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1976 Chevrolet Camaro
I had a 1998 Corvette. It had 11 computers, networked serially. It was an amazing pain in the posterior. The same held true for my '93 Firebird Formula, '94 Trans Am
GT, '95 Z28, and '96 Z28 SS --although all to a lesser extent thanks to a lower computer count.
Iomega StorCenter Network Hard Drive
Desktop Pipeline, December 05 2005
If you've got several networked systems trying to access your multimedia files, Iomega's new StorCenter may be the answer.
Three One-Touch Hard Drives
Desktop
Pipeline, October 18 2005
External hard drives
from Maxtor, IOGear, and Seagate let you back up your data at the touch of
a button.
Hauppauge Computerworks WinTV PVR-250
Long Island (NY) is the home of Hauppauge Computer Works, the makers of, as far as I'm concerned, some of the best TV tuner/capture cards/devices in the known
universe.
NetGear Storage Center SC101
InformationWeek,
October 13 2005
Storage Center is a
credible addition to any SOHO or home network, with a level of
installation and operational simplicity a relative novice or work-weary IT
admin will appreciate.
Scaled for Portability
Systems
Management Pipeline, October 12 2005
Small hard drives are
in. Ranging in size from 0.85 inches to 3.5-inches, theyve migrated out of
our desktop PCs and into portables, hand-helds, Pocket PCs, cameras, and
MP3 players. Now theyve wandered off on their own, as stand-alone devices
that offer better data portability and backup features than available than
floppies or CDs. We compare two of them.
Intel Joins The Dual-Core Wars
InformationWeek,
September 15 2005
The new HP Compaq dc7600
is one of the first systems to employ Intel's new dual-core Pentium D CPU.
How does it compare to AMD's X2?
Belkin's Faster, Cheaper MIMO Router
Networking
Pipeline, September 15 2005
Belkin is first to
market with a MIMO Wi-Fi router for small offices and homes that cracks
the $100 price barrier. The best part: It works.
Supercharge
Your Pointing, Clicking, And Tapping
Desktop
Pipeline, July 28 2005
Keyboards and mice are
SO last year. There are a ton of new, cool, innovative devices for
delivering input to your PC.
Plextor
ConvertX PVR PX-TV100U
Personal
Tech Pipeline, September 07 2005
You have a few options
when you want to add television and video to your computer: Gut your video
card and replace it with an all-in-one model; add a TV turner card; or
take the incrementally simple step of plugging in a USB-based TV tuner
like Plextors ConvertX PX-TV100U. A year ago, the ConvertX and its $99
MSRP would have been great news. Times change, however, and, with current
alternatives, the PX-TV100U could end up being not ready for prime time.
Mobil Crossing's WayPoint 200 PDA
InformationWeek,
September 01 2005
Though this GPS-enabled
unit has some nice features, our reviewer gave this device a thumbs-down
in many areas.
Four Pocket-Sized Hard Drives
InformationWeek,
August 25 2005
It's a small world for
your data, as proven by these portable one-inch hard drives from Archos,
Imation, Seagate, and Sony.
A Pocketsize Backseat Driver
InformationWeek,
June 02 2005
The MIO 168RS is both a
GPS gadget and a full-featured PDA. It's powered by an Intel XScale 300MHz
CPU with 64MB of SDRAM memory, and runs Windows Mobile 2003 Second
Edition. It has a 3.5-inch TFT Active Matrix LCD display with 240x320
resolution in 64K colors as well as a tiny speaker and microphone.
AMD's X2 Pushes The Barrier
Systems
Management Pipeline, June 01 2005
One of the first
dual-core AMD systems out of the gate, Cyberpower's Ultra Workstation 3000
is scary fast. But whether it sits at the top of the current pantheon of
powerful PCs depends on what you'll be using it for.
Fretlight:
A Gymnasium For Your Fingers
Personal
Tech Pipeline, May 12 2005
If you've never picked
up a guitar in your life -- if you think a "fret" is something
to worry about, a "chord" is a measure of wood, or a
"bridge" is something you'll find over troubled waters --
Optek's Fretlight 421 Standard guitar is not for you. But if you can
already read music and play the guitar, Fretlight can help you get better
faster.
The
Inexact Science of Homemade RAID
Storage
Pipeline, April 08 2005
Columnist Bill O'Brien
suffers from a bad case of RAID envy -- and finds that it's not that easy
to build his own.
'Powerful'
And Easy Home Networking
Personal
Tech Pipeline, May 26 2005
Why endure the pain of
wiring your home with CAT 5 cabling or deal with the limitations of
wireless when your home is already wired for networking?
A ThinkPad That's Also A Tablet PC
InformationWeek,
June 30 2005
The ThinkPad X41 already
is a highly-regarded ultraportable, but now Lenovo has added a version
with a built-in Tablet PC. Our reviewer takes this unique device out for a
spin.
Antec Phantom Power Supply
Antec's newest power supply is called the Phantom. That's because "Fanless" didn't sound as sexy. I kid you not (well, about the name, yes), the thing has no fan! It's a power supply wrapped in a huge
heatsink.
Antec Super LANBoy
"Hear that? It's a LAN party calling you. So take your game on the road with Super
LANBoy. Its durable anodized aluminum body packs 9 drive bays. Two low-speed 120mm fans, including one with mesmerizing blue
illumination.
WinBook PowerSpec 9262
WinBook is known more for its laptops, but with the PowerSpec 9262, the company shows that it also knows how to put together a serviceable desktop. For $1,839, WinBook gives you a potent system for day-to-day computing, but there's nothing overly compelling about this machine.
Sony Handycam DCR-DVD100
The Handycam DCR-DVD100 is the entry-level option in Sony's trio of DVD camcorders. It shares many features and benefits with its upscale siblings but has its own set of flaws.
Sony Handycam DCR-DVD300
Overall, this is a solid camcorder, but we recommend it to DVD-recording diehards only.
Sony Handycam DCR-PC350
The 3-megapixel Sony Handycam DCR-PC350 camcorder is an absolute jewel in all the important areas; it delivers quality video and stills in an extremely portable package. But among its few imperfections is a horrendously complex menu system.
Dell Dimension 4700
More than just a minitower for the masses, Dell's new Dimension 4700, boasts a slew of new technology that should keep it happily humming atop your desk for years to come.
ABS Ultimate X5
The ABS Ultimate X5 is a decent choice for gamers who want a system that can moonlight as a DV-editing box when the gaming day is done.
Create a blockbuster vacation video
Groans shouldn't be the first thing you hear when you pop in a home movie. The sound of someone snoring shouldn't follow shortly after you hit Play, either. And if the room empties before you even cue up your video, you have big problems.
Alienware Aurora ALX SLI
Two graphics cards and unparalleled support highlight the pricey but powerful Alienware Aurora ALX
SLI.
PC Club Enpower Silencer
PC Club's Enpower Silencer solves the desktop noise dilemma without sacrificing performance. If only its support were more substantial.
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CMP
Best Bits: Motherboard Integration as Profit Center, Part 1
Desktop Pipeline, November 18 2005
PC makers like what moving functions such as audio and video from add-in cards to the motherboard does for their bottom line. Should you?
Best Bits: Motherboard Integration as Profit Center Part 2
Desktop Pipeline, December 02 2005
Video integrated on the motherboard rather than a separate add-in card? Balderdash! (Translation: "It is a repugnant concept and even more vile in execution")
Best Bits: Of Mice and . .
Er, Persons Part 2
Desktop Pipeline, November 03 2005
You've zoomed from side to side, up and down, all at the speed of high-resolution mice. You've got fast, but how do you get pixel-perfect precise? Here are some fast and friendly mice.
Best Bits: Of Mice and . . .
Er, Persons, Part 1
Desktop Pipeline, October 20 2005
Over the years, we've built better mice. Gone are the internal wheels. Optical components are much more precise, and cover the screen faster. The trick is to both cover large distances and give you pixel-precise control.
Best
Bits: Monitor Spotting, Part 3
Desktop
Pipeline, October 13 2005
LCD displays don't
flicker -- but in a way, that's a disadvantage. They smear instead, and
for really fast screen action a CRT with a high refresh rate can give you
more visual bang for a lot fewer bucks. Really.
Best
Bits: Monitor Spotting Part 2
Small
Business Pipeline, September 26 2005
Tackling those pesky
generalities from last time about the benefits of LCDs versus CRTs should
prove interesting, if not downright contentious at times.
Best
Bits: Monitor Spotting, Part 1
Small
Business Pipeline, September 12 2005
Hopefully it wont upset
you very much to know that youve been lied to. But if you think the answer
to "Which is better, an LCD or a CRT?" is a no-brainer, you've
been . . . misled.
Best
Bits: Powering Up -- Part 2
Desktop
Pipeline, September 06 2005
The power supply is an
important component of your PC, not chopped liver, but you could buy them
both the same way -- by weight.
Best
Bits: Powering Up -- Part 1
Desktop
Pipeline, August 26 2005
Anybody can buy a power
supply. You point (and click, if youre on the Web), hand over your cash or
plastic equivalent, and youre on your way. But did you get the right one?
Best
Bits: Built DRAM Tough - Part 2
Desktop
Pipeline, July 28 2005
If you know EDO and BEDO
DRAM aren't Hungarian soccer players, then you're ready for the second
half of the Best Bits tutorial on dynamic RAM technology.
Best
Bits: Built DRAM Tough - Part 1
Desktop
Pipeline, July 14 2005
Trying to make sense of
random access memory (RAM) technologies that change between breakfast and
lunch can leave you with a bad case of chip indigestion. Here's a guide to
sorting it all out.
Best
Bits: Getting a Good (Thermal) Pasting - Part 2
Desktop
Pipeline, July 04 2005
Resticking a heatsink to
a CPU isn't brain surgery -- it's trickier than that. Here's how to do the
job.
Best
Bits: Getting a Good (Thermal) Pasting - Part 1
Desktop
Pipeline, June 16 2005
If you could stick a
suction cup to a cinderblock you wouldn't need thermal compound. You
can't, so you do -- and it's not even that easy.
Best
Bits: What's The Buzz?
Desktop
Pipeline, June 02 2005
The faster a CPU runs
the faster the cooling fan has to run to keep up. If you're hearing more
noise from inside the case it may be your PC's way of telling you it's
willin' to do more chillin'.
Best
Bits: The Nuance of Overclocking, Part 3
Desktop
Pipeline, May 20 2005
After two columns
describing what you're going to do, are you stoked to overclock? Good. The
time has come -- but there's still work to do.
The
Best Bits: Overclocking, Part 2
Desktop
Pipeline, May 05 2005
I know you're sitting
there, poised to dive into your BIOS and start tweaking, but first, some
really scary warnings.
Best
Bits: Clocking In, Part 1
Desktop
Pipeline, April 22 2005
Overclocking is a PC
tradition. It's part technology, part necromancy, and it can even be fun.
Best Bits: The Sound and the Fury
Desktop
Pipeline, March 25 2005
When it comes to
speakers, you'd better check out what you need before you get what you
want.
Best Bits: Speakers of the House -- Part 1
Desktop
Pipeline, March 11 2005
Tired of that dinky pair
of powered speakers that were packaged with your PC? You probably have
more upgrade options than you realize.
Best Bits: Driven To Change - Part 3
Desktop
Pipeline, February 25 2005
What if you need another
hard drive but don't have a spare drive bay?
Best Bits: Driven To Change - Part 2
Desktop
Pipeline, February 11 2005
Slavery was abolished a
long time ago -- except for hard drives. Here's the details on installing
a new drive.
Best Bits: Driven To Change - Part 1
Desktop
Pipeline, January 28 2005
Do you have to delete
six files every time you download a new Firefox extension? Maybe it's time
to consider a new hard disk.
Best Bits: Some Of My Best Fans
Desktop
Pipeline, January 14 2005
For the first column
in his new series --offering hardcore hardware trips & tricks -- Bill
gives advice on keeping the noise down.
PC Magazine
(with Alice Hill)
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