Dear readers,
There is a known issue with PC Authority's recent cover discs involving Windows' Autorun feature on some systems. For those who have had difficulty using PC Authority's cover disc, please follow these instructions:
1) Insert the cover disc in your DVD drive
2) Hit cancel if Windows' Autorun dialog appears
3) Open Windows Explorer
4) Right-click the disc icon in Explorer and select 'Open' or 'Explore' -- do not double-click the icon
5) Navigate to index.html and double-click to open it in your default Web browser
We apologise for the inconvenience, and will have the problem rectified in the April 2007 issue of PC Authority. If you have sent us a damaged disc and have not received a reply, please contact us immediately at cd@pcauthority.com.au.
Regards,
The PC Authority Team
On this month’s DVD, we’ve got full versions of Ashampoo WinOptimizer Platinum 3, Holiday & Events Designer and MAGIX Ringtone Maker 2006 Silver.
We also have a bumper Christmas collection of games, including Splinter Cell: Double Agent, Tasty Planet, Sid Meier's Railroads, Combat Wings Battle of Britain, DEFCON, Dominions 3 of the Awakening, F.E.A.R. Extraction Point, Melbourne Cup Challenge, Open Season, Pro Evolution Soccer 6, Space Empires V, Star Wars Empire at War: Forces of Corruption, Zoo Tycoon 2 and Marine Mania.
Despite some welcome additions and good components, this Acer notebook is left wanting.
Wi-Fi is a great feature, but image quality is lacking.
The new model in Benq's V series may just be an evolution, but under the skin there's a power revolution.
Canon’s SLR fails to make the enormous splash of its predecessors, but it’s still a great camera in its own right.
A beautiful example of high technology, but we have reservations about the ultimate quality of images.
Capable of reproducing good photos, but it’s slow, a bit expensive to run and has a poor scanner.
With huge LCDs, underwater capabilities and high resolutions for under $450, now is the time to buy.
Small, light, quiet, cheap to run and with great image quality, the Dell retains its coveted A-List position.
This brand-new projector is expensive and rather noisy, but image quality is excellent.
An almost perfect security suite, combining simplicity and solid protection with excellent value for money.
Enjoy your music on the move: we try out five of the best flash-based MP3 players on the market.
A marvel of programming, art and science.
Useful for the very basics, but it’s early days for Google’s latest venture.
Good colour reproduction at a bargain price.
While HP’s strength in photo printing is once again proved, mono prints take too long and the scanner is poor.
Good photo quality and a large touchscreen make this the A4 inkjet to buy.
Performance per watt has taken a backward step, but it’s very fast with the right apps.
Great ergonomics are let down by a few mediocre components and limited portability. But some features will tempt many.
Cheap to buy and run, the X5470 is great for mono printing, but less so for photos and images.
A mixed bag of features, with some fundamentally flawed defaults and too many opaque alerts.
Much improved, but IE still lags behind Firefox 2 in terms of innovation, features and security.
Expensive, but the features are packed in. Just note the lack of Wi-Fi and some strong iPaq competition.
Some useful features and cheaper than TomTom’s One. But there are some issues.
The wide range of features and a degree of HD-readiness are welcome, but the DLP rainbow effect can spoil things.
Added features and fixed bugs mean that Firefox remains our browser of choice
A great reason to buy into iPod. It’s good value, though its required accessories can add up.
This flash memory chip includes the full functionality of USB thumb drives. Amazing.
Bright, well featured and cheap to run. But the Dell is better.
Image quality is reasonable, but there are far better cameras available for less.
Interesting technology, but noisy and expensive to run.
A great piece of hardware, backed up by BlackBerry’s legendary services.
A bargain printer that’s well worth considering if you only need occasional colour.
Too noisy and basic to seriously compete, even at this price.
A truly silent firewall, reduced system impact and an improved interface finally make Norton attractive.
Windows Vista is here, but does Microsoft’s ground-breaking OS live up to its promise? We put Vista through an extensive road test.
The poor remote and menus outweigh its other merits.
We test and rate 9 of the best portable presentation devices around.
The pick of the two 1kg units, but still behind the Dell.
Microsoft has started from scratch with Vista’s networking features — but are they any better than those found in XP? We log-in and find out.
Microsoft has always included a number of bundled applications with Windows, but Vista takes it further than ever. Here’s a look at the main attractions.
Will a beefed-up firewall, User Account Control and disk encryption make Vista
a safer choice than XP?
Is Vista’s suave new interface and menu system window dressing or a radical improvement in usability?
We help you determine whether your current PC can run Vista and which version of the operating system best suits your needs.
Jon Honeyball laments the features that got away in the final Vista build.
Microsoft prepares to take on the portable music player industry's heavyweight: Apple. Would you believe it?
