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Skip Navigation LinksPC Authority > Magazine > Issue 120, November, 2007

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PC Authority Issue: November, 2007

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

Issue: 120  |  November, 2007

What's in this issue

WHAT'S IN THE MAG?
  • Who's killing windows?
  • Long Life Laptops
  • NEW iPod and iMac
  • All-in-one printers
  • DIY computer fixes

    WHAT'S ON THE DVD?
  • Iolo Anti-Virus
  • Ubuntu Linux
  • Bioshock Demo
  • Avery Wizard
  • Back up for all

    It’s a bold claim to say that Windows is on the way out, but after using Vista for the best part of a whole year, I’m still less than impressed with it. Even Macs have been catching my eye lately (unthinkable a year ago) but the benefits of a company controlling software and hardware seem to be paying more dividends than ever before – especially now computers, phones and technology in general are becoming ever more complicated or performing ever more complex tasks.

    Google and Linux are also making inroads on traditional Windows turf. Google is, well, Google, but Linux has already moved from the exclusive realm of the geeks to being supplied preinstalled on Dell PCs. If you want to give it a go we’ve supplied the latest version of one of the most popular distributions, Ubuntu, on the cover disc this month.

    Other observant readers will have noticed that PC Authority is in the process of turning ten years old and we’ll be celebrating next month.

    Finally, it’s your final chance to enter our Reliability and Service Awards survey. The survey closes at the end of October and we’re hoping to hit the 10,000 response mark to make it the most authoritative Australian tech survey ever. Just by entering you could win one of over 60 prizes worth a combined $40,000. Go to www.pcauthority.com.au/survey for more details.

  • Articles in this issue

    Abbyy FineReader 6 Sprint Plus
    Decent OCR performance on automatic settings - but woe betide you if you'd prefer to do the driving.

    Acer TravelMate 5720G
    A superb package for the price, with plenty of power. Only the unambitious battery life lets it down.

    Adobe After Effects CS3 Professional
    Yet another leap forward for After Effects, which cements its status as the leading PC video compositing tool.

    Adobe Premiere Pro CS3
    Not only slightly cheaper than the last version, but now Encore CS3 and OnLocation CS3 are included too.

    All-in-one printers
    Print, scan and copy with one device; we round up six of the best all-in-ones.

    An eye for an iPhone
    A first generation product nails it. Microsoft must be scared. Jon Honeyball thinks so.

    Apple iMac
    A stunning design backed up by great performance and good value for money.

    Apple iPod classic & iPod nano
    There’s now very little reason not to buy an iPod. These are simply superb.

    Archos 704 WiFi
    UMPC-like features and a spacious hard disk make the Archos appealing, but it’s only good for entertainment.

    Asus EAH2600 PRO/HTDP/256M
    A useful card for more relaxed gaming, and a quiet cooler to boot.

    Asus Xonar D2
    Great audio, but gaming ability hinges on the success of Dolby and DTS

    Billion BiPAC 7300GX
    A great choice for anyone who needs a backup to their broadband connection

    Civilization IV - Beyond the Sword
    The cream of the turn based strategy genre just got deeper.

    Dell Latitude D630
    Great design and build quality are coupled with a stunning nine-hour battery life, and it’s affordable too

    Dell XPS 420
    Fantastic design and highly-configurable power make this XPS useful, desirable and good value.

    Dell XPS M1330
    Very fast for some applications, but poor gaming performance and strong competition reduces its appeal.

    Epson Stylus CX6900F
    A great scanner, but the poor printer and lack of networking limit its appeal.

    Excel BV-660
    Quad core at this price is fantastic, but it’s not as fast as it should be.

    HP Photosmart C5280
    Cheap, easy to use and quick. But the quality on offer lets it down.

    IRIS Readiris Pro 10
    If you find a scanner bundled with this software, it'll be hard to resist.

    Lexmark X9350
    A great value all-in-one printer that stands out because of its wireless printing ability.

    Philips 220WS8FB
    An ideal choice for the office, with good image quality and a barebones styling to keep costs down.

    ScanSoft OmniPage 4 SE
    What you should expect if a cut down version of Omni Page comes bundled with your scanner.

    Security: Business Supplement
    Do you have a business or are in charge of a business’ tech security? Get some tips from PC Authority’s experts.

    Shuttle XPC Barebone SG33G5
    Not very competitive on price, but there’s plenty of scope for performance

    Sony VAIO VGN-TZ18GNX
    Some interesting technology, married with superb performance – and a huge price tag.

    Sony Walkman NW-A805
    Great in day-to-day use, but poor software and high price dent its appeal.

    Symantec Norton Ghost 12
    Now a true all-in-one package thanks to file and folder backup, but it can’t match Acronis for value.

    Try the Vista "skin" for Windows XP
    Is Windows Vista just a visual facade on top of Windows XP? Find out by trying this convincing themes pack. Click to learn more.

    What is Acer thinking?
    Can Acer really compete with Dell, HP and Toshiba? PC Authority analyses Acer’s new direction.

    What's on the disc

    PC Authority Issue: 120
    Full version Software
    Avery Wizard 3.1
    Backup4All 3 Lite
    Genie Backup Manager Pro 5
    Iolo AntiVirus

    Entertainment
    BioShock (Demo)
    FIFA 08 (Demo)

    Freeware
    AbiWord
    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 2.2
    PDFCreator 0.9.3
    The GIMP 2.2.13

    Editorial
    Real World Benchmarks
    Creating a burned CD-R from an ISO image with DeepBurner
    Download Firefox extensions

    Windows
    Ad-Aware 2007 7.0.1.6
    Adobe Reader 8
    AVG 7.5.446 Free Edition
    EditPad Pro 6.2.2
    ExplorerXP 1.07
    Google Desktop Search 4
    Google Earth 4 Beta
    Microsoft Windows Media Player 11
    RocketReader 8.20
    Spybot Search & Destroy 1.4
    True Launch Bar 4.1
    Tweak UI
    WinRAR 3.62
    WinZip 11.0
    Zone Labs ZoneAlarm Firewall

    Internet
    AOL Instant Messenger 6.1
    Crazy Browser 3.0 Beta2
    CWShredder 2.19
    Diino 4 Trial Account
    FileZilla 2.2.32
    Google Toolbar 4.0
    Mozilla Firefox 2.0.0.6
    Mozilla Thunderbird 2.0.0.4
    MSN Messenger 7.0 (98/ME)
    Portable Firefox 2.0.0.6
    Remote Administrator 3.0
    SpamBayes 1.0.4
    Trillian Basic 3.1.6
    Windows Live Messenger

    Patches
    ATI Catalyst 7.3 Control Center Package (XP)
    AVG Free Edition Updates
    DirectX
    Norton AntiVirus definitions update
    NVIDIA Forceware drivers for the FX, 6000. 7000. and 8000 series GPUs. Version 162.22 (Vista)
    NVIDIA Forceware drivers for the FX, 6000. 7000. and 8000 series GPUs. Version 162.13
    NVIDIA Forceware drivers for 7800 and 7900 GO Series Version 84.63 (Laptops)
    Spybot Search & Destroy Update
    VIA HyperionPro drivers 5.12A
    Realtek AC'97 Codec
    Realtek AC'97 Codec (Vista)
    Realtek High Definition Audio Codecs
    Realtek Realtek High Definition Audio Codecs (Vista)

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    For editorial queries, please contact:
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    wmaher@pcauthority.com.au

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    Deputy Editor, PC Authority
    zbaxter@pcauthority.com.au
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    Group Advertising Manager, Print and Events
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    Back Issues

    November, 2009
    Issue: 144
    November, 2009

    October, 2009
    Issue: 143
    October, 2009

    September, 2009
    Issue: 142
    September, 2009

    August, 2009
    Issue: 141
    August, 2009

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