Microsoft Office 2010

microsoft office 2010 WhY thIS uPGRadE IS WoRth thE MoNEY june 2010 First Looks: dell ultrasharp u2711 Photoshop: New and Improved top 10 Ways to Simplify Windows 7 Best Gear for summer

travel tech: • Netbooks • Notebooks • Media Players • GPS • Cameras • EBook Readers + Your Guide to In-ﬂight Wi-Fi june 2010 vol. 29 no. 6

42 Ultraportables 42 44 Netbooks CoveR SToRY 45 E-Book ThE GEAR OF SUMMER Readers 46 Cameras Hot weather doesn’t mean your tech has to go 48 GPS into cold storage. Here you’ll find the best lap- 49 Personal tops, netbooks, cameras, media players and Media Players GPS devices for your summer lifestyle. 50 In-ﬂight Wi-Fi

PC MAGAZINE DIGITAL EDITION june 2010 20 30

FIRSt LOOKS tech newS 12 SOFTWArE 5 FrONT SIDE Microsoft Ofﬁce 2010 the Gizmodo iPhone affair; giving Adobe Photoshop cS5 extended away private info online; control- ling a robot with your mind; sleek iwork for iPad laptop bags. Plus Quick Looks OPInIOnS 20 hArDWArE 2 FIrST WOrD: Apple MacBook Pro 15-inch (core i5) LANCE ULANOFF Asus u30jc-1A 36 JOhN C. DvOrAk Fusion Garage joojoo 38 SASChA SEGAN Plus Quick Looks 40 DAN COSTA 26 bUSINESS SOLutIOnS neatDesk 54 PrINT GrEAT PhOTOS LogMeIn central Get the most out of your photo hP Laserjet Pro P1606dn printer with our 12 tips for produc- 30 CONSUMEr ELECTrONICS ing high-quality prints at home. 60 OFFICE: SIMPLIFy WINDOWS 7 htc hD2 (t-Mobile) Make windows 7 even more user- cisco Flip SlidehD friendly with our handy list of tips Samsung BD-c6500 and tricks. Plus Quick Looks 64 WOrk: ThE SMALL-bIZ CLOUD 68 ThE bEST STUFF Find out which online sites and services are best for your business.

PC Magazine Digital Edition, ISSn 0888-8507, is published monthly at $24.97 for one year. Ziff Davis Media Inc., 28 east 28th Street, new York nY 10016-7940.

june 2010 PC MAGAZINE DIGITAL EDITION 1 FIRST WORD LANCE ULANOFF

Please Don’t Take My TweetDeck

witter is about to become a other third-party functions/apps, such as much more robust platform for photo uploading to Twitpic, the bit.ly uRL doing, well, whatever it is we do shortener, and even tweet translation ser- Ton Twitter every day. Most of vices. It’s a remarkably rich app. the people I follow—meaning All in all, TweetDeck is my one-stop desk- those whom I actually pay attention to— top source for all things Twitter. I almost use it in much the same way. Yes, there are never visit the Twitter site. Its single-column the feeds, which deliver hard-news head- view is way too linear for me, and I don’t like lines, but the beauty of Twitter is what lies Twitter’s form of re-tweets, which don’t let in between the news reports. In any case, me edit before posting. I keep track of all things Twitter related I’m not unaware, obviously, of all that with TweetDeck, a desktop Twitter man- Twitter’s been doing to incorporate more agement utility I’ve been using since 2008. powerful functions into its site. Twitter Lists, a feature that lets you organize or “group” Inside TweetDeck people you follow, is nifty. The new location- For those unfamiliar with the Adobe Air– based service also sounds great, though I’m based app, TweetDeck lets you customize not a huge fan of telling people where I am your Twitter world in an organized, colum- all the time. Some of the on-page pop-up nar view, with unﬁltered tweets from those information you can get for people on Twit- you follow in the first column, tweets that ter is pretty nice, too. mention you in the second column, and direct (private-line) tweets to you in the Finally Tweeting for Dollars third. You can add columns based on key- In April, Twitter announced an ad platform, words, specific Twitter members, other which company execs hope will help propel accounts, and so on. It builds in a lot of the the rapidly growing social-networking ser-

2 PC MAGAZINE DIGITAL EDITION june 2010 Twitter’s plans will kill many third-party products, with no guarantee of a better experience.

vice into the ﬁnancial black. I have my doubts helped keep you productive. about the plan, which, oddly, pulls down When Windows 95 came along, it incor- underperforming ads. That sounds like a fun- porated many of these third-party utility damental misunderstanding of how market- functions inside the OS. Those companies ing and advertising traditionally work. But tried to put on a brave face and said Micro- perhaps it will be a huge success anyway, soft’s entrance simply validated the mar- because all of the promoted tweets will be ket. That was right before they went out of hyper-contextual, super real-time, and a lot business. In the word-processing market, it more than simple brand-building messages. was a combination of Microsoft’s partner This is just phase one in what is clearly a connections, market strength, and product plan to reinvent Twitter. One of the company’s quality that did in virtually all of its competi- chief investors, Fred Wilson, laid it all out in tors. Later, Microsoft would, inadvertently horrifyingly stark terms in a recent blog post. I hope, kill categories simply by upgrading In a nutshell, Wilson says that third-party the OS. It has taken years for third-party companies like TweetDeck need to stop “ﬁll- companies to re-emerge in these catego- ing holes” in Twitter and start building some ries, and most make it only by giving away innovation that leverages Twitter. Why? their products. The new Twitter will probably act a lot like Twitter is the new Microsoft. Its plans will kill TweetDeck and offer heavy amounts of a lot of third-party products, and there is no information, customization, and utility all guarantee that what Twitter will provide will in one page. Another article I read counts be any better than what’s already out there. all the third-party services likely headed to Based on my official Twitter for Blackberry the scrap heap. To Wilson, this is all good. He and re-tweet experiences, I think it could be likens the scenario to the way desktop pub- worse. But Twitter has the power. All it needs lishing saved the Mac in the 1980s. I liken it to to do is make a few subtle tweaks to the Twit- Windows 95 (and subsequent OS releases), ter API, and whichever third-party tool it killing huge parts of the software and utility wants to get rid of will stop working. market in the mid-90s. I don’t know if there’s anything I can do to stop Twitter, but I think the time is now Learning from Windows to launch my “Save TweetDeck” campaign. Back then, a vast army of third-party com- Will you join me? panies were all busy filling holes in Win- Follow Me on TwiTTer! Catch the chief’s dows. They extended memory, compressed comments on the latest tech developments at disks, managed your system’s health, and twitter.com/LanceUlanoff.

june 2010 PC MAGAZINE DIGITAL EDITION 3 ® Editor-in-ChiEf, pC magazinE nEtwork Lance Ulanoff

Editor Stephanie Chang dirECtor of onLinE ContEnt, EXECUtiVE prodUCEr Vicki B. Jacobson EXECUtiVE Editor Dan Costa pC Labs dirECtor, managing Editor (Laptops, dEsktops) Laarni Almendrala Ragaza www.pcmag.com managing Editors Sean Carroll (software, security, Internet), Eric Grifﬁth (business, networking), Tony Hoffman (printers, scanners), Matthew Murray (ExtremeTech), Sascha Segan (mobile), Wendy Sheehan Donnell (consumer electronics) sEnior Editors Brian Heater (PCMag.com), Carol Mangis (blogs, community), Erik Rhey (Digital Edition) pC Labs LEad anaLysts Cisco Cheng (laptops), Tim Gideon (consumer electronics), Samara Lynn (business, networking), Michael Muchmore (software), Neil J. Rubenking (security), Joel Santo Domingo (desktops), M. David Stone (printers, scanners) anaLysts Dan Evans (DIY, hardware), PJ Jacobowitz (consumer electronics) inVEntory ControL Coordinator Nicole Graham staff photographEr Scott Schedivy pCmag.Com managEr, onLinE prodUCtion Yun-San Tsai prodUCErs Mark Lamorgese, Whitney A. Reynolds nEws Editor Mark Hachman nEws rEportEr Chloe Albanesius staff Editors Jennifer Bergen (blogs), Gregg Binder (printers, scanners), Zachary Honig (consumer electronics), Errol Pierre-Louis (software, security, Internet) assistant Editors Sean Ludwig (mobile), Natalie Shoemaker (hardware) CommErCE prodUCErs Iman Edwards, Arielle Rochette UtiLity program managEr Tim Smith CrEatiVE dirECtor Chris Phillips prodUCtion artist Guyang Chen ContribUting Editors Helen Bradley, John R. Delaney, Richard V. Dragan, John C. Dvorak, Craig Ellison, Galen Fott, Bill Howard, Don Labriola, Jamie Lendino, Jim Louderback, Bill Machrone, Edward Mendelson, Jan Ozer, Neil Randall, Matthew D. Sarrel, Larry Seltzer

ViCE prEsidEnt, digitaL saLEs Kenneth J. Detlet 212-503-5252 ViCE prEsidEnt, markEting James Selden 212-503-4689 markEting managEr Lindsay Garrison 212-503-5270 wEb dEsignEr Yoland Ouiya adVErtising offiCE 28 E. 28th St., New York, NY 10016-7940; phone, 800-336-2423, 212-503-3500; fax, 212-503-5000 For advertising information go to www.pcmagmedia.com ziff daVis mEdia inC. ChiEf EXECUtiVE offiCEr Jason Young ChiEf finanCiaL offiCEr and sEnior ViCE prEsidEnt Neil Glass ChiEf opErating offiCEr Steve Sutton sEnior ViCE prEsidEnt Lance Ulanoff (Content, PC Magazine Network) gEnEraL CoUnsEL Stephen Hicks ViCE prEsidEnt James Selden (Marketing and Sales Development, Consumer/Small-Business Group) EXECUtiVE dirECtor Larry Chevres (Internet Technology) dirECtor Nyasha Bass (Licensing)

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® FrontWhat’s New from the World of Tech

The Case of the Missing iPhone Gizmodo’s brush with the law in the infamous iPhone debacle.

Rarely is the technology world privy to device, ﬁnding real Apple components, pro- intrigue equal to the case of the missing viding more compelling evidence that the iPhone. device was the real deal. The unit Gizmodo This spring, next-gen iPhone specula- obtained had a front-facing video cam- tion reached a fever pitch when technology era, a ﬂash bulb next to a bigger camera, a blog Gizmodo posted a hands-on analysis larger battery, a slightly smaller screen, and of what appeared to be a fourth-generation a reworked industrial design that scraps the iPhone prototype. Gizmodo dismantled the aluminum back for a ceramic one.

june 2010 PC MAGAZINE DIGITAL EDITION 5 frONTSIDE

After Gizmodo posted its analysis of the iPhone prototype, police raided Jason Chen’s home.

How Gizmodo obtained the iPhone pro- ers was invalid. The investigation was put on totype is what has the public, Apple, and hold to determine whether Gawker Media police very interested. The device was found has the right to invoke California’s shield after reportedly being lost at a German bar/ law, which protects journalists. restaurant in Redwood City, California, by a According to the Business Journal, the 27-year-old software engineer named Gray police search was instigated by Apple. Powell. After Powell left the phone, it was But so far no criminal charges have been found by 21-year-old Brian j. Hogan. Hogan announced against Hogan or Gizmodo. says that he tried multiple times to contact “We’re still not saying it’s a crime,” San Apple tech support to return the phone. But Mateo County chief deputy District Attor- after receiving no reply, he sold the phone ney Steve Wagstaffe told Business Journal. to Gizmodo for $5,000 cash. According to reports from Wired, After Gizmodo posted photos and infor- Hogan’s lawyer, jeffrey Bornstein, says that mation on the iPhone prototype, California Hogan “regrets his mistake in not doing police raided the home of Gizmodo editor more to return the phone. even though he jason Chen. According to a note posted on did obtain some compensation from Giz- the site by Gawker Media, which publishes modo, Brian thought that it was so that they Gizmodo: “California’s Rapid enforcement could review the phone.” Gizmodo has since Allied Computer Team entered editor jason returned the phone to Apple, and asked the Chen’s home without him present, seizing company for clemency when dealing with four computers and two servers. They did Powell losing the phone. “I hope you take so using a warrant by a judge of the Superior it easy on the kid who lost it,” Chen wrote. Court of San Mateo.” Gawker maintains that “I don’t think he loves anything more than the warrant used to remove Chen’s comput- Apple.”—PCMag Staff BEST of ThE InTErnET

WIkIPEDIA COMPANION SEPIATOWN CORRECTIONS Wikipedia Companion is an SepiaTown is a Web service AND AMPLIFICATIONS add-on that allows you to that takes thousands of vin- Our May Front Side story quickly search Wikipedia for tage photographs of cities “Anatomy of a Hack” has any term you ﬁnd, open the around the world and matches been revised online to correct results in a new tab, or open them up with their modern-day an inaccuracy and explain them in a frame over your locations on a map. further about SQL injection. existing window. Click here to read the updated story.

6 PC MAGAZINE DIGITAL EDITION june 2010 Keeping It To Yourself A new study shows consumers are still giving away private information online.

Despite warnings from privacy advocates ple who have installed Facebook apps, 38 to protect your personal information percent were confident that the apps were while online, many adults are still engag- secure, even though 1.8 million computing in risky behavior via social networking ers were infected by social networking apps sites, according to a new study from Con- in the past year. sumer Reports. Facebook has come under fire in recent Of the 2,000 people surveyed by the weeks as it moves toward a more “open magazine, about 52 percent of adult Internet graph” approach that links users all over users have posted data that could be dan- the Web. Facebook insists that users gerous, including home addresses, full date have complete control over what infor- of birth, and information about their children. mation is displayed online, but privacy About 38 percent of people have posted groups and members of Congress have their birth date to social networking sites called for investigations into the security of like Facebook and MySpace, which could the site. be used by identity thieves, the report Overall, Consumer Reports found that 1.7 said. Another 8 percent posted their street million online households were victims of addresses. Combine that with an open pro- Web-related ID theft in the last year, 5.4 mil- file and a status update that says you’ll be lion online consumers submitted personal vacationing in europe for the next week, data via phishing e-mails, and that cyber- and it’s the perfect storm for a home inva- crime has cost American consumers $4.5 sion. The report went on to state that 26 billion over the past two years, trashing an percent of Facebook users post their chil- estimated 2.1 million computers. dren’s names and photos, which could Solving this problem doesn’t require potentially expose them to predators. expensive technology, however, the report As for security measures on social media concluded. “It requires the networks them- sites, some 23 percent of Facebook users selves to keep improving their privacy surveyed are unaware that the site has pri- practices and better educating users.” vacy controls. And of the 18.4 million peo- —Chloe Albanesius

june 2010 PC MAGAZINE DIGITAL EDITION 7 frONTSIDE

BEST of our BlogS

GEArLOG A Windows 7 Media Player Storage-solution provider Western Digital has developed the ﬁrst networkable, live HD media player that’s compatible with Windows 7. The WD TV Live HD Media Player ($149.99 list) can stream multimedia ﬁles from PCs, external drives, or the Web to a big-screen HDTV. Incor- porating the Windows 7 Play To feature, the WD TV Live, supports wired ethernet or Wi-Fi connectivity and full HD 1080p video playback. It also has two uSB ports for media playback from multiple uSB drives as well as an HDMI 1.3 port and SPDIF digital output.—Samara Lynn

SECUrITY WATCH Unpatched Vulnerability Exposed in Safari Research firm Secunia released an advisory about an unpatched vulnerability in Apple’s Safari 4.0 Web browser. The advisory doesn’t specify a platform, meaning that it could affect all versions, including the iPhone. Secunia describes the ﬂaw as an error in the handling of parent win- GOODCLEANTECH AT WOrk dows. A specially crafted Web Battizer Gives New Power to Dropbox Adds Apple iPad page that opens and closes Old Batteries and Android Support pop-up windows can cause Battizer ($97 direct), a Singa- There’s a reason why we rec- the browser to execute a func- pore export, says it can give ommend Dropbox as one of tion with an invalid function a 100-percent-full charge our favorite cloud services for pointer. This pointer can be to your dead batteries, even small businesses: it’s a superbly manipulated so as to transfer exceeding the original capac- implemented cloud-based control to the attacker in the ity. This charger works only automatic ﬁle-synchronization context of the Web browser. with double-A and triple-A service. now, courtesy of a new But so far there are no reports zinc carbon, alkaline, niMh, mobile API, you can access to indicate that this vulner- and niCD batteries. It claims important files from even ability is being exploited in the to be speedy, though, working more locations. Dropbox’s wild.—Larry Seltzer in just one hour. —Troy Dreier reach has expanded to include the Apple iPad and Android handsets. Dropbox’s appear- ance on these platforms means that it’ll be far easier to access important files from virtually any Web-connected device. — Jeffrey L. Wilson

8 PC MAGAZINE DIGITAL EDITION june 2010 Extreme Tech A Thought- Controlled Robot What happens when you pair a robotic webcam with a futuristic headset?

A couple of months ago I examined First, I decided what I wanted to control in the emotiv ePOC 14-electrode eeG head- terms of the Rovio and its camera’s move- set, which lets you control computers and ments. The emotiv software can convert raw video games with your thoughts rather than data into four categories: expressiv (facial your hands. But in the process of writing that gestures), Affectiv (passive measurements article, I learned that there wasn’t a strong of a user’s mental state), Cognitiv (training application that took advantage of its capa- the headset to recognize how you respond bilities. So I decided to write one myself. to certain feelings or mood), and gyroscope. I wanted to see if I could use the head- I chose expressiv commands for piloting set to control a WowWee Rovio mobile the robot, the gyroscope for quick left/right turns and camera movements, and Cognitiv for moving the robot forward. Is the emotiv headset truly suitable as an alternative control device? The answer is a deﬁnite yes for those with a physical problem that prevents using a mouse, but shakier for everyone else. The gyroscope does give you a comparable set of features, though button pressing still wins in immediacy webcam using my mind and facial gestures. I and accuracy. Facial gestures and feelings started with a program I wrote called Robo- require more effort and are less accurate. It dance, which already works as a control pro- takes some getting used to, but this method gram for the Rovio. This provided a baseline is deﬁnitely addictive.—Robert Oschler for comparing the efficacy of the mouse- Click here to watch a video of Robert’s driven interface to the headset’s. experiment.

june 2010 PC MAGAZINE DIGITAL EDITION 9 frONTSIDE

Connected Traveler Carry Your Laptop in Style A cool, comfortable bag will keep your laptop safe and you looking good.

Laptop owners face a quandary when look- ple, the Overland Acadia ($100 direct, ing for the perfect bag. After all, it’s not llllm) is a tough and roomy bag with a just your laptop that you’ll probably be toting jaunty, casual style. It’s big enough for loads around. There’s also your wallet, keys, paper- of gear, and even for an overnight trip. The work, reading material, and so on. Whether Booq Boa flow Laptop Backpack ($199 you prefer a tote, briefcase, or backpack, direct, llllh) is a very comfortable bag there’s a bag out there tailored for you. We that’ll last for years, with lots of room to took some of the latest and greatest laptop pack in extra gadgets. And the Osprey flap bags on the market out for a test drive. Jill Pack ($89 list, llllm) is a cute-but- First there are backpacks. We found tough bag designed with women in mind. many that offer a mix of comfort and casual If you’re more the messenger bag type, style—and can “off-roading” adventures check out the Booq Taipan Shadow Mes- when the great outdoors calls. For exam- senger Bag ($199 direct, llllm). It’s

overland Acadia Booq Boa flow laptop Backpack osprey flap Jill Pack

10 PC MAGAZINE DIGITAL EDITION june 2010 Booq Taipan Shadow Messenger Bag Case logic Soft-sided Messenger Bag

spacious enough to hold your laptop (up ($87.99 direct, llllh). This light day- to 15-inches) and any other essential elec- bag has the look and feel of a sleeping bag tronics, and has an intriguing security fea- or down jacket. Stuff it with T-shirts and ture. If it’s lost or stolen, Booq will be able it could almost serve as portable pillow. to contact you and arrange for the bag’s —Natalie Shoemaker safe return. For something simpler, there’s For more high-tech travel gear, read our the Case Logic Soft-sided Messenger Bag feature story in this issue by clicking here.

2010 Dads & Grads Technology Gift Guide INSIDE 12 SOFTWARE 20 HARDWARE 26 buSINESS 30 CONSuMER ELECTRONICS First

Microsoft Ofﬁce 2010 Ofﬁce Gets Better

As with many new iterations of the Office logo that Office 2007 used to popular applications, one vital replace the “File” menu item. Instead, question must be asked: Do you this new version introduces a “Back- need the new version if you’re stage” view that puts all these functions already comfortable with the and more on a spacious menu, complete previous one? If you’re a home or small- with print preview. This time around, business user, probably not. That said, Office builds in PDF export from the start, Microsoft packs in enough new conve- though Word still doesn’t supply a built- niences and performance tweaks that in redaction (content-hiding) tool. Also, you’ll actually want this upgrade—not true you can easily turn the Ribbon on or off by of every Office upgrade. clicking on a new arrow. The Professional edition of Office includes Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Outlook, Publisher, Access, and OneNote. Home and small-business users will be most interested in the Office Home and Business edition ($279.99, which omits Publisher and Access), and the Office Home and Student version ($149.99, which omits Publisher, Access, and Outlook). Other, higher-priced editions for corporate and enterprise include tools for working with SharePoint servers and other collaboration tools.

INTERFACE THROWbACk Office 2010 goes Interface Changes back to the File menu, but adds a Backstage Office 2010 nixes the circular “pearl” with view with easy access to various file options.

12 PC MAGAZINE DIGITAL EDITION juNE 2010 Our ratINGS kEy: lllll EXCELLENT llllm VERY GOOD lllmm GOOD llmmm FAIR lmmmm POOR

Microsoft Office 2010 Professional, $499.99 direct; Student Version $149.99; Home and Business Version $279.99 Llllh PROS Ribbon interface in all apps enhances consistency and usability. A new Backstage menu makes file-management and printing options easy to manage. Superb graphic tools include video editing and image enhancement. 64-bit version allows huge data sets in Excel. Lightweight Office Web Apps will allow editing in a browser. CONS The price may discourage upgraders.

Lots of Graphics Options GREATER GRAPHICS Office 2010 adds new Apple seems to have gotten Microsoft’s graphics features, such as a background- attention with its innovative iWork 09 suite removal tool for editing photos. of office applications, because in Office 2010, Microsoft plays catch-up with advanced image you want to keep, then displays the photo-editing tools. PowerPoint gets a nifty rest with garish purple shading. In my tests, video-editing tool that lets you drag a time- this initial guess never selected exactly the line to trim a video to an exact length. It also parts I wanted to save, but it took me only gets Microsoft’s new equation editor, which about ten seconds to figure out how to provides some of the most elegant mathe- add or remove blocks of color from parts I matical typography on the planet. wanted to preserve. Cropping and other My favorite graphical improvement, how- image adjustments are now finally as easy ever, is the background-removal tool, which as they are on a Mac, with simple mouse- saves the foreground object in a photo dragging actions for zooming into an image. while removing everything else. It starts out Microsoft also built in a full range of “artistic” by making a best guess at what parts of an effects like glow and bevel.

juNE 2010 PC MAGAZINE DIGITAL EDITION 13 FIRST LOOkS SOFTWARE

other social networking services (be aware that you have to download and install software from LinkedIn to make it work). Microsoft Word—surely the most complex and feature-rich application ever written—continues to be awesomely powerful. And it’s slightly less annoying than previous editions, too. For example, a new version of the Find dialog appears in a separate pane, and optionally shows you all instances of the searched string at the same time. Other GETTING AROuND Word’s massively improved tabs on the Navigation pane include a new Navigation pane lets you reorganize a docu- high-detail document navigation map that ment by dragging elements up and down a list. lets you move content around a document by dragging items up and down the map, Word and Publisher now support advanced OpenType typographic features such as “swash” and “linked letters,” as well as different “stylistic sets” for subtly changing the look of a document—features only available on the Windows platform within Adobe’s Creative Suite (Mac OS X has had these features built-in for years).

Outlook and Word There’s plenty of good news about Out- look. If you’ve been bothered for years by its slightly sluggish response, you’ll notice GET CONNECTED Outlook 2010 lets you search some improvement (though it could still your contacts list for those you’re connected to on the social-networking site LinkedIn. be a bit more responsive). The new Rib- bon interface makes Outlook easier and more consistent with the overall package. and a thumbnail preview screen. By com- The new Quick Steps feature automatically bining the map, thumbnails, and Find func- performs multiple operations with a single tions, Word now provides a one-stop tool click, and you can add to the supplied Quick for navigating a document. Steps by creating your own. A powerful new feature lets you search Outlook for your Excel and OneNote contacts on LinkedIn and—eventually— One of the two best innovations in Excel

14 PC MAGAZINE DIGITAL EDITION juNE 2010 2010 is very small; the other is very big. The the desktop for easy access while you work small innovation is Sparklines, a miniature in non-Ofﬁce apps. OneNote also gets wel- line or bar graph that occupies a single come improvements to text-formatting cell, and displays trends or totals from any features, as well as the Ribbon interface of the rest of the suite.

The Verdict Admittedly, Office 2010 still has one or two annoying faults, but far fewer than any other large-scale application suite. In fact, I had to look very hard to find anything to complain about in Office 2010. Microsoft’s latest version of its wildly successful productivity suite offers a potent combination of innovation and ease of use, and it adds new features SPARk YOuR DATA Those little column graphs with the shallowest possible learning curve. in the second column are Excel’s new Spark- lines, showing miniature graphs of your data.

region of your worksheet. This is a brilliant feature that puts clear graphic information inside a table (typically next to the data that it represents) and makes it easy to visual- ize information quickly. The big new feature is an enhanced tool set for Pivot Tables, including a Slicer that lets you filter data in a Pivot Table simply by selecting an item in a list, a method that’s faster and more intuitive than in previous versions of Excel. bETTER MuLTITASkING OneNote now attaches OneNote is Microsoft’s flexible and inno- itself to the taskbar tray so that you can add a quick note while working in another application. vative note-taking app, which seems to divide users between those who think it’s the greatest tool ever invented, and those If you’re a casual user or are on a tight bud- who can’t see the point. If you’re a OneNote get, you can probably manage without this fan, you’ll love the new version, which lets upgrade. But if you can afford it, Office 2010 you create notes while working inside other is money well spent—and a suite deserving Office apps and adds a dock-to-desktop of an Editors’ Choice.—Edward Mendelson feature that keeps the notebook open on <

juNE 2010 PC MAGAZINE DIGITAL EDITION 15 FIRSt LOOKS SOFtWARE

Adobe Photoshop CS5 Extended Standard Edition, $699 list Lllll PROS Lots of helpful upgrades to major tools. Many smaller but useful enhancements. Content-Aware Fill is both mind- blowing and astonishingly useful. COnS Expensive.

Adobe Photoshop CS5 Extended Photoshop Still on Top

Photoshop just keeps getting bet- imperfect image. Other new functions give ter. This CS5 version implements you expanded ways to deal with images features for selection, painting, and before or after importing, such as the Adobe high dynamic range (HDR) pho- Camera Raw 6 plug-in, the Lens Correction tography, as well as a new capabil- filter, and the HDR Pro tool, which makes ity that’s as close to digital prestidigitation it easier to tweak over- and underexposed as we’ve seen. Photoshop CS5 may not be a images. Also, the Mixer Brush lets you treat must-have revision for every user, but it’s an your mouse like a real paintbrush. outstanding, easy-to-use release that shows As has been true for the last few ver- Adobe isn’t done changing the game. sions, the Extended version of Photoshop The most eye-popping of the changes CS5 puts an extra emphasis on 3D. With here is Content-Aware Fill. Sound familiar? Repoussé, you can easily convert two- It should—Photoshop CS4 added Content- dimensional artwork into 3D objects with Aware Scaling, so you could resize images any extrusion qualities you choose. Shadow to reduce dead space, but preserve the con- Catcher even lets you create no-fuss shad- tent you cared about. Content-Aware Fill ows to accompany your images. But Photo- is that idea’s logical extension, letting you shop’s price is deﬁnitely a barrier, especially excise certain elements while preserving the for newcomers. The changes in Photoshop image’s background. The results aren’t 100 CS5 may not necessarily scream “update” percent ﬂawless, but they’re so outstanding for those with CS4, but for all others it’s a in general that they may leave you wonder- must-buy.—Matthew Murray ing whether you’ll ever again send out an >>CLICK HERE FOR MORE

16 PC MAGAZInE DIGItAL EDItIOn JunE 2010 FIRsT LOOKs sOFTWARE

iWork for iPad $9.99 direct per application llllm PROs Almost full-scale application suite. Ideal for building presentations. More than enough power and ease for working with basic documents and worksheets CONs Advanced features missing in word processor and spreadsheet. iPad lacks ability to print directly.

iWork for iPad iPad Gets to Work

With Apple’s iWork for iPad suite saves them for you—continuously. How- of office applications, you can do ever, this doesn’t mean that the iPad is the real work on your new iPad. The best of all possible work environments. For tablet-based version of Apple’s example, you can’t print directly from the suite offers only a basic subset of iPad, and getting documents in and out of features compared with the high-powered the iPad via e-mail, iTunes, or the iWork.com OS X version of iWork 09. And you probably cloud-based storage is arcane. won’t be writing your screenplay or crunch- The iPad’s Pages word processor works ing corporate-level numbers on the iPad’s best if you’re creating simple docs. And cramped on-screen keyboard. But when Numbers packs a surprising amount of you start creating documents in the iPad’s power into a tablet-scaled spreadsheet. no-fuss file system, you’ll wonder why you Keynote feels most at home on the iPad, ever put up with the complex, awkward way packing in terrific-looking multi-step tran- your PC does things. sitions. In short, all three apps are bargains For example, The iPad doesn’t make you and may be enough to let you leave the save and search for files—you simply open a laptop behind on your next business trip. document from a gallery of documents. You —Edward Mendelson don’t need to save files, because the app >>CLICK HERE FOR MORE

JuNe 2010 PC MAGAZINE DIGITAL EDITION 17 QuICk LOOks sOFTWARE

SECURITY baCkUp mobIlE bRowSER gpS

avira premium Security Idrive (Spring 2010) opera mini 5 (for TomTom 1.3 (iphone oS) Suite 10 $4.95 direct per month iphone) Including U.S. and Canada $53.95 direct per year Free maps, $69.99 direct

Llhmm lllhm Lllhm Llllm

• Effective at keeping • Easy setup interface • Loads Web pages very • Accurate navigation malware out of a clean • Free 2GB account fast on slow networks • Very informative display system • Up to ﬁve computers in • Great-looking graphical • Smooth POI searches • Accurate spam ﬁltering one account “speed dial” start screen • Firewall blocks exploits • Good security options and detects them by • Web remote management pRoS name interface • Mac version

• Failed to block real-world • No file sharing • Doesn’t support all the • Dated map graphics attack • Mac and PC accounts Web technologies that • Traffic module costs extra • Spam filter slows e-mail separate Safari does download • No file management app • Some interface elements • Weak phishing protection look “non-iPhoney” • Rudimentary parental ConS control and backup

This version corrects a cou- IDrive has some great Opera Mini doesn’t offer as TomTom 1.3 is a useful ple big problems from the features, but there are still rich a Web experience as GPS navigation app that, last edition, and its spam some rough edges, com- does Safari, but it works with each version upgrade, protection is quite good. pared with the competi- much better when AT&T’s comes closer and closer to But malware and ﬁrewall tion. network slows down. a standalone PND. protection are mediocre. boTTom lInE boTTom

Product name in REd indicates Editors’ Choice.

18 PC MAGAZINE DIGITAL EDITION JUNE 2010 dESkTop pUblIShIng phoTo EdITIng VECToR ImagE EdITIng wEb dESIgn print Shop pro 2.0 aperture 3 adobe Illustrator CS5 adobe dreamweaver CS5 $89.99 direct $199 list $599 list; upgrade, $199 $399 list; upgrade, $199

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• Thousands of ready-made • Simple, clean interface • Attractive new tools for • Enhancements to Live project templates • Excellent photo-organiza- creating and reﬁning im- View now function with • Image gallery with thou- tion tools ages dynamic content sands of photos and clip • Excellent camera raw • Extensive, useful artboard • Useful tools for ﬁxing and art import enhancements interacting with cascading • Intuitive interface • Tethering style sheets • Helpful video tutorials • Mail merge

• Difﬁcult to set up layout • Resource intensive • Not every user will beneﬁt • Few major changes from or align elements beyond • No history window to see from all (or even most) of CS4 release templates previous actions the new features • Sketchy features for begin- • Not for those wanting • No geometry correction ners to create projects from • No Windows version scratch

Print Shop Pro 2.0 is an With face recognition, smart Although only a couple of Dreamweaver digs deeper easy-to-use desktop pub- geo-tagging, a rich plug-in its new capabilities are with its CS5 version—at lishing app that puts scores ecosystem, and all the ad- genuinely exciting, Illustra- least for advanced users. of templates and images at justment and organizational tor CS5 remains the gold But beginners may need or your disposal. tools of Lightroom, Aperture standard for vector-image want more help. is a serious contender. editing.

Visit pcmag.com for the full reviews of these and scores of other software products.

JUNE 2010 PC MAGAZINE DIGITAL EDITION 19 FIRST LOOKS HARDwARE

Apple MacBook Pro 15-Inch (Core i5) A More Powerful MacBook

or those Mac fans who have this MacBook is substantially faster than the been waiting for the updated previous-generation, realizing PCMark Van- MacBook Pro line, the wait is tage and CineBench R10 gains of 76 per- F over. The new Apple MacBook cent and 59 percent, respectively. Against Pro 15-inch (Core i5) has the other laptops, however, this MacBook is same magniﬁcent-looking aluminum chas- on even ground. Its video encoding scores sis as the previous model, but what’s inside (0:46) were only 3 seconds faster than the has changed. Here you get a fast Intel Core Acer Aspire AS5740-6378 (0:49) and the i5 processor and the addition of Apple’s Samsung R580 (0:49). And Apple’s Auto- proprietary—and seamless—graphics- matic Switching Graphics (ASG) technol- switching technology. ogy defers to Intel’s integrated graphics While every other laptop has already tran- for tasks like Web surfing, word process- sitioned to 15.6- and 16-inch screens, Apple ing, and listening to music, and switches the is staying true to its 15.4-inch widescreen, Nvidia GeForce 330M chip during 3D game this time with an option for a 1,680-by-1,050 play and pro-level tasks in Photoshop, screen resolution (for an added $150). The Aperture, and Lightroom. Along with better black, backlit Chiclet keys, with backlights performance, this is supposed to boost bat- beneath them, remain untouched, and you’ll tery life. Although Apple says you’ll get 8 to enjoy the typing experience. The only fea- 9 hours of life, MobileMark 2007 reported a ture upgrade worth noting is the increase in score of only 3 hours 21 minutes. storage capacity—320GB, up from 250GB. So for folks who need a fast laptop to The midrange and high-end MacBook Pro finish projects on time (and are willing 15-inchers come standard with 500GB drives. to pay for it) this new MacBook makes Since all of my tests are Windows-based, sense. But for everyone else, the Samsung I tested the MacBook Pro 15-inch (Core i5) R580 is just as powerful and costs half the running Boot Camp and Windows 7 Ulti- price.—Cisco Cheng mate Edition 64-bit. What I found is that >>CLICK HERE FOR MORE

SPECS 2.4-GHz Intel Core i5-520M; 4GB DDR3 SDRAM; 320GB hard drive; 15.4-inch display; Broadcom 802.11n I Wi-Fi; 5.5 pounds; 77.5-Wh battery; Mac OS X 10.6.3. .

20 PC MAGAZINE DIGITAL EDITION jUNE 2010 Apple MacBook Pro 15-inch (Core i5) $1,799 direct Llllm PROS Superior design engineering. Seamless switching graphics technology. Fast Core i5 processor. Bigger battery. Illuminated keyboard. New motion scrolling multitouch gesture. Versatile touchpad. Higher resolutions with anti-glare available. CONS Pricier than its predecessor.

PERFORMANCE TESTS MULTIMEDIA TESTS WINDoWS L High scores are best. M Low scores are best. PCMArk MEDIA EN- PHoToSHoP Bold type denotes ﬁrst place. MoBILEMArk VANTAGE 3DMArk06 CoDEr CINEBENCH CS4 2007 L (hr:min) 07* L (hr:min) L (hr:min) M (min:sec) r10 L M (min:sec) Apple Macbook Pro 15-inch (Core i5) 5,677 3:21 7,371 0:46 8,211 0:32 - Boot Camp Apple Macbook Pro 15-inch (SD Slot) 3,217 5:30 2,429 1:11 5,167 0:32 - Boot Camp Acer Aspire AS5740-6378 5,426 3:22 N/A 0:49 7,535 0:31

Samsung R580 5,779 3:42 4,165 0:49 7,824 0:31 rED denotes Editors’ Choice. N/A—Not applicable: The product could not complete the test, or the test was not compatible. * This test was run at 1,024 by 768 resolution.

jUNE 2010 PC MAGAZINE DIGITAL EDITION 21 FIRsT LOOKs HARDwARE

Asus U30JC-1A A Blue Diamond Laptop

Three months after Intel launched its Core i3, Core i5, and Core i7 processors, we still haven’t seen Asus U30Jc-1A modestly-priced lightweight and $899 list Llllh ultraportable laptops that don’t sacri- Pros: Two GPUs. Nvidia Optimus can seam- fice power for battery life. That’s why the lessly switch between the two GPUs. Excellent metal-clad Asus U30Jc-1A is a welcome battery life. Full-size keyboard. Metallic top. Big battery. Excellent battery life. Good perfor- addition to the market: It’s 13 inches of mance scores. pure muscle, running on a Core i3 proces- Cons: No ExpressCard slot sor and two GPUs—an Intel integrated chipset and an Nvidia GeForce 310M tures are standard for this category. graphics card. And because it scored 8 Running on the latest 2.27-GHz Intel hours of battery life and does all of this for Core i3-350M processor and paired with a delectable price, handing it the Editors’ 4GB of DDR3 memory, the U30Jc-1A fin- Choice in the mainstream laptop category ished our video-encoding tests in 54 is a no-brainer. seconds, outperforming many of its com- The U30Jc-1A uses attractive met- petitors. And it took top honors in PCMark als on the lid and all over the palm rests Vantage (5,068) and CineBench R10 (the rest of the body is made of plastics). (7,062) tests. But you’d expect that from Because of the standard-voltage Core i3 a higher-clocked processor. Its switchable processor and a big battery (84-Wh), the graphics resulted in both excellent battery U30Jc-1A weighs 4.7 pounds. Its 13.3-inch life and leading scores on 3DMark06, Cry- widescreen has as much workspace as the sis, and World in Conflict tests. Basically, MacBook Pro 13-inch, despite having dif- it’s as close to a complete package as ferent screen resolutions. The island-style you will get in the 13-inch space, without keyboard means the U30Jc-1A’s square spending an arm and a leg.—Cisco Cheng keys are non-interconnecting. Other fea- >>CLICK HERE FOR MORE

sPECs 2.27-GHz Intel Core i3-350M; 4GB DDR3 SDRAM; 320GB hard drive; Intel GMA HD (Core i3) and Nvidia GeForce 310M graphics; 13.3-inch display; Atheros 802.11n Wi-Fi; 4.7 pounds; 84-Wh battery; Windows 7 Home I Premium 64-bit.

22 PC MAGAZINE DIGITAL EDITION JUNE 2010 FIRsT LOOKs HARDwARE

Fusion Garage JooJoo Bad JooJoo

keptics balked when Apple announced that pricing for the iPad would start at $499 (for S 16GB). That’s a lot of coin for a not-quite-computer. Now Fusion Garage’s JooJoo is finally here, and it, too, starts at $499. But it offers only 4GB of storage, has no apps, and is little more than a touch-screen-based Web browser. The inclusion of Flash support is one clear Fusion Garage JooJoo advantage over the iPad, but it is neverthe- $499 list less a one-dimensional device. Lhmmm Measuring 7.8 by 12.8 by 0.7 inches PROs Large 12.1-inch touch screen. Browser supports Flash. No productivity apps, but you (HWD) and weighing a portly 2.4 pounds, can use Google Docs for word processing the JooJoo really needs a lap or a desk- and spreadsheet functions. top to rest on. Its bright, good-looking 12.1- CONs Crashes often. Heavy. Basic functionality requires future firmware updates. Touch- inch multitouch capacitive screen features screen is gesture-based; no multitouch (pinch 1,366-by-768-pixel resolution. It also has a and zoom) support. Aside from Web browsing, webcam—something the iPad lacks. Inside, doesn’t do much else. Can’t use USB port or camera yet. there’s an accelerometer so the screen ori- entation shifts between portrait and land- put, the interface doesn’t work very well. scape modes, and support for 802.11g Wi-Fi If you don’t use your JooJoo for a bit, the and Bluetooth 2.1 + EDR, but Bluetooth screen goes to sleep—but it’s hard to wake functionality is not yet enabled. (Like many up. Many of the controls didn’t work the of the JooJoo’s specs, actual functionality first time and the touch screen was often will be added via firmware update.) unresponsive. And the JooJoo crashed on In addition to the device getting very me more than once. Though the company hot during operation, there are number of promises fixes, the JooJoo is for now an ill- other glitches. Many of them are due to its advised investment.—Tim Gideon browser-based operating system. Simply >>CLICK HERE FOR MORE

sPECs 1.6-GHz Intel Atom processor; 4GB solid state drive; Intel Atom graphics; hard drive; 12.1-inch display; I 802.11n Wi-Fi; 2.4 pounds.

JuNE 2010 PC MAGAZINE DIGITAL EDITION 23 QuICk LOOks HARDWARE

DESKTOPS LAPTOPS DISPLAYS

Velocity Micro Raptor Samsung R580 Toshiba Satellite P505- Dell Ultrasharp U2711 Z90 $830 list S8010 $1,099 direct $5,499 direct $950 direct

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• Dual-graphics-card • Blu-ray included • Gigantic widescreen • Very good color and light performance • Core i5 processor • Intel Core i3 processor grayscale performance • Overclocked six-core • Midrange Nvidia graphics • Good gaming scores • Lots of A/V ports and processor card • FireWire and 500GB hard multimedia features PROS • No bloatware • Speedy laptop drive • Wide viewing angle • Some expansion room • Very nice design

• Dated styling • HD resolution, but only • Touch-sensitive buttons • Pricey • Still expensive 720p are too sensitive • Some trouble displaying • Hard drive is a bit small • Gesture touchpad needs dark grays

CONS • Won’t burn Blu-ray discs tweaking • No pivot adjustment • No Blu-ray drive

The Z90 is a good “bang The R580 desktop replace- The Satellite P505-S8010 The UltraSharp U2711 lives for the buck” gaming PCs, ment has two things you is a powerful, big-screen up to its name and displays but it still doesn’t have all won’t typically ﬁnd at this media center, but the user an excellent array of col- the bells and whistles of price: a Core i5 processor experience needs a lot of ors, though it had trouble some competitors. and a Blu-ray drive. work. with dark grays. BOTTOM LINE BOTTOM

3.33-GHz Intel Core i7- 2.27-GHz Intel Core 2.13-GHz Intel Core i3- 27 inches; 2,560 by 1,440 980X processor; 6GB DDR3 i5-430M processor; 4GB 330M; 4GB DDR3 SDRAM; native resolution; 480i and SDRAM; 64GB SSD drive SDRAM; 500GB hard drive; 500GB hard drive; nVidia 1080p supported; 16:9 and 1TB SATA hard drive; Nvidia GeForce 310M GeForce 310M graphics; aspect ratio; analog VGA, Two ATI Radeon HD 5970 graphics; 15.6-inch display; 18.4 display; 9.2 pounds; Digital (DVI-D), and HDMI

SPECS graphics cards; Blu-ray 5.5 pounds; 48-Wh battery; 44-Wh battery; Windows 7 inputs. drive; Windows 7 Home Windows 7 Home Premium Home Premium (64-bit). Premium (64-bit). (64-bit).

Product name in RED indicates Editors’ Choice.

24 PC MAGAZINE DIGITAL EDITION JUNE 2010 ROUTERS PRINTERS SCANNERS

NEC MultiSync PA241W Cisco Valet Plus HP LaserJet Pro P1102w NeatReceipts $1,049 list $149.99 list $149 direct $199.95 direct

Llllm Llllh Lllhm Lllhm

• Very good performance • Easy setup • Small • Scans and manages • Excellent viewing angles • Good performance • Low cost receipts, business cards, • Highly adjustable stand • Perfect for a home/family • Fast and documents • Four-year warranty network • Wi-Fi included • Scans to searchable PDFs • Reasonably high-quality • Twain and WIA drivers output

• Pricey • Throughput still not high- • Low paper capacity • Limited document • No HDMI port est we have seen in this • High cost per page management router class • Manual duplex only • Confusing display icons

The MultiSync PA241W is Ever wanted a router that’s Small enough to sit on your NeatReceipts combines a a well-appointed display a fast performer but still desk as a personal mono- portable scanner with soft- offering outstanding color, easy enough for networking chrome laser, the P1102w ware designed to scan and grayscale, and text quality— newbies? Meet the Cisco is faster than the model it manage receipts, business though at a premium price. ValPlus. replaces, adds Wi-Fi, and cards, and documents. costs less.

24 inches; 1,920 by 1,200 na- 802.11n; WPA security. Monochrome laser; 19-ppm 600-pixel maximum optical tive resolution; analog VGA, rated speed (mono); 7.7 by resolution; 1.3 by 10.8 by 1.8 Digital (DVI-D) inputs. 13.7 by 9.4 inches (HWD); inches (HWD); 10.6 ounces. 11.6 pounds.

Visit pcmag.com for the full reviews of these and scores of other hardware products.

JUNE 2010 PC MAGAZINE DIGITAL EDITION 25 FIRsT LOOKs busINEss

NeatDesk A High-End Doc Scanner

eatDesk is The Neat Compa- 600-pixel-per-inch (ppi) optical resolution, ny’s other scanner package, which is typical for document scanners. It’s with the same software as rated at 24 ppm in simplex mode (scanning Nthe original NeatReceipts but one side of a page at a time) and 48 images a different class of scanner. per minute (ipm) in duplex mode. The software in both is focused on manag- On PCMag performance tests, I timed ing receipts, and, to a lesser extent, business the actual scan for our standard 25-sheet, cards and documents. The big difference double-sided text document at 59 seconds is that instead of the portable, manual-fed in duplex mode, which works out to a touch scanner in NeatReceipts, NeatDesk includes faster than 25 ppm and 50 ipm. The total a 24-page-per-minute (ppm) desktop doc- time for scanning, recognizing the text, con- ument scanner complete with a 50-page verting it to a searchable PDF ﬁle, and then automatic document feeder (ADF). One launching Acrobat with the ﬁle loaded, was other thing: it also costs twice as much. 5 minutes 35 seconds, which is a relatively The NeatDesk scanner is a typical size long time for scanners in the NeatDesk’s for a personal desktop scanner, with a price range. NeatDesk did a particularly 10.8- by 7.5-inch (WD) footprint. The over- good job with business cards, however. One all design is fairly standard, with the input minor issue I ran into with the ADF was that tray on the top back and the output tray on it tended to feed two and sometimes three the bottom front. One unusual touch is that receipts at a time and also tended to crum- instead of adjustable edge guides for feed- ple the receipts while feeding them. ing paper, the input tray includes an insert In the end, if the only features you need that offers three slots with permanently are receipt management and business-card set widths—8.5 inches for documents, 3.5 management, the NeatDesk hardware may inches for receipts, and 2.25 inches for busi- be more scanner than you need, and you ness cards. Each slot is designed to take a might be better off with the less-expensive maximum of 15 items at a time. NeatReceipts.—M. David Stone The scanner’s also suitably capable, with a >>CLICK HERE FOR MORE

26 PC MAGAZINE DIGITAL EDITION juNE 2010 NeatDesk $399.95 direct Lllhm PROs Scans and manages receipts, business cards, and documents. Scans to searchable PDFs. 50-page automatic document feeder. CONs Included program is designed well but is highly limited.

juNE 2010 PC MAGAZINE DIGITAL EDITION 27 FIRsT LOOKs busINEss

LogMeIn Central An All- Access Pass

ogMeIn Central is a Web- based management solution for remotely accessing and L monitoring multiple machines called “hosts.” The machine used to access hosts remotely is called the LogMeIn Central $49.99 direct per month “client.” Central is used to access and man- Llllm age host machines running LogMeIn Free or Pros one-stop shop for the diagnostics, re- LogMeIn Pro. It eliminates a lot of the com- porting, inventory, and remote control of multiple computers. Easy, efﬁcient management plexity of setup often found in older, more of machines running LogMeIn Free or LogMeIn traditional remote-control solutions like Pro-D. Works with Mac and Windows. pcAnywhere. Cons Pricey and not needed if basic remote Within seconds of installing the soft- access is required. no Linux support. ware on three host machines, I could see all three listed on the home page of LogMeIn’s out the feature set to provide in-depth management console. One of the three information about managed machines, machines I tested was a Windows 7 Virtual another feature that alternate solutions like Machine, not an actual physical PC, and VNC often lack. working with it using LogMeIn Central was Overall, LogMeIn Central is an easy, inex- as smooth a process as working with actual pensive, and powerful way to manage and computers. Central’s eye-pleasing con- troubleshoot multiple host machines run- sole allows for full-screen view of remote ning LogMeIn Free or LogMeIn Pro; it is also desktops and the ability to zoom. Remote ideal for small to mid-size IT support teams machines can be added to groups, and that would beneﬁt from the diagnostic and there is baked-in security which includes management tools and the inventory fea- AES 256-bit encryption between host and ture. Even the free version on host PCs is client, IP-address filtering, and Denial-of- going to give a nascent IT person plenty of Service protection for host machines and centralized control.—Samara Lynn for LogMeIn.com. Charts and reports round >>CLICK HERE FOR MORE

28 PC MAGAZINE DIGITAL EDITION juNE 2010 FIRst LOOKs busInEss

HP LaserJet Pro P1606dn Printer Zippy, Eco- Friendly Laser

Whether you want a personal monochrome laser small enough to share your desk with, or a shared printer suitable for a small office, the HP LaserJet Pro P1606dn is worth a close look. It’s compact, strong on text quality, speedy, includes a network connector for easy sharing, and offers reasonably capable paper handling. It’s a little weak on graphics and photo quality, however. HP LaserJet Pro P1606dn Printer $229 direct At 9.7 by 15.2 by 11.2 inches (HWD) and Llllm only 15.4 pounds, the P1606dn is both PROs Fast. High-quality text. Reasonably good smaller and lighter than most ink jets. How- paper capacity. Automatic duplexing. Ethernet ever, it’s large enough to hold a 250-sheet connection. COns Photo quality is at the low end of the paper tray as well as a built-in duplexer. In range for mono lasers. addition, the 10-sheet multipurpose tray is a useful extra that lets you print on special ing, a tendency to lose thin lines, and a paper without having to swap out the paper streaking effect. This printer is also the ﬁrst in the tray. monochrome laser to earn our GreenTech The P1606dn stands out for its speed. HP Approved seal for being RoHS and REACH rates the engine at a substantial 26 pages compliant, Energy Star 1.1 qualified, and per minute (ppm), and on our tests, the Blue Angel certified, and easily recycled, printer delivered on the company’s claim: I among other factors. timed the P1606dn on our business appli- The P1606dn’s limitations for graph- cations suite at an impressively fast 5-min- ics and photo quality are enough to keep ute 36-second total (notably faster than it from being an Editors’ Choice, but if anything else in its price range). Text qual- those are not an issue, then this printer is ity was also quite good. Graphics, however, a great choice.—M. David Stone were less impressive, with visible dither- >>CLICK HERE FOR MORE

JunE 2010 PC MAGAZInE DIGItAL EDItIOn 29 FIRsT LOOKs CONsuMER ELECTRONICs

HTC HD2 (T-Mobile) Windows Mobile’s Last Stand

Windows Mobile 6.5 may look like apps for common tasks. a lemon nowadays, but the On our tests, I had no problem log- T-Mobile HTC HD2 is a cool, deli- ging onto a WPA2-encrypted 802.11g net- cious glass of the finest lemon- work. Voice calls sounded clear and warm. ade you’ve ever had. Yes, Reception was average. Calls sounded ﬁne Microsoft is shifting its focus to Windows through my Bluetooth headset, and the Phone 7 and leaving the non-upgradeable speakerphone was loud and powerful. Bat- HD2 behind. But if you focus on what this tery life was somewhat short but not a deal- phone can do, and ignore the HD2’s breaker at 6 hours, 8 minutes of talk time in creaky, older OS—easily done, given HTC’s EDGE mode, probably because of the drain beautiful Sense UI—you’ll ﬁnd a gorgeous, from that vast screen. spectacularly powerful smartphone for As for Windows Mobile, it is basically business and for pleasure. a dead OS with poor task management, The extra-slim HD2 measures 4.74 by crappy built-in apps, and uneven multi- 2.64 by 0.43 inches (HWD) and weighs 5.54 media performance. HTC patched most of ounces, making it a bit longer, wider, and these problems on the HD2, but that still thinner than the iPhone 3GS. The HD2 fea- doesn’t change the fact that the app mar- tures soft-touch sides, a brushed aluminum ket for Windows Mobile is dying, making back panel, and a 4.3-inch glass capacitive the HD2 basically frozen in time. It feels touch screen with 480-by-800-pixel reso- strange to bestow the Editors’ Choice lution. In addition to the gorgeous screen, it award for T-Mobile smartphones on a packs a fast 1-GHz Qualcomm Snapdragon device with an obsolete OS and fading processor—the first we’ve seen in a U.S. third-party app market. But if you’re look- Windows Mobile phone. ing for an audio, video, and Web brows- HTC Sense is a big step ahead of 2007’s ing multimedia powerhouse, this is the HTC TouchFLO UI. It features plenty of best smartphone in T-Mobile’s lineup—bar home-screen animation, a sliding icon bar none.—Jamie Lendino at the bottom, and beautifully designed <

30 PC MAGAZINE DIGITAL EDITION jUnE 2010 HTC HD2 (T-Mobile) $199.99 to $449.99 direct Llllm PROs Stunning screen. Spectacular video playback. Fast CPU. Smooth HTC Sense interface layer. Slim design. CONs Menus and dialogs can be difﬁcult. Not upgradable to Windows Phone 7 Series. Battery life could be longer.

jUnE 2010 PC MAGAZINE DIGITAL EDITION 31 FIRst LOOKs busInEss Cisco Flip SlideHD $279.99 direct Lllhm Pros Pivoting 3-inch LCD. Simple-to-use, touch-screen interface. 16GB of embedded storage. Loud speakers. HDMI out. Included FlipShare software simpliﬁes video management and sharing. Cons Very expensive. No still-image capture. No 1080p recording; limited to a single 720p30 resolution. No microphone input. Only a portion of the LCD is usable while recording video.

Cisco Flip slideHD A New Way to Flip

ntil now, Flip and many of its tripod connector. The SlideHD has only one pocket camcorder competi- physical button (for power) on the cam- tors have concentrated solely era’s right side, and a touch strip that’s used Uon easy video recording and for navigation during video playback. For sharing. With the Flip SlideHD, everything else, you’ll need the SlideHD’s the focus shifts to include the video-view- banner (and namesake) feature: the sliding ing experience. With its tilting 3-inch LCD 3-inch (400-by-240-pixel) touch screen. and loud speakers, this camera instantly On our tests, video captured with the transforms to a portable viewer. You also SlideHD looked good under a variety of get 16GB of built-in storage, an easy-to-use lighting conditions. Like most pocket HD touch-screen UI, and on-board software for camcorders, the SlideHD does not offer video sharing—but that’s about it. If you’re autofocus. And the FlipShare software on looking for features like 1080p HD, still- the camera offers a single, easy-to-use image capture, zoom, or a macro recording solution for managing your videos. So mode, you won’t ﬁnd them here. although the SlideHD is a well-designed, Measuring 4.1 by 2.1 by 0.9 inches (HWD), all-in-one device for HD video record- the 5.9-ounce SlideHD is thicker and more ing and viewing, its price and limited fea- than an ounce heavier than the Flip MinoHD ture set mean that for many, the Sony and we reviewed back in 2008. On the bottom Kodak competitors are stronger, more ver- panel you’ll find a headphone jack, mini- satile choices.—PJ Jacobowitz HDMI port (for connecting to an HDTV) and >>CLICK HERE FOR MORE

32 PC MAGAZInE DIGItAL EDItIOn JUNE 2010 FIRst LOOKs busInEss samsung bD-C6500 A Full- Featured Blu-ray Player

There’s a lot to like about Sam- sung’s BD-C6500, from its reason- Samsung BD-C6500 able price to its wealth of Web $249.99 list apps and widgets, not to mention Llllm excellent HD picture quality. Throw Pros Top-notch HD image quality. Robust selec- in integrated Wi-Fi, lots of A/V ports, 1GB of tion of Web features including games. Includes 1GB of internal memory. Eight analog outputs internal memory, and a cleverly designed for connecting to a 7.1 surround-sound system. remote, and you’ve got our latest Editors’ Supports DLNA. Choice for mid-range Blu-ray players. COns Some SD-upconversion artifacts. Limited front panel controls. The BD-C6500’s 1.7-by-16.9–by-8.8-inch (HWD) very compact piano-black cabinet sports a faux brushed-metal front panel making it one of the fastest players we’ve with a mirrored display panel placed in the seen. Blu-ray playback performance is also middle. The display uses big, bright LEDs to top-notch—crisp and free of artifacts like provide disc status, playing time, and Wi-Fi jaggies and background noise. The player status. On the rear panel you’ll ﬁnd a wealth handled the HD HQV benchmarks without of A/V connections, including HDMI, com- incident. The BD-C6500 is also energy efﬁ- ponent, and composite ports, as well as a cient, consuming an average of 13 watts secondary USB port. In addition to an opti- while playing a Blu-ray disc, which works cal digital audio output and stereo analog out to a monthly operating cost of about jacks, you get eight analog outputs for con- 17 cents. necting to a 7.1 surround-sound system. This Overall, the BD-C6500 is an excel- player can also connect to the Web via an lent example of how Blu-ray players have 802.11n adapter or Ethernet port. evolved into multifunction home theater On our tests, the player took an average devices.—John R. Delaney of 10 seconds to load my test Blu-ray discs, >>CLICK HERE FOR MORE

JUNE 2010 PC MAGAZInE DIGItAL EDItIOn 33 QuICk LOOks CONsuMEr ELECTrONICs

SMARTPHONES MINI-CAMCORDERS

Sony Ericsson Naite LG Accolade VX5600 Motorola i890 Sony Bloggie MHS-PM5 $159.99 direct $9.99 to $199.99 direct $129.99 list $169.99 direct

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• Classy style • Pleasant, compact design • Stylish for a Nextel • Low price • Good voice quality • Big numeric keypad • Solid build quality • Sharp video and 5-mega- • Well designed UI • Good voice quality • Clear voice calls pixel still images • Excellent music and video • Excellent battery life • Booming speakerphone • 2.4-inch LCD PROS playback • Lens swivels 270 degrees • Inexpensive for an unlocked world phone

• No GPS • No music player or video • Poor multimedia prowess • Only top half of display • Proprietary headphone recorder • Blurry camera is viewable during video jack • Very little internal recording • Weak speakerphone memory • No HDMI out for playback CONS on HDTVs • No mi c input or macro focusing feature

Sony Ericsson scores with The LG Accolade is the best The Motorola i890 is exact- Silly name notwithstand- the Naite, a powerful basic phone on Verizon for ly as advertised: a quality ing, the slick Sony Bloggie unlocked phone that works simple voice-and-text use, push-to-talk ﬂip phone with is easy to use and delivers on high-speed networks but don’t try to use it for few extra frills. great image quality and here and overseas—all at a more than that. features.

BOTTOM LINE BOTTOM tempting price.

AT&T, T-Mobile; 2.2-inch Verizon Wireless; 2-inch Sprint; 2.2-inch LCD; 2MP 5MP resolution; still-image LCD; 2MP camera; Blue- LCD; 1.3MP camera; camera; Bluetooth; 3.9 by capture; digital image tooth; 4.3 by 1.9 by 0.5 Bluetooth; 3.6 by 1.8 by 0.7 2.0 by 0.7 inches (HWD); stabilization; 47-mm focal inches (HWD); 3 ounces. inches (HWD); 3 ounces. 4.2 ounces. length; 4.4 by 2.2 by 0.7 SPECS inches (HWD); 4.5-ounce.

Product name in RED indicates Editors’ Choice.

34 PC MAGAZINE DIGITAL EDITION JUNE 2010 CAMERAS GPS SPEAKERS GADGETS

Nikon Coolpix S70 Garmin nüvi 1390T Creative Inspire S2 Apple iPad Keyboard $299.95 list $269.99 list Wireless Dock $149.99 direct $69 direct

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• Attractive design • Accurate navigation • Quality audio perfor- • Provides a physical key- • High-contrast 3.5-inch • Smooth map animation mance board for the iPad OLED screen • Well-timed voice prompts • Simple wireless set up • Slick design • Multi-touch screen offers • Two lane-assist modes • Small desktop footprint • Doubles as a stand for vibrant colors photo or video viewing • Charges via USB

• Expensive • Lifetime trafﬁc comes • Bluetooth offers mediocre • No way to dock the iPad • Low-resolution display with frequent ads, even if sound quality horizontally • Oversensitive optical you turn the feature off • Not completely wireless; • Can’t adjust the amount zoom • No 3D landmarks or multi- satellites connect to the of space between your • Noticeable shutter lag segment routing subwoofer with wires eyes and the iPad’s • Images suffer from color • No remote control screen fringing

Nikon’s touch-screen- Despite pesky ads that Sound snobs should steer If you want an iPad, but OLED-equipped Coolpix come with free lifetime clear, but the Inspire S2 you’re not ready to commit S70 has great potential, but trafﬁc, the nüvi 1390 brings manages to overcome fully to an on-screen key- its mediocre image quality, many high-end navigation many Bluetooth audio board, the iPad Keyboard low-resolution display, and features down to a budget shortcomings. Dock is a solid solution. high price underwhelm. price point.

Compact; 12.1 megapixels; Preloaded maps; Turn-by- 2.1-channel; subwoofer; 0.5 by 11 by 4.5 inches 5X optical zoom; 3.5-inch turn directions; 3D view; 7 watts RMS per channel (HWD). LCD; HD video capture; 2.4 touch-screen display; (speakers); 4.1 by 2.9 by by 3.8 by 0.8 inches (HWD). 2.9 by 4.8 by 0.6 inches 2.9 inches (HWD). (HWD).

Visit pcmag.com for the full reviews of these and other consumer electronics products.

JUNE 2010 PC MAGAZINE DIGITAL EDITION 35 john c. dvorak

Society of Surveillance

he recent flap over a Pennsyl- rupts, and absolute power corrupts abso- vania school district’s use of lutely. So maybe the school officials or their tracking software on school- minions or both decide that this ability to Tissued laptops, supposedly to turn on cam is more than a tool; it’s a fun toy! locate those that were stolen, One kid captured in the images and his fam- makes me wonder how much illegal snoop- ily are suing the school district, and the FBI ing goes on everywhere, whether initially is investigating the situation for illegal wire- intended or not. tapping, with possible criminal implications. If you didn’t follow this story from the outset, the school district, near Philadel- The need for Ethics 101 phia, provided students with free Apple lap- Very few schools teach civics or eth- tops that had a theft-protection scheme in ics anymore, and apparently few school place; the laptop cameras could be turned teachers or administrators know what on remotely for security purposes. So if a these terms mean. I have not heard much person stole the laptop, he or she could be in the way of outrage by any other schools identified on the camera. This was the basic regarding this practice, which began with justification for the program. monitoring stolen goods and appears to The case took an interesting turn when have deteriorated into out-and-out spy- it turned out that the district had cap- ing and surveillance for fun. What does this tured 56,000 photos from various laptops. tell you about American school systems? Catching a high school kid naked in his or They’re top heavy with administration and her room would constitute the collection of out of touch with reality. No wonder parents kiddie porn, another complication for these want to home-school. boneheads. The school district says none of I honestly do not believe that at any point the images caught anyone naked, though in the surveillance program did the school this seems hard to believe. snoops think they were doing anything Unfortunately every sort of scheme like wrong or unethical. This is the real problem this one spirals out of control. Power cor- here. In fact I’m sure some of the folks being

36 Pc MaGaZInE dIGITaL EdITIon JUNE 2010 i advise people using loaned computers to always assume there is some sort of spyware planted.

rounded up are actually stunned by this you that whatever snooping program was investigation. “But we didn’t know!” used by the school district wasn’t sold to I’m not sure how anyone can come to the just one customer. It surely wasn’t coded conclusion that you can just turn on com- in-house. Hopefully some irked supervi- puter cameras inside private residences sors will emerge and blow the whistle on Orwellian-style, just to see what’s going other offenders. on out of curiosity. This is the kind of think- Unless we want to just give up on free- ing you might have as a goofy 12-year-old doms and liberties in this country, this sort before you learn about legality, and ethics. of Big Brother-is-watching-you nonsense But these are adults with serious responsi- has got to stop. If any leniency is shown bilities. And I think it is the tip of a very big toward the school district—any whatso- iceberg—one that no one is talking about. ever—then the wrong message will be sent. Does anyone seriously believe this is an The prosecutors have to throw the book isolated incident? If you watch TV cop dra- at these jokers. For starters, a school is mas this sort of thing is out-and-out pro- supposed to exemplify good, not evil. Ille- moted as the way to catch the bad guys. gal activity cannot be tolerated within the And in the USA lately, the entire public is American school structure. seen as a potential bad guy, no matter the Meanwhile, my advice to people using reality or likelihood. Everyone is a suspect loaned computers like this is to always getting on an airplane. Everyone is a sus- assume there is some sort of spyware pect walking down the street. And public planted. If you cannot find a way to ferret cameras are everywhere. it out, at least tape over the camera and So it is not a leap of faith to just spy on the microphone hole of these machines, everyone; after all, someone is probably and don’t use it for any sort of computer- doing something wrong, and maybe we to-computer chatting. Just assume you’re can catch them this way. And as expected, being watched and heard. Because you someone was doing something wrong: the probably are. person surreptitiously viewing the cameras. Dvorak Live on the Web John’s Internet TV I can assure you other schools around show airs every Wednesday at 3:30 ET on cranky the country are erasing their 56,000 pho- Geeks.com. You can download back episodes tos ASAP as this case unfolds. I can assure whenever you like.

JUNE 2010 Pc MaGaZInE dIGITaL EdITIon 37 SASCHA SEGAN What RIM Needs

lackBerry OS 6 is coming, and optimizes data and puts less stress on car- it isn’t enough. rier networks. That’s great. RIM’s new BlackBerry OS And I’m not one of the folks who believes B has a lot of steps forward, that RIM needs to go whole-hog with touch and it addresses one of the screens and try to do everything Apple is BlackBerry platform’s biggest failings, the doing, just because Apple is doing it. There’s lack of a decent Web browser. But just like a huge market for phones with hardware Windows Mobile 6.5 did, the BlackBerry keyboards, and RIM makes the best of them. OS has deeper issues that require a major The company’s biggest problem is that refresh if RIM is going to keep up with BlackBerry OS isn’t a great environment the pace at which Android and Apple are for creating truly cool third-party software. gaining new customers. The OS is a mess of java APIs that have The BlackBerry isn’t doing poorly. It’s by encrusted over various years on top of an far the number-one smartphone model in ancient RTOS (real-time operating system) the u.S., with over 40 percent of the mar- core. In some ways, it’s closer to program- ket. Its enterprise base seems solid. But its ming for an LG enV than programming for recent consumer success owes a little too an iPhone. BlackBerry App World, mean- much to buy-one-get-one-free BlackBerry while, has become known as an awkward Curve deals offered by major carriers rather way of buying software. than an offering of compelling consumer software. Substance Without Pizazz The result is that RIM is way behind the curve BlackBerry’s Core Problem in having a rich array of consumer-focused As with Windows Mobile 6.5, the BlackBer- apps. Yes, the company has absolutely ter- ry’s problem is at the basic core of its OS. rific enterprise solutions, and a few con- The issue isn’t with BlackBerry’s unique sumer standouts like Viigo. And RIM’s chief client-and-server system. RIM’s CeOs are executive Mike Lazaridis makes a good point obsessed with how the BlackBerry’s system when he says that BlackBerry apps often

38 PC MAGAZINE DIGITAL EDITION june 2010 RIM is way behind the curve in having a rich array of consumer-focused apps. do a good job of connecting to different RIM’s Way Out kinds of data. But there isn’t the enthusiasm RIM’s two CeOs have hinted that they’re among developers for creating programs aware they need a new core OS. RIM’s like great 3D games and augmented-real- acquisition of QnX, which makes a Linux- ity experiences that there is for the iPhone, like kernel mostly used in cars, points the Android, or even Windows Phone 7. way to a potential new start for the Black- You could argue that RIM’s diversity of Berry OS. form factors —touch and non-touch, as well The fact that existing RIM applications as different screen sizes—are part of the are written in java is also a potential life- problem. Recently Lazaridis said that RIM saver. A new BlackBerry OS could run is “working towards harmonizing the plat- existing BlackBerry applications in a virtual- form as best we can,” which will help. machine compatibility layer, while offering But developers also want deep tools that deep new APIs to allow programmers to let them access cutting-edge hardware create much better software in the future. easily. That’s why the iPhone has 180,000 Yeah, sure, that OS should have big ani- apps—it has by far the best API of any mated transitions that wow users, and a lot mobile platform, balancing ease of use with of bells, whistles, and chrome. That’s the the ability to access the hardware. price of admission, and that’s what gets At a recent analyst’s conference, RIM folks initially excited. touted its huge number of APIs. That’s not RIM could also use some cutting-edge actually a plus, because it doesn’t speak to hardware. The company doesn’t like to play the elegance of those APIs. Developers are the spec game, but having a hero prod- enthusiastic about writing for iPhone, and uct with a world-class screen, camera, or at least intrigued about writing for Android. modem could help remind people that RIM Writing for BlackBerry is a chore. is a leader in the ﬁeld. Several times, Microsoft has suffered the Primarily, though, we’re entering a world same problem as RIM. Afraid of scaring off where smartphone platforms live and die on corporate customers, Microsoft kept Win- the strength of their third-party app com- dows Mobile in aspic until the company munities. If RIM doesn’t want to be reduced realized the OS was unsalvageable. But to selling messaging phones, it needs to gut its solution —making Windows Mobile 7 a and rebuild its OS—pronto. consumer-focused OS, and throwing away STAY PHONE-SMART Keep up with the latest many business-friendly sales points—isn’t on smartphones by reading Sascha’s column at going to work for BlackBerry. go.pcmag.com/segan.

june 2010 PC MAGAZINE DIGITAL EDITION 39 DAN COSTA Invest in the Mobile Web

endors are furiously cre- lication on a feature phone is to cut a deal ating apps for the Apple with the carrier, which is difficult and rarely iPad. However, they’ve also profitable. Plus, smartphone customers use V expressed a deep exaspera- a lot more data and drive many more page tion at the effort and cost views than feature phone users. The com- required to build separate applications for monly cited statistic is that application every mobile platform. After all, the iPad is users are about 15 times more active than just the latest in a long line of mobile plat- people who are browsing a mobile Web site. forms that developers and content pro- That alone tells the story of why everyone viders must support in order to reach new is so focused on building mobile applica- audiences. The list now includes the iPhone, tions. The tunnel vision that comes when Android, Blackberry, Windows Mobile, you are using a mobile app is fantastic. Badu, Symbian, and, if one feels charitable, unfortunately, with 150,000 apps in the Palm’s webOS. Meanwhile, company reps iTunes Store, it can be darn difficult to get I spoke to said that the future was really in people to notice your new app. A mobile mobile Web sites based on open Internet Web page, however, is universal and always standards. So what’s the holdup? accessible. And with the impending rollout of HTML5, it can also be pretty sophisti- Driving the Market cated. The question is, when can we all stop As much as the media is obsessed with chasing each new mobile platform and set- smartphones, nationwide they represent tle on a common standard? less than 20 percent of mobile users. The vast majority of Americans still use “dumb” Getting Together feature phones. That is a huge market, but I moderated a panel at the ThinkMobile con- the only way to get an application or pub- ference in new York this spring, and I asked

40 PC MAGAZINE DIGITAL EDITION june 2010 When can we all stop chasing each new mobile platform and settle on a common standard? an important question to my guests, Robert option for both sustainable content creation Spier, nPR.org’s director of content develop- and maximum consumer choice. ment, and john Waanders, head of mobile That is part of the reason why, just before at Bloomberg Media: In 2012, will you be run- the iPad release, Cnn chose to invest in a ning from platform to platform developing mobile Web upgrade, rather than a custom apps, or will you be updating a single Web- application. unlike many cash-strapped based presence? Both said that the mobile companies, Cnn could afford to build a cus- Web is the future. “We’re pouring a lot of con- tom app, but by investing in its mobile Web crete that isn’t easily repurposed,” Spier said. site, it could reach more people than just the And yet, for now, we have to settle for rabid few who ran out and bought an iPad mobile apps. Indeed, we may never get the day the device hit the streets. It could away from apps. As it is, app consumers are reach the entire mobile audience. much more engaged than Web users. nPR’s Better still, it can operate outside the iPhone and Android users consume up to walled gardens that have hindered the six times more page views as traditional mobile industry for years. At ﬁrst it was the nPR.org Web viewers. using a mobile app carriers acting as gatekeepers for anyone focuses the user’s attention; you don’t have who wanted to create content for devices to let them out to the regular Web unless on their networks. now Apple is acting as the app provider allows it—most don’t. a gatekeeper for applications that will run on its iPhone. now that every device has a Stuck With Multiple Platforms browser, it is time to focus on our Web. Still, that tunnel vision comes at a price, and This is undoubtedly the golden age of what is sacrificed is often ubiquity. Most mobile application development, and to PCMag readers have a smartphone; but as hear developers talk, each app holds the we have established, most people don’t. promise of limitless growth and monetiza- And for the foreseeable future, even the tion potential. Maybe so, but don’t forget mighty iPhone will be limited to AT&T sub- about the largest, most successful pro- scribers. That means the market will remain gramming environment ever created: the a mix of iPhone, Blackberry, Android, Win- Internet. It is too big to own, too unruly to dows Mobile, and yes, even webOS, for years control, and a little slow to evolve. Still, I to come, to say nothing of the semi-silent couldn’t ﬁnd a soul at ThinkMobile who was majority of users who don’t carry smart- willing to bet against it. phones. For these people, indeed for all of TALK bAcK To DAn E-mail your thoughts to us, a vibrant, open mobile Web is the best [email protected].

june 2010 PC MAGAZINE DIGITAL EDITION 41 Travel Tech: The Best Gear F Your Summer V

Make sure to include these ultraPortablEs laptops and gadgets while you’re packing. They’ll make your trip more enjoyable.

ummer is upon us, and not a moment too soon. Time to escape from the daily routine and head to the mountains, S the ocean, the woods—wher- ever you ﬁnd it easiest to put work and wor- ries on hold for just a little while. Whatever your summer trips will be, it’s time to start planning, and by all means, don’t forget to pack all your comfort gadgets (and their chargers). Our special travel story includes HP Elitebook 2540p roundups of our favorite portable, vaca- $1,629 direct tion-friendly gear, to keep you computing, LllLm navigating, recording memories, reading, Business ultraportables encompass a wide range of systems, the smallest of which have and happily humming along to your favor- 12-inch widescreens; anything smaller than that ite tunes (or watching your favorite shows and you’re venturing into netbook territory. The HP EliteBook 2540p is certainly tiny, but it’s also or movies) while on the road or in the air. one of the most powerful, feature-packed ultra- Remember, you’re trying to escape from portables in the business. This one is conﬁgured the everyday—but let’s not go overboard. with a long battery life in mind (8 hours’ worth) by pairing a low-voltage Intel Core i7 processor Because a vacation without any tech isn’t with an extended battery.—Cisco Cheng truly a vacation, is it? CLICk hErE FOr MOrE

42 PC MAGAZINE DIGITAL EDITION JUNE 2010 For Vacation

sony VaIo VPC-116GXs $1,800 direct LllLH Our favorite ultraportable weighs a mere 3 pounds and runs a powerful Intel Core i5 CPU. Add to that switchable graphics and support for two solid state drives (our review unit came with only one 256GB SSD), and you’ve got one of the lightest and most powerful ultraportables around. Luxu- ries include a backlit keyboard, high-resolution screen, and support for multiple SSD drives—all rarities for packages this small.—CC CLICk hErE FOr MOrE

lenovo thinkpad X201 $1,625 direct LllLm To rule the ultraportable scene, a laptop has to strike the perfect balance between performance and battery life, while staying at or less than 4 pounds. The ThinkPad X201 combines the power of an Intel Core i5 processor with outstanding battery life (9 hours, 36 minutes). Like its rivals, the X201 doesn’t come cheap (at $1,625), but if you have the cash to consider the splurge, do so.—CC CLICk hErE FOr MOrE

Product name in rED indicates Editors’ Choice. JUNE 2010 PC MAGAZINE DIGITAL EDITION 43 NEtbooks

HP Mini 5102 $400 direct toshiba mini Nb305-N410 LllLm $400 direct The HP Mini 5102 is a masterfully engineered LllLH netbook that small-business users, government ofﬁcials, and students can carry around with Greentech approved pride. Everything about it is as impressively exe- Toshiba clearly knows what netbook users cuted as the previous Mini 5101, from the metal- want: a great user experience, a bargain price, lic frame, the world-class keyboard and mouse and outstanding battery life. Other netbooks buttons, to the all-day battery life. This version come close to offering all these things, but the comes with a variety of improvements, includ- NB305 still sits at the top of the heap. It’s well- ing a new Intel Atom processor (and platform), designed, offers a full-size keyboard, laptop-like almost 11 hours of battery life (via the optional touchpad and mouse buttons, and a USB port 6-cell battery, though), and new options for a that can even charge peripherals while the sys- carrying handle and touch screen.—CC tem is turned off. —CC CLICk hErE FOr MOrE CLICk hErE FOr MOrE

asus EeePC 1201N $484 street LllLm Netbook snobs and HD enthusiasts will appreciate that the EeePC 1201N is the fastest netbook on the market, though the 4 hours of battery life is its one tradeoff. Using Nvidia’s ION platform, which offers 1080p video playback and light 3D gaming, the 1201N uses a variant of the Nvidia GeForce 9400M graphics chipset. What makes the 1201N unique is that it’s the ﬁrst netbook to bundle a dual-core Atom processor—the 1.66GHz Intel Atom N330.—CC CLICk hErE FOr MOrE

44 PC MAGAZINE DIGITAL EDITION JUNE 2010 Ebook rEadErs

apple iPad $699 direct LllLH Many predicted it would be an expensive niche product that wasn’t quite laptop or smartphone, but the iPad just makes sense. It combines basic-but-essential work tools with iWork, an improved browser, e-mail, iPod, and photo applications, and a well-executed e-Book platform with iBooks. Add to that thousands of down- loadable apps and games, and package it all in a gorgeous, slim slate with a beautiful 9.7-inch touch screen, and you have yourself a winner. —Tim Gideon CLICk hErE FOr MOrE

barnes & Noble Nook E-reader $259 direct amazon LllLm kindle 2 Already boasting some capabilities not avail- $259 direct able in its rival Kindle e-reader, the Nook now LllLH goes even further to widen the gap. Nook not With a new look, an enhanced screen, text- only offers double the book selection (1 million to-speech capability, and a host of additional versus Amazon’s 500,000) and a color, touch- design improvements, the Kindle 2 offers every- screen display, but it also supports the open thing that made the original Kindle a best-sell- EPUB format, Wi-Fi access (the Kindle only can er—and more. We’d love to see it offer a more use its own 3G network), and a Micro SD memo- open ﬁle format, but the Kindle 2 is still the best ry expansion slot. The new 1.3 ﬁrmware upgrade e-book reader you can buy. With an ever-in- adds a Web browser, games, and much-needed creasing catalog of magazines and blogs porting faster page-turning to make the Nook an even content to the platform, the Kindle 2’s appeal more compelling e-book reader.—Dan Costa will extend far beyond the bookstore.—DC CLICk hErE FOr MOrE CLICk hErE FOr MOrE

JUNE 2010 PC MAGAZINE DIGITAL EDITION 45 CaMEras

D-SLr Canon Eos rebel t2i $899.99 list with 18-55mm IS kit lens LllLH Canon has done it again. The new EOS Rebel T2i is the company’s update to the rev- olutionary T1i, and is currently the only sub-$1,000 D-SLR to offer 1080p30, 1080p24 and 720p60 HD video capture. Its spectacular image quality, versatile video recording options, and relatively low price earn the T2i our Editors’ Choice award.—PJ Jacobowitz CLICk hErE FOr MOrE

MICrO FOUr-ThIrDS Panasonic lumix dMC-GF1 $899.95 direct with lens option for either a 14-45mm f/3.5-5.6 or 20mm f/1.7

LllLm With image quality that rivals capable D-SLRs and a body not much larger than a super-zoom camera, the 12.1-megapixel Panasonic Lumix DMC-GF1 is the most compact model in Panasonic’s line of Micro Four-Thirds cameras. The GF1 is more comparable in size to the $800 Olympus E-P1, which features great image quality but a painfully slow autofocus. The GF1 doesn’t perform as well as D-SLR competitors in low-light conditions (ISO 1600 and higher), but in brighter shooting situations, image quality is top-notch.—PJJ CLICk hErE FOr MOrE

46 PC MAGAZINE DIGITAL EDITION JUNE 2010 COMPACT ZOOM (10X) Fujiﬁlm FinePix F70EXr TINY CAMErA $279.95 list sony Cybershot dsC-WX1 LllLm $299.99 list Its 10-MP resolution may keep it from winning LllLm the megapixel war, but this camera focuses on Don’t let its petite body fool you; this camera details that really matter: excellent image qual- packs big features. Its lens includes a maximum ity and a powerful optical zoom lens. Packing wide-angle aperture of f/2.4, allowing the WX1 a wide 27mm 10x optical zoom lens in a body to capture more light than your average point- that’s under an inch thick, the F70EXR delivers and-shoot. This results in crisp images, even in top-notch images, especially at lower ISO set- low light. The WX-1’s fast image processor also tings. Our only complaints: A lackluster interface helps reduce noise in low-light modes.—PJJ and a lack of high-def video recording.—PJJ CLICk hErE FOr MOrE CLICk hErE FOr MOrE

BUDGET CAMErA WATErPrOOF Panasonic lumix dMC-Zr1 Canon Powershot d10 $279.95 direct $329.99 list LllLm LllLm Thanks to Panasonic’s new lens optics system, Planning to spend lots of time on your trip the 12.1-megapixel DMC-ZR1 is the smallest, thin- underwater? The 12.1-megapixel D10 is Canon’s nest camera you’ll ﬁnd with an 8x optical zoom. ﬁrst ruggedized point-and-shoot. It’s a worthy And because of its upgraded image processor, companion for adventurers on water-, snow-, it topped all point-and-shoot cameras on our or sand-based excursions. It’s neither sleek nor shutter-lag test. Add to that HD video capture particularly pocketable, but the D10 pumps out and an easy-to-navigate user interface.—PJJ beautiful images, and has a vibrant LCD.—PJJ CLICk hErE FOr MOrE CLICk hErE FOr MOrE

JUNE 2010 PC MAGAZINE DIGITAL EDITION 47 GPs

Magellan roadMate 1700 $299.99 list Garmin nüvi 1390t LllHm $269.99 list The RoadMate 1700 offers a bright, brilliant LllLm 7-inch screen for a very reasonable price. While The market is ﬂooded with personal navigation it doesn’t boast a ton of features, it’s an excel- devices these days. But that doesn’t mean new lent choice for anyone who feels the current entrants can’t stand out—particularly those with crop of navigators simply aren’t large enough. attractive price tags. The Garmin nüvi 1390T It’s also a good pick if you’re considering a brings high-end features—such as smooth map stand-alone device in lieu of a much more ex- animation, well-timed voice prompts, and two- pensive, built-in navigation system.—JL lane assist modes—down to a relatively low price CLICk hErE FOr MOrE point.—Jamie Lendino CLICk hErE FOr MOrE

tomtom Motorola Ease MotoNav $119 street tN765t Lllmm $349.99 list Bargain hunters looking for their first GPS LllHm device should consider the Ease. It offers all The MotoNav TN765t is a full-featured navigator the basics, including robust POI search, text- with an extra-wide 5.1-inch touch screen and a to-speech for pronouncing street and highway killer interface. It also allows you to run Google exit names, and a switchable night mode. The Local searches, receive free lifetime traffic up- Ease is definitely a no-frills device, and at $119, dates, and pull other Internet data over Blue- it’s about $20 too expensive. But if you’re look- tooth via your cell phone’s voice connection. ing for GPS navigation on the cheap, or want to Motorola’s setup doesn’t require a cell phone replace an older device with outdated maps or data plan or a separate data plan, a big plus. one that lacks text-to-speech conversion, the But we did experience some routing issues.—JL Ease should do the trick.—JL CLICk hErE FOr MOrE CLICk hErE FOr MOrE

48 PC MAGAZINE DIGITAL EDITION JUNE 2010 PErsoNal MEdIa PlayErs

apple iPod nano sandisk sansa Clip+ (5th Gen. With Video recorder) $39.99 list for 2GB; $49.99 for 4GB; and $69.99 for 8GB $149 list for 8GB; $179 list for 16GB LllLm LlllH For the traveler on a budget who just wants This graceful, lightweight player packs so much some music for the trip, this is a sure bet. The into its small frame: a video camera, an FM tuner Clip+ looks an awful lot like the previous Clip, (a first for iPods), a pedometer for joggers, mic, though it includes a microSD slot, which can be speaker, and a larger screen. This nano is afford- used to load more of your own music or to play able, and it’s more capable than similarly priced Sansa slotRadio cards—preloaded music cards players, earning it our Editors’ Choice. The user that act like personal DJs inside your player, interface is excellent, and it includes cool Genius creating “stations” by genre. The Clip+ is simply Mix and VoiceOver features. Needless to say, we a terrific value, with extra features like an LCD —Tim Gideon love it. and FM radio that you won’t find on the more- CLICk hErE FOr MOrE expensive iPod shuffle.—TG CLICk hErE FOr MOrE

sony Walkman NWZ-W202 $69.99 list LllLm It’s been through many iterations since it was introduced in the ’80s, but the Sony Walkman is still true to its mission: to offer a simple way for people to listen to tunes while jogging. The 2GB Walkman NWZ-W202 is an MP3 player/earphone combo that sounds good, stays in place, and is easy to use. The earphones produce substantial low end, and the player features a cool preview mode, which auditions short, recognizable sections of songs so you can quickly surf your library. If you want a display, a radio, or the ability to use your own earphones, the NWZ-W202 isn’t for you, but it’s an elegant and inexpensive player that’s ideal for the gym crowd.—TG CLICk hErE FOr MOrE

JUNE 2010 PC MAGAZINE DIGITAL EDITION 49 Wi-Fi in the sky If you’re boarding a plane to get to your vacation, you may very well be able to browse the Internet. By Rik Fairlie

If you’re traveling this summer, you have a cell’s Gogo Inflight Internet service. decent chance of plugging into the Inter- The company has created a network of net in-flight. That’s because airborne Inter- roughly 100 ground-to-air cellular tow- net access is finally going mainstream in ers that beam an EVDO signal upward to the United States, with more than 1,200 equipped aircraft, distributing throughput commercial aircraft scheduled to have Wi- of 3.1 Mbps that is shared among passen- Fi onboard by year’s end. What’s more, gers, said Niels Steenstrup, Aircell’s vice prices start at just $5 a flight, just a bit more president of sales and marketing. than the cost of a pair of headphones. To receive the signal, aircraft are All major (and some minor) domestic equipped with three antennas, a router, and carriers have plans to equip their fleets several wireless access points, depending with in-flight Internet access. Some of on the size of the plane, Steenstrup said. the smaller airlines—Virgin America and Aircell expects that its Gogo service will AirTran, for instance—have outfitted their be installed in 1,200 domestic aircraft by entire fleets with in-flight Internet access. year’s end, he said. Among the big domestic carriers, Delta A competing technology from Row 44 Air Lines leads installations with more than distributes bandwidth to aircraft via the 400 planes, and American Airlines places satellites of Hughes Network Systems. second with 166 aircraft. Continental Air- Row 44 can deliver bandwidth of up to lines has been notably slow in equipping 30Mbps to an airliner, more than 10 times its fleet with Wi-Fi. The carrier currently that of Aircell. has no planes in the air with Internet access So far, Row 44 has failed to gain traction but is beginning installation. in the United States—only Southwest Air- The lion’s share of the in-flight service is lines has signed up for its service and just provided by Aircell, which in 2006 submit- four planes have been equipped. In part, ted the winning bid in the FCC auction of that is because Row 44’s solution costs the ground-to-air broadband frequency. more and takes longer to install, says Tim Aircell has exclusive rights to this spec- Farrar, president of TMF Associates, a sat- trum, which formed the foundation for Air- ellite, wireless, and broadband telecom-

50 PC MAGAZINE DIGITAL EDITION JUNE 2010 munications consultancy. unlimited access for $39.95. Otherwise, “It costs about $80,000 to equip a pricing is typically set by length of flight, plane for Aircell, compared with roughly with discounts for users of mobile devices $220,000 to $240,000 for Row 44,” he like smartphones. Service costs $4.95 to said. $12.95 per flight for laptops, or $4.95 to What’s more, Row 44 suffered an $7.95 per flight for mobile devices. embarrassing setback when Alaska Air- Row 44 has not yet formalized pricing lines, which had been testing Row 44 for its service, but Southwest said it has for its fleet, abandoned the testing and been experimenting with fees that range opted to go with Aircell instead. The airline from $2 a flight to $12 a flight. explained that it selected Aircell because it delivers a faster installation and less Making Business Connections expensive equipment. Most users of in-flight Wi-Fi are business Row 44, for its part, says it aims to be a travelers, according to Aircell, and the global provider and, in addition to South- service is more popular on long-haul west, has signed on Norwegian Air Shut- flights because travelers have time to get tle to install its system later this year, said significant work done. Also, longer flights Wendy Campanella, vice president of busi- make it easier to justify the cost of the ness development for Row 44. service. Aircell, on the other hand, owns the Passenger usage has been uneven, Far- spectrum to operate only in the United rar said, because the number of people States (its signals extend 150 miles or so who travel with laptops hasn’t increased from U.S. borders), Steenstrup said. In fact, that much in the past few years and users Gogo service is available on two Air Can- of mobile devices, so far, have been reluc- ada flights to the United States. tant to pay for access. Aircell is in talks with telco companies in “People who fly all the time on busi- Canada and Mexico about partnerships, ness need to get work done all the time on but Steenstrup could offer no definitive planes, and they can justify the price,” he time frame for service north and south of said. “Most people who use BlackBerrys the border. or iPhones don’t expect to pay to connect, Aircell’s pricing extends across all car- and it’s difficult to get them to pay extra on riers, although airlines sometimes offer planes.” free service provided through sponsor- According to Aircell, the most-used ships with corporations like Google. Air- applications are Web browsing, e-mail, cell recently announced a monthly pass instant messaging, VPN, and flash/video that can be used across carriers and offers streaming. It said the most accessed Web

JUNE 2010 PC MAGAZINE DIGITAL EDITION 51 sites on its system are Google, Facebook, Wi-Fi: What Each Yahoo, MSN, and The New York Times. Airline Offers Aircell said the user experience is on par with what you’d get in an on-ground Wi-Fi hotspot. But Farrar, a frequent Gogo user, AirTran Airways said it isn’t optimal for streaming video. Planes equipped: 138 (entire fleet) “I’ve tried watching Hulu video, and it’s Provider: Gogo pretty unwatchable,” he said. “The ser- Pricing: Free May 10 May 23, 2010; vice is absolutely great for work, sending thereafter, $4.95 to $12.95 per flight e-mail and surfing the Internet, but it’s not for laptops; $4.95 to $7.95 per flight a usable experience for streaming movies.” for mobile devices; $29.95 and $39.95 Despite the burgeoning availability of in- monthly passes available flight broadband, its future is far from certain. A looming issue is bandwidth, which American Airlines will become strained as more travelers take Planes equipped: 166 advantage of Aircell’s service, said Farrar. Future plans: Adding service to its fleet “Aircell has limited capacity and when it of 737 aircraft throughout 2010 and has more planes equipped it will run out,” 2011 he said. “Row 44 you could offer a down- Provider: Gogo load speed of 30Mbps, but the cost of run- Pricing: $4.95 to $12.95 per flight for ning that network is high. Aircell has paid laptops; $4.95 to $7.95 per flight for for its license and the cost of running its mobile devices; $29.95 and $39.95 network; Row 44 has to keep paying for monthly passes available satellite capacity forever.” Availability on your flight: American Campanella described the limitations of offers a Wi-Fi widget at aawifiwidget. ground-to-air signal transmission in terms com every user can understand. “As time moves on, the trajectory will be similar to what Continental Airlines we experienced with bandwidth on the Planes equipped: 0 ground,” she said. “We were all thrilled with Future plans: 21 aircraft by the end of our 56K modems in the beginning, but 2010 we’re not so thrilled anymore.” For now, Provider: Gogo though, you can get a good signal in the air, Pricing: Starts at $4.95 per flight so if you’re planning to travel for business Availability on your flight: Continental or pleasure this summer, here’s an overview will provide information on its Flight of domestic carrier’s service offerings. Status and Information page

52 PC MAGAZINE DIGITAL EDITION JUNE 2010 Delta Air Lines length of flight. Planes equipped: More than 400 Availability on your flight: Availability Future plans: More than 500 aircraft by is e-mailed to passengers the end of 2010 Provider: Gogo United Airlines Pricing: $4.95 to $12.95 per flight for Planes equipped: 13 laptops; $4.95 to $7.95 per flight for Future plans: To be determined mobile devices; $29.95 and $39.95 Provider: Gogo monthly passes available Cost: $12.95 per flight Availability on your flight: Available Frontier Airlines on premium service transcontinental Planes equipped: 0 flights from New York (JFK) to Los Future plans: 32 aircraft by the end of Angeles and San Francisco 2010 Provider: Gogo US Airways Cost: $4.95 to $12.95 per flight for lap- Planes equipped: 25 tops; $4.95 to $7.95 per flight for mo- Future plans: 51 aircraft by end of 2010 bile devices; $29.95 and $39.95 month- Provider: Gogo ly passes available Pricing: $4.95 to $12.95 per flight for laptops; $4.95 to $7.95 per flight for JetBlue Airways mobile devices; $29.95 and $39.95 Planes equipped: 1 monthly passes available Future plans: Not yet determined Availability on your flight: US Airways Provider: LiveTV, a subsidiary of Jet- will add availability information to elec- Blue tronic reservations by late June Cost: Free Availability on your flight: The plane Virgin America is number N651JB. Look for the Yahoo Planes equipped: 28 (entire fleet) and Blackberry logos on the fuselage Service provider: Gogo Pricing: $4.95 to $12.95 per flight for Southwest Airlines laptops; $4.95 to $7.95 per flight for Planes equipped: 4 mobile devices; $29.95 and $39.95 Future plans: Entire fleet by 2012 monthly passes available Service provider: Row 44 Availability on your flight: Reservations Pricing: Trial prices from $2 to $12, information displays Wi-Fi availability; depending on size of the device and AC power plugs available systemwide

JUNE 2010 PC MAGAZINE DIGITAL EDITION 53 Solutions Tips for Printing Great Photos with a bit of knowledge and practice, you should be able to print great-looking photos at home. here are 12 techniques that are sure to improve the quality of your prints. By M. David Stone

f you’ve tried your hand at print- printer. The most important issue is the ing your own photos and been printer’s technology. There are only two disappointed in the results, you printing technologies today that can print I may be making some mistakes at true photo quality: inkjet and thermal that are easy to correct. Most ink- dye (aka dye sublimation, although that’s jet and thermal dye printers today can a misnomer). print photos at drugstore quality or bet- Laser technology is getting better at ter with little or no work on your part. printing photos, but it is well behind inkjets However, it sometimes helps to follow on that score, and only a few color lasers the 80-20 rule, although in this case it’s today even come close to true photo qual- more of a 90-10 rule: you can get 90 per- ity. ZINK technology, which is relatively new cent of the best possible photo for 10 and improving quickly, may soon join inkjet percent of the effort it would take for and thermal dye as suitable for high-quality the absolute best. Here’s an overview of photos, but isn’t quite there yet. the most important things you need to Most general-purpose inkjets, whether know to get to 90 percent. labeled by manufacturers as photo inkjets or not, can print photos at about the First, which printer to buy? For a start, same level of quality as you’d expect from it helps to know what you can expect a typical drugstore photo or online site. If from your printer, which will also be worth that’s more or less the quality of the pho- thinking about before you buy your next tos you’re printing, you’re probably getting

54 pc MAGAZine DiGitAL eDition juNe 2010 60 Office/OS 64 WORK Learn 10 ways Simplify the processes to make Windows 7 for your small business more user-friendly with these cloud services

the most you can out of your printer. expensive inkjets you can buy. They’re near- Two categories of inkjets usually do dedicated because they can typically print better than drugstore-level quality: dedi- at sizes up to about 13 by 19 inches, which cated photo printers and near-dedicated means they can print standard letter- and photo printers. Dedicated photo print- legal-size business documents. However, ers, a category that also includes thermal using them for such non-photo printing dye printers, are limited to small-format would be a waste of their talents (and ink). photos, which usually means a maximum Printers in this category almost always have 4- by 6-inch photo size, although some a wide range of choices for photo paper— print panoramic sizes and some print pho- including several fine art papers meant for tos as large as 5-by-7. Printers in this cat- professionals—instead of the one or two egory generally focus on ease of use along choices typical for most inkjets. Their output with photo quality. Most can print better- quality is a match for the kind of photo lab a looking photos than you’d get from a typi- professional photographer would go to for cal drugstore, but if they’re not printing custom prints. If you’re not getting excep- at least at drugstore-quality level, you’re tional quality with this class of printer, odds probably doing something wrong. are you’re doing something wrong. Near-dedicated photo printers are aimed Once you’ve decided on the printer you at serious photographers, both amateur want, follow these 12 steps to get the most and professional, and are among the most out of it. photo printers we hAve recentLy revieweD canon selphy epson pictureMate es40 charm $149.99 direct $149.99 direct lllhm llllh This is one of the best The Charm delivers small-format printers fast speed and a low available, despite cost per photo, problems printing but with even higher- diagonal lines when quality output than printing from the previous a computer. generation. cLicK here For More cLicK here For More

juNe 2010 pc MAGAZine DiGitAL eDition 55 soLutions printinG

1. choose between direct printing options. cards, it may limit you to previewing photos If your combination of printer and camera by printing an index sheet or by looking at gives you a choice between printing directly the images on a built-in preview screen. If from the camera and from memory—which it gives you both choices, however, keep in includes cards and uSB keys in this con- mind that there are advantages to each, and text—be sure to experiment with both. The that you may want to use one or the other at two choices can yield significantly different any given time. output quality for the same file, with notice- using the preview screen is faster, since ably different colors and retention of detail you don’t have to print twice—once for based on shading in dark and light areas. It’s the index sheet and once for the final well worth investing a little time and effort print—and it costs less, since you don’t to print several photos both ways to see have to pay for ink or paper to print the how great the differences are and which index sheet. one you like better. On the other hand, if, say, you’ve taken several similar photos with minor variations 2. Get familiar with your printer’s auto fix in settings, an index sheet is the preferred feature. Most dedicated photo printers, and approach for deciding which version to some standard inkjets, include some varia- print at full size. The printed thumbnails will tion of an automatic fix feature that analyzes give you a better sense than the image of the image and may adjust several settings the preview screen of how colors will print at once. These may include anything from in the final photo and how well details based contrast, brightness, and gamma (which on relatively small differences in shading changes contrast differently at different lev- will show. els of brightness), to automatically deciding whether to apply red-eye reduction. 4. Get familiar with your printer’s edit- With most photos, these automatic fix ing features. Printers with preview screens features improve the final result, but in often let you edit photos before printing. some cases they do more harm than good, The editing choices may be limited to a or even undo an effect that you were trying few basics like cropping images or remov- for. Here again, if your printer includes an ing red-eye, or they may include options to automatic fix option, it’s worth investing a adjust brightness and contrast, add graph- little time and effort printing an assortment ics and frames that are stored in the printer, of photos both with and without the feature and more. The process is similar to using the turned on to get a feel for what it does and kind of photo kiosk you can find in drug- when you might want to turn it off. stores, and is almost always designed to be self-explanatory and easy to use. If your 3. preview photos for direct printing. If printer includes any editing features, they your printer can print directly from memory are certainly worth exploring.

56 pc MAGAZine DiGitAL eDition juNe 2010 pandigital portable epson pictureMate show hp photosmart A646 photo printer compact printer $299.99 direct $130 street llllm $149.99 direct llmmm The Epson PictureMate Show lllhm Pandigital’s print quality beats tests the waters for a combi- This a worthy successor to the ﬁrst-generation ZINK printers, nation dedicated photo printer Editors’ Choice A636, though but not inkjets or thermal dye and digital photo frame. it falters on ease of use. printers. cLicK here For More cLicK here For More cLicK here For More

5. Don’t fix photos before you see how they 6. use paper that’s appropriate for the really look. Keep in mind that the colors and task. Better-quality paper yields better- shading that you see on screen (whether quality prints, but it costs more too. If you’re your computer screen or the printer’s pre- printing a photo to frame and hang on a wall, view screen) will almost never be an exact by all means use the highest-quality paper match—and are often not even close—to available for the printer. If you’re printing a the printed version. (This is true for all sorts photo to post on the office bulletin board or of reasons that are way beyond the scope stick under a refrigerator magnet, however, of this article). For photos you care enough consider using plain paper, inkjet paper, or a about to want the best possible photo with less expensive photo paper. minimal work, it’s generally a good idea to do any cropping that you want first, print 7. experiment with different papers. the photo, and then make any manual Papers from other manufacturers are another adjustments you like based on what the possibility, but be aware that output qual- printed version looks like. If the printer ity—and colors in particular—will vary with or the program you’re printing from has the paper you use, something you can prove an automatic fix option, you might want easily enough by printing a photo on both to try printing the photo both with and photo paper and plain paper on almost any without the fix feature before making any inkjet. Before you invest in a lot of third-party manual changes. photo paper, thinking that it will save money,

juNe 2010 pc MAGAZine DiGitAL eDition 57 soLutions printinG experiment with a few sheets to compare the let you print higher-resolution photos than output with the same photos on the printer you can when printing directly from a cam- manufacturer’s own paper. era or memory card. You probably have one or more easy-to- 8. Make sure the printer is set for the use editing programs that came with your paper you’re using. One printer setting printer, camera, or scanner. Don’t underes- deserves special attention. Make sure that timate these programs; they’re well worth the printer (for direct printing) or printer exploring. In addition you can download a driver (for printing from a computer) is set free copy of Picasa from Google. for the type of paper you’re actually print- even low-end programs often include ing. More than one manufacturer has told surprisingly capable, easy-to-use features me, based on calls to tech support, that for fixing common problems in photos, the single most common mistake people such as red eye, yellow eye (the equiva- make is not changing the paper type set- lent problem to red eye for animal photos), ting to match the paper. backlighting (with a bright background, Some manufacturers have tried to as with sun streaming in a window behind bypass the problem with sensors that someone and turning his or her face into a automatically detect the paper type, but silhouette), and more. even better, if your they don’t always work reliably. unless printer or scanner is aimed at a relatively your printer uses symbols on the back of sophisticated audience, it may well have the paper that the printer can read like come with a mid-range or high-end photo bar codes to confirm paper type, don’t editor designed for that audience. assume that an Automatic Paper Type You may not want to spend the time and setting will work. Get in the habit of set- effort it takes to master even a moderately ting the paper type manually. sophisticated photo editing program, but if you already have one for free, it’s worth tak- 9. print from an editing program. For the ing a look at it. even if you use only some best-quality prints, move your photos to of its features, you may be surprised at how your computer and print from a photo- much you can do to improve your photos editing program. Photo printers aimed at with very little effort. professionals generally don’t offer direct printing, because professionals—and seri- 10. edit copies, not originals. Before you ous amateurs—know that they get much start editing a photo—which can mean any- better control over basic features like crop- thing from making minor tweaks, to apply- ping, resizing, and color management, as ing special effects, to cropping the original well as far more sophisticated editing tools, to use only a part of it—create a copy ﬁrst. with a photo-editing program. With some That way you can return to the original if printers, a photo-editing program will also you need to. And don’t plan on editing and

58 pc MAGAZine DiGitAL eDition juNe 2010 12. explore your printer driver. Virtually every printer’s driver offers settings that affect picture quality. The choices may be limited to choosing between good, better, and best quality, or you may be able to adjust brightness; contrast; red, green, and blue levels; and more. If you want the best possible output, it’s worth investing the time to explore your driver. At the very least, experiment with each of the quality settings to see the effect on the output quality and speed, so you can decide whether the speciAL eFFects Many printer drivers include options for various effects, including setting for optimizing the image.

then saving under another name. It’s safer to create copies before you open a file to avoid accidentally overwriting it. Once you have a copy to work with, you can feel free to experiment.

11. Avoid compression woes. Most cameras default to—or are even limited to—saving pictures in a compressed jPG format. It’s always a good idea to turn off compression (if you can) when you want the best QuALity AnD coLor Most printer driv- possible photo quality. even more impor- ers include options for adjusting printer quality and color. tant, however, is that you should never edit a compressed photo on your computer and then save it back to a compressed for- improved output at high-quality modes is mat. jPG is a lossy compression scheme, worth the extra time it takes to print. which means it loses information every There are other techniques for improv- time you save the ﬁle and recompress it. ing photo printing, but these are the most If you edit a compressed ﬁle, save it in the important. The more you experiment with editor’s native format or a format like TIF, them, the better your prints will become, without compression, to avoid degrading and you’ll have learned a range of methods the image further. you can apply to any given situation. n

juNe 2010 pc MAGAZine DiGitAL eDition 59 sOLuTIONs OffICE/Os 10 Tips That Make Windows 7 Simpler Microsoft put a lot of work into making Windows 7 as user-friendly as possible, but you can make it even more user-friendly. Here are 10 ways to simplify your Windows 7 experience. By Errol Pierre-Louis

indows 7 features loads Alt keys, to the left of the space bar. of improvements to streamline workflow To display or hide the Explorer preview W and avert many of the pane: Alt-P headaches found in To display gadgets in front of other win- Windows Vista. But you can make Windows dows: Windows Logo-G 7 even easier to use by taking advantage of To zoom in: Windows Logo-+[plus sign] a few enhancements you might not have To zoom out: Windows Logo- –[minus sign] heard about. These 10 tips can save you To maximize a window: Windows Logo-Up time, make navigating your system easier, Arrow and give you quick access to commonly To minimize a window: Windows Logo- used programs and actions. Down Arrow To snap to the left-hand side of the screen: Tip 1 Windows Logo-Left Arrow HANDy KEybOArD sHOrTCuTs To snap to the right-hand side of the Windows 7 includes many new keyboard screen: Windows Logo-Right Arrow shortcuts that put frequently used actions at your fingertips. Learn these keystroke Tip 2 combinations and you’ll soon be saving CrEATE KEybOArD sHOrTCuTs a few seconds of mousing time here and fOr PrOGrAMs there throughout the day. It adds up. Note: In addition to using Windows 7’s default For those who don’t know, “Windows Logo” shortcuts, you can also create your own refers to the key with the Windows ﬂag on shortcuts to launch your favorite programs. it, generally located between the Ctrl and First, right-click on the program icon,

60 PC MAGAZINE DIGITAL EDITION JUNE 2010 sHOrTCuTs, JuMP LIsTs You can launch your favorite programs in a snap by setting up custom keyboard settings for them (left). Also, jump lists give you quick access to commonly used commands and recent ﬁles (above).

mands such as opening recent ﬁles or per- forming program actions. To access Jump Lists you can either click on the right arrow in the program’s Start menu entry, or right- click an icon in the task bar or left-click and choose Properties to open the Properties drag the list open. If there’s a document you dialog. Then click on the dialog’s Shortcut want always accessible from the jump list, tab, click in the Shortcut key text box, and you can just click on the pushpin icon in the press the key you want to use for that pro- right of the document’s entry. gram. Your shortcut will use Alt-Ctrl plus your key—you can’t overrule standard sys- Tip 4 tem shortcuts. Also, you should know that CLEAN uP yOur sCrEEN you can’t use the Esc, Enter, Tab, Spacebar, Focusing on one window when you have PrtScn, Shift, or Backspace keys for obvious multiple windows open can be distract- reasons. ing. But instead of having to minimize every window one-by-one, you can quickly Tip 3 unclutter your screen using Aero Shake. JuMP LIsTs Simply click and hold the title bar of the Windows 7’s new Jump Lists appear in the window you want to leave open, give it a Start menu and Taskbar buttons for pro- quick shake, and your screen will be cleared grams that support the feature. They give of all windows except the one you’re work- you instant access to frequently used coming in.

JUNE 2010 PC MAGAZINE DIGITAL EDITION 61 sOLuTIONs OffICE/Os

YouTube from your desktop. Note the searches won’t be added to the Start menu’s search box. If you search on something in there first, and then click Enter, you’ll get to an Explorer window that now includes, for example, a YouTube search entry under Favorites. Click on DEsKTOP PEEK Hover over the Aero Peek this to get results at YouTube right in the button to turn all open windows transpar- Explorer window. Drag the icon with the ent so you can view your desktop. right mouse button to create a desktop icon Tip 5 for the search provider. You can ﬁnd search AErO PEEK connectors at sevenforums.com, which also Another option for navigating a screen clut- teaches you how to create your own. tered with windows is Aero Peek. Hover the mouse over the lower-right corner of the Tip 7 screen. Click the button if you want to keep MAKE IE 8 LOAD fAsTEr this view, showing only the desktop. This You can make IE8 load faster by disabling takes the place of previous Windows ver- add-ons that slow it down. To find which sions’ Show Desktop icon in the vanished add-ons you need to eliminate, go to Quick Launch toolbar. If you’ve moved your Taskbar to the top or sides of the screen, this button will be at the top right or bottom of the taskbar, respectively.

Tip 6 sEArCH THE WEb frOM yOur DEsKTOP You can use Windows 7’s built-in search as an online search tool without having to launch a Web browser, by using search connectors. For instance, if you wanted to search YouTube videos from your desktop, just download and install the YouTube search connector. This

adds a “YouTube Search” option to your TIDy yOur TAsKbAr Combine your task- Searches folder, which lets you browse bar icons to keep your taskbar organized.

62 PC MAGAZINE DIGITAL EDITION JUNE 2010 Tools > Manage Add-ons, check the load you can then e-mail to a tech expert. time listed here for each, and delete accordingly. Tip 10 ADD VIDEOs TO yOur sTArT MENu Tip 8 You can make your video library easy to COMbINE TAsKbAr ICONs access by adding it to your Start Menu. To do When you have a ton of windows or apps so, simply right-click the Start button, go to opened at once, it can be hard to navigate Properties > Start Menu > Customize and set among them all. Fortunately, Windows 7 lets the Videos to Display as a link. There are also you combine icons to keep your taskbar neat plenty of more options for what you want and organized. To combine taskbar icons, displayed in the Start menu here, so browse right-click the Start button, go to Properties > Taskbar, and under Taskbar Buttons choose “Always Combine, Hide Labels” or ”Combine when taskbar is full.” Alternatively, if you want to see everything with labels, you can choose Never combine.

PrObLEM sTEPs rECOrDEr This tool lets you record any issues so a tech expert can clearly identify your problem.

Tip 9 TrOubLEsHOOT AND DOCuMENT sysTEM PrObLEMs Windows 7’s new Problem Steps Recorder VIDEO ON DEMAND Add a video link to comes in handy when you’re looking to your Start Menu to instantly have access troubleshoot and document problems with to your video library. your system. Typing psr into the Instant Search launches a recorder that can docu- through the list to see what would work for ment what shows up on your screen as you you. Choosing Display as a Link puts a text recreate the problem step by step. You can choice on the right side of the Start menu, even add comments. When you’re done, the and choosing Display as a menu will add a recorder compiles the footage into a zip ﬁle ﬂyout menu to the link with subchoices. n

JUNE 2010 PC MAGAZINE DIGITAL EDITION 63 SOLuTIONS WOrk Terriﬁc Cloud Services for Small Businesses Cloud computing is one of the most hyped technology trends of 2010—and it should be. Here are a dozen cloud-computing services that are perfect for SMBs. By Samara Lynn

or better or for worse, cloud- “anytime, anywhere” availability of these computing is the technology of solutions means hassle-free collaboration the future. Just ask Microsoft’s between business partners and employees FSteve Ballmer, who recently by simply using a browser. In fact, it’s not said that 70 percent of Micro- a stretch to say that a lot of today’s small soft employees are doing something at business technology needs can be fulfilled least related to cloud computing; in a year, almost completely by cloud-based offer- that figure will be 90 percent. While some ings, a locally installed desktop operating (such as PC Magazine’s crankiest geek, system, and a browser. John Dvorak) think Microsoft should aban- don cloud computing, the rest of the indus- What Is Cloud Computing, Exactly? try is pushing forward. And though cloud Cloud-computing services require no soft- computing raises concerns about security, ware to install. This doesn’t include a Java stability, and data ownership, at its best it plug-in or some other kind of lightweight allows businesses to unshackle day-to-day applet required to use the service. operations from the local data center. Cloud Cloud-computing fees for businesses computing is helping to shape today’s truly are typically subscription-based. The ven- mobile workforce. dors usually charge you on a monthly or For small businesses, cloud computing annual basis. The solutions we feature hits a particular sweet spot. It keeps them here are relatively affordable and follow from having to deploy physical infrastruc- the subscription model. ture like file and e-mail servers, storage sys- Another feature of cloud computing tems, or shrink-wrapped software. Plus, the is that it’s easily scalable. Many of these

64 PC MAGAZINE DIGITAL EDITION June 2010 solutions can work for a business with ﬁve employees or 5,000. Cloud-based service is nimble because it grows as your business grows. Here are our 12 favorite cloud-computing services for small businesses.

CLOuD COMPuTING: STOrAGE AND BACkuP

Dropbox $4.99 - $49 direct llllm Dropbox is a superbly implemented, cloud- based automatic ﬁle-synchronization service that lets users share and store ﬁles online. CLICk HErE fOr MOrE

CLOuD COMPuTING: PrODuCTIvITy

Egnyte Hybrid Cloud Solution $19.98 - $69.98 Direct llllm One of the most pertinent concerns for a business of any size is storage and backup. Especially backup because, face it, your live business data is only as good as your last successful backup of it. For online backup and storage, it doesn’t get much better for SMBs Google Docs than Egnyte. Egnyte’s Hybrid Cloud Solution offers a “file server in the cloud” so there’s Free no need for a physical file server. Egnyte has llllh inherent disaster recovery and backup. It’s also Of course, productivity is key for a success- a great way to get remote access to your files. ful business. Online office suite Google Docs You can opt to use Egnyte’s Local Cloud on is elegant, efficient, and provides document NAS, which will synch files from your online file collaboration. Plus it’s more compatible with server to a local NAS (not all NAS devices are Microsoft documents than other online supported, though). services of its kind. CLICk HErE fOr MOrE CLICk HErE fOr MOrE

Product name in RED indicates Editors’ Choice. June 2010 PC MAGAZINE DIGITAL EDITION 65 SOLuTIONS WOrk

Google Apps Bill.com $50 per user per year direct $25 direct, per month (1 user) lllhm llllm If you want to integrate Google Docs into a Bill.com smoothly automates small-business collaborative workspace, complete with e-mail accounting by reducing the time and paper- and calendaring, Google Apps is the way to go. work normally required for accounts payable, thus saving money. CLICk HErE fOr MOrE CLICk HErE fOr MOrE

CLOuD COMPuTING CrM

Salesforce.com $65 to 250 Direct, per user per month llllh For dealing with customer accounts, Salesforce .com is a top-notch, cloud-based CRM service. It provides myriad features such as managing sales, marketing campaigns, and running reports. CLICk HErE fOr MOrE

CLOuD COMPuTING: COMMuNICATION

Microsoft Ofﬁce Live Small Business Free lllmm Our Editors’ Choice pick gives SMBs the tools they need to conduct business online: 500 MB of storage, 1 year of domain registration, Web- site building tools, business apps, and more. It’s a powerful toolkit for small businesses on a budget. CLICk HErE fOr MOrE

CLOuD COMPuTING: fINANCE AND ACCOuNTING Dimdim 5.5 $0.00 - $75 direct Outright.com llllm Free Communications are vital. You can save money lllmm on business trips and installed phone-system Keeping ﬁnancial records and accounting are costs with Dimdim. This affordable, feature- a necessary evil of running a business. Outright packed Web conferencing solution is clearly a .com is an online accounting service that ﬁts labor of love for its developers, and it gets better light accounting needs, such as tracking in- with each version. It covers all of your Web and come expenses and tax obligations. videoconferencing needs—plus, it’s fun to use. CLICk HErE fOr MOrE CLICk HErE fOr MOrE

66 PC MAGAZINE DIGITAL EDITION June 2010 Skype 4.0 LogMeIn Central Free $49.99 monthly, $299 yearly, direct llllm llllm Skype continues to improve its VoIP qual- LogMeIn Central is a way to connect PCs via ity. Skype’s new interface makes video calls a the Internet for tech support or for collabora- priority and is the most intuitive out there. The tion. It also gives a centralized snapshot of new, efﬁcient Silk audio codec produces class- the health of PCs in your organization, and it’s leading sound for video and voice, earning user-friendly enough for non-gurus. Skype our Editors’ Choice for video calling. CLICk HErE fOr MOrE CLICk HErE fOr MOrE CLOuD COMPuTING: DATABASE CLOuD COMPuTING: IT TOOLS

Quickbase Meraki Wifi Stumbler $250 direct Free llllm lllhm Ultra-customizable, fast, and easy, Intuit’s Small businesses may not have the resources QuickBase is the only business-class online for an on-site IT staff. Meraki Wi-Fi Stumbler database to come from a long-established is an online wireless network analyzer that’s vendor that a cautious company can trust. simple enough for anyone at your business to This Editors’ Choice winner from Intuit can use. It provides information on nearby wireless house any type of data from invoices to access points, channels and signal strength al- inventory. It’s fast, reliable, and has many lowing you to maximize your wireless networks native applications, so you can quickly get efﬁciency. up and running. n CLICk HErE fOr MOrE CLICk HErE fOr MOrE

Product name in RED indicates Editors’ Choice. June 2010 PC MAGAZINE DIGITAL EDITION 67 Editors’ Choices in Key Categories For the complete reviews of these products and more Editors’ Choices check out go.pcmag.com/editorschoice Bes

DEskTOPs BuDGET DOCuMENT sCANNEr Asus uL80Vt-A1 $823 street Visioneer strobe 500 $399.99 MAINsTrEAM direct HP Pavilion Elite m9400t TABLET $843 list Apple iPad (Wi-Fi) 64GB, $699 direct NETWOrkING BuDGET/VALuE nNEW $129.99 list HP Compaq Presario CQ5110f Cisco Valet Plus sTOrAGE $699 list Netgear XAVB101 $130 street POrTABLE Dell Inspiron 545 $899 list $300 street Lenovo ThinkPad usB Portable sMC sMCGs8P GAMING/MuLTIMEDIA secure Drive $319 list spiceworks 4.5 Free Maingear shift DEskTOP $6,399 direct CloudEngines Pogoplug Western Digital MyBook $99 direct Falcon Northwest Mach V studio Edition II $430 list (Core i7-975) $8,240 direct Cisco Network Magic NETWOrk-ATTACHED sTOrAGE Pro 5.5 $39.99 direct HP Pavilion 6267c-b Western Digital WD $999.99 list sharespace 4TB, $799.99 list HDTVs

ALL-IN-ONE LCD MONITOrs PLAsMA Apple iMac 21.5-inch Vizio VP505XVT $1,499.99 list Asus VW266H $309 list (Core 2 Duo) $1,199 direct LCD Lenovo IdeaCentre A600 HP LP2275w $349 direct sharp Aquos LC-52D85u $2,099.99 direct $799 direct nNEW Dell ultrasharp u2711 BusINEss $1,099 direct sony Bravia kDL-46XBr8 Dell Inspiron i570-6939PBk $3,999.99 list PrINTErs $599.98 list samsung LN52A750 $3,999 list NETTOP MONOCHrOME LAsEr OLED Lenovo C300 $549 list konica Minolta magicolor 1600W $180 street sony XEL-1 OLED Digital TV $2,499.99 list LAPTOPs & NETBOOks COLOr LAsEr MAINsTrEAM Xerox Phaser 7500/DN BLu-rAy PLAyErs Dell Inspiron i1464-4382OBk $3,299.99 direct nNEW $749.98 list samsung BD-C6500 sTANDArD INkJET $249.99 list uLTrAPOrTABLE Epson stylus NX515 $149 direct nNEW Asus u30Jc-1A $899 list PHOTO PrINTEr DIGITAL CAMErAs GAMING Epson PictureMate Charm COMPACT Alienware M17x $4,850 direct $149.99 direct samsung DualView TL225 MuLTIMEDIA ALL-IN-ONE $349.99 list Acer Aspire As8940-6865 Canon Color ImageClass D-sLr $1,400 street MF8350Cdn $699 direct Nikon D300 $1,800 street DEskTOP rEPLACEMENT Canon EOs rebel T1i $899.99 list PrOJECTOrs nNEW samsung r580 $830 list suPErZOOM $2,500 list NETBOOk Canon realis X700 Panasonic Lumix DMC-FZ18 Toshiba mini NB205 $400 street NEC VT800 $1,000 street $399.95 list BusINEss DIGITAL VIDEO CAMErAs Lenovo ThinkPad T410 $1,484 sCANNErs direct Epson Perfection V300 Photo kodak Zi8 Pocket Video Camera $99.99 direct $299.99 direct

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sony HDr-sr11 $1,099.99 direct rEADErs IPHONE APPs nNEW TomTom 1.3 $69.99 direct DIGITAL PHOTO & VIDEO Amazon kindle 2 $359 direct Navigon MobileNavigator 1.4.0 MuLTIMEDIA suITE HEADPHONEs $79.99 direct Adobe Cs 3 $999 direct sennheiser CX 680 sports Air sharing $6.99 direct VIDEO-EDITING sOFTWArE $119.95 list Photogene $2.99 direct CyberLink DVD suite 7 ultra BLuETOOTH HEADsETs $129.95 direct Aliph Jawbone Icon $99 list Pandora (for iPhone) Free PHOTO EDITING nNEW Adobe Photoshop Cs5 CELL PHONEs GAMEs $699 to $899 list Extended ALLTEL God of War III $59.99 list nNEW Aperture 3 $199 direct rIM BlackBerry Curve 8330 MLB 09: The show $59.99 list From $229.99 with contract DIGITAL PHOTO FrAME MuLTIMEDIA Toshiba DMF82Xku 8” Digital AT&T Media Frame $179.99 list samsung Mythic sGH-A897 CyberLink Media suite 8 ultra From $199.99 with contract $129.95 list VECTOr IMAGE EDITING nNEW Adobe Illustrator Cs5 $599 Apple iPhone 3Gs $199 list rhapsody From $12.99 per month direct sPrINT slacker Free POrTABLE MEDIA PLAyErs BlackBerry Tour 9630 Apple iLife ’09 $79 direct $199.99 with contract Microsoft Zune 120GB $249 list iTunes 9 Free T-MOBILE Apple iPod touch (3rd genera- nNEW HTC HD2 From $199.99 sECurITy tion) 8GB, $199 direct direct with contract PAssWOrD PrOTECTION Apple iPod nano VErIZON WIrELEss LastPass 1.5 Free (5th generation) 16GB, Droid by Motorola $199.99 direct $179 direct ANTIMALWArE METrOPCs Prevx 3.0 $29.95 direct per year sPEAkErs/DOCks samsung Freeform sCH-r350 $79 direct ANTIVIrus Altec Lansing Mix iMT800 Panda Cloud Antivirus Free uNLOCkED $299.95 direct Edition 1.0 Free nNEW sony Ericsson Naite $159.99 Hercules XPs 2.1 Lounge direct suITE $60 street Norton 360 version 3.0 3G NETWOrk ADAPTErs $69.99 yearly Logitech Pure-Fi Dream $200 direct sPrINT spyware Doctor with Antivirus sierra Wireless 598u $249.99 list 2010 $39.95 yearly MEDIA EXTENDErs OFFICE & PrODuCTIVITy BACkuP sonos Bundle 150 $999 direct nNEW Ofﬁce 2010 Professional, sOs Online Backup (beta) slingbox PrO-HD $299 list $499 direct $19.95 direct GAMING CONsOLEs nNEW iWork for iPad $9.99 direct Dropbox 2GB, free; 50GB, $9.95 monthly sony Playstation 3 120GB QuickBase (Ps3 slim) $299.99 direct $250 direct per month FINANCIAL ACT! by sage 2010 $299 list GPs DEVICEs QuickBooks 2010 $399 list Citrix GoToAssist Express nNEW Garmin nüvi 1390T Mint.com Free $269.99 list $69 direct per month

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