,Y; II'I1a_g~ on LCD are small ilnd fuuy; high~l'r;ost 'per pncte lhan onlinE! end jn-steee prtnt services

Ca[lon U.S.A, 800-552-2555

list prtee 5149.99

48 Jsnu~'i' 2009 cxnoutershoppencom

Xerox Phaser 3300 MFP Fast but costly ali-in-one is worth the coin

THE. XEROX PHASER 3300 MFP delivers Iighming-fast monochrome l a ser prtntfng. Its $599 list price is steep, but that includes an ADF and an autoduplexing unit.

At 18xl8.3x17.1 Inches (H'lJI/D). the 3300 is beefy It has a T50~sheet OULput rray, a 2SD·sheet fnpur tray, and a So-sheet mulnpurpcse tray. A single-sheet output tray rs at the- rear. along with a lO/100Mbps Ethernet port. two telephone jacks. and <I USB port. We like that you can

save scanned docum ents to usa devices but would have like-d support for flash-

memory cards, too.

Regular setup was :3; breeze; network setup was to bit more involved The printer uses DHCP to obtain an lP address, and once we plugged in the network cable and rebooted the primer, we

u B:IET'r Ii ~ ~~ 10 IJrn:!l) Fas.1 printing; ~<lSY 10 set up; ilutodLlple;:.;,lng

~Loc!<:swlrele5sco:I1r3ecl'fvily. pri[~; no cerd reader

x""" 800-275-9375

were assigned one. list. Price $599

The Phaser 3300 scans

at 600xl,2"OOdpi (optical) and 4,800x4,BOOdpi (mterpofated], and you can scan documents and images to an appbcarion, e-mail address. or another machine or server on the network. Faxes transmit at 3 seconds per page

at resolutions up to 30Dx300dpi (mono) and 200x200dpi (color). You can store up to 24D fax numbers.

Xerox claims 30 pages pel: minute; QUI' zo-page document took 45 seconds, ano copying our zu-page WOLd document took 1 minute and 2 seconds, Text reproduction was crisp and well-defined, and the small fonts were dear and legible. TIle ID Card Copy feature lets you copy both sides

of a document onto a single sheet of paper in one- step.

The Phaser :3300 has a duty cycle of 25,000 -pages pel: month. It ships with a stan-

dard toner cartridge with a 4,000 -page yield; an :a,OOD-page cartridge is available fof $17 O.

At $600, the Xerox Pheser

3300 MFPi:m't cheap, but if waiting around

for prfntours is bogging down office: productivity. rhls speedster is worth every penny. -John R. Deluney

(i For more: computersho~r_com /

REVIEWS DIGITAL CAMERAS

Canon PowerShot 5D990 15 Quality and beauty in a small body

THE $399.99 CANON POWERSHOT SD990 IS packs a IOL of power and beauty into a small body. Boasting a staggering 1~L7 megapixels, this shooter is everything an amateur photographer could dream of.

The SD99.Q's curvy body is both attractive and strong.

Weighing 5.6 ounces. it's a tad on the heavy side, but fer what it packs inside the body, we can't really complain.The camera's il1terrnc€' is easy to navigate on the 2.5-inch LCD. All of the buttons and dials are located in convenient, easy-to-find locations. We would have liked the power button to protrude from the body a bit mote, to make treasier to push

Power-up lime is a speedy 1.3 seconds, and shutter lag is

virtually nonexistent. Shotto-shot rime could be- a bit better at 3, 5 seconds without flash and 5.3 seconds with ftash .. But tf you want to shoot quickly, just switch the camera into Quick-Shot mode; you have [0 use the optical viewfinder instead

~ Produces g.rii:<l11milgil~i ".;,e~l-dE:s.tgned) easy 10 use

I!!JIE) A lad ~i!il'lYi imaqes qet gr.aTny aL lilghe.r ISO semnqs

Canon U.S-A., 800-652-2:655

of the LCD to frame shots, but shct-tc-shct tlm ...

drops to less than 2 seconds.

The S0990 prod uces crisp and clear iJt1"iigt:>s in all kinds of light, even with the flash off, and the J..7x optical zoom allows lor a great deal of fleKibilily when sbooung Pictures we snapped in a moderately lit restaurant at night came our dear as day, and cclcr reptesentaucn was amaztng All. hues W€:J:e impressively bright and properly saturated.

Images got a bit noisy at ISO 800 and above. The optical image stabihaatfou performed respectably. especially ill better lighting. -JMarJlan RC:ll.jaOOI

«moutersboooercom Jenerv 2009 49

REVIEWS CONSUMER TECH

Apple iPod Touch (Second Generation) Welcomefeatures make this second act even better as a digital player

APPLE CALLS .ITS SECOND-GENERATION iPodTouch "the funnest [Pod ever," and with a growing list of games, best-In-class media management and navigation, Wi-Fl, and a host of other plusses, there's no arguing that this

i:un .. j· ... j·P.d!Wi ..

I

is the best the iPod has ever been. Bur the II E'W features, whtch include a roc-quiet internal speaker, volume bu ttons. and a slightly slimmer design, are

hard ly worth om upgrade trcm lest year's model.

I:lm B~"U1lful screeru up to 32GB of {lash-based '5w"ge; g'Elm~'i, aDP~, and Wi-I='i make n a

mini-comp[J!er

11!!13 Pril:~; 1r1Ie.rrJOII sreeker 1C;:I'1't 91l";;1; eck ~f buucns makes gaming frU.5trilliili;l

Appl~, 800-600-7753 www.iJ~plli!.com

10

Still essentially an

iphone without the phone, the Touch's entire interfaceis smooth and-for the most part-flawless. We did nortce a slight. delay when album art

Direct Price $229 (8GB); loaded ill Covel' Flaw

$299 (15G8)i 5399 P2GBJ uavi gation, bur this

m inor glitch stands

out only because everything else- works so well. The touch screen is very responsive, and it supports m ultitouch gestures.

On the ether hand. the new internal speaker is really useful only for gaming, as its sound

quality is somewhat worse than one would expect from an average cell-phone speaker, worse still, it's so quiet that g{lming in public-say, on 51 bus or a train-cis still gOIng to require wearing the earbud headphones. The hardware volume bu ttcns, on the left side of the device, are a more

successful addition.

Besides the volume. sleep/wake. and home bu ttons. the lock of any other 11 ardware buttons is a big hurdle to gaming on the-Touch. The processor is certainly capable,

as evidenced by games like Spore, which look gorgeous on the 3.5~inch screen (480x320'pi"xel resolution). But precise controls are-n't very easy with a touch screen:

while it's great for board games and similar slow-moving apps, fans ot racing, fighting. and other button-m ashfng genres wUI be dlsappotnted, 111 Crash Bandicoot Nitro Kart 3D, for instance, you lilt the SCH~el1 to steel', but have to tap tbe screen to jump OT use ttems. Poking the sere-en tends to affect steering, which caused us to frequently crash into walls.

Still, tile Touch can be a fun gaming device in II pinch, and along with everything else it can do> it's really more of a Mac in yOLll' pocket than just a media player+ A8 for staying power, Apple ra tes tile battery life at up to 36

-

The Touch is really more of a Mac in your pocket than just a media player.

50 );:I!'"tl;;-ry 2009 conouteshccoe.con

hOUT!> for audio and 6hollrs for video, wluch is fairly impressive. With all the Touch can do, of COlU·Se-. the- battery never seems to last long enough, particularly if you're using its Wi-Fi

The'lbuch \.Veigbs 4.1 ounces and measures 4.3x2.4xO.3 inches (HWD). Apple lists a capacity of up to 1,750 songs in the AAC format for the 8GB model (l.Jp to 3,500 for the 16GB and up to 7.000 for the 32CB versions). The Wi-Fi supports 802.11bfg networks. For Nike.ril?od users, support for (he fitness device is now built right into the Touch, so you no longer need to attach an external dongle.

If all. you want is music playback, go with the excellent Nano. which is smaller, cheaper, and generally a more polished device, Butif you expect mor€ than music from your pocketfnendlyplayer, the'Tcuch delivers features that are leaps and bounds ahead of any other single device.c--Mcu S(;lffor~

{j Formore:=~

~

REVIEWS CONSUMER TECH

T-MobIle til

The Android smartphone is here, but can ittoppie the competition?

environments. Because phone directly with your PC. And as

the buttons ere flush with all ~hings Gccgle, don't expect

with the- phone's surfa-ce, 'ria tive support (or MicTo~oft exchange.

however, they're not Although call q uality on the- G1 wa 11 superb. our 3G

support was spotty throughout New York City and parts

of New Jersey. Likewise, the cr'e GPS signal wasn't always dear. Web browsing was rela lively quick with the G1Js snappy Chrome-like browser. rcv'rtmes.com, CNN.com, and our own Compurerxhcpper.ccm sites each loaded to just under 30 seconds via 3G. Besides 3G, the pbone supports the slower EDGE: network and faster Wi-Fi networks. Blue-

ALTHOUGH.lT SUFFERS from a fe-w hardware flaws, the first sm artphone to use Ooogle's Android platform, the T·Mobile Gl, outshines much of the competition thanks to a fun-vet-smart OS and a unique set of features. Aggres· sively priced at $179 (witb a two-year contract), it merits the tap spot among T·Mobile's high-end offenngs. The G1 also showcases Android as a capable mobile platform.

Manu factu red by HTC, the thick, s.e-cunce O'l lacks style when compared to other nsw sm artphcnes.That said, it does have a smooth finish with rou nded corners. The big 3.2-inch display doubles as a touch screen, and tt has a 320x480 resolution, Below the display 1(> the C'l's "chtn," a part of the phone's front that juts out slightly, and that's where you'll find tactile navigation controls including a clickable trackball and dedicated Call, Home, Menu, Back.

and End CaU buttons.

Much of the pbone's girth Is due to the C'l's sliding screen, which kicks out to reveal a full QW.ERTY keypad. The keys, which closely resemble theT-Mobile Sidekick's,

are square-shaped and sufficiently spaced to prevent accidental strokes. The

keypad also has a backllght, which is great

for dark or low-light

I:::U!I:J Illlultl~ rnto;:rh3l;-e;gre:a1 feature set for Ihf': r:lri:e:~; "",):J:~llllnt wil1"150;. mnfl~tlvity, 1nc;iudlng 3(;, Bluelwth,alldW~-FI

IE1:f:J HlIl'dw13rrdkeybm;rd dS;!Oign can meke Iyplll,!! diffi~ulti 3G;nd OPS slqnal tall be SpoltYi 00 3.5mmjack; cernera doesn't ~upport video

always responsive. Punherrnore. the cis

chin makes it painfully awkward to type messages while holding the phone horizontally.

The pbcne has a loud mono speake-r on the back', along wtth a 3.2· megapixel camera. Video capture isn't supported, and the

T·Moblllll:.800-866-2453

Direct Price $179 [w~lh twoy.i!ilr ~onticu;:t)

cam era has no fI ash, which is a sham e, considering its impressive resolution.

After a brief startup. the ci boots lip to a dean, configu(able home screen. The horn e SCreen 1S a three-page panorama, and you call flick between pages with a swipe of your finger, much like you do on Apple's il'houe 3G_ By default the center page Features an analog dock witb s precontigureo number of application shortcuts. Coogle Search is displayed on the right page:>, all d [he left page

is tnrentlonally lett blank for adding other app shortcuts. Overall, the Gl's interface is on par with the tphcne's and proved to be dean, fun, and velY intui rive.

Android is- 00$00 on au open platform, which means any software publisher can design programs for it, and this is where the (:1 really shines. 'the Android Mal:ketpl:ace, Coog1e's a uswer to Apple'sApp Store, houses numerous apps that take advantage of theGl'~ features, compare Everywhere, for instance,

rak e s advantage of the ut's camera by letting

YOLl "can barcode" and comparison-shop on me fly. Arnazcn.ccrn also trikes advantage of the phone's media capabilities and lets you download DRM:·free songs directly from itslvlP3 Store. The Ct.doesn't currently offer 35 m;Jny apps 3S the Phone, butits initial offeung.ls nonetheless impressive.

As expected Gm a tl, Google Maps, and Coogle Calendar are tightly integrated with

the C1':;; OS. The G1 remains synced with Coogle's: Web-

based services from the moment you power it on, requiring you

to sign in with a new or existing Gccgle account. Through cloud computing. Audrctd ellmtnares the need to manually sync your

tooth also comes built in.

In cur tQsting, the- ct's battery lasted 12 hours and Su minutes (with Wi-Fi off in moderate 3G and Internet use. Using the- C'l's GPS ror extensive- periods drains the ba rtery, bu t otherwise, battery life is stellar for sending/receiving calls, Internet use, and running applications

Unfortunately, the Cl has some minor first-generation shortfalls. For instance, there's no 3.5mm headphone jack for use with most headphones on the market, and there's 1'1.0 way to sync your con racts and calendar l.il:fLh your PC directly-eyou must rely on cloud computing, (MP3s and photos can be synced between the phone and a PC 01:

Mac via drag-and-drop.) Despite the few complain rs and first-generation glitches, however, Android is a promising platform that we're excited to see on other handsets in the future, and the Gl itself should 00 on top of every Tt Mcbile customer's list. -Louis R(1cmire.z

REVIEWS GAMING

Spore

Revolutionary game is evolutionary fun

SPORE IS A S·PRAWLlNG> evoluticn-themec title-from Electtcuic Arts. There's so much you can customize that virtually no two games will ever be the same, guaranteeing open-ended game-play.

10 get a sense of what Spore is like, 'imagine a cross between Th€- Stms and CjvlliZ;(lLl.On. As with ENs everpopular The Sims franchise, players can customize their "creatures" to the nth degree, while the empire-building aspects of the game=making friends, declaring war, spreading religion, developing a world economy-ate very

III uch like Civillaatlcn.

Though Spore isn't a massively multfplayer online

role- playing game (MMORPG}, it does have an online comportent: You always play Spore alone. but. your creations can be uploaded to populate the worlds and gaiaxfes other players create, and vice verse.

The story line begins with a creature that you customize.

Your creature goes through the stages" f evolution, start-

li!lU .. I.;; .... '.um"S

I I I I I I I I P I I

-0 ElET1E'R n 1(1

~ G'~ElI 9t'flD~i~s.; nigh rever 01 custcmrzatom ICl,g~ open

eli ..... ircnments

ing as a simple ocean dweller 10111 d developing into a land-roving animal. it becomes smarter and senuen t, and 'Soon you r creature and its pack "learn La conquer ether species, develop tribes and a civllizaticn, dominate the planet, and bead out for space exploration.

There's only one

II!:!'EH {Opy-prolecllon software may bother some players

Electronic Arts

List, Price $49.99

potenti al sore spot; The game 'installs: its copy protection 01:1 your computer without notification, which has raised the ire of mora than one Spore player.

In the end, Spore is a terrific game that's tons of tun and suitable fOT the entire family. Even g;;.ming newbies can easily pick it up. if you enjoy creation-type simulation games like The Sims or strategy titles like Clvilizaticn. Spoene is the most complex example of these genres yet. -shanE McCTrHiJ'l

52 JarrLJ:;Iry 2009 coreputesbocoer.ccrn

[rysis Warhead

Stirring actio ner will shake you r ha rdware

EA'S FOLLOW·UP to Orysis, crysts Warhead, delivers great first-person~hooter{FPSl action But llke its predecessor, it will also tax your PC hardware.

The environmental settings and story will be familiar to those who've played the first. game.The new story line revolves around enemy forces tryin g tn gain a rechn o I ogi ca I advantage by studying

t:!t!ii.p":j".Uil!"~

I I, I I I I I I I I

"

I:irn!H GrOi:OII gFolphi~'s;; 1015 001 cusromnauen for WE!<lpO~S: openended g:arneplayJ; Inciudes fun FIllJlllptilyer game

I!:!m:I Shoo slngle-p"'ye:r.c8rTIp::ligm 9r:aphic:algll~ches <II some porn~s

EIE:WDrli( Ans

List Price 529.99

an alien battle suit and reverse-engineering weapons and technology ft:om it Ttnoughout the game, the player tracks an enemy commander trying to flee an island with the battle suit in tow; the goal is to step him before he e!5'Olpe-S. Gameplay is santlar to the original, and the special nauo-suir and familiar weapons and vehicles make their return. There ale also some new weapons, and players can now use two machine pistols at once.

,At the game's hIgh ... st (BntJ,usia:st) settings, curvery bigh-end gamtng rig couldn't keep up. Performance improved greatly when we dropped it to [he mid-level Gamer settings, and the graphics were stunning Also, during our testing. we nctlced ill few bugs. There were spider-web-like Hash e s at random points, and the game crashed on two attempts to restore

the game to full-screen mode after it had entered windowed mode on its O\1Jl1.

Compared with the length of the original, cryels warhead is relatively short; We were able to finish the entire ~me in only a few hours. But it comes with a fun m ultiplayer game called Crysis Ways, which is exactly what you'd expect from a great mulaplayer online sheerer: several d,iffel'e-11t maps with open environments. Crysis Wars feels more like a stand-alone title than just an extension of the single-player game. -5.115

SSN:

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Each week bongs niOO head!nes of yet _ther major identity breach: 260.000 Social Security numbers released in Wisconsin, 45.7 million credit and debit card records s1Dlen from a national retai chain, and the list goes on. The fact is anoiller identity is s1Dlen f!Vef'/ three seconds, but I put my information out lI1ere because of my complete confidence in lJfeLock's abilitY to protect my identitY.

As the leader in proactive identitY theft protection, LifeI..ock wor\(s In help slnp idenlily

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REVIEWS SOFTWARE

Adobe Premiere Elements 7

HD and SDvideo editing for novices and hobbyistsalike

NO, YOU DIDN'T BLINK and miss versions 5,mQ

6 of Adobe Premiere Elements. Adobe skipped a few numbers to bring the version number in line with its PhOLOSllOP Elements sibling. And with Premiere Elements 7, Adobe- has also brought the $99.99 program more in line with the features of mid rang .. vtdeo-edltot competitors Hke Sony Vegas Movie studio 9 and Core-l VideoStudic X2. It's in no danger of banning sales of the $799 Premiere Pro CS4. but it no longer feels as if it W<lS intentionally held hack to ensure that it doesn't,

The program 110W Jrnpcrts video in AVC1-lD fermat; supporting newer HD camcorders Like Canon's Vi'llJa HflOO, in addition to standard -definiticn and I;-iDV high-definition video. The interface is easy to use, whether you're new to video editing or an old hand. For a quick video. "imply drop video clips onto the sceneline, drop in transiuons, and render the results. For more control, switch to the'Iimeline view, where you

can work with up to three different vid eo tracks. narration, and a soundtrack. making precise edits and adding advanced

video effects.

I$uwl'f-i'r:mm, CD' As witb previous verslcus,

there's a good selection of

~ Excejent usertntertace. Imparl!> all common H:O Bnd SD rormill~i Instol!llMo>.ilf feature eutenates rreviecreetere good selecnon of ediLing ~oof~{erfecl'

am Lrmrted number of InstanlMovle templatesi occasional crashes when renderlrlg HD video

Adobe Sy.:;tems, 8.00-585-0774 www.adobe.co.m

professional-looking video fillers, trausiticrrs, and tit:l.iug options for manual editing, New reversion 7 is the rnstantMo-vie feature, which do-es a surprisingly good job of takings elected clips and creating a movie from them in just a couple of steps, complete with titles, effects, transitions, and

Oirt;C[ Price $99.99 credits. Though th e re are

20 rnsUlntM:"v:i~ remplares. we'd like to SeE! more variety. For example, there's only one birthday template and two travel templates. so if you use the feature of Len, yCHH' videos will lack variety

Other new features include videomerge, an automatic con-positing filter that creates a slick combinaticn of lWO clips by replacing any solid-colored background with the second dip, and srnansc und, which generates a musical soundtrack to match the Length ofyour video OT scene exactly.

Premiere Elements 7 works best when paired with Phoroshop ELement" 7; Adobe bundles the two programs for $149.99.

They share the same Organizer database [listing all the videos, sounds, and stills in your library), and you can send stili frames to phctcshop for editing or send slide shows to Premiere Elements 7 for Incorporation Iu an Jns[£InlMovia-. The Organizer has been significantly optimized in this version In Premiere

8 For more: computershQPper com/software

I\'

54 Janul'lrY 200g cornputershcpper.com

Elements Il, if you had a large library of photos and videos it was nearly unusable, as it was so ,,10\1[, Now it's a usefu I tool for locating and organizing video clips. particu Lady if you take advantage of the software's tagging functionality.

As with Phcrcshcp Elements 7. Premiere Elemcurs 7 works together with Photoshop.com. You get 2GB or online backup storage of your videos and photos fer free (net much when you're d",,:;.ling with video) and the abiliry [0 vtaw ycc- backedup clips and movi-es from anypc. tn addition to 20GB or more of storage, Adobe promises new tutorials, them es, sounds,

and spedat effects on a regular basis for those who purchase

;'I $30 Plus membership. Photcshop.com doesn't have-public movie galleries however. so you'll have to rely on You'Iube or a personal Web site for sharing.

Once your video has been created, you can bum it to a DVD or Btu-ray disc, publish It directly ro You'Iube or a personal

Web site, or render it tc a file. You can create-videos in theAdobe Flash Video, AVf_, :MP!:':G. Wlndcws Media. and Quicklime formats. 'T'h~AV1 function supports additional ccdecs that you install such as 'DivX, Premiere Elements 7 can else create files for the Iphone, Wod, Playstaticn Portable, and Zune; for Srd Generation Partnership Project-compatible cell phone-s; and for

a number of ether devices

You'll WHn[ a powerful, PC to use with Premiere Elements

7, particularly if you're e-didngHD video. '(he program will

take full advantage of dual- and quad-cere CPUs to speed up rendering You'll also want plenty ofmernory On our: 2GB Lest system, WfE' got occasional warnings that Premiere Elements 7 was rururlng low on memory. We also had a few crashes when rendering HD video, though we were working with a prerelease version of the program.

Premiere Elem ents 7 strikes <In excellent balance between e a se cfuse and flextbllityThe cnly real frustration is the lack 0 f varfety in lnstantlvlovie templates. We- hope to see regular adrurlous to the: template- selectlcn for Pbotoshcp.ccm Plus members; additional templates would make membership even more appealing. -DEmlyAd1in

REVIEWS SOFTWARE

Roxio Creator 2009

PI entiful media -ma nagement feat ures come at a high price

IT CAN'T BE EASY far a mature software suite to remain relevant year after year, version after version, especially amid increasingly tough competition from commercial, products and tree tools. Such products must work ever harder to improve themselves, even when it seems like there's riorhing left needlng imprcvemeut. How has Roxie managed this with irs $99.99 Creator 2C09, the latest version of its ridiculously comprehensive media-authoring suite? As it turns out, the- update reflects both innovation and desperation.

Creator 2009 cernes with II heevflyrevamped and strearnllued mtetface tha ~ makes i~ easier to find the most common tasks while adding a sencus dose of elegant visual appeal While the launcher for last Y~f'S version, Easy Media Creator 10 Suite, was useful, ir.cotuained visual bloat that com plicated the precess of finding exactly the app you wanted. Creator 2009, however. has a scrubbed-up laimchet that puts your 5ix most commonly used tunctfous front and center on the home page. Broader category li.stings [Da ta-Cepy, video-Movies, Music-Audio. Photo, and Online) are

on the left, and links to videos, tutorials, and support. options are on the right, VOlL also have the option 00 choose any of the category pages

as your stan psge by simply clicking 1J pushpin ic-on next to the category header-a nice touch for personalizing tbe experience.

You have elmost as much control over everything

else you do ~n Creator 2009, as well. Want to burn data onto a CD? Use a simple drag-and-drop interface,

adjust the crossfades of music b-acks you're burning to CD to create Ideal dance mixes that now sm ccthly ncm one song

to the next. There's no!' much call for this, and in our tes ts it didn't work very \!J~II: Vocals and tempos were frequently distorted, [0 distracting effect. (t)/e recomrnaud stickr["Jg 'with instrumental tracks with heavy beats fer best results.) And while Some users will undoubtedly appreciate the 'ability to automatically break auciobooks into workable chunks for-a portable music player, we're not convinced that's a vi tal feature that couldn't already be decently replicated via Creator 2009·s other audio-editing tools.

Alas, lllaLlY of Cre a tor 2009's functions have an antiquated qualtry about them auyway-cwludows vista and some fr-eely available epps let you do many of the same things at roughly equivalent quality, True, Roxie's photo-editing feature 1:0> rather more robust than Windows PhOf.O Callery, with dedicatee tools for removing wrinkles, blemishes. dust, and scratches and for r_,[_xing orhse tmpsrtecucns. But the RoXlO video-editing and DVD-autholing apps are-more or less on par with Windows Movie Maker and Windows DVOM~'ker. and dedicated musk managers such as Windows Media Player, Ilunes, and Zune have friendlier user interfaces and can more conveniently catalog and spin songs than the nexte tools can

Creator 2009ha5 another shcttcomtng that should be-a strength; HD. Although you can create Blu-ray discs with content directly from all AVCHD-eamcon:le1, you can't-otherwise burn Blu-rav our of [he box. for that, YO\l,'1I11eed [0 drop $29.99 on an additional Blu-ray plug-in, b3.inging the total bill up to almost $130. And, even for that much money. )Iou still won't be able to play me-ray discs using Creator 2009: For. that, you'll need something like Cyben.ink's f1owerDVO 01' Corers WinOVD 9 PIllS Bill-ray. We understand the issues 11aving to do with l.icensing 8' For more: .computershQPper corn Isoftware ~ a~d c~ntent-proleclion regulations, but it's still a notable

't omlSH(OI1 m a package that offers so much else, -Matlhew Murray

I$U ... 1'f-1I,,."III ...

I I I I I I I I F I !

CI BETTER» 10

~ wroeveueiy or mecnaereauen, ·editing, .md "'"ii~<lrifl-g f1Jrn:IIOll5i ettrscuve mterjace

I!::mH N!!w f"'4tU1'I!5 milY nut be worth LJpgr.ade; 8IU-Fay-alJlhoril1g requlresextre-ccst rJlug~irJ; no built· In Bill-ray playbao:kcao"bll!~les

RoxioT.!j 1&89'3·8000

www.roxlo.com

Dire<:t Price $99_99

a more advanced Explorerstyle window, or even a backup utility co save whole folders with a single dick. You're granted the same flexibility when

it comes to video editing: Creator 2009 can make your video clips and photos tnto a movie automatically or you can drag and drop everything into an advanced storyline OJ; umeline view to arrange everything just the w a y you want 'it. For DVD

creation, the program lets you select from any number of pre-

generated cprlcns Of develop yQ\J.T own from scratch; similarly,

ripping music from a CD can be either a mindless or a moredetailed proce5s.

There's plenty of other useful functionality to be found, too: a three-step wizard for digitizing Lps and tapes, as well as modules for capturing audio directly from a SOI,_~ nd

integrated online services.

card, converting content for easy playback on your portable de1J~Ce5, and sharing phOLOS and videos \Jsing RO'll_io's-

Not all of the available options ate essential.

A new function called "beatmatching'> will rearrange and

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1

LDy~b!!;h diNg.vu Mini www.logitE1:n.t:om $149.99 ' Editors" Rati'g: 'IS 'li

Specs

.~~rdaltelnati\l'f' .US8interface

BoncmLlne

The Lcqltech dlNovc Mi.ni is the first keyboard that tnJ~y feels at hom ... in 'tr,e Irving room. It's 1l most-he .. II'f" device if YOLJ have

mi nirnal typing needs and are looking for a kevbce rd that's nat just transplanted from the desk.

Loylkt;;n M.x: Air www.logitsJ:h.l:om

$149.99

EditorS' Rating: IS

Specs .MOO5eilltel'nativl" .US8interf~re

Bottom Line

Tho: MX Air (an work as a tradltionel mouse, but it thrives in the air, letting you control the curseron your home theater PC's screen with just ."I wave of your arm. Quite simply,

I it's on e of the best remcte-navlqation tools evejlable.

1~=Edit'OrsIChl:lk:e:

"" = ContigulCltioll chanqed from originCiI review

3

EnermlliX (a'CMllr www.enarmaxusa.ccrn

$75

Editors" Rating:!Q)

Specs

.. Wir~~ke!'hMrd .US8interfare

Bottom line

M a de of brushed .. lurniI1l,Jm and steel mesh, the Enermax Caesar commal':ll:k etteetlon-. and it$; soltd @I"'I$1:r1JC:~ tion artt:l roomy size

i rneke jt a"'i functional

as it is attractive. lntegrated headphone and microphone jacks-and a built-in USB hub-around out the specs of this teeture-packed keyboard.

30C;Dnn~;Dn SpitceN n vigfttor www.Sdconnexlcn.corn $59 (Personal Edition); $59 (Standard Edltlon) Editors' Ra~ing~ ~

Spec!>

.Mou"j.e~lleJnaliVl; .USBinterface

Bottom Lrne The orb-sbaoe

Space Navigator lets you p .• In, zoom, end rotate slmultaneously, as well as zip tl1ro1Jgh 3D environrnents=ell with an accuracy not possible with OJ mouse. It's not ideal for ev~1')' U51:-, but if you're into design, modeling, or grapnic erts=or if you just love Google Earth-you'll went tc check it out.

MOl.Ise

www.mit:f05ort.I:Om/ hardware

$79.95

Editors" Rating: ~ ril

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The latest entry in Mit:roscft's SideWinder liCleofgClming mice is highly ccstcmeabe, letting you proqram

two additional buttons; record mecccs. and edjost the weight and reschelon to rnetch your precise specifications.

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1

A:;.ulio Eee PC lQOOH

MSI Wind UIOO

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eeepc.asus.ccrn www.rnsirncblle.ccrn www.hp.ccm

$449 -. $479.99 - $549

Eoltors" Rating: e- M Editors" Rating: ~~ Editors" Rating: (J)

HP Mini 1000

Specs

.1.6GHz AIOfI.'1 N270 .lG8DDR2"memory ·80GBh~rddrivlOi

• rntegratedQlapilics e Hl-jmh TFT

.. 3.'2jX11,lI1ds .One-yearwJtfanl~

Bt'lllom Unr

Thcuqh it's net the smellest or Iight.oo5t netbeok. this latest iteration of the rnerketcJlanglng Eee PC from Asus offers the best overall comb Illation of comfort, custcmlaetlon, bettery lif!", end portebllity. ptus. it comes wlth superior' utllltv software, a multftcuch touch pad, and excellent audio.

Specs

.16GHz Atom N270 .IGB DDRimemory ·80CBh~rddriVl:'

• rntegrated graphics ·lCJ..indlTfT

• 2.3 JXII.Il1d~

e One-vear wJnanl~

eottom.LIr.~

Tile M51 Wind U100 beli'l1"!~S slae, price, weight, usabllltv, alid performance. iiillI .. t a cemlcrteble price. a has a keyboard robust ~lllJugh to let

you, touch-type at full speed, a screen that lets veu vlew most W~b paqes without aliY 5ideecrclfinq, and a slze and weight that will have YOLI doubie-checklnq to make sure it's reaHy in your backpack.

Specs

.. 16GHl AIm1 N2,O .1GB DDR2 memory - 60CB hard drlv ...

• r!ltegrated Q'iphics -lO.lnindlT'FT .2.'5PQuJ1ds

e One-vear w.lnanl~

BottomUne

Small, thin, and lightwot'ight, the HP Mini 1000 offers perhaps the best netbcck keyboard out there. complete witll a larg~ rigrrt~Shift, key right: wbeze it belongs

Its Atom N270 prOCeSSOr

i delivers perforrrence on a par with the rest of the pack. Loaded wlth Wili· dows XP ora proprietary Mobile Internet E)lpelience Llnux-based operating system, the Mini 1000 1.:Jff"H5 IH10Ugr. vers.fltility to please mobile users on CI budget.

www.lenovo.eorn

$399

Editors' Rating: (J1

Specs:

,1.6CH:tAtom N270 .5l2MBD0R2memory ,.sOGBh~rd dri\lo! .lnleQr~le~Q.ralJhics .1O.2-inm TFT

• 2.6 pounds

.. One-veerwarrantv

Bottom' Lrne

The Lenovc ldear'ad S10 is oil worthy net book

even though it's hardly diff,..rent irom competinq . units out there. But if vcu're IOlJk'l1g fur one that c:al"l ecccmmodete SI , mobile broadband cerd, the SlO jumps to the top of the list', thanks to its 34mm Exnressferd slot.

www.ao::r.l:om

$329,99

Editors" RaUn9~ tJ'J

Specs

.. 1.6GHz Alom N2iD .512M8 DDR2memory -8C8 !iolid~~li!t ... drilj'o!! .lntE'grated ~rapt,ks .8.9oind1 TFT "2.2po1Jnrfs .One-yearwarranly

BDttom Llnp

Acer's entry into the netbcck market, the Asptre One, not only makes good u~ of its Llnux as but ls one

of the lightest 1001JI;ol}:5i available right new. Its specs aren't as; good as o:;oml;' of the eornpetition, but its solld-stete drive delivers quick beetL1j:lS, and lts display is one of the sharpest in Netheck Land.

rtf= Ednors' C1:1IJi~~

'" = Configuration changed from original review

58 Janu;;-ry 2009 cornputershoppeccom

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The BEST

Edited by Sarah E. Anderson -----

From desktop publishing to securing your PC, we show you how to do everything for free.

60 JanLJ~ry 200g compute-shopper.com

MONEY'S TIGHT, AND IF YOU NEEDED

TO STRETCH YOUR BUDGET

li'ke Silly Putty tc buy a new PC recently, the

last thing you want to do is drop another

bundle to buy new software. Thanks to the

mighty Internet; you may .not have, to. Like

tile desire to check friends' Facebook status-

eSJ the draw to free software 8f1d Webware is

irresistible and add:icwa Ado'bll., Mt'CTOl!iott.

Symantec, and other aoftware giante are !ekIng on the likes of Ooogle, OpenOflIce.org, and Plcnlk. whlDh offer planly 01 funDllon.ltty-and fun-without cosUng you. dime.

Oo<et8.lI, we found that mOll1 conaumen ean gel. many of the features they need out '"

freeware. and in many cases. professlonels

can, toe, depending on the-ir business needs.

Here we take iii look at everything from our 10

favorite free games (p. 70) to the top if) musthave: utllltles {po 72). We also show you when it ps'ys to buy softw"are {po 65). And for de-It-

vourselters, we examl ne the wide array of free

oparatlng aystams b as ed on ~inux (p. 63). So

whether you just bought a low-cost netbook

to satlS'fy your basic computing needs or blew

your budget on a tcp-ef-tha-l tne gaming or

entertainment rig~ we show you how to save-

a lot-wfthDut sacrificing a thing.

;:. To download these free apps, visit:

~ computershoppercom/freesoftware Itl

OFFICE PRODUCTIVITY

Microsoft Office ($399)

You could tJuY.

The mother of all p1:oductiviry suites, Microsoft Office is a staple, and let's face it: It's not going anywhere. especially in the business world. But that.doesn'trneen ycu hace to drop $399 on Otflce Standard 2007 tor yom" home PC. ArtErr1illl, nowadays: you can buya whole oomputerdesktop QY notebock--dor less than that

You maynot realli:eil, but.mcst ot us dcn'tuse even a fraction ofwllat:Micro· soft Office has to offeu'Iake Ortice'sExc€l spreadsheet app, fer example. Have you ever used its mappingp[ograrns:? How ebout ccnditional formulas? XNIT.? A very

smajlpetcentagc ot one

or more of these- functions, but you can get much of the core functionality from freeware

We looked specifically at replacements for Office's Word {word prooossmro. Excel (spreadsheet). and Powe.r%i;:.i.nt (presentatkm) elements ~ndhighligbted a few

key r~tuL'eS that'rnostussrs willrequira

as a baseline, FOl.' \iVOrd, 1M? locked (1( whether the fieewerealtemauves can track d'ranges, mail merge, and handle headers, footers, and page numbers, For Bxcel, we focused on forrnulas.gereral ease of use,

and chart making. And for PowerPoint, we looked at the availabletenplates, transitions, and effects available.

We don't expecrbusmesses or even .-::o~stude.n{sroqu.ilb4.]'ying1vlicroOClft. Office, but individuals who spring for a newnctebookbut can't (or don't want to) shell out lor the pricey sunecan find solace in these freeware options.They allow YOLI to open documents tharothE.'!·S send you, create documeras that you cen rend to others, and get a remarkable arnount.offuuctionelity for free.

Gooqle Docs

(Web app, w\'Ifi'Ifcgoo!Jle_cQrn)

WHAT WE LIKE: AVil:ilable- anywhe-re there's an lmemet cenneettcn; no download necessary; easy 10 use; easy 10 share wlth ether Gmail users

NO\v that "Coogle" is a noun, a verb, a desrlnaticn, and a way of ltfe, it should come as no surprise that it's also a productivity suite. 'The best part ebcut Coogle Docs is that you don't need to download it, since it's evailsble anywhere YO,i have an Internet connection. It stores all your files without taking up any space on your bard drive. and you can share YOUT documents with anyonewho has a email account. As with an licealternatives here, it plays nicely with Mfcrosoft documents.

WORD PROCESSING

Coogle's word processing is rudlm entary It works well as a one-dimensional method for getting your notes down

on paper "to share with others 0-1' to access on another system, It offers a scant 11 fonts-and that doesn't include Lhe ubiquitous Ttmes New Roman or Anal. (You will find Georgia and Sans Seri f, however, which look basically the S<lm12 as those two.) Point size is also limited to seven presets, ranging from 8 to 36 points; you don't get the ability to type tn e spedtic size. BoM, rcetrc, and underscore aloe ell available and work with the ssrne famfllar ShOllCU ~ kE-Y~ associated with Word. We did. notice, however, that CI:J:I+D .. 1 doesn't work like it does in Word (deleting the whole WOld in Ircru of rhe cursor» but Ctrl-Backspace does (deleting the whole word behind the cursor).

Much to our dismaymail merge and

while you can set lip headers and footers, no extra window appears to help

you navigate these features. When you go to Coogle's Help section to search for such topics. tile results often include [ants from Coogle Croups (which you must sjgn into to- read) about. why Coogle doesn't include the feature you're Looking for. TI'lIS is frusu-atmg,

SPREADSHEET

The search-engine gtam's attempt to m.imic Excel comes up way short. The first (and most annoying) thin!; we noticed was that

it doesn't offer F.~:::::;:::;"::S.:;:c':::;:::::':"';:====-------i an Excel-style

"address bar" above the entire Spreadsheet. ·typically, this

is where you'd find the formulas that are entered into a

not options with Coogle

Docs, nor can you set the- page numbers to count automatically as you can LJSIngWcrd's Header and Footer Iuncucn,

there's no way to se,e them in the spreadsheet: you See only the result; when we copied and pasted from an Excel spreadsheet, most of the form ulas

ccnputersbocper.corn January 2009 61

BJ~ Free Software

(sums and averages) transferred withoUl difficulty, bu ~ our cell wi th a subtotal formula changed theformat of the Tell ult from mmss

to hh.mm.ss.

for professional use. au, favorites were the scropbcck albums. b:;lby albums, wedding albums, and

~'~-~-~=.;:-=-=-=-======::J5="I four-sided folding cards unfornmat e ly. We couldn't find H_tly

animation or special-effects options, and no help menu is a vailable. Overall, we wouldn't recommend Coogle Docs as an alternative to Microsoft Office, but it's CI useful tool under the right circumstances, like when you want to crcc te simple documents tc share with a grou p Dr access later on a different computet

PIU;SENTATION

While we aren't hugely enamored of Coogle's approecb to word processing and spreadsheets, its presentaucn tool is- much more compelling. None of Coogle's apps try to imitate Microsoft's. and

in the case of presentations, that pays off. Coogle offers the

Lotus Symphony 1.1

(Free download, www.lotus.ccml

WHAT WE LIKE: Mos1 closely resembles Microsofl Office; packed with fea1ure:s; geed help menus

Of the three suites we looked at. Lotus Sympl'1011Y 1,1 1S the one that acts most like Microsoft Office-cnct to say it's exactly like Office. Even though you download the suite (all 409MB of it), you canner open just one application as you

stead, you open all of Symphony and 'then choose what kind of file you'd like to create. This is hard on system resources, and it's hard on multitaskers who W3m each application

best templates we've steen for personal slide $110\v$ (which ere really just photo albums), plus some good ones

WORD PROCESSING

A blank document in Lctus Syrnphony includes a gray box around the edge, which we don't mind so much. MOle irksome, however, is [he fact that when we copied text (rom openofflce into Symphony,

the pasted text showed lip in <I separate window and couldn't be edited nauvely We heed to double-dick on It to prompt

em edit box, This ts a feature we'd expect to see in a desktop-publishing program, not an cffice-prcductiotry suite. \Vhite copying and pasting from Mj<:rosort Word didn't give us this trouble, the situation made us wonder what other anomalies we might run into if we used Symphony as cur sole productivity suite.

In terms of slightly more advanced teatures, mail merge and trackmg (or in this case, recording) changes are available and relatively e a sy to use. We wish we could add the track changes buttons to the tcolbars on top to more closely resemble Word, but you can still toggl<a- recording on and off pretty easuy in lheEdit dropdown menu Oust click Edit >Rf'_vision> Re.::ord).l:ike..wlse. accepting and n~-jecllr1.g changes is easy, if not quite as smooth as 'Nirh Word. If you lise this fuuctionahty once fTI a while, it's perfectly acceptable. If YOI,J 're an editor; however,Lt's not.

to show up separate-lyon the Windows

taskbar. We do like the tabbed interface, SPREADSHEET

however, which shows not just the titles What Symphony lacks in word process-

of each open file. but the type as well so yo LI can easily move [Tom one to the other. Those who work in two screens and warn to refer ro a spreadsheet while writing a document, though, will have to open two different instances of th~ sutte, which could t6lX older ptccessora QT systems with limited :RAM

Jog. it makes up for in its spreadsheet capabilities. It's not revolutionary, but rt does mimic Excel almost to a'T; The cells wctk the same v,tay they do tn Excel, in that you can click on TOWS and columns, adjust their heights and widths by dcubl,",,-ciicking On the seam, aud delete or ins-en new ones by right-clicking.

Our formulas transferred well; interssW:ngly. our complex subtotal formula needed a semicolon instead 0 f the comma that was there in Excel, but Lotus made the conversion actomadcally, Pasting from Excel took several seconds. but when our d a ta showed tip. aIL the numbers and formulas were correct. Creating charts \IJ3S also e<lSY, though you have to click the drop-down menu next to the Create button instead of clicking its own button on the toclbar.

FRESEN TA nONS

Lotus does not fmpress with this feature. Irs templates are Ilat-cut boring-'furo have floral backgrounds.and nearly an the rest <Ire just different com binations of blue and black. That said, maldng presentations is OOS~~ We located the nansitions/effecte

tool without: trouble, and the Heip function

Lotus Symphony 1.1

helpful after the initial inde-xing. Switrhinginto display mode i!3I1't as intuitive as ill Powertoiut. We looked around fer the unleicon we're used to seeing but in the end, we had to Iigbt-dic;:kon the slide that was showing (ML the cnetn the thumbnails) and click ~lay Screen Show_

OpenOffice.o rg

(Free download, www.openotrtce . .orgj WHAT WE LIKe: E'xcellent bullet and numbering schemes; PDF butjon; very slmjlar to Microsoft Office; easy to use

Like-lotus Symphony, Openottice.org opens all files under one umbrella epplication. except it opens each in its own wmdowfnsteac otin a tabbed Interface, whichmakes working in one while referring to another easier. Overall, the suite ill pretty similar-to Microsoft. Office.

I11~Ll. Bullets, mJmooling. ~nd tabs areal! very Intuitive, \i,ilth a toolbar that pops up to simplify the precess.In fact, we llke this feature beeler than we UkeWord':;. because it's more flexible and offers more-control. (Sometimes with Word, the bullets or numbering schemes have a way of taking over your document) We wish a similar toolbar wouLd pop up for headers and footers as in Mictosoft Office, betno luck.

SPREADSHEET

If you're used to worcngm Excel a Lot, you'll find a lot to like in Openonice.crgs

WORD PROCESSING spreadsheet (!apability. Mauipulatingrcws

OfU1E three freeware suites we Iooked et, and columns is vntually the same, process.

we like Op~DOffice_Ql_-g's word pI.'OC~S- Formulas work the same \iJi,'ly, too, with

ing the best. Uk", Syrnphcmy; Openotfice the exception of that pesky subtotal fur-

uses a box Interface, but irs more a design mula we tested. In this case, it returned

""'====""' .... __ -, ail error message, and we had '" ~ - '; ;-.;C;~-;;:... to replace the comma wnh a ,-;;:==;r=:i::::c:.::q semicolon manually. We also

rl don't like khat eveLY rime we

clicked a celt and hi~Delete we got a 'window askmgif we wanted to DGI~t.eA.II.

(ln fairrtess.Lctus Symphony demanded the same type of second step.) Sort5ng. creating-charts,

element than a functional pint of the structure, We especially like that you can easily save documents directly 1:0 PDf via a button 011 the tcolbar. and a mail-merge wizard is available under the'Tcols

OS for $0

Why slop allree applications when yo u can ge-ttne whole operating system for nothing?

YOU can get more IhanJus1 apps'tot free. You can iegaHy downtosd an errnre full-fea1ured cpefillirtg &;yS1em wiihou'l flllVlngto payanyooe anything-so long as you·re willing to verrarremte the wl~d, wVriderb.d world of UnUX. Thls-cen bea great way10 ootIH a super-cheap PC.

Of ecerse there'e a catch. While varicus dTstribu1lons(olso known as "clstres" or "flal!Ors'·1 ot UnUlI ~n gIve you runenen:alrtyand a graphlC31 user lmertace doselv resemblln:g the kind you find on Windows. ~ns13Ua1ion and driver updates ererrtqulte theeemebreezv aftalee, Most ccmpceema end peripherals have Unux so:ftware aV1l1- .abiefor'1hem, but you'll need to ee !11m roorereseardl to make sure !Iou have It at your disposal ahead oftfme.

Since Linull Is open-source software

(1he source code Is free and available f(lr anYQne'Q Mu;u;ltty), u61ng It means eaerltlctna the tech suapcrr you'd get from Apple or Microsoft ~t you were ronning MaG OS or Wlnd0'W5c luckJly, there'a a flourishing cDmmunltv of Unux devotees on 1he Web, and ehanees are \iou·U be able 10 get even YOiJI'loughes; questions answered. l"n terms ot a slng!e', go-to phone number mr tree Llnux rnatres, however, YOU·M 001 of luck.

Ityou're-1eellng adventumu~ Unux Is BIl exciting way to go. Ch~,oul1h.:: linksbelow tor-more lni'crrnatlofl about vertous jree dlslr1b\i1ioo$,.

L UbunllJ (www.ubunlu.coml: Among

'!he most popular and easiest to use, 1hls UnU)lllavOl"~s the cnerrcet like WIndows . OpenSUS!: (www.opensuse.org}: ccurte5y or Novel, OpenSUSE has especially rotarst hah:lwS'"e and software support.

• Slackware (VNfw.slackware.com): One ot the oldest Unux dis1ros,SiackwareIs renowned mdt!i slablltty and slmpll~lty.

and managing decimal places

IS as easy with Openoffice.ctg as it is with Ex<:~1. As spreadsheet functicnallrygoes. there's little here not to like.

PRESENTATIONS

openotttce.org's presentation tools are satisfactory IQ1' basic uses. Its templates aren't quite as: polished

as the ones in Power Point, and unlike these in Coogle DOC8_. they're not as 'fun, either. 'We do like the tabbed interface, thou gh, which is present only in this application instead of in the whole suite as with Symphony. And effects and animations are easy to use=just put your cursor exactly where you want. the effect to show up, then go to the task pam., on the lett to dlOOSIJo your effect,

Once you\K::deeld.::d DI'l B di6l:roahd insll1Ued ~, be sure to c:h~ QUI: the eeee below tcr-the appsand lntormatlon you'll need to get1he most 001 ol'UnWf.

· o,vww,mythlv.org: You don't need 'NindOW's .and iVledl!l Center 10 1urn yoiJr compuler Into a. home 'Iheat-et" PC. MylhTV can do-H1oryou-lor1'ree.

· WW'W.wlnehq.cl'g: If you stlll have a ton oI"Wildows iiOftware you'd 1Ik.e 10 run, VIflne wHl provide an envlmnmMI for doing lust 1hat 11's not oompBtible with el/ety1hing, buill has an as10nishlnglywide scope.

, www,UnlJx-dr1vers.org: L.coking for drivers and compallblU1ylls1s tor your Llnux

• www.llnuxloum.d.com: For the latest news about Unux, as. well as blog&;, help, and other resources, this Is a muet-clelt Web she.

· wwwcs!ashdot.org~ Thou,gh it's a general tech-nilMls site, Sillsl1dot's npen-anurceand Unux-frlendly spin makes It Idealfor' leamlng more abou1 the tree as and Hs burgeoning mmmunl1y. -Matthew MUIl1l:Y

fa TO download these free ;;pps, visit !<.9J!1P.!!!g(!illQPJl~r_CQmJfreesoftwJlm

ccrnoutershooper.cxn Janll~ry 2009 63

BJ~ Free Software

With Portable Document Fermat (PDF) being todeys lingua franca for digitized documents, creating yOlJ"f own PDF files is an essential need that's often overlooked-until you desperately have to make one. Acrobat Standard and Acrobat Pre (Adobe's for-pay suites,

not its free reader] are the leaders in

this field, but they're overkfll [or most simple. PDf-creation purposes and, at $299 to $449. leave lasting bruises on your budget.

PDF' creation is one area where freeware excels. Ourm est-wanted features here ace the ability to combine multiple POFs into one, adjust

quality levels Vt'i:I:SUS tile size, find password-protect PDFs. And one normegoriable demand Is the ability to create PDFs 'without mandatory, annoying, company-specific watermarks .. The apps and services we looked at provide a mix of these; none "provides all

CutePDF Writer

(Free d(l"Ir.mIOOld, www.cuiepdt.ccrnl WHAT WE LIKE: Prltrt-menu-based PDF

creation; minimal fool print

'aoom'creat~pd~, but you need to sign up

for auAdcbe Ipto use it. and you're limited PDF R,eDirect

to rnekmgjust five PDFs before you have to (Free, download, VII'W'N.pd-fredirect.com)

start p-(lying. WHAT WE LIKE: Prini-me-nu·based PDF

A better alternative for one-off PDF creaUo.n.: POF encryplion; merge tunctlcn

creation is Primo Online, which delivers your tendered PDFIfi~ e-mail.Irs handy if you're working o:n someone else'S computer ora puWcPC and don't want to install software. Ftmctiouabtyis limited, and ULe main dlsadvantsge Is speed; you'll have to upload yom file to the site Sind wait fnr it to send younendered file back. PrimoPDPisju:il one of several such sites. ail

or which are undeniably handy in a pinch, but fer hoovyPDF creation we reccmmend downloading

one of the freeware apps. (Primo else offers PrilnoPDf, 1J. freeware version of i ts $99 Nitro Pro PDF software; the freeware's functionahry falls between that ef Cutel'Df Writer andPDFRE'Drrect.)

CutePDf's PDf~reation process employs the Print button. In whichever app you're

otewfng your target document, ~~~!~~~;;:~

choose CUtePDFWrite1::as your

printer, hit Print; and choose a save location fOI: the PDF~Lat's an there is to it, You don't gel: much in the- w~ of adjust-

ment options (the few that the software's online F'AQdE-tail.s are really hacks) or anythmgin l.mYIS of PDF-manipulation features, but CU[ePDF Writer is a lew-overhead 1:00'1 wouh emsidrung. Acro Software, the maker, also offers a$SOPl:Qf~Qml,l version, which a dds a host.of editing and security features.

Onl.ine PDF-creation services

(Web ilpps,_ onllne.pri"mpdf.cam~ ena olh€l'S) WHATWE UKE: No sottw<ire install required; handy for use on public PCs

Another opucn for free- PDF maki"ng is e Web-based PDF-<reation service. Adobe offers one, Creare Plsf (www.adobe.i:om

64 Jamar)' 2009 cornputershoppe •. cQf11

PDF ReDI,!'e<'l works IJ'k", ell t~PDF-YOll use the print feature 'On your application to generate the-PDf-but it has many additional features that allow for tweakIng. You can passwordprotect any PDF you create using 10-biten7 cryptlcn (a $19.95. Professionai upgrade boosts the security to 128

bits}, and a quality-selection menu lets yoc scale tbe file siae down al the cast c r image quality Another nice touch; The creation window offers a ~PDF print preview," which shows iii thumbnail version of your PDF before creation, from which you can launch a full-size preview. You also get the choice of curpuufng content using the RGB or CMYK color scheme, an important option to have if yo ur PDFs' ultimate desrtnsttcn ls a professional printer. PDF Relzrect also lets you merge multiple PDf Illes and specify the" P.oF~ conversion engine-you use. (Open-source engines are aV"cilable; YQu (all also lise Acrobat's DistilLet,:if you own iq

Install Co1bMyPC on ycm wcrk rc, and It's simple to. set IIp.:andil offers 128·bil

no matter how tar you are from tneoftice, encryption to keep both machines secure

access to your essential apps and files The m-onthly fee makes it expensive to

is M dose asthe nesrestweb brO\VSeT. use over Lime. however, and tbe host

GoToMyPC

scftwarewcn't'nm Ol~ <1M~r:::. One of these free alternetfves is worth a try The only thing you tisk losillgis a recurring monthly charge 1:0 YOlJf credircard

~:~~~;;;;;;;;O;;:;;;;;;;;;;;;;=1 download 1.O

rhe ccmputee you're currently using. An OS X Vetsicn 'LS avMI_.,._ ....• _._1 ab1e cor Mac

iFme downloa~ users. Install

www.logrn~n.com) it on all. OS X machine, and you'll be-able

WHAT' WE UKE~ Se1upanc:t~otuse-rival to control your Mac from the Web even if

GoToMyPC; access I!) all files lind Pf'09l'ii1ms you're on a PC. And the built-in 256-bil

via Web browser; 256-bil encryption encryption puts GoToMyPC to shame.

LogMeIn Free is a boon for Go1bMyPC users

loolOng " access a ,in!!.. PC wfule theyre Team Vi ewer

out of the office or away-from home. While (sree eownrcae, www.1eaf11viewer.com)

11: wou't actu a IJy let you nausferflles.you WHATWE LIKE: Speedy and simple-file

can e-mail them via the host Pc or use a transfers; 25G-bit encryption

free file-sharing service like Drlvewayccm

tc ~ransfE!rlarge tiles. Upload rhe file [rom Taamvlewer 1",[£1 users access their

your bostpc to the site; click a link on the desktops remotely, run programs, and

PC you're using and files lip to 500MB will transfer files between computers. For

private, noncommercial use, it's 100 percent free and secu res sessions with 2S6·bj t encrypucn. while you w:in have to launch a program to gain access to your PC remotely, the file is avail able trcm the front page 0 f the Teamvtewer site; irs LE-sS than 2MB and ruus as a simple executable. so there's nothing to Install. This app is also available in an os X· friendly version for Mac users.

orrnputershoppe.com Janu(3ry 2009 65

The F Software

BEST ree .

TAX PREPARATION

Intuit TurboTax ($5010$80)

You could bu~ this ...

It's bad enough we have Lo send sc mucb money to Uncle-Sam, but spending$-SO 00$80 for software to help us figure

out the IRS's arcane rules adds insult toinjUly.lnruit's 1\nboThx makes this prospect a little easier.

'fbrbc'Tax's greatest <l,SSE"t is its interview-bas ... d approach [0 pr~palil"lgyour taxes, which presents a series 0 f questions for you to answer. while it fills Jn the: forms behind the scanes.It alsc asks about potentially tex-cbangtng life

events (marriage, divol'ce, 'new baby),

:;;0 it knows which areas to concentrate on with you. The program can eutomatically import your W·2 data from most leading payroll firms and yom interest and investment-income data hom S(OTf;'S of banks and brokerages, saving you lots- of Lypingand reducing [he opportunities for mistakes.

D~V, context-sensitive helpc-in the Icrm of dear-English explanations and sometimes video clips-is never more

tban a click away. 'rbeprogrem even performs an en-or check. going so far as [0 flag items that might raise an eyebrow at theIRS. And when you're done, it seernlessly handles the e· file process and notifies YDU whee 'lour return has been accepted.

While Ttrrbo'Iax is a rough act [0 follow. free alternatives have cropped up that, in cur experience, get the job done just tine and keep your money where it belongs; in your pocket.

ilntuit TurboTax Online

(Web app, \IVWW.1url:lOI3lIonrine-.com) WHAT WE LIKE: Same TurboTa:x engine; 'free e-firing; cO"'tex1~$ens!1ive hl'!:i.p and online ccmrnunltv support

'Iurcc'Iax online is a Web·based service from Intuit that lets those with simpler needs complete and even e-file their tax returns online-for free.

TtJYbol'aJl OI1T:fne-lsn'[ a serppsd.ccwn version of the boxed product; rather, jt's a streamlined version designed for the users mostlikely to gravilat0 to\Wird ltee cnliue services: I040A and 1040l:Z'filers in a hurry. It features what Intllil~U~ a Fast.Path approach, letting most users get from start

to flnlsh in ebcut jo minures.As with the boxed product, it asks questions up front

to ascertain YOUI: situation, then walks

you Ibr(l~lgl ... only the relevant Se;::IiOTIScIt also automatically makes sura that filers eligible for the earned income tax credit get it. dclng the calculations and filing the paperwork fot you.

As with the boxed product, help is elways just.a dick away: In addition to the conte~t-se-nsitiw- help topics, Turbc'Iax Online users get access to Jntuirs llve online cornrmmity of tax pros: and power users.

66 Janu;;-ry 2009 cccnoutersbocoe.con

(Web- app, www.taxacl.com)

other Itwestment incorne, as' well as income and expenses from any business weowned. Unlike for-pay solutions, it cannot

WH.A.T Wi:: UIG::: Free e-l;iHng} run-teaturee automaticallyfmportearrungs data from

tax-prep engine; familiar interview fOiiTla'l; l'a)'l:oll services or nnancial firms. No con-

includes sections for malor life events text-sensnive help is available, and you will

see scm e ads ThxACl Irom znd Story Software is per fee L

[or those uncomfortable with ,igningon TaxSlayer.com crasstc

with alesser-kuownprovider, New users (Web app. www.taxslayer.com]

are offered an online tour of the prodoct WHAT WE LIKE: Interview-based inter-

to ~t familiar with the tab-based inter- face; mcluoee one state return; progress

face, navigation, help system. and other bar tracks when! you are in the process

feaurres.As with boxed tax-prep software,

ThxACfOntine \V31ks you throllgl1 a plain- ThxSlayer.com is exceedingly srraigbtfcr-

English inle,rview (inc1udingmajor life ward and should work well. for those wlrh

events] while it

fills:in forms in the background, ThKACT will a lso automatically import relevant.data If you used the program for last yeer's HI· LDgs. Its review process otters red alerts for Incomplete 01; fnrcnsistent infermaticn and yellow alerts for fterns th a c 1'I~qUifQ Action.

ThxACTW"aS veryefficlentat helping us prepare a 104{)'(etum, prompting us not

simple- returns

After !egistEfing<lnd entering your 61· ingsi.atus. the letarview wizard walks you through the process, askrngquestions a!;OI,It dependents.hiccme, decucdons, credits.and so on. As with most other online- services, 'ThxSlayer"com cannot autometicallyirnport your W'·2 data and otber information, but [he onscreen form looks just like a W12.,so Illling in the bcxes is easy enough. A handy progress: bar in the upper· ngot-hand corner shews where you are tn the proceS's,_ and hyperlinked he-lp topics appear on f.iNl"t.ry screen

TaxSlayer.com Classic lets you prepare yom federal and starr; taxes: for tree MLlhistate filers well need to step up (0 ll:r:-:Sl"yer_oom premium ($19,95), and eo-filers must pay a $9.95 'fee.

ADOBE' P}10TO-SHOP ELEMEmSl

The word "Plactoshcprhas become

8 verb that simply means "edit." But you don't have [0 spend $99 [0 ac-

cess many Photoshop-style tools. If you're rurmiog Wmdows Vista. you can

Pi'casa

perform some of these tasks Weekend Project "Perfect Your Digital Images" in the Help & How-To section, p. 90). We looked at three alternatives that will get the red out change color

to sepia or black and white, or add special effects to ycut pbotee-cfcr

free. Advanced users who need Hl[ering tools, masks, and ether high-end feature:'> should slick wifh Photosbop.

entire photo library and performing

some basic ch a nges, we wishit allowed Photoscape

for more control when dl oosing black (Free download, www.photcscape.ecm)

and white OT sepia. You can apply these WHA.T WE LIKE: Goed auto levels

effects but can't adjust the shades as

easily as YO-li can in other progtams.

(Free download, www.ptceee.cornj

WHAT WE LIKE: Quickly scans PC for Picn ik

pictures; large thumbnails and easy (Web app, www.plcnlk.com)

scrolling let you find ilny picture quickly;, WH .... T WE LIKE: Offers aevaneed

comprehensive pt101o-edi11hg download teatures that ere-easy 10 apply~ ted-eye

rf you really want to replace photoshcp Elem ents or a nether tor-pay photoediting program, Picasa is a m usc-have download. We love 'how easy itis to use. When you first launch n, it asks if you want.it to scan your PC for photos. This process happe-ns quickly; and you can stan viewing the resuhs tmmediately as the scan continues in the backgrcund.Fixtng red-eye is Q breeze, and the I'm Feeling Lucky tool is deadon (We got hJ rky with every photo We tried it with.)

Picasa doesn't save YOUT chan ges autcrnarically however, nor does

H prompt you to save when you navigate away rrem an edited photo. so be aware of that quirk. Also, while PtcasaIs perfect for managing your

fix works fer 'both humans and animals: allows adjustmoen~ of all .special effecls

BEst tor spedel prcjects.Picnlk offers a nice <111.01), offeatures and is d e ad simple

to use just upload a photo and choose Edit to crop or adjust red-eye (which works

Altbcugb Photos cape seems comprehensive E:11OUgh on paper, We dton'r Iove using it. It uses the same folder tree for image navigation 'found in Windows Explorer and shows thumbnails there, but the images are too small to decipher. Stn~tcl1Jrrg the 'window wider only shows more images-it doesn't make the thumbnails huger. In general, the interface is not nearly as intuitive as Picasa's, and the r-ed-eye function didn't work with two of the three photos we tried

il on. When you click Save, the image replaces the original unless you specify

otherwise.

We couldn't find the cpuon [0 change photos to black and white cr sepia at

:<l quick glance, which is defirurely a strike against Lt. Oddly, all 0 f OUT images seemed faded and washed out compared wi 1:1i the same images on Please. Nonetheless, we liked the autolevels. which fixed the colors with one click. Photoscape is a handy free tool for that

well ferboth people one purpose, but.check out the ether

aud pets) and the like. Then go to the Cre- two first.

ate tab to apply special effects such as se-pia, black and white. vignette, matte. or other finishes tbat ale often complicated effects in downloaded programs.

"lAte like to use Picnik fora singie pbcto that we're preparing to frame 01" send out to family and fuenos.It's riot meant to managelarge collections of photos. so we suggest using it in concert. wi~h another application

8 To download Ihese free apps, visit: compulershopper com/freesoflware -r

conputersbopce.com );:.nua.r:r 2009 67

BJ~ Free Software

Adobe Premiere Elements ($99.119)

Th:ldit:ionally. video and audio edlong have been complexprocesses bestsuited to well-crafted commercial software suda as Adobe Premiere Elements (01' its ptofesslonal-grade bigbmther, 'Premiere) FOT rhsmostpart, that's still lJ:Ueil'yoll're producing medium -sfze orfarger video prcjects tbat requirea degl:eeotpolish-that is, anytliing with mere than

rudtmeruary effects or celts.

Slill. freeware can suffice for shorter projects or mora elemental jobs.In our editors, we like to see timeline-based editing, a d~ undo function, support for -at least basic transitions between clips (such as fades and dissolves). de cent titling features, and nondestructive, nonlinear editing. Freeware video editors

tepresenr a compromise on many of these fronts (indeed, none of our picks qualifles as trulyncnltnear), But.they can suffice for hobbyist or amateur work, such as creating short videos for uploadIng cnfinacr shatingvia e-mail.And for audio ecttmg ccr favorite freeware alternative is a powerful edltorthat plays in the big leagues.

world ofVSl'plu~}ins. The program is

indispenseble fortasks such as cl ea rung<lp JumpCut and JayCut

~gtXJ cr detertoratec recordings, and (Web apps, wWIIII.iumpcu1.com,

recording analogaudic from LPs or cas- www .. jaycu.l.c.om)

settes for digital renewal. (Note: lvtJ'3-6le rraaucnrequtres the instalistiou of an en-

Audacity coder.such as the _LAME.) We'd gJadly

iFreedownload, p1ly money for this freeware gent

www.audcacity.sourcekrrge.ne!)

WHATWE UKE: High-grad_~ w:wefQI"!"I'l Jahshaka

edifing ; wide-filter'/dfect eelectlcn; option (Free download, www.jah:shaka.org)

for VST plug.in support; easy 10 use WHAT WE LIKE: Pobust teamre set 'for

e)lperience-ti users: extensive tlle-tormat

Essential to any media cre-ator's toolbox is a cornp-alibill11'

teawte-pecked. intuitive audio edjror.and ------------

Audacity is anA-grade fit.This open-souire' jabshaka is the closest freeware ~\le've seen

application ls a good subsutute fer older to cotnmescial cousumer-level editors like

editions ofAdobe Audition (tormerly Ccol Premiere Elements and Corel videostudio,

Edit'Pro), allowing for precise, robust waveform-based audio capture and editing.

We've long been mightily impressed with the quality of Audacitys stock audio tllters for equabzanonreverb, samplebased noise reduction, dick removal, and plenty more. And now,a separate patch gives Audacity access to rhevasroutside

68 .enoerv 2009 computersbopper.com

WHAT WE LIKE (aumpcut]: Wide 'file-type SuppOi'1~ tuu tilling and transitlcns

WHAT WE UKE (JayCu1): Local-uownload support, basfc1imelil'!e-ba~edediting; lots of scere-traresltlcns

1Wo separate but.similar Web apps.JumpCut andjaycutIer you edit video wnhout downlcedingany software.

Yahoo'sJumpCLJ:tis more of a videomashup tool then a beevy-dcty edlt:ing app, it Lets you upload a wide variety of file types (inctuding Realm edia. AVf.~ 'MP1t. and QUicklime). The upload-file size is

In acme ways it exceeds them in capabilityj limited tojust lOO).(8-a mere morsel

Jahshaka has animation, ~._____ in vidoo-ooiting

paint, and effects modules that bring to mind Ado-be's After Etfecls.)ahshaka is powerful, but it can also befrustrating The OOCllmentation is minimal, and the mterface isn't everly intuitive. [The best help we found was sornevou'Iube tutorial videos assembled by the

jahshaka faithful)ValMrans ofvioeo ed.itmg should be serrucomfortable after a few hcurs cf experimenraricn but beginners are better off elsewhere, As an early-in-thegame, open-source app with a good following, however, it bears \v'atdling.

terms=but you Cat! do a lot with your snippets. You can upload multiple- clips. slice and 1"earrange them on a timeline, and create flashy nansiticns. You can

also apply a reasonable variety or dccent-Iccldng rir.ll>'S and place cards. as well as superimpose new background music OT apply video effects-as bask as brightness enhancement or Q-S cut-there as decorative-spinning propellers.And the interface is as friendly as video editing

l'!iz...:"::o~d:::o::::w: . .::n:::lo::::a:d::..::lh:.::e::s~e:..::fr~e:::e:..:a::p!:p!::s,,-v.::i::s:::il~c~o~m~p~u~t~e~r~s~h~o~p:tP::e~r~c=:o~m~tf~r:::ees~~o~ft~w~a~r:::e_

k 't

gets. (Cons~den~ns how U5E:f·IIOS[]le videoeditingapps can beta beginners, this sirn'Plfcity is a featfn itselt.j

'T11E.' key shottcommgofjumpcut=and it's mil:jor-is that the service doesn'tlet you download your created videos back

to your PC. You can only host them on Yahoos Iumpcut.service.vou «In lind freeware that can grab video from online-video services likeJumpCUl11:ndYollTlibe, but the process is a.hassle,

]aycw. shares some of the sbortccm. ing; ot'rabcc'sjumpcut, but it lets you download yom edited videos back to \VMV files.JayCul,like)umpCut,:is best for short mashups, not for jaaziog up ycur 9O-minute caribbean·vacation video. The interface-isn't quite as polished asjumpcurs, but jco eeL a better mix of trensiticns and a more Prerrriere-likemulutradc timeline

in which to work..J umpcut's titling features

VirtualDub

('Free eowntoad, www.lJirtualdub.com) WHAT WE UKE: Past edits- to AVI files; noncestructlve edi1ing

ViJ'tuaIDubwon't satisfy video afldonados, but It's worth a spot in your tocfbcx for quick-and-dirty oioeo-editing tasks. The Windows Movie Milker utility in XP or VIsta is a much friendlier alternative, butvirtnalDub is faster for making simple cuts <lind trims, Changes aren't made tc your source file; ins lead, tJ1E'y'1-e reflected when ymn vldec Is saved to Q, second [Ie, and edjting is strictly a linear, single-track affair;

Vil'lual[iub works primarily with.AVI_ files----c:lQn'[ look for Md~-rangif'lg compat-

ibility-oot i{s smart keytrame edidng makes quid work ofedftiog cut aegments of AVivLdoo. On the downside, transitions aren't supported, which means you'll need another app for any kind of sprucing up. And while thedocumeraaticn is sutprisin,gty dear and well-written, there's a definilelearning curve,

VirtuaIDub supports some basic tlltersta ccarse cneforvideo noise, plus fllters for lJrigbtne:ss/rontrnst and color anomalies]. lf you'rehurepid, it also supports an API that enables the use of ccmrnuaity-created custom filters.Eastly accesstble via Coogle search, they can bring wide-rangmg capabilities, such as video de-ghosting or a.ge restoration, And VinualDubis ElY! €!l(ceilent utility for initial video capture from a TV tuner or cepture card; it'slean and uncomplicated for that purpose.

~icall.y. when we ttankofPhotoshop, we thtnk of photo edilitl~ .... But Adobe long had one or the best pl~OlO-OJ'ganizing

tools around in Adobe Photoshop Album, whose functicnalityhas been Incorporated into later versions MPhoLashol"

Elements, The photo-sharing and -storsge components of Elements ellowarnateur phctcgraphers to load, tag, sort, and find thedr photos with ease, U's an excellent program, but some freeware onlinesharing tools offG-r some of lhis functionality and, Wng~Neb-based, are built for ~ access to YQurirnages fOT mends and family.

Photobucket

(Web app, www.pholobucket.com)

WHAT WE LlJ(_E~ Easy oratne 5haring; simple access to embed codes for tmages; 101$ of ediling options

Photobucket is an easy-to-organize photo-and -videc repository that offers quick access to codes for embedding your images into your social-networkingpages. You can share photos and videos with others or password-protect your a ccount, Photobucket also offers a slew of editing options, and a free account provides up to- 1GB of storage. The site lets you search for icons y-ou can lise to personalize your Face-book, MySp-A.ce. and other social-networking pages.

Fli.ckr Kodak. Gallery

(Web app, www.nlckr.ccm) (Web app, www.kodakgalier-,r.cDm)

WHAT WE' LIKE: Eas.Y-Ie-use" mull'featured: WHAT WE LIKE:: LOIS D1 products to choose

organJza1ron tools; ellcwe for social net- from; easy to eherealbumewnh family and

wo1"i<ing; useful editing 'tool friends

Widely used bybloggers as a photo-storage servlce.Plickr takes online photo galleries a step further by also acting as a socialnetworking site, .. Uowing you to join au online eommuniryand share vour pbotos. You can easily edit photos through its pertnership with Pirnik, a leading online photo-editing service. (See "Photo f.diting" on p- 67.) This stte also lets you otgamae photos into sets (groups of pictures) and collections (groups cfsets), making viewing. o!ganh-:ing. and sb;;tlillg a

breeze. The site's ragging option allows Cot even greater orgauizauon.

Kodak Gallery Is a more traditional online photo service that.lets you upload, edit.share, and purchase photos, This famtly-tnendly consumer-focused site lets you upload your

photos to the

stte and store them there; you em also bave yom photos printed on a bohday ornament, lnug or C:J1ffli.d a t; or you can purchase albums and frames.High-resclulion versions of irnQgs.s

can be stored on the site; but you have to have the paid plan ($2.49 per month or $24.99 per year) [0 access them.

conoutersbcoper.con JamJ<'IJ)' 2009 69

TheF Softw

BEST ree I are

(5169.95), Adobe InDestgn (5699), or OuarkXPress ($799)

Also known as page-layoursofrwere, desktop-pubdsbing programs are used to create publications and unique documents. The professional -grade desktop pu bushers are Adobe's InDesign and Qual'k's Q113rkXPress; consumers, small buslnesses.and anyone who needs to make in-house documen IS, fliers, or brochures typiC3Uy veer toward MicrosottPublisher.

InDesilJ'l is also tied into Adobe's

Scribus Desktop Publishing

(Free download, WWYI.Scr1bus.nef)

WHAT WE LIKE: EaSy louse; simplelnlertace: premade templates suiled10r casual users; PDFcrea1ion

Scrfbus is an open-source desktop publisher that's available for Windows. MacOS X. and Unux. With pro-level features like color management.typesetting PDF creation. Postsotptprintingsupport; and text.Import from word processmg apps, sctbus has been compared equally with.tnDes:ign and QuQlkXPress. But Scribus Isn'tccmpetible with. tiles created in commercial desktoppllblishing so Itware, so if you have clients that send you sud) files. or you need to send JnDes:ign or Qual'k files LO a printer, you migbt encounter issues on that front Users

70 January 2009 omputershoppe.com

suite of publishlng apps, which includes Phctoshop and Dteamweaver; the suite allows proje-cts to move seamlessly from one program to another.But professionalgrade also means aproressicnat-Ievel price tae: InDesign C>4and Qum:kXPress 8 each sell for Well over SOO clams. And even thouEf1.MicrosoftPublisher is milch more affordable atjust$169.9S. that could be $170 left ill your pocket if one oftnese freeware alternatives suffices.

Serif PagePlus SE

(Free download, www.freeserifsof1ware.com) WHAT WE LIKE: Advanced fealures; available fnrmultiplecpera:ting sys1ems

Wilh prernade templates for creating documents like greeting cards and business cards and a few pro features like word processing. typesetting and drawing lools, Serifs

What you won't get am PDF exporting end Web publishing. (You can upgrade to Page-Plus 9 fora whoppillg$lOifyou want those extras.) You won't get the power of I.nDesign and QuarkXPress, so it isn't ideal if you are looking for advanced features like plug-ins or color management. But most users will find the free version of P-agePlusadequate fOJ basic page-layout needs.

BJgi Free Software SECURITY

After you've purchased a new computer, tbemosumpcrtent softwarevcu'll need tofnstajl is <I security or antivirus 3pp or sujte. A.lthoug:-. Microsoft: has improved the ability otwmdcws to thwertnefaaouspro-

gram s, i[ isn't perfect. and security so ftwate Is still necessary

The mostccnrmon security apps,ne from MCAree and Symatuec, Besides prct«1iI1Q aQlinst viruses, spyware, adware,

and1i'oj:ens, Symautecs Norton 360 suite, {or example, also includes a firewall, anti'phisrong roBS na'es, e-mail scanrung automatic backup, automatic updates.online stmagfi'. and other PC:·rmrintenance reels Norton 3ElIi; Q fu_U_~f€:6itlifedS-llite-irtdeed, bur ifyml'reon a budget. you might De able to ro~ some of these features.Wttde these free alternatives don't delfver as much as Norton ase does.ycu em still find anliwus software with features such 8S scanning options, scheduled scanning. and updates for the latest virus definitions.

Avast Home Editioll

(F~down~ood, Y;'!o'IW,avastcom)

WHAT WE LUO:':f'uil oHea1ur.ss, includi"9 an!iroO'lki1 detection; e-mail and 1M message scannlng

The only requirement of Avast Home Edition is that you musr.be a home usenthis fullfeaLUtM secutityapp is 'free rot the download.tn addiricn tc v1(lIS and spyware killing you also get antiroodctdeteclion, which 'protects you againstmelware

[hat installs itself and SlaYS hidden on your pc, The app updates itself automatically, has a WabShiQld hmcuon to monitor lh~ traffic

offers protection with e-mail end instant messages, Pills. Irs compatible with windows versions dating from windows 9S all the way up to \VmdO\vs vista

Ava Anti-Virus Free Editioll

(Free download, free.a\l'g.comJ

WHAT WE UKE: Nc-nonsensevirus de'lectlCrlI and protecuon; spyvtarefighting

The-Anti-Virus u'ee Edition from AVe is one of the most popular freeWiare apps out there,

liii::'-:::~~~~~~~~ :~:~~;::~~:n:~~Qu

don't get support.or additional Ieetures.pencd. BulAnti-Vu us

offers real-time protection a~inst mallcicus Websjtes while you're surfing Unlike some vlrus-prctection software, this free-application won't hog your syste:>m's !:esourtes.

Avira AntiVir Personal

(freedOWllloa~ www.l.ree-av.com) WHAT WE LIKE: An1iphishing features; 1t1warl:sdialers

Ttusbasic freeware program SalDS your sys tern forviruses, \.VOITn_s, aud'Irojans.It also has anraoctldt and amid:iale-f protection; the latter, for those-still using a dal-up cormecdon, protects against rnalwere dialing programs that change your IDea] dial-cp rurmber to expensive Internet access numbers, either international or fee-based, without your permission or IrnOWEOOge. It also has ani:iphish'lngsupport

everyone should have-as a minimum. The vi-

rus definitions are frequently updated, mak- Re",i~m by ~h E And~r~n, J<Jmi~ B5ille~

ingsureyou'repmtec:ted against new Infec- JrmnA BCJrf!'k JrJnDt/iDn RoogMt, M~tt

ticns, The latest version also comes wlID Safford" ~nd U5 L. ShJ.J.

5 Must-Have Utilities

Upgrodiny your PC eomponsnts can be

Spe:edFan

It your computer keeps crashing wh!le dDlng tabcr-lntenalve tasks like pl&ylng

3D garnes, It eeuie be overheallng and

In need ct a new CPU tan, a video-card cooler, or [ust some cleaning. Speed Fan, which displays svstem temeeratcres from your Internal sen-sors, will tell you tor sure.

lind decide if :it's really time to upgrade run Iowan memory, it's prabebl'l time to

·yOur G?U. add more RAM tOyOUf sy:uem.

tricky, parlicularly it you've never cracked Belate Advisor

npen yaur CIUIA bRfore, Betofl~ you taka a AgMBt way 10 gm to know your PC's in-

screwdriver ~o your machine, t')l 'Ihese free sides, Be!arc Advisor scan:!! your system in

dowril.oadil. ascends and loadfl up a d8bJiled pruflla in

your Web browser, The front page tells yOy

3DMarkG6 Basic Edition what hardware you've go1. H 9 v 81 Mila you

Ttus 3D b&nchmarking software will put whllt HAN you're running .and whErther you

your vidQ(l cord through ill workout to halp hayQ trlMl91ots; '10 install mor e. DthQr pay"

you decide it it's time for an UPQfllOO. It notify 'lOll 'if you've missed II Microsoft Up-

tests fancy things like lightif'lg EHlQi"nas a.nd date or if ynuf vjrua prot~on is out ot dJrtA.

machtne slows way dawn on 90ma tests, Free' RAM Optimizer

as this $oflWQrQ is designed 10 test 1h& Free RAN' Optimizer ens in your system

limits 01 booly gaming rigs. WhOrl the test tmy monitoring mbmnry use and farcin9

is I;Qmpl(lle~ you C~f') compere YQur !'LCQrAS unruly app!I to return your resources. If

egaingl others who hl'nre used the eettwere you use thiil program and still hequQntl1i

WinDirStat

11 vcu're running out of storage space, run WlnDlrStat. It will scan your drives and shew what's laking up space. It you don't nne anyt!'tlng you're willing 10 delete, II's probably tlme 10 buy another hard drive.

72 .);;0".",2009 ccmputershcocecccm f.i' To download these apps, visit computershopper.com/lreesoflware It

Core(i7) Competency

tion to taster algorl1hms, .' Not up to DverclDcklng

new S.SE4 texl-pr"c~$~il1g a processor 011 your own?

Instructions, and better 11 you don't need 10 use all

vlrtuajlzutlon support, COre ot the processing cores at

!7 pr.QtCSSQfS Introdl)cc any given lime, the ones

several key new fe.a1ures: you don't need will turn all',

rcdu-cing heat o-utlay, and

• wheeeaa the memory automatteenv bump up the:

eomeor tcr, the ctcrncnt that r,~rnainliig cores' poteniial.

governs memory 110, used

to be on B separate ctnp, Also new to Can! 17 is the

It's !'lOW rceetee dil'2C1ly on e~lm~natlon of tna fran 1-

tl'l e processor ltaett, thu 50 sfde bus (FSB). Cor~17

Improving eomrnunleatlorrs processors employ a

between those two key new technology, the Intel

components. Qulck;Pat.h tntarconnect,

• Tnat memory controller ter lnereasee bandwidth

no longer supports two and reduced latet!cy. Hyper-

What Is

the Core i7?

tntet'a Core 17 processors

you'll need another mother-

are based on '11'1c Penryn board. (A1 press time, O"ly cttennels 01 memory-it Threading has also been

manulllcturlng precess rnter's own xsa enleaet SUPPDriS three. Sa instead reintroduced Into the linc,

the company Introduced supported tne cnlpa.} Plus, 01 using two or tour OIM Ms so each co-re can prcceae

In late 2007, but otherwise, core 17 doesn't support to get a dual-channel per- two threads stmuttenecus-

!hey rcprcscni slgnltbc::;)n1 OOR2 mc:rnory-li's t;)ster formancc bOOS'!, you'll now iy, rnlllimlz:rnj:J Ihc ;)mOun1

rethink~ng of the well- (and more expensive) need three or slxtc take of tlme that parts of a

esta nu shed Core 2 Duo, DDR3 Dr nothjng. A.nd the adv311~age 01 triple-channel core slt idle-and essen-

Cote 2 Quad, ane Cote 2 mcmcrv's volt~ge should inCT'l'lctY technology. lially makin II el.ghh~ore

Exlreme I lnes. top out at t.5S volts; any- • 'rhe mamoljl controller, proceserng a reeuty, If

To. begl!"!' wnn, Cora 17 thing higher may damage au tcur processing ceres, that's. not enough rruntl-

processors won't trttn the the processor, and al,1 caches (Including processing tor you, 'the

LGA77(; mottrerboaro Wh~lC' 1hc;,$C may seem a 64K L1 «acne, a 2561( l2 !~ChnOlogy can support

C'hLP sockets those CPUs like Inconveniences if eaehe, and an BMB sha.red as many as elghl: physical

do. Core 17 chips require you've been planning an L3 cache) are located on cores, meaning thai

the new, I~lrge," lGA1366 '.I'pgradc, they don't come one die, again Improvlng 're-eere processing mlghl

socket, which means, yes, without eenents, In addl- cfttcfencv, no1 be that toll" away.

Thedesign of the (Dr. i7 ("Nehalem"] processor

The First Processors

Intel Core 1i7-920. Core i7-940. and Can: 17-965 b:.tn:me EdittDn Edit(ll";!:' R_;:Jtil"lg: ~ Qut-oflO

Pros: Extr-E'1TIf'1y fa:ot;5f'lf-~rdoc~ing leatue:

Hyper-ThrMdln~ 9iv~s so,"", of the adval"ita~s of eight-COii: processors

Cons: R51Uin:s ne-w mll~hNbollrd socket ami chipset; won't: allow 'WITV' older hlgh-5pf'M memory to rui at full speed: ~q_lin='i three or sb: memory DIMMs r« best perfcrrnence

INTEL'S NEW Core i7 processors don't just live up to their hype-they exceed iL. Representing a huge perf 01"-

mance jump ever previous generations, the Core i7 allows even midrange systems to leave the fastest Core 2 Extreme Edition CPU:;; in the dust. The initial chip lineup includes (he $284 Core i7-920 running al2cG6GHI!, the $562 Core i7 -940 running at 2.92GHz. and the $999 Core 'i7 ·965 Extreme Edition running at3.2CHz. The Core i:7 EXti'eme .Edj don differs from the lessexpensive chips because it features an unlocked multiplier, which simplifies cverclccking, and Q faster Qu\ckPa ~h cctrnnu nicarion bus

We compared [he Core iTs pertermance to Jntel's previous king of the hilt th-E'S999 3,2GHz Cor-E' 2 Extr-eme QX9770. runrdng on a 1.600MHz FSB, How much faster is the Core i7 than its Core I. predecessors? Our Windows Media Encoder test, which uses only two CPU cores,

saw the smallestperfermance increase, but i[ sLiU managed to drop from 2 mluutes and 55 seconds on the QX9770 to l minutes and 29 seconds on the i7 -96S,

a 17 percent speedup. Our quad-coreaware Sony Vegas 8.0 video-editing tests shewed UH! most dramatic improvement, dropping from 3 minutes and 43 seconds on the QX9770 to 2 minutes and 20 seconds on the i7-:96S in our !lAPEG-2 tests and from '1 minute and 21 seconds to 50 seconds in our JlJlPEG-1 render-

lng test~S9 and 62 percent speedups, respectively. Our i'Iunes conversion test took 3 minutes and 37 seconds on the QX9770, which dropped to 2 minutes and 46 seconds: on thei7-965> a 3-0.7 per-

cent fmprcvement.

Even mote impressive in the bangfer-the-buck department is the perfor-

,.:ljij.i·Iiiji·'+i

in:b!lw~i7-9.20 MIL EslPriC ... $284 InteICoreIT-940 Mlr,BiLPriG! $562

1nk>1~f7~ EXlrtmeEafooi'l

M> ... P<1., S!m

1""14(8-765= 'l'iti'W:1!iti!L((I'J'I

Fi!!Jji .•• :liH·f.]-i+i

Asu;;P6TLk!ILIlIE!OCRl1m[dition MU,t"" $<99 _TtkColn_.EI'UIS_

""""""'

Im.I_Boo~IJ.lI5QjO U:I:~Jo!!5I"ri;!5:

M, .... """ $340 h<>I,'oIIHIiS= """"",,mn

mance of the entry-level i7 ·920, which still managed to beat out the QX9770 iJ~ all of our productivity tests. Results ranged from a mere 1 percent speed increase in Windows Media Encoder to an 18 percent, increase i'n the i'Iunes conversion res t and an Impressive 31 percent performance enhancement in om: Vegas 8.0 MPF.C.:2 rendertug [est. On the other hand, most games don't see much change, as modern titles rend to rely mere on graphics-card performance than CPU speed.

Some of the Cere D's performance increase comes from its abiltry 00 access memory et a very higb speed, via the CPU's onbcard It1 emory controller and the new QuickPath Interconnect, which offers dramatically better bandwidth and takes the :FSB middleman out of the equation. To take full advantage of [his bandwidth, you'll need to ream the Core i7 wirh rriple-chanuel memory,

Performance enthusiasts will find that overclocking the new chips recutres l¢aming ne-w techniques,

as the FSB-related adjustments: of earlier chips den, 't apply here. The Carli! i7 -965 Extreme Edition is the easiest one to cverclcck, since It has an un-

crmputershopper.com Janu~ry 2009 75

Core (i7) <, ~mpelency

locked mul tiplter, You

can just increase the multiplier values to

tty faster speeds: we achieved 3.8CHz with rntntmetadjustmerus. and faster speeds may wen be

possible with appropriate system cooling and voltage tweaking, The slower chips require you to adjust the overall system bus speed to overclcck them, but with the light corn bmatlon of motherboard and memory, overclocking is 8 definite possibility. We were able [0 run the 2.5GGHz Core i7-920 a t 3.34-GH;;: on our Asus P6T motherboard (see next review). in conjunction with a 6GB, 1, 333MH~ high-spee-d DDR3 PC3-10666 Platinum Low-Voltage Trtple Channel Memory Kit from OCZ

As has always been Intel's policy, end-user overclocktng isn't officially supported, However. Intel has its OWJ'1 turbo mode, Intel Dynamic Speed Technology, that automatically runs

76 j.~rMJary 2009 compute-shopper.com

some CPU cores at higher-than-rated speeds, depending on the cooling in yOU!: case

and the current processor load. On our 3.2GHz DX58S0

test system with stock BIOS settings, for example, the -cPU is clocked ;H 3,46CHz, a jump in multiplier Irom 2~' to 26, when only one 01' two cores are in USe.

The Core i7 represents a huge performance jump for desktop pes Since evezr the relatively inexpensive Core i7 -920 beats the formerly topof-the-line Core 2: Extreme Edition QX9770, CPU -mtenslve tasks such

as video editing, transcoding, and number crunching just got a lot faster. cemers who already have high-end systems aren't likely to

see much of a boost, but the Core if is the obvious upgrade (or garners moving up from older Arhlcn X2 01' Peruium 4 setups. -itA.

The First Motherboards

Asus P6 T Deluxe DC Palm EditioN Edlto.r~{ R;!tin.g: ~ out of 10

Pros: Ei;;-ce~!f;nt o~=kin9 Ulpilbili!ie$isi" rremory <;101<;; sopports both SU end tro~j:'i~Xi external tl\.l:'rdod:in-g -elO"o'i.:e

Cons: Power-sevlnq cptlcns sre disabled when own;;IQc~ing; pel-! slot iHr"fi!le"m.mt pl"i!du~ illst;lliing three double-width -g~phiQS cards

THOUGH THE P6L'Deluxe OC ?<JIm Edition is Asus'a first board suppouinglntel's new Core a processor, its design Is

anytmng but conservative. Where Intel's DXS&SO board (see next review] supports overdodong the $2.99 P6TDeLuxe invites it out for dinner and a movie. Add in tom; of expand:abilit:y. both SU and crossrfrex S_Jp· port, and the-unique Oc Palm external display, and lheP6'fjs an excelleu.foundation fer a hfgh·perfonnanoe-Core 17 system

rjamers will be pleased that the board supports boll, Nvidie's Sll andAMD'$

Crcssjtrex for: using up to thre-e graphics cards together, $0 they're no longer tied to one brand or the other; (Not all XS800ards support SU, esNofdla requires board manufacturers to pay a licemi:ng [ee.j Asyou\:J expect from an Asus enthusiast board, the P6TDe1.uxes BIOS has detailed cverclocking features- for adjusting a wide variety ofGPU and memory timing:; and voueges. The BIOS has settings for memory speeds up [0 l.600MHz wir.h standard Core izs 01:'" up to 2,(I(X)MH:Z with theExtreme Edition. The board OJ lso includes ThrboV software, which lets you adjust a number ofspeed and voltage' seuinga on the fly from within \Vindows.

We tested the board with the entrylevel Corej]·9l0. By pairing this S284CPU with OCZ's new DDR3 PC3-10666 Platinum Lcw-Voitage'Iriple Ch a nnelraemcry Kit, which supports 1.333MI-Iz speeds with low latency, we were able- CD match the perfotmence of the $999 Core iJ ~965 Extreme Edition inmost of our tests. The RAMs extra speed beadrocm OWl' 1,056MHz memory let us easily push the 2.66CHz COTe i7 -920 to 3.34CHz by upping the basic system bus speed from 1"33W-h: to 1661v1Hz. The P6f made the cverclocking easy with no need [0 adjust Cl'Uvcltages.

The ~OGpabn" in the name reters to a small USB device with a calor

LCD, directional pad, and a few buttons. You cen pick up the OC Palm andadjust the'Tlnbov overcloodng seumgs, allowing you

to push the-system a little faster from inside games or other applications. You com also use itto monitor temperatures ano voltagE!S or to vi~wY a hoc W:id~ts.

The P6fDeluxeincludes the Aeus EPll energy-management teatine, which lets youreduce voltage tea variety ofcornponents to Save power, either manuallyor automatically baseo on 1000. Unfortunately the EPU features only work when you're rutuungat stock.clock speeds. That's disappointing. given how many of this board's features are geared toward overdockmg.

Designed with enthusiasts in mind, mil: board feann'es cuboard power and reset switches, so

you can set it up and power it

on without connectma the trent panelof a PC case. ".ve wcufd

heve liked to see a button to clear the BrOS ~tting:;; the board uses e rradtrtonaljumpe;

'The P6TDeluxe is loaded with potts. l'~~e ate ag.'h'- USB connectors on the back panel and headers for six more On the motherboard, as wen as dual Gigatit Ethernet ports and a pair ofFirewire connectors. On the storage front, you'll find six Serial A"D1 {SAT.A) potts, one external SATA (eSATh) connector, and two Serial Attached SCSI (SA.s) pons Wilt support ether SAS or SATA drives. 'Tbe P6f Deluxe has onboerd eight-channel audio with ane:.logand digital outputs. Despite aU tfus.Asus still mana ged tn fit legacvports on the board, with an IDE drive ccrmectcr, a Iloppy pctt; and a single PS/2 mouse/keyboard connector, On the eapanslcn-slct front, you'll find three 'pel Exptess.(pcle) x16 slots, one PCle x4 slot.anda pair of PCI slots,

Fer such a full-featured board, P<IIucularly one teaturtng stx RAM slots, the layout Is comfortable to work with.The chipset heat sinks are fairly low-pro file and shouldn't cause any conflicts with large Q)U coolers. TIle seccnd and third Pcle x16

slots era edjaceru to each cth-

a three-card setup, arleast tWD cards will hQ\'1Il! to be single-slot rncdels. You can USe a pair of wide cards, such as two GeForce G'1'X zgos or a pair of uadecn HD 4810 X2s,

The P6l'_Deluxe is an excellent fmmdadon (or a high-pe\ionnance Gore 17 system. We wish we could shift to power-seeing mode witbout having to first disable ove-rdodcing manually, but that's about the only nit we have to pick with this powerful, stable board. It has something for evety~ one: Garners will appreciate the ability to choose SU or Crcestfrex, performanceminded tweakers will find tons of settings LQ play with, and people who leave their pes on 2417 will appreciate the powersaving features. -D,A.

Intel Dl!:!Iiktop B'Di1td OX5BSO Extreme Se:r,ies

Editors' Rating: ~ out 01 10

Pecse Easily o\o<erd%dfrurn withili Windows; extensne BIOS performance optiOris; loads [J( uSB oorts, CrM'>~ir~X.5llpptl-rt

(ons: No SLi support: lacks ~gacy port'>

THE $340 DX58S0 rnaybe cfficiallybilled as ihe Jntel Desktop Board Extreme Series DX53SQ but its codename-c'Smackover't-. anc the robotic skull surrounding the Intel logo on the chipset's heat sink~mgood

ccrnoutershooper.cxn Janua.r:r 2009 77

Core (i7) Compefency

aimed squarely at the enthusiast crowd. With support tor dlJa~ graphics cards, extensive overcloddng options tor both processor endmemory and a full lead of ports, Intel's new board is ready to capture [he eyes of enthusiasts .. vhotl typically embrace performance brands.

The DXS8S0 o:ffidally supports memory speeds of up to 1.333NIHl, thou-tJ over~ clocking options: willietyolillse-1,6(J(J}.II}l:z or fastermemory The board has foul' DIMIIII slots, accommodating up to 16GB

of RAM:. For best performance, you'll want to populate three oftbem to enable triplechannel access.

Tncel'sBTOS has deep overclocking oplions, iettingyou adjust the-maximum multipliers byprocessor core and increase the 'host clock f1:equer1_(.:Y; WhLCh replaces the front-side bus as the tweaking value of choice for enthusiasts looking to up the speed ofrado-tccked pmcessors like the Con," il-nO and Core i7 -940. \V'hen using the multipjler-unlccked Core i7 ·965. you can adjust Intel's dynamic overclockjng feature and increase the-maximum multi-

plier dependlng on how many (Ores are in use.Fer instance, >'Otl mighT. tuner 3,86GHz when only one- or two cores are stressed but drop to a stock3_2G~ when all four cores are in use. YOu can 'make many overclocklngadjustments on the fly from within Windows" using the Intel Desktop Control Center software.

Th~DX.58S0 does: away with most legacy pcrts.Nctcnly is there LlOPSI2 keyboard port or IDE hard dlive connector, but the floppy connector IS AWOL :ElS well The board is generously equipped with

six SATAports (tbOlJgh one will be blocked if you use a long. double-wide graphics card). And th@DXSasOhastoad;ot modern expansion ports, with a whopping eight use 2.0 connectors on the lack panel, 310ng witb Gigabil Stbemet; rkewlre, digital and analog audio, and

two eSA'D\ potts. The- motherboard has four additional Internal USB connectors, as well as fntemal Flrewlre.Consumer Infrared, and tID a udio ports. The board's eight-channel Hlr audio comes courtesy of a ReodTekALC889 ccdec.

78 January 200g cornputershcpper.com

The DX5BSO mdcdes two POe xl6 slots. which can support apau of AMDgrapl'lic:s cards in CrossFireX mode {Intel and Nvidia haven't worked out the proper licensing agreements fee theDXS8S0 for SlJ support), as- well a s olleJlQe >:.4 slot, a pair of rCIe xl slots, and a single pctelot. overall, the DXS8S0's layout is good, putting most ports in easy-to-reach spots at the peumeter of the board. The hear-sink designs let you fnsrall huge coolers without worrying abcut.conflicrs.A small snap-on fun, lit by a bllIeLED. is included fer the chipset heat sink.It's somewhat loud, however, so YOl{U waot ro forgo it unless you're pushing up thL'i' hcst clcck ffe.qLl'ilflCY.

Though it lacks the extreme features of the ether motherboards we looked et.the Intel DX5BSO is a stable, well-equipped platform wltb a good set.otoverclocklng tea Lures rot both casual tweakers and hard-core perform ance fans. -D.A.

The First Desktops.

Fillt:on NQrthwest'Talon

Editol"S· Rurll.g; ~ out Il'f J[l

Pro.,; Orten:IOo:king re;:uIL5. in very good pertcrrnence, BIi.J-r.ayfHO OVO combo drive included; ~atlyo.-gaiii7!;d Interior

Con.g: Price ls SO~.ii1 high given the perform::mo;e; limited IJPgrllck pQ-tenti13l; monttor net nduded

AS ONE OF THE EARLIEST 'new gpming syslems built on [ntel"s Core i7 processing family and the new X53 chipset, falcon Northwest's new'Ialon desktop is in a tricky place, rt ctfers Impresstve pertcrmanee at 011 price ($-2:99S) that while. hardly cheep, represents the direction lntel's

new technology will undoubtedly take the industry as It spreads. Unfortunately, that adusvemaru is darnpened by-at least one competing system that provides more and charges less.

We're. thinking specifically ortsuypower's Garner Paladin F8l0-SB ($ee review below), which matches rhe'Talou in most crucial ways. Both h ave 6GE of rrtplechannel DDR3 memory and both tun the 640bit version ofwtndows Vista Home Premium, so nota kilobyte oftbatRAM

is wasted. Bctb have two optical drive-s:

<"I Bl~J·TaY/lIDDVD.::ombo drive and a DVD±RW: Bach also has a f-terabyte (1B) hard drive. a duaI-GPU Au Radecn j-lu 4870X2 2CB graphics card for outstanding 30perfonnance, and the Asus P6TDelux,e

motherboard (se:-e 'review above)

11)2 hLgge5itdiff@renoo-belWQGli them

in terms of hardware is me processor. The OOUypm.WfPC USi;'S themidnmge Gorei7· 940, with a dock speed af2.93GHz .. while thetalon uses the low-end 2.6GGHz Core il~9Z0 cverdocked to 3_2GHz_ Since the processors are- identical except for [hell clock speeds, this Led to P('7l(;tiC<'lll.y Jdentical r-esults in our benchmark tests. In prodncuviry and gaming rests alike, we saw practkallyno discernible variations in terms of eapabilities.The blggest jump we recorded was when we-ran Futuremarks PCMarkV;;inta~ full-system producrfv-

Ity tesuThe'Ialcn 9<".111"100 iii score of r ,728, while the isuypower nabbed a 6,425. In every ether case. the differences wee, at IRst,negLigib!.e.

So the deciding factors became-price and extras. And in those areas tbe'Ialon didn't quite match up to the F&70-SB. At $2,1·99. the iBuypo~vermad1ine00sts about $500 less than the Falcon :NOIt'hwesL-and you get a monitor. that faster processor (ripe for still more cverclockingto even higher speeds), and mere elrpand:ability~s part of the deal,

Compared with the f"B70-SS. the'Talon leeks positively sedate (or, irYOlI prefer. adult;: a glossy black box from front to back, top to bottom, (The [font pan .... l, hidden behind a drop-down door- and sporting fourUSB ports, a rfrewtrejack, and headphone-and microphone connectors, doesn't spoil [he Ilnes.) But Inside you have room for only one more hard drive and

one more external 5.25~,i:nch drive. lfln~ting future expansion more than the lBuypower

pes massive case does.

The iOOO-riOT, though.is tmpeccacly neat and organized.with cables and wires tied cut.of the way leaving vast open spaces

for tree airflow'Tbe selection of rear-panel oonnectors(€i.ght USB, a combo Ps/2, digital and eight-channel audio, two GigatilEthemet, and one each eSA"fA and FireWire) is the sarne as on (he iBuypowel; the'Ialcn's multifotmat card reader also includes a 3.5-inch floppy drive, which lheiBuypow-

Don't.get us wrong: The'Ialon is a tinernadune, anelegantaltemative to the brasher illuYJlOweT and the systems like ~t we're srartingtc S~. But tharprice difference is' a significant one, not least because enother system based on the'lalcrrs same Core i1-920 CPU,lhe Gateway FX6800-Ole (s-ee the nelltrevieYJ), offers Qutsta.nding

pertormence at a still-lower price $1,249. With Corei7, you get a let of power thet.ycu don'thave topaya lct r~r, So when you do shell out extra. you want tcmake surethat ycu'regettiugyoue money's worth. Ccnsider.ing the inir::i.al Core i7compe-tition, with Fekon rcorthwesrs ralonyou'renot, -M.M.

Gateway FX6800-Dle Edilol"S' ~alin9~ tS cut of 10

Pros: Out:icanu1n!l perfOnTIilrlc:t- ror Ire price Cons: Lrrrsted sreemel expansion

SunOf.Nl.v. $l,~49 goes a lot furrne-r than it used co. Thers the puce ofceteweys new FX6&IO-0li;" I}Im~ngpc' 1'IlJ"ail;:lble

exclusfvelyarBest Buy stores.It's based on lntele new Core Ir plauorm and offers performance that, until recently; you could only bey for hundreds of dollars more.

Fer example, the iBuypo',l.terC(Jmer Haf9SE we reviewed in last months issue barreled through most of our benchmark tests with '" facility we've seldom seen fOT machines at irs $1,999 price. Bu t in CNery test, Ule-FX6800-01e either just surpassed the ffiuYIJOwers scores or came very close 00 (lQing so-no mean foot,g1VEln the $750 price difference, 't'he Gati!lJJayn-eeded just

3 minutes and 36 seconds to complete our WindQ\IJ'!lM-ed_i~,Encodellest(lJersus !he iBuypower·s Sminutes and 30 seconds), for exarnple.and Sminutes and <]·2 seconds to finish ourflunes conversion task (theiBuypower needed Smtmnes and 21 seconds).

The benefits of the Core i7 processor

to the FX68(X)..Oie are even mora striking when you compare it with another system in the same general price raoge.Dell's $1,129 Studio Desktop (see review on p. 21) fell. behind in every area, with 01 Cinebencb 10 score of9,364. Windows Media Encoder and inmes results of-l mtnutss and 8 seconds and a mloutes and 54 seconds respectively and a result or 4 .. 972 in PC.MarkVantage.1'1lat.'s all-we have to mentlon-ewithcut the extra gaming punch the PX6800-01e bas because of its 512MB All RadeonHD 48$0 g:aphks card.

The most interesting part of the FX6800·01e, however, Is that it packs all Ibis power despite being based on the lowest-end Core i7 CPU currently available, the 2_66GH? Cor¢.i7·920. Because of'tbe shift heralded by this processor, we expect mal this system is only the firstctmauy that will radically reshape the midrangePC market over the next year.

corroute-sbocoer.com JS"lJ~ry 2009 79

On top of that; this coufiguration ts.at test, otherwise ordinary'True, the FX6800- Ole-has 3GB ofDDR3 RAM t;,:I_kingfull advantage of Core i7's triple-channel memory conliguration, BI.Jt, since for a while now we've been seeing evert mainstream systems wil:h 4GB, this is hardly surprising. The same goes: for the-750GB hard dive, which is momybut not. unusually so> .md the sing1e DVD;I;RW drfve.a common furnishing. (The operating system rs the 64,-bit version of-Windows vista Home Premium, likewise par for

the current ccmputing ccurse.)

TIle case, too, is essentially wbat youf expect from Gateway's gaming line: basic black with oopperrughlighLing{indudinga gianl, stylized UFX" on the sideJ that.looks like uncertain edginess.Inside, you've got space far one more extemal Ez'i-ineh drive and tor onehuemal av-Inch drive. (A third bay on the outside of the case contains Cateway's new Media C011o:o1 ceme; whicb lets you browse througb photos, music, and so on without needing to pick IIp the mouse) 1\IJo G-'XternaUy accessible, slide-out trays will let you easily add one or two SATA drives for more storage. You also have three free RAM: slots, though other expensicn is harder to come by You have

80 Js.nlrary 200g corroute-sbocoer.com

Express (FCIe) -;.;:1:6 slot.and one

pete-xl( stor=the graphics card and a modem occupy the other two slots.

On the rear panel, you'll find two PS/2 slots for connecting a mouse and keyboard, a nine-pin serial port, two eSATAjac:ks,

::;i)! USB pons, OT1:e F1.reWire potr, and (he traditional.Ethernet and eight-channel audio hookups. There are actually two trentpanels. cue en the front of the machine, which houses the expected headphone and microphone jacks, along with another PireWim pen; and one on

the top of the case.sporting a multiformat card reader, two USB ports, and a Copy totten for quickly copying your cards' contents to YOVt hard drive. (A similar no-hassle Backup button is also located

on the from of the case to make saving files regularly a snap]

But.mostgamers will probably consider aLI this secondary to lhe FX6300-01e's 3D prowess. While not exceptional. by the grand standards of herd- c ore entbusiasts, the results we saw were. remarkable given the machine's price and are tinQHybringin.B serious gamingpotentletmto the hands of even those on strict budgets. we recorded

J63.1 frames: per second (fps) on Company cf+leroes in Direcl:X 9 (DX9) and S3.'8fps

in DXlO at a resolution of ],28Ox1,024, both excellent scores. 'there were drops at 1,6OOx1,200 that resulted in frarnerates of 99.1fps and 41.5fps respectively, which are still verygocd showings.At 2,S6Ox.l,600, we were less satisfied: The 53.1 fps in DX9 remains <'I solid score. but the I? ]fps in DXIO is considerably less so. The system's 3Dlvfal'kVantage score of21,903 at the Entry preset was dose to the Buypower Gamer Haf 9S['s of22,63.3, though that ditterence also widened as the-resolutions increased

Thamcral is thatwhsn Jt ccrnes [0 hi)j)power, high-resolution gaming, there's no magic-bullet as tal: as the prccesscr is concemed---l3i kiLlet GP(J:i~ wharreallymakas the ultimate differellC'e, But performance ofthe kind that the FX6800-01e doles out will be more- than enougb for mosrgamers who donl need to play at the stratosphericslly high resolutions that the most powe:rful graphics cards offer.If you fall Into that -C!Itegory, you'll be able to spend a whole

lot more money on gam~ end play them b€tter than you could a year (or even six months] ago.-M.M.

IBloIYpow-er Gamer Pali'!Jdln F870-SB f:dilol'S'1=li}Ul1g~ S (Jut ol 10

PrU5-: E:x~llent performance, lT8 hartl dJ'iv.e, Blu-roylHO 0\10 reader il"id~d

Cans.: Net e-erv gElt"l'le- benefits Irom Core i7 technology

ts 'I'HE iBuypowerGamer Paladin F870-SB 01 glimpse into the future ofreasouably priced high-end gamingccmputers?

Clven how quickly ~\Khnology can change, its herd to say for sure. But this $2,499systern demonstrates that the advent of Intel's new Core 17 processing platform can spell only good lhing; (or garners-and their

One of the most impressive systems we ;;aw last year was the Cyberpcwer Gamer Infinity Sl.l 8800 (in fact, we named it Gamin,gDesktop of tbeveerm our annual Top icorrccues of theY~ar rcursdupj.one

of the earliest Penryn-based systems, It retailed for $3;299. Less man a yeer later, the Gamer PaladinJ'870-SIl comes dose

to march,:tng_fl: tn almost every area we tested-for $800 less. That's how fur things heveprcgressed

The last.lauvpcwe- system we tested W<lS the GameY:!--J<lf9SE, in the previous

issue, ,.vhichat$l,999 seemed like Q: steal. Whtle

we're not convmced that every gamer will get$500 worth of extra benefit out

of the FB70-SB, even in this sheri time period there have been some major advancemeres in value fbr perlormance.At all resolutions (:1,,281))11,024, l.,6OOx1,200, and 2,5-6011.1,600), our Directx 9 (OX9) Supreme Commander tests hovered with the new system around 53 frames: per second (tps)~ the Gamer Haf 9SE averaged around 4)fps.(n OUT othe:rDX10 tests (CornpanyofHerces and Cell ofluareaj, the two systems were in ast a tistical dead heat stratght down the line. The big divergence happened on our Dxto-based Puturemark 3DJvlarkVamage tests: The F870-SS's scorss

of 33,232, 15,390. 10,278, and 7,203 (at the Encry, Performence.High, and Extreme presets, T~$l~livel'j) uctlceabiy surpassed the GamerHaf 9SE:'s results of22,633, 12,613, 9,458, and 6.985, This Is despite both systems using the same powerful dualCPU graphics card, e 2G.B AllRadeon HD 4370)(2.

'tWo bigdiffer.ences between the 5ystem5 help explain the discr-epancy, both related to Core i7. The firs[ to; the processor itself. The Garner Paladin F870-SB uses a midrange 2.9JGHz Cmei7-94tJ; the Gamer Haf9SE used a 2.83GHzCotii: 2QI.lad Q9SSQ.Th~ second ismemory; The F8l0-SB uses 6GB of

BENCHMARK TEST RESULTS

~II as headphone and mlcrcphcne pcns and

a 12-folTJ1at flash-card reader On the rear panel, you'll see eight more USB ports and a combo PS/2 pert tmeaning ycu can cormect an old-school keyboard or mouse, but

PRODUCTIVITV TEiSTS [In-eberuhlD(M-Elit) J7,GG1 Windows MVdiaEn~cdw g-'---"-31tr (MmUl:e5:SK(I(ld~)

--ifli";i_·C;;.;Ymj:cn-·-···-·---··-3~2-···--·--··--·-}42--·----·----1:.{g:----·-----

(MlnL'I.E!S::;l!(ood~)

-Futurc-m-:iir"Pt"Pdnrk Y:mtlllgo;> 6A2,s-

(64-BiIJ

triple-channel nOR3 memory, while the l;-{af9SE used 4GB of dual-channel DDR3 (1be operating system was. in beth cases, (he 64-bit version or Windows vista Home Premium.and thus able 1.0 use all of that memory)

Aside from the hard drive-cone terabyte now, versus 500GB then=the systems were quite s!'miiaT_ Both had a

~EATURE COMPARISON

DVD:tRW drive and a Blu·..-ay/HDDVD combo dr:ive; both came with a 20.1-indl Sceptre LCD monitor; and both ellen used the seme black and imposing Cooler Master Hafgeming case, which is loaded with fans end other ventilation, as well as industrial SE!)! appeal with tntricare grfllework and even a windowed side panel. (The case Is loaded willi expensionporential.too; three free external S.25~im:h drive bays and fum free internal :15-inch OTIe!3.)

01, Lh~C:am¢rPalQr:ljn.F870·SB's from panel are fourUS8 ports, one FireWlIe port, and one -e$A'li\ jack, all

not botb), 018 well as 15nf~-·-··-r......... digilal and ejgl"i[.,r;:hanne1 18i.9fp;;:--------~ audio-outs, two Ixhemet jacks, and cue mere each otFireW.ire and eSATA [The system uses Am:;;s P6TDeltJ)!emotherboard=see our review earlier in this stQ"ry.) There are also grommets fer hoses in the back, in case }Uu'd like to add an external liquid-cooling system to the rig at some potnt, Another 'feature of the case is a fill port on the top to facilitate add]~ngcoolant.

However you cool

[1:. tbis is a hot gaming system with a scorching price. Irs not quite the fastest we've seen, even within the Same general price range ([he-aforemen· doned Cyberpower trumped ltfn some areas), but ire a huge step up in capability-and dov ... m in price=compared with some of: our all-but-unaffcrdablepast leaders like theVigrn, Colossus and even the Allenware Area-St AIX we looked at last issue. It won't be long until those systems are soundly surpassed byPCs costing half, or even a third, of the prlce.Tbe G<l:mer Palamnl8;ro-s.B represents the first, bold steps in exactly that direcLion.-M_M

FillmnNr.rth'l'fHtTiJlon

WnOOS'RATIN:G

S.J

[DNFIGURATION Process.or

DIQE.CT?RiCE

computershcppe.com J:;If"tI~r)' 2009 81

Flash Da

ByMaHSaffo"'i

ce

USB flash drives are ublquitousand come in a dizzying mix of shapes and speeds. We test 10.

FLOPP¥·KILLING FLASH iad options a valleble cnlines we tested 10

DRIVES ere now sold nearly every- current models to heipycu decide wblch

where, from big-box retailers to the- drive is light for you, whetheryou need

corner drugstore, and with good teasorr gcvsrument-grade security spacious stor-

They're a cheap, pocket-tnencly reliable age.orjusta little bling for your key ling

way to carry important files between computers. With no moving paris-and new models available Jn capactues up

to 6'lGB-th~y may soon supersede the portable hard drive as well. If you're sl:I11 relying on a model with a paltry 5l2Jv1B of storage. you may want to consider upgrading Bigger 'l,GB drives :;J:~ availcble for under szo, and some roomy 8GB

Cor.sillr Flalsh Surv'ivor TheCol:Srur FLash Survivor is the tank ofour roundup-cit's designed to protect files, not

~~tl~::g'i' tD wcflO

Pros ~gg!ld, ~0318t1} illruilH-\lf<llJe<lurnioLID ,,,.

CoR5. ~low-av~l"i3ge s~~larSl('lor.a IrEdlcirive-

proof case- for camping rna tches, the drive is rather Large. taking lip mote space in your pocket than most flash drives do. lt's available in 3GB, 16GB. and 32GB capacities; we tested the

32GB version

The drive's average read Speed of 17.9MB per second is below the average of other drives in this group, and the average write speed also fared a bit below average, at an even 8MB per second. Clearly though, the intended users of this ('h"v~ will subject their 'hardware to wind and weather, and

models sell for less than $30. transfer them quickly. data safety would be a primary COl~-

But.are the flash drives avselable cu Encased in a sealed tube of aircraft- cern. For that purpose, this mod-s-l has

store shelves better or WOJ::se than the mvr- grade aluminum that mimics a water- few equals

82 J"r1U~ry 2009 coroputesl-ocper.con

Corsair Flash Voyager With a mensrrous 64GB of storage, the Corsair Flm;h voyager drive is certainly spacious enough for most users'

Pro.:Low~t~ 'ili~ioytll;miiS!ii1'e ~[f~foJal1~dr:i...e

UJ('E;$lCll'r'wlhe-spff'dS; iargi;o(W-a.Ha!lh ~rlvoe-j; ru~(~ng;dmOCI!; dusr

needs. It's also physically the largest flash drive we've tested recently.

Its read speeds wen; above average in our rests. at 19.6MB pe-r second, but write speeds were well below, at 6.2MB pel- second. That means you'll spend almost three hours waiting for this drive to fill up

The rubber housing gives [he drive

a durable feel, but dirt and dust love to stick 1.0 it, mekiug it, difficult to keep dean. Also. though the pric-e ($24,9.99 for tbe 64-CB III cdel) may seem steep, it worked out Lo only $3.91 pel gigabyte, maktugit cheaper by that measure than most of the flash olives WE' tested here. I t's als-o available in 4GB, BCB, 16CB, and 32CB cspacl tie-so

Imatial1Atom Don't Let

the small

size fool you=Ima-

tion's Atom USB flash drive Is one-

~~~~tlPlMnf10

Pras-Exlrernell';mal~ ~1Ii!~~rr5iw~n~r-t'lpnQ-l~hre-ad artd Wlile ~o:i5inDc~toloq.

solid performer.

In our tests of the 8GB model, the

G::JI ... E"~~tcoIOSE; SUfH!!wl-'l~lIIm"YbiJld: ooly~iOI)£upto8GB

Atom drtve m anaged an average

read speed of 2l.1M:B per second, which is nearly as fast as that of Kensiugron'sbuilt-fcr-speed HyperX drive. The average write speed of llNrn pel second was also im presstve for a drive so small, Among the 10 drives here. only the Sanfusk Extreme Cruze!' Con-

[our and Kingston Data'rtavelet Hyperx wrote files faster.

The Atom is about the wetgtu of a stick of gum and just barely Larger than Super Talent's tiny {but poky) Pice -C. With nearly the best performance Iu this group, OJ; re-asonable- SSO price tag on the 8GB model, and a form factor

so small you COLIld accide-ntally eatit. lmaticn's Atom is the best all-around

Rash drive here. Un fortunately, it's not yet available in capacities larger (han 8(;B. (It's also available in ice, 2GB, and

<1GB verslons.)

average lead speed and 73MB pel' second write speed ale slower than most flash drives we tested recently, though not bY::I lot. For someone who just

wants to carry around documents, mu-

~~ft',.w,,"i>· ~ outoflO sicand photos, the Data~.. Traveler 100 is plenty fast

ProsCl-'le.api-sI/TIPI",osdkl E'DOUgh. And its low $15-

d~5iIJl'r.o(iip tolosc price (for the 4GB model)

ChM.Sllgh\lybdow-- is hard to crlticiae in these

~1a.g1.'"1f<ldfv.rite~eds turbulent financial times.

Kingston DauTraveler '100 'The Kingston DSlIJ).'Ti· a veler 100 isn't a fast USB flash drive,

to be sure, but it's still a good budget buy,

The drive's 16.4MB per second

KEY CONTACTS

Corsair: www.corsalr.com Imalion: wwwlmettcn.eom Kingston:'www.klngston.c-om

PNY: I'II'Ww.pny.col'T!

SanDisk~ www.sandisk.con'l

Super "lalent www.supertelertt.com

Although the drive's protective casing is completely plastic, it feels soltd, and we like the way the USB plug slides inside the drive So that you don't have to worry about losing a detachable cap. You can buy iL in 1GB, 2GB, 4GB, 3GB, and 16GB capacities.

Klng5t<>n DataTrityullE!i' BI.ckBoJ<

Tbe pliu..>y DfJt~'Iraveler Blad:Box from Kingston turned in aboveaverage read a-nd write :speeds in OlJ, tests, but this drive is really about security

With 256-bit hardware-based Alf encryption, l~t's certified secure enough to carry government secrets. If anyone lodges a brute-force a track on this olive to hack your password, it will Lock down and rc format afterto consecutive failed attempts

11)e: securttyaspecus mirrored in me drive's constructiorc Its stainless-steel case feels as solid as tharof the tugged Corsair Flash Survivor drive, and it has a rnanfum coetmg deslgned to show-evidence of tampering, Unfortunately the prohibitive price ($327 drrecttor the8GBmodel1.Ve-l.eSt-ed)

Pros Ga.Rrrunent'.lfdrl~s~Hy;25fi.-bit ha«jv.r-E--baSedE'no-yOt!on;r'tforr'llats.afioer10 <1tbl~l>lOhil!:k"fll'Jr pa5SWO"d; fcrCf'liCOTlpI!:(pa5SWCI"~UUlfQI'1

i:ons~~t'l"i'rT1E'i""fl:pffi'S1\i1!i~r;~;lar9l!1I:lr;l fla91di~

hnDlsk UltlOl CrUZ..:lr Kl~llstan

Irn.-.tlM Amm rll~nllJm pru~ D~t~T.-:wo!l(!I"'OO

Klng~Orl

D~~rr ... v~r~r H\I'po!rX

I

will keep this drive out of the podcets of anyone wbo dcesn'tbevea governmentgrade expense account ~t's also available in 2GB end 4GB capacities.)

With an average read speed. of 22.7MB per second, the Hyperx

barely beat out Imation's much more waller-friendly Atom drive, The Hyper x had the fastest average write speed

of the group (13_ SNrn per second). but San Disk's Extreme Cruaer Contour finished just a hair behind and costs mu ch less per gigabyte,

If you're the kind of person who always 'needs the fastest, hardware, OT if you constan Uy read and write lots of files on different computers, the HypeiX might be worth the

cash. Bu t for everyone else, a slightly slower drive would be a much smarter purchase.

Kingston DoiIl.TrilYiilllii!r Hyp er X. Kingston's speedy Data'Iraveler RyperX is the fastest flash drive we tested in this batch. It's avail-

pres fi3SlesL drive Wf>'~ tesl~iJ,e'C:r\tly. sideiilsfooUSBJ:Aug.m ... arts nc ceetolcse

(£ms.B1iIref!o'I5SI~lhi'll oIher.mudldleoaper d~hlgra~tp!!l' gl9.q,~mll'~dild~l!iI1 .;;apacilli:SUj;ltoBGB

able in 2G.B, 4GB, and 8GB capacities; we looked a t the 4GB version.

FEATURE AND PliRFORMANCE COMPARISON

~= Eduers' Choice

84 J<.!OI.JOirY 2009 ccmputershcpper.ccm

Ktr1gsI:on OalilT",wlE-rlOO

excite LIS, either. It's an unremarkable, workmanlike-model, and you can find a better value in a oss key

Th-=At~c:h~ is small, ch..-ap,ljght,lilnd more than capable otstormg and transporting flles.tt's else one of the drives most commonly found in big-box retail stores. ltccmes in 1eB, 2GB,1GB, 3GB, and 16GB capacities; we tested the 8GB model.

Unfortunately the competingKingswll Dete'Ilsveler 100 offers slightly better performance at a lower per-gigabyte price, so it.rnekes sense to steer dear of the Attache drive if given a choice, But if you can lind itata ctsccum, Itdces a decent job of toling your files.

SilnOi5k ;:1I:b'eme rrueer Con[our

PNV Att.che We don't have any major complaints about PNY'sAttarne USB flash drfve, but it didn't

S.nDlsk

Exheme C ..... eer

ContDuf SanDisk's Extreme Cruaer Contour Is

a slick:-lookingUSn nash drive with theperformance to back up its hand-

Krng~on D~tilT;~vl!l(!r BllldBox

~~~:" til out of 10

PrmoDlJ:.<lp;~dl,;t)ll3-il marry r1lSlor refill CMln5

Comiife.rysjo..'writf" SP!*"d;belOVi-~r<!Ige (~~d

~~~~~~J tJ: out or 10

J1ms SlIdllJ&oi'lln; I"ID[<l1' 10010*; spHdyre-ad and wrjtoe,-spee<!s

r..ms R-<4d .. etir'l9Ire~r"((;t.lf! USB (Ml)Ii'ctor ta~ ~e\!~tin9u~~[>': ~(h~~~pel"l~ve;no

above-average read speed of

21.3Nm per second A v erage write speed was simil;Sll'lyimpres'S'iw, at13.2:ME per second. Those numbers put this drive's perfcrmence quiteclose tc Kingston's D~tall'al/eler HyperX-for aOOol,.30 percent

less money.

Ul1f(lTtun~leLy, the Cruser Contour doesn't come \vith a hole for hal'lgingit off your key dlai.n. SanDiskindl.ldes 3 case witb 01 small dip for toting the drive. butirs bulky, bland, and feels like it could easily break. We like this drive for its performance and good looks, but we recommend you carry it in your pocket just to be safe

We also like tile fact that there's no C<lp to lose-on Lhis tlash drive. but the two-step ratcheung mechanism that extends and retracts the USB connecter can be confusingatfirst and never feels qm'oo-ass-mool:h as it should

7.1

S.nDi ... '

U~b'. Ctu:r:.er Tit'anium PEus The Ultra Cruze r 'Iitaniurn Plcs is available only in a ccacapac-

PfQ!:.-:Ff~(jlllnl?til,;. bild:LIJ:l,(rLJg,-re-;islilnl meW! ('~; ebcveiIWl"~lO"foud~5

CDns-OnIIne-bac~up rE!-QUir@5';H.1U<illo?e-.3I~ ~~ rnanlhs;:w....Mile !;~&d'i; QnJy .;m::i1~1f' in 4aB~pa..;j1'i

Iry ln cur rests.Itceuvereda fastavol:roge read speed of 20.1JMBper second. but its ave.-age write speed of just 7.4MBper-seo:md is signkucanuy slower than many other olives we've recently rested This :is

surprising. considering Sanljisk's Cruaer Contour fared sc much 'oor~eJ'.

"Ibis drive somewhat makes up fOT its relatively sluggish write speed by offering free autcmatic cnline backup ofall files on the drive, 'I11e software doesn't work on a Mac, however, and a fter six months, you'll have to pay a $30 annual fee to keep hackingup your files. That makes thefeature far less appeeiing Unless you plan ou pay- 1.1'18(0 keepyour flles backed up online, we $.u~lYOu go wilh a drive with a faster write speed

Super Taha!nt PilCo·( Super'Ialanrs Pico-CIs impressively tiny and pleasingly sruny.Jt"-s also very tnexpensive. The 8GB model's cost per gigabyte is the lowest of all the drives here

The Pico-C is lighter

~~!;'~outOflO

Pros Swpersnall, Wfy iAA~p"ns,Mo.; chromoce

~~,~:.tri:~::~~

eon..v.eryslowwrite~d; maybe-loasmall f(f'~lfi1mlIibli!ijl"l ~_oocil!eSI~~Ii1"" BOS

than a nickel and it comes in rhrome cr

a gleaming. ~Id-plaled model. lts small size will tum heads, to be sure, but if you have big hands, you mjghl w.mtE,o~ fora slightly larger drive,

Al2J..3:MBper second, the picc-C's average read speed was quite mSL for a flash drive, but write performance wasn't so stellar; avera_gingjusL $,SM8per second But considering its price (the 8GB model

we tested costs aoola$29; 3 4CB one is alec available) and tiny size, it's a decent value. rt you can do without the blfng however, \'J(2 recommend piddngup the Imation Atom drive, It costs mere, but it's similarly small and delivers berter write performance,

How We Tested

In tM1ing these USB ~s. we di~colIlYM thatthe burSt.speed :lpecificatiDns citedl:ly mostmarartacnnors, far1l'1l;ot most part, mil VOU!Ie1')! little Bhout the drives' real-world parlormenee, To gl?l.a more rr<:tJlistic DWfll90 sp~, IQr both re;;lding <lnd writjng fdes.. we cre!l1aielGB test lolderpec'ked with one large (500MB) game-insu.H tile, plus dozoos of smaUer photos and MP3!l. We transferred the fotrJe.r to the drive-!l; (to test wmQ sp~) and rrom thB drives (to test read speed), perlo,ming each test three times and J'lVlK!'lglng the results. Werit'bm dividedlto gat1he speed in I'nQgabl'1as per saccod, Thal's right-WIll did all fhg math 1m VOu. Now just erermse us you'll think twlce before s~appin9 up the first USB key you see

at Fi:itl1-l\id.

conpctershcoce.com Jar;~J"ry 2009 85

Here's a solution. A simple RAM upgrade from Crucial can give you what you'r-e warting for, at a fraction of the p'rice of a new s~tem. That means you can enJoy more sp'eedj easier multrtasktng,

enhanced multimedia experience, and more-c-all without breaking the bank. I features limited lifetime warranties, great technical support, and free shipp'ing.*"

www.crucial.com/computershopper to I

f:1201jj! LI!:J:.1r Mecj,~ In(. A'~ rlght~ rescrvee Inrco..,.,al con ~~ ~(lbJ<!ct te ~r,a"!Je w'll"Icotl~ nenoe oue ~L the Crue ~I ~ogo. arid rhe lV1el'1'wv Experti are l'.1f!~(J"I~(~~ ... l"ItI~~{~,(" Milr"'- 0' llilio:t'llfl Teml"l(ili:l!ly. ~I"I(.AII OIh~(lrJrI~fI1m1<.~ ... ro i_\tr, ..... OOFll!rty 01 tr.~ (re!pM'~(! Owr1N! lhllr ""etl,;" I .. ,.:. .1111. Ui~~ol.yoOl M,~mn TedlnClFtl'!JY JIlC Lco_oar MC"dlil. 111"- ~n[J1 f"''f:IOP' pI!> for Clr"1"~ mrt oren-tin In tvlloJ-tJrilphyOr photCl\j'apily Af1"'I1'''''' 30 "031)1' ilfl"r pllbl,ta"on

COMPUTER CURES

COMPUTER SHOPPER'S EDITORS SOLVE YOUR TOUGHEST TECH PROBLEMS

'ii@i'~ii"iM3-5iilimii

Whenever I rmn my computer 011, I have to ccnstnntly dnmg:f' iJlf" ti,"<, Il;wi oat!' uz serl1;rl- beJel-re I cnu I()~ on. ~ press F2 Clnd have to d"(H19~ it.) Catl ym.1 tell me why this is" l1(1pp!'Flillg and wh[lt i run QO t<lJh:lt?

CARDl'.LL GR!::EN

[=------< Assistant EditO.' M"ttSirlford

t:harges to the- rescue:

I The most likely ........ cause- of any ,PC

• tl~at cau'r keep

the right time is a problem with the CMOS battery. This ba uery resides on tile motherboard and helps the- PC retain its prebootup settings.

A good first step is to leave the computer on for 24 hours to see if tile batteryrecharges itsel [If that doesn't work .. ho\ ... ·ever~ you're going [0 have LO crack open your case and replace Ir,

Unplug you r PC first, then open

up the case. Before touching any of your- PC's internals, make sure you touch sornethtng metal other than your computer, or part of the PC's metal chassis. (You den 't want <I

sta ric: charge to (yy scmeth-ng and cause more problems.) You might consult your PC's Of motherboard's manual tor help finding the battery, but with a Ilasblight.Jt she uldn't be hard to locate. Look ever the surface of the motherboard for a silver, burtcn-ebeped disk about the size of a quarter, mounted horizontally or vertically.

Once you find the battery it. should pop out easily. though you may have to press in 'a clip or lever, depending on your m ctherbcard model. (As an aside, we'd recommend writing down

your BIOS settings before doing this. but if your system clock is malfuncrtcntng, you've very likely lost any saved settings already. il:nyway.) Take the battery to an outlet that sells coin-cell batteries, such (IS Radioshack (www.radtosh.sck.comj, and gel an exact replacement.

Before popping in the new battery, remember to discharge any static electricity again, Install the new battery in the same way you took the old one out, making sure the polarity is COIT-E'cL Close up the case, plug YOUT PC b a ck in, and tum it on. Fix the time once more, and your PC should no longer- have trouble keeping it.

m'·'4;i1~ii#.I;I#.t'111

r }-eCfl'ltf~ started priJ!tlng 9ro~'er)' c I)I.!pons from the- Web, cl ud 1 tn',d to download (J utii ity cnlled Coupon Printer to do SQ, J like tho t the utility puts up rc three coupons on (I P1l90!, but I wish it iet me chanoe tile- print setl1"J1gs _first. ElIeTY peae prints in fuji miOT on my ~·tlkjet printer, taking lip time ami ink, and there's 110 opp(};rtlillity to c'umge the prim scttin:£ls bejcre it prints. 1 want to chang-e the defauit settinas, but J can't jig<,r!' out how to do that on my c~ 110,1 Pixtuc MX700. Is i~ possible?

AMY DALl.MANN

Senior Editor

S~rah E_ Anders,,!) eeeks :up !II solution:

Priming ou t online coupons Is a great L_._,., ..... =_ way to aave money, so long as il doesn't cost you more

in ink than yOU\IJOU Id have saved on your grocenes! 11.'s posst ble to prtn t. these in gray scal-e, but the- mstrucLions will vary depending on your printer, You're riglit about th e Coupon

LSii!L:..F:::or:...m=o::.:re:::~c~o:;m~p~ut~e!::r5~h~o~p~pe~r.~c~om~.~/;!;h~o~wt~O~1t

hinter utility and that there's no way to work within it-you have to hit "print" from inside the 'I.-'J~b page, and then tt just prints without a prompt to allow fOT settings changes. (The software is tightly controlled to keep users from printing dozens of the

same COUPO[)_)

While you can't change Coupon Printer's defaults, if your printer software allows, you can create a "coupon printlug" profile that you can Leave active all the dme. Alternatelv, you can switch between the default and coupon-printing pro files :oJS needed.

Here's what you'd do with your Canon prin ter. Go to Control Panel

::> Printers and Faxes, right-click on YOUT printer, and s elect Printing Preference-so Under the Main tab, seteet these settings: Plain Paper. Alita Sheet Feeder, Draft (or a similar lowquality setting], end Grayscale Printing. {111e names of these settings may wry on other printer models.) Then go to the Profiles tab. (This, too, may vary; it may be in the form of 8 "save favorite settings" menu or something similar,)

Or. the left, Current Settings should be- highlight-ed. Click Add to Profile-s, type in Coup ens. and dick OK. The Coupons profile should now appear on the left Double-click it

to retrieve it A message will appear asking if YQIJ're sure you want to do this; click OK. Then click Apply and OK to exit.

The printer will use the COUpOlJ settings uuul you change it bade

You can switch it back by repeating these steps and selecting Defaults, OT, Ifyou're in a program and ready to print something else, just dick Print :>Preferences (ur Ptoperues). and you'll reach that same dialog box again.

cemputershopper.com J1'II1U(31)' 2009 87

COMPUTER CURES

iJ ';,lp.,aihh-iu-n'f'

I'm currently tl-uildi~J!l up an HTPC find need some injb" J-jOLU ccn fuse' the COmpiJ[er in aile room while iisfn9 Windows Vista's Media Center QfI I:l tdcLlfs~·on III -t1l1(1the:r:, uSing the seere computer?

Also, in order Co ooke ad~(llIW~e of high-definition lJirieQ and audio, J'U nee-d to gE!t cards with 1111 HDMI 011[· pnt. Is it true lhn t all HDMI video card UJiH only Sf:od video urJd llnHDW

sound cmri will o'I~Y do the- (maiQ?

ffthis is t~Je C(l'S!', tJ,OlV IJJQukllgd

both the aw:fio Mid uideo inro one

HDM1 illPut 011 at! NV recenrer?

JON ROljSS~AUX

Editor-in·(hief John A. Burek mediates the lssue.

Your first question is ,-",-,-",_,_,--, easily solved: You'll want a Media Center Extender. These devices are made- tor exactly the purpose you suggest making use of a Media Center PC en ;;i"tV set that's in alocation distant from the computer, {Note- that you'll need to be rurrrung Wmdows

Vista Home-Premium aT Ulttmate.) Extenders work via wired networks or wireless streaming; devices (Ire offered by Linksys, Dvl.irik; Hewlett-Packard, ano others. Microsott's xbcx 360 can also serve as all Extender.

An alternative is running long video (DVI', HOW, orVGA) and audio cables from yow-PC to the'tv set.Jn the ether room. but YO~l may enccunrer signal troubles when using overly long cables, and you'll tun into the major complication of conIroll.ingthe PC from the orher rocm. Unless the PC is within range of whatever remote control you're tlsing{unlikely), you'd need to bounce your remote control's signal

via ancillary hardware to the PC_ A Media Center Extender handles all that.

NOl so simple is the f-IDMJ cormecdviry issue. Whether video and audio can be cartied over the-same cable depends on your OS (for WLndol,i,l"S. you'll need Vista or XI') and yourhardware. Onboard sound and video can be canted ever a singlll' HD"1IILI cable only if the specific motherboard and chipset support it; if tbey don't, you'll have to make a separate (non-HOMI) audio connection between the Pc and AN receiver,

88 Janu:.'l'i' 2009 rcnputershcppe.com

I No:>td a Medi~
," C~lItct'D::kncil!r?
If'yQU own en
c. Xbox 3-60, y~~
.; already haue m'lC Lfyou'li be ustng e dedicated video car-d, it depends on the card. Certain ones, such <IS many models in ATIJs Radeon HD 2000. 3000, and 4000 series, can carry audio and video avera !li:ngleHDMI" cable. but you'll need to check thet the peracute- kinds of audio feeds you intend to transmit are supported. (f'OT example, net all ftD)Al-audiocapable graphics cards support eightchannel audio, if that's important to you.) Also, some-A11 cards move the combined HOM audio/video over a specialDvl-toHDML adapter that may nctbe bundledask for details when buying the card.

HOW DEEP IS YOUR SLEEp?

WiU:-'l shutting dOLml my bome-ojjice desktQP jQr the -tltlY. is it best to leave it in the stnndby mode, hibenlatlon mode, ur simply s:l-a.t ft dOWIl (ol)lpTetely?" WI-!rl rs your recommendation, iHJd VJhy~

PAUL SAI\IS£VHO

Manag ing Editor Janat"an '~al,lseat puts the !5sueto'''rest'':

The default.choices Windows XP offers on [he shutdown menu are'Iurn Off and Stand By. (ShutDown <'Iml Sleep are the options for Vista users.) When you put your computer into standby mode. you're basically telling it to take a brtefnap.tt uses less power; but it doesn't shu L down any applications or save- the state of your system to the hard drive. It saws energy by shu tt:ing down nonessential hardware such as peripherHis and fans.

An additional mode, hicerrratlcn. writes everything in you!" computer's memory to the hard drive, shutting do-wn your system almost completely. Because 0-[ [1"11s, it takes your PC a little longer to start. back up from hibernating. Since your data has be-en saved to thehard drive before hibernation, tb e PC skips its full boot pmcess and loads whar was "Written [0 the bard drive back into RAM, and the applications that were running stan up as Hnothing

had happened.

YOI,.I may need to turn hibematicn on, however. To enact the htbematicn option in Wmdows XP, dick the Performance and Main terrance icon

in tile Control Panel (a necessary), select Power Op lions ::. Hibernate tab. ail d pur a check markin the "Enable hibernation" box, If til e option isn't there, Windows does not SllPPOTt this option with yOWl" hardware. vou'Il then need to set the length of Lime your

PC is idle before it hibernates; you do this: on the Power Schemes tab, 01'1 the drop-down menu labeled "System

hibernates."

vista offers an additional shutdown option, Hybrid Sleep, a combination of sleep and hibernation that saves your work to both memory and your hard drive, and then pu ts your pc into 'Powersaving mode. It should be enabled by default; to check, access it via Control Panel > Power Options, dick "change plan s-ettings" for your power-saving scheme, then "Change advanced POWg er settings." The-re. unfold the "Sleep" and "Allow hybrid sleep" subm enus. (In the same lo-cation, you can also enable xp-style hibemarlon.)

Standby/sleep and hibernation both save your WOJ;k so yO\J can pick lip right where you left off, buts-hulling down forces you to close all programs and start fresh. Our advice: lf you're leaving your computer fer a little while and would like to quickly resume what you were doing. standby/sleep is best for short periods of downtime, and hibernate is best for longer ones. I r YOll don't need to immediately pick

~JP where you left off or don't want to save your da ta in open pTograms, then urm off your PC. Ratnembet; though, that if you plan to replace any of your hardware, you must first WI'n the computer completely 0("[

COMPUTER CURES

e For more: compulershopper.com Iforums

t·'i.g'ij,.,.iii.,.J.1i

J'm I1p~radf"il my MIct'01iQ/,'Offir;:e 2003 Student & 'lecrher softu;.tlre to Office Home & Student 2001. Since d!c new version "I Office Home &. Student doesn't indnde O~~t,iQQk, r'm gn-in!} to beue to c hange to 0 [~tlook Express for my e-mail.

rUE! tried to move my contacts jrom Ojjt~ look 00 O[.ctioQk Express, alld my atlempts ".ave been unsuccessful-crhe cddresses do not geterttered into the Address Boob in OutiQali Expr-!'ss_ As. fl;lr (IS !TlOVlng my A:rdlillf files, r rltti WIc1 ~I!! [,) Jitlrlwhe-fe r cen import PST Jiles into Outl"o'k Expn2'ss jrorn Outlook. J'$ ther-e a W(lY to import my .[Jck(ress b(loOk (md Arcllfue files fram OuLlook [IJ Ot~trook Exprl?SS? MYll.NA. AND DON PH".!'

(OE) would be a one-click piece of cake, ccnsideringborh programs are Microsoft creations. Although Of: does offer tools fOI importing your Outlook a ddressbcok and messages. they don't always work properly. There ere solutions, but theyumvolve a bil of elbow grease,

Getting your Outlookcontacts tuto OE isn't difficult, Th export your bst otcontacts, you should first save it as a comma separated values(CSV) tile. In Outlook', go to File > Import and Export. and choose ~txport to 9 file," Frcrn there, pick "Comma Separa ted values (Windows)," then browse-to the c-ontacts folder you mot to export from the nee, Choose the LOG;l don and a name for the f.il.e,:amd hit Finish.

Now that YOUI' file has been exported. you'll fmpcrt Ittntc Of:. In OE,go [0 me> Import, and pick Other Address Book When the.Adoress hnport'Ibol window pops up, plck"n;.}(t File (Comma Separated values)," and locate the e-xported file you just saved OE wm transfer rhe Outlock contacts 1:0 its Contacts list, and you're done, In our tests,

outlook ~Pl!;,SS successfully pulled ln all the names, e-rnscl sddresses.and phone numbers associated with cur contacts.

ThE" Outlook Express import function carr easily migrate your Outlook Mailbox messages into OE·s Jnbcx, but transferring-your archived mail is 8 'little trickier. The problem is thar your Al'chi,w.-Folders in Outlook are saved as .PSTfiles, whereas OE uses a dif fetent file type, .DBX. You could download

an epp thet.converts your exported Archive Pcfder file into .D'SX, but we haven't seen

one that works well or thar. We rrestlt you

go this route, youd use the same "lixpon to

a Iile" Iuncrion rneruioned eatlise.chcosing "Personal 'File folder (.pst). ~ Select the Archive Felder from the tree.check the "Include subfolders" box, and save the file-we saved it to our wfndows desktop.

111e best solution we've found is: to move your Archive Folders back Into YOU! Mailbox and then have ali move those folders automatically Un fortunately if you have tens of thousands of messages like we do, this could take a while,

TIP OF THE MONTH:

A GOOD TIP BEARS REPEATING

A reader nom Colorado elaborates on a tip submitted <I few

iss ties ago by "Up of the Month" winner Ben Kim, and it's worth noting. Sometimes the simplest tweaks deliver big results.

Here's a go.od head:!H.p for yotc- readers. The tip in the "Computer CUTes" September edition, p_ 98 (OT oi'ljine nt (:om:pu[.e,rshopp.er.cotn/how[olc.ompu[er-(:ur.es-july- 2008). regclY(iilJ9 improlling performance- for Windows XP, also wcrks just jine fOr W~nd{lws Vista!

I ad§ws:cec;l my \Ilstc.l d'eskiop Ulcl<:(jlntJ f"UOWI119 r},,, sur9glls· tion to "AdjustfoT best p!'r_fonnancE!,'" .(lmi J call see a noticecble iucrecse ill speed. if my choice )-s betureen (1) J<:lncy gl'apliics umi (2) speed, I'll choose speed every time. 'lll(lnks~

RAt:?H B_ JACOSH_N

Send us your favorite tip, arid you cccld receive LI veer's sobscnptlontc Comput&' 5JlOppel.

"Computer Cures," Computer Shopper; 72 Madison Ave., 10th Fl, New 'vOrl<, NY 10016 comput2r.C\.H'[email protected]

Please includeyoor name. Due to the rvmber of letters we receive, we cannot provide personal replies. nor ratum any enclosures,

~ti 1±1f' 'iettin~~ you wentto U~ tnf'tn~'li)lP~~lJ!lce"".f1d I"-"I'Mrl'Nlll'"lte!.ofWlndow5 DI'I !J,ls c-ompul:er,

10 AMlate taI'Iuc.'s and ~l'Ii!I'1blmO! .... fndo'NS

~ fJ..nmate Windo'N5.·when mJrOmIi1nQand rnaldTi2h;J' [[I Enable: desltop composi'l:ion I:lJEnablli!traruiPilll!l'ltglas.i

~ Fade Of ~id .. rnerrus i1ID Ij'Tf'w

In that tip, M!'_ KIm suggested going into X?·s Control Panel and selecting System (in Advanced/Classic view]. Once the system Properties window appears, click the Advanced tab, then the Settings button in the Performance section. YOII would then select the "Adjust fer best performance" radio button to disable Windows XP"s special effects.

III Vista, the process is similar, though the navigation is a IJnlQ dlfferem: 111 Control Panel (in Vis~:s def a ult view, not Classic view), click System and Maintenance ;;. Performance Infcrmaricnand'lbols. Select ~Adjugt visual effects" from tbe'Tasks "panG- sr lMt. and, In the Performance oprrons window that pops up, select. the ~Adju1;iit for best performance" radio button

computershoppe.com January 2009 89

No need to splurge on pricey photo-finishing softwareVista's tool is all you need.

Perfect Your Dig itall mages

1

5t.art Photo Gallery

Lau l'iching Windows Photo Callery is easy: The iron is light on your Start menu. Click the Stan button in the lower-left corner of your screen (it's got the Windows vista icon on it) to bring up the Start menu. You mighl find the Phctc Gallery teen right on the initial menu, but.if you don't, click All Programs and search for it in

the alphabedcal llsrmg ofprogr a ms that comes up. Click it to start the-program.

BY MATTHEW MURRAY

DIGITAL CAMERAS MIGHT BE the most convenient invention ever for preserving memories-lots of them, But going from snapping the images to sampling them isn't always easy. You can buy software with advanced editing and organizational features-Adobe's Photos hop Elements being one of the best-known-but you don't need to.

If you use Windows VIsta, you already have access to a powerful tool: Windows Photo Gallery- With it, you can perform simple editing functions, sort your photos, and even view them in slide shows and send them over the Internet.

90 JlY!l.I:(uy 2000 coreputesbocoer.ccrn

Add photos, fast and easy

Hvcu already have photos stored on your compute; the first seep is to ge~ them Imported into PhOLO Gallery so you can work with them.

Click the file menu in t11E- black bar at the top of the Photo G-allery window, then click Add Folder to Gallery. Navigate to the Location of the folder-on your computer [the folder: is probably eitherMy Documents or iii subfolder witl'1in'it), then cUd:: OK. The folder will be added to [he folder lis! at the-left side of the PhOlO cajlery window.

You don't necessarily need to have already saved yam photos on your computer. It they're sdll on your camera or i,f YO~J have one-ready to scan, Photo Callery c-an help there, too. Make-sure your camera or scanner is connected to your computer and powered on. Click the File menu again, and then click the 'Import from Scanner or Camera option. 'fhisb!ings up a list of devices enached to your computer; C1J.d. the one from whid1 YO~l want to gee, the 'images, then click the Import button,

If ycu're scarmlngfn au im;:;ge', you'll see a dialog boa that lets you choose the image type. spedfy the color lotmat ardresolutton, and so on. When YO~I'te done.click Preview to make sure everything's okay, then dick Scan

Wben you import a group of photos, 'Photo Gallery gives you the opportunity to add a tag tc it.Iust type in the name of the tag you want to use, and hit Enter; the new tag name for the group

~..:.I"'~ __ "'_ .ldI!'_"'c..&.y

.:.IN_ ~r-r.c.........~~_

.il~="""""'" ~ I .....

• hi! ~J;C_.~i"" t)~'I,.g;;Jta

~=- ~!.fi6~

You can add oontent dlNlctly from a dlgH;.] camera or scanner usrng tnelmport Pictures :<tid

Vlc:l .. os Jntertace.

lI:-uw d~ ....t...,!"' .. ...,....~ .. "'"'~"' ..... ~_~~ q ._lrd I~ !h.1 .... pI<I ... ~~tI.lI ....... j~""maa...P..Iirnh.

J

will appear under tags in the left section of the Photo Gall~ window'Thls win makait easter rc organi2eyour photos later.espedally if you have a lot of them,

3 Enter useful information ilbout your photos

Once Photo Gallery contains all your pictures, you might want to add information [hat will be embedded in the file itself. This will give anyone who eVE'1 sees [he image the backstory only you call impart; n will also make i[ easier to Bnd photos later when you're searching for them.

Th adda caption to a photo, double-click on tbe phctc to open it, then click <Add Caption> in the lower-right comer of U1e window .

. Iype as much information ebcut the phcrc as you want.

E'rIleri_ng terms in the S~rd1 tleld in the Photo Callery window (or in Windows Vista's own search feature) will search the caption

text fo. all images in Photo Gallery The- more captions you have. and the mere detailed they are, the easier it will he to find your photos. (Note: Search will also find tags; SEe the 'Tag; and Ratings" section OO~()w:J

1"0 add a-dditional mformauoa.right-click on a photo in the Photo Gallery window and select.properties from the menu that appears. YOll'U open ~,hG- Details cab of rhe photo's Properties. ln this windo-w; you can gi.ve your photo a title or a subject, specify who took the picture- and when, and ev-en add

ccpyright inlormatlon-cjust dick in the- blank area next to the amib-w te you wan ~ [0 change, then start: typing. You can add more tags in the Tags field (separate- them with semicolons] or provide star ratings, for stltl another way to sort them. (Serious phctogrephers CS'n even insert details about the leus. flash, and contrast used.)

4 Tilgs ilnd riltings

Providing tags for your photos will. make it easier to categorize and sort, them. :Microsoft gives you some default choices (Flowers,L.andscape, Ocean, Sample, andWildlife--all corresponding to the default photos ~,ia[ come wnh WH'J.dows), but for greater converuence you can create your own

'Ib create a tag. click Create <I Ne\v"Thg under'tags on the 'left side cfthe Phctc Callerywtndcw; then type thanama of the tagyou want to create, That tag will appear under the-Tags section.

ire easy to add a tag to a photo: If the tag already exists.just drag the photo's thumbnail onto the tag. If you want to add a new tag just click the Add'Iags button at the-right side of the window and type in the tags you want to use. ffou'llalso see SI; listot thetass already applied to the photo.)

To rate a photo (the scale is from one to five stars). select or OpE'11 the photo. then clickon the appropriate number of stars iu the tntc panel,

Once you've tagged and/or rated yom photos, you can sort them by one or mere of the criteria you've estabhshed. Click the tag name or the star rating on the left side of the screen, and Photo Gallery will display all the photos bearing that tag or r:elting Yow can ",,·eW phOLOS across mulliple tags, l'l;ltil1gS, dates, or a combination of the three- by holding down the Ctrl key while selecting them.

Editing your photos

Unless you're a professional photographer, you shouldn't expect award-wfnnfng shots fiNery lime you press your camera's shutter button. But if you get. an effect or 01 look you don't hke.Photc Gallery provides basic tools for tweaktng the appearance of your pictures. lust select the photo YOLI want

to edit in the Photo Ga1.1E-1)" window then click the Fix button to

start making your changes.

The Auto Adjust option is the easiest \vay to clean up the exposure and color ctycur photc, Click tha buucn.and Pborc Callery eutcrnaticallyenhances ycur picurre'a color and sharpness.

Click the Adiust.Expcscre buncn, and yoc'Il bepresetted wiU~

cornputereboope.con January 200g 91

two sfiders for changing your picture's brightness and contrasr, Moving the bri)jlmes:s adjuster w:HI.lightel1 or darken your entire image, while the contrast slider lets you control the difference between the lightest a nd darkest areas of theimage.

By using the Adjust Color option, you can change the temperature (cool or \\/aIm" the red/green tint. or the overall saturation ctcolorfn your image, just bymanrpulaursg three sliders.

Th trim off the excess portions of your image that you don't need (or want) to see.. click [he Crop Picture ~J non Selectmg this option brings up a selection "OOx on YO~Jr image, which you ran drag accet thepicture endadjust.usiogthe handles, to exactly the size-you want (You can also use lhe Prcpcrticndrcp-down menu to change rhe=aspectratfo=ofthe selacticn box, or clid:: 111.E! 'Rotate frame" button ro rotate it 90 degrees] When you've selected the portions of the image you want to kesp (they W.m dlspleyin the photo's natural color, and everything else wm be dLTIl'rflOOj. click the Apply

button to delete everytbingelse. fix Red Eye does

photos in Phctc Callay.)Onc:e the slide show is playing jou can click 011 the arrows

to move backward and forward among the pictures or c.lick on the controls to change the show's speed and style (a shu fflingofall YO~JL' photos. fcrfnsrance, or iii loop in the order theyappeerfn Photo GaUery). It you're usfngvista Hom e Premium orvista Ultimate, you'LL have a number ofdifferenr themes and transition styles to choose from. so you can P r esent your photos exactly the way YOlJ want them to look. Cli-ck the Exit.button to dcse out the slide shew

W a ru.ro make prints or one or more otycur images? Click the Print button, then click the Print option [0 brfng up thePrint Piclures window. Select which printer you want to use, the paper size,

exactlywhatit:says: It tberesoluticn, tbe

removes the demcrdc numberand orien-

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look that-sometimes creeps into your subjects' eyes when you 're photo:Japhing them using a jlash. Just cuck and drag the mouse cursor around the eye or eyes tharneed adjusting. and the color will

correct itself

Not happy with your changesz Cllck the Undo button

(in the lower-right comer cfthe phctc window) to undo. the change or changes YOII justmade, Undo also remembers your history of'changes, so you om undo one. two, or even all of the adjustments you make to your photo. Any undoIng you want to do mustbe done before-you exit Photo ceuerv-. but lf ycu later decide against your changes, ~I_I om use the Revert function togo back to the original version of the photo. (You'U lose all of the changes you've made to it, (hough.)

6 Share yDLlr photDS

A big part ofthe fun of'taking photos-cend making them great by editing-is being able to show them [0 otherslsrer.Jusr select one or morephotcs, then choose your sharing options.

If you just want to look at your collection on your ccmperer; click the Play Slide Show button at the bottom of the screen; it will Include all the photos you've selected (lf

you haven't selected any photos, the slide show will display ell the

LHtiOL1 of photos on each prfnted pngE'. and the number or copies you want, Clicl:ingOpLlons lets you sharpen the picture fer printing or specify whether you want to see only printing options that are compatible with the printer you're using, When you 're done, click Print;

If you prefer, you C~1l use Photo Callery to order punts of your photos. Click the Print button, then click Order Prints. You 'll be givoo a lJstof cnlme sud brick-snd-mcrtsr plind.llg ccmpames to which you am send your-images for professional processing.

you can also e-mail your photos from within Photo Gallery.

Se~ect me-photos you ware rc send, then dick the Eenail buttol'. vou'Il be asked to specify the size of the pictures you want to mail Your options are 640:-.:480. 800:<600, 1,024x768.1,23Ox1,024, cr Original Size, which could have even greater dimensions. Just keep in mind that the smeller your pictures, the smaller the file, and tbus the easier it will. be fer you to e-mail. the photos. Click the Attach button, and a blank e-mail message pops up, with the-photo (or photos) a lready inserted as an attachment.

A cotwement option tor eitheJ: srortng'your photos for the long term or sending them through the mail is burning them to CD or DVD. Photo Callery provides that option. as well. Click: the BUUl bunon.u-en select either [he Data D1~SI. or video DVD option to !K11!e YOUT photos to a blank disc.

F1naUy, tfstatic fJ'n~~ ~r"'II'~eno'lgli; for you, click Make a Movie 1:0 open up Windows Movie Maker. Here, you can combine photos, video, and audio into au exciting personalized feature suitable fur distribution via DVD cr You'Ihbe,

wnen prtnuag photos. select Sizes, layouts and p.<lpe:r sizes eerefulfy :;;:0 you get) usr the hard copies YOli went.

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It

Get a grip Dropping screws into <1 PC casedcrring a build is a pain WOfS~ ifyou f'ofge-t [0 fish one cut before you power up. you can short cut your motherboard and fry other costly

components. Th e $10 S13.nley FstMax Clip-n-Grip screwdriveraverts potential electrical catastrophe byholding Ot'1 to those screws tor you with its spring-loaded clips. Six different bits 31-e stored in the handle, meaning tbis single screwdriver should suffice formostPC-bultdingproje<l:S. 1h!!'S1l:mley Wm'S, Wu)w,sll:inl~toots.('Oln

Cool blue waterblock

\Vatetblocks are usually built for performance, net.looks. but Enz-ol'ech's $69.99 Lunaafms for both.Ashiny silver mouutfng plate etched with hieroglyphics surrounds a pulsing blue LED ring making your CPU cooler look like something straight out of Star gate. Underneath is an all-copper block with space fOT circulating your cooling fluid of choice. It SUppOlt!l most.recent CPU "Od<eLS. DtzoTedl, Uill.!w.!!n2oted·lIwlo,gy.<.'OJri

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Component chiller

tf your overdccked cctnponents are so hot they're rninging your water-cooled lig to a boil, give the 'rhermaltake lI[prelii;ti¥ a look. It uses iii mierocornpressor and coolant (like a hjdge or air conditioner] to keep all your rc's innards chilled-cas much as 20 degrees coolerthana "mere=liquid-cooled Jig. If you can afford the steep $799 price (and have mOlley left over for one of tbe handful of supported motherboards), you'll derlnttety have the coolest PC at the l..I\N party. ih€1m(Jiwk e , wlJ)wJ:hennailnkf'uSI],(Qm

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Overclocked and vapor-cooled Sapphire's $350 HD 4,8.70 To"l\..i~ :t:dition Wl';:'IpS AlvID~ already impressive pixelpumping card ill a vapor-ccolec vacuum chamber, which allows fhe card to ship witb a pre-overclocked GPU for more garntog enjcymeru.naeo mdudes Sl2MB of CDDRS memoryrunuing at 1GHz. 'I\vo I~j~<spemf connectors allow you to go crossrrrex-crazy and chain as manyas four cards [~lh¢rin one monstrous

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Direct copper contact

11,e,$~O OCZ Gladiator Max separates itself from the cpu-ccoler crowd by tncrmtinglts fOUT copper heat pipes under the base, where they m a ke dhect COntHCl with your sizzling CPu. The heal is carried up to the Max's compact folded-aluminum fins, where it's whisked away Ircrn your components by a large 120mm fan. Rubber fun eonnecters help keep things quiet, even under fullload Socket suppon includes Intel'sLGAllS, as well asAMD'sAM2,939, and 754, OCZTooUlolomr, wWIV,ocz:te.dm,ology.com

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Living-room zoom

Who wouldn't mntto play Cryats from LhG-001Jch? Anl.ec's $:;?SO Fusion Remote Ma]!: hopes to bring the g.:unitlgPCin~o the livingrccm. A squat entertsdnmemPC case with an included remote for media playback, it supports Nlicl'oATX:and standard ATX motherboards

Its 'Simple internal Sp<J;~ can house abujld beefy en.au@"![oT5eliolls,PCgamingon your plasma television You can pack in dual graphics cards and up to five drives.Tuedtwe brackets feature silicone grommets to stifle vibration. Mret, ",llvuumtIT,rom

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30 Years of Computer Shopper!

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5MB hard dri"s($2,499 •• ch!) wer e a 11 the rage ... (November 1981)

From 'The Invasion of Offshore Technology":

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