PC World July 2002
- — 12 June, 2002 17:10
COVER STORY
47 300 issues strong.
Celebrating the evolution of PC World!
Three hundred issues of PC World and what have we got to show for it? Just a pretty thorough history of an exciting, unpredictable and sometimes frustrating time - the birth and evolution of the PC. Take a trip down memory lane with us that lays out the history of the PC in the pages of PC World.
FEATURES
41 Web and You.
It's an ad ad ad ad world.
Welcome to pop-up purgatory: why ads are taking over the Web - and how to take back your browser. If you want to put an end to the madness on your desktop, you can use ad-blocking software to eliminate most ads that appear in your browser. We tested four applications against the most aggressive ad environments.
54 Super Windows Secrets.
50+ smart tips that unleash Windows' hidden powers.
Unleashing Windows' superpowers lets you work more smartly, whether you use XP or one of its predecessors. These tips will help you get the look you want and the power you need to manage files, pump up performance, and customise Windows to your liking.
67 Screen gems.
Essential buying guide for CRT and LCD monitors.
If you're looking to buy a new monitor, be ready to make a few hard decisions. Do you want a monitor with cool appeal, or are you willing to sacrifice image quality to get a little more elbow room? In addition to the simple question of size, you must choose among low- and high-end models, some with USB ports, some with flat screens, some with curved screens, and some with prices too good to pass up. Oh, and did we mention LCDs? Don't miss our guide to the technology and changing market.
73 Designer goods.
Desktop publishing packages reviewed.
These days, publishing is anyone's game. This month, PC World reviews the latest crop of desktop publishing programs, ranging from entry-level software designed for creating template-based newsletters and flyers to packages used by the professionals.
DEPARTMENTS
8 EDITORIAL
10 News, 16 Broadband, 18 TechFiles, 20 Alt.Net.
37 LINUXWORLD.COM.AU.
38 READERS' FORUM Plus Dilbert.
169 BACKBYTES: 169 Book Review, 170 Skills, 171 Web Review, 172 Gadgets and Gizmos, 174 Games, 176 Bytesback.
FIRST LOOKS
Hardware:
24 Altec Lansing 2100 and 641.
26 Chaintech GT61 Special Edition; Hercules 3D Prophet All-in-wonder 8500DV.
32 BenQ Digital Camera 300Mini; USB Drive (16MB).
34 LifeView FlyVideo 3000; Sun Cobalt Qube 3.
35 MSI 845E Max2; Pioneer DVR-A04 DVD Writer Software.
28 Dr. Hardware 2002 3.0.0e, Cacheman 5.1, TweakMaster 1.61.
29 Sonic MyDVD 3.1 & DVD Workshop.
33 Microsoft Project 2002 beta.
HERE'S HOW:
118 UPGRADER Enlarging your Desktop area.
120 IN DEPTH Essential online resources.
124 WINDOWS XP HOME Automatic updates.
125 WINDOWS XP PRO Scheduling disk defragging.
128 MAC OS Introduction to Virtual PC 5.
129 LINUX Filtering Web banner ads.
130 AUDIO Text to speech tools.
132 GRAPHICS Photoshop 7 Browser.
134 HTML Preparing to go live.
136 PHP PostgreSQL address book.
138 DIGITAL VIDEO Is that to watch here, or to go?
140 HELP SCREEN:
Operating Systems.
Windows 98 - Terminating thread error; Windows 2000 Pro - Peer-to-peer problems; Windows XP - Pictures not words.
Office Applications.
Word 2002 - Assign a shortcut key to a style; A hyperlink search.
Hardware.
Don't forget the drivers; Two CD drives, one PC.
Internet.
IE's custom security disabled; Organise your IE Favorites.
General.
Banish the bloat; A wallpaper a day; Simple Windows automation; Diagnosis: free.
BEST BUYS
85 PCs.
Over $4000:
Altech Computers Home P4 2.2GHz; Xenon Metro 855 Multimedia PC; Plus Corporation Stealth G14; Acer Veriton 7200D; Altech Computers Business P4 2.2GHz; Peripherals Plus Athlon MP1900+.
$2001-$4000: Altech Computers Home P4 2GHz; Hallmark Viewmaster eXtrema ND02AH; Digital Star IntelliPro 2000GX; Infocom Gaming Beast; AcerPower Sd; Acer Veriton 7200; Peripherals Plus Inspire P73; Peripherals Plus Aspect V11; IPS A2000-Bis; Peripherals Plus Athlon XP 1800+.
Sub-$2000:
Marvel Computers 1700XP Home; Infocom Multimedia System; Altech Computers Hyperdrive 1700; IPS A1700-Bis; Altech Computers Business Athlon XP 1800+; Mitac PC-GMAX264M-M4Y2; Marvel Executive 1200A7V.
99 Notebooks.
Over $6000: Toshiba Satellite 5100; Toshiba Tecra 9100.
$3001-$6000: Dell Inspiron 8200; Xenon Metro M30; Dell Latitude C810; Toshiba Satellite 6100; Acer TravelMate 633LC; Dell Inspiron 2650.
Sub-$3000: Digital Star PowerNote 240MDT; Pioneer SOHO Notebook; ASUS A1300; Digital Star PowerNote 240MRT 1200T; Pioneer AMD Notebook.105 CRT Monitors.17in:AOC 7Klr.
Mitsubishi DiamondPro 730.
NEC MultiSync FE750+.
Philips Brilliance 107P20.
Samsung SyncMaster 753DFX.
Sony MultiScan CPD-E230.
19in:
Hansol 920P.
Hitachi CM721.
LG StudioWorks 900B.
Likom N9054.
Mitsubishi 1998E.
NEC MultiSync V930.
Philips 109S20.
Viewmaster MP908.
ViewSonic E95.
