* The world's biggest operating system is here - read our essential Windows Vista upgrade guide and lab review!
* Save money, power and the environment - Green computing explained
* Running out of space? read our Network attached storage (NAS) lab test!
* Hollywood's fiction is today's reality - Technology from Sci-Fi feature!
* Tomorrow's fuel cell power systems! 25 hour notebook batteries
This month we have easily the fastest desktop computer we’ve ever seen – the most powerful desktop computer in Australia, at the time of testing. Never before have we seen our reference PC so completely floored. For the first time, its dual-core capabilities look positively rubbish next to the power of Quad-core, especially in multitasking. We’ve also got our comprehensive seven-page review of Windows Vista in the lab, getting into the nitty gritty of every key component and judging whether you should buy it. After that, get stuck into our five-page Vista upgrade guide, to find out what hardware you’ll need to cope with Microsoft’s latest operating system. Elsewhere, we also review the new Fujitsu Lifebook, the Samsung 225BW LCD monitor, the new Palm Treo and the Nikon D40.
On this month's DVD, enjoy full versions of Explorer View, Webrtoot Spysweeper 5, Nova PDF 3.3, Ashampoo Music Studio 2007, ePrivacy Suite Home, G-Data Internet Security 2007 and Website X1.
We've also got some great entertainment in the form of four vital game demos: Atari's intense action-strategy title BattleStations Midway, the vividly supernatural first-person-shooter demo of Infernal, the multiplayer demo of Warhammmer: Mark of Chaos and fl0w, a PlayStation 3 launch title.
FULL CONTENTS
Full Version SoftwareAshampoo Music Studio 2007
ePrivacy Suite Home
Explorer View
G-Data Internet Security 2007
Nova PDF 3.3
Webroot SpySweeper 5
Website X1
Windows Vista ToolkitAdvanced Vista Codec Package 4.2
Auslogics Disk Defrag 1.1.1
Belarc Advisor 7.2
CCleaner 1.36.430
FireTune for Firefox 1.1.3
FlashGet 1.8.0.1
IcoFX 1.0 beta
MCE WebGuide for Windows Vista 4.005
Stardock StyleVista 0.10
StudioLine Photo Basic 3.12.3
TweakNow RegCleaner Standard 3
TweakVI
TweakVista 0.85
Vista Shortcut Overlay Remover 1.2
Vista SideBar Styler
Vista Start Menu 2.1
VistaBootPRO 3.1
vLite 0.7 Beta
FreewareAbiWord
Ambient Design ArtRage
Audacity
DeepBurner Free 1.8
GIMP help files
GTK+ 2 Runtime Environment v2.10.6 (required for installation of the GIMP)
Open Office 2.1
PDFCreator 0.9.3
The GIMP 2.2.13
GamesBattlestations Midway
fl0w
Infernal Playable demo
Warhammer: Mark of Chaos multiplayer demo
MusicBennie James MP3 tracks
EditorialReal World Benchmarks
Creating a burned CD-R from an ISO image with DeepBurner
PC Authority NAS Labs Technical Report
Updates - WindowsAd-aware SE Personal 1.06
Adobe Reader 8
AVG 7.5.432 Free Edition
EditPad Pro 6.2.1
ExplorerXP 1.07
Google Desktop Search 4
Google Earth 4 Beta
LP Recorder 8
Microsoft Windows Media Player 11
Spybot Search & Destroy 1.4
True Launch Bar 4.1
Tweak UI
WinRAR 3.62
WinZip 11.0
Zone Labs ZoneAlarm Firewall
Updates - InternetAOL Instant Messenger 6.0
Crazy Browser 3.0 Beta2
CWShredder 2.19
Diino 4 Trial Account
FileZilla 2.2.30
Google Toolbar 4.0
LeechGet 2006 v201650
Mozilla Firefox 2.0
Mozilla Thunderbird 1.5.0.7
MSN Messenger 7.0 (98/ME)
Portable Firefox 2.0
Remote Administrator 2.2
SpamBayes 1.0.4
Trillian Basic 3.1
Windows Live Messenger
Updates - Patches ATI Catalyst 7.1 Control Center Package (XP)
AVG Free Edition Updates
DirectX 9.0c
Norton AntiVirus definitions update
NVIDIA Forceware drivers 81.98 (95/98/ME)
NVIDIA Forceware drivers 93.71 (2000/XP)
NVIDIA Forceware drivers for 8800 Version 97.92
Spybot Search & Destroy Update
VIA HyperionPro drivers 5.11A
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
If your PC is lacking storage space then give it some extra room with these four internal hard disks.
Why do GNOME and KDE compete for the Linux desktop?
For those who don’t own version 9, a few improvements should put this at the top of your shopping list.
Breathe some life into your old PC in time for a Vista upgrade with these budget AGP video cards.
Brief reviews of new products, plus updates on items we've already featured.
Brief reviews of new products, plus updates on items we've already featured.
Lite-On’s DVD writer was our A-List choice for almost a year. At the time we said it was practically perfect – offering compatibility with every format, plus Lightscribe, for a bargain price. But Asus has managed to trump it.
Battery capacity has proven to be a serious barrier to true mobile computing. Tim Dean looks at how the technology is evolving.
In the ocean of World War Two action games currently available, this is one release that swims above the school.
Great performance, near-silent running and the FTP server make the Buffalo a great alternative to the Maxtor.
Expensive but solidly built – a fast way to get superbly vibrant A3 prints.
Fuel cell power technology seems to hold great promise. We ask what fuel cells would be like to live with.
Great quality, great features, great price.
Want great sound but not the cable mess of a 5.1 system? A stereo or 2.1 set is what you need.
Custom design watercooling and some judicious overclocking make for a showstopping performance and price.
Plenty of features for such a small box. If you don’t already have a wireless router, this is a fantastic choice.
Attractive styling and a long lens will tempt some, but we recommend spending more on a real SLR.
A decent multimedia notebook, but it’s not exciting enough for the price.
An excellent all-in-one, particularly when it comes to photo quality, but it’s possible to get more features elsewhere.
Not the fastest or quietest here, but it does offer some unique business benefits.
Superb performance, quiet running and excellent value for home use, especially if you want to stream media.
Stacks of potential, but current hardware is underwhelming and the client software a mess.
Share and back up music, photos, video and documents on your network with a high-capacity NAS drive.
Good performance and handling, low price and far better quality than any digital compact.
A great combination of power, features and downright value.
Quad-core makes it powerful and good value at the price. Noise and stability suffer though.
Palm has embraced Microsoft, creating a neat 3G business phone in the process.
Add a TV tuner and you can make the most of Media Center, which is bundled with Vista Home Premium and Ultimate.
Relive the joy and excitement of the Cricket World Cup or a fast One Day International.
The height-adjustable stand and good image quality make it a worthy rival to the best 20in models.
Packed with features, and with great performance, the only disadvantages are the price and the short warranty.
Tandberg delivers an innovative hard disk-based alternative to tape for small-business backup operations.
Not all webcams will work in Vista, so we examined three Vista-ready models to find the best.
One of the cheapest 500GB drives here, but this is reflected in the lack of features and slow transfer speeds.
