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PC Authority > Magazine > Issue 102, May, 2006

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Authors
- Nick Ross (10)
- Tim Dean (3)
- Dave Stephenson (1)
- David Kidd (1)
- Leigh Dyer (1)
- James Morris (1)
- Chris Taylor (1)

Magazine

Australia's premier computer magazine, PC Authority gives you the facts, opinions and insight to make informed PC and tech purchasing decisions.

What's in this issue

This issue’s 17-page, three month investigation into inkjets and ink costs is one of the most comprehensive tests we’ve done. We collected a mix of entry-level, mid-range, and premium inkjet printers and subjected them to quality and speed tests, and most importantly, running costs. Ink is one of the most expensive liquids per millilitre, and any inefficiency here can dramatically increase the cost per page. Throughout the life cycle of the printer, your ink costs may exceed the cost of the printer itself, so it’s madness to simply look at the initial price of the printer to make a value judgement. Even more staggering is the amount you’re spending per print on even the most efficient printer. At close to a dollar for a 6 x 4 inch print, you’re spending well over the cost of running off a set of prints at your average photo developer. Naturally, this raises another very valid question: why should you bother printing at home in the first place? The costs certainly are higher on paper, but when you look at the convenience, control and quality of your home printer, the overall cost balances out.

We also looked at the other side of imaging with our special 32-page handbook. These are all professional tips to help you tweak and edit your photos, as well as techniques to take better photos in the first place. Turn to the back of the book to get started.

Finally, it’s survey time again. To continue to improve the magazine, we need to know what you think of the magazine, what you want, and who you are. If taking part in helping shape PC Authority into the magazine you always wanted doesn’t get you motivated, we’ve also scored a whopping $10,000 in prizes to give away. Head to www.pcauthority.com.au/survey and get started.

Articles in this issue

Avid Liquid 7
Editing performance with HDV remains sluggish, but DV-editing ability is formidable.

Commandos: Strike Force
Another 2D strategy game classic makes the jump to 3D.

Compaq Presario V2418AU
Right now, this is the best bargain to be had in the notebook world.

Dell Inspiron 630m
The Inspiron 630m is Dell’s first 14-inch widescreen notebook.

Galactic Civilizations 2
Turn-based space strategy is back, and better than ever before.

GameDude X Gamer Ultimate ‘Zeus’
Thou shall not cast the name 'Zeus' around with careless abandon, unlesseth one can backeth up claims of PC godliness.

Gigabyte Nvidia GeForce 7600 GT
All hail the successor to the mighty mid-range 6600!

Inno3D Nvidia GeForce 7900 GT
A full $300 less than the flagship 7900 GTX, but still a damn fast card for extreme gaming.

Lite-On SHM-165H6S, SHM-165P6S02C, SHW-160P6S02C
Always the enthusiasts favourite optical drive, Lite-On delivers as expected with its new range.

Moore’s Laws flawed?
How can the most over hyped yet misrepresented ‘law’ form the lynchpin of the computing era? Tim Dean busts some of Moore’s Myths.

Myth busting
Tim Dean thinks technology evangelists have a knack of embracing new ways on one hand, and ignoring the good old ways on the other.

OpenBook Z62F
A solid but unremarkable notebook offering a good set of features and excellent warranty.

Optima WorkPro K8X
A killer system in the sub-$1500 sweet spot.

Real World Computing: Linux licensing
Get your licensing shop in order before you build you new server.

TI AMD FX60 Extreme
The dual-core version of AMD's premium FX-series enters the game, and nothing can stand in its way.

Triple Play: Voice, data and TV on one line to your home.
More functionality with less complexity. That's what convergence means. Tim Dean peers behind the hype of triple play.

Twinhead F10D
Small, powerful and relatively cheap. This baby notebook is an ideal travel companion.

XFX GeForce 7800 GS
Possibly the last great AGP graphics card, and it's quite the powerhouse.

What's on the disc

ASHAMPOO PHOTO ILLUMINATOR 2*
At first glance, Photo Illuminator looks like yet another image browser, with its Explorer-like interface, thumbnail views and search features. It is a decent example of the type, but the real power comes in the programs wizards, which include as flexible a range of graphics tools as we’ve seen anywhere.

ASHAMPOO WINOPTIMIZER PLATINUM SUITE
Getting your PC optimised normally involves installing a host of specialist utilities, learning their individual quirks, and hoping they’ll all work together. There is a simpler way. Ashampoo WinOptimizer Platinum Suite 2 provides many of the most common PC cleanup and management functions in a single, straightforward interface, making it much easier to keep your system running at peak performance. Click ‘Get Free Key’ during installation.

TIMESHIFT
What do you add to the latest 3D first-person shooter? Another dimension, of course. Stop, slow down and reverse time to save the world in this action adventure.

JAWS PDF EDITOR 2.5*
Jaws PDF Editor takes over where Adobe Reader leaves off, giving you the power to manipulate PDF files without having to go back to the original document. Although it doesn’t let you edit the text directly or create PDF files from scratch, the program does offer several features that you’ll find immediately useful. Visit www. jawspdf.com/en/promo and enter the magazine code auseditor25.

TRANSLUTION LIGHT*
In a world full of software audio players, it takes something special for one program to stand out from the crowd. The MAGIX approach is to try and win you over by sheer weight of features and they’ve certainly crammed plenty into their Music Manager 2006. Some functions displayed on the interface, like the Music Search feature, are only available via the Upgrade deal.

MOTION ARTIST 2*
Creating a stylish Flash-driven website doesn’t have to involve buying expensive development tools or bulky scripting manuals. MotionArtist 2.0 replaces all the usual complexity with point-andclick animation settings and simple mouse movements, letting you create effective Flash animations in minutes.

Register your copy at http://www.e-frontier.com/go/ma2_pcw

*Online registration required

FREEWARE

7-Zip 4.32
CubicExplorer 0.75
Desktop Sidebar v1.05
Build 111
EssentialPIM 1.71
First Page 2006 3.00
FontPage 3.0
Gigaget 1.0.0.21
Gsplit 2.0
HTTP Debugger 2.2
InternetFileSize 3.6
JetStart Free 3.18
Mail Enable Standard 1.9
PFrank 1.47
Pricepirates 3.0
Process Explorer 10.05
Prospector Lite 3.0.2229
PSP Video 9 1.74
Quotes 2006.2.1.1
SmartFTP 2.0.993.27
StudioLine Photo Basic 3.2
TrueCrypt 4.1
Unlocker 1.8
Visualizer Photo Resize(Free) 4.5
WPanorama 6.4.1

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Back Issues

Issue: 144 November, 2009	Issue: 143 October, 2009
Issue: 142 September, 2009	Issue: 141 August, 2009
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Article Topics

card chip code core CPU Dell devices disc disk drive DVD game licence nbsp notebook Nvidia open source performance phone processor project service test video voice

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