PC Magazine - 2009 11.pdf - Libertad Zero

22263033FIRST LOOKS16 SOftwareNorton Internet Security 2010Adobe Photoshop Elements 8iTunes 9Plus Quick Looks22 HARDwareLenovo ThinkPad T400SFujitsu LifeBook T5010Getac 9213Epson Stylus NX515AVADirect GT3Plus Quick Looks30 Consumer ElectronicsApple iPod touch (3rd generation)Apple iPod nano (5th generation)Microsoft Zune HDPlus Quick Looks36 businessNAS drives3M Pocket Projector MPro120Fujitsu ScanSnap S150076 the best stuffletterS5 feedbACkTECh newS7 front SideDigitizing medical records DIYstyle;the FCC’s report on broadband;a supergeek on reality TV;our gift guide for travelers.OPINIONS2 fIrst Word:Lance Ulanoff42 John C. Dvorak44 Sascha Segan46 Dan CostaSOLUTIONS66 Wi-Fi routers revealedhere’s everything you need toknow about “n” and “g” beforebuying your next router.70 office/osMaking the most of Win 7 libraries.74 Tech tipsFind Wi-Fi on your iPhone, speedup Vista, and more.PC Magazine Digital Edition, ISSN 0888-8507, is published monthly at $24.97 for one year. Ziff Davis Media Inc., 28 East 28th Street, New York NY 10016-7940.NOVEMBER 2009 PC MAGAZINE DIGITAL EDITION

FeedFeedLETTErsThe Nano is No CamcorderIn response to Tim Bajarin’s column “TheiPod nano: The New Family Video Camera,”I’ve seen the comparison of videos shot bythe iPod nano versus other devices, includingthe Pure Digital Flip camera. The nanosuffers in comparison.I don’t understand Bajarin’s statement,“I am still a big advocate of still images andcontinue to see their value.” The Flip MinoHD takes 720p videos, as well as lets youcapture individual frames from those videos,which look better than the images frommy digital camera. The photos are widescreen,too, but if you don’t like that, crop itas you like to a standard photo perspective.You enjoy your nano, Mr. Bajarin. I’ll enjoymy much-better Flip Mino HD and ZuneHD.—J. BernardiDon’t Forget the AdapterWhy is it that when I read an article suchas your guide “How to Buy a Wi-Fi Router,”there is never a mention of the correct wirelessadapter that goes with each router? Donot assume customers know enough to getone. Yes, if they have a wireless card already,it will probably work. However, if anyone isreplacing the router for speed and rangeissues, he or she will need to get the correspondingcard/adapter to get close to thedesired performance.—“Codaman12”You Spoke Too ZuneIn Wendy Sheehan Donnell’s piece, “ZuneHD Reviewed: Can’t Touch the iPod Touch,”she doesn’t realize that Microsoft hascaught up to the iPod touch. The Zune HD,which I actually own, is excellent. Insteadof just bashing the competitor, I have triedthe touch myself, and found the interfacecounterintuitive. So I waited for an alternative—andthe Zune is it. The apps will comeas they are developed. If the free games andapps Microsoft already has released are anyindication, the Zune is very exciting. Did youexpect 100,000 apps out of the box? Theupdated Zune Marketplace is perfect. Sure,there are not many apps yet, but all of theother media content is there, and there isplenty of it: TV shows in HD, plenty of podcasts,and thousands of albums, videos, andso on.As for the Zune player itself, it works perfectly.The HD radio is amazing, and thescreen is perfect—better than the touch.how to contact us We welcome your comments and suggestions. When sending e-mail toFeedback, please state in the subject line which article or column prompted your response.E-mail pcmag@pcmag.com. All letters become the property of PC Magazine and are subject toediting. We regret that we cannot answer letters individually.NOVEMBER 2009 PC MAGAZINE DIGITAL EDITION

FEEDbackThe Web browser is also very fast. I’d recommendactually using the device before bashingit.—“Grooper”Gnutella is Here to StayIn your news story, “LimeWire CEO: FirmHas Added P2P Protections,” what thosepoliticians, and apparently the author, failto realize is that LimeWire is not a networkbut simply one of many programs peoplecan use to connect to the Gnutella network.Because Gnutella is an open network,nobody can claim ownership or control overthe people who use that open and publicnetwork.Don’t forget that Gnutella was designedfrom the ground up to be totally decentralizedso that no person, company, or evenwhole leagues of nations can tamper withor shut it down. Trying to blame LimeWirefor what happens on Gnutella is like tryingto get Microsoft to block all porn on theInternet. The end result would be the same:Real people would ignore the misguidedattempts. Sheer force of numbers gives thepublic an advantage over anyone trying totake away such a freedom.Peer-to-peer technologies like Gnutellaand BitTorrent aren’t going away. Nor will thedesire of the public to explore the wealth ofknowledge and culture these technologieshave made available.—Aaron Walkhouse

FrontWhat’s New from the World of TechYour Chart,In the CloudThe Web offers an answer to the conundrum of digitizingmedical records.Everything about healthcare these dayshas become a hot-button issue, even downto digitizing medical records. This was oneof Barack Obama’s top technology talkingpoints on the campaign trail. But sofar, progress on this front has been slow.According to a report co-authored by Universityof Virginia economics professorAmalia Miller, a big hindrance to gettingmedical records digitized is privacy protection,such as HIPAA and state regulations.So while doctors, hospitals, and insurancecompanies are dragging their feet, the Webhas stepped up as a way for individuals totake matters into their own hands. Specifically,companies such as Google and Microsoftare creating ways to put your chart inthe cloud.For example, Google Health, whichlaunched in October, lets users importNOVEMBER 2009 PC MAGAZINE DIGITAL EDITION

frontsideWhile doctors, hospitals, and insurance companiesdrag their feet, the Web has stepped in.their medical records, fill prescriptions,get lab results, set up text-based pill alerts,and keep track of immunizations. The servicehas partnered with pharmacies likeWalgreens and CVS, as well as the AmericanHeart Association and medical testingfacility Quest Diagnostics. Users can optto share their information with such partners,but currently such sharing is an all-ornothingventure. You can’t choose to shareonly portions of your records (functionalityGoogle says is coming soon).For those who feel the Web opens theirmedical data to prying eyes, Roni Zeiger,Google Health product manager, says thatthe records entered into Google Healthremain completely private.“No Google Health user will ever findtheir health information as search results onGoogle,” Zeiger says. “That information isyours and only you have access to it.”Though Google Health has made a bigsplash, Microsoft has actually been in thegame longer, with its HealthVault. Alongwith storing medical records, HealthVaultalso lets you share those records as well asaccess health-related articles.A site named RememberItNow has takena slightly different tack. Instead of servingas an online filing cabinet for your medicalhistory, the site is geared toward caregivers.After uploading the medical recordsof a person you are caring for, you can useRememberItNow to track doctors’ appointmentsand remember medication schedules.The service uses e-mail and SMSreminders, as well as tracks overall wellbeingwith a health journal and other tools.The fee for this service is $24 a month.So how can such services exist amid thestrict HIPAA and state laws? Google Health’sinformation page states: “Unlike a doctor orhealth plan, Google Health is not regulatedby HIPAA. This is because Google does notstore data on behalf of health care providers.Instead, our primary relationship is with theuser.”—Chloe Albanesius, Errol Pierre-Louis,and Erik RheyBEST of the InternetEarth-Touch.comEarth-Touch.com is a Website that posts new naturevideos in both standard andHD. The site even has a tutorialthat shows you the differencebetween HD and SD, soyou can see what you’ve beenmissing.—Alan HenryuQueryuQuery lets you search theApple App Store from yourdesktop without having iTunesinstalled, and also allows youto filter your results based onpopularity, price, date, category,and more.—AHFlightCasterFlightCaster predicts flightdelays using an algorithm thatscours data on every domesticflight for the past 10 yearsand matches it to presentconditions. It even estimatesthe chances of delays.—ErrolPierre-Louis PC MAGAZINE DIGITAL EDITION NOVEMBER 2009

The TruthAbout BroadbandAccording to a new study, “high-speed” Internetmay be an overstatement.The United States may be tops in a lot ofareas, but it turns out that broadbandaccessspeed is probably not one of them.This finding came to light as a result of anFederal Communications Commission( FCC ) t a s k forceprobe into the actualspeed of broadbandconnections acrossthe nation. This reportwill help the FCCbring a plan beforeCongress to spendallocated stimulusdollars.The study found that broadband speedsadvertised by ISPs are generally slower thanthey claim to be. Furthermore, the reportsays that the increasing number of users isputting stress on networks: About 1 percentof all users drive 20 percent of traffic and20 percent of all users drive 80 percent oftraffic. The task force also found that mostInternet applications are currently focusedon communication and entertainment, butthat is evolving into education, job training,business and other productive purposes.Currently, almost two-thirds of Americanshave broadband at home. About 33 percenthave access but have not adopted it, and 4percent said they have no access where theylive. The FCC says that getting broadband toeveryone should be a priority.“The cost of digital exclusion is large andgrowing for nonadopters,as resourcesfor employment, education,news, healthcare,and shopping forgoods and servicesincreasingly moveonline,” according tothe FCC.However, the commissiongoes on to say that if Americanswant more than one provider, guaranteedaccess to fixed and mobile service, or accessin rural areas, they should be prepared tosee the cost of broadband improvementincrease by a few billion dollars. Dependingon the type of speeds you want, investmentwill range from $20 billion for universal768-Kbps to 3-Mbps service all the way upto $350 billion for 100-Mbps service. For amore in-depth look at the FCC’s findings, thecommission has posted all 168 slides fromthe report on its Web site, which you canview by clicking here.—Chloe AlbanesiusNOVEMBER 2009 PC MAGAZINE DIGITAL EDITION

frontsideBEST of our blogsGOODCLEANTECHR Martin Delivers Pedal Power for Only a PennyLeave your car at home and pedal to the office withR Martin’s new line of electric bikes. R Martin hasjust introduced the R10, R11, R12, and R13 models,all of which use crank-style motors rather thanthe previous hub motors. Crank motors are 50percent more efficient, and are better at climbinghills. Using a small electric motor and lithium batterypack, these bikes can travel over 30 miles ona charge and deliver you to your destination withlittle or no pedaling. Riders can pedal or use thevariable speed twist throttle to cruise at up to 20mph. All three models start at $1,199.—Troy DreierSMART DEVICE CENTRALHack Your Palm PreBetween Palm and Sprint, thetwo companies got almosteverything right on the PalmPre, except for one thing:third-party apps. Nonetheless,plenty of enterprising developershave figured out waysaround the problem. If you’relooking to get the most out ofyour Palm Pre, and don’t mindgetting your hands a little dirtyin the process, there are somecool hacks to improve yourPre experience. For example,you can use your Pre as a USBstorage drive because your PCreads it simply as a mass storagedevice. For more hacks,click here.—Jamie LendinoGEARLOGWork in Your Jammies withthe Log PillowFor fans of high design whodon’t want to put their laptopson any old piece of plastic,there’s the Intelligent FormsLog Pillow. Perfect for Webloafing in bed or on the couch,the Log Pillow consists of sixfabric tubes criss-crossed logcabinstyle and attached withsnaps. The “logs” are madefrom a mix of hemp canvas,cotton, and Lycra and filledwith buckwheat hulls. The LogPillow is available for $69 eachat the iF Web site.—Erik Rhey@WORKSymantec: SMBs Not Readyfor OutagesSymantec recently releasedthe results of its 2009 SMBDisaster Preparedness Survey,which basically shows a bigdiscrepancy between howSMBs perceive their disasterpreparedness and their actualreadiness. The company saidthat despite 82 percent ofSMBs feeling ready for disasterto strike (like an outage orhacker attack), it turns out thatthe average SMB has had threeoutages in the past 12 months.Viruses, hacker attacks, andother natural disasters ledthe outage causes, despitethe fact that more than halfof SMBs said they weren’tprepared for exactly thosethings.—JL10 PC MAGAZINE DIGITAL EDITION NOVEMBER 2009

frontsideConnected TravelerThe Traveler’sGift GuideImpress the nomad or road warriorthis holiday season with somehigh-tech travel gear.TomTom One 140-S$199.95 listl l l l mA tried-and-true GPS from a topmaker, the 140-S is packed withfeatures, such as comprehensivemaps of the U.S., Canada, PuertoRico, and Mexico as well as text-tospeechconversion. You even getadvanced features like lane assist,multisegment routing, and more.This is a perfect entry-level GPS fortravelers.CLICK HERE FOR MOREASUS UL30A-A1$775 streetl l l l hThis ultra-thin beauty travels like a netbook buthas the features and performance of a full laptop,with a 13-inch screen, full-size keyboard, a500GB hard drive, ultralow voltage processor,and 10 whopping hours of battery life. All at alower price than most of its competitors.CLICK HERE FOR MOREiLuv i1166 Multimedia Player$269.99 listNot rated (preview only)This brand-new media player is turningheads. If you just want to watch moviesand don’t want to lug your laptop, the i1166is for you. It plays content from DVD or iPods,comes with a remote, and featuresa gorgeous 9-inch screenCLICK HERE FOR MORE12 PC MAGAZINE DIGITAL EDITION NOVEMBER 2009Product name in RED indicates Editors’ Choice.

Samsung Rogue SCH-U960(Verizon)$99.99 list and upl l l l mThis smartphone has a great cameraand video recorder for those impromptutravel moments, as wellas a high-res touch screen andsuperior voice quality.CLICK HERE FOR MOREClickfree Traveler (16GB)$79.99 listl l l l mNot much bigger than a credit card, thisamazing SSD device is a great way to back upyour data on the road. It has an auto backupfeature and is compatible with Macs.CLICK HERE FOR MOREUSBCell BatteriesAA, $19.50 direct.Not reviewedThese super-handy batterieslighten your travel bagbecause you don’t need tocarry recharging cradles forlithium ions. Just plug thesebatteries into your USB portto recharge.CLICK HERE FOR MORENOVEMBER 2009 PC MAGAZINE DIGITAL EDITION 13

frontsideCreativeAurvana X-FiNoise-Canceling Headphones$300 listl l l l hA budget alternative to pricey noise-cancellingheadphones, the Aurvana is a must-have for frequentflyers. They have excellent noise-cancellingability, well-defined bass, and more powerful outputthan the Bose Quiet Comfort 2. And they foldand store easily in the included case.CLICK HERE FOR MOREHTC Touch Pro2 (Sprint)$349.99 direct and upl l l l mThe Touch Pro2 has world-phone capability,so you can use it anywhere. It also hasa sharp screen, great keyboard, and doesdouble-duty as a capable media player.GPS and lots of included software areextra perks for road warriors.CLICK HERE FOR MORESamsung Go N310-13GB$450 streetl l l l mThis flashy netbook comes in fourcolors and has a cool rubberizedfeelto the chassis. Its bigbattery gives you 9 hours oflife, and you get a glass screen,comfy keyboard, and Bluetooth(rarely found on netbooks).CLICK HERE FOR MORE

FIRst looks SOFTWAREAdobe PhotoshopElements 8Standard, $99.99 direct; Plus,$139.99 directL l l l hPros Powerful. Photo recompositionfeature as amazing as its CS4counterpart. Tight integrationwith online services and PremiereElements 8. Extensive selection ofhelp and tutorials.Cons Few major changes fromprevious version. Some tutorialsrequire paid Plus membership.Adobe Photoshop Elements 8Powerful Photo Editingfor Non-ProsJust arrived in its next iteration isPhotoshop Elements 8, the superpowerfulconsumer version of itsindustry-leading Photoshop. Withthe exception of adding a few newfeatures, Adobe decided not to mess withsuccess. Therefore the interface is largelyunchanged. So unless users of Elements7 really want the new features discussedbelow, there’s not much reason to upgrade.But for those without a photo editor, Elementsis the best.The most exciting new addition is theRecompose Photo tool. This feature lets youresize images with respect to their contents,reducing unused or underused space butkeeping the most important parts. Note thatit takes some practice to master this feature.The other editing changes are mostlylow-key embellishments on functions thatalready exist. For example, Photomerge nowalso comprises exposure functionality, lettingyou blend a series of over- and underexposedphotos into one that looks perfectly lit.And Quick Fix previews in Quick Edit modenow let you preview prospective changesbefore you commit to them. Tags are eveneasier to use, and the new Auto-Analyzercan automatically apply Smart Tags to yourfiles. There are also the expanded help sections—somewith video tutorials.Adobe Photoshop Elements 8 remainsthe best option for consumer photo editing.It offers more than the competition ina package that’s as attractive and unthreateningas this kind of software can be.—Matthew Murray>>CLICK HERE FOR MORE18 PC MAGAZINE DIGITAL EDITION NOVEMBER 2009

FIRst looks SOFTWAREApple iTunes 9FreeL l l l mPros Improved iTunes Store.Sync across multiple PCs. IntelligentGenius mixes. Easierapp management for iPhoneand iPod touch. Growingmovie and TV show catalog.Cons Still no unlimitedmusic subscription option.No way to rip or transcodevideo content. Not enough HDmovies or rentals in the iTunesStore.Apple iTunes 9Apple Remixes iTunesiTunes is the default music softwarechoice for just about anyonewith an iPod or iPhone. This alsogoes for buying music. iTunes 9 isa significant update that includesa revamped iTunes Store, proper librarysynchronization across multiple computers(finally), more sophisticated Genius recommendations,and more flexible app managementfor iPhone and iPod touch users. It’s asolid update that cements its status as ourEditors’ Choice for music software.Compared with its predecessor, iTunes 9doesn’t look all that different on first bootup.The one obvious new feature is a popupwelcome screen that offers a selection ofvideos explaining how the app works. Butmost of the big improvements in iTunes 9are under the hood. One of the best is HomeSharing, which finally fixes the media synchronizationprocess across several computers—lettingyou sync all music, movies,TV shows, audiobooks, and apps. The onedownside is that setting and forgetting multiplesystems to sync everything automaticallyworks only for new iTunes purchases.Another welcome new feature is GeniusMixes, which creates miniature radio stationsusing tracks from your library. But perhapsthe most visible improvement appearswhen you fire up the iTunes Store, which hasa completely revamped main view and simplifiedprocess to preview and buy tracks.But there is still no subscription option forunlimited listening or an easy way to managerecorded video. Nonetheless, Apple’siTunes ecosystem remains the most sophisticatedand well integrated for organizingand managing your media.—Jamie Lendino>>CLICK HERE FOR MORENOVEMBER 2009 PC MAGAZINE DIGITAL EDITION 19

MUSICBROWSERTomTom (iPhone OS)$99.99 directRhapsody (for iPhone)Player, free; RhapsodyTo Go subscription,$14.99 a monthZune Marketplace(September 2009)FreeOpera 10FreeL l l h m L l l l m L l l h m L l l h m• Snappy interface and mapupdates• Clear, well-timed voiceprompts• Interface follows bothiPhone and TomTomconventions• Plays music over 3G andWi-Fi• Impressive selection oftracks• Excellent UI makes everythingeasy• Smart DJ Mixes intelligentlyassemble “random”playlists• Quickplay window makesgetting started faster andeasier• Movies now available forpurchase or rental• Clean design• Opera Link syncs yourbookmarks and settings• Turbo speeds up slow connections• Visual tabs give mini previewsof sites• Lacks text-to-speech• No real-time traffic reportsor fuel prices• No lane assistance whenexiting highways• Song delays when streamingover 3G• Low-res artwork• Drains the battery• Doesn’t work without aconnection• Purchases require Microsoftpoints or a monthlyZune Pass• Only the Xbox 360 can playHD content in 1080p• Apps available only forZune HD owners• No longer the speed leader• On-page search andpassword saving less slickcompared with other newbrowsers• No private browsing modeLike its competitors, Tom-Tom left some critical featuresout of this app. Evenso, it makes the iPhone worklike a standalone GPS.Rhapsody for iPhone givesRhapsody users another wayto enjoy their subscriptionmusic and makes Rhapsody-To-Go’s $14.99 monthlyprice tag more reasonable.With the latest edition of theZune Marketplace, Microsoftmakes a significant leapin features and usabilityfor its music store. But it’sstill not ready to dethroneiTunes.Opera continues to innovatewith this latest version,introducing visual tabs andOpera Turbo. But this underdogfavorite is starting tosuffer from speed problems.Visit pcmag.com for the full reviews of these and scores of other software products.NOVEMBER 2009 PC MAGAZINE DIGITAL EDITION 21

FIRST looks hardwareLenovo ThinkPad T400s (Multitouch)A Well-ExecutedMultitouch LaptopTheT400s (Multitouch) incites lustamong business users. It has theThinkPad X301’s exquisitely thindimensions, with a 14-inch LEDwidescreen to boot. It’s the lightestbusiness laptop in its class—and that’s withthe internal optical drive. The latest edition(and bear in mind that this is not a convertibletablet) takes advantage of Microsoft’sTouch Pack and other touch-friendly applicationsmade for Windows 7 and is, barnone, the best implementation of a multitouchpanel yet on a laptop.The T400s is considerably thinner thanthe ThinkPad T400, measuring 13.3 by 9.4 by1.1 inches (HWD), but weighs a bit more thanthe original T400s—4.4 pounds versus 3.9.Unfortunately, the T400s had to unload certainfeatures to achieve this thinness; it hasonly one memory card reader slot and noFireWire port. It does, however, have everywireless technology built-in—3G, 802.11nWi-Fi, Bluetooth, and a GPS chip. And harddrive options include a 128GB SSD.But the big story is obviously the newmultitouch gestures. By tapping two fingerson the screen, you invoke a series of iconscalled Simple Tap. You can also customizescreen icons for commonly used apps andtasks. Though Simple Tap could be a bittemperamental, otherwise the touch featuresworked like a charm.In our testing, high scores were splitbetween the T400s and the T400s multitouchversion. Video encoding scoresimproved by a margin of 6 seconds with theT400s (Multitouch) and outperformed theoriginal T400 by 2 seconds. On MobileMark2007, the multitouch T400s scored 4 hours20 minutes, which trails the T400s by 11 minutes(4 hours 31 minute). There is no supporthere for an extended battery. And the multitouchT400s met our criteria for a GreenTech Approved product, with Energy Star5.0, EPEAT Gold, and RoHS certification,among other factors.Though finding the right businessimplementation for the multitouch screencould prove a challenge, this new T400sis nonetheless an exciting look ahead forWindows 7 systems.—Cisco Cheng>>CLICK HERE FOR MOREISPECS 2.5-GHz Intel Core 2 P9500 processor; 2GB SDRAM; 128GB SSD hard drive; Intel GMA 4500MHD graphics;14.1-inch widescreen; 4.4pounds (5.1 travel); 3 USB ports; 44-Wh battery; Windows 7 Professional (32-bit).22 PC MAGAZINE DIGITAL EDITION NOVEMBER 2009

FIRST looks hardwareFujitsu LifeBook T5010 (Multitouch)Fujitsu’sMultitouchTabletConvertible tablets are and willremain specialized productsthat cater to a certain group ofpeople. Nevertheless, the multitouchLifeBook T5010 is thehallmark of what a tablet user experienceshould be. Though the design lacks style andthe battery life could use some pick-me-up,it now has dual active displays, which workslike this: The pen triggers Wacom’s digitizedpanel, and when you apply a finger (or two),the capacitive touch panel similar to theApple iPhone’s, is activated.The T5010 retains an older chassis that’sjust begging for a makeover. While othertablet makers are using 12-inch widescreens,the T5010 opted to use a 13.3-inch screen,one of the biggest for a tablet. The T5010also has a responsive capacitive touch technology,instead of resistive, so you don’thave to apply pressure against the screen.The multi-touch display recognizes up totwo fingers, and that means you can pinchand rotate photos, Word documents, Webpages, PDF files, and so on. You also get aFujitsu LifeBook T5010 (Multitouch)$1,859 directl l l h mPROS Capacitive touch panel. Support Windows7 Multi-touch. Digitized pen is an excellenttool. Powerful and energy-efficient processor.Mobile Broadband available. Tons ofsecurity features.Cons Clunky design. Tablets are still priceyinstruments. Battery life is below average on asingle battery. 80GB hard drive is more meagerthan those found in netbooks.free upgrade to Windows 7.Though pricey and a bit outdated in termsof design, the T5010 is a convertible tabletthat gives you three vital tools for datainput: a keyboard, a digital pen, and now,multitouch.—Cisco Cheng>>CLICK HERE FOR MOREISPECS 2.53-GHz Intel Core 2 Duo P8700 processor; 2GB SDRAM; 80GB hard drive; Intel GMA 4500MHD graphics;13.3-inch display; 4.8 pounds; 3 USB ports; 63-Wh battery; Windows Vista Business (32-bit).24 PC MAGAZINE DIGITAL EDITION NOVEMBER 2009

FIRST looks hardwareGetac 9213A Laptop With RuggedGood LooksGetac has deep roots in theruggedized space, a companyoriginally geared towardmilitary- and governmentorientedcomputing products.But the Getac 9213 purges the notion thata ruggedized ultraportable should have arough-and-tumble appearance; its stylishmetallic frame looks more like a mainstreamproduct with business-rugged features.With the help of Intel’s low-powered parts,this featherweight delivered more than 5hours of battery life, but the 9213’s toughnessand energy efficiency may not beenough to warrant its bloated price tag.In design, the 9213 is reminiscent of theAcer Aspire 3935, measuring just 12.5 by9 by 1 inches, and weighing 3.6 pounds. Its13.3-inch widescreen clings to the old-schoolaspect ratio (16:10), whereas most consumerlaptops are moving to 16:9. And the 9213’sclassification as “business rugged” means itcan survive 1.5-foot drops, water spills, andshock to its hard drive, but it’s not nearly astough as a fully ruggedized laptop.The 9213 Ultralow Voltage (ULV) processoreliminates clunky fans and has huge benefitsin power savings, but it trails many ofGetac 9213$1,800 streetl l l h mPROS Feathery light. Can sustain drops, spills,and shakes. Efficient battery. Excellent navigatingexperience. Very stylish.Cons Expensive. Mislaid forward-slash key.No HDMI or DisplayPort technologies.its consumer counterparts in performance.Luckily, the 9213’s 3GB of memory can helpoffset some of its performance woes. If youwork with resource-intensive apps, this laptopis probably not for you.Overall, the sleek metallic frame and morethan 5 hours of battery life can competewith the best of them, but until the pricecomes down, I would carefully consider theLenovo ThinkPad X301 or the Acer Aspire3935.—Cisco Cheng>>CLICK HERE FOR MOREISPECS 1.4-GHz Intel Pentium SU9400 processor; 3GB DDR3 SDRAM; 160GB hard drive ; 13.3-inch display; IntelWi-Fi Link 5300 AGN; 3.6 pounds (4.4 travel); 3 USB ports; 58-Wh battery; Windows Vista Business (32 bit).NOVEMBER 2009 PC MAGAZINE DIGITAL EDITION 25

FIRST looks hardwareEpson Stylus NX515Impressive, CapableHome All-In-OneWith the previous NX400, Epsonbucked the trend of designingall-in-ones (AIOs) for home andhome office. It instead focusedjust on home use, with attributessuch as printing photos extremely well.That model missed an Editors’ Choice onlybecause the text quality wasn’t quite goodenough. Well, Epson’s back now with theNX515, and with this model, the text qualityis much improved, and yes, it’s now earneda spot as an Editors’ Choice.The NX515 measures 7.2 by 17.7 by 13.5inches (HWD). The focus on home useshows in the printer’s high quality for photosand scans; the ability to print fromPictBridge cameras, memory cards, andUSB memory keys; the 2.5-inch LCD forpreviewing photos; and a special photocopy feature. And the Ethernet and Wi-Fi connections make it easy to share yoursnapshots. But the lack of an automaticdocument feeder (ADF) and fax modemlimit its usefulness for home offices.This printer scored an impressive 8 minutes32 seconds on our QualityLogic speedtests. Photo speed was less impressive,averaging 2:05 for each 4-by-6 and 4:41 foreach 8-by-10, but the output quality morethan makes up for the moderate speed. AndEpson Stylus NX515$149.99 directL l l l mPROS Extraordinarily fast. High-quality output,particularly for text and photos. Ink is smearresistant,even on plain paper.Cons Only limited potential for the dual roleof home and home office, with features thatconcentrate on home use.this printer offers better-than-par text qualityand fairly typical graphics quality for anink jet.With all of these strengths, plus the convenienceof Ethernet and Wi-Fi connections,the NX515 not only earns its Editors’Choice award with room to spare, but resetsthe bar for what to expect from a homeAIO.—M. David Stone>>CLICK HERE FOR MORE26 PC MAGAZINE DIGITAL EDITION NOVEMBER 2009

FIRST looks hardwareAVADirect GT3 Core i7 Gaming SystemA Pint-SizeGaming BoxNomad gamers who findthemselves rolling fromplace to place know thatportability can be almost asimportant as performance.The AVADirect GT3 is made for them. Thisgaming desktop has a compact chassis, yetboasts a full-blown Core i7 quad-core processorand high-powered ATI Radeon HDgraphics card. Thanks to its manageablesize and reasonable weight, the GT3 is amore practical gaming rig for LAN partiesthan the humongous speed machines.The GT3’s mostly ABS plastic chassis (tokeep weight down) measures about 15.5 by4.5 by 12.5 inches (HWD) and uses an internalriser card system that turns the graphicscard orientation 90 degrees to fit a full-sizegraphics card. Because of the cooling needsof a quad-core processor and dual-widthgraphics card, the very noticeable fansmake quite a din. There are also customizationoptions for some of the componentsbut not much room for expansion.This system was a very good performeron our 3D games test, returning smooth,playable numbers for both Crysis (81 framesAVADirect GT3 Core i7 Gaming System$1367.26 directl l l h mPROS Compact gaming rig with carryinghandle. Decent 3D performance. No bloatware.Fits full-sized cards. Nice price.Cons Carbon fiber look is a decal. System isloud. No digital card reader. Upgrade/serviceabilityis awkward. Only 350W power supply.per second) and World in Conflict (93 fps)at our standard 1,280-by-1,024 resolution.The GT3 also finished our Windows MediaEncoder test in 34 seconds. In the nichemarket of hard-core gamers, the GT3 makesa good argument for buying over building.—Joel Santo Domingo>>CLICK HERE FOR MOREISPECS 2.66-GHz Intel Core i7-920 processor, 6GB DDR3 SDRAM, 500GB SATA hard drive, ATI Radeon HD 4850graphics, DVD±RW drive, ten USB 2.0 ports, one FireWire port, one eSATA port, Windows Vista Home Premium(64-bit).NOVEMBER 2009 PC MAGAZINE DIGITAL EDITION 27

Quick looks HARDWAREDESKTOPSLAPTOPSGateway DX4300-03ASUS K50IJ-C1$680 streetHP ProBook 4310s$880 directGateway LT3103u$380 street$749.99 listL l l m m L l l h m L l l h m L l l h mPROS• Multimedia oriented• New styling• Device tray on top• Included TV tuner• Built-in Wi-Fi• Cheap desktopreplacement• Numeric keypad included• Big, bright screen• Good battery life• Fast hard drive• Matte screen minimizesglare• RJ11 and fingerprintreader• Lightweight• Generous, atypical11-inch widescreen• Full-size keyboard• 2GB of memory• Big hard drive• Competitively pricedCONS• No Blu-ray drive• Lots of bloatware• Short 60-day subscriptionto Norton InternetSecurity• No HDMI-Out• Design is a little boring• Mouse buttons makeclicking sounds• Boxy, thick design• Only 37-Wh batteryavailable• Not enough battery lifefor road warriors• Battery life falls short ofits rivals• Bland designBOTTOM LINEA middle-of-the-roadquad-core desktop for themultimedia enthusiast,the DX4300-03 is good at alot of things, but great atnothing.The K50IJ-C1 is as cheapas a desktop replacementlaptop can get without sacrificingtoo many featuresor too much performance.The HP 4310s is inexpensiveand comes with a nicemix of business and consumerfeatures, but makesure you buy an additionalbattery.The Gateway LT3103u goesagainst everything thatcoined the term netbook,but you’ll like the price,11-inch screen, and the fullsize keyboard.SPECS2.4-GHz AMD PhenomX4 9750 processor; 8GBSDRAM; 1TB hard drive;1GB ATI Radeon HD 4650graphics; DVD±RW drive;Vista Home Premium (64-bit).2.1-GHz Intel Core 2 DuoT6500 processor; 4GBSDRAM; 250GB hard drive;15.6-inch screen; Atheros802.11g Wi-Fi; 5.7 pounds46-Wh battery; Vista HomePremium (32-bit).2.2-GHz Intel Core 2 DuoT6670 processor; 4GBSDRAM; 320GB hard drive;13.3-inch screen; IntelWi-Fi Link 5100 AGN; 4.6pounds; 37-Wh battery;Vista Business (32-bit).1.2-GHz AMD Athlon64 L110 processor; 2GBSDRAM; 250GB hard drive;ATI X1270 graphics; 11.6-inch screen; 3.2 pounds;56-Wh battery; WindowsXP Home.Product name in RED indicates Editors’ Choice.28 PC MAGAZINE DIGITAL EDITION NOVEMBER 2009

Apple iPod touch(3rd generation)8GB, $199 direct; 32GB, $299; 64GB, $399L l l l lPros Best touch-screen portable media player, period. Increased capacities atlower prices. Faster processing ideal for gaming. Top-notch Web browser. iTunes improvementsinclude Genius Mixes, Genius-based app recommendations, andapp organization.Cons Bundled earbuds still stink. Audio file support doesn’t include FLAC orOGG. Browser still lacks Flash support.NOVEMBER 2009 PC MAGAZINE DIGITAL EDITION 31

FIRst looks CONSUMER ELECTRONICSApple iPod nano (5th generation)New Nanois BetterThan EverRemarkably, the latest iPod nanolooks almost identical to its predecessor,but this player packs somuch more into its small frame: Avideo camera, an FM tuner (a firstfor iPods!), a pedometer for joggers, and alarger screen. Priced at $149 for 8GB and at$179 for 16GB ($20 less than last year’s 16GBplayer), this nano is more affordable andcapable than any similarly priced player outthere—a hands down Editors’ Choice.Aside from seven bright new colors, thenew nano’s body is otherwise identical tothe 4th-generation device. The screen,however, is significantly larger—2.2 inchesas opposed to 2 (it may not sound like alot, but on such a tiny player, that 0.2 inchmakes a big difference), with a slightlyhigher resolution. The included earbuds actas an antenna for the new FM radio—finally.The big news here is the inclusion of a videocamera, a mic, and a built-in speaker on theback panel. Nonetheless, video capture wascrisp and vibrant (despite the low 640-by-480 resolution), rivaling footage from minicamcorders. You can even choose from 15effects, such as Sepia, Film Grain, and evenApple iPod nano (5th generation)16GB, $179 direct; 8GB, $149L l l l hPros Built-in video camera, mic, and speaker.Larger display, but same-size frame as previous-gennano. Excellent user interface. NewGenius Mix feature. Adds an FM tuner and apedometer.Cons So-so file support. Video camera can’tcapture still images. Ships with Apple’s signaturesubpar earbuds.Thermal and X-Ray. Unfortunately, the cameracan’t capture still images and the micisn’t great. Even so, no other media playerhas built-in video.While the iPod touch has seen manychallengers, the nano doesn’t have a seriousenemy. Nothing else in this price rangecomes close to its ease-of-use and gracefuldesign.—Tim Gideon>>CLICK HERE FOR MORE32 PC MAGAZINE DIGITAL EDITION NOVEMBER 2009

FIRst looks CONSUMER ELECTRONICSMicrosoft Zune HDZune Aimsfor AppleAfter years of trying, hasMicrosoft finally beat Appleat its own game? Well, notquite. But the fantastic ZuneHD certainly gives the iPodtouch some worthy competition. The lackof a robust App Store is the only drawbackfor the Zune HD, which otherwise flauntsa beautiful touch-screen, an excellent userinterface, HD radio, and the best browserwe’ve seen since the Apple’s mobile Safari.While the touch is a better touch-screenplayer, the Zune HD is a close second.A very good-looking gadget, the 16GBZune HD is Onyx Black and the 32GB versionis Platinum Silver. This Zune has asmaller, lighter frame than the iPod touch,measuring 4.0 by 2.1 by 0.4 inches (HWD)and weighing just 2.6 ounces. However, theZune’s 3.3-inch OLED screen is noticeablysmaller than the touch’s 3.5-inch LCD, butvideo still looks great on it. The touch andZune HD seem nearly identical in touchscreensensitivity.Microsoft’s software updates, however, arestill clunkier than Apple’s. But once you’reup and running, the software and interfaceare impressive. Also, the Zune HD supportsonly MP3, WMA, and unprotected AAC files.The best new music feature on the Zune HDMicrosoft Zune HD16GB, $219.99 direct; 32GB, $289.99l l l l hPros Gorgeous multi-touch OLED screen.Intuitive user interface with sharp, goodlookinggraphics. Strong Web browser. Wirelessmusic purchasing, downloading, and syncing.HD radio.Cons Limited HD video support. Very slimpickings in the App section of the Zune Marketplace.is the ability to purchase music wirelessly,thanks to integrated 802.11g. The Zune Marketplacemakes it easy to browse for musicon the player or your PC, but the Apps sectioncurrently has a very limited selection.Overall, Microsoft has shown Apple thatit, too, can make an attractive, easy-to-useplayer. If Microsoft is able to give birth to anApp Store that can rival Apple’s, then therace could get interesting.—Tim Gideon>>CLICK HERE FOR MORENOVEMBER 2009 PC MAGAZINE DIGITAL EDITION 33

Quick looks consumer electronicsSMARTPHONES DIGITAL CAMERAS MEDIA EXTENDERsHTC Hero (Sprint)$179.99 direct and upSony Alpha DSLR-A230$549.99 directCanon PowerShot D10$329.99 listCreative SoundBlaster Wireless foriTunes + Receiver$149.99 directL l l h m L l l h m L l l l m l l l m mPROS• Excellent build• Capacitive touch screen• Lots of new, usefulapplications• Inexpensive• Competitive price• Lightweight• Good image quality• Clever interface guidesbeginners• Fast performance• Top-notch image quality• Waterproof to 33 feet• Freezeproof to 14 degreesFahrenheit• Drop-proof up to 4 feet• Simple, intuitive design• Streams music wirelesslythrough iTunes withoutadditional softwareCONS• Some bugs• Slow Internet speeds• Lousy camera• LCD does not support LiveView• Kit lens produces soft imagesat wider apertures• Still image frame rate is abit sluggish• Twice as thick as mostcompeting rugged cameras• Protective window doesnot prevent fingerprints• No HD-video capture• Inconsistent signalstrength• Included optional softwareworks with PC only• Limited remote controlfunctionalityBOTTOM LINEThe HTC Hero is the bestGoogle Android phone sofar, but it falls just shortof the other leaders in thesmartphone field.The Sony A230 delivers terrificvalue and solid shotsfor an entry-level SLR, butit lacks features such asHD video capture and LiveView.The PowerShot D10 iswater-, freeze-, and shockproof,and it pumps outgreat-looking images, butif you’re looking for a slimcamera, this isn’t it.You’ll find more reliableand graceful wireless audiosolutions out there, butnone can match the priceor the simplicity of thisdevice.SPECSSprint; Android OS 1.5;3.2-inch, 480-by-320 LCD;5.0MP camera; 4.5 by 2.2by 0.5 inches (HWD); 4.5ounces.D-SLR; 10.2MP; SD/MMCcard slot; 3.5 by 4.8 by 2.6inches (HWD); 1.5 pounds.Waterproof point-andshoot;2.5-inch LCD; 35-to-105 mm lens; 12.1MP; SDcard slot; 2.8 by 4.3 by 1.9(HWD).USB; wireless; RF; receiver,1.1 by 2.7 by 3.9 inches(HWD).Product name in RED indicates Editors’ Choice.34 PC MAGAZINE DIGITAL EDITION NOVEMBER 2009

BLUETOOTH HEADSETS GPS SPEAKER DOCKsMotorola Endeavor HX1$129.99 listPlantronicsDiscovery 975$129.99 listMagellan Maestro 4700$299.99 listAltec Lansing Mix iMT800$299.95 directL l l l m L l l l m L l l h m L l l l m• Very good audio quality• Excellent noise canceling• Stellar battery life• Easy-to-understand controlscheme• Stylish (for a headset)• Comfortable fit• Good sound quality• Carrying case doublesas a charger with an LCDdisplay• Responsive touch screen• Detailed voice prompts• Fast route recalculations• Tremendous power• Built-in subwoofer• Doesn’t distort at highvolumes• Works with iPhone• FM tuner• Voice quality isever-so-slightly behindthe top of the class• Stealth mode degradessound quality to othercallers• Poorly placed volumebutton• Noise canceling slightlybehind the top of the class• Takes a long time to locklocation• Inconsistent voice recognition• A little buggy• Not nearly as portable asadvertised• Remote lacks full iPodmenu navigation• No video outMotorola aims for the top ofthe headset class with theEndeavor HX1, a quality unitwith a unique take on noisecancellationtechnology.Plantronics scores againwith the Discovery 975,a slick, chrome-accentedheadset with a uniquedesign and a surprisinglycomfortable fit.A slim and flexible navigationdevice, the Magellan4700 features a big 4.7-inchscreen and serves up clearand accurate turn-by-turndirections.With multiple inputs, theiMT800 lets you play DJ byconnecting up to three MP3players. It also delivers powerful,user-adjustable audiowithout distortion.0.7 by 1.9 by 0.5 inches(HWD); 0.5 ounces.5 hours rated talk time; 0.3ounces.Auto GPS; Bluetooth receiver;4.7-inch touch-screendisplay; SD/MMC card slot;multi-segment routing; MP3support; 3.5 by 5.2 by 0.6inches (HWD).iPod speaker dock; 2.1 channelaudio; wireless remote;2.5-inch, monochromedisplay; 7.7 by 19.7 by 9.3inches (HWD).Visit pcmag.com for the full reviews of these and other consumer electronics products.NOVEMBER 2009 PC MAGAZINE DIGITAL EDITION 35

FIRST looks businessSMALL-BUSINESS STORAGENAS Boxes forSmall BizFor any small business, the need for reliablestorage cannot be underestimated.Sure, the cloud offers a good offsite solutionfor many companies, but what if yourInternet connection goes down (or is otherwiseunreliable)? Having a good onsite storagesolution that’s accessible from multiplelocations will ensure that your vital datastays safe and confidential. Here are threenew entries in the network attached storage(NAS) market we’ve recently reviewedat PC Labs.Acer Aspire easyStore H340The easyStore H340 is a NAS device thatsupports up to 4 terabytes. It is quiet, smallenough to fit on your desk, and runs onlythe basic features of Windows Home Server(WHS). Though this NAS device offers somewelcome conveniences, such as support forAcer Aspire easyStoreH340$400 streetL l l m mPROS Simple-to-use WindowsHome Server interface.CONS Networking nightmareif your PC cannot detect NASwith UPnP. Remote access difficultto setup.CLICK HERE FOR MORE36 PC MAGAZINE DIGITAL EDITION NOVEMBER 2009Product name in RED indicates Editors’ Choice.

Seagate BlackArmor NAS 2202TB, $449.99 listL l l l mPROS Excellent blend of consumer andenterprise features, such as iTunes, FTP,SSL, and UPS management.CONS The help files need improvement.Somewhat difficult to access drives.CLICK HERE FOR MOREDLNA appliances and the inclusion of aniTunes server, the setup is a bit too complicatedfor a networking layman due to someissues with WHS.The H340 comes with a 1TB SATA harddrive, and has three additional drive bays,each with LED lights to indicate each drive’sstatus. The case also includes four USBports, an Ethernet port, and e-SATA port.As mentioned, setting up the drive withWHS was challenging because the serverOS requires using a WHS Connector serviceand Toolkit on network computers. But onthe plus side, WHS has network monitoringcapability and the automated backup featureis highly configurable. The H340 alsoincludes a McAfee Total Protection featurethat scans the NAS folders for malware. Forperformance, this NAS drive is about in themiddle of the pack, yielding 10.3 Mbps withour 504MB test file. So overall, the H340shows a lot of promise, but isn’t for thosewithout some networking experience.Seagate BlackArmor NAS 220Seagate released the 220 as a smaller prosumerversion of its business-class Black-Armor 440. But the company retainedmany of the enterprise features availableon the larger product, so you get the best ofSeagate in this tiny box.The NAS 220 is one of the smallest NASdevices on the market, about one-third thesize of the Acer H340. The case, albeit boring,has a Gigabit network port, plus twoUSB 2.0 ports. The box can fit two drivesfor either a 2GB or 4GB capacity. Seagatebundles a BlackArmor Discovery utility thatfinds the NAS on the network in seconds. Italso has a Web server that displays the NASmanagement pages. Despite its limitedhard drive configuration (uses RAID 1 bydefault), the NAS 220 supports the SMARTNOVEMBER 2009 PC MAGAZINE DIGITAL EDITION 37

FIRST looks businessWestern Digital WDShareSpace4TB, $799.99 directL l l l hPROS Highly intuitive Web interface.Plenty of managementfeatures and storage configurations.Runs cool and quiet.Cons Hard drives are nottruly hot swappable. Help filesfor advanced features aren’talways helpful.CLICK HERE FOR MORE(self monitoring reporting technology) storagemanager. You can also generate an SSLcertificate, and the UPS feature will shut itdown safely if there’s a power failure. Thisdrive clocked 9.4 Mbps when transferringour 1.05GB test file.In short, the versatile NAS 220 comeswith features you would expect in a consumerstorage device as well as a small businessNAS.Western Digital WD ShareSpaceThe ShareSpace NAS is one of the most simple-to-masterstorage devices on the market.It includes top-notch features, such asmultiple RAID configurations and remoteaccessservices, all blended into a simpleuser interface.The WD ShareSpace is a cube-like metalenclosure measuring about 8 inches allaround. The front of the case includes threeUSB ports, with two in the back. The Share-Space has four drive bays, each of which canhold a 1 TB or 2 TB hard drive. The devicecomes configured with RAID 5 out of thebox.Like Seagate, Western Digital includes adiscovery utility that performed as well asthe Seagate tool, and much better than theAcer’s Windows Home Server. It also hasthe friendliest Web interface. In addition toa built-in FTP server, Western Digital providesfree remote access to the folders andfiles using online service MioNet It. The CDalso includes the WD Anywhere Backupprogram. The ShareSpace also bested theSeagate NAS box in performance, averaging11.2 Mbps on our 1.05GB test file. For itscompact size, quiet operation, and superiorsoftware and interface, the ShareSpace isthe best overall package—and our Editors’Choice.—Mario Morejon38 PC MAGAZINE DIGITAL EDITION NOVEMBER 2009

Rock theworld withyour visionof tomorrow.Introducing the Intel® Core i7Custom Desktop Challengewww.intelcorechallenge.comHelp us celebrate the launch ofIntel ® Core i7 and Core i5 processors.Can you design the world’s coolest desktop mod?Submit your creations by November 16, 2009for a chance to win amazing prizes.No purchase necessary. Void where prohibited. You need to be 18 years or older toparticipate. See participating countries and rules at www.intelcorechallenge.com.© 2009 Intel Corporation. All rights reserved. Intel, Intel logo, Intel Core, Core Inside, Core Inside logo,Sponsors of Tomorrow are trademarks of Intel Corporation in the U.S. and other countries.

FIRst looks business3M Pocket Projector MPro120A StylishPico ProjectorPico projectors—defined assmall enough to fit comfortablyin a shirt pocket—don’tqualify as new anymore, butthey’re still rare. Just try usingone in a public space—connecting it toa camera to show a friend some photos,say—and see what happens. You’ll quicklyfind that it’s high on the list of gadgets thatencourage total strangers to come over andstart conversations. That’s particularly trueof the MPro120, which offers a sleek design,a screw-on tripod with flexible legs, and reasonableimage quality that works for bothvideo and data.The MPro120 is about the size and heft ofan electric razor, measuring 1 by 2.4 by 4.7inches (HWD) and weighing 5.6 ounces. Thesolid matte black finish and rounded edgesgive it a decidedly sleek look and feel. Setupis easy, and in addition to the standard VGA/RCA cable, you can buy an optional componentvideo cable (with a cable for iPods andiPhones coming soon).The MPro120 has a VGA native resolutionof 640 by 480 and an LED that’s ratedfor 20,000 hours. However, 3M has madea fundamental change in the engine. Thefirst-generation engine used a white LEDas a light source, while this new engine uses3M Pocket Projector MPro120$350 streetL l l l mPros Fits in a shirt pocket. Connects to computersand video sources. Rechargeable battery.Cons Although brighter than the first-generationversion, it’s still not very bright. Audio isbarely loud enough to be usable.red, green, and blue LEDs in sequence. Thesequential approach is intended to displayricher colors, but it also results in a slightrainbow effect, which means the light areasof a moving image can break up into littlered-green-blue rainbows. Also, the audioquality and volume limit was lackluster.But you do get good battery life, lasting4 hours in Normal mode. All told, the Mpro120 is an attractive choice as both a hard-toresistgadget and a potentially useful tool.—M. David Stone>>CLICK HERE FOR MORE40 PC MAGAZINE DIGITAL EDITION NOVEMBER 2009

FIRST looks businessFujitsu ScanSnap S1500$495 directL l l l mPROS Document and business-card scanner.Rated at 20 pages per minute (ppm), or 40images per minute (ipm) for both sides.Cons Lack of a standard driver means youcan’t give a scan command from within aprogram.Fujitsu ScanSnap S1500ZippyDocument ScannerFujitsu has done a great job ofturning out one impressivescanner after another, ratchetingup performance and featuresover the years. The S1500fits firmly in that tradition, with faster speedand much improved software than the previous-generationS500. I can even make astrong argument that it’s the best desktopdocument scanner in its price class. Unfortunately,it falls just one step short of beingan Editors’ Choice.The S1500’s good looks nicely complementan executive office decor, with its silverand black color scheme and a designthat’s as sleek as any document scannerI’ve seen. The footprint is a mere 6.2 by11.5 inches (WD), and you have the choicebetween opening the front output tray ornot. The S1500 offers roughly a 10 percentboost in speed from the last-generationScanSnap, to 20 pages per minute (ppm)or 40 images per minute (ipm) when scanningin duplex mode (both sides of the pageat once). It shares the same 600 pixel perinch (ppi) optical resolution, which is morethan enough for document scanning, andthe same 50-page capacity for its automaticdocument feeder (ADF). Thoughthe ScanSnap software has a number ofimprovements over the previous version, ituses the Microsoft Office 2007 “ribbon” layout(meaning you’ll love or hate it, dependingon how you feel about the ribbon). Also,you must use the software to scan insteadof choosing another program and scanningusing a standard driver.Though I feel the driver issue is significant,I still recommend the S1500. Simply put, itis hard to find a better choice at this price.—M. David Stone>>CLICK HERE FOR MORENOVEMBER 2009 PC MAGAZINE DIGITAL EDITION 41

jOHN c. dvorakLost ProductivityLamentThere is some unwritten lawor concept that tells us thatcomputers have contributedto worker and individual productivity.The concept is evenembedded in various productivity calculationswhereby just getting a faster machinemeans you have higher productivity.I question this, as I have been with thedesktop computer scene and have had apersonal computer—usually the hottest onearound—since 1976. My productivity as a columnistis obviously improved by word processing,but the difference between a wordprocessor in 1980 and a word processor in2009 insofar as my personal productivity isconcerned shows no difference. It peakedright away.And how many people are writers wherethey can show any productivity at all? Theway I see it, only writers, accountants usingspreadsheets, and graphic artists using Photoshopcan show any real productivity gainsof any consequence insofar as the desktopcomputer is concerned.And, yes, the microprocessors have aidedmachinists and embroiderers, and that doesaffect productivity. But can we balance allthese productivity gains with the downsideof computers? Why isn’t that factored intothe equation?Where Did My Two Hours Go?From the perspective of the desktopcomputer user, the opportunity for thesemachines to steal time is phenomenal. Evergo into a chat room? They are kind of interestingand compelling until you realize thatyou are communicating in one of the slowestand most demanding mediums ever. The relativebaud rate is nil and time is squandered.These chat rooms have almost all evolvedinto social networking quagmires. My daughter,who until recently eschewed Facebook,for example, used to spend her spare timemaking art. She adopted Facebook as a conduitfor keeping up with friends, whom shesees all the time anyway, and now her time issimply wasted writing vapid posts.This is just the tip of the time-wasting42 PC MAGAZINE DIGITAL EDITION NOVEMBER 2009

BlackBerry users are glued to the screen24/7 looking for new e-mail from anyone as iflife and death depended on it.iceberg. Computers give us highly realisticgames that suck people into playingthem for hours on end. And I’d rather noteven want to get into the time-killer calledSecond Life. Here a person actually createsa whole second life in which he or she canwaste countless hours within that structureand waste time as another person.BlackBerry Breeds Social MisfitsAnd, of course, the microprocessoritself has permeated things other than amachine shop lathe. It is in the soon-to-beubiquitoussmart phone. Just watch someonewith a BlackBerry or an iPhone. TheBlackBerry users are essentially glued to thescreen 24/7 looking for any e-mail from anyoneas if life and death depended on it. Andthe iPhone and its crazy apps can waste awhole day of someone’s time.These little devices hijack even normalsocialization. People take phone calls at dinnerin a restaurant, they are constantly lookingthings up on the Web or tracking peopleor scanning the news.As a technologist myself, I have obviouslypromoted smart devices and computers, butI do look around at my own increasing disorganizationand remind myself that I originallygot into computers to get more organizedand more efficient, not less. Instead I got lessorganized and less efficient.Messy Desk? Blame The ComputerWhat’s made me contemplate this dilemmais the discorganization of my physical desktop—youknow, the one with the screen andkeyboard sitting on it. Why can’t I keep itclean? I have to blame something other thanmyself, but I cannot bring myself to clearingit off and keep it clear. On occasion I havebrought in a box and just scraped everythingoff the desk straight into the box then sortedout the box while watching TV. The desk isnow cleared off but within just a few days it’scovered with papers and cables and othercrap and the process has to be re-initiated.I know the computer is to blame. Somehowcomputer usage has made me moreof a slob than I am naturally. I’m absolutelysure that if Marshall McLuhan were alive hecould explain it. It has something to do withthe mouse, or the interactivity or the brightscreen or being in constant contact with toomany strangers or something like that.While I am not sure this lament will do meany good, my advice is simple. Get off themachine! Throw out your iPhone and dosome gardening. Go build something.At least turn off your phone when you arein a restaurant. That would be a start.Dvorak Live on the Web John’s Internet TVshow airs every Wednesday at 3:30 ET on Cranky-Geeks.com. You can download back episodeswhenever you like.NOVEMBER 2009 PC MAGAZINE DIGITAL EDITION 43

SASCHA SEGANA World WithoutApple?Imagine there’s no Apple. Overhere in the U.S., that is a very hardthing to do. But in technologicallyadvanced, mobile-crazy SouthKorea, there’s more iRiver thaniPhone. In fact, there are no iPhones at all,no Apple stores, and far, far fewer iPods onthe Seoul subway than I’ve seen riding thesubway in New York.That made me think: What if Steve Jobshad never returned to Apple, and the companyhad crumbled as was widely expectedin the 1990s, or just stayed a second-tier PCmaker? Would the world’s tech market looka little more like Korea’s?Obviously, Apple’s design innovationshave had an effect on everyone in computingand media—even on the gadgets I sawin Korea. But it’s not as if Apple inventedthe touch screen, the media player, or themobile Web browser. Most of Apple’s innovationswould have happened anyway; theyjust might have happened differently.Here are some ideas based on what I sawin South Korea.Triumph of the KeyboardKoreans, like Americans, love flip phones.But that hasn’t kept them off the Web. Theysurf on flip phones, text on flip phones, andwatch TV on flip phones. Here in the U.S., welove flip phones, phones with full keyboards,and iPhones. As I’ve said before, touch keyboardsare fundamentally flawed; we putup with typing on a touch keyboard onlybecause we love the rest of the iPhone’s features.An Apple-less world would have a lotmore physical keyboards in it.More Diversity, Less DRMYes, Korea has its faults. For example, oneof the ways the country has kept Apple outis through laws that favor domestic manufacturers.But ironically, that protectionismseems to have created more diversity thanthe iPod monoculture you see in big U.S. cities.I saw people tapping on big-screen WindowsCE media players, typing on thingsthat looked like tiny laptops with tinier keyboards,and listening to music on both traditionalflip phones and iRiver MP3 players.44 PC MAGAZINE DIGITAL EDITION NOVEMBER 2009

Ironically, Korea’s protectionism has createdmore diversity than the U.S.’s iPod monoculture.Here’s where I go out on a limb. The iPodmonoculture in the U.S. did great things forthe digital music market, but it also lockedus into DRM for years. As we found outthrough the disaster of Microsoft’s Plays-ForSure, DRM doesn’t work well when thereare too many different companies involved.Without the iPod, music companies mayhave taken longer to enter the digital market,but they may have done so with lessDRM because no single solution couldaddress enough of the market.More TV?Koreans are crazy about mobile TV. DMB,their mobile digital TV system, seems tobe integrated into everything. This, in largepart, comes thanks to a proactive governmentthat set aside spectrum and defineda mobile TV standard long before ours did.But free mobile TV also provides an interestingsolution to the video DRM problem. Filmand TV companies are even crazier aboutDRM than music companies are, resultingin a chaos of different formats. Having onestandard for mobile TV let that form of videospread quickly, and perhaps there wouldhave been more pressure for a commonmobile TV standard here if Apple hadn’t sodominated the media conversation.Missing LinksCapacitive touch screens are marvelous, butI saw very few in Korea; most people seemedto be using styli on their touch-screendevices. (Before you comment, Korean isn’ta character-based language like Chinese,which requires you to draw characters witha stylus—it uses a 24-character alphabet.)The rage for capacitive touch screens in theU.S. has largely been driven by the successof the iPhone; manufacturers don’t seem toget why users love them.The big wild card, of course, is whetherApple’s iProducts have pushed all interfacesforward. Many modern smart device interfaces—especiallythe touch screen ones—owe a lot to Apple’s software design. Whatwould interfaces look like if Apple hadn’tbrought big icons and simple menus to thegame? Hopefully they wouldn’t look likeWindows Mobile 5, a mobile OS that is predicatedon finger-unfriendly screens that borrowway too much from desktop PCs.Apple and KT, a Korean wireless carrier,recently announced they were bringing theiPhone to Korea. So maybe the era of gadgetdiversity in Korea is coming to an end.But I don’t think so. Koreans are very patrioticabout their gadgets, and Samsung andLG are both innovative companies. I’m notsure if we can learn anything from Korea’srelative avoidance of all things Apple, butit’s still interesting to see a country wherethey really do think differently.STAY PHONE-SMART Keep up with the lateston smartphones by reading Sascha’s column atgo.pcmag.com/segan.NOVEMBER 2009 PC MAGAZINE DIGITAL EDITION 45

DAN COSTAApple, Take Note:My iPad Wish ListThere’s a point in the life ofevery rumor where it eitherbecomes reality or disappears.That’s where we arewith the upcoming Appletablet, a device which has been whisperedabout for months. At this point, I feel somewhatsafe in saying this tablet is going tohappen, probably late this year. But sincesuch a device has not been announced, Ithink this is the time to get a few last-minuterequests in with Apple.First, let’s talk about the keyboard. Thekeyboard is pretty essential to a laptop, butthere is no reason to tack it onto an iPodtouch or, say, your TV. Those two marvels ofdigital amusement are no poorer for lackinga QWERTY keyboard; in fact, they are muchricher for it. Lacking a keyboard doesn’tmake a tablet a lame device, just a lame PC.And this tablet will not be a PC.Why We Need TabletsWhy I am so bullish on tablets when the formfactor has failed so miserably in the past?The short answer is that things are differentnow. The longer answer is that tablet PCsweren’t a complete failure. They are quitepopular in vertical industries, but they areused mostly for data entry (filling in forms)or complex design applications (such asdesigning houses). Such applications are oflimited use to the average user, so tabletsthat delivered them were similarly limited inwhat they offered consumers.The problem is that tablet PCs were firstand foremost PCs. More than anything else,a new generation of devices (which willinclude the Apple tablet) will be screens—and we can never have too many screens.Screens are our gateway to popular cultureand windows to our digital lives. And asmuch as I love my Palm Pre, I don’t want towatch a movie on it or read an e-book on itstiny 3.1-inch display. This is where a touchsensitive,wirelessly connected tablet wouldcome in very handy.And if Apple, Arrington, or anyone elsebuilding a tablet device is reading this, I havea few other requests as well.46 PC MAGAZINE DIGITAL EDITION NOVEMBER 2009

A tablet needs to be able to work with all formsof digital content—including the written word.Wi-Fi and EV-DOWi-Fi is an amazing technology that offersfast, easy connectivity, usually for free.Unfortunately, in my experience, Wi-Fi isremarkably abundant, except when youreally need it. The next generation of tabletswill need built-in 3G modems to take off.Wireless downloading helped the Kindleresurrect the e-book reader business. Tabletmakers should follow the same path if theywant to make a true digital companion.Enhanced Web CachingEven with Wi-Fi and EV-DO, tablets need tobe able to work offline. That’s no problemfor local documents, MP3s, and video files,but there must be a better way to downloadand cache your favorite sites. Techiescan do this already, but for the average user,it should be built into iTunes. Part of whatmakes the Kindle so appealing is that TheNew York Times follows you undergroundor on a plane. A tablet should offer the samefunctionality—but with color pictures!E-book SupportThe Kindle 2 shows there is a demand fore-books, and there is no reason a tabletshouldn’t be able to read them. I’ve alwaysgotten the sense that Apple has lookeddown its nose at books in favor of dominatingthe digital music, TV, and movie business.But a tablet needs to be able to work with allforms of digital content—including the plainold written word. (I love e-ink as much as thenext geek, but truth be told, color screensare better than black and white, and muchbetter than the gray Kindle screen.)USB PortIt may seem obvious to include a USB port,but Apple has skimped on ports in the past(e.g., the MacBook Air). Any tablet shouldhave a USB port that lets you add storageand, yes, connect a keyboard. I don’t thinkthat will be the primary way of using thedevice, but it is a nice option.Some analysts say there is no place fora tablet, because it is another attempt tobridge the gap between a smartphone anda laptop. I disagree. Having a 10- or 11-inchscreen to view Web pages, watch videos,play music, or tap some notes on would bepretty darn useful.When President Obama defended hishealth care policies in New Hampshire, itwas streamed online in dozens of locationsand broadcast on TV. At the time, I waslost in a vineyard in Russian River. I wouldhave liked to watch it, but that meant sittingdown at a laptop or desktop. All I reallyneed is a screen and a wireless connection.All I really need is a tablet.And next year, whether it’s called aCrunchPad, iPad, iTab, Touch Pod, or Mac-Touch Pro Tab, I will have one.TALK back to Dan E-mail your thoughts todan_costa@pcmag.com.NOVEMBER 2009 PC MAGAZINE DIGITAL EDITION 47

Our readers rated 46,434 tech products andservices for our 22nd annual survey. Here are thecompanies you trust and adore, and the ones you don’t.By Eric Griffith; with Ben Gottesman and Sascha SeganWhat happens when you ask thousands of people what they think of the reliabilityof their PC makers, peripheral manufacturers, and service providers—andthe support they provide? In our case, we get reams of data. Wethen distill it into easy-to-follow scores so everyone will know exactly whichvendors are doing their absolute best. This also reveals which companies could be doing awhole lot better.48 PC MAGAZINE DIGITAL EDITION NOVEMBER 2009Typographic design by Daniel Pelavin

This is the 22 nd time PC Mag has gathered this data. Compared withprevious years, there was plenty of consistency (just guess what companywith a fruity name is on top of every category it enters) and a few surprises(such as the welcome of Asus to the notebooks section).We also give you even more to consider by adding your ratings on game consoles andGPS devices for the first time (click here for the full results on these product categories).You might be shocked to see just what game system PC Mag readers prefer. Then again, youmay not, if you know what a Red Ring of Death is.So dive into the data. If you’re preparing to make a purchase, our Readers’ Choice awardsin each category may help you make a decision. If nothing else, see if your favorite laptop,printer, cell phone, or what-have-you is the same as that favored by the majority of PC Mag’stech-savvy readers.NOVEMBER 2009 PC MAGAZINE DIGITAL EDITION 49

DesktopsREADERS’ CHOICEApple John Hodgman’s campaign againstthe Mac continues to be a losing battle, atleast among the readers of PC Mag, whofor the umpteenth year in a row gave Applehigh marks.Sony Sony’s media-centric line of desktopsare the favorites among the Windowsbasedcomputers in our survey, despite asmall market share.When it comes to the overallsatisfaction users have withtheir computers, Appleonce again reigns supreme.The company’s Macintosh PCs—which wecan all state unequivocally are actually WindowsPCs too, if you want them to be—haveconsistently proven to be favorites amongPC Mag readers. Apple’s significantly betterthan average (SBA) overall score (9.1 outof 10) marks it as a clear Readers’ Choice.The company moved up significantly inscores for tech support since last year, too(8.6 SBA, up from 8.1). It suffered a little inthat more of its desktop computers neededrepairs this year (12 percent, instead of the9 percent needing repair in 2008), and thelikelihood of someone recommending a Macto a friend dropped slightly to a score of 9.2SBA. Still, these are very high marks.Even though we can call Apple computers“Windows machines” since they’re poweredby the same Intel chips (and can runthe same operating system), we still averagethe Windows-only system vendors separately,since consumers view the two OSsin such different light. And in the world ofWindows vendors, not much has changedsince 2008, when the average overall scorewas 7.6. The same goes for this year.That number held steady in part becauseof a nice showing this year by Sony. In fact,Sony almost didn’t make the final results in2009, as a lower number of responses overallled to one-third as many Sony desktopowners participating in our survey. However,Sony owners who did respond are prettyhappy with their VAIOs. Sony is the secondReaders’ Choice vendor, with a better thanaverage (BA) overall score of 8.2 this year—that’s half a point higher than the nearestWindows PC manufacturer, indicating satisfactionindeed. The company dropped thepercentage of its desktops needing repairsby half (from 14 percent to 7 percent) fromlast year as well. Sony’s likelihood of receiv-HOW TO READ THE TABLES Overall scores are not based on averages of other scores in the table; they arebased on reader answers to the question “Overall, how would you rate this product?” All scores not representedas a percentage (%) are on a scale of 1 to 10, in which 10 is best. A dash in a table indicates that we do not haveenough survey data to give the company a score in that column.We use a t-test measure on each score against the average of all the scores and determine whether they aresignificantly different at a 95 percent confidence level. The t-test helps calculate the confidence interval for eachscore—the range in which we are 95 percent certain that the score is representative. If the score is more than oneconfidence interval above or below the average, we state that it is better than or worse than this average. Formore than two confidence intervals, we say that the score is significantly better or worse.50 PC MAGAZINE DIGITAL EDITION NOVEMBER 2009

DESKTOPSa Significantly better thanaverageb Better than averageWithin the average rangec Worse than averaged Significantly worse than averageProduct name in RED indicatesReaders’ Choice.OVERALL SCORE†RELIABILITYTECHNICALSUPPPORTREPAIRSPERCENTAGENEEDING REPAIRLIKELIHOOD OF BEINGRECOMMENDEDALL DESKTOPSApple (285 responses) 9.1 a 9.2 a 8.6 a — 12% b 9.2 aSelf-built (1,000) 8.5 a 8.7 a 7.7 a 8.4 a 21% d 8.9 aLocally built/Clone (551) 8.3 a — — — — 8.1 aSony (56) 8.2 b 8.4 b — — 7% b 8.4 bHewlett-Packard (HP) (1275) 7.7 b 8.0 6.6 7 17% 8.0 aDell (2157) 7.7 b 8.0 b 7.0 a 6.8 19% d 8.0 aGateway (252) 7.6 7.7 6.1 — 21% 7.1 cAcer (88) 7.6 7.9 — — 11% 7.6eMachines (105) 7.2 7.7 — — 14% 7.2Lenovo (120) 7.1 c 7.4 c — — 19% 6.9 cAvg. of Windows PCs 7.6 7.9 6.6 6.9 15% 7.6BUSINESSApple (67 responses) 8.8 a 9.1 a — — 15% 9.1 aSelf-built (223) 8.3 a 8.6 a 8.0 b 8.5 a 23% c 8.8 aLocally built/Clone (149) 7.9 a — — — — 7.7 bDell (1,100) 7.4 a 7.9 7.4 b 6.9 20% c 7.9 aHewlett-Packard (HP) (472) 7.4 b 7.9 6.9 7.2 18% 7.7 aLenovo (81) 7.0 7.6 — — 12% 6.8Gateway (76) 6.9 — — — — 6.1 cAvg. of Windows PCs 7.2 7.8 7.1 7.0 17% 7.1more on next page >>* At least 2 confidence intervals from the average.** 1 confidence interval from the average.† Overall score is based on answers to the question “Overall, how would you rate this desktop PC?”It is not the average of the other scores in the table.Except for numbers indicated by a percentage, scores are based on a scale of 1 to 10, where 10 is best.A dash indicates that we do not have enough survey data to give the company a score.NOVEMBER 2009 PC MAGAZINE DIGITAL EDITION 51

DESKTOPS (continued)a Significantly better thanaverageb Better than averageWithin the average rangec Worse than averaged Significantly worse than averageProduct name in RED indicatesReaders’ Choice.OVERALL SCORE†RELIABILITYTECHNICALSUPPPORTREPAIRSPERCENTAGENEEDING REPAIRLIKELIHOOD OF BEINGRECOMMENDEDHOMEApple (218 responses) 9.2 a 9.2 a 8.6 b — 11% a 9.2 bSelf-built (777) 8.6 a 8.8 a 7.6 a 8.3 a 20% c 8.9 aLocally built/Clone (402) 8.4 a — — — — 8.3 aDell (1056) 7.9 b 8.1 b 6.5 6.7 18% c 8.1 aHewlett-Packard (HP) (803) 7.9 b 8.0 6.3 6.9 17% 8.2 aGateway (176) 7.9 7.9 — — 19% 7.6Acer (61) 7.6 7.8 — — 10% 7.5eMachines (93) 7.4 c 7.7 — — 14% 7.3Avg. of Windows PCs 7.7 7.9 6.4 6.8 16% 7.7DESKTOPS LESS THAN A YEAR OLDApple (85 responses) 9.2 a 9.3 a — — 7% b 9.1 aSelf-built (318) 9.0 a 9.1 a 7.5 7.9 b 16% 9.2 aLocally built/Clone (153) 8.8 a — — — — 8.7 aGateway (70) 8.1 8.5 — — 11% 7.7Hewlett-Packard (HP) (370) 8.1 8.3 6.7 7.1 15% 8.2Dell (516) 7.9 8.1 c 6.9 6.5 18% 8.1Avg. of Windows PCs 8.1 8.3 6.8 6.8 15% 8ing a recommendation to others also wentup significantly, from a 7.6 in the averagerange last year to a BA score of 8.4 thisyear.Other companies saw very high percentagesof products needing repairs—big names like Lenovo, Dell, and Gateway.These numbers are very consistent withreader reports from last year (the onlychange was for the worse—Gateway’s fallfrom 18 percent to 21 percent. Needless tosay, a high score on this metric doesn’t indicatepleased customers. Another interestingincrease in overall satisfaction is withnon-vendor PCs—those desktops readerseither built themselves (which get an SBA52 PC MAGAZINE DIGITAL EDITION NOVEMBER 2009

8.5 overall score) or bought locally from ano-name vendor (8.3 SBA overall). Yes, bothtypes of systems received significantly betterthan average overall scores, giving theman edge over any Windows PC vendor, evenSony.The other vendors in the final list eitherscored the same overall as last year (HP, Dell,Gateway, and Acer), or fell somewhat. Emachineswent from a 7.3 to 7.2; Lenovo hadthe worst showing this year for an overallscore in all desktops, dropping from 7.4 to aworse-than-average (WA) 7.1. HP did betterthis year, going from last year’s merely average7.6 to a BA score of 7.7.Extrapolating the market share of a companybased on the responses we receivedyields some intriguing information. Acer isthe only vendor in the desktop survey to netmore users than last year. It might not seemlike much going from 81 responses in 2008to 89 in 2009, but consider that every othervendor is down by double-digit percentages(17 percent in Apple’s case; 66 percentfor Sony); this probably says somethingabout how much PC Mag readers like Acer.When it comes to business-oriented PCs,Apple is still the top rated, but Windowsvendors are led by Dell with an SBA 7.4. Dellalso scores high for tech support, both overalland for business, and gets SBA scores forthe likelihood of recommending in overall,business, and home systems. HP also scoresSBAs in those three areas for likelihoodof being recommended. We call that thepower of the brand name.When it comes to desktop systems thatare less than one year old, the scores arealways higher—after all, newer computers(hopefully) require less tech support orrepair than a system with a few years and afew relocations under its skin. Apple (still theonly vendor to get an SBA score) and Dellboth had slight drops in their overall scores;Gateway and HP went up slightly, but areall just in the average range. Gateway andHP remain in the average range for overallscores.Dell’s newer systems had some otherissues. Last year for reliability the companyscored better than the average (8.2);this year’s 8.1 doesn’t seem like much of adrop, but that score is suddenly worse thanthe average. It also had an SBA score of 8.2last year for likelihood to be recommended,which fell to 8.1—merely in the averagerange this year.NotebooksREADERS’ CHOICEApple MacBooks of all shapes garner highmarks from our readers.Asus Netbooks or notebooks, it doesn’tmatter. Asus is far and away the top-ratedWindows-centric notebook maker with PCMag readers.Are you sick of seeing Apple as thePC Mag Readers’ Choice vendorfor notebooks year after year?Tough. Jobs & Co. are back ontop again, with the same significantly betterthan average (SBA) score of 9.2 out of 10that the company received last year (albeitNOVEMBER 2009 PC MAGAZINE DIGITAL EDITION 53

NOTEBOOKSa Significantly better thanaverageb Better than averageWithin the average rangec Worse than averaged Significantly worse than averageProduct name in RED indicatesReaders’ Choice.OVERALL SCORE†RELIABILITYTECHNICALSUPPPORTREPAIRSPERCENTAGENEEDING REPAIRLIKELIHOOD OF BEINGRECOMMENDEDALL NOTEBOOKSApple (280 responses) 9.2 a 9.3 a 8.8 a — 16% 9.4 aAsus (75) 8.8 a 8.9 a — — 6% b 9.0 aSony (138) 8.1 8.3 — — 12% 7.9Lenovo (460) 7.9 8.1 7.3 b 7.6 b 22% c 7.9Toshiba (378) 7.8 8.1 6.8 — 13% 8.1Dell (1,273) 7.8 c 8.0 c 6.9 7 23% d 8.0Gateway (134) 7.7 8.0 — — 12% 7.1 cAcer (210) 7.7 8.1 — — 12% 7.8Hewlett-Packard (HP) (990) 7.7 d 7.8 d 6.4 c 6.1 c 19% c 7.8 cAvg. of Windows PCs 7.9 8.2 6.9 6.9 15% 8.0BUSINESSApple (64 responses) 9.3 a 9.4 a — — 17% 9.4 aLenovo (277) 7.7 8.0 7.5 b 7.7 b 25% 7.7Toshiba (82) 7.6 8.0 — — 15% 8.0Dell (596) 7.5 7.8 7.1 7.1 26% c 7.8Hewlett-Packard (HP) (297) 7.3 7.7 6.4 c 5.7 c 22% 7.6Avg. of Windows PCs 7.5 7.9 7 6.8 22% 7.8HOMEApple (216 responses) 9.2 a 9.3 a 8.8 a — 16% 9.4 aAsus (67) 8.8 a 8.9 a — — 6% b 9.0 aLenovo (183) 8.3 8.3 6.9 — 17% 8.3Sony (103) 8.2 8.3 — — 12% 8.0Dell (675) 8.0 8.1 6.7 6.8 19% c 8.2Toshiba (296) 7.9 8.1 6.7 — 12% 8.2Gateway (108) 7.8 8.1 — — 10% 7.5 c54 PC MAGAZINE DIGITAL EDITION NOVEMBER 2009

a Significantly better thanaverageb Better than averageWithin the average rangec Worse than averaged Significantly worse than averageProduct name in RED indicatesReaders’ Choice.OVERALL SCORE†RELIABILITYTECHNICALSUPPPORTREPAIRSPERCENTAGENEEDING REPAIRLIKELIHOOD OF BEINGRECOMMENDEDHOME (continued)Hewlett-Packard (HP) (692) 7.8 c 7.9 d 6.4 6.4 17% c 7.9 cAcer (179) 7.6 c 8.1 — — 13% 7.8Avg. of Windows PCs 8.0 8.2 6.6 6.6 13% 8.1NOTEBOOKS LESS THAN A YEAR OLDApple (107 responses) 9.5 a 9.6 a — — 5% b 9.6 aAsus (55) 8.9 a 9.1 a — — 2% a 9.2 aToshiba (102) 8.3 8.6 — — 14% 8.5Acer (109) 8.2 8.6 — — 5% b 8.4Lenovo (159) 8.2 8.4 7.4 — 16% 8.2Hewlett-Packard (HP) (335) 8.1 c 8.2 c 7.1 — 12% 8.2 cDell (379) 8.1 c 8.3 c 7.1 6.9 16% c 8.3Avg. of Windows PCs 8.3 8.5 7.2 6.9 11% 8.5* At least 2 confidence intervals from the average.** 1 confidence interval from the average.† Overall score is based on answers to the question “Overall, how would you rate this desktop PC?”It is not the average of the other scores in the table.Except for numbers indicated by a percentage, scores are based on a scale of 1 to 10, where 10 is best.A dash indicates that we do not have enough survey data to give the company a score.based on 29 percent fewer responses thanlast year). Apple’s scores in the All Notebookscategory were almost identical tothose of 2008, though the percentage ofequipment needing repair went up slightlyfrom 15 percent to 16 percent.In fact, almost all vendors had fewerresponses, with one notable exception: Asusdebuts on our list this year with an SBA scoreof 8.8, more than enough to become our secondReaders’ Choice. You might think thatthis has to do with the company’s successfulnetbook products, but we drilled deeper intothe data to see that netbooks accounted forfewer than 50 percent of the responses wereceived (other popular types of Asus notebooksare the multimedia, mainstream, andvalue market segments). Asus also kills theNOVEMBER 2009 PC MAGAZINE DIGITAL EDITION 55

competition in the likelihood of being recommended,with an SBA of 9.0—a numberworthy to stand with Apple’s. The next bestbrand is Toshiba at an average 8.1.Last year’s second Readers’ Choice,Lenovo, didn’t make the cut this year. Itsscore was down only slightly, but Lenovoalso fell two confidence levels, going froman SBA of 8.1 in 2008 to a 7.9 this year, ascore strictly within the average range.Lenovo did score better than average intech support and repairs, both among alllaptops and with business laptops, where itwas second only to Apple.There was little dramatic movement inscores for any of the other major players.Sony did increase its overall score to 8.1, butthat’s within the average range comparedwith all notebooks, whereas last year itearned a BA 8.0.As we’ve seen before, Dell and Toshibacontinue to get good scores in the likelihoodof being recommended category,higher than each company’s overall scores,in fact; we attribute this to the strength ofthese brand names.At the bottom of the pack this year is HP,with scores that run in tandem with Acerand Gateway. But HP’s 7.7 out of 10 is consideredsignificantly worse than average(SWA), whereas last year it was within in theaverage. For more information on how wemeasure these scores, see below.Taking a closer look at the percentageneeding repairs reveals changes for almostevery vendor; only Acer held steady at 12percent. Apple worsened slightly in this category,along with HP, but the biggest jumpswere for Lenovo, which dropped from 18percent to 22 percent, and Dell, which fellfrom 20 percent to 23 percent (earning it thedubious distinction of highest failure rate ofnotebooks). Sony, Gateway, and Toshibaall had major improvements here, however,Sony from 18 percent last year and Gatewaywith 20 percent last year, both downto 12 percent; Toshiba’s failure rates werereported as 13 percent, down from 19 lastyear. Such significant drops are all well andgood, but none of these companies couldeven touch new entry Asus: Just 6 percentof its products needed repair.METHODOLOGy We e-mailed invitations to PC Magazine readers to take our online survey, hosted by EquationResearch. Respondents told us about the technology they personally use at home and at work, and any supportor repair incidents they had within the 12 months prior. Respondents were entered into a drawing to win AmericanExpress Gift Checks or prizes provided by ThinkGeek. The survey was in the field in two parts during thesummer months.We score only those vendors represented by at least 50 responses about their products; fewer would notallow for statistically valid comparisons. We use a t-test measure on each score on each question against theaverage of all the scores and determine whether they are significantly different at a 95 percent confidence level.The t-test considers a company’s score for each measure, the total number of responses for the company oneach measure, and the variability of the responses in calculating the confidence interval for each score—therange in which we are 95 percent certain that the score is representative. If the score is more than one confidenceinterval above or below the average, we state that the score is better than or worse than this average. Formore than two confidence intervals above or below, we say that the score is significantly better or worse.56 PC MAGAZINE DIGITAL EDITION NOVEMBER 2009

Notebooks less than a year old, just likedesktops of that vintage, always get highermarks. This year is no different, and, in fact,brings us to the highest number amongcomputers: Apple’s SBA 9.5 overall ratingfor one-year-old MacBooks. Its youthfullaptops received a 9.6 in reliability andlikelihood to recommend, too. Asus madeanother fine showing—after barely makingthe cut in this part of the survey with only 55responses—with an SBA of 8.9 overall, and atremendously low percentage of productsneeding repair: 2 percent. Apple itself wasat 5 percent needing repair.And what’s with Lenovo and Dell? Some16 percent of their new notebooks neededfixing, according to our readers.PrintersREADERS’ CHOICECanon Ever consistent, Canon once againcomes out on top of printers overall and inseveral printer subcategories.Brother The come-from-behind vendorof the year jumped ahead in the lineupenough to garner the second Readers’Choice in printers for 2009.HP HP is the 400-pound gorilla of printers,considering the sheer number of responsesit received, but users also give the companyhigh scores.Canon’s middle name is consistent,at least when it comes to how PCMag readers feel about its printers.The vendor’s overall score hasgone up a little, from an SBA of 8.2 in 2008to an SBA of 8.3 this year. In fact, it hadmodest gains across the board for printersoverall, with a nice jump in its tech supportnumber from a BA of 7.3 last year to a BAof 7.7 this year. That’s more than sufficientto keep the company’s status as Readers’Choice.Our second Readers’ Choice is a slightsurprise. For the previous two surveys,Brother managed a score of BA 8.0—betterthan average, but the competition is verytough. That score was usually on par withHP, but HP’s overwhelming response ratein previous years helped it get SBA scores.This year, Brother surged ahead with an SBAoverall score of 8.2 (compared with HP’sSBA 8.0 overall for 3 years running). Brotherremains a clear second place to Canon inbusiness printers, home printers, and printersunder a year old, as well.Finally, HP is back in our Readers’ Choicespotlight. Its SBA overall score of 8.0 wasnice enough (and in keeping with the company’shigh marks last year and the yearbefore), but we felt HP deserved recognitionthis year for great scores almost acrossthe board, especially a very good showingin printers for the home market, with SBAscores overall (8.0), for reliability (8.3), andin the category of likelihood of being recommended(8.4). The company takes a drubbingmost of the time for its tech support,where it is frequently the only vendor thateven earns a score (such as with businessprinters and printers less than a year old).The big surprise of last year’s survey wasKodak, which burst onto the printer sceneNOVEMBER 2009 PC MAGAZINE DIGITAL EDITION 57

PRINTERSa Significantly better thanaverageb Better than averageWithin the average rangec Worse than averaged Significantly worse than averageProduct name in RED indicatesReaders’ Choice.OVERALL SCORE†RELIABILITYTECHNICALSUPPPORTREPAIRSPERCENTAGENEEDING REPAIRLIKELIHOOD OF BEINGRECOMMENDEDALL PRINTERSCanon (1,005 responses) 8.3 a 8.6 a 7.7 b — 4% a 8.6 aBrother (575) 8.2 a 8.5 a — — 4% a 8.4 aHP (4,470) 8.0 a 8.2 a 6.4 d 6.7 5% a 8.4 aEpson (642) 8.0 b 8.3 b 7.2 — 3% a 8.3 aKodak (65) 8.0 8.0 — — 31% c 8.1Konica Minolta (51) 7.8 8.1 — — 8% 7.5Samsung (196) 7.7 8.1 — — 2% a 7.9Xerox (89) 7.7 7.8 — — 22% c 7.7Dell (282) 7.5 c 7.8 c — — 9% 7.2 dLexmark (358) 7.3 d 7.6 d — — 5% b 7.4 dAVERAGE 7.8 8.1 6.6 6.6 7% 7.9BUSINESSCanon (134 responses) 8.3 b 8.5 b — — 7% 8.6 aBrother (176) 8.2 b 8.6 a — — 5% a 8.5 bEpson (94) 8.2 8.3 — — 4% b 8.6 bHP (1,542) 7.9 8.2 6.8 7.2 10% 8.4 aLexmark (86) 7.8 7.9 — — 14% 7.6Xerox (63) 7.7 7.8 — — 25% c 7.6 cDell (114) 7.5 c 7.7 c — — 16% 7.2 cSamsung (53) 7.5 7.8 — — 0% a 7.7AVERAGE 7.9 8.1 6.8 7.2 12% 8.0HOMECanon (871 responses) 8.3 a 8.6 a 7.4 b — 3% a 8.6 aBrother (399) 8.2 b 8.4 b — — 3% a 8.4 bHP (2,928) 8.0 a 8.3 a 6.0 d 5.8 3% a 8.4 a58 PC MAGAZINE DIGITAL EDITION NOVEMBER 2009

a Significantly better thanaverageb Better than averageWithin the average rangec Worse than averaged Significantly worse than averageProduct name in RED indicatesReaders’ Choice.OVERALL SCORE†RELIABILITYTECHNICALSUPPPORTREPAIRSPERCENTAGENEEDING REPAIRLIKELIHOOD OF BEINGRECOMMENDEDHOME (continued)Epson (548) 8.0 b 8.3 — — 2% a 8.3 bKodak (60) 8.0 8.0 — — 32% d 8.1Samsung (143) 7.8 8.2 — — 2% b 7.9Dell (168) 7.4 c 7.9 — — 4% 7.2 dLexmark (272) 7.1 d 7.5 d — — 2% a 7.4 dAVERAGE 7.9 8.1 6.7 5.8 6% 8.0PRINTERS LESS THAN A YEAR OLDCanon (265 responses) 8.5 a 8.7 b — — 4% 8.8 aBrother (163) 8.3 8.7 b — — 1% a 8.6Epson (154) 8.2 8.5 — — 2% b 8.5Samsung (58) 8.2 8.7 — — 0% a 8.4HP (805) 8.0 c 8.2 d 6.1 — 6% 8.5Lexmark (84) 7.9 8.2 — — 0% a 8.0Dell (58) 7.6 8.3 — — 12% 8.0AVERAGE 8.1 8.5 6.1 5% 8.4* At least 2 confidence intervals from the average.** 1 confidence interval from the average.† Overall score is based on answers to the question “Overall, how would you rate this desktop PC?”It is not the average of the other scores in the table.Except for numbers indicated by a percentage, scores are based on a scale of 1 to 10, where 10 is best.A dash indicates that we do not have enough survey data to give the company a score.and our results for the first time after runningadvertisements promoting its inexpensiveconsumables. The company garnereda Readers’ Choice with last year’s response.Not so this year. Kodak’s overall score wentfrom a BA 8.3 to an average 8.0 this year,though it did well with home printers, gettinga BA 8.0.Perhaps worse for Kodak, it’s the firstcompany to show a percentage of productsneeding repairs higher than Xeroxdoes. We’ve never exactly been able to fig-NOVEMBER 2009 PC MAGAZINE DIGITAL EDITION 59

CELLULAR PHONES (By Provider)a Significantly better thanaverageb Better than averageWithin the average rangec Worse than averaged Significantly worse than averageProduct name in RED indicatesReaders’ Choice.OVERALL Score†REQUIRES TECHNICALSUPPORTTECHNICALSUPPORTREQUIRES REPAIRREPAIRSLIKELIHOOD OF BEINGPURCHASEDAT&T (CONTRACT)Apple (164 responses) 9.0 a 34% c 8.3 13% — 9.1 aBlackberry/Research 7.9 38% c — 19% — 8.0in Motion (64)Motorola (141) 7.6 11% b — 9% — 7.6Samsung (105) 7.3 17% — 9% — 7.4Nokia (117) 7.3 16% — 11% — 7.3Sony Ericsson (55) 7.1 c 20% — 16% — 7.0 cLG (67) 7.0 c 16% — 12% — 7.1AVERAGE 7.6 22% 8.3 13% — 7.6SPRINT (CONTRACT)Sanyo (55 responses) 7.5 13% — 11% — 7.2Samsung (73) 7.0 21% — 12% — 7.2AVERAGE 7.3 17% — 12% — 7.2ure out why for years running Xerox has haddouble-digit numbers in this category. Lastyear it was at 18 percent (and Kodak wasat 14 percent). However, this year Xerox’spercentage needing repair went up to only22; Kodak more than doubled its score to 31percent. That’s almost one in three Kodakprinters needing a fix; a big problem for acompany that hasn’t been in the printerbusiness very long.On the other end of the repair spectrum,if you want printers that don’t need manyrepairs, go with Samsung or Epson.All that said about Kodak, guess what?Our readers still gave the company thehighest score for satisfaction with the costof consumables, an SBA 8.9 out of 10. Noone else comes close; the next highest is anaverage 5.9 for Brother. Obviously, Kodak’scampaign on cost of ownership continuesto resonate. Readers scored Epson, HP, andLexmark low when it comes to cost of inkand toner, giving each a significantly worsethan average 4.9.60 PC MAGAZINE DIGITAL EDITION NOVEMBER 2009

OVERALL Score†REQUIRES TECHNICALSUPPORTTECHNICALSUPPORTREQUIRES REPAIRREPAIRSLIKELIHOOD OF BEINGPURCHASEDVERIZON WIRELESS (CONTRACT)Blackberry/Research7.9 40% d — 18% — 8.3 bin Motion (114 responses)Verizon Wireless (53) 7.7 19% — 11% — 7.9LG (404) 7.7 12% a 6.5 8% b — 7.9Samsung (132) 7.6 11% b — 8% — 7.7Motorola (244) 7.4 c 18% — 15% — 7.4 cAVERAGE 7.7 20% 6.5 12% — 7.8TRACFONE (PREPAID)Motorola (92 responses) 7.7 11% — 1% — 8.1* At least 2 confidence intervals from the average.** 1 confidence interval from the average.† Overall score is based on answers to the question “Overall, how would you rate this desktop PC?”It is not the average of the other scores in the table.Except for numbers indicated by a percentage, scores are based on a scale of 1 to 10, where 10 is best.A dash indicates that we do not have enough survey data to give the company a score.In the individual printer types, Canon dominateswherever it plays: ink jets, ink jet allin-ones(AIOs), and photo printers. Brotherand HP run neck and neck in monochromelaser printers. HP leads only in one category,color lasers, where the competition (Dell andSamsung) are not exactly household names.Well, HP also rules color laser AIO printersand photo AIOs, but that’s by virtue of havingsuch a huge market share that it was theonly vendor to make the cut in those categories.Its scores there were quite good.Cellular PhonesREADERS’ CHOICEApple Despite its problems, the iPhone isthe most beloved phone among our readers—handsdown.Our readers’ love affair with theApple iPhone abides, as it wasthe only phone brand they ratedsignificantly better than average,making it the clear Readers’ Choice with anNOVEMBER 2009 PC MAGAZINE DIGITAL EDITION 61

CELLULAR SERVICE PROVIDERSa Significantly better thanaverageb Better than averageWithin the average rangec Worse than averaged Significantly worse than averageProduct name in RED indicatesReaders’ Choice.OVERALL SCORE†FeesPlan optionsChoice of handsetsprovidedCustomer service(not technicalsupport)Technical supportCoverage withinhome areaCONTRACT CELL PHONE PROVIDERSVerizon Wireless (1,026 responses) 8.0 a 5.7 d 6.8 d 7.3 7.5 a 7.1 8.2 aAlltel (88) 7.8 6.4 7.5 6.9 7.0 — 8.3T-Mobile (189) 7.6 7.2 a 7.7 a 7.2 7.9 a 7.5 b 7.7AT&T (789) 7.2 d 5.4 d 6.6 d 7.5 a 6.9 c 6.5 c 7.5Sprint/Nextel (295) 7.1 d 6.3 7.0 7.0 6.7 c 6.1 c 7.4AVERAGE 7.5 6.2 7.1 7.2 7.2 6.8 7.8PREPAID CELL PHONE PROVIDERSTracFone (153 responses) 7.8 b 7.9 a 8.2 a 6.4 7.1 — 7.9Verizon Wireless (82) 7.8 5.8 d 6.6 c 6.8 7.3 — 7.8Virgin Mobile (62) 7.6 7.9 b 8.0 b 6.5 7.5 — 7.9T-Mobile (60) 7.3 7.7 b 7.4 — 7.7 — 7.3AT&T (127) 7.1 c 6.2 d 6.8 c 6.9 7.1 — 7.6AVERAGE 7.5 7.1 7.4 6.6 7.3 — 7.7* At least 2 confidence intervals from the average.** 1 confidence interval from the average.† Overall score is based on answers to the question “Overall, how would you rate this desktop PC?” It is not the average of the otherscores in the table.Except for numbers indicated by a percentage, scores are based on a scale of 1 to 10, where 10 is best.A dash indicates that we do not have enough survey data to give the company a score.SBA 9.0 out of 10. Amusingly, the iPhone’soverall score actually went up between2008 and 2009 despite the fact that its individualratings for coverage, call quality, andsound quality all went down!The iPhone didn’t rate spectacularly as aphone, but it received great scores as a messagingdevice, music player, video player,and gaming device.Research In Motion’s BlackBerry phonesalso scored well, though not as well as lastyear, possibly because quite a lot of themrequired technical support.For pure voice phones, Samsung modelson Verizon Wireless offered the best reliabilityand voice quality scores. On AT&T,62 PC MAGAZINE DIGITAL EDITION NOVEMBER 2009

Call QUALITY withinyour home areaCoverage outsideof your home areaCall qualityoutside of yourhome areaVoice mailLikelihood of beingrecommendeda 8.1 b 8.3 a 8.1 a 7.9 8.2 ab 8.3 b 8.0 b 8.1 7.7 8.07.8 7.2 c 7.5 c 7.9 7.8d 7.6 d 7.6 7.6 c 7.8 7.5 c7.6 c 7.3 c 7.5 7.8 7.1 d7.9 7.7 7.8 7.8 7.78.0 b 7.7 7.8 7.7 8.07.8 7.9 7.7 7.4 8.07.8 7.2 7.4 — 7.77.4 7.1 7.3 7.5 7.97.5 7.7 7.7 7.7 7.2 c7.7 7.5 7.6 7.6 7.8Motorola phones were considered the mostreliable, and Nokia devices were recognizedfor their superior reception and sound quality.But as always, it’s the combination of carrierand manufacturer that matters as muchas the manufacturer alone—for example,Motorola’s phones were the lowest-rated onVerizon.We received fewer than 50 responsesfrom T-Mobile users, which is not enough todraw conclusions about that carrier’s productlines, so they were not included in oursurvey results.Cellular ServiceProvidersREADERS’ CHOICEVerizon You can probably hear us now ifyou’re using Verizon Wireless’s network foryour voice communications.TracFone Don’t feel like you have to payfor a multiyear contract. TracFone users arepretty happy with what they get from thecompany’s bargain-priced service.Once again, “the network”rules.Verizon Wireless (VZW) triumphedin the area of contractcell phone providers based onthe company’s traditional strengths of customerservice, coverage, and call quality,which rated either better or significantlybetter than average on most measures.Adding to Verizon’s domination of the ratingsthis year, second place went to Alltel,which Verizon bought and is absorbing.In the areas of fees and plan options, however,both VZW and AT&T could stand somework, according to our readers. As in previousyears, users griped about Verizon’s highrates, but subscribers are clearly willing topay a little more for the nation’s best cellularnetwork. Besides, the marks readers assigncellular service providers are traditionallyNOVEMBER 2009 PC MAGAZINE DIGITAL EDITION 63

among the worst on our survey.Of the other major carriers, Sprint did alittle better than it did last year, and AT&Tdid a little worse; nonetheless both remainat the bottom, with significantly worse thanaverage (SWA) scores. AT&T also scoredSWA on coverage and call quality withinsubscribers’ home areas, with the iPhone’ssole U.S. carrier being buoyed a little by anexcellent “choice of handsets provided.”Perpetual cellar-dweller Sprint hasimproved somewhat on all measures since2008, but the company clearly still has aquite a way to go. In particular, it needs toimprove in the area of tech support, whichreaders gave a dreary 6.1 rating.If you’re looking for cheap and cheerful,you can’t do better than T-Mobile, whichscored significantly better than average onfees, plan options, and customer service.The only downside is the limited network,shown by the company’s worse than averagerating on coverage outside users’ homeareas.Lower fees, great coverage, and flexibleplan options helped vault TracFone into thelead among prepaid carriers, though it washelped by a decline in Virgin Mobile’s scoresfor fees and plans from significantly betterthan average (SBA) to merely better thanaverage (BA). The prepaid offerings frommajor carriers like Verizon and AT&T ratedlow on fees and plan options, which alsohelped TracFone.Interested in hearing more about theresults of our 2009 survey? For the fullreport, click here.The Rest:Our comprehensive readers’ surveyincluded many more products thanthose discussed in our story. Below arethe Readers’ Choice winners of the othercategories covered in our survey. Andyou can find in-depth reports of all of theproducts by clicking here.Digital CamerasNikon The company makes such highqualitydigital SLR cameras that the lovespills over into Nikon’s overall score, puttingthe popular manufacturer at the top.Canon Canon plays in almost every subcategoryof digital camera. And in almostall of those, this camera giant comes outahead of the competition.Game ConsolesNintendo Wii, Wii, Wii, all the way home…and into many a home, it turns out. Wehad more responses from Wii users thanfor the other consoles, and no wonder. PCMag readers adore it.Sony The PS3 scores great with pictureand sound and reliability; overall it’s a bigfavorite in this survey.64 PC MAGAZINE DIGITAL EDITION NOVEMBER 2009

ISPs, GPS and moreGPS DevicesGarmin The market leader is also theclear leader in GPS satisfaction amongreaders, who assigned high marks forreliability, map quality, ease of use, andmore.HDTVsPioneer If you like plasma screens—andapparently, you really do—then Pioneeris the stand-out manufacturer, scoringhigh for overall reliability, ease of use, andimage quality.Samsung While it makes a few differentkinds of HDTVs, Samsung clearly sets thebar in the ultra-popular LCD category.Portable Media PlayersApple Was there any question that theiPod, a name synonymous with handheldmedia, would propel Apple to anotherReaders’ Choice? Of course there wasn’t.RoutersApple That reliability and ease of use thatMac users expect bleeds over into Apple’sAirPort routers, putting the companyonce again in the Readers’ Choice seat.Linksys by Cisco Network giant Cisco’spurchase of home-networking marketleader Linksys is again justified by thesatisfaction PC Mag readers have with itsrouters.ISPs: FiberVerizon The FiOS service is still extremelylimited in coverage area, but wow: If youcan get that super-speed hook-up, you’llfall in love with the Internet all over again.ISPs: CableCox Cox squeaks ahead of the competition,winning the Readers’ Choice awardfor the first time for its cable ISP service.Voice Over IPOptimum Voice Cablevision’s digitalvoice service continues to get high marksfrom PC Mag readers, who found the connectionreliable and the sound qualitygreat.Vonage Stability and consistency appearto be the hallmark of Vonage, at leastamong the PC Mag readers who use theservice. nNOVEMBER 2009 PC MAGAZINE DIGITAL EDITION 65

SolutionsThe Truth AboutWi-Fi RoutersDual-band versus single-band, N versus G. What does it all mean?Here’s what you need to know about Wi-Fi routers before you buyyour next one. By Mario MorejonAlmost every broadband routerdestined for the home marketthese days has Wi-Fi capability.In fact, it’s been ages sincewe reviewed a router thatdidn’t include radios for wireless networking.That means you have a ton of choiceswhen it comes to selecting the right routerfor your home or small business.How to choose the right one? Well, don’tgo by the makers’ advertised speeds, whichseldom have much to do with reality. Somevendors go as far as using the “300” megabits-per-secondspeed in the names of routersthat can’t achieve anywhere near thatthroughput in the real world. Your best betis to avoid any pitch that tells you aboutthe speed of the router. Instead, you shouldlook at many features that you might needand that might be buried deep down inthe feature chart. Fortunately, the marketis flooded with Wi-Fi routers, so finding agood one is simpler than you might think, ifyou know what you’re looking for. Here areten things to consider.Is 802.11n (N) really that much betterthan 802.11g (G)?Yup. Believe it or not, the 802.11g Wi-Firouter, which uses a technology that hasbeen around for seven years, is still popular,especially in the corporate world. Smallbusinesses buy G routers because they arecheaper and perform adequately. Some802.11g routers include specialized functionsthat are essential in business, such as powerfulpolicy-based firewalls and threat-managementfeatures. But in the home, speedis far more important, and there the 802.11nWi-Fi router is king. N routers often deliveras much as five times as much throughputas G routers in real-world testing.66 PC MAGAZINE DIGITAL EDITION NOVEMBER 2009

70 OFFice/OS 74 TipSTake advantage ofWindows 7 LibrariesFind Wi-Fi networks onyour iPhone, speed up filedeletion in Vista, and moreAre dual-band routers better thansingle-band routers?N routers come in two flavors—single-bandand dual-band. Single-band routers use the2.4-GHz band, the same frequency usedby G routers. Dual-band N routers support2.4-GHz and 5-GHz bands. Even at2.4 GHz, N routers are faster than G routersbecause they make better use of thefrequency range in the band, and they’rebetter at bouncing signals off surroundingsurfaces such as furniture and walls. Switchinga dual-band N router from 2.4 GHz to 5GHz is like trading a Toyota for a Maserati.Some routers can achieve as much as 100Mbps more by switching up. So the answeris an overwhelming yes: Dual-band routers,though generally more expensive, outperformsingle-band (2.4-GHz) routers.What about a simultaneous dual-bandrouter?Simultaneous dual-band N transmission isa recent development used by some manufacturersto simplify switching betweenbands. Routers with this feature, such as theD-Link DIR-825 Xtreme N Dual Band GigabitRouter and the Apple AirPort Extreme BaseStation 802.11n, transmit the N signal simultaneouslyin 2.4 GHz and 5 GHz. By usingrECENTLy reviewed: Single-Band RoutersNetgear Range-Max Wireless-NGigabit RouterWNR3500$149 directl l l m mASUS RT-N11 EZ Wireless N Router$65 listl l l h mAlthough the ASUS RT-N11 EZ Wireless N Routerhas an impressive array of business features,it falls a little short on performance.With its repeaterfunctionality, thisdevice might behandy as a secondrouter or a repeaterin a large office.But its mediocrethroughput makesit hard to recommendenthusiasticallyfor home orbusiness use.NOVEMBER 2009 PC MAGAZINE DIGITAL EDITION 67

SOLutions WI-FI ROUTERSboth frequencies, the routers achieve longerrange and better signal strength, and, asyou might expect, they don’t require manualswitching between bands. Simultaneousdual-band routers are also more efficientin their throughput. Some, such as the D-Link DIR-825, can even manage the bandswithout any input from users. Simultaneousdual-band can help stabilize the overallthroughput on your network. These routersare generally more expensive, but worth theextra money if you have it to spend.Do I need two, three, or four antennas,or maybe hidden ones?Because the speed in N routers dependsheavily on signal bouncing and multipletransmitters and receiver antennas, the idealantenna configuration is 4 by 4. This meansthe router has four antennas, each of whichhas a transmitter and an antenna. Generally,however, most high-end N routers come witha 3-by-2 or 3-by-3 antenna configuration.While antennas come in all shapes and sizes,most are visible, tubular antennas. Vendorslike Apple, Netgear, and Linksys by Ciscohave redesigned some antennas so they arehidden from view. During testing, however,I found no noteworthy performance advantagesof one antenna design over another.What is guest access?Guest access is one of the most useful—andmost underrated—features of a wirelessrouter. Routers with guest access, such asthe Belkin N+ Wireless Router (F5D8235-4),can separate a Wi-Fi network into two. Thiscapability allows friends to use your broadbandaccess without knowing the passwordfor your network. You can achieve a similarconfiguration with routers that support virtualLANs (VLANs), but the steps in settingup multiple VLANs are more difficult.What is Wi-Fi Protected Setup (WPS)?Wi-Fi Protected Setup is a standard forsecuring your laptop with a Wi-Fi router. Thetechnology simplifies the encryption processthat users otherwise have to go throughto secure a Wi-Fi network. Is the technologysimpler to use than the schemes that precededit? That depends on the laptop andoperating system you use. Vista’s WindowsConnect Now (WCN), for instance, is compliantwith WPS. When WPS does work, it’sa simple process. Getting the configurationto work on laptops that don’t support it (inboth software and hardware), however, isquite an ordeal. Should you then look for thisfeature in a router? No. WPS isn’t essential,and, all too often, some part of your setupwon’t be compatible. Still, many N routersoffer it; when it works, it’s worthwhile.How many wired ports do I want?The more the merrier. While most Wi-FiN routers come with a standard five-portblock, you’ll be surprised by how manydon’t—the Apple AirPort Xtreme and AppleTime Capsule, for example, have only fourports apiece. Adding a NAS device, an Xbox360, a VoIP phone, and a PC will max out afive-port router (the last port connecting toyour DLS or cable modem).68 PC MAGAZINE DIGITAL EDITION novemBER 2009

ECENTLy reviewed: dual-Band RoutersApple Time Capsule 1TB(A1302)$499 directl l l l mThe Apple Time Capsule 1TB,an unusual combination of aWi-Fi router and NAS device,gives all-Mac and mixed Windows/Macnetworks an effectivewireless storage solution.D-Link DIR-825 Xtreme NDual Band Gigabit Router$169.99 directl l l l hThe D-Link DIR-825 XtremeN Dual Band Gigabit Routerprovides some remarkablecapabilities and overall goodperformance at a very reasonableprice.Linksys by Cisco DualBand Wireless-N GigabitRouter WRT320N$112 streetl l l l mThis is one of the easiest routersto install and manage. Agood choice for novice users,professionals, and businessesthat have to give remoteworkers secure access.Is a strong firewall an importantfeature for a router?Fortunately, most routers include a firewall,and many use the SPI (stateful packetinspection) firewall, which is consideredto be better than the older NAT firewall. Afew routers, such as the SMC Barricade NWireless Broadband Router (SMCWBR14S-N2), provide a range of manual settingson a firewall. Are these routers better? Notreally. Typically, manual firewall settingsare designed for specific usage needs andnot for enhancing the overall capability of afirewall. As long as a Wi-Fi router has an SPIfirewall, that’s enough for most of us.Can home routers meet the needs ofsmall businesses?For the most part, yes, they can. However,sometimes businesses need extra securityor technologies that are not availablein some home routers. A few home routers,such as the SMC Barricade N WirelessRouter and the ASUS RT-N11 EZ WirelessN Router, have advanced features, such as802.1X authentication, routing, and VLANsthat make them particularly attractive tosmall businesses.What’s the best way to access yourrouter remotely?Routers like the Netgear WNR3500 supportdynamic DNS—as in the Dyndns.org or TZO.com services—and are the best to buy ifyou want to access your network remotely.With dynamic DNS, you can gain access byusing a domain name like myhomenetwork.net instead of using the IP address providedto you by your ISP. Since ISPs rotate IPaddresses, the easiest way to find your networkon the Web is by activating a dynamicDNS account in your router. nNOVEMBER 2009 PC MAGAZINE DIGITAL EDITION 69

sOLutions office/OSMake the Mostof Win 7 LibrariesBefore your new operating system can be useful, you need tounderstand how it organizes your data. By Neil RandallWindows 7 has its shareof highly visible userinterface tweaks. Aftergetting past the oohsand aahs of the spiffeduptaskbar, you’ll likely find the new look ofgood old Explorer the most dramatic difference.Click the Windows Explorer iconon the taskbar, or open Computer from theStart menu, and you’ll get a window thatdisplays not only the standard expandablehard drive labels but also a new featurecalled Libraries.Win 7 Libraries are, in effect, metafolders.The idea behind them is simple: We havemassive hard drives with files scattered allover the place, and organizing our resourcesby hard drive and folders (which are alwaystied to a hard drive) is inefficient. Like Vista,Win 7 provides a Favorites system to helpwith organization—you drag a folder tothe Navigation pane, creating a link to thatfolder—but Libraries carries organization animportant level further.Win 7 ships with four libraries already inplace: Documents, Music, Pictures, and Videos.Of course, Vista and XP included folderscalled Documents or My Documents, Musicthe library conceptEach library in your Windows7 system groups similar filesthat can exist anywhere in yoursystem, or on your network.70 PC MAGAZINE DIGITAL EDITION NOVEMBER 2009

WHERE TO FIND THEM Libraries are just belowFavorites on the Navigation pane.or My Music, and so forth, inside each userprofile (and easily accessible from Computeror My Computer), so you might verywell ask how Win 7 improves anything here.The answer is that the folder “My Music”(to use just one example) contains files andsubdirectories that reside inside one bigdirectory called My Music—and that folderexists in one specific location on your harddrive. By contrast, the library “Music” in Win7 contains links to files, and other directories,and other subdirectories anywhere onyour system. Think of the security desk in alarge building: From one monitor bank youcan view camera feeds from any numberof locations within the building. This isn’tlike metatagging files, which enables Windowsto search for them more efficientlyand accurately; it’s telling Windows that itshould consider certain, disparate folders asa group. With Win 7 Libraries, you can add asmany locations as you want to each library,and when you open that library all locationswill be accessible from within it. And to topthat all off, if you join multiple PCs in a Win7 HomeGroup, you can share entire librariesas easily as you can share individual directoriesor files.To show how libraries work, I’ll create abrand new one and call it “Archived E-mail.”Inside it, I want links to all folders on my varioushard drives and partitions that containOutlook data (PST) files I’ve stored over theyears. Every time I install a new instance ofWindows (beginning way back in the year2000 or so), I reinstall Office as well, creatinga new Outlook data file. I then import mycalendar, contacts, and certain folders fromthe most recent Outlook PST file, but I oftenleave much of the data in that older file as anarchive. In addition, I have numerous smallerarchives and backups scattered around.LIBRARYCONTENTSThe list of includeditemsappears in theLibrary Locationsarea of thelibrary’s Propertiesdialog.NOVEMBER 2009 PC MAGAZINE DIGITAL EDITION 71

sOLutions office/OSBROWSING THE LIBRARYThe detailed view of the newlyadded library.This new library will let me collect them all inone place, so that if I need to find that specifice-mail from six years ago, I don’t haveto do nearly as much digging.To create a library, open Explorer, rightclickthe Libraries item, and choose New |Library. Name the library what you want—for me it’s Archived Email. Right-click thenew folder and choose Properties. Now,click Include a Folder and navigate to afolder you want to make part of this library.Highlight that folder and click IncludeFolder; repeat the process for all foldersyou want to add. The Optimize this Librarydrop-down menu of the dialog lets you tellWin 7 whether you want to track this libraryfor General Items, Documents, Music, Pictures,or Videos; it would be more useful ifyou could also specify file types, but this is agood start.From this point on, Win 7 will track yourselected folders and update them automaticallyin Libraries whenever you changetheir contents. In and of itself this feature isuseful, but Win 7 expands on it by providinga detailed default view of the library. Itexpands the included folders to show thefiles and subdirectories within the monitoreddirectories, letting you easily browsefor the file or folder you want to open.You can add locations to the library in severalways. First, you can reopen the library`sProperties dialog and click Include a Folderagain. Second, you can use Explorer tobrowse to a file or folder and right-drag theitem to the library’s heading on the Navigationbar, pausing until it bears the captionCreate Link in Folder. Third, you can rightclickon any folder and choose Include inLibrary, selecting the library you want from72 PC MAGAZINE DIGITAL EDITION NOVEMBER 2009

BUILD A NEW LIBRAryCreate a new location bydragging an item into thelibrary.the resulting submenu. You can also createa new library by dragging a folder (nota file) to the Libraries heading itself, whereWin 7 will prompt you to create the newlibrary.MANAGE YOUR LIBRARIES Use the Library Locationsdialog to make changes to your libraries.Finally, the various locations can be modifiedby clicking the link beside the Includeslabel, which appears at the top right of theExplorer window when you have selecteda library. The result is the Library Locationsdialog, from which you can Add or Removeadditional items.In my case, by the time I added all of myold Outlook folders to the Archived Emaillibrary, I had a list of nine directories containingseveral subdirectories, all containingone or more PST files. Suddenly, all myold e-mail was accessible to me, should Iwant to search it or revisit old discussions.Of course, using libraries to track musicfiles, document files, or all your variousPhotoshop files might be more helpful formost users, but for me the Libraries featureworked superbly to give me control over avery specific data type. nNOVEMBER 2009 PC MAGAZINE DIGITAL EDITION 73

sOLutionsTipsUseful tidbits from PCMag editorial staff, Labs analysts, and readersvANIshing email If you thinkyour e-mail messages are disappearing,they may just behidden.E-MAILDisappearing E-mailIf you’re finding e-mails from your WindowsMail or Outlook Express inbox go missingright after you’ve read them, closed the program,then reopened it, don’t panic. Mostlikely, the messages are perfectly safe, andyou just managed to accidentally changea setting in Windows Mail that hides messagesonce you’ve read them. It’s easyenough to fix. From the menu, select View| Current View; you’ll see that Hide ReadMessages is checked. Click Show All Messagesand the problem is solved.Both OE and Windows Mail can optionallydisplay a toolbar whose sole purpose isto manage hiding or showing already-readmessages, but that seems a bit unnecessaryfor a setting that’s rarely changed. —Neil J.RubenkingiPHONEFind Wi-Fi Networks on your iPhoneIf you have an iPhone, you don’t need a separatedongle to find an open wireless connectionfor your laptop. Simply take outyour iPhone, tap Settings, select WiFi, thenopen Choose a network to see which Wi-Fi networks are available wherever you are.This trick is perfect for checking to see if it’sworth hauling out and booting up your laptopin your local library or coffee shop, or forchecking whether your home network is visiblefrom that corner of the garage or basementwhere you’re considering moving yourdesktop.74 PC MAGAZINE DIGITAL EDITION NOVEMBER 2009

Want to find the nearest wireless accesspoint wherever you are? Try searching for“wifi” in the Maps application. Google willplot the nearest hot spots around your locationbased on the GPS (or cell-phone towerlocation).—Logan KuglerVISTASpeed Up File Deletion in VistaWhen you drag a file to the Recycle Bin,does it sometimes take 30 to 45 secondsto complete the process? A feature in Vistahas been causing this problem for some,even though it shouldn’t. Remote DifferentialCompression attempts to moderatebandwidth when copying files across thenetwork. It looks to see if the file is alreadypresent in the target location and, if that’sthe case, analyzes whether it can get awaywith just transmitting the changes withoutcopying the whole file again. Apparently thisfeature is not implemented very well and canslow file transfers rather than speed them. Ofcourse the Recycle Bin is not a network destination,but it can be affected regardless.Simply turn off Remote Differential Compression.Launch Programs and Featuresfrom Control Panel and select Turn Windowsfeatures on or off. Find Remote DifferentialCompression in the list, uncheck its checkbox, and click OK. You may need to rebootfor changes to take effect.—NJRLaptops. MP3 Players. Digitized Baseball Bats. There’s a Tech Gift for Everyone.HolidayGift Guide2009

Editors’ Choicesin Key CategoriesFor the completereviews of theseproducts and moreEditors’ Choices check outgo.pcmag.com/editorschoiceBesDesktopsmainstreamHP Pavilion Elite m9400t$843 listBudget/ValueHP Compaq Presario CQ5110f$699 listDell Inspiron 545 $899 listgaming/ MuLTIMEDIAFalcon Northwest Mach V(Core i7-975) $8,240 directDell Studio XPS 435 $1,769 directall-in-oneApple iMac (Nvidia GeForce9400M) $799 listLenovo IdeaCentre A600$799 directbusinessLenovo ThinkCentre M58pEco Ultra Small $1,089 directLAPTOPs & NotebooksmainstreamApple MacBook Pro 13-inch$1,199 directgamingAlienware M17x $4,850 directMuLTIMEDIAHP HDX16t $1,790 directDeskTOP ReplacementAcer Aspire 6930G-6723$1,020 streetDell Studio 1555 (USE006CS)$799 listnetbookToshiba mini NB205 $400 streetbusinessLenovo ThinkPad T400$1,580 directbudgetHP Pavilion dv2800t$1,049 directAcer Aspire 3935 $900 streetsTORAGEPorTABLELenovo ThinkPad USB PortableSecure Drive $319 listClickfree HD325 $180 listIomega eGo Portable HardDrive Mac Edition (500GB)$150 listdeskTOPWestern Digital MyBookStudio Edition II $430 listNETWOrk-attached storagenNEW Western Digital WDShareSpace 4TB, $799.99 listLCD MonitorsHP LP2275w $349 directDell UltraSharp 2408WFP$689 directAcer B273HU $409 listSCANNERSEpson Perfection V300 Photo$99.99 directprojECTOrsCanon Realis X700 $2,500 listNEC VT800 $1,000 streetDell M109S $499 directGADGETsAmazon Kindle 2 $359 directPrintersmonochrome laserKonica Minolta magicolor1600W $180 streetCOLOr laserXerox Phaser 7500/DN$3,299.99 directsTANDArd inkjetnNEW Epson Stylus NX515$149.99 directEpson WorkForce 310All-In-One $129.99 directPHOTO PrinterHP Photosmart A636 CompactPhoto Printer $149.99 directNETWOrkingNetgear XAVB101 $130 streetSMC SMCGS8P $300 streetSpiceworks 3.5 FreeCloudEngines Pogoplug$99 directWindows Server 2008 R2Free with Server 2008 licenseCisco Network MagicPro 5.5 $39.99 directHDTVsplasmaVizio VP505XVT $1,499.99 listLCDSharp Aquos LC-52D85U$2,099.99 directSony Bravia KDL-46XBR8$3,999.99 listSamsung LN52A750 $3,999 listOLEDSony XEL-1 OLED Digital TV$2,499.99 listDIGITAL CamerasCOMPACTCanon PowerShot SD970 IS$379.99 listD-SLRNikon D300 $1,800 streetCanon EOS Rebel T1i$899.99 listsuperZOOMPanasonic Lumix DMC-FZ18$399.95 listDIGITAL Video CamerasKodak Zi8 Pocket Video Camera$299.99 directSony HDR-SR11 $1,099.99 direct76 PC MAGAZINE DIGITAL EDITION november 2009

tDIGITAL Photo & VideoMuLTIMEDIA suiteAdobe Creative Suite 3$999 directVIDEO-Editing SOFTWARECyberLink DVD Suite 7 Ultra$129.95 directPHOTO editingnNEW Adobe PhotoshopElements 8 $99.99 directPicasa 3 (beta) FreeDIGITAL photo frameSony VAIO VGF-CP1 $299 listPOrtable media PlayersMicrosoft Zune 120GB$249 listnNEW Apple iPod touch(3rd generation) 8GB,$199 directnNEW Apple iPod nano(5th generation) 16GB,$179 directsPEAkers/DocksnNEW Altec Lansing Mix iMT800$299.95 directHercules XPS 2.1 Lounge$60 streetLogitech Pure-Fi Dream$200 directMEDIA extendersSonos Bundle 150 $999 directSlingbox PRO-HD $299 listGAMING consolesSony PlayStation 3 120GB(PS3 Slim) $299.99 directGPS DevicesGarmin nüvi 265T $279.99 listTomTom One 140-S $199.95 listCELL phonesALLTELRIM BlackBerry Curve 8330From $229.99 with contractAT&TApple iPhone 3G SFrom $99 with contractLG Xenon GR500 $99 directSprintBlackBerry Tour 9630$199.99 with contractT-MobileSamsung Memoir SGH-t929$299 directVerIZON WirelessRIM BlackBerry Tour 9630$269.99 directuNLOCkedNokia N82 $629 directHEADsetsAliph New Jawbone $129.99 listPlantronics Voyager Pro$99.99 listHEADPHONEsKlipsch Image S4i$99.99 direct3G network adapterssprintSierra Wireless 598U$249.99 listOFFICE & productivityAdobe Acrobat 9 Pro $449 directQuickBase $250 direct per monthSkype 4.0 FreeIpswitch Imail Server Premiumv10 25 licenses, $1,195 directCitrix GoToAssist Express$69 direct per monthAdobe Illustrator CS4$599 directIPHONE appsAir Sharing $6.99 directStanza FreePhotogene $2.99 directENTERTAINMENTPandora (for iPhone) FreeRhapsody From $12.99 per monthSlacker FreeApple iLife ’09 $79 directMLB 09: The Show $59.99 listnNEW iTunes 9 FreesECurityPAssword protectionLastPass 1.5 FreeANTIMALWArePrevx 3.0 $29.95 direct per yearantivirusWebroot AntiVirus withAntiSpyware 6.0 $39.95 directSuitenNEW Norton Internet Security2010 3 licenses, $69.99 yearlyNorton 360 version 3.0$69.99 yearlyNet Nanny 6.0 $39.99 yearlyBACkupSOS Online Backup (beta)$19.95 directDropbox2GB, free; 50GB, $9.95 monthlyFINANCIALQuickBooks EnterpriseSolutions 9 $3,000 directQuicken Home & Business 2009$79.99 directMint.com (Winter 2009) FreeMicrosoft Office AccountingExpress 2009 Freenovember 2009 PC MAGAZINE DIGITAL EDITION 77