Computing Chores Knowing You’Re Doing Something Good for the Planet—And Your Bank Balance

104 21 Budget & Midrange ,Graphics Cards CONTENTSNOVEMBER 2007 VOLUME 27 NUMBER 11 ISSUE 332 REVIEWS

DESKTOPS 61 The Best in Tech 2007 16 Apple iMac 18 Cyberpower Gamer Infinity Need a geek gift guide for the holidays? Take our mega- CrossFire 2900XT roundup of the 100 best products of 2007 along on your 18 Sony VAIO VGX-TP1 20 Vigor Gaming Stealth NE shopping spree. Desktops, laptops, components, peripher- 20 HP Compaq DC7800 als, mobile gear, software, and much more: We’ve got 100 LAPTOPS great reasons to turn here first. Plus: Find out what we 17 Dell XPS M1330 voted our Product and Technology of the Year. M 22 Toshiba Portégé R500-S5002 22 Apple MacBook Pro 24 HP Compaq 8710p 24 Lenovo ThinkPad X61 COMPONENTS 28 Thermaltake V1 CL-P0401 28 Asus EN8600GT OC Gear 30 OCZ DDR3 PC3-14400 Platinum Edition 30 Gigabyte GA-MA69GM-S2H PERIPHERALS 32 Logitech MX Air Rechargeable Cordless Mouse 32 Kensington Ci70 Wireless Desktop Set 79 Going All Out PRINTERS For Gaming 34 Dell Color Laser Printer 1320C Tricked out with no- 34 HP Photosmart A826 compromise proces- DISPLAYS sors and muscular 36 NEC MultiSync LCD225WXM graphics, today’s 36 Asus PG221 gaming laptops can DIGITAL CAMERAS pack as much power 38 Casio Exilim EX-S880 38 Olympus Evolt E-510 as their desk-bound CONSUMER TECH counterparts. We 40 LG Chocolate VX8550 tested five winning 40 Samsung YP-K3 portables that can SOFTWARE tackle the latest 3D 42 iLife ’08 titles. Find out 42 Corel Paint Shop Pro Photo X2 which prevailed in THIS MONTH’S TOP PRODUCTS our benchmark 47 Space-Saving Desktops tests. 50 Thin-and-Light Laptops 53 19-Inch LCD Monitors 54 Input Devices 56 Personal Productivity Apps

NEW PRODUCTS Page 88

Page 79

Page 61

PCs BUILD YOUR OWN 12 • Acer Aspire 5920 93 • Antec Fusion Black 430 Page 108 • Gateway One • Cooler Master Cosmos 1000 Page 104 • HP Compaq 6820s • IOGear MiniView Micro DVI PS/2 • Lenovo ThinkCentre A61e KVM Switch • NVousPC Ether and Mercury • Spire NitroPower VGA Booster Page 102 • Sony VAIO LT PC/TV • Sunbeam Tuniq 3 • Swiftech H20-120 Compact CPU Liquid Cooling Unit computershopper.com November 2007 3

CONTENTS NOVEMBER 2007 VOLUME 27 NUMBER 11 ISSUE 332

HELP & HOW-TO TECHMARKET COMPUTER CURES COMPLETE PRODUCT 85 Can you use car coolant to watercool MARKETPLACE GUIDE your PC? Is it possible to replace your lap- 97 Performance Desktops top’s graphics card? Is USB 2.0 worth the 100 Ultraportable Notebooks upgrade? Our tech doctor takes on these 102 Desktop RAM dilemmas and more. 104 Budget and Midrange 3D-Graphics Cards

WEEKEND PROJECT 88 Overclock Your Desktop ALSO IN THIS ISSUE Want to boost your PC’s performance—for TRENDS free? Many of today’s motherboards let you 9 Government-level encryption is com- jack up the speed of your CPU, RAM, and ing to a hard drive near you. Plus, glossy more by changing just a few settings. Shift LCDs are skyrocketing in popularity, and the your desktop into overdrive with our introduction of HP’s groundbreaking primer. Windows Home Server hits some snags. 100 DEPARTMENTS BUYING BASICS 6 Editor’s Note 108 How to Buy the Right Laser Printer 106 Spotlight 107 Ad Index

NOVEMBER 2007 VOLUME 27 NUMBER 11 ISSUE 332 Computer Shopper (ISSN 0886-0556) is published monthly, for $24.97 per year in the U.S. and $54.97 per year outside the U.S., by SX2 Media Labs, LLC, 72 Madison Ave., 10th Fl., New York, NY 10016. Periodicals Mail postage paid at New York, NY, and additional mailing offices. Publications Mail Agreement No. 40009221. POSTMASTER: Send address changes to Computer Shopper, P.O. Box 52565, Boulder, CO 80322-2565. Return undeliverable Canadian addresses to PO Box 503, RPO West Beaver Creek, Richmond Hill, ON L4B 4R6. Portions of Computer Shopper are published under license from CNET Networks, Inc., San Francisco, CA, USA. Editorial items appearing in Computer Shopper that were originally published on www.cnet.com, www.download.com, or www.news.com are the copyright property of CNET Networks, Inc., or its suppliers. Copyright © 2007 CNET Networks, Inc. All rights reserved. “CNET” is a trademark of CNET Networks, Inc. All other content Copyright © 2007 SX2 Media Labs, LLC. All rights reserved. Permission to use Computer Shopper content is granted on a case-by-case basis. SX2 Media Labs welcomes requests. Please direct inquiries to our Reprint Coordinator at Wright’s Reprints: 1-877-652-5295. “Computer Shopper” is a trademark of SX2 Media Labs, LLC. PRINTED IN THE U.S.A.

computershopper.com November 2007 5 EDITOR’S NOTE RIK FAIRLIE

º BEFORE YOU TURN TO our annual best-tech- products story on p. 61, you might want to hand over your credit cards to a designated luddite for EDITOR IN CHIEF Rik Fairlie safekeeping. That’s because you could do them MANAGING EDITOR Wendy Sheehan some serious damage after reading “The Best in EXECUTIVE EDITOR, ONLINE Sean Portnoy Tech 2007,” our tempting selection of the year’s best PCs, compo- ART DIRECTOR Chris Phillips

nents, peripherals, mobile gear, software, and Web services. ASSOCIATE EDITOR Matthew Murray With a list like this, you’re certain to hit on something you gotta STAFF EDITORS Erin Kandel, Les L. Shu have. The item that called to my credit card was the Bose Compan- COPY CHIEF/ASST. MANAGING EDITOR John A. Burek ion 3 speakers. I met with Bose a few months ago and got a demo COPY EDITOR Lizelle A. Vibar of these desktoppers. The sound of the Bose Companion 3s was awesome, with amazing clarity and impressive surround-sound PUBLISHER Colleen Daly capability. I have a pair of $5 generic speakers on my desk here, ADVERTISING SALES so I’m pretty convinced that I need these speakers. ADVERTISING DIRECTOR Steven Goodman But that’s just me. You EAST might want to splurge on AL, AR, CT, DC, DE, FL, GA, IL, IN, KY, LA, MA, MD, ME, MI, MN, MO, MS, one of the 16 PCs we NC, NH, NJ, NY, OH, PA, RI, SC, TN, TX, VA, VT, WI, WV, Canada (East of Manitoba) ADVERTISING DIRECTOR Steven Goodman (917) 326-8705 picked as the year’s best. REGIONAL SALES MANAGER Nancy Roscoe (917) 326-8720 They’re all great ma- WEST chines, but there are AZ, CA, CO, IA, ID, KS, MT, ND, NE, NM, NV, OK, some head-turning OR, SD, UT, WA, WY, Canada (West of Ontario) WEST COAST SALES MANAGER Justin Schiller (917) 326-8704 standouts like the in- REGIONAL SALES MANAGER Aida Rodriguez (708) 836-1231 credibly engineered HP ACCOUNT COORDINATOR Shawn Calo (917) 326-8722 Blackbird 002 with Voodoo DNA, the gor- VP, MARKETING Josh London GM, ONLINE PUBLISHING geous Apple MacBook MARKETING Pro, and the muscular MARKETING MANAGER Ana Maria Robben Dell XPS 710 H2C gamer. TECHNICAL PRODUCER Richard Grech Or you could select CIRCULATION DIRECTOR Shawne Burke Pecar DIRECTOR, SINGLE-COPY SALES Mark Peterson something more core, like our outstanding CONTROLLER Tamika Williams

choices for mother- PRODUCTION boards, graphics cards, PRODUCTION MANAGER Randall McCall ELECTRONIC PREPRESS SPECIALIST Deborah Jarski hard drives, LCD moni- BOOKKEEPER Teressa Owens tors, and printers. And OFFICE ADMINISTRATOR Adriana Melendez

if you’re starting to plan SX2 MEDIA LABS holiday shopping, one of PRESIDENT AND CEO David Sills CHIEF STRATEGY OFFICER Elizabeth Roberts the digital cameras or mobile gadgets will make just about anyone CHAIRMAN Barry Schwimmer on your shopping list really happy. That’s a lot of hot products, and the heat just keeps coming with our roundup of new gaming laptops. In “Going All Out for Gaming” (p. 79), we benchmark no-compromise laptops loaded with the latest Computer Shopper, 72 Madison Ave., 10th Fl., New York, NY 10016 Sales Info: 800-999-7467, Editorial: 917-326-8700, Fax: 212-481-0920 processors and graphics cards, taxing them to the max to gauge their Customer Service: 877-214-7390, Subscription Inquiries: 800-274-6384 ability to handle the latest 3D games at high resolutions. We found

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6 November 2007 computershopper.com

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D;<EYfm^Y[lmj]jkLYc] • TRENDSPOTTING 9K`af]lg?dgkkqK[j]]fk Managers, listen up! A study conducted by IF YOU’VE BEEN shopping can’t handle glare as well as an extra process involved in Plantronics revealed for a new LCD monitor, you matte (or antiglare) displays, putting it together, but our what employees are may have noticed new mod- which have traditionally been customers value it.” really doing when they els sporting glossy screens used in notebooks and desk- Gateway also plans to work from home. In that deliver extra-bright pic- top LCD monitors. This isn’t introduce glossy-screen tures. HP is leading the pack an issue if a glossy screen is models, and Apple has the poll, 52 percent by incorporating this feature used in dark environments, given new iMac computers of respondents said but it can be a nuisance shiny screens. they talk on the phone if the monitor is used Not everyone agrees that about non-work-related under certain types glossy monitors are the issues, 40 percent said of natural or artifi- wave of the future, however. they do laundry, and cial light. Also, glossy “It’s a matter of preference,” a whopping 91 per- screens are more says Sean Gunduz, a senior cent said they pursue expensive to produce product manager at View- other activities. But than matte displays. Sonic. “Some customers still HP, however, says its prefer antiglare; most are Plantronics also found research shows that not satisfied with seeing that 42 percent of customers perceive a their reflection.” telecommuters suffer glossy monitor to carry Although ViewSonic will some physical ailment added value. Accordingly, introduce two glossy moni- related to telecommut- the company has implement- tors—a 22- and a 23-inch—in ing, including 30 per- ed the feature across its con- 2008, the company doesn’t cent who report back into all of its consumer LCD sumer line, including its new see the technology taking or neck pain. So the monitors. 24-inch w2408 display. over its product line. Gunduz next time employees Glossy screens offer richer “We were the first to mar- predicts that glossy-screen colors, enhanced saturation, ket [this technology] a year monitors will be a niche class ask you about working and deeper blacks, which is ago,” says Garrett Gargan, of products that accounts from home, you can tell ideal for videos and games. an HP product manager. “It’s for only 10 percent of the them it’s not good for But they also reflect light and more expensive, and there’s consumer market. —Les Shu their health. —Erin Kandel

Seagate to Add Government-Level _d]iêYah[i_ijWdY[e\)(+=i/&& =im^[ddejef[hWj_d] "[dWXb_d]_jje Encryption to Its Desktop Hard Drives X[jj[h^WdZb[Xkcfi$ >7H::H?L;IWh[dÊjj^[ceijjWba[Z# ikY^Wi\_d][hfh_djiYWdd_d]$J^_ieYYkhi Beea\ehj^[Cec[djki+*&&$*ed WXekjYecfed[dji_dYecfkj[hi"Xkj _dZ[f[dZ[djboe\j^[ef[hWj_d]ioij[c$ ijeh[i^[bl[iieed"m^_b[j^[8WhhW# I[W]Wj[ÊibWj[ijZh_l[_dYbkZ[id[mWZ# J^[ZWjWedj^[Zh_l[YWdWbieX[Yec# YkZW<:;iêkbZ]eediWb[_d(&&.$ lWdY[ij^Wj`kijc_]^jijWhjiec[Y^Wjj[h$ fb[j[bo[hWi[ZXoZ[b[j_d]j^[[dYhofj_ed —L.S. J^[kfYec_d]8WhhWYkZW<:;Æj^WjÊi a[o"e\\[h_d]W\Wij[hmWojei[Ykh[bo iêhj\ehÇ\kbbZ_ia[dYhofj_edÈÆ_iW)$+# [hWi[ZWjW$I[W]Wj[iWoij^_ic[jêZ_i _dY^Z[iajefF9Zh_l[m_j^Xk_bj#_ddWj_l[ ceh[i[Ykh[j^Wdi_cfboh[\ehcWjj_d]W [dYhofj_edjefh[l[djkdWkjêh_p[ZWY# Zh_l["m^_Y^YWdb[Wl[jhWY[ie\ZWjW[l[d Y[iijeZWjWedbeijehijeb[d^WhZZh_l[i _\j^[Zh_l[_ih[\ehcWjj[Zi[l[hWbj_c[i$ ehioij[ci$J^_i'#j[hWXoj["-"(&&hfc I[W]Wj[_iWbie_djheZkY_d]W ^WhZZh_l[_dYehfehWj[i]el[hdc[dj#b[l[b (+&=8dej[Xeea^WhZZh_l[j^Wjki[i [dYhofj_edj[Y^debe]oYWbb[Z7;I$8[\eh[ f[hf[dZ_YkbWhcW]d[j_Yh[YehZ_d] j^[Zh_l[Xeeji_djej^[ef[hWj_d]ioij[c" je_dYh[Wi[YWfWY_jom_jêkjWZZ_d] j^[ki[h_ih[gk_h[Zje[dj[hWfWiimehZ fbWjj[hi$J^[Cec[djki+*&&$*"W WdZkdZ[h]eej^[hi[Ykh_joc[Wikh[i" +"*&&hfcZh_l["Wbie^WiWdef[hWj#

Yecfkj[hiêff[h$YecDel[cX[h(&&-/ JH;D:IJ;9>D;MI Ea[jgkg^lGKMh\Yl]<]dYqk@H@ge]K]jn]j Hawking HP HAS DELAYED until scheduled to be available in The decision to delay the later this year the release of September. A spokesman launch may ultimately be Rides its MediaSmart Server, the says the company made the smart, if it makes the device Z-Wave Tech first of a new breed of home last-minute decision because more user-friendly to non- For Home servers that was originally it wanted to incorporate en- techie consumers. I tested hancements to Microsoft’s a preproduction HP server Automation Windows Home Server OS, for a couple of weeks (see >Wma_d]J[Y^debe]_[i_i which powers the device. our October 2007 issue), and \_dWbbo i[jjebWkdY^W Microsoft said in a com- found it incredibly useful d[nj#][d[hWj_edêc[# pany blog that it had identi- and, for the most part, very WkjecWj_edioij[cXWi[Z fied ways to improve the OS intuitive. It did miss the edP#MWl[j[Y^debe]o$ and that it was scheduled to mark on one of the features J^[>ec[H[cej[M_h[# release updates in late Sep- that Microsoft had touted, b[ii>ec[7kjecWj_ed tember designed to “enhance though: The company said Ioij[c"m^_Y^mWiWd# the usability and improve that its software would auto- dekdY[ZWj9;I_d@Wdk# the out-of-box experience” of matically enable router set- Who"m_bb[dWXb[ki[hije home servers. Microsoft says tings for remote access, but Yedjhebêc[WdZicWbb# the update will include feed- it failed to do so on my home e\\_Y[b_]^j_d]WdZWffb_# back from more than 100,000 network. And there were a WdY[i"Wim[bbWil_[mb_l[ beta users and reviewers. few snags transferring files l_Z[ee\j^[_hfhef[hjo"l_W HP would not say exactly from a Mac to the server. WM[XXhemi[hehY[bbkbWh when its MediaSmart Server Otherwise, the Media- fêd[$ would be available, except Smart is a breakthrough @WiedEm[d">Wma_d]Êi that it would be “before the product for home users. Y^_[\e\\_Y[h"iWoij^Wjj^[ holidays.” —Rik Fairlie YecfWdo^Wij[ij[Zj^[ fheZkYji[nj[di_l[boje [dikh[j^Wjj^[oWh[ [Wio[dek]^\ehceij ;YfgfHgo]jK`glLghk;Ye]jYKmjn]q Yedikc[hije_dijWbbWdZ ki[$J^[b_dY^f_de\j^[ CANON’S POWERSHOT SD (dSLR) cameras. The firm said Steve Kirkeby of J.D. Power, ioij[c_ij^[>ec[ series was the highest-ranked in its report that the survey in a statement. “A 10-point H[cej[=Wj[mWo"W((/ camera in the J.D. Power was completely redesigned for improvement in overall sat- Z[l_Y[j^WjWjjWY^[ijeW and Associates 2007 Digital 2007 to better assess satisfac- isfaction can lead to a 1-per- d[jmehahekj[hWdZb_dai Camera Usage and Satisfac- tion drivers and market trends. centage-point improvement Wbb>ec[H[cej[Z[l_Y[i$ tion Study. On a 1,000-point For each segment, cameras in brand loyalty.” Plus, loyal J^[=Wj[mWoYedd[Yjije scale, the PowerShot SD line were judged on picture quality, customers are more inclined ceZkb[il_Wj^[P#MWl[ performance, to recommend a company’s m_h[b[iiYecckd_YWj_ed operation, and products to others, he added. fhejeYeb$ style/form fac- Elsewhere in the study, Ca- OekYWdWZZWicWdo tor. J.D. Power sio’s Exilim Zoom series was Z[l_Y[iWioekmWdj"_d# surveyed the highest-ranking in the YbkZ_d]ceZkb[ijeYedjheb more than ultraslim-camera category, _dZeehWdZekjZeehb_]^j# 7,500 people while Fujifilm got the nod for _d]"Yb_cWj[Yedjheb"m_d# who bought general point-and-shoot and Zemi^WZ[i%YkhjW_di"WdZ a camera Nikon received the top honor ej^[h[b[Yjh_YWbWffb_WdY[i$ between June for dSLR. In addition, the J^[i[ceZkb[ihWd][\hec 2006 and May study found that dSLR users )/$//je*/$//$ 2007. shoot more photos than non- >Wma_d]Wbiee\\[hiW The study dSLR users, averaging 400 '-/$//l_Z[eYWc[hWj^Wj of high-end compact cameras revealed that brand loyalty images per month. —Les Shu m_bb[dWXb[oekjeced_jeh garnered 829 points. positively affects customer oekhêc[ehXki_d[ii The study is divided into satisfaction across all sec- h[cej[bo$OekYWdWbieki[ MMM four camera segments: tions. “The relationship YecfWj_Xb[Y[bbfêd[ije point-and-shoot, premium between owner satisfaction

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One: singular sensation Another major PC maker is joining the all-in-one game. The Gateway One is a slim, stylish desktop aimed at making the computing process easier (and tidier) than ever: Just plug in one cable, and you’re ready to go. Its innovative design encompasses not just a 19-inch wide-screen display and built-in Wi-Fi, but also a wire- Aspire to shine less keyboard and mouse. You don’t even have to plug cables into For a notebook that sparkles, look no further than Acer’s the system itself—they connect to the power brick, keeping your Aspire 5920. This notebook in the company’s Gemstone desktop as clean-looking as the Gateway One itself. Prices range line, designed by BMW Group DesignworksUSA, has a from $1,299 to $1,799. Gateway, www.gateway.com shiny exterior and a cool-toned interior. Intended for multimedia enthusiasts, the Intel Core 2 Duo laptop has a 15.4-inch wide-screen display, an HD DVD drive, and Dolby Home Theater audio for great sound whether you’re using up to six speakers or just a pair of headphones. Pricing starts at $1,999. Acer America, us.acer.com Your notebook, your way NVousPC is a newcomer to the laptop scene, but its president and founder, Oscar Zapata, comes from Alienware, so he knows computer design. Pick a base model—either the 14.1-inch-screened Mercury, optimized for students and travel- ing professionals, or the 15.4-inch Ether, for those who need higher resolutions. (Both come with a minimum of 1GB of RAM.) Then choose the configuration that meets your needs. Options include Intel Core 2 Duo processors up to the T7600, Windows Vista, and a custom paint job to personalize your notebook. The Mercury starts The large and small of it all at $1,099, the Ether at $999.99. You won’t have to worry about choosing between a large NVousPC, www.nvouspc.com screen and a small price with the new HP Compaq 6820s laptop. Its 17-inch wide-screen display gives you plenty of high-resolution screen real estate, while its $999 starting price won’t lower your financials. You also get Intel processors (Core 2 Duo or Celeron), up to 4GB of memory, Draft N-compliant 802.11a/b/g Wi-Fi, and ATI Mobility Radeon X1350 graphics. And that will ensure your productivity isn’t curtailed, either. Hewlett-Packard, www.hp.com

'(Del[cX[h(&&-Yecfkj[hi^eff[h$Yec Kilowatt killer The ThinkCentre A61e may be small in size, but it’s big on energy efficiency. Lenovo’s smallest, quietest, and—weighing only 8 pounds—lightest desktop yet uses a 45-watt processor, is EPEAT Gold-rated, and complies with Energy Star guidelines. Plus, its starting price of only $399 means you can get started on important everyday computing chores knowing you’re doing something good for the planet—and your bank balance. Lenovo, www.lenovo.com

An HD/PC fusion If you’re a mediaphile who’s been looking for a good excuse to upgrade to a new PC, Sony’s new VAIO LT PC/TV could be for you. This all-in-one computer entertainment center features a 22- inch WSXGA+ wide-screen display, a 1.3-megapixel camera, and Draft N-compliant 802.11 Wi-Fi wireless to complement its Intel Core 2 Duo processor, 2GB of RAM, and discrete graphics card. Pricing for the standard model starts at $1,899; an HD model is also available, complete with a Blu-ray optical drive, starting at $2,899. Sony Electronics, www.sonystyle.com

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APPLE’S MOST ELEGANTLY designed all-in- one yet, the latest iteration of the iMac has a solid configuration, excellent features, and good performance, making it a viable choice for anyone looking for a space-saving, eye-pleasing, highly capable desktop. Our test unit was the $1,499 20-inch wide-screen (1,680x1,050-resolution) model outfitted with a 2.4GHz Intel Core 2 Duo mobile processor, 1GB of DDR2 RAM, and a 320GB hard drive. (Other configurations range in price from $1,199 to $2,299.) Also built in are Apple’s SuperDrive slot-loading double-layer DVD burner, a 256MB ATI Radeon HD 2600 Pro graphics chip, integrated Bluetooth wireless, and next-generation, Draft N-compliant Wi-Fi =p9eh[(:keJ--&&1 ment over the old plastic- '=8::H(1)(&=8^WhZZh_l[1 :L:±HM1(&#_dY^_dj[]hWj[ZB9:1 face one, delivering more- What’s the Deal? 7J?HWZ[ed>:(,&&Fhe]hWf^_Yi vivid images with greater (+,C8 1CWYEIN'&$*$'& contrast and sharpness. 7ffb[ÊiX[[dWjj^[\eh[\hedje\êc[#Yecfkj[h_d# 7ffb[".&&#,/(#--+) Ports are neatly aligned on delWj_ed\ehd[Whbo)&o[Whi"WdZj^[X[Wkj_\kb"heXkij mmm$Wffb[$Yec the back of the screen, in d[ml[hi_ede\j^[Wbb#_d#ed[_CWYZ[cedijhWj[ij^[ :_h[YjFh_Y['"*// the bottom-left corner. You YecfWdo_idÊjfbWdd_d]jeij[fXWYaWdoj_c[ieed$ get a typical assortment of M^Wj_jÊi\eh0;l[hoZWoYecfkj_d]jWiaie\[l[ho connectors, including optical digital and analog audio, Gigabit ijh_f[0ikh\_d]j^[M[X"b_ij[d_d]jecki_Y"eh]Wd_p_d] Ethernet, mini-DVI, three USB 2.0, one FireWire 400, and one fêjei"[l[dYecf_b_d]l_Z[eYb_fi_djeêc[cel_[i FireWire 800. The last is for high-speed wired data transfers—a WdZXkhd_d]j^[cedje:L:i$ major plus for those moving large amounts of data from Mê_jÊi\eh0?dZ_l_ZkWbieh\Wc_b_[imêmWdjbeWZie\ compliant external devices. Yecfkj_d]efj_edim_jêkjiWYh_\_Y_d]Wbeje\ifWY[ed You also get wired versions of Apple’s Mighty Mouse and a j^[\beehehZ[ia\ehWXkbaojem[hWdZced_jeh$ newly designed razor-thin aluminum keyboard. The mouse’s M^WjÊi_dYbkZ[Z0?dWZZ_j_edjej^[]beiio"]bWiio shiny white shell looks a little out of place among its silvery sur- m_Z[#iYh[[dZ_ifbWo"?dj[b9eh[(:kefheY[iieh"'=8e\ roundings, but we love the look and feel of the new low-profile ::H(H7C")(&=8^WhZZh_l["WdZibej#beWZ_d]efj_YWb keyboard—thin and light, but not flimsy. The keys are very shal- Zh_l["oek][j7ffb[ÊiC_]^joCeki[WdZd[mboZ[# low, making it feel more like a laptop keyboard than your typical i_]d[Z"mW\[h#j^_da[oXeWhZ$7bie_dj^[Xen07ffb[Êi desktop one, so it might require adjustment time for some. _B_\[Ê&.ie\jmWh[ik_j["YedjW_d_d]\h[i^l[hi_edie\ Given the iMac’s solid specs, we weren’t surprised that our fefkbWhWffi_dYbkZ_d]_Fêje"_Cel_["_:L:"_M[X" evaluation unit prevailed in our tests, achieving a very respect- WdZ=WhW][8WdZ$ able score of 721 on Cinebench 9.5 and a speedy 3 minutes and J^[Xejjecb_d[0M_j^\[Wjkh[i`kijWiWjjhWYj_l[Wi_ji 54 seconds in our iTunes conversion test. Wbkc_dkc#WdZ#]bWii[nj[h_eh"j^_ibWj[ij_CWY_iWd The new iMacs ship with Apple’s iLife ’08, the company’s [nY[bb[djWbb#_d#ed[Yecfkj_d]iebkj_ed\ehêc[ki[hi$ first major update to its already robust and useful multi-

',Del[cX[h(&&-Yecfkj[hiêff[h$Yec <]ddPHKE)++( in this section Làf%Yf\%da_`ldggckk`YjhÈYf\h]j^gjekn]jqo]dd '. :;IAJEFI 9oX[hfem[h=Wc[h?d\_d_jo 9heii<_h[(/&&NJ a welcome High-Definition Multimedia =F9ecfWg:9-.&& fingerprint reader, a Webcam, Bluetooth HJGK ;c_d[djbofehjWXb[1WlW_bWXb[m_j^ B;:#XWYab_jiYh[[d1l[ho]eeZf[h\ehcWdY[ and 802.11a/g/n wireless, and embedded (( B7FJEFI Dell Wireless Broadband connectivity Jei^_XWFehj]H+&&#I+&&( ;GFK Efj_ediZh_l[kffh_Y[gk_Yabo1j^_d rounded out our test configuration’s 7ffb[CWY8eeaFhe iekdZ\hecXk_bj#_dif[Wa[hi >F9ecfWg.-'&f very complete set of options. B[deleJ^_daFWZN,' KH=;K ($(=>p9eh[(:keJ-+&&1(=8 Models in the M1330 series start at ::H(1',&=8^WhZZh_l[1:L:±HM1')$)#_dY^ a reasonable $1,299, though options (. 9ECFED;DJI Jec[Fh[c_kc and upgrades in our test model nearly J^[hcWbjWa[L'9B#F&*&' :[bb".&&#/'+#))++ doubled the price ($2,404). Equipped 7iki;D.,&&=JE9=[Wh mmm$Z[bb$Yec with a 2.2GHz Core 2 Duo CPU, 2GB of E9P::H)F9)#'**&& FbWj_dkc;Z_j_ed :_h[YjFh_Y[("*&* RAM, 128MB nVidia GeForce Go 8400 GS =_]WXoj[=7#C7,/=C#I(> graphics, and a 160GB hard drive, our WITH ITS HANDSOME DESIGN, test unit scored a solid 4,523 on Future- )( F;H?F>;H7BI sharp screen, and long list of options, it’s mark’s PCMark05, demonstrating it can Be]_j[Y^CN7_hH[Y^Wh][WXb[ hard not to love the Dell XPS M1330. For more than handle productivity chores. 9ehZb[iiCeki[ buyers who need a constant computing Its demonstrating of 1,893 on Future- A[di_d]jed9_-&M_h[b[ii :[iajefI[j companion, it’s worth a long look. mark’s 3DMark06 means avid 3D gamers The M1330 just misses the weight will want to look elsewhere, but it’s got )* FH?DJ;HI cutoff for a “true” ultraportable, but the the chops to handle some games if you :[bb9ebehBWi[hFh_dj[h')(&9 4-pound laptop is nonetheless light and turn down the resolution and graphics- >FFêjeicWhj7.(, easy to carry. The chassis is available in effects settings. The nine-cell extended matte black or red, and its full-size key- battery delivered just over three hours ), :?IFB7OI board is unusually comfortable to type of runtime on our DVD drain test, which D;9Ckbj_IodYB9:((+MNC on. We especially like the touch-sensitive should equate to about five hours of 7ikiF=((' multimedia control buttons above the normal use. —Jamie Bsales row of function keys. ). :?=?J7B97C;H7I The real draw, though, is the option to 9Wi_e;n_b_c;N#I..& Ebocfki;lebj;#+'& outfit the notebook with a wide-screen (1,280x800) display that’s LED-backlit, a J^[:[bbNFIC'))&Êi *& 9EDIKC;HJ;9> $200 premium that’s worth every penny. ib[[aZ[i_]dWdZYkjj_d]# B=9êYebWj[LN.++& The LED-lit panel is brighter and delivers [Z][Yecfed[djim_bb IWcikd]OF#A) a higher contrast ratio than traditional _cfh[ii[l[dj^[ceij screens—plus, it uses less power, boost- *( IE?ICEDJ>ÊIJEFFHE:K9JI built-in stereo speakers was *- IfWY[#IWl_d]:[iajefi a bit thin and lacking in bass, +& J^_d#WdZ#B_]^jBWfjefi however. +) '/#?dY^B9:Ced_jehi +* ?dfkj:[l_Y[i The M1330 has most of +, F[hiedWbFheZkYj_l_jo7ffi the inputs and outputs you would expect (USB, >gj\]lYadkgf`goo]l]kll`]`Yj\oYj] FireWire, flash-memory- o]j]na]o$nakal[gehml]jk`ghh]j&[ge' @goO]L]kl& card reader, ExpressCard slot, VGA, LAN), plus two headphone =;JCEH;EDB?D; 9b_Yaje jacks and mmm$Yecfkj[hiêff[h$Yec \ehj^[bWj[ij_d#Z[fj^h[l_[mi" l_Z[ei"WdZfheZkYjd[mi$

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CYBERPOWER’S Gamer Infinity CrossFire 2900XT is a solid productivity results were also outstanding. gaming performer—and a good value. Its $3,255 price includes You also get two 160GB hard drives in a RAID 0 array for your not just the PC itself but also a 22-inch Optiquest (Viewsonic’s system and program files, plus a 320GB drive for everything else. value brand) Q22WB LCD monitor and a Logitech X-540 six- Also in the case are a DVD burner, a DVD-ROM drive, and a flash- piece speaker system. It delivers serious punch without the memory-card reader that supports a dozen formats. The Tagan A+ second-mortgage demands some boutique boxes make. Black Pearl tower case has three 5.25-inch external and five 3.5- The PC is powered by inch internal drive bays available for expansion, =p9eh[(;njh[c[ GN,.+&el[hYbeYa[Zje)$,-=>p 1 the core speed of the QX6850 ports (one front, (=8::H(1jme',&=8^WhZZh_l[i to 3.67GHz to help boost one top) are also H7?:& 1ed[)(&=8^WhZZh_l[1 the gaming performance, available, as are :L:±HM1:L:#HEC1((#_dY^Efj_# but the real pump can be two external Serial gk[ijB9:1jme7J?HWZ[ed(/&&NJ found in the PC’s twin 512MB ATA (eSATA) ports ]hWf^_YiYWhZi+'(C8"9heii<_h[ 1 M_dZemiL_ijW>ec[Fh[c_kc Radeon 2900 XT graphics and a S/PDIF con- cards, paired in a CrossFire nector for the 5.1 9oX[hfem[h".&&#-&-#&)/) arrangement. This combina- audio (should you not mmm$YoX[hfem[hfY$Yec tion delivered impressive want to use the miniplug analog :_h[YjFh_Y[)"(++ scores in our gaming tests; jacks). —Bill O’Brien

KgfqN9AGN?P%LH) =p9eh[(:ke Intel Core 2 Duo T5600 processor, 2GB of RAM, a 300GB hard ers using an inferior third- J+,&&1(=8::H(1)&&=8^WhZ Zh_l[1:L:±HM1deced_jeh1?dj[b drive, integrated Intel graphics, built-in 802.11b/g Wi-Fi wireless, party antenna. PC enthusiasts _dj[]hWj[Z]hWf^_Yi1M_dZemi a 10/100Mbps Ethernet port, and Windows Vista Home Premium. will find the processor slow, L_ijW>ec[Fh[c_kc Keeping up with the media crowd, the VGX-TP1 houses both SD the hard drive capacity some- Iedo;b[Yjhed_Yi".--#.,+#-,,/ and Memory Stick card readers and dual TV tuners (integrated what anemic for media files, mmm$iedoijob[$Yec NTSC and AverMedia USB ATSC). You’ll also find a VGA interface and the integrated graphics C\h$;ij$Fh_Y['"+// and an S/PDIF output, an infrared output for your cable box, and inadequate for most games, both a wireless keyboard and a Media Center-compatible remote. but you don’t need much more than what Sony supplies to acquire and manage media. The VGX-TP1 comes with a 4x double-layer DVD±RW drive, and a Blu-ray drive is not an option—an especially baffling omission considering the VGX-TP1’s High-Definition Multimedia Interface (HDMI) jack. If you need to add more hardware, four USB ports and a FireWire connector are at your disposal. Sony provides a one-year parts-and-labor warranty and an equal- length dollop of toll-free 24/7 tech support. —B.O’B.

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AT JUST 2.5x10x10 inches, the HP Compaq DC7800 is not only tinier than most coffee-table books, but it’s also about a third of the size of its 19-inch monitor. What’s more, the system (which costs $972 by itself, or $1,409 with monitor and stand) packs more power than we’ve seen in desktops several times its size and price. Its Intel Core 2 Duo E6750 processor is a speedy, good- value option on the higher end of Intel’s dual-core line, while the RAM (1GB of DDR2, suitable for the installed Windows Vista Business OS) and Na_gj?Yeaf_Kl]Ydl`F= =p9eh[(:ke With a 2.4GHz Intel Core 2 Duo E6600 processor overclocked ;,-+&1'=8::H(1.&=8^WhZ line-in and -out audio jacks to 2.82GHz, 2GB of DDR2 RAM, two 250GB hard drives in a Zh_l[1:L:±HM1'/#_dY^>F on the rear panel, plus two RAID Level 0 configuration, and two 256MB Sapphire Radeon B9:1?dj[b_dj[]hWj[Z]hWf^_Yi1 USB 2.0 and headphone and HD 2600 XT cards set up in a CrossFire dual-card arrangement, M_dZemiL_ijW8ki_d[ii microphone jacks on the there’s a lot of gaming potential to be found here. The Gam- >[mb[jj#FWYaWhZ"...#///#*-*- front—but you’re mostly out ing Stealth NE fared quite well in our performance tests, mmm$^fi^eff_d]$Yec of luck for post-purchase delivering a score of 8,845 at a resolution of 1,280x1,024 in :_h[YjFh_Y['"*&/ expandability. This is not a Futuremark 3DMark06 and a score of 7,201 at 1,600x1,200. In significant liability, however: Company of Heroes, it delivered an average of 87.2 frames per Those stock components produce some impressive perfor- second (fps) at 1,280x1,024 and 57.5fps at 1,600x1,200. Frame mance. A Cinebench 9.5 score of 817, a Futuremark PCMark05 rates dropped considerably at 2,560x1,600, so we don’t recom- score of 3,660, a Windows Media Encoder test time of 5 min- mend playing most games at that extreme resolution. Even utes and 55 seconds, and an iTunes-conversion test time of 3 our 1,280x1,024 Supreme Commander test netted playable, if minutes and 57 seconds are among the best we’ve seen in a unexciting, frame rates of just under 30fps. The machine did PC in this price range. Even the warranty—three years of parts predictably well in our productivity tests, too. and labor—is uncommonly generous. The Gaming Stealth NE The downside? The Integrated Intel GMA 3100 graphics =p9eh[(:ke And the port selection is fairly ;,,&&el[hYbeYa[Zje($.(=>p 1 (=8::H(1jme(+&=8^WhZ conventional, aside from two Zh_l[iH7?:& 1:L:±HM1de FireWire ports and an external ced_jeh1jmeIWff^_h[HWZ[ed Serial ATA (eSATA) jack. >:(,&&NJ]hWf^_YiYWhZi The see-through case also (+,C8"9heii<_h[ 1M_dZemi means you’ll notice every L_ijW>ec[Fh[c_kc speck of dust, which could L_]eh=Wc_d]9ecfkj[h mean frequent cleaning. That’s .,,#/&-#)+), mmm$l_]eh]Wc_d]$Yec less fun than gaming, but this computer is mostly worth it. :_h[YjFh_Y['"(// —Matthew Murray

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A NEAR-PERFECT ROAD COMPANION with a head- turning design, the Toshiba Portégé R500 is an amazing ultraportable with only a couple of minor shortcomings. The $2,149 R500-S5002 model we tested measures a trim 0.8x11.1x8.5 inches and weighs just 2.4 pounds. Despite this small case, you still get a bright 1,280x800-resolution, 12.1-inch LED-backlit display, as well as a comfortable, full- size, spill-resistant key- =p9eh[(:ke gripes. The notebook has motherboard. (A single open slot lets you raise the total RAM K-,&&1'=8::H(1'(&=8^WhZ built-in Wi-Fi but no op- to 2GB.) Battery life was great, however. On our DVD rundown Zh_l[1:L:±HM1'($'#_dY^J

9hhd]EY[:ggcHjg =p9eh[(:ke Despite its 15.4-inch wide-screen display, the aluminum-clad an ExpressCard slot, as well J-+&&1(=8::H(1'(&=8^WhZ Zh_l[1:L:±HM1'+$*#_dY^J

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BUSINESS TRAVELERS in the market for an ultraportable simply must consider the ThinkPad X61. It has power to spare and all the features they’re likely to need. With a chassis clad in matte-black, the 3.5-pound X61 is compact, feels solid in the hand, and is very comfortable to carry. Its 12.1-inch display, which also has a matte finish, features a 4-to-3 aspect ratio, giving it a decidedly old-school feel given today’s glossy wide-screen models. (For a business @H;gehYi0/)(h portable, this screen shape =p9eh[(:keJ-)&&1 Security Solution software. business system. HP outfitted the 8710p with a wonderful non- (=8::H1'&&=8^WhZZh_l[1:L:# In addition to the inte- HEC%9:#HMYecXe_dZeYa 1'($'# glossy 17-inch wide-screen LCD panel with 1,680x1,050 resolu- grated Intel 802.11a/b/g _dY^JQuadro NVS 320M graphics Wi-Fi connectivity, the card, and you get excellent DVD playback and enough 3D pop B[dele".,,#/,.#**,+ X61 has embedded wire- mmm$b[dele$Yec for doing business graphics and even some CAD work. Surpris- less-broadband hardware, ingly, HP is also offering some preconfigured 8710p models with :_h[YjFh_Y['"--+ compatible with Verizon’s high-definition Blu-ray drives and a High-Definition Multimedia EV-DO service. The X61 Interface (HDMI) port. also offers a good selection of ports and connectors, though The keyboard is another nice plus: full-size and comfort- it lacks an optical drive built into the chassis. A drive does able, with a separate numeric keypad. You also get specialized reside in the snap-on X6 UltraBase, however, which was controls that give you access to a utility for fine-tuning your included with our test unit along with a DVD-ROM/CD-RW presentations, as well as dedicated mute, volume, and calcula- combo drive. (The UltraBase attaches to the X61’s bottom tor buttons. As for connectivity, the 8710p provides the expected and adds 1.4 pounds to the weight.) options—including six USB The most unexpected feature, though, is the X61’s perfor- =p9eh[(:ke Plus, its standard battery rundown test, which J-+&&1(=8::H(1',&=8^WhZ lasted an impressive 2 hours should translate Zh_l[18bk#hWo%:L:±HMYecXe1 and 45 minutes on our DVD to over '-#_dY^J[mb[jj#FWYaWhZ".&&#...#&(,' mmm$^f$Yec an unusually long warranty: in nor- three years of coverage. mal use. :_h[YjFh_Y[("+*/ —Asa Somers —Jamie Bsales

(*Del[cX[h(&&-Yecfkj[hi^eff[h$Yec 30 million computer users don’t trust the power grid.

APC Smart-UPS® 1000 provides power protection and battery backup during power outages. Also available in rack-mount models. They do trust APC. Shouldn’t you? “Overall the reliability of Why is APC the world’s best selling 40% over the next 10 years. Yet today, electrical systems in the US power protection? For 20 years, we investment in utilities is at an all-time have pioneered power protection low. It’s a “perfect storm” for computer almost certainly will decline technology. Our Legendary Reliability® users, one that makes APC protection over the next 10 years.” enables you to save your data, protect even more essential. your hardware, and prevent downtime. – Venture Development APC has a complete line of power It also guards against a power grid that protection solutions to suit a range is growing less reliable every day. Think of all that you rely on your com- of applications. Already an APC user? puter for: personal and business ﬁ les, According to the Department of Energy, Get the latest replacement battery ﬁ nancial information, broadband access, electricity consumption will increase by cartridge for your unit or upgrade to videos, photos, music, and more. a newer model. Increasingly, computers are the hub for managing our lives. And more people rely on APC to protect their hardware Find out why 30 million people don’t and data than any other uninterruptible need to worry about losing their power supply (UPS) brand. music, photos, and financial files. Find APC power protection products at:

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©2007 American Power Conversion Corporation. All rights reserved. All trademarks are the property of their respective owners. e-mail: [email protected] • 132 Fairgrounds Road, West Kingston, RI 02892 USA • BK1A7EF-EN H;L?;MI9ECFED;DJI L`]jeYdlYc]N);D%H(,() EYpaeme[ggdaf_$eafaemefgak]

THERMALTAKE’S $59.95 V1 CL-P0401 is a CPU cooler worth getting excited about: Its exceptional combination of effective cooling, stylish design, easy installation, quiet operation, and reasonable price makes it the Holy Grail of cooling. Many aftermarket coolers require you to remove the motherboard to mount a backplate underneath the CPU socket. On Socket 775 systems, the V1 uses the same push-pin-style mounting system as the stock Intel cooler does, making it relatively easy to mount—no motherboard removal necessary. It also includes mounts for AMD Sockets 754, 939, and AM2. We tested the all-copper V1 in a case with a challenging thermal environment: a cramped entertainment PC in an Antec Sonata case with =[_]^jcWofh[YbkZ[ fans. The CPU was a Core 2 50 degrees. _dijWbbWj_ed_dicWbb[hYWi[i Duo E6750, tested at both At low speed, you’re unlikely to hear the fan over your PC’s J^[hcWbjWa[J[Y^debe]o the stock 2.66GHz and over- other components. Crank up the speed using the attached .&&#/..#'&.. clocked to 3.2GHz. dial, and you’ll hear a noticeable whirr; this lowers tempera- mmm$j^[hcWbjWa[kiW$Yec Despite the hot ambient tures an additional two to three degrees, but our temps were :_h[YjFh_Y[+/$/+ environment, with its fan never high enough that we felt this necessary. —Denny Atkin

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(.Del[cX[h(&&-Yecfkj[hi^eff[h$Yec Guaranteed to Blow Your Mind. 800.449.2055 LynnBay.com LynnBay: The lowest prices in notebook computing. We carry: mazing low prices on high-performance notebooks from ASUS, ASUS Ensemble A Clevo, Compal, MSI, and more. Don’t settle for a pre-configured notebook, LynnBay will customize your selection with the highest quality Powered by ASUS components. Brand new, with a complete manufacturer’s warranty. Whether you’re a gamer looking for your dream-machine or a business Clevo looking to set-up your entire sales team – LynnBay is your answer. Compal Check us out today - LynnBay.com Prostar Asus G2S-B1 ■ 17.1” WUXGA Display with Glare ■ Intel® Core® 2 Duo Processor 2.4GHz (T7700) ...and more w/1GB Turbo Memory ■ 256MB NVIDIA® GeForce™ 8600M GT Graphics Just Call ■ 2GB DDR2 SDRAM at 667MHz ■ 200GB 7200RPM Serial ATA 150 Hard Drive ASUS VX2S-B1B ■ 8X Max. Super-Multi DVDRW Clevo M570RU ■ Lamborghini Co-Branding Notebook Dual Layer Drive w/Light Scribe ■ 17.0” WSXGA+ Display ■ ■ Fully upgradeable to meet Black or Yellow Piano Painting and ■ ® ® your computing needs! Intel Core 2 Duo Processor Leather Palm Rest 2.0GHz (T7250) ■ $ 15.4” WSXGA+ Display with Glare ® ™ 2139 ■ 512MB NVIDIA GeForce ■ Intel® Core® 2 Duo Processor 2.4GHz (T7700) 8700M GT Graphics w/1GB Turbo Memory ■ 1GB DDR2 SDRAM at 667MHz ■ ® ™ 512MB NVIDIA GeForce 8600M GT Graphics Asus G1S-B1 ■ 80GB 5400RPM Serial ATA 150 Hard Drive ■ 2GB DDR2 SDRAM at 667MHz ■ 15.4” WSXGA+ Display with Glare ■ 8X Max. Super-Multi DVDRW Dual Layer Drive ■ 200GB 7200RPM Serial ATA 150 Hard Drive ■ Intel® Core® 2 Duo Processor 2.4GHz (T7700) ■ Integrated Bluetooth and ■ 8X Max. Super-Multi DVDRW Dual Layer w/1GB Turbo Memory Intel® PRO/Wireless 4965 AGN LAN Drive w/Light Scribe ■ 256MB NVIDIA® GeForce™ ■ A LynnBay fully customizable notebook ■ Lamborghini Logo Carrying Case and 8600M GT Graphics $ Bluetooth Mouse ■ 2GB DDR2 SDRAM at 667MHz 1692 ■ 200GB 7200RPM Serial $2909 ATA 150 Hard Drive ■ 8X Max. Super-Multi DVDRW Dual Layer Drive w/Light Scribe ■ Fully upgradeable to meet your computing needs! $1939 Compal IFL-90 ■ 15.4” WSXGA+ Display w/Glare ■ Intel® Core® 2 Duo Processor 2.0GHz (T7250) Call Today for the ■ 512MB NVIDIA® GeForce™ 8600M GT Graphics ■ 1GB DDR2 SDRAM at 667MHz Best Price Available! ■ 80GB 5400RPM Serial ATA 150 Hard Drive ■ 8X Max. Super-Multi DVDRW Dual Layer Drive Ask about the ■ A LynnBay fully customizable notebook $1229 LynnBay Guarantee

Total HD accessible capacity may vary depending on operating environment. All Optical Drive speed is maximum speed and variable. ©2007 by LynnBay, Inc. All rights reserved. Intel, the Intel logo, Centrino and the Centrino logo, Intel Core and Core Inside, are trademarks or registered trademarks of Intel Corporation or its subsidiaries in the United States and other countries. All other companies and product names are trademarks of their respective companies. Not responsible for photo or typographical errors. Price and terms subject to change without notice. Depending on the options you choose, your notebook may or may not resemble systems shown above. Yecfkj[hi^eff[h$Yec%h[l_[mi H;L?;MI9ECFED;DJI ?a_YZql]?9%E9.1?E%K*@ 9kgda\$klYZd]klYjlaf_hgafl^gj[gehY[lH;k

THE NAME IS VIRTUALLY the only unwieldy thing about the Gigabyte GA-MA69GM-S2H motherboard. This compact AMD-chipset board offers a full set of ports and features, plus plenty of expansion capability, all for around $75. The board’s Socket AM2 accepts Athlon X2, Athlon 64, or Sempron processors. The AMD 690 chipset includes built-in Radeon X1250 graphics, offering full (if pokey) DirectX 9 support, muscle enough to drive all of Windows Vista’s Aero effects, and excellent video-playback capabilities for DVD and high-definition video (Blu-ray and HD DVD). The chipset isn’t well-suited to 3D gaming, however. The GA-MA69GM-S2H’s MicroATX form factor will fit in G;R<

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THE LOGITECH MX AIR cordless mouse lets you send long- distance commands with hand gestures in the air, making it ideal for controlling an entertainment PC from across the room. To set it up, just connect its tiny receiver to your PC’s USB port, and it’ll instantly come to life. Its tear-drop shape makes it comfortable to hold in the air. Unfortunately, the MX Air has no grooves for your thumb, so when you’re using it conventionally on tive strip. a desk, it’s not the most ergonomic mouse Glide your finger around. And up or down the strip, and =Windows Media Player software on a mmm$be]_j[Y^$Yec scroll wheel, the mouse Windows PC. There is no support for Mac OS X, however. C\h$;ij$Fh_Y['*/$// comes with a touch-sensi- —Louis Ramirez

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THE $249 HP PHOTOSMART A826 works exceedingly well as a stand-alone photo printer. Its user interface is so well- designed that it’s likely to make photo editing accessible (and fun) to younger kids and other family members who aren’t tech-savvy. Dominating the vaguely egg-shaped device is a 7-inch touch screen. Flip open the =[mb[jj#FWYaWhZ".&&#(./#,/*- or stylus, then tapping the 9^^gj\YZd][gdgjlgl`]eYkk]k mmm$^f$Yec printer icon to the side of :_h[YjFh_Y[(*/ the screen. THE DELL COLOR LASER PRINTER 1320c delivers qual- You can perform basic ity 600x600dpi color and fast monochrome prints at a very edits on your pictures, including red-eye removal, cropping, affordable $229, making it a good choice for home or small- and brightness adjustments. The real fun comes from tap- business users. ping the Get Creative menu, which lets you add captions, The 1320c is small enough to fit on your desk, but unless frames, clip art, and free-form doodles to your images. you have lots of room to spare, you’ll find yourself in pretty As for the prints themselves, the A826 can deliver 4x6- or cramped quarters. Setting it up took about 15 minutes, and 5x7-inch photos, and it supports some odd-size media such the process was fairly easy. as 4x8-inch photo cards and photo-sticker paper. The HP 110 =

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THE 22-INCH MULTISYNC LCD225WXM from NEC is a wide- screen display designed for the business sector—and it looks the part. The monitor has a no-nonsense appearance and a $352.26 price tag that will keep office managers happy. But it has some appealing features for general consumers and is a solid choice for everyday use—even if its performance isn’t stellar. The LCD225WXM has typical specs for a monitor in its size and price class: a native resolution of 1,680x1,050, a pixel pitch of 0.28mm, a contrast ratio of 1,000-to-1, and a brightness of 300 candelas per square meter. It also boasts a fast response time of 5 milliseconds. What earmarks this =

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9kgda\dqZmadl_Ye]jÌkegfalgjoal`Yo]kge]kh]Yc]jk &8;JJ;H44'& HJGK ;nY[bb[djf[h\ehcWdY[1 THE ASUS PG221 is a gamer’s display: This 22-incher offers a reo satellites and a 15-watt ]h[WjZ[i_]d1ieb_ZXk_bZ1WcWp_d] 2-millisecond response rate, great-sounding speakers, and an subwoofer. The speakers if[Wa[hi abundance of inputs. But at $599.95, the quality will cost you. yielded the most impressive ;GFK Iec[Z_ijehj_edm^[d In addition to the fast pixel-response rate, this solidly built sound we’ve heard from a Yedd[Yj[Zl_WWdWbe]1WX_jfh_Y[o1 monitor delivers a contrast ratio of 1,000-to-1 and a resolution of monitor. Yed\ki_d]ediYh[[dYedjhebi 1,680x1,050. Brightness is rated at 300 candelas per square meter. Setup was simple; only 7ikiJ[a9ecfkj[h".'(#(.(#(-.- The monitor includes an adjustable 1.3-mega- the Webcam required kiW$Wiki$Yec pixel Webcam that relays crisp im- driver installation. Navi- C\h$;ij$Fh_Y[+//$/+ ages and video. Also onboard gating the illogical menu are three USB ports, as well structure of the onscreen display controls was a hassle, as mic and headphone however. We had a couple of other nits: We wish Asus jacks. Asus has also packed had included better documentation, and we found the in an array of multimedia four-in-one cable for VGA/audio/mic/USB a bit clunky. connections, including In our DisplayMate (www.displaymate.com) tests, the VGA, DVI-D (HDCP- monitor turned in excellent gray-scale and color-tracking compliant), composite, results, and text fonts were easily readable down to 6 points. S-Video, and compo- In our Doom 3 tests, the monitor’s performance was crisp at nent. 1,280x1,024 pixels but demonstrated some unsightly hori- The PG221’s most zontal jaggies when linked via D-Sub. When connected via notable extra, how- DVI, however, gameplay was gorgeous. DVD performance ever, is its integrated was very good in analog mode, but once again the results 2.1-speaker system, were noticeably better with DVI. which comprises two 5-watt ste- Asus provides a three-year warranty. —Rik Fairlie

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AT JUST UNDER $1,000 for a kit that includes two general- purpose lenses, the 10-megapixel Olympus Evolt E-510 is an ideal camera for anyone looking to step up from a point-and- shoot to a versatile digital single-lens-reflex (dSLR) model. The E-510’s build quality is solid and fairly well-balanced, though its knobs and buttons lack the smooth tactile sensation of slightly more-expen- =

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WITH ITS SEXY DESIGN, excellent sound quality, and palatable price ($119 for a 2GB version and $169 for a 4GB version), the Samsung YP-K3 could be a compelling rival to Apple’s iPod Nano, but its touch-sensitive controls aren’t for everyone. Although the YP-K3 is a bit bigger (3.8x1.7x0.3 inches) and heavier (1.8 ounces) =

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IF YOU HAVE a hundred bucks and a burning desire for a terrific, easy-to-learn image-editing program, Corel’s Paint Shop Pro Photo X2 will make you smile. Whether you’re a novice or a professional, it has lots to offer. Of all the new features and enhancements on display, the first you’ll notice is the interface itself, which has been spruced up from previous versions. The neutral, dark-gray background makes your images stand out more sharply, and you’ll be able to make more-accurate color adjustments. Another big enhancement is the new Express Lab, which aDa^]Ì(0 lets you flip through photos in a selected folder and do a bit of basic editing on the fly (straightening, cropping, and de- EY[emdlae]\aYkmal]g^^]jk_j]Yl^]Ylmj]k$nYdm] leting). This is especially handy for those who =:cWodejb_a[h[# Z[i_]d1_Cel_[^Wi^[Wloioij[c themes, menu-customiza- h[gk_h[c[dji tion options, and improved encoding. But given the 7ffb[".&&#,/(#--+) mmm$Wffb[$Yec reasonable price, there’s a lot to like in iLife ’08. :_h[YjFh_Y[-/ —Joshua Goldman

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CUTTING-EDGE FORM AND FUNCTION THAT LEAVE OTHERS IN THE DUST

As a top quality supplier to major PC manufacturers worldwide since 1986, In-Win continues to deliver computer products that offer unparalleled style and function. Innovative design and cutting-edge features is just part of what makes In-Win an industry leader. If you’re a gamer looking for a little bit more, take a look at their latest chassis and PSU. Hold on tight!

MEET THE XTREME SERIES’ B2 STEALTH BOMBER. stability and vibration- absorbed for your The Ultimate Striking system. And, the Force. There’s no lack tool-free mechanical of style and benefits to design is second to In-Win’s Xtreme Series none. With screwless B2. Inspired by the B2 I/O expansion slots, Stealth bomber, its The In-Win GunDam case side/front fan, and W-shaped side panel air swerving HDD cage, assembling either case is a fun, easy intakes provide ventila- and enjoyable experience. tion while evoking the * Two standard 12 cm rear/front fans and two optional side fans. unique lines of the bomber. Staying true POWER-UP YOUR SYSTEM WITH THE 600W PSU. to the B2, the fighter jet-like auto-sensing When buying a PSU, you look for high performance, front door simulates efficiency, safety and ease of use. The new 600W PSU has the canopy of a fighter all these things and more. The 600W is unique in boasting fully automated thermostatic on-off controls and six ultra- The In-Win Xtreme Series B2 chassis jet. Its touch-sensitive mechanism activates powerful features. It provides highly efficient power output, the front cover, automatically gliding it open and closed. allowing a system to run at its smoothest and at the highest Don’t miss the chance to enhance your gaming experience input and output efficiency, a result of the 600W’s advanced with the B2! technology and precise electrical circuit design. And, its built-in protection from five major hazards of overheating, GLIMPSE INTO THE FUTURE: GUNDAM THE CONQUEROR. over current, over voltage, over power, and short- If you’re looking for a case that not only looks like it’s from circuiting means no more worries! the future, but will take you well into it, then the GunDam The 600W is certified by is the way to go. The robot-inspired front door evokes the 80 PLUS, promising 80% strength of a valiant guardian. Forged out of aluminum, the efficiency or more and firm lines of the front plate and electroplated detailing con- is also certified by vey the aesthetic of a futuristic machine world. NVIDIA SLI. Both the B2 and GunDam come equipped with 4 fans*, 11 drive bays, patented Smart 3D air duct and anti-shocked rail. Not only do these chassis have great form and function, but putting it together is easy. The patented anti-shocked drive rail is designed to make installation easier and provide The In-Win 600W PSU

To learn more about these two exceptional cases, or the entire In-Win product line, visit CONTEMPORARY & INNOVATIVE www.in-win.com

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,'Del[cX[h(&&-Yecfkj[hi^eff[h$Yec BUDGET PC HIGH-END PC its current successor, the XPS college textbook but pumped ZT Element 2005Xa Polywell Poly P503 720 H2C—the game boxes to out outstanding productivity The Element’s generous 2GB With the P503, Polywell proved beat in 2007. performance. It’s designed for of RAM is enough by itself to you don’t have to break the bank Dell • www.dell.com • $5,999 businesses—and certainly not push it to the head of the bud- completely to achieve extraordi- (base model, XPS 720 H2C) for gaming—but it packs serious get-PC pack. But ZT offers a nary performance. This scorcher computing punch in a pint-size mail-in-rebate bonus package gets extra doses of oomph from ENTERTAINMENT PC package like no other desktop we containing a 2GB flash drive its Intel Core 2 Extreme QX6850 Alienware Hangar18 HD saw this year. and a USB-based digital-TV processor and 2GB of DDR3 RAM. Entertainment Center Hewlett-Packard • www. receiver, making this deal Great graphics, cooling, and ex- It may not shine when used hp.com • $695 (base model) even sweeter. pandability make this PC seem for intensive computing, but the ZT Group International like even more of a value for its Hangar18 HD Entertainment ALL-IN-ONE PC www.ztgroup.com • $499.95 (admittedly pricey) class. Center offers excellent sound and Apple iMac Polywell Computers picture quality, up to 2 terabytes The crew in Cupertino has man- MIDRANGE PC www.polywell.com of hard drive storage, and more aged to make the new aluminum- Dell Inspiron 531 $4,199 (base model) than enough audio and video and-glass-clad iMac even more With its attractive looks, wide connectivity options to sate the slick than its already attractive assortment of expansion and GAMING PC most dedicated of videophiles. predecessor. Great performance connectivity options, and Dell XPS 710 H2C Alienware • www.alienware. and lots of extras, including a impressive price, the Inspiron When a system’s chassis is based com • $1,999 (base model) built-in video camera, integrated 531 is a fine choice for anyone on the design of a jet engine, the next-gen 802.11n and Bluetooth looking for a moderately pow- PC inside had better smoke, and SMALL-FORM- wireless, and the smartly updated erful desktop that can handle Dell’s extreme enthusiast model FACTOR PC iLife ’08 multimedia suite only everyday tasks without break- does just that. Terrific perfor- HP Compaq Presario DC7800 add to this head-turning all-in- ing a sweat. mance, unique looks, and a rea- Perhaps no system stunned us one. (See our review on p. 16.) Dell • www.dell.com sonable price (relatively speaking, quite as much in 2007 as the Apple • www.apple.com $929 (base model) that is) make this system—and DC7800, which is the size of a $1,199 to $2,299 (base models)

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BUDGET LAPTOP THIN-AND-LIGHT excellent battery life (thanks ENTERTAINMENT HP Pavilion DV6000z LAPTOP in part to its miserly-but- LAPTOP The DV6000z looks like it Apple MacBook Pro bright LED-backlit screen) HP Pavilion HDX Entertain- should cost more than it does. Only Apple could manage to and enough power for typi- ment Notebook PC It features HP’s slick high-gloss fit a 15.4-inch wide-screen cal office chores, in a pack- What do you get when you design, touch-sensitive media LCD into a chassis just an age that’s ready for the road combine a fairly powerful PC, a controls, a spacious keyboard, inch thick. The fact that when you are. (See our review 20-inch high-definition LCD TV a bright 15.4-inch display, and this chassis is sumptuous on p. 22.) set, an HD DVD player, a TiVo, a respectable performance for its brushed aluminum and Toshiba America DVD recorder, and a stereo into class. And considering its budget weighs just 5.4 pounds makes www.toshiba.com a clamshell laptop case? The price (which periodic promotions the MacBook Pro all the more $1,999 (base model) HDX, in all its 16-pound glory. If tend to knock down even fur- alluring, as does the strong you’re in the market for a home ther), now practically anyone can performance from its Intel GAMING LAPTOP PC that can double as an enter- afford to compute in style. Core 2 Duo CPU and dedi- Alienware Area-51 m9750 tainment hub—and even travel Hewlett-Packard cated nVidia graphics engine. The Area-51 m9750 was the occasionally—this behemoth is www.hp.com Add in Apple’s Front Row most powerful gaming note- just the ticket. $699.99 (base model) media software and recently book we’ve tested to date, Hewlett-Packard • www. revamped iLife ’08 suite, and and even-faster components hp.com • $2,999 (base model) MIDSIZE LAPTOP you’ve got an unbeatable (available around the time Gateway E-265M bundle. (See our review on you read this) will make this TABLET PC The 6-pound E-265M delivers p. 22.) stellar package that much bet- HP Pavilion TX1000 a bit more than you might ex- Apple • www.apple.com ter. To double your pleasure, With the Pavilion TX1000, HP pect, including a smudge-proof, $1,999 (base model) the m9750 can be purchased aims to bring Tablet PCs out of scratch-resistant exterior and with two hard drives, twin the business world and into an aluminum palm rest—not ULTRAPORTABLE nVidia GPUs, and, of course, a the consumer realm. It fea- to mention the updated Intel LAPTOP dual-core CPU. Plus, you can tures the sleek, glossy Imprint Centrino platform at its core. The Toshiba Portégé R500 order the glossy 17-inch wide- design of other Pavilion mod- E-265M is a good all-around per- How much notebook can you screen display in a stunning els, and the 12.1-inch display former with excellent battery life. squeeze into 2.4 pounds? version with a 1,920x1,200 swivels and folds to turn this Plus, the tough outer shell, inner How about a 12.1-inch wide- native resolution that’s fit for 4.2-pound laptop into a full- magnesium frame, and hard screen LCD, a full-size key- playing games at maxed-out fledged tablet. If your work drive “roll cage” prepare it for onboard, a full assortment of settings and watching high- style includes lots of note- the-go use by business travelers, ports, and even an onboard definition movies on the op- taking in addition to typing, students, and families alike. DVD burner? That’s what tional Blu-ray optical drive. check out this convertible. Gateway • www.gateway.com Toshiba managed with the Alienware • www.alienware. Hewlett-Packard • www. $1,299 (base model) Portégé R500. It delivers com • $2,099 (base model) hp.com • $1,099 (base model)

Yecfkj[hi^eff[h$YecDel[cX[h(&&-,) CELL PHONE popular audio-file formats, at multitasking: It’s a highly USB MEMORY DEVICE LG Chocolate VX8550 as well as subscription-based capable media player with a SanDisk Cruzer Titanium The second version of LG’s Digital Rights Management- large 7-inch screen and excel- How does SanDisk’s Cruzer Chocolate phone, the VX8550 protected music. Sound qual- lent video playback. But it Titanium stand out from the improves on its predecessor with ity is superb. also lets you surf the Web via staggering array of USB flash- a more attractive, curvier design. Iriver America • www. built-in Wi-Fi and the Opera memory drives available? For It also incorporates a mechanical iriveramerica.com • $199.99 browser. Plus, you can use the starters, it’s virtually inde- wheel that allows for more- 704 WiFi to stream media from structible. It also includes a efficient menu scrolling than the HARD DRIVE MP3 a networked PC. How’s that for handy Outlook reader that older model’s finicky touch- PLAYER on-the-go entertainment? lets you sync your e-mail, sensitive panel did. (See our Apple iPod Archos • www.archos.com contacts, and calendar fold- review on p. 40.) Many have tried aping the $549.99 ers, so you can access them LG Electronics • us.lge.com iPod’s iconic aesthetic, but from any host PC. You also $129.99 (with two-year most have failed. Despite the HEADPHONES get CruzerLock (a decent Verizon Wireless contract) deluge of competing players, Shure SE310 Sound Isolating password-protection and Apple’s iPod still reigns su- Earphones encryption utility) and the HEADSET preme. At press time, the iPod They’re not cheap, and some CruzerCache backup tool. Aliph Jawbone Bluetooth Touch was just announced, people might find the snug SanDisk • www.sandisk.com The Jawbone is one of the few offering many of the iPhone’s fit of in-ear headphones un- $34.99 (1GB); $49.99 (2GB); Bluetooth headsets that don’t features: a touch-screen in- comfortable. But if you want $99.99 (4GB) make you look like an extra on terface, built-in Wi-Fi, and the fantastic audio reproduc- Star Trek. Designed by much-in- Safari Web browser. The result: tion and sound quality from PORTABLE HARD demand Yves Behar, it also uses a The competition is further your portable player or home DRIVE military-grade noise shield. With behind than ever. stereo, the SE310 earphones Seagate FreeAgent Go (160GB) three microphones, automatic Apple • www.apple.com can’t be beat. They come with Seagate’s FreeAgent Go lets volume enhancement, and a $249 (30GB); $349 (80GB) a variety of ear tips so you you carry up to 160GB of data voice-activity sensor that detects can find the right fit, and the in a pocketable 6.4-ounce voice vibrations, the Jawbone IPOD ACCESSORY included modular cable en- package. It’s the included makes sure you’ll be heard loud Altec Lansing inMotion iM600 sures you won’t be tripped up Ceedo software, however, that and clear on the other end. Speaker systems for iPods by an unwieldy cord. makes the drive extra-handy. Aliph • www.jawbone.com are a dime a dozen, but Altec Shure • www.shure.com You can tote your entire PC $119.99 Lansing’s iM600 stands out from $299.99 environment—browser fa- the crowd. While it will blast vorites and bookmarks, pass- FLASH-BASED MP3 quality sound from your iPod (or GPS DEVICE words, preferences, and even PLAYER other sources via an auxiliary Magellan CrossOverGPS some applications—for use Iriver Clix Gen 2 jack), the iM600 also includes a Some GPS devices are designed on any PC. The second generation of this built-in FM tuner if you decide to for driving, some for hiking, and Seagate • www.seagate.com small 4GB portable player is go old-school. The rechargeable others for boating. Magellan’s $129.99 (80GB); $159.99 even sexier than its predeces- lithium-ion battery lets you take CrossOverGPS does all three— (120GB); $189.99 (160GB) sor—which won this award it on the road, and the alarm integrating in-car, outdoor, and last year. It’s rounder and less clock will jolt you out of bed marine navigation—and excels boxy than the original Clix, with tunes of your choice. at them all. The ruggedized but maintains the bright 2.2- Altec Lansing • www. device features great bat- inch color screen that displays alteclansing.com • $149.95 tery life, and even throws in photos, videos, album art, and a digital music player and readable text. To navigate the PORTABLE VIDEO photo viewer. menus, simply press on the PLAYER Magellan Navigation sides of the front panel. The Archos 704 WiFi www.magellangps.com player supports most of the The Archos 704 WiFi excels $399.99

IcWhjf^ed[ H?C8bWYa8[hho9khl[.)&& Archos 704 D[m[h8bWYa8[hhoZ[l_Y[ib_a[j^[9khl[[iY^[mj^[Xkbao"Wbb#meha# WiFi de#\kd\ehc\WYjehie\oeh[_d\Wlehe\i[no"j^_dd[hfhe\_b[i$J^[ 9khl[\[Wjkh[ij^[dem#jhWZ[cWhajhWYaXWbb\_hij_djheZkY[Zedj^[ 8bWYa8[hhoF[Whb"fhel_Z_d]_djk_j_l[c[dkdWl_]Wj_ed$7\kbba[ofWZ cWa[ijof_d]c[iiW][iWXh[[p["WdZj^[bWh][iYh[[d_iXh_]^jWdZ Yebeh\kb$;#cW_b_i_jifh_cWhoWii[j"Xkjj^[C[Z_WCWdW][hWdZ(# c[]Wf_n[bYWc[hW]_l[j^[9khl[b_\[ijob[\[Wjkh[i"Wim[bb$ Shure H[i[WhY^_dCej_edmmm$h_c$Yec SE310 '//$//m_j^jme#o[Wh7JJYedjhWYj

MOBILEyx J>;I;:;L?9;IA;;FOEK9EDD;9J;:"FHE:K9J?L;"7D:;DJ;HJ7?D;:$ ,*Del[cX[h(&&-Yecfkj[hi^eff[h$Yec The Award-Winning IP35-PRO: Editors’ Choice.

IP35 PROTM

Specifications Supports Intel® LGA775 CoreTM 2 Extreme Quad / Duo / processors with 1333/1066/800MHz Front Side Bus

Intel® P35 Express chipset / ICH9R chipsetSupports dual-channel DDR2 800/667/533 unbuffered non-ECCmemory Dual Gigabit Ethernet 100% Japanese-Made Solid-State Capacitors 6 x SATA 3Gb/s supports RAID 0/1/5/10 7.1-Channel HD audio with optical S/P DIF 2 OuteSATA x 3Gb/s Ports, Supports RAID 0/1

Here’s a sampling of what editors have to say about the IP35-Pro: “As usual Abit have done a sterling job bringing a board out The with board the P35 is onechipset. of the best laid out boards I've seen with very little to fault it and even the heatpipe cooling solution.” does the job admirably – Overclock3D (www.overclock3d.net),Editor’s Choice - July 25, 2007 “If I had to buy one board out of the five we've looked at toda, ity would with m probably owny monebe they IP35 Pro, and that earns it a share of our Editor's Choice award.” – The ech T Report (techreport.com), Editor’s Choice - June 26, 2007 “Highs: A lot of them, can’t remember all – an excellent mainboard..” Lows: Hardly any – Xbit Laboratories (www.xbitlabs.com), Editor’s Choice - July 19, 2007 More Awards “Excellent” Award- Sakhtafzar.com “Value for Money”Award- Overclock3D.net, July 25, 2007 “OCC Gold” Award- OverClockersClub.com, July 18, 2007 “Recommended” Award- Bit-Tech.net, July 12, 2007

TM Universal abit USA Corporation www.uabit.com Universal abit products are available at these fine retailers and distributors

Distributors Retailers Online Retailers

1-800-2000-ASI 1-800-340-1001 1-408-941-0808 1-800-237-8931 1-800-856-9800 www.ewiz.com www.newegg.com www.tigerdirect.com

8 Copyright 2007 Universal abit USA Corporation. All rights reserved. ‘abit’, TM the abit logo, and OTES are trademarks of ®® Universal abit USA Corporation. Windows , Windows Vista are trademarks of Microsoft Corporation. Intel®®, Intel CoreTM 2 are trademarks of Intel Corporation. All other brands and trademarks are the property of their respective entities. HARDWARE yx F;H?F>;H7BI7D:F7HJIJ>7JC7A;F;H<;9JF99ECFB;C;DJI$

CW_dijh[Wc HP w1907 =hWf^_Yi9WhZ 7J?HWZ[ed>:(,&&NJ : (,&&NJfhel_Z[il[ho]eeZ f[h\ehcWdY[edj^[ceij Z[cWdZ_d]]Wc[iWjbem jec[Z_kch[iebkj_edi"Wi Asus P5K3 m[bbWi[nY[bb[djfbWoXWYa Deluxe gkWb_joe\:L:WdZ'&.&f >:l_Z[eYedj[dj$ 7ZlWdY[ZC_Yhe:[l_Y[i Wj_$WcZ$Yec '+&\ehYWhZi\hecj^_hZ# fWhjocWdk\WYjkh[hi

PROCESSOR PC CASE GAMING GRAPHICS PERFORMANCE LCD Intel Core 2 Extreme QX6850 Antec P190 CARD Dell UltraSharp 2407WFP-HC 2007 was the year of quad- It costs almost as much as a EVGA e-GeForce 8800 GTX If you’re a gamer or a graphics core, and Intel’s increasingly budget desktop, but Antec’s Superclocked professional, you need a monitor powerful CPUs have led the P190 case has ample space, Though certainly not cheap that produces accurate colors and way from the beginning. lots of drive bays, and other by any standard, the over- high frame rates. This 24-inch (AMD’s four-CPU answer to performance accoutrements. clocked EVGA e-GeForce 8800 monitor meets those require- Intel’s challenge had not yet Power perks include dual- GTX Superclocked pumps out ments, while offering many materialized at press time, chamber construction for heat unparalleled 3D power for connectors (DVI, S-Video, compo- however.) The fastest of them and air control, five fans, two its price. You’ll need a com- nent-video, and composite-video) all (so far) is the Core 2 Ex- power supplies (totaling 1,200 puter big enough to hold this to let you use it with a cable box, treme QX6850, a 3GHz power- watts), two easy-to-open hard huge card, plus a major-watt- game console, or even an old VCR. house that bested the previous drive cages, and even a built- age power supply. Possess Other nice extras include a versa- champ, the QX6800. Though it in snake light. those prerequisites, though, tile stand that swivels, tilts, pivots, costs roughly the same as its Antec • www.antec.com and the GTX will deliver and adjusts for height, along with predecessor did, the QX6850 $499 awesome graphics. four built-in USB ports and a mul- offers better overclocking abil- EVGA • www.evga.com tiformat memory-card reader. ity and runs slightly cooler, BUDGET GRAPHICS $629.99 Dell • www.dell.com • $679 delivering the best perfor- CARD mance we’ve seen all year. ATI Radeon HD 2400 XT BUDGET LCD ENTERTAINMENT LCD Intel • www.intel.com • $999 It’s not a gamer’s card, but HP w1907 ViewSonic VX1945wm for the typical PC driving a Very few low-cost displays ViewDock MOTHERBOARD single large monitor or a high- make us smile as much as the The VX1945wm’s most promi- Asus P5K3 Deluxe definition television (HDTV), HP w1907 does. It’s sleek and nent feature is the iPod dock lo- One of the first motherboards the ATI Radeon HD 2400 XT beautiful, with a sturdy swivel cated right in the stand’s center, to employ Intel’s P35 Express delivers excellent video qual- stand that lets you stow a key- which enables you to charge the chipset, the P5K3 is an excellent ity and good Windows Vista board beneath the screen. This player and sync it with iTunes choice for building a high-perfor- performance, along with a smooth, glossy display pairs on your computer. Even when mance PC. With support for cut- High-Definition Multimedia well with any desktop, and its you’re not working on your PC, ting-edge DDR3 RAM, CrossFire Interface (HDMI) port and sup- built-in speakers are impres- you can play your music through dual-graphics-card capabilities, a port for DirectX 10 (DX10), all sive. Factor in the affordable the 19-inch display’s built-in load of overclocking options, and at a very low price. price and very good perfor- speakers and subwoofer. We also lots of ports, it’s as full-featured Advanced Micro Devices mance, and you get a monitor like the four handy USB ports as it is fast, stable, and quiet. ati.amd.com that truly shines. and the memory-card reader. AsusTek Computer $75 (for cards from third- Hewlett-Packard ViewSonic usa.asus.com • $249 party manufacturers) www.hp.com • $230 www.viewsonic.com • $345

,,Del[cX[h(&&-Yecfkj[hi^eff[h$Yec Xtreme Gear recommends Windows Vista™ HomeHome BasicBasic

AMD Athlon™ 64 X2 Processor Ultimate Smart Dual-Core Power and Performance – Get More Done in Less Time. MADE TO DO MORE IN LESS TIME • Run all your gadgets quickly, seamlessly and simultaneously. • Smarter use of your time; do more in less time because now you can do multiple things faster than ever before. • Video & photo editing, content creation and audio mixing.

AMD Turion™ 64 X2 Mobile Technology • AMD PowerNow!™ for longer battery life. • True multi-tasking capability – getget moremore donedone inin lessless time.time. • Get creative. Get mobile. Get going.

Conﬁ Conﬁ guregure youryour DreamDream SystemSystem atat XtremeXtreme GearGear Today!Today!

^ CoolerMaster Mini Aquagate Liquid Cooling System ^ NVIDIA® nForce® 570 SLI™ Dual 16X PCI-E Mainboard ^ AMD Turion™ 64 X2 Mobile Technology TL-64 ^ Genuine Windows Vista™ Home Basic ^ Genuine Windows Vista™ Home Basic - AMD PowerNow! Technology - HyperTransport Technology ^ NVIDIA® nForce® 570 SLI™ Dual 16X PCI-E Mainboard ^ Corsair® 2048MB PC6400 DDR-2 800 Dual Channel - Enhanced Virus Protection Technology ^ Corsair® 4096MB PC6400 DDR-2 800 Dual Channel ^ 320GB Serial ATA150 7200RPM 16mb Cache HD ^ Genuine Windows Vista™ Home Basic ^ 1TB (2X500GB) Serial ATA150 7200RPM 16mb HD ^ Dual (2) NVIDIA® 8500 GT 512MB ^ 15.4” WXGA Wide-Screen TFT Display 1280x800 Pixels ^ Dual (2) NVIDIA® 8800 GTX 16X Video in SLI™ Mode ^ Corsair® 2048MB DDR-2 667 Dual Channel with 740MB in SLI™ Mode ^ 20X DVD+-RW Drive ^ 120GB 5400RPM SATA Notebook Drive ^ 20X DVD+-RW with Lightscribe Technology ^ 16X-DVD ROM Drive ^ NVIDIA® GeForce ® Go 7600 256MB Video ^ 16X-DVD ROM Drive ^ 7.1 nForce® 3D Audio ^ 8X DVD+-RW Drive ^ 7.1 nForce® 3D Audio ^ Logitech Stereo Speakers ^ 802.11G 54Mbps Wireless Network ^ Logitech 5.1 Subwoofer Speakers ^ Gigabit Network Card 10/100 NIC and 56k V.92 Modem ^ Gigabit Network Card ^ PCI 802.11G 54 Mbps Wirless Network Card ^ 6 Custom Colors to Choose From ^ PCI 802.11G 54 Mbps Wirless Network Card ^ Antec Nine Hundred Tower Case 500Watt Power ^ 1 Year Limited Warranty ^ SilverStone TJ09 Game Server Case 600Watt Power ^ 1 Year Limited Warranty + Lifetime Toll Free 24/7 Techsupport + Lifetime Toll Free 24/7 Techsupport ^ 1 Year Limited Warranty ^ Free 1GB Pen Drive + Lifetime Toll Free 24/7 Techsupport ^ Free 1GB Pen Drive ^ Free 1GB Pen Drive

AMD Athlon™ 64 X2 6000+ Processor . . AMD Athlon™ 64 X2 5000+ Processor ......

AMD ®, the AMD® Arrow logo, AMD® Athlon™, and combinations thereof are trademarks of Advanced Micro Devices, Inc. All prices are subject to change without notice or obligation. XtremeGear is not responsible for any typographical and photographic errors. Copyright © 2006 XtremeGear. All rights reserved. NVIDIA®, nForce®, GeForce®, SLI™ are trademarks or registered trademarks of NVIDIA Corporation or its subsidiaries in the United States and other countries”. CyberPower PCs use genuine Microsoft® Windows® www.microsoft.com/piracy/howtotell PHOTO INKJET providing scanning and copying an innovative weight system. WIRELESS- PRINTER features. It even has a 1.8-inch Depending on how heavy or NETWORKING DEVICE Epson Stylus Photo 1400 LCD, a PictBridge-enabled USB light you want your mouse to D-Link DIR-655 Xtreme N If you plan to archive your digital port, and a memory-card reader feel, you can adjust it by adding Good wireless throughput and photos on paper, go for a high- for printing photos sans PC. And or removing the included tiny above-average broadcast range quality photo inkjet like the at only $99.99, the MP470 is a metal weights. A highly sensi- are just two reasons why the DIR- Stylus Photo 1400. It uses six in- great buy. tive laser sensor—adjustable 655 should be at the top of your dividual color Claria high-defini- Canon U.S.A. on the fly—and two thumb but- networking wish list. You also get tion ink cartridges, and can print usa.canon.com • $99.99 tons add to its gaming prowess. four high-speed Gigabit Ethernet onto a variety of paper stock Logitech • www.logitech.com ports and an impressive Quality and sizes (up to 13x19 inches). LASER PRINTER $69.99 of Service (QoS) configuration tool You can also print onto the top Dell 1720dn to help you prioritize bandwidth surfaces of inkjet-compatible The 1720dn is perfect for home- MOUSE/KEYBOARD usage for specific applications like CDs and DVDs for that profes- or small-office users looking for COMBO streaming video. The DIR-655 is a sional look. quality black-and-white prints Logitech Cordless Desktop touch pricier than other Draft N Epson America at fast speeds. With its built-in Wave routers, but it’s worth it. www.epson.com • $399.99 networking and duplexing capa- With its curved shape, the D-Link • www.dlink.com bilities, you can even set it up to Wave’s keyboard is one of the $179.99 SNAPSHOT PRINTER serve an office of multiple em- most comfortable ergonomic HP Photosmart A820 ployees. Not only is it affordable models we’ve ever used, which REWRITABLE DVD The Photosmart A820 is a stand- to buy, but low printing costs is saying a lot because these DRIVE alone model that lets you print also make it cheap to use. devices tend to be awkwardly Sony DVDirect VRD-MC5 photos in 4x6- and 5x7-inch Dell • www.dell.com • $299 designed. And with its cord-free The VRD-MC5 isn’t just any sizes. But the printer’s biggest operation and dedicated media external DVD burner. Its abil- draw is that it’s so easy to use SPEAKER SYSTEM keys, you can also use the Wave ity to operate as a stand-alone that anyone, from kids to grand- Bose Companion 3 with an entertainment-PC setup unit lets you transfer video parents, can master it in a snap. Back in the old days (like five in your living room. from a connected camcorder A large 7-inch screen gives you years ago), people listened to Logitech • www.logitech.com or any video source and record the feel of a photo kiosk in your music through loudspeakers $89.99 it straight to DVD. You can also home and allows you to make and shared the experience with burn photos to disc from a digi- lots of basic and fun edits to others. The Bose Companion 3 WEBCAM tal camera via the VRD-MC5’s your photos before printing. speaker system harkens back to Logitech QuickCam Pro 9000 PictBridge-compatible USB port, Hewlett-Packard those more sociable times. The This bargain Webcam has or from memory cards by us- www.hp.com • $249.99 compact satellites and subwoofer some components that would ing the built-in reader. Plug it are ideal for cramped spaces, yet seem more at home in a into a PC, and you can use the HOME deliver awesome sound. And we higher-end camera. The glass versatile unit to back up your MULTIFUNCTION love the substantial feel of the lens features Carl Zeiss optics, hard drive. PRINTER separate tethered volume knob and the 1.3-megapixel sensor Sony Electronics Canon Pixma MP470 you can place within easy reach. handles near-high-definition www.sonystyle.com • $229.99 All-in-one printers can be found Bose • www.bose.com • $224 recording. Logitech’s RightLight now for under $100, but the 2 and RightSound technologies NETWORK-ATTACHED Pixma MP470 is one of the few in GAMING MOUSE allow you to be seen and heard STORAGE this price range that actually per- Logitech G5 clearly in any environment. HP MediaSmart Server forms well. The MP470 delivers Logitech has perfected the Logitech • www.logitech.com Network-attached-storage high-quality prints, while also gaming mouse by engineering $99.99 (NAS) devices are increasingly

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,.Del[cX[h(&&-Yecfkj[hi^eff[h$Yec ® Version 3 NEW He was a hardworking farm boy. Rosetta Stone She was an Italian supermodel.

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popular because they enable MIDRANGE DIGITAL punch, too. Its supercompact hard drive during a shoot. A 32x you to share content among CAMERA body houses a 5x optical Carl optical zoom lens and impres- computers on a home network. Kodak Z712 IS Zeiss zoom lens, an 8-mega- sive image quality round out the While most consist mainly of The Z712 IS ultra-zoom delivers pixel sensor, and a large 3- reasonably priced package. an external hard drive, HP’s the manual controls and long inch touch screen. It also has Panasonic device is an actual server that zoom option (in this case, a built-in image stabilization, a www.panasonic.com features an AMD Sempron pro- 12x optical) of a digital single- high ISO sensitivity, face de- $499.95 cessor and 512MB of RAM, and lens-reflex (dSLR) camera with tection, and a great autofocus uses the new Microsoft Win- the ease of use of a point-and- feature. HIGH-DEFINITION dows Home Server operating shoot. Its small size will appeal Sony Electronics DIGITAL CAMCORDER system. You can install four in- to those looking for a full-fea- www.sonystyle.com • $399.99 Sony HDR-SR7 ternal SATA hard drives, plus an tured camera, and optical im- The HDR-SR7 uses a 10x Carl additional four external drives age stabilization helps prevent BUDGET DIGITAL Zeiss optical zoom lens and via its four USB 2.0 ports. Plug blurry images. CAMCORDER a roomy 60GB hard drive to it all into a router with a broad- Eastman Kodak Canon ZR-850 capture and store HD content. band connection, and you can www.kodak.com • $249.95 You won’t find a lot of features Sony’s SuperSteadyShot opti- access the contents from any on the ZR-850, but if all you care cal image stabilization reduces Web-enabled computer. Best of DIGITAL SLR CAMERA about is an affordable way to hand shake, and its six-channel all, you can set up automatic Nikon D40x capture life’s unforgettable mo- surround-sound audio capabili- backups for any PC connected The compact, budget-friendly ments—a grandparent’s 90th ties help give home movies a to your home network. D40x is designed for non- birthday party, or a child’s first professional touch. Hewlett-Packard professionals who have steps—then this camera is the Sony Electronics www.hp.com • $599 (EX470, outgrown point-and-shoots. way to go. It’s easy to use, sports www.sonystyle.com • $1,599 500GB); $749 (EX475, 1TB) The D40x eases the transition a 35mm zoom lens, and produc- with plenty of onscreen help es high-quality video when used GAMING CONSOLE BUDGET DIGITAL menus, yet it shares the same under good lighting conditions. Nintendo Wii CAMERA processor and image sensor as Canon U.S.A It doesn’t offer the best graphics Canon PowerShot A550 Nikon’s higher-end dSLRs. And usa.canon.com • $329 or the most-sophisticated games, For the casual shooter who that means it’s easy to use and but the Wii has brought fun to prefers good performance over delivers professional features MIDRANGE DIGITAL the masses—regardless of age— pointless esoteric features and (minus the learning curve). CAMCORDER by combining innovative mo- frills, the PowerShot A550 is a Nikon • www.nikonusa.com Panasonic SDR-H18 tion-sensitive controllers, a low great choice. Image quality is $799.95 (kit, with lens); With the SDR-H18’s 30GB hard price, and games that are a blast good, and the camera is rea- $729.95 (body only) drive, you no longer have to to play, which explains why units sonably compact. Plus, it has a worry about running out of tape. are still flying off store shelves. 4x optical zoom lens that’s lon- ULTRACOMPACT This hard drive enables faster Even better, you can download ger than those found in most CAMERA transfer of footage to a PC than 20 years of classic titles from budget models. Sony Cyber-shot DSC-T100 MiniDV cassettes do. And you Nintendo’s earlier consoles. Canon U.S.A. Besides being slim and styl- can record onto SD memory Nintendo usa.canon.com • $199.99 ish, the DSC-T100 packs a cards after you’ve filled up the www.nintendo.com • $249.99

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OFFICE SUITE DIGITAL-PHOTO lections. It includes a fast and sound as good as they look. OpenOffice.org 2.2.1 ORGANIZER effective search function, and Adobe Systems We know, we know: What Picasa 2.7 it lets you organize and view www.adobe.com • $99.99 about Office 2007? There Over the past year, Google’s your music in multiple ways— are scattered improvements sophisticated photo organizer not only by artist, album, song, PERSONAL-FINANCE throughout the latest version and editor has gotten even and genre, of course, but also SOFTWARE of Microsoft’s venerable pro- better. In addition to Picasa’s by criteria such as contribut- Quicken Premier 2007 ductivity package, but they’re improved image recognition, ing artist, parental ratings, and Premier 2007’s retooled inter- too few to count. Plus, that support for RAW file formats, your own ratings. face makes it easier to track ribbon interface continues and cleaner Windows Vista Microsoft where your money is going to trip us up. Meanwhile, the integration, the introduction www.microsoft.com • Free with a running account of open-source community of Picasa Web Albums (see our your finances. Online support continues to rally around Online Photo Service winner, CONSUMER IMAGE- for more than 4,300 financial OpenOffice.org, the expansive p. 75) lets you save and share EDITING SOFTWARE institutions means you don’t free alternative that releases a full 1GB of your photos on- Adobe Photoshop Elements 6 have to be a slave to manual new features, updates, and line—for free. This slimmed-down, Every- data entry to keep your ledgers bug fixes regularly. OpenOffice. Google • picasa.google.com man-friendly photo editor up to date. The 2008 version org can’t do everything the big Free incorporates many of Pho- adds a savings-plan feature, boys can, but it can do a lot, toshop CS3’s enhancements as well as the ability to import and most ordinary users won’t DISC-BURNING (see the entry at the bottom PayPal transactions. need much more than the SOFTWARE of the page), without the un- Intuit • quicken.intuit.com robustly featured word proces- Nero 7 Ultra Edition Enhanced due complexities (or price) to $89.99 (Premier 2008) sor, spreadsheet, presenta- For serious multimedia match. Better organization tion, drawing, and database work, you need a heavy-duty of tools, a new guided-edit- E-MAIL CLIENT programs it offers. And did we tool like Nero 7 Ultra Edi- ing feature for learning the Microsoft Outlook 2007 mention it doesn’t cost a cent? tion Enhanced. It handles all basics, and greatly simplified While the rest of Office 2007 OpenOffice.org your CD- and DVD-creation photo compositing make this is spotty at best, the new Out- www.openoffice.org • Free needs (including making en- the most powerful, easiest- look is a gem. With a built-in crypted discs), and includes to-use version of Photoshop Really Simple Syndication HOME MEDIA digital-video-recorder (DVR) Elements yet. (RSS) reader, vastly improved SOFTWARE abilities to watch and record Adobe Systems message sorting and organi- Apple iLife ’08 live television. You can also www.adobe.com • $99.99 zational controls, more-ac- Apple gave its multitalented watch, capture, and edit high- curate phishing protection, media suite an elegant facelift definition (HD) video, or even CONSUMER VIDEO- and a handy one-click search this year, while adding plenty stream media from your PC to EDITING SOFTWARE function, Outlook makes most of new features. We especially your Xbox 360. Adobe Premiere Elements 4 everyday e-mail tasks quicker, like iPhoto’s greatly improved Nero • www.nero.com No free video-editing tools easier, and more convenient. interface and organizational $99.99 (boxed); $79.99 (down- currently offer the capabili- Microsoft features. While we’re still un- load) ties of Adobe’s Premiere www.microsoft.com • $87.99 decided about the highly sim- Elements. The latest version plified iMovie, the wealth of MEDIA PLAYER features updated tagging, UTILITY SUITE capabilities in this truly sweet Windows Media Player 11 organizing, and sharing tools; System Mechanic 7 suite gives Mac users some- Windows Media Player 11 has an Image Stabilizer filter for With System Mechanic 7, Iolo thing (else) to brag about. (See grown from a passable jukebox straightening out shaky foot- bundles several of its lead- our review on p. 42.) into a full-fledged application age; and an integrated audio ing utilities—Iolo Personal Apple • www.apple.com • $79 for managing large music col- mixer to help your videos Firewall, Search and Recover

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Norton 360 Bioshock

4, Iolo AntiVirus, and Drive- spyware, and phishing tools also love its clean, modern button that takes you to a ran- Scrubber 3—into one well- with transaction-security, interface. domly selected site you might priced package. We think the backup-and-restore, and PC ConeXware • www. like. You can vote on the pages suite offers the best collection fine-tuning features into one powerarchiver.com • $19.95 you find, share them with of hard drive utilities in the unobtrusive, newbie-friendly friends, or even check out ran- business, and its System Con- application. With its automat- DESKTOP SEARCH domly selected videos, images, figuration tools let you man- ic updates and cleanup func- Google Desktop 5 or news items. It’s an easy, fun age startup executables with tions, Norton 360 exemplified Even with the additional com- way to explore more of the Web ease. (Imagine Windows XP’s set-it-and-forget-it system petition from Vista’s integrat- that matters to you. Task Manager on steroids.) If protection in 2007. ed Windows Desktop Search, StumbleUpon you want to defragment, re- Symantec we still think Google Desktop www.stumbleupon.com • Free pair, remove spam and debris, www.symantec.com • $79.99 offers the cleanest results and and speed up Web access, the most navigable interface RSS READER System Mechanic has you ANTISPYWARE out there. New language sup- GreatNews covered. SOFTWARE port, e-mail indexing, and Though it was still in beta Iolo Technologies Ad-Aware 2007 gadget optimization make at press time, we really liked www.iolo.com • $69.95 We’ve long considered Lava- Google Desktop more efficient what we saw from GreatNews: soft’s antispyware program one than ever. speedy feed loading, the abil- ANTIVIRUS of the most essential apps to Google • desktop.google.com ity to set up News Watches to SOFTWARE install on your computer, and Free find articles of interest, and Kaspersky Anti-Virus 6.0 the latest version confirms that even article labeling so you Would you believe that our notion. The scanning engine BROWSER can easily sort and find stories favorite antivirus utility isn’t and user interface have been Firefox 2 later. An active discussion fo- some big-name, overblown revamped, and new methods of Internet Explorer may still rum and a development blog suite that peppers you with definition distribution shorten hold the dominant market help keep you in the loop. pop-ups several times a day? download times. Paid versions share, but Firefox continues to Curio Studio Nope, it’s the modest Kasper- get you automated updates, outpace Microsoft’s browser www.curiostudio.com • Free sky Anti-Virus, which delivers plus monitoring and customiz- by leaps and bounds in terms virus protection that exceeds able scans, but don’t scoff at the of innovation. The latest ver- GAME that of some of its better- free version—it also provides sion includes better tabbed Bioshock known competition, in a excellent protection. browsing, spell-check and How often are issues of eth- program that consumes mini- Lavasoft • www.lavasoft.com search refinements, improved ics, Utopianism, and genetic mal system resources. The Free feed-syndication tools (in- modification treated with as new version 7.0 adds process cluding automatic bookmark much reverence as gunplay analysis and system-rollback FILE-COMPRESSION updates), and configurable and resource management in features to an already impres- SOFTWARE Session Restore for recovering a game? All play crucial roles sive package. PowerArchiver 2007 from crashes. in the engrossing Bioshock, Kaspersky Lab When you need more file- Mozilla which thrusts your character www.kaspersky.com format support and flexibility www.mozilla.com • Free into a mysterious undersea $59.95 (Anti-Virus 7.0) than WinZip can provide, dystopia, and you into a gor- you’re ready for ConeXware’s FIREFOX EXTENSION geously realized graphical INTERNET SECURITY PowerArchiver 2007. It sup- StumbleUpon realm that challenges your SOFTWARE ports more than a dozen StumbleUpon brings a remote- mind every bit as much as it Norton 360 archive formats and delivers control aesthetic to Web surf- does your reflexes. With Norton 360, Symantec higher compression ratios ing by surveying your interests, 2K Games • www.2kgames. combined antivirus, anti- than most other utilities. We and then providing a toolbar com/bioshock • $49.95

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tricks, historical footage, and SEARCH ENGINE ONLINE MUSIC STORE FREE ONLINE SERVICE other random things caught on Google iTunes Music Store Craigslist video and uploaded to its servers. Many startup firms are hoping Other online music stores are By replacing newspaper classi- Since its acquisition by Google, their newfangled search en- still trying to figure out a way to fieds and the campus bulletin the site has had to be even more gines will be the “next Google.” succeed, while the iTunes jug- board with its online listings vigilant about copyright viola- In the meantime, the one-and- gernaut rolls on. In addition to its service, Craigslist has become tions, but you’ll still find plenty of only is serving up results to ever-growing library of millions one of the biggest sites on the time-wasting, freewheeling fun more Web surfers than ever. of music tracks, Apple’s virtual Web, even though it doesn’t on the service. And with its new “universal store also sells videos, movies, accept advertising and has a YouTube • www.youtube.com search model,” which adds TV episodes, and books, as well site design that looks straight Free results from Google’s indices as providing easy access to thou- out of 1996. Despite its quirky of images, videos, maps, and sands of podcasts. New this year: approach, Craigslist has ex- WEBMAIL SERVICE more to its traditional Web-site tracks from EMI’s catalog sold panded to all 50 states, and Gmail results, the company is evolv- without digital rights manage- versions are available for Yahoo Mail and Hotmail have ing to meet those challengers. ment (DRM), the result of Steve countries across the globe. made major improvements to The “next Google” may wind up Jobs’ lobbying against DRM-pro- Craigslist their Webmail apps, but we still being the old one, after all. tected music files. www.craigslist.com • Free prefer Gmail by a smidgen. That Google • www.google.com Apple • www.itunes.com preference comes in part because Free 99 cents and up PAID ONLINE SERVICE Google lets you view Word, Excel, Netflix and PowerPoint files in Gmail ONLINE PHOTO IM SOFTWARE/ The pioneering online DVD without needing to have Micro- SERVICE SERVICE renter has been facing heat soft Office open (or even loaded Picasa Web Albums Trillian 3.1 from Blockbuster Online, on your system). A healthy 2.8GB We selected Picasa as our If you’re using more than one which offered lower prices, of storage and the ability to send favorite photo-organizing instant-messaging client (one for plus the ability to return attachments as big as 20MB in software (see its entry in work and one for your friends, for movies to and rent movies size don’t hurt, either. the Software section), and instance), and you don’t already from its stores. Netflix has Google • mail.google.com we’re also quite fond of its use Trillian, what are you waiting responded by matching those Free Web-based companion. It of- for? This application brings AOL lower prices, while also in- fers all the features people Instant Messenger, ICQ, MSN troducing a streaming-movie VOIP SERVICE expect from an online photo Messenger, and Yahoo Messen- service that’s free for mem- Skype service: easy uploads and ger into one common interface, bers. Such improvements, While traditional Voice over image sharing, the ability to while giving you access to each along with excellent commu- Internet Protocol (VoIP) provid- add captions and comments service’s advanced features, such nity features, keep Netflix at ers such as Vonage are suffering to photos, and the option to as file transfers, buddy icons, and the top of our queue. from cable companies encroach- order prints (through Photo- group chats. The Pro version sup- Netflix • www.netflix.com ing on their Internet-calling Works or Shutterfly). Best of ports the IM clients’ video-chat Prices vary services, Skype’s (mostly) free all, Google provides users a features and adds Really Simple alternative continues to prosper. generous 1GB of storage, let- Syndication (RSS) feeds and POP3 VIDEO SITE Hardware manufacturers con- ting them put hundreds of e-mail updates. YouTube tinue to roll out Skype-friendly photos online for free. Cerulean Studios Try as they might, other online equipment, and as more cell Google • picasaweb.google. www.ceruleanstudios.com video sites can’t match YouTube’s phones (such as Apple’s iPhone) com • Free Free (Basic); $25 (Pro) massive library of stupid human offer Wi-Fi support, users can INTERNETSERVICES yx J>;JEFI?J;IJEI;;JEM>;DOEKÊH;EDJ>;M;8$

Yecfkj[hi^eff[h$YecDel[cX[h(&&--+ make calls with Skype’s mobile app instead of using valuable minutes from their THEATER calling plans. Skype • www.skype.com Free (Skype-to-Skype HOME J>;8;IJ7%L;GK?FC;DJ:JL Maps to your cell phone al- F_ed[[hF:F#*(.&>: lows you to get directions to 7bh[WZoademdWij^[Y^Wcfm^[d_jYec[i your next location, along with jefbWicWi"F_ed[[hfki^[iW^[WZe\j^[ detailed information on lo- Yecf[j_j_edW]W_dm_j^_jibWj[ijceZ[bi" cal businesses and real-time _dYbkZ_d]j^[*(#_dY^F:F#*(.&>:$E\\[h_d] traffic information. Google [l[dZ[[f[hXbWYab[l[bij^Wd_ji_dZkijho# recently added support for b[WZ_d]fh[Z[Y[iiehi"F_ed[[hÊid[mi[jiWbie devices running the Windows WZZW^WdZ\kbe\>_]^#:[\_d_j_edCkbj_c[Z_W Mobile OS, as well as ones ?dj[h\WY[>:C? '$)fehjiWdZX[jj[hXk_bj#_d with built-in GPS technology. if[Wa[hi$J^[F:F#*(.&>:Z[\_d_j[boYeiji Google ceh[j^WdWjof_YWbfbWicWe\j^[iWc[i_p[" www.google.com/gmm Xkj_\oekYWdW\\ehZ_j"oekm_bbX[Wcfbo Free h[mWhZ[Zm_j^ikf[h_eh_cW][gkWb_jo$ F_ed[[h;b[Yjhed_YiK$I$7$ mmm$f_ed[[h[b[Yjhed_Yi$Yec("-&&

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Apple iPhone It was definitely one of the most hyped tech products in history, and of course it couldn’t entirely live up to all the speculation. But the fact remains that Apple’s first handset has revolutionized the mobile-phone industry, from its touch-screen interface to its visual voice-mail system to its remarkable combination of multimedia and Internet features. Even if most people can’t yet afford one, the iPhone’s radical design has sent other phone makers and cellular services scrambling back to the drawing board to draft a response. And that’s the ultimate badge of success. Apple • www.apple.com $399 (with two-year AT&T contract)

TECHNOLOGY OF THE YEAR Quad-Core CPUs Last year, we extolled the virtues of Intel’s first dual-core processors, which delivered a significant boost in computing power over their single-core predecessors. Shortly thereafter, Intel un- leashed a CPU with four cores—and kept them coming throughout the year. AMD is finally responding with its Phenom quad- core processors, proving that the next race between the two chip makers will be as much about the number of cores as about gigahertz. While most users won’t reap the fruits of quad-core technology until a greater number of multithreaded applications emerge, the fact is that multicore is the future of computing: Eight-core CPUs are already on the horizon.

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GOING ALL OUT BY ERIN FOR GAMING KANDEL

Yecfkj[hi^eff[h$YecDel[cX[h(&&--/ 7b_[dmWh[7h[W#+'c/-+& less connectivity, the m9750 comes with ;kheYec:/&&9F^Wdjec#N ;Z_jehiÊHWj_d]00&) ekje\'& Draft N Wi-Fi and Bluetooth 2.0. ;Z_jehiÊHWj_d]0/&+ ekje\'& Fhei08[Wkj_\kbZ_ifbWo1ZkWbIB?l_Z[eYWhZi Though Area-51 m9750 models start at a Fhei0Bejie\^_]^#[dZYed\_]khWj_edefj_edi" Z[b_l[hh[YehZ#Xh[Wa_d]]hWf^_Yif[h\ehcWdY[1 comparatively reasonable $2,099, the price _dYbkZ_d]gkWZ#Yeh[9FKi"IB?]hWf^_Yi1 [nY[bb[dj7%LYedd[Yj_l_jo"_dYbkZ_d]JLjkd[h1 climbs quickly with component upgrades. h[YehZ#Xh[Wa_d]ckbj_c[Z_Wf[h\ehcWdY[1 m_bbX[h[\h[i^[Zm_j^d[mdL_Z_W]hWf^_Yi" Our tricked-out review unit featured a d_Y[Z_ifbWo ?dj[b9FKXoo[WhÊi[dZ 2.33GHz Core 2 Duo T7600 CPU, 2GB of 9edi0;nf[di_l[1XkbaoYWi[1de>:C?fehj1 9edi0;nf[di_l[1ijWb[YWi[Z[i_]d1de>:C? DDR2 RAM, two 160GB hard drives spin- EIYeiji[njhW1^e#^kc]Wc_d]f[h\ehcWdY[ fehj1deefj_ed\eh9eh[(;njh[c[fheY[iiehi ning at a desktop-caliber 7,200rpm, and WITH ITS WIDE RANGE of high-end IT DOESN’T HAVE the flashiest chas- two 512MB nVidia GeForce Go 7950 GTX component options, the Eurocom sis or all the next-generation parts, but graphics cards in an SLI configuration (a D900C Phantom-X is a tantalizing Alienware’s flagship gaming notebook, $600 upgrade from a single GPU). choice for gamers and graphics pro- the Area-51 m9750, remains a force to be Alienware is also planning to incorpo- fessionals. Our über-pricey review unit reckoned with. Our fully loaded review rate a few new compo- didn’t deliver the gaming muscle we’d unit posted the highest nents into the Area-51 hoped for, but it’s still a very respect- scores we’ve seen to m9750, including dual able high-end system. date on benchmark nVidia GeForce 8700M Though we knocked the Alienware tests. For hard-core GT graphics cards by Area-51 m9750 for its big-and-boxy gamers who want early October. An over- build, the Phantom-X makes it look to ditch their clocked Intel Core 2 Duo positively svelte. At 2.4x15.6x11.7 desktops—and T7600 CPU will also be inches, its case is bulky and inelegant, have $4,488 available before the end of and its slate-gray exterior looks down- to spare— the year. So far, Alienware right drab. Plus, the glossy plastic the Area-51 has not an- lining its wrist rest is a bit unsophisti- m9750 is nounced plans cated. Eurocom doesn’t offer any case- one of the to introduce customization options, so you’re stuck best portable Intel’s new Core 2 with this dowdy design. powerhouses out there. Extreme processors. Things improve considerably 7b_[dmWh[ The Area-51 m9750 may be a 7h[W#+' Thanks to its twin when you take a look at the screen. laptop, but at 1.5x15.7x11.8 inches c/-+& video cards, the Area-51 m9750 The Phantom-X ships with a glossy and 9.5 pounds, it’s a bit of a hulk. truly shines in graphics perfor- 17-inch display that has a high Clad in a matte-black, scratch- mance. It blew away the competi- 1,920x1,200 native resolution and a resistant case, it feels sturdy. But the tion in our F.E.A.R. built-in Webcam. To get the notebook’s design seems staid—even a bit and Company of most out of movie watching, stale—compared with bolder, flashier Heroes tests, turning you can add a high-defi- gaming systems we’ve seen. in a blazing 72 frames nition HD DVD drive for One feature that will command atten- per second (fps) in $550 or a Blu-ray drive tion is the glossy 17-inch wide-screen Company of Heroes at for $1,049. (Our review display, which features a 1,920x1,200-pixel 1,600x1,200 with anti- unit came with a DVD native resolution that’s fit for playing aliasing turned on, and a burner.) games at top resolutions and screening very respectable 52fps at Connectivity high-definition movies. (Alienware offers a its native 1,920x1,200 resolu- options on Blu-ray optical drive as an upgrade option, tion. The m9750’s Core 2 Duo the Phan- though our unit came with just a standard T7600 CPU proved an excel- tom-X DVD burner.) In our tests, Company of He- lent performer as well, serving should roes gameplay was clear and detailed at its up a score of 6,527 on our Future- please most maximum resolution. DVD playback looked mark PCMark05 productivity test, users. For audio, excellent, too, with little motion blur during the highest laptop score we’ve ever ;kheYec you’ll find line-out, :/&&9 action scenes. The laptop also features a recorded in our labs. Its result on our mic, and headphone F^Wdjec#N full-size keyboard with a dedicated number DVD battery-drain test was the only disap- jacks, as well as an pad, touch-sensitive media keys, and a pointment: The power-hungry unit lasted a S/PDIF connection for Webcam. mere 1 hour and 13 minutes. hooking up a 7.1-chan- The Area-51 m9750 comes with a good Our test unit certainly made the most nel speaker system. Video connections assortment of audio and video connec- of all the currently available hardware, include VGA and DVI outputs, an NTSC tions, including an optical audio out, sur- but it may not hold its performance TV tuner, and two S-Video inputs, but round-sound speaker jacks, VGA and DVI records for long. That’s because note- no HDMI port. outputs, and an NTSC TV tuner. Notably books featuring the latest performance- The Phantom-X’s big advantage is flex- lacking, though, is a High-Definition Mul- enhancing components from Intel and ibility. You can trick out the $2,370 base timedia Interface (HDMI) port. As for wire- nVidia are on the horizon. configuration with quite an assortment of

.&Del[cX[h(&&-Yecfkj[hiêff[h$Yec robust components, including dual-core <_hijJWa[0:[bbNFIC'-)& and quad-core Intel Core 2 Extreme CPUs, Dell gears up for the SLI competition with its DirectX 10-capable nVidia GeForce 8700GT graphics (in a single 512MB card or a 1GB next-generation gaming notebook dual-card configuration), and up to three hard drives, including a 64GB solid-state M[Êh[X_]\Wdie\j^[:[bbNFIC'-'&$M[j[ij[Zj^_ickiYkbWh*"((*bWfjef option. [Whb_[hj^_io[Wh"WdZ_jij_bbêbZij^[h[YehZ\ehj^[\Wij[ij]Wc_d]dej[Xeea Better yet, Eurocom plans to incor- m[Êl[i[[dm_j^Wi_d]b[]hWf^_YiYWhZ$Iem[Êh[fioY^[Zje][jekhfWmied porate more next-generation compo- j^[NFIC'-)&":[bbÊid[nj#][d[hWj_ed]Wc_d]bWfjef"m^_Y^fhec_i[ijeX[ nents into the Phantom-X. At press [l[dceh[fem[h\kbj^Wd_jifh[Z[Y[iieh$ time, the company said it would offer Kd\ehjkdWj[bo":[bbmWidÊjWXb[je][jkiWh[l_[mkd_je\j^[NFIC'-)&je the new DirectX 10-capable nVidia j[ij_dj_c[\ehj^_iijeho"Xkjj^[YecfWdoÊih[fiZ_Zfhel_Z[WZ[ce$7dZm[ m[h[l[ho_cfh[ii[Z$ Quadro FX 1600M graphics card by C[Wikh_d](n',n''$/_dY^[iWdZm_j^WijWhj_d]m[_]^je\'&$,fekdZi"j^[ the time you read this, as well as new C'-)&_i^WhZdejjedej_Y[$:[bbh[fbWY[Zj^[C'-'&Êii_bl[hYWi[m_j^WXbWYa graphics options within the nVidia Ge- cW]d[i_kc#WbbeoY^Wii_ij^WjÊickY^Y^kda_[hj^Wd_jifh[Z[Y[iiehÊi1oek Force family as they become available. YWdYêei[jeWYY[dj_jm_jêd[e\\ekhYebehi0m^_j["]hWo"Xbk["ehh[Z$B;: The trade-off for all these powerful b_]^j_d]Æfhe]hWccWXb[_d',YebehiÆWZZi[l[dceh[f_ppWpp"m_j^b_]^jied parts is, of course, price. Our $4,950 re- j^[b_Z"i_Z[l[dji"WdZif[Wa[h]h_bb[i$:[bbWbieWZZ[Zh[ZXWYab_]^j_d]jej^[ view unit, which featured a single nVidia dej[XeeaÊi\kbb#i_p[a[oXeWhZ"m^_Y^dem_dYbkZ[iWZ[Z_YWj[Z'&#a[odkcX[h GeForce Go 7950 GTX graphics card and fWZ$ a quad-core 2.66GHz Core 2 Extreme J^[C'-)&Êi_ddelWj_ediWh[dÊjb_c_j[ZjeW[ij^[j_Yi$?jÊij^[\_hij]Wc_d] QX6700 processor, cost more than dou- dej[Xeeaje\[Wjkh[j^[Be]_j[Y^=Wc[FWd[b"WicWbbB9:Xk_bj_dWXel[j^[ a[oXeWhZj^WjjhWYai]Wc[ijWji"9FKkj_b_pWj_ed"WdZ_d\ehcWj_ed\hecej^[h ble the base-configuration price. What’s Wffb_YWj_edim_jêkj_dj[hhkfj_d]oekhfbWo$ more, the Phantom-X doesn’t offer a E\Yekhi["m^Wjh[WbbocWjj[hije^WhZ#Yeh[]Wc[hi_ij^[Yecfed[dji few essentials in the base configuration, fWYa[Z_di_Z["WdZXWi[Zedj^[if[Yi"m[ZedÊjj^_daj^[oÊbbX[Z_iWffe_dj[Z$ including wireless networking and an 8k_bjed?dj[bÊiIWdjWHeiWY^_fi[j"j^[C'-)&YWdX[Yed\_]kh[Zm_j^Wdkc# operating system. The 64-bit version of X[he\9eh[(:ke9FKi1\ehjêi[mêmWdjcWn_ckcfheY[ii_d]fem[h":[bb Windows Vista Ultimate that came with Wbiem_bbe\\[hW9eh[(;njh[c[;Z_j_edN-/&&9FKj^WjYWdX[el[hYbeYa[Zje our system added $353 to its price. )$(=>p$ The Phantom-X’s strongest gaming OekYWdWbieekj\_jj^[ioij[cm_j^kf*=8e\H7C"jmeI[h_Wb7J7^WhZ performance came on our F.E.A.R test, Zh_l[i_dH7?:&eh'Yed\_]khWj_ed\ehWcWn_ckce\+&&=8e\ijehW]["W where it managed an excellent 75fps at )(=8eh,*=8ieb_Z#ijWj[Zh_l["W8bk#hWoZh_l["WdZXk_bj#_dm_h[b[iiceX_b[ XheWZXWdZMM7D $ 1,024x768. Once we turned on the eye J^[C'-)&ÊiY[dj[hf_[Y["jêk]^"_i_ji]hWf^_Yifem[h$M^[h[Wij^[ib_c# candy and pumped up the resolution c[hC'-'&YekbZWYYecceZWj[`kijWi_d]b[]hWf^_YiYWhZ"j^[C'-)&_iXk_bj to 1,920x1,200, however, its score fell je^WdZb[jme_dWdIB?Yed\_]khWj_ed$:[cWdZ_d]ki[hiYWdYed\_]kh[Wfem# to 31fps. That’s well below the Dell XPS [hêki[m_j^jme:_h[YjN'&#YecfWj_Xb[(+,C8dL_Z_W=[:C? fehj$7dZj^[dj^[h[Êij^[fh_Y[0Jêk]^j^[ioij[cijWhjiWjWiec[m^Wj# 1,600x1,200 with anti-aliasing turned on. h[WiedWXb[("///"_jiYeijYb_cXigk_YaboedY[oekjWYaedkf]hWZ[ib_a[IB? But its score dropped to 30fps at its ]hWf^_Yi$M[Êh[WbieZ_iWffe_dj[Zj^Wj:[bbZe[idÊjfbWdjee\\[hj^[XhWmd_[h native 1,920x1,200 resolution. +'(C8l[hi_ede\j^[dL_Z_W=[

Yecfkj[hi^eff[h$YecDel[cX[h(&&-.' >of[hied_YIH- tant automotive paint. system. We just wish the system had an ;Z_jehiÊHWj_d]0/&. ekje\'& A standout feature of the SR7 is its HDMI port. Fhei0Ib[[aYWi[1X[Wkj_\kbiYh[[d1WlW_bWXb[ glossy, 17-inch wide-screen display. It’s Like the Area-51 m9750, the SR7 will tan- m_j^:_h[YjN'&]hWf^_Yi1[nY[bb[dj]Wc_d] a crisp 1,920x1,200 LCD that can handle talize gamers with its reasonable starting f[h\ehcWdY["Yedi_Z[h_d]fh_Y[ games at their maximum resolution. It can price of $2,150. Once you add 9edi0Dec[Z_W#YedjhebXkjjedi">:C? also accommodate high-defini- upgrades, however, you’ll fehj18bk#hWo#Zh_l[kf]hWZ[_ifh_Y[o1medÊjX[ tion movies, should have to dig deeper into kfZWj[Zm_j^?dj[bgkWZ#Yeh[eh9eh[(;njh[c[ you choose to your wallet. Our review fheY[iiehi equip your unit, for instance, THE HYPERSONIC SR7 isn’t the fastest notebook included a 2.4GHz gaming notebook we’ve seen with a single with a Blu-ray Core 2 Duo graphics card—that title belongs to the Dell optical drive, a T7700 CPU, XPS M1710—but mobile gamers should still pricey $973 up- 2GB of DDR2 consider this blazing laptop. grade. (Our RAM, a Placed next to flashier gaming note- system 200GB hard books, the 8.4-pound SR7 looks under- came with drive spinning stated—and that’s not a bad thing. We liked a standard at a desktop-cali- our all-black review unit’s classy-looking DVD burner.) The >of[hied_Y ber 7,200rpm, and a single brushed-steel lid, the textured plastic SR7 ships with a com- IH- 512MB nVidia GeForce Go 7950 surrounding its keyboard, and the orange- fortable full-size keyboard, GTX graphics card. That’s a sig- metal trim lining the outer edge. If you an NTSC TV tuner, and a decent nificant upgrade over the basics, want to up the boldness factor, you can selection of ports and slots, including but it’s also a significant cost up- shell out an extra $399 to have your system VGA, DVI, and S-Video, as well as an S/PDIF grade, too: Our review unit cost $3,111, and coated in one of 10 hues of scratch-resis- jack for hooking up a 7.1-channel speaker that’s without the Blu-ray option. If you’re ready for DirectX 10 graphics, >jYe]kh]jk][gf\ Hypersonic offers nVidia’s new 512MB <$;$7$H$H[ikbji dgf_]jZYjkaf\a[Yl]Z]ll]jh]j^gjeYf[]! GeForce Go 8700 GT GPU for $46 less than the 7950 GTX. The company also plans to )-( feature Intel Turbo Memory as an option )*- )+) in the coming months. We’re disappointed that Hypersonic will not be incorporating )(( Intel Extreme Edition processors in this /- model, though. /- /- Performance-wise, we didn’t expect -( .. .. the SR7 to come close to the blazing- fast, SLI-equipped m9750 on our gam- *- +) */ +) ing benchmark tests, but we did hope it ( might keep pace with the comparably 9da]foYj]9j]Y%-) =mjg[ge<1((; @qh]jkgfa[KJ/ Plj]e]P1)/N configured Dell XPS M1710. By and e1/-( H`Yflge%P large, we were not disappointed. On our Company of Heroes test, the SR7 re- )$(*,p/.0)$1*(p)$*(( turned a respectable 44 frames per sec- >jYe]kh]jk][gf\ ond (fps) at 1,600x1,200 with anti-alias- 9ecfWdoe\>[he[iH[ikbji dgf_]jZYjkaf\a[Yl]Z]ll]jh]j^gjeYf[]! ing turned on, and 34fps at its native 1,920x1,200 resolution. The latter result )-( came in just below the M1710’s 36fps )*- mark. The SR7 even managed to out- perform the M1710 on our Futuremark )(( 3DMark06 test, with an excellent score /- 1* of 4,272 at its native resolution. The .1 Hypersonic unit lagged behind on our -( .( F.E.A.R. test, however; while the M1710 -* -0 *- returned 56fps at 1,920x1,200, the SR7 +( +, ++ yielded only about half that (27fps) at ( the same resolution. 9da]foYj]9j]Y%-) =mjg[ge<1((; @qh]jkgfa[KJ/ Plj]e]P1)/N On our productivity and multitask- e1/-( H`Yflge%P ing tests, meanwhile, the SR7’s Core 2 Duo T7700 CPU showed some muscle, )$(*,p/.0)$1*(p)$*(( topping the XPS M1710 with an excel-

.(Del[cX[h(&&-Yecfkj[hi^eff[h$Yec lent 5,785 on Futuremark PCMark05 tomized look is certainly more striking we tested features a quad-core 2.66GHz and a 724 on Cinebench 9.5. than the Phantom-X’s dull-gray exterior, Intel Core 2 Extreme QX6700 processor, The SR7 did not deliver great battery life. the case is still unwieldy. 4GB of DDR2 RAM, and a single nVidia Our review unit lasted only 1 hour and 10 Adding to its visual appeal, our GeForce Go 7950 GTX graphics card. minutes on our DVD battery-drain test. review unit featured a glossy, 17- Considering our review unit cost more inch wide-screen display with a high than $5,000, we were disappointed that Njh[c[/'-L 1,920x1,200-pixel native resolution, Xtreme Notebooks included just a single ;Z_jehiÊHWj_d]0/&* ekje\'& which delivered sharp, well-saturated graphics card. (You can add either dual Fhei0Bejie\^_]^#[dZYed\_]khWj_ed images and DVD playback, as well as 512MB nVidia GeForce go 7950 GTX-se- efj_edi"_dYbkZ_d]gkWZ#Yeh[9FKi"IB? crisp gameplay. A Webcam is built into ries cards or two of the newer 8700M GT- ]hWf^_Yi1Ykijec_pWXb[Z[i_]defj_edi1 the display bezel. The Xtreme 917V also series cards for $545.) What’s more, the jef#dejY^ckbj_c[Z_Wf[h\ehcWdY[1 features the same lineup of connections Xtreme 917V also doesn’t ship with an WjjhWYj_l[Z_ifbWo1Z[Y[dj]Wc_d]iYeh[i as the Phantom-X, delivering a solid set operating system in its base config. 9edi0Ceij[nf[di_l[dej[Xeeam[Êl[ of A/V options but no HDMI port. Given the price of the system, perfor- j[ij[Z1XkbaoYWi[1de>:C?fehj1EIdej The Xtreme 917V packs a number of mance was solid but not spectacular. _dYbkZ[Z1]Wc_d]f[h\ehcWdY[Ze[idÊj`kij_\o powerful component options that will The Xtreme 917V delivered better 3D j^[Yeij please gamers, as well as design profes- scores than the similarly configured, GAMING DESKTOPS that cost more sionals and A/V engineers. You can con- quad-core-based Phantom-X, and it per- than $5,000 are nothing new to us. But figure the $2,399 base unit with a range formed well overall for the $5,673 Xtreme 917V from Xtreme of Intel Core 2 Duo or Core 2 Extreme a single-graphics-card Notebooks is the first laptop we’ve seen Edition CPUs and add nVidia system. But it didn’t to cross the five-grand price threshold. DirectX 10-capable exactly blow away As a gaming PC, however, it didn’t of- graphics in a the competition or fer enough raw 3D power to justify that dual-card SLI beat the reigning stratospheric price, mainly due to a lack configura- champion in that of SLI graphics. Nonetheless, graphics tion. You can category, the Dell professionals looking for a capable mo- also upgrade XPS M1710. bile workstation will find more to like to a Blu-ray The notebook about this quad-core machine. optical drive is certainly well- The massive, 11.9-pound Xtreme and pack in configured for 917V certainly makes a bold state- up to three productivity ment—and a patriotic one, at that. Our hard drives for chores and multi- review unit’s glossy cobalt case featured a maximum of tasking, and it delivered a bright red, white, and blue American- 750GB of storage. the benchmark scores to Njh[c[ flag graphic splashed across its lid. The And like other bou- /'-L prove it. Our review unit finish seemed durable and high-quality, tique manufacturers, came in a close second to and Xtreme Notebooks offers a number Xtreme Notebooks plans to incor- the Phantom-X’s record- of options for case customization. porate bleeding-edge components breaking turn on our Cine- Though its eye-catching paint job is into its laptop as the parts become bench 9.5 test, with an amazingly unique, the Xtreme 917V’s chassis de- available. high score of 1,405. The Xtreme 917V sign gave us déjà vu, and rightly so: The But all that power comes at a pro- had a particularly bad showing for notebook is housed in the same big- hibitive price. The upgrades for our battery life, though. Its 12-cell battery and-boxy chassis as the Eurocom D900C Xtreme Notebooks system were some died after just 50 minutes on our DVD Phantom-X. While the Xtreme’s cus- of the costliest we’ve seen. The model battery-drain test.

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THE INVISIBLE DISC CD-R. I strongly discourage installing Direct I have a CD-RW disc containing lots of valu- CD along with DtD—installing multiple able data, made with Adaptec’s Easy CD Cre- packet-writing applications on your PC is ator in Windows 98. I just bought a new PC a surer cause for agita than a chocolate- An IDE connector supports two drives with Roxio Easy Media Creator on it. I figured covered jalapeño. chained off a ribbon cable. Few people I’d be OK, since Adaptec became Roxio. But If you’re really stuck, try an inexpensive will build a PC with more than two optical the DVD/CD burner on the new PC can’t see data-recovery program geared toward CDs, drives, so having just one IDE connector the disc. such as CDRoller or IsoBuster. (Trials of is adequate for most. The only scenario in I still have the old PC. Should I set it back up both are available from computershopper. which it’s a problem is if you want to use and make a copy onto CD-R? The new system com/downloads.) Both profess to recover an IDE hard drive you already own along- sees music CD-Rs that were written with the data from packet-written discs. side two IDE opticals. old PC just fine. You can still find new motherboards Kevin Holmes IDE, DON’T GO! with two IDE ports, if you own lots of older I just bought a new CPU and motherboard. drives. An alternative, if you’re stuck with Most likely, the culprit here is not the me- The motherboard has one D-Sub and one DVI a single-IDE motherboard, is a PCI-card IDE dia itself, but the method used on the Win- connector for the video. It also has one floppy- controller such as the $40 Promise Ultra133 dows 98 PC to write to the CD-RW disc. drive connector. TX2 (www.promise.com). Nowadays, when you write data to a To my surprise, however, it has only one IDE CD-R or CD-RW, it’s best to write the entire connector. Why did they keep the floppy con- IS 2.0 WORTH THE TROUBLE? batch of data in one shot as a “data-format” nector—I haven’t used a floppy in years—but I have a 12-month-old Intel Pentium 4 system disc conforming to the ISO 9660 standard. drop one of the IDE connectors? running XP Home. It only has slower USB 1.1 That ensures maximum compatibility. Girish Modi ports. Should I upgrade to USB 2.0, or does it Judging that you wrote this disc a while make little difference? back on a Windows 98 PC, you probably Ellen Clarke instead used your burning software’s “packet-writing” feature. AfklYddaf_emdlahd]hY[c]l% It depends on the USB hardware you con- The packet-writing function would ojalaf_hjg_jYekgfqgmjH; nect. Most low-bandwidth peripherals such have let you drag-and-drop files or folders akYkmj]j[Ymk]^gjY_alYl`YfY as keyboards, mice, and printers won’t piecemeal onto the disc, much like a floppy. work noticeably faster under USB 2.0, but Considering that CD-R and CD-RW discs [`g[gdYl]%[gn]j]\bYdYh]g& you could see a major difference with data- cost way more back then, using this tech- storage devices such as USB flash drives, nique would have been logical to conserve Floppy drives have fallen out of favor or external optical or hard drives. USB 1.1’s media. The problem is, packet-written discs thanks to USB flash drives and recordable transfer rates top out at 12Mbps (1.5MB per can be balky, or simply unreadable, if not CDs, but enough folks still have enough second), but USB 2.0 raises that theoretical read using the original software and driv- floppies lying around that removing the roof way up to 480Mbps (60MB per sec- ers used to create them. (It makes sense interface would inconvenience no small ond), clearly much less of a bottleneck. (In that your music CD-Rs are readable—you portion of upgraders. the real world, USB 2.0 transfers max out wouldn’t have used packet- The trend toward just one IDE port on around 40MB per second.) writing software to burn them.) motherboards is also easily explained. Se- I’m surprised, though, that your year-old Recent versions of the Roxio software rial ATA (SATA) ports PC doesn’t support USB 2.0. To double- use a packet-writer called Drag-to-Disc are rapidly taking over check: Right-click My Computer, go to (DtD), whereas your Easy CD Creator prob- connectivity duties MMM Properties > Hardware > ably used Adaptec’s Direct CD. DtD is sup- for hard drives. (Opti-

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it, some or all of your ports are actually West situation. You’ll have to figure out if though—it doesn’t accelerate the image on running USB 2.0. your laptop supports MXM—not all laptop the laptop’s own display. Otherwise, upgrading is easy and makers divulge the details—and getting to cheap—USB 2.0 cards that plug into a PCI the MXM connector itself is usually war- IS CAR COOLANT COOL? expansion slot cost as little as $10. Just ranty-voiding and hair-raising. You may Aftermarket cooling has cost me big bills for note: Only the ports on the card itself will have to remove the keyboard or bottom my PC, and I still have problems with heat support USB 2.0—the card won’t upgrade shell, as well as cooling hardware and other once in a while. So, I switched my PC to liquid the PC’s built-in ports to 2.0. parts to access it. The process is cooling, but the coolant costs way too much nonstandard and varies by model. since I’m running my computer 12 hours a day. LAPTOP-GRAPHICS LABYRINTH Heat dissipation is another hurdle. If Just wondering: Can I use car coolant I recently bought an HP notebook. I wasn’t your notebook wasn’t designed for the po- instead of PC coolant? into gaming at the time, but I bought The tentially hotter-running graphics module John Nguyen Mark, then F.E.A.R—and now spend my you install, cooling and stability troubles free time playing. My question: How can I may arise. Laptops are unforgiving in this My first concern: Where’s all that coolant upgrade my laptop’s graphics card? Shopper regard, since their components are packed going? If the cooling system is sealed, it often talks about upgrading desktops, but not so tightly. Plus, skill with a Dremel tool shouldn’t evaporate or (heaven forbid) leak. notebooks. Can you help a soldier out? helps—sometimes, getting a new module I suppose if you’re often reconfiguring and Sgt. Marcus Stewart to fit requires slight modification of the draining your cooling system, however, you heat sink. And if that doesn’t send you could deplete pricey PC-specific Sorry to disappoint a serviceman, but fleeing, screaming, for the exit, MXM mod- coolant quickly. the prospects for upgrading your laptop’s ules come in several form factors—like PC I wouldn’t recommend automotive internal graphics are bleak. If your note- Cards, in Type I, II, and III varieties. For all coolant (ethylene glycol). While it probably book uses an integrated graphics chipset these reasons, you should upgrade only to won’t cause any harm, it’s more viscous (check the specs, or contact HP support for one sanctioned by the laptop maker. than pure water, potentially slowing the details), you may be stuck. Because these Finding MXM modules is another chal- flow in your cooling system or causing the chipsets are built into the mainboard, you lenge. Your laptop maker might sell them pump to work harder. It’s also a poorer can’t just pull them out and swap in a as replacement parts, but otherwise a good heat conductor, and you don’t need its replacement. starting point is MXM-Upgrade (www. antifreeze properties unless you’re running One possibility, though, is that the laptop mxm-upgrade.com). I can’t vouch for their your PC inside an igloo. I’d suggest using uses a graphics architecture developed by sales service, but you’ll find good general simple distilled water. It’s pure and very nVidia called Mobile PCI Express Module advice there. cheap in gallon jugs at your local super- (MXM). MXM puts the graphics hardware One new alternative is forthcoming: an market. on a small, swappable internal circuit external graphics card. The Asus XG Sta- Don’t confuse distilled water with board, making it easier for laptop makers tion (usa.asus.com) is an external module bottled mineral waters like Evian. These, to install different graphics processors on that communicates with your laptop’s and tap water, often contain trace mineral the fly and offer a choice at time of sale. ExpressCard slot and hosts a PCI Express deposits that, over time, can collect in a nVidia claims a secondary benefit of graphics card. You’ll need to connect your cooling system or react with certain met- MXM is user upgrades, but it’s really a Wild laptop to an external LCD monitor to use it, als, causing corrosion.

TIP OF THE MONTH: Thanks for this little-known but savvy MORE HISTORY LESSONS Firefox tip! This is handy for deleting mistyped items that show up in a form Regarding your July question “Rewriting field’s history list—or items from your History,” about clearing Google’s search search or URL history you don’t want history: I could never imagine myself us- other users stumbling across (say, your ing the Clear Forms method mentioned to searches for “Barry Manilow MP3s” or remove these search-history items—I visit your visits to www.celebritygossip. way too many Web sites where I use the com). Firefox lets you do this selec- stored info in forms. tively, without purging the entire his- I use Mozilla Firefox, not IE. To delete an tory, scorched-earth style. Note that in individual item that appears in a search- Windows XP, sometimes Delete alone or URL-history drop-down in Firefox: (without the Shift) works, too. When you see the item show up in the

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Need more speed? Boost =[jj^[h_]^j^WhZmWh[ Overclocking can save you cash by letting you buy performance without buying lower-end equipment when building or upgrading new hardware. a PC, or help you squeak a little more performance out of an older system. If you’re buying parts with overclocking in mind, research them first in online forums, because some processors, motherboards, Gn]j[dg[cQgmj and memory have better reputations for overclockability than 'others. Three key components determine your PC’s overclocking <]kclgh potential. First, you need a motherboard with a BIOS that lets you adjust your processor’s speed. Most motherboards you can 8O:;DDO7JA?D buy for building your own PC allow this. (These same boards also tend to be used by smaller PC makers in their systems.) Until recently, few motherboards from major PC makers such as Dell and Hewlett-Packard gave access to overclocking settings, though the capability is present in their newer enthusiast systems. Next is the processor. The fastest ones have little headroom for overclocking—typically, they’re already running at close to their peak speed. Conversely, midrange processors often cost less than half what the current top-end CPU does, but they are often overclockable into the same speed range as a high-end CPU. Finally, you can overclock memory, though only the new- est DDR2 and DDR3 modules can be pushed hard enough to deliver a significant performance boost. Your graphics card (if your PC has one) is a potential fourth overclocking candidate, but the procedure varies by the model you have. (See the side- bar “Overlocking Your Graphics Card.”)

8[Wjj^[^[Wj Running your processor and other components at higher-than-rated speeds increases the heat inside your system, so to keep things running reliably, you may need to boost your PC’s cooling. The main target here is the heat-sink/fan combination that cools your processor. Using stan- GN=J;DG;CAF?QGMJH; is like getting dard coolers, some processors, such as Intel’s quad-core Core a free upgrade. By adjusting the speed (2 chips, already run uncomfortably hot at stock speeds when at which your desktop system’s core working at full capacity. If you encounter heat troubles (oper- components—processor, memory, and ating temperatures vary by processor, but should be between 30 and 65 degrees Celsius), a CPU-cooler upgrade is order. motherboard—operate, you can score a A cooler like Thermalright’s Ultra-120 eXtreme (www. noticeable performance gain. thermalright.com) can significantly boost your overclock- It’s not for the faint of heart (or hard- ing potential. With this heat sink and a 1,600rpm ware), however. You can cause your sys- 120mm fan, our maxi- tem to become unstable and, in a worst- mum temperatures with case scenario, damage components and a Core 2 Extreme QX6700 void your warranty. But if you’re ready processor dropped from 85 degrees Celsius to a for the challenge, read on. This crash more manageable 63. course will take you through the ba- Heat-pipe-equipped sics—and, with luck, help you keep the heat sinks such as the eXtreme have gotten crashes at bay. Thermalright good enough that water Ultra-120 cooling is needed only eXtreme ..Del[cX[h(&&-Yecfkj[hiêff[h$Yec Yecfkj[hiêff[h$Yec%êmje

El[hYbeYa_d]Oekh=hWf^_Yi9WhZ for extreme overclocking. Just be warned: Some upgrade CPU coolers require you to remove the motherboard to dL_Z_WÊiWdZ7J?Êi]hWf^_YiZh_l[hiikffehjel[hYbeYa_d] install them—the cooler may use a nonstandard backing oekhl_Z[eYWhZÊi]hWf^_YifheY[ii_d]kd_j=FK WdZ plate (the heat sink screws into this) that needs to be situ- c[ceho$M_j^h[Y[djdL_Z_WZh_l[hi"oekd[[ZjeZemd# ated underneath the motherboard. beWZdL_Z_WÊi\h[[Djkd[mmm$dl_Z_W$Yec%eX`[Yj% ioikj_b_jo$^jcb jeWZZel[hYbeYa_d]YWfWX_b_jojej^[ El[hYbeYaoekhfheY[iieh dL_Z_WYedjhebfWd[b$7\j[h_dijWbb_d]Djkd["oekÊbbi[[W Before you start overclocking, you need to under- d[mF[h\ehcWdY[i[Yj_edj^Wj_dYbkZ[iWd7Z`kij=FK stand how your processor’s speed is determined. I[jj_d]iel[hYbeYa_d]efj_ed$ While newer processors typically have an internal M_j^7J?ÊiZh_l[hi"oeki_cfboYb_Yaj^[El[hZh_l[i[Y# speed (the rate at which they execute instructions) j_ed_dj^[9WjWboij9edjheb9[dj[hj^[7J?#if[Y_\_YYedjheb anywhere from 1.6GHz to 3GHz, they communicate fWd[b\ehoekh7J?]hWf^_YiYWhZ "j^[dYb_Yaj^[beYa_c# with the motherboard and memory much more W][jekdbeYaj^[YWhZÊiel[hYbeYa_d]YWfWXWX_b_j_[i$El[h# slowly. The communication channel used for this is called the Zh_l[b_c_jioekjeh[WiedWXb[el[hYbeYa_d]hWd][i"WdZ )front-side bus (FSB) with Intel processors or HyperTransport (HT) _jiEfj_c_p[XkjjedYWdhkdj[ijijeZ[j[hc_d[j^[iW\[ij with AMD chips. el[hYbeYa_d]if[[Zi\ehoekh=FKWdZc[ceho$Djkd[" The speed of your CPU’s FSB is tied to the speed of your moth- edj^[ej^[h^WdZ"]_l[ioekj^[\h[[Zecjei[b[Yjif[[Zi erboard’s system clock, or the circuit that controls the speed of all j^WjWh[\Whekj of your computer’s operations. (This value is usually listed in the e\if[Y"ie_d# BIOS.) The FSB speed is reached by multiplying the system-clock Yh[Wi[if[[Zi_d speed by another value (usually 4 for current Intel processors, but icWbb_dYh[c[dji it can vary depending on the CPU model). For example, a mother- WXekj+f[hY[dj board running a Core 2 Duo chip on a 1,066MHz FSB has a system WdZki[j^[J[ij Xkjjed_dj^[ ATI’s Catalyst 9kijec9beYa Control

clock of 266MHz (266 times 4 equals 1,066), and a Core 2 Extreme chip with a 1,333MHz FSB has a system-clock speed of 333MHz (333 times 4 equals 1,333). This is important to overclocking because most chips are overclocked by increasing the system-clock value to speed up the FSB. To actually make the change, enter your motherboard’s BIOS settings screen. (Typically, you press Delete or F2 upon booting; check your motherboard manual.) Some manufacturers disable or hide overclocking settings; on some Award BIOS setups, you Increasing the CPU frequency from 200MHz to 225MHz will must press Shift+F1 to enable the advanced settings. overclock a 2GHz processor to 2.25GHz. Look for a section labeled something like “Advanced Chipset Features” or “Chipset Configuration.” Then, find the FSB setting, and increase it. (Note that while many BIOS setup utilities call the setting something like “FSB Frequency,” you’re actually adjusting the system clock—this mislabeling is why the number you see for the setting is typically in the range of 266MHz to 333MHz, even though your PC’s FSB is more likely in the range of 800MHz to 1,333MHz.) A 5 percent increase is a good con- servative start. Reboot your system, and see how things run. If everything’s good, try adding another 5 percent at a time, until stability or heat issues arise. Then back down to the most recent stable value. Sometimes slightly increasing the voltage of your processor or chipset in the BIOS settings can alleviate stability problems, but it also ratchets up the heat and can even damage components if you choose a value dramatically higher than the default. Start one notch up from your CPU’s default value (usually shown in the BIOS) and see if that helps; if it doesn’t, go up one notch at a time, checking for a spike in heat or instability after each increase. Many

High-end processors let you overclock simply by boosting the multiplier, called “CPU Ratio” here. Yecfkj[hi^eff[h$YecDel[cX[h(&&-./ newer motherboards offer an “Auto” voltage setting that increases voltage automatically when overclocking; choose this if available. It’s much easier to overclock today’s high-end processors. The Core 2 Extreme, Pentium 4 Extreme Edition, and Athlon 64 FX chip families have “unlocked multipliers,” allowing you to speed them up without altering the FSB or HT bus. For instance, the 2.66GHz Core 2 Extreme QX6700 has a default multiplier of 10. Changing it to 11 boosts its internal speed to 2.92GHz (266MHz times 11); 12 gives you 3.2GHz.

El[hYbeYaoekhc[ceho You can get an additional, smaller performance boost by overclocking your PC’s RAM. Many newer motherboards offer direct control over memory speeds. In such a case, you would use the same techniques as for overclocking the processor: Boost in small in- Newer motherboards typically let you directly set memory speed. crements, then test for stability. How far you can go varies by the RAM. We easily boosted Corsair’s XMS3 DHX DDR3 1,333MHz memory, for instance, to 1,450MHz. But an older set of * Corsair XMS2 DDR2 675MHz modules only reached 700MHz before stability troubles welled up. >emjeJ[ijOekhJm[Wai Also, you may have to increase latency (a setting that dictates how long the system waits between memory accesses) to run the J^[i[\_l[WffiWh[ki[\kb\ehj[ij_d]m^[j^[hoekhel[hYbeYa memory safely at faster speeds, which can nullify the benefit of mWiikYY[ii\kb$8[ije\Wbb"j^[oÊh[\h[[Hkd[WY^_dikYY[i# the faster clock rate. How much you might need to tweak latency i_edjecWa[ikh[oekhF9_iij_bbijWXb[W\j[hoekhjm[Wa_d] varies dramatically, depending on not just the speed of the RAM, i[ii_ed$OekYWdZemdbeWZj^[\_hij\ekh\hecI^eff[hÊi but also its type (DDR, DDR2, DDR3). For more guidance, check the ZemdbeWZi_j[0Yecfkj[hi^eff[h$Yec%ZemdbeWZi$ RAM manufacturer’s Web site—enthusiast brands such as Corsair and OCZ often have references showing recommended latency 9FK#P0>WdZo\eh values at overclocked speeds, and their forums are usually full of fb[djoe\jWiaiWfWhj useful examples. \hecel[hYbeYa_d]" Some motherboards tie memory speed directly to FSB or HT 9FK#PZ_ifbWoioekh speeds, so boosting those also overclocks the memory. If that’s the F9ÊiYkhh[dj9FK"c[c# case, however, you may need to adjust the memory settings in the eho"WdZ

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Home-brewed home theater Antec’s $219 Fusion Black 430 PC case hides your custom-built home theater system in a seriously slick shell. Decked out like a stereo receiver, the Fusion has a front panel anchored by a component-style volume control, plus an LCD panel for display- ing media-playback info, such as music-track names. Also included: a 430-watt power supply, and a Windows Media Center Edition- and Vista-compatible infrared remote. The Fusion measures 5.5x17.5x16.3 inches and accepts MicroATX motherboards only. Antec, www.antec.com

Earn your water wings Keeping your overclocked multicore CPU from going into meltdown doesn’t have to involve a knot of hardware and headaches. The $159.95

H20-120 Compact CPU Liquid Cooling Unit from Swiftech is an all-in-one water-cooling system that integrates the pump, CPU cooling block, flu- id reservoir, and radiator into two space-saving units. Swiftech also sells extra tubing and wa- terblocks for adding graphics cards and onboard chipsets to the cooling party. Plus, an optional bracket lets you install the radiator/reservoir unit outside your case, instead of inside. The stock kit supports Intel 775 and all recent AMD CPU sockets. Swiftech, www.swiftech.com

Switcheroo—with audio, too Most keyboard/video/mouse (KVM) switches let you share a single monitor and set of input devices between two or more PCs—but what about your speakers? IOGear’s $159.95 MiniView Micro DVI PS/2 KVM Switch solves that sticky sound problem by incorporating audio switching. You can even switch the video/input and audio signals independently, letting you, for example, listen to music on one PC while working on another. Plus, a handy hardware pushbutton lets you toggle between PCs with a tap, if you don’t want to meddle with keyboard hotkeys. A DVI-input monitor is required. IOGear, www.iogear.com Yecfkj[hiêff[h$YecDel[cX[h(&&-Yecfkj[hiêff[h$YecDel[cX[h(&&-/)' Yecfkj[hiêff[h$Yec%êmje

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Deep space Build your dream system inside the $199 Cooler Master Cosmos 1000. This hulking-yet-slick ATX case has room for almost anything you might want to cram into a custom-made PC: six removable trays for hard drives, as well as five 5.25-inch front-accessible drive bays. Noise-deadening material lines the side panels, and a removable channel helps direct airflow onto your graphics cards. Make sure you have room for it, though: at roughly two feet deep and two feet high, think Jupi- ter, not Mercury. Cooler Master, www.coolermaster.com

The case for minimalism With its minimalist aesthetic, Sunbeam’s $69.99 Tuniq 3 case provides high-end looks at a moder- More power, please! ate price. (The construction is mostly steel, with Need more juice for a new watt-hungry graphics card, an aluminum-and-plastic front panel.) This ATX but dread the rewiring hassle of replacing your main midtower looks sedate on the outside, apart from power supply? Spire’s $79.99 NitroPower VGA Booster cold-cathode lighting in the base, but features a can untangle the problem. It’s a supplemental power welcome innovation on the inside: An unusual supply that mounts in a 5.25-inch drive bay. This second- bracket that lets you suspend several fans at the ary supply has two discrete 12-volt, 20-amp rails with a case’s midpoint for extra CPU or graphics-card peak output of 450 watts. Four PCI Express power con- cooling. And with seven front-accessible drive bays nectors help handle extreme graphics-power needs, up (five of them 5.25-inch) and seven PCI-card open- to Quad SLI. Go forth and game! Spire, power.spire.nl ings, you won’t soon run out of room for parts. Sunbeam/Tuniq, www.tuniq.com.tw

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'&*Del[cX[h(&&-Yecfkj[hi^eff[h$Yec ® ORDER NOW & RECEIVE $10.00 OFF YOUR PURCHASE. CALL TOLL FREE OPEN SUNDAY IF ORDERING BY PHONE, MENTION THIS OFFER TO THE SALESPERSON. IF ORDERING ONLINE, ENTER 1-800-960-2237 PROMOTION CODE “LBG” UPON CHECKOUT. HOLIDAY HOURS or 718-645-1818 SINCE Mon. -Thurs...... 9:30AM-10:30PM 1979! FAX 1-718-228-8727 After Thanksgiving ...... 9:30AM-11:00PM ORIGINALLY FROM Orders and WORLDWIDE 5 FERNWOOD AVE, RARITAN CENTER, EDISON, NJ 08837 C.O.D. Friday ...... 9:30AM-5:00PM OLD ORCHARD Inquiries can now be SHIPPING Saturday...... Closed E-Mailed BEACH, MAINE to us at: ALL MERCHANDISE IS BRAND NEW & FACTORY FRESH! After Thanksgiving Sat....6:00PM-11:00PM [email protected] wwwwww.abesofmaine.com.abesofmaine.comSunday ...... 10:00AM-7:00PM DIGITAL CAMERAS 30 DAY 35MM NIKON D80 DIGITAL SLR NIKON COOLPIX S51 NIKON DIGITAL CAMERAS MONEY BACK NIKON N80 D200 ...... In Stock! Coolpix S50 ...... NEW! • 10.2 Megapixel Digital SLR • 8.1 Megapixel USA WARRANTIED D80 ...... 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:MQAF? :9KA;K@GOLG:MQ K@GHHAF?KH=;K MONO OR COLOR With some color laser printers falling L`]Ja_`lDYk]jHjafl]j well below the $300 mark, it’s becoming easier to add splash to your documents 8OB;II>K without sacrificing speed. Monochrome models still offer a better value when you factor in performance, however.

RESOLUTION The maximum number of dots per inch (dpi) a printer creates, measured both horizontally and vertically, is its print resolution. A 600x600dpi laser printer can therefore print 600 dots across by 600 dots down within a 1-inch square. A 600dpi resolution is suitable for everyday printing. If you need to create more-professional-looking documents, though, look for models that can print at 1,200dpi or 2,400dpi.

SPEED This spec indicates the number of pages per minute (ppm) a printer can output. Speeds will be lower when printing a mix of text and graphics, or if you are printing in color. Keep in mind that actual print speeds tend to be slower than the ones manufacturers quote, because they use draft-quality settings instead of real-world ones. Lexmark E450dn CONNECTIVITY Nearly all new laser printers will have a USB 2.0 interface, but if your computer 9khja[]k^gj[YhYZd]dYk]jhjafl]jk[gflafm]lg\jgh$egj] can’t support it, USB 2.0 is backward- Yf\egj][gfkme]jkYf\keYdd%Zmkaf]kkgof]jkYj]YZd] compatible with USB 1.1. While not opti- mal, USB 1.1 is still fast enough for laser lgY^^gj\l`]ima[c$k`YjhgmlhmlgfdqdYk]jk[Yfhjgna\]& printing. If you want to share a printer in @]j]Ìko`Ylqgmf]]\lgcfgolgha[cl`]Z]kldYk]jhjafl]j a small office, consider a model with an Ethernet port for its networking capabil- ^gjqgmj`ge]gjkeYddg^^a[]& ity. Even better, some printers support wireless printing using Wi-Fi. )=H;7J8KOI

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Dell 1320c Brother HL-4040CDW Lexmark E450dn (www.dell.com, $229) (www.brother-usa.com, $499.99) (www.lexmark.com, $599) Who says you have to spend a ton to get Whether it’s for a home or a small of- If all you want is a monochrome sharp color output? Nicely priced, the fice, the HL-4040CDW color laser is easy workhorse that can churn out pages 1320c is no slouch in the speed depart- to set up and churns out excellent-qual- of text at a quick clip, try the E450dn. ment. You won’t get office-friendly fea- ity text. Built-in 802.11b/g Wi-Fi lets you Prints look good, and the duplexing tures such as duplexing or an expand- share the printer among PCs without function helps you save paper. Our able paper tray, but its small footprint messy cables. You can also purchase only gripe: At this price, you shouldn’t makes it a good fit for home users. (See high-capacity toner cartridges to save have to pay extra for additional our review on p. 34) money in the long run. paper capacity.

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