PC & Tech Authority Magazine Issue: October, 2009
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Issue: 143 | October, 2009

About PC & Tech Authority Magazine:

Australia's premier computer magazine, PC Authority gives you the facts, opinions and insight to make informed PC and tech purchasing decisions. Every issue is packed with the latest products, reviewed by an expert team of technical writers and guarantees more Aussie exclusives and first looks than any other Australian PC magazine.

Trusted for its reliable & objective product reviews, the foundation of the magazine is the comprehensive and thorough evaluations of every product tested by the tech team in our Labs. Its readers are both PC enthsusiasts at home and small-medium business decision makers at work.

The October, 2009 issue of PC & Tech Authority is available in the following formats:
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In the October issue of PC Authority, on sale now:

Your Ultimate Home Entertainment Box.
Instead of sitting in front of a computer to watch movies on the web into the lounge room along with digital TV and your DVD collection? From digital TV to Blu-ray, movies on demand and TV downloads, Adam Turner compares the hardware.



Massive Netbook Megatest
There is a vicious battle going on in the world of laptops. On one side sit the budget machines, on the other the burgeoning tribe of netbooks. In this group test we try a massive 25 ultraportables and provide you with our verdicts.
 

64-bit Windows – should you switch?
64-bit editions of Windows have been available for several years now, and most new processors are capable of running them, but the majority of us are still running a 32-bit OS. With Windows 7 about to launch, we ask if the time is right to switch.


AMD Motherboards
For power on a budget, AMD’s Phenom II processors can’t be beaten; we’ve tested four boards to partner onea with.



On the Disc: Demigod
The All-Father has vanished, creating an opening in the pantheon. Wage war to ascend to true godhood.
 


On the Disc: Ashes Cricket 2009
Revised, improved and better than ever - take revenge and lead the Aussies to victory.
 


 

Head to your nearest newsstand now and get your copy!

 

What's on the Disc?

* Demigod demo
* Bryce 6.1
* Ashampoo Music Studio 2009
* Magix Music Maker Silver 15.0.1.9
* Paragon Hard Disk Manager 9.5 Special Edition

Articles in this issue

Ableton Live 8 offers enormous scope for musicians to experiment

Ableton’s flair for innovation shows no sign of diminishing. This is the best version of Live yet.

Acer's Aspire X5810 offers good value for an Intel Core 2 Quad system

Slim and stylish, this isn’t the most powerful quad core we’ve seen, but it’s by far the cheapest.

Asus Eee PC 1000HE beats netbook competition in price and power

Not the most attractive, but this Eee PC defies expectations. Another machine that's going onto our netbook shopping shortlist

Asus Eee PC 1005HA, solid battery life and reasonable value

If you can’t stretch to the Samsung N110, the 1005HA makes an excellent lower-cost alternative

Aywun A1-V8 Heatsink is too hot to miss for PC enthusiasts

The best value heatsink we’ve tested for all sockets and systems.

Benq Joybook Lite U121, why it should be on your netbook shortlist

It’s lovely to look at, with a full size keyboard and glorious screen. See why the Benq Joybook Lite U121 is one of the best rated in our latest netbook roundup

Canon EOS 500D performs well, but remains an expensive step up to HD video

The Canon EOS 500D is capable of great results, but a wallet-draining way of getting HD video on a DSLR.

Cowon D2 + 8GB MP3 player can't compete with comparable iPod Nano

MP3 fans will either love or hate the Cowon D2+ design, a player squarely aimed at the iPod crowd - but with more multimedia options that most Apple offerings for the same price.

Flip's Mino HD might just be the best value mini HD camcorder around

Small, sleek, easy to use and capable of producing excellent results, no matter where you are.

G Data Internet Security 2010 is another average anti-virus alternative

A simple package whose two detection engines ensure great malware detection,
but it fails to inspire in other areas.

HTC's Touch Diamond2 might just be the best smartphone since the iPhone

Well made, lots of goodies and an improved interface make this the best touch-only phone from HTC so far.

Is Nvidia's GeForce 3D Vision the next big thing in home entertainment?

Nvidia’s long-awaited 3D kit finally arrives and when it works, it’s every bit as good as we’d hoped it would be.

Is the HTC Touch Pro2 the ultimate business smartphone?

The Touch Pro2 is the ultimate corporate smartphone in terms of features, but it’s just too big and beefy.

Kaspersky Internet Security 2010, a powerful contender for the security crown

A powerful and capable suite with some excellent features, although it isn’t the easiest to use, nor the cheapest around.

LaCie d2 Network (1TB): a silver media box for your lounge room

This aluminium storage box is a prime candidate for a living-room media network, especially if you need 1TB of storage space.

Lenovo T400s, an incredibly lightweight ultraportable for business use

Lightweight but perfect for heavy duty business, this ultraportable is sure to impress.

LiveScribe Pulse Smartpen 2GB is the best notebook dictation gadget we're ...

A digital notetaker that records sounds, meetings, interviews and the like - for later transcription. Perhaps the best dictation gadget you're likey to find on the market.

MSI's Wind NetOn AP1900 fails all-in-one PC promise with underpowered nettop

Neither cheap nor beautiful, MSI’s Atom powered nettop is sadly second among equals.

Nero BackItUp & Burn - slightly costly backup software delivers

Combines simplicity with more advanced backup features, but rival products offer more for less.

Nokia N97 smartphone fails with confusing OS and poor keyboard

Packed with features, but the keyboard is terrible and the touch-enabled OS confusing.

OmniPage Professional 17, turns piles of papers into searchable documents

It may be costly, but if you need accurate OCR for mass document digitisation, this package fits the bill admirably.

Panasonic HDC-S20 impresses with budget quality HD camcorder

An entry-level HD camcorder with an identity crisis, but at this price, it puts quality in the hands of everyone.

Plantronics GameCom 367 Gaming Headset: impressive quality and less than $50

Satisfyingly clear audio from a relatively cheap pair of closed ear headphones. The Plantronics GameCon headset gets our seal of approval

Samsung N120 netbook builds on quality, but can't surpass better Samsung models

A good quality netbook pipped at the post by its own stablemates.

Seagate's Barracuda 7200.12 1TB, a fast,quiet and affordable A-list hard drive

Strong performance and noticeably quieter than its predecessor. The Barracuda 7200.12 1TB is more than good enough for an OS drive, but also good bottomless storage for your movies and music

Sennheiser CX 380 Sport lets you wash your earphones after every workout

Washable, rugged headphones perfect for sports and work-outs, these just might be the perfect addition to your mp3 player.

Sony Vegas Pro 9 is a video editor worth exploring

It’s missing a couple of key features, but nevertheless, Vegas Pro is highly sophisticated and quick to use for serious video editors.

Sony's A330 DSLR is a small step backwards for the dependable Alpha range

The A330 is a competent, fully featured and easy to use DSLR, but a backward step in some respects.

Why Samsung's N110 is our new A-List netbook

Superb build quality, battery life and usability – quite simply the best netbook around

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