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icloud’s game-changing future july 2011

3BARNES & NOBLE NOOK TOUCH READER Solve 8 Common Wi-Fi Problems in a Snap iPad Alternatives: The Good, Bad, and Ugly

COOLEST PRODUCTS

12 DEVICES YOU NEED RIGHT NOW

Audio • HDTV • Phones • Cameras • Laptops 3D Gaming • iPad Accessories • And More!

JULY 2011

vol. 30 no. 7

32

COVER STORY the 12 coolest gadgets you need in your life right now Hundreds of products have passed through our lab doors this year, and only a select few have that indescribable “it” quality. Add these 12 products to your must-have tech list right now. They’ll make you happy and impress your friends, too.

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PC MAGAZINE DIGITAL EDITION JULY 2011

8

12

FIRST LOOKS

8 hardware Dell XPS 15z Apple iMac 21.5-inch (Thunderbolt) Samsung Series 9 (Microsoft)

tech newS 5 Front Side Facebook’s controversial facialrecognition feature; the six most underrated games; iCloud’s future.

12 consumer electronics Barnes & Noble Nook Touch Reader Nikon D5100 LG Infinia 47LW5600 Asus Eee Pad Transformer TF101 Samsung Galaxy S II (Unlocked)

OPINIONS

18 BUSINESS

features

HP 100B All-in-One PC Lenovo ThinkPad X1 HP EliteBook 8560p 22 sOFTWARE Yahoo! Mail Lynda.com WebWatcher 62 EDITORS’ CHOICE

2 First Word: Lance Ulanoff 26 John C. Dvorak 28 sascha segan 30 peter pachal

38 iPad Alternatives Want a tablet but not sure the iPad is right for you? Here are 10 viable alternatives.

SOLUTIONS 46 fix your router, stat! These eight common Wi-Fi router problems are easy to fix yourself. 52 Build It: A mini Fusion pc You can build a small, powerful media PC with AMD’s new Fusion APU technology, cheaply and easily.

PC Magazine Digital Edition, ISSN 0888-8507, is published monthly at $12 for one year. Ziff Davis, 28 East 28th Street, New York NY 10016-7940.

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JULY 2011 PC MAGAZINE DIGITAL EDITION 1

FIRST WORD LANCE ULANOFF

Apple Brings True Meaning to the Cloud

T

he introduction of Apple’s iTunes Cloud is an inflection point. It takes us beyond the “post-PC” era Steve Jobs has described and aggressively moves us toward a full-scale demotion of PCs and laptops as the centerpieces of our digital lives. With iCloud and, especially iTunes Cloud, Apple will very likely take the cloud from a fuzzy concept to something real, concrete, and desirable. Apple’s cloud covers a lot. It’s like a blanket over every part of your digital life, encompassing photos, documents, e-mail, contacts, schedules, and, of course, music. Suddenly, the Apple ecosystem—which used to comprise a piece of hardware, the iTunes software, the App Store, and content—now includes all of your Apple content-consumption hardware. If you’re logged into any of them, your experience should be the same. Google’s plan is similar. One account, many gadgets, a ubiquity of content access. But Google has stumbled badly on the

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2 PC MAGAZINE DIGITAL EDITION JULY 2011

music front. Major music labels are not working with the company and Google’s music locker is just a place to upload DRM-free music you own. You can’t buy major label music in the Google cloud and play it from there or download it to all of your Android or Chrome devices. Buying music once and using it virtually everywhere is cool, and I’m honestly astounded that Apple has apparently gotten all its music partners to agree to let iTunes members have the same music collection across up to 10 devices. The bigger news, though, is with iTunes Match: It will take all that music you ripped off your old CD collection and match it up with Apple’s 256KB, AAC, DRM-free music. With iTunes Match, Apple somehow convinced all the music labels to waive fees for any copy of ripped music Apple deems to be an iTunes match. It did this, I think, by getting enough money from consumers upfront so that music industry partners will still get their cash. So iTunes customers who want Match pay

Buying music once and using it everywhere is cool; I’m astounded Apple’s music partners have agreed to let iTunes members have the same music collection across up to 10 devices. $24.99 a year. This is more or less a music -subscription fee. You rip as much music as you want (or own) and Apple gives you fresh files for whatever it can match from its own library. Once you’ve done this, you own that music forever. No other rival with a music delivery system— not Amazon, not Google, not Microsoft— had the clout to pull this off. The Other Side of the iCloud Naturally, there are questions about how Apple’s cloud will work. For example, it stands ready to back up and access cloudbased content at virtually any time. So when your iPhone is in your pocket or your iPad is in your backpack, it’ll be doing more than getting e-mail and accepting push notifications. It could also be doing the resourceand relatively battery-intensive job of transferring large image, video, and document files to and from Apple’s iCloud. The iCloud promises to store photos (and videos) from your camera roll in the cloud and backup the last 1,000 photos on all your iOS devices. Your entire library, however will live on your Mac or PC. Having constant access on any upcoming iOS 5 device to hundreds of your most recent photos appeals to me, but I worry that Apple still hasn’t addressed how I’ll back up my photo

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library and what happens if and when the hard drive on my Mac or PC finally fails. For all that Apple did on the music front, it did stop short of introducing an all-you-caneat music-streaming service. Considering all that the company convinced music industry partners to do, this seems odd. Why not add another $25 to the yearly iTunes Match fee, so that for $50 a year, iTunes customers gain digital access to their old-school music library and can stream all the new stuff, too? For all we know, Apple did suggest just such a service to the music industry, which likely would have balked. Some consumers consider Apple’s iTunes software the worst of all music-management software choices. I agree it could be a lot better. Apple’s iCloud offers no relief. The application will remain local, and while it may benefit from the easier management of cloud-based music synchronization, iTunes Cloud isn’t a panacea for this frustratingly bloated and modal interface. These concerns are not insignificant, but by and large, Apple has done right by the cloud. I’ll bet Steve Jobs made you want it more, and now you even know why. Follow me on Twitter! Catch the chief’s comments on the latest tech developments at twitter.com/LanceUlanoff. JULY 2011 PC MAGAZINE DIGITAL EDITION 3

Editor-in-Chief, pc magazine network Editor, pc magazine digital edition

Lance Ulanoff

®

Stephanie Chang

Vicki B. Jacobson Dan Costa NEWS DIRECTOR Peter Pachal creative director Chris Phillips HOME PAGE EDITOR Don Sears fEatures editoR Eric Griffith manager, online production Yun-San Tsai Producers Mark Lamorgese, Whitney A. Reynolds news editors Chloe Albanesius (East Coast), Mark Hachman (West Coast) reporters Leslie Horn, Damon Poeter, Sarah Yin associate editor Jennifer Bergen (blogs) Commerce Producer Arielle Rochette assistant editor Hilary Scott Utility Program Manager Tim Smith assistant designer Jackie Smith Contributing Editors Tim Bajarin, John R. Delaney, John C. Dvorak, Bill Howard, Jamie Lendino, Edward Mendelson DIRECTOR OF ONLINE CONTENT, EXECUTIVE PRODUCER Executive Editor

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Sean Carroll (software, security, Internet, business), Wendy Sheehan Donnell (consumer electronics), Laarni Almendrala Ragaza (hardware) Lead Analysts Cisco Cheng (laptops), Tim Gideon (consumer electronics), Samara Lynn (business, networking), Michael Muchmore (software), Matthew Murray (DIY, components) Neil J. Rubenking (security), Joel Santo Domingo (desktops), Sascha Segan (mobile), M. David Stone (printers, scanners) Analysts Tony Hoffman (printers, scanners), Jeffrey Wilson (software, Internet, networking) junior analysts Alex Colon (consumer electronics), Jill Duffy (software, Internet, networking), Will Fenton (software, Internet, networking), Will Greenwald (consumer electronics), David Pierce (consumer electronics), Natalie Shoemaker (hardware), Brian Westover (hardware), inventory Control Coordinator Nicole Graham Staff PhotographeR Scott Schedivy interns Andrew Freedman, Julius Motal, Amelia Wehr pc labs managing editors

Eric Koepele 212-503-5250 James Selden 212-503-4689 marketing manager Lindsay Garrison 212-503-5270 web designer Yoland Ouiya Advertising Office 28 E. 28th St., New York, NY 10016-7940; phone, 800-336-2423, 212-503-3500; fax, 212-503-5000; www.pcmagmedia.com senior vice President, digital sales Vice President, Marketing

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chief operating officer

Bennett Zucker Anurag Harsh senior vice President, digital sales Eric Koepele Vice Presidents Larry Chevres (Engineering), James Selden (Marketing) DIRECTOR Joseph Mirabella (Licensing) senior Vice President and General manager, Data solutions senior Vice President, business development

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Front What’s New from the World of Tech

TAG, YOU’RE IT Facebook’s new technology identifies faces in newly uploaded, untagged photos and makes “tag suggestions” to users.

Facial Recognition on Facebook Under Fire A new Facebook technology that can identify people in newly uploaded, untagged photos is drawing ire from privacy groups and security firms alike. The Electronic Privacy Information Center (EPIC) has joined the Center for Digital Democracy, Consumer Watchdog, and the Privacy Rights Clearinghouse in filing a complaint with the Federal Trade Commission,

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arguing that Facebook’s facial-recognition software is “unfair and deceptive.” EPIC wants the FTC to require Facebook to stop using the technology pending an investigation. The facial-recognition feature, which identifies people in new photos by comparing their faces with those in previously posted, tagged photos, was rolled out quietly last month, and is turned on by juLY 2011 PC MAGAZINE DIGITAL EDITION 5

frontside default. EPIC wants Facebook to make this an opt-in feature. “Users could not reasonably have known that Facebook would use their photos to build a biometric database in order to implement a facial-recognition technology under the control of Facebook,” EPIC argued. The organization said that without FTC intervention, Facebook will “likely expand the use of the facial-recognition database it has covertly established for purposes over which Facebook users will be able to exercise no meaningful control.” Back in December, Facebook announced plans for the feature, explaining the intent was to make it easier for people to tag pho-

tos of friends. By comparing faces in new photos to older photos, Facebook said it could make tagging suggestions. Like EPIC, security firm Sophos expressed concern that facial recognition was turned on by default. Users must disable the service if they don’t want to show up as “suggested tags” in their friends’ photos. Facebook acknowledged its lack of communication about the launch of the feature. “We should have been more clear with people during the roll-out process,” a Facebook spokesman said in a statement. Facebook did not, however, announce any plans to make facial recognition an opt-in feature.—Chloe Albanesius

E3 2011: 6 Most Underrated Games As anticipated, last month’s E3 2011 show was filled with high-profile announcements from video-game giants like Microsoft, Sony, and Nintendo. But there were also some extremely cool games from lesserknown game publishers that seemed to fly under the radar. Here are our six favorites. Anarchy Reigns (PS3, Xbox 360) This game looks very much like the spiritual successor to Capcom’s Power Stone, blended thoroughly with some God Hand. Awesomenauts (PSN, XBLA) This Multiplayer Online Battle Arena (MOBA) game is inspired by your favorite ’80s animated ’toons. Binary Domain (PS3, Xbox 360) Set in Japan in the year 2080, it chronicles humanity’s war against rampaging robot

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forces—robots that can adopt. Catherine (PS 3, Xbox 360) The plot of this adult game follows everyman Vincent through a psycho-sexual nightmare world, where he tussles with sheep men, pushes blocks, and escapes all sorts of bizarre obstacles. El Shaddai: The Ascension of the Metatron (PS3, Xbox 360) In this action-packed game, Biblical hero Enoch, from the Old Testament, wages a war on Fallen Angels to prevent the Great Flood with help from Lucifel, his time-traveling companion. Jurassic Park (PC, Mac) Featuring Heavy Rain-inspired gameplay, this direct sequel to the classic dino flick unfolds in different ways depending on player choices. —Jeffrey L. Wilson

iCloud’s Future: Premium Services? What’s the future of Apple’s iCloud? Premium storage options, most likely, possibly followed by the syncing of home videos. Apple chief executive Steve Jobs unveiled iCloud at Apple’s Worldwide Developer Conference last month, along with OS X “Lion” and the upcoming iOS 5. But it was iCloud, especially its integration with iTunes and its music collection, that had tongues wagging. Apple reportedly signed deals with the top four record labels to solidify the deal. The “iTunes in the cloud” part of iCloud is available now via iOS 4.3; iCloud will ship with iOS 5 this fall. iCloud syncs purchased music, apps, and books, Camera Roll (photos and videos), device settings, and app data. Everyone will get up to 5GB of free storage, excluding apps, documents, or e-books that a user purchases. Apple will only store the latest 1,000 photos for a month, unless they’re in an album, where they’ll be stored forever. That, according to Frank Gillett, a vice president and principal analyst at Forrester, means that Apple will have several opportunities to build on iCloud’s free appeal into

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paid services. A recent report by Forrester said that roughly half of the U.S. online population—124 million people out of 242 million—own two or more PCs or smartphones, and would be prime candidates for a “personal cloud” that syncs content across multiple devices, as Apple’s iCloud does. Brian Marshall, an analyst with Gleacher & Co., told Marketwatch that iCloud was set to make Apple’s ecosystem “stickier,” making users less inclined to seek out competitors to store their files. And that means that Apple has an opportunity to sell more services to consumers. “There’s definite headroom for a premium model, with features like more robust backup for your files, because we’re not going to get to a world of no files for a long time,” Gillett said. Today’s concept of ownership of content means “permanent, nonrevokable rights to access this stuff,” he said. Apple said that “users will be able to buy even more storage, with details announced when iCloud ships this fall.”—Mark Hachman JULY 2011 PC MAGAZINE DIGITAL EDITION 7

INSIDE 8 hardware 12 consumer electronics 18 business 22 software

First

Dell XPS 15z

Dell’s New XPS: Thin, Powerful, And Well-Priced Adamo was Dell’s luxury line until it was phased out a couple of months ago, but keen laptop observers will find a lot of the Adamo’s high-end design and premium features in the new Dell XPS 15z. The laptop is less than one-inch thick, all aluminum, and comes with a powerful Core i7 CPU. It may not be as powerful as the Apple MacBook Pro 15-inch (Thunderbolt), but it has a better 1080p screen, stellar speakers, and more important, it costs over $650 less. The XPS 15z is at the top of the food chain in terms of screen quality. The color gamut and sharpness of the 15.6-inch widescreen are in a league of their own, in large part

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because of the 1,920-by-1,080 resolution. There’s no mistaking the island keyboard and its exquisite scalloped keys: They’re from the Adamo XPS. I found the typing experience fantastic, and the touchpad roomy and responsive. The XPS 15z’s feature set is comparable to, if not better than, that of the MacBook Pro 15-inch. There are two USB 3.0 ports, and a third USB port is an E-SATA combo. It has both HDMI and mini-DisplayPort. The XPS 15z is a dual-core laptop, whereas the Apple MacBook Pro 15-inch and XPS 15 support quad core processors. And yet, even the toughest tasks can be tamed by the 15z’s Intel Core i7-2620M (2.7-GHz) pro-

Specs 2.7-GHz Intel Core i7-2620M processor; 750GB hard drive; 8GB DDR3 memory; Intel HD Graphics 3000 and nVidia GeForce GT 525M; 15.6-inch widescreen; 5.5 pounds; 802.11n wireless; DVD+R DL optical drive; Microsoft Windows 7 Home Premium Edition

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8 PC MAGAZINE DIGITAL EDITION July 2011

our ratings key: l l l l l EXCELLENT l l l l m VERY GOOD l l l m m GOOD l l m m m FAIR l m m m m POOR

cessor. It has the kind of power that video and photo professionals will be more than satisfied with, judging by its Handbrake (2:11) and Photoshop CS5 (3:40) scores. The 64WH battery is non-removable, which isn’t surprising since the MacBook Pro did the same to preserve its svelte lines. It lasted 6 hours 22 minutes in MobileMark 2007 tests, ahead of the Apple MacBook Pro 15-inch (4:40), Asus N53SV-A1 (3:51), and Samsung RC512-S02 (5:35). As awe-inspiring as the XPS 15 is, it is neither thin nor light enough to compete on the same level as the Apple MacBook Pro 15-inch (Thunderbolt). Dell had the answer in its now-defunct Adamo line and applied it to the XPS 15z. It’s not the thinnest 15-inch

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Dell XPs 15z $1,534 direct L l l l m

PROS Less than one-inch thick. Gorgeous aluminum design. Best-in-class screen. Great backlit keyboard. Light weight. Reasonably priced. Very strong performance scores. Coastto-coast battery life. Can hold its own as a gaming laptop. Nvidia Optimus present. CONS Fans are kind of loud.

laptop on the planet, but it can definitely give the MacBook Pro a run for its money. Its speed and battery scores live up to expectations, all for a significantly lower price than that of the MacBook Pro 15-inch, and for that it handily earns our Editors’ Choice.. —Cisco Cheng >>CLICK HERE FOR MORE July 2011 PC MAGAZINE DIGITAL EDITION 9

first looks hardware

Apple iMac 21.5-inch (Thunderbolt)

The Fastest All-in-one PC For $1,200 Performance, as a rule, jumps up every generation or so, and the Apple iMac 21.5-inch (Thunderbolt) is no exception. With a second-generation Intel Core i5 processor and DX11-compatible AMD Radeon HD 6750M graphics, the newest iMac adds class-leading performance to the already iconic iMac chassis. The newest, hottest Thunderbolt interface is the gravy. If you’re a Mac user upgrading a 2005 Mac, or if you’re new to the Mac fold, the entry-level iMac is a compelling choice and could keep you happy for the next several years. Like its predecessor, the Apple iMac 21.5inch (Core i3), the new iMac has a glasscovered 21.5-inch 1080p panel, wireless keyboard and mouse, and even the same row of I/O ports in the back. The one notable exception is the addition of a Thunderbolt port, which is capable of dual-channel 10Gbps communication—much faster than USB 2.0, USB 3.0, FireWire, or eSATA. You can also daisy-chain multiple devices (like

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Apple iMac 21.5-inch (Thunderbolt) $1,199 list l l l l h

PROS Compact chassis. Quad-core power. 3D performance. Good price. 1080p screen. No power brick. CONS Needs adapters for HDMI, USB 3.0, DVI, eSATA, and other advanced data connections. No Blu-ray. Only a 500GB drive.

hard drives, monitors, printers, and input devices) all on the same Thunderbolt port. For the money, this iMac is the performance king. Not only is it faster than the previous iteration while running Mac OS X 10.6, it is also the fastest all-in-one desktop in the mainstream price range while running Windows 7! There’s no comparison between this iMac and other desktops in this price range. It earns our Editors’ Choice for mainstream/ multimedia-oriented all-in-one PCs for its blazing performance, excellent software, styling, and price.—Joel Santo Domingo >>CLICK HERE FOR MORE

Specs Intel Core i5 processor; 500GB hard drive; 4GB RAM; AMD Radeon HD 6750M graphics; 21.5-inch widescreen; Dual-Layer DVD+/-RW optical drive; Mac OS X 10.6

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first looks hardware

Samsung Series 9 (Microsoft)

A Great Fit If Money Is No Object

S

amsung has the chops to compete with the biggest names in the PC industry and is apparently not shy about copycatting successful products. With the Samsung Series 9, available at Microsoft retail stores and online, the company takes aim at the Apple MacBook Air 13-inch ($1,299 direct). This laptop is crafted from a durable aluminum, is extremely thin, is loaded with features, and is a strong performer to boot. But you pay for this dearly: it costs more than the Air 13-inch. The Series 9 is amazingly thin, measuring between 0.62 and 0.64 inches thick. Its tapered design creates an even thinner front bezel (0.11 inches). Its weight of 2.9 pounds matches that of the Air 13-inch. Performance is where the Series 9 and Air 13-inch diverge. The Series 9 runs on a 1.4-GHz Intel Core i5-2537M processor, as opposed to the MacBook Air’s two-generations-old Intel Core 2 Duo. The Intel Core i5-2537M is the first ultra low-voltage pro-

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Samsung Series 9 (Microsoft) $1,599 list l l l l m

PROS Ruggedized, sleek aluminum design. Powerful Core i5 Sandy Bridge processor. Six hours of battery life. Third USB port and Ethernet are features you don’t get with the MacBook Air 13-inch. Backlit keyboard. Excellent typing experience. Anti-glare screen. CONS Expensive. Ports are difficult to access.

cessor to arrive at our bench with Sandy Bridge technology, which meant good things for performance. PCMark Vantage (7,593), an overall performance gauge, favored the Series 9 by a 33 percent margin when compared with the MacBook Air 13-inch (5,701) and Toshiba R835-P50X (5,423). My only quandary about the Samsung Series 9 (Microsoft) is that it’s essentially a knock-off of the Apple MacBook Air 13-inch, yet it’s more expensive. If that’s the case, why wouldn’t you go with the real McCoy? —Cisco Cheng >> CLICK HERE FOR MORE

Specs 1.4-GHz Intel Core i5-2537M processor; 4GB RAM; 128GB hard drive; Intel HD Graphics 3000; 13.3-inch widescreen; 2.9 pounds; 802.11n wireless; Microsoft Windows 7 Home Premium Edition

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first looks consumer electronics

Barnes & Noble Nook Touch Reader

EBook Reading At Its Finest As tablets have grown in popularity as do-everything devices, eBook reader vendors are focusing on making the best possible reading device and forgoing everything else. The Amazon Kindle has long been king of dedicated eBook readers, but no longer. The new Barnes & Noble Nook Touch Reader is smaller and lighter than its predecessor, $50 cheaper, and has a longer battery life. It also adds an excellent touch-based navigation experience. If you don’t already have an eBook reader, the latest Nook is the one to buy. If you already own a reader from another manufacturer, however, making the switch is not so easy. If you own Kindle books and magazines, or subscribe to a newspaper through Amazon, you’re stuck with Amazon unless you want to re-purchase everything from Barnes & Noble. But if you’re starting from scratch, the new Nook is the one to choose—at least for now. The Nook is small and simple and weighs just 7.5 ounces; you can easily slip it into a bag or jacket pocket. There’s no keyboard, no LCD screen on the bottom—just the

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Barnes & Noble Nook Touch Reader $139 direct l l l l h

PROS Inexpensive. Excellent touch-screen experience. Access to over 2 million books, newspapers, and magazines. Small, easy-tohold body. CONS No 3G connectivity. Navigating is a bit slow with E Ink screen refreshes.

6-inch E Ink screen, a small “n” button below the screen, and buttons on either side for flipping pages. The Nook’s E Ink Pearl display has a resolution of 800 by 600, and text and images alike are very crisp and clear. Everything is still in shades of gray, but the screen is plenty crisp, can be read in direct sunlight, and isn’t prone to fingerprints. Battery life is phenomenal: You can go for two months with Wi-Fi off, or three weeks with it on, on a single charge. There’s no 3G modem built into the Nook anymore, just Wi-Fi. If you’re out and about and need a new book, though, Barnes & Noble’s partnership with AT&T means that you can step into a Starbucks or many other stores (like, of course, the 700 B&N stores) and download a book—usually in less than

a minute. When you’re in a Barnes & Noble store, you can read entire books for free. The Barnes & Noble eBook store boasts over 2 million books, magazines, and newspapers. With Nook apps, you can access any book you purchase from your iPhone, iPad, Android, BlackBerry, PC, Mac, or the Web. Your place in your book is always saved, no

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matter what device you’re using. Hands down, the Barnes & Noble Nook Touch Reader is the best dedicated eBook reader available right now. Its price, reading experience, battery life, and giant catalog of materials can’t be beat, making it our clear Editors’ Choice.—David Pierce >>CLICK HERE FOR MORE JULY 2011 PC MAGAZINE DIGITAL EDITION 13


Nikon D5100

Tremendous Still Images And Video The Nikon D5100 continues Nikon’s tradition of delivering phenomenal video recording on a D-SLR, and adds continuous autofocus during video recording, a high-res, articulating LCD, a microphone input, and top-notch in-camera effects. With its unbeatable feature set and price, the Nikon D5100 takes the Editors’ Choice crown from the Canon EOS Rebel T2i, in the under-$1,000 D-SLR category. The 3-inch LCD on the 5100 is a huge leap forward because it is filled with 921K dots, making images crisp and sharp. Also, the display swings out and spins up to 270 degrees, so you can use it to frame shots even when you’re holding the camera above your head or at waist level. The camera powers up and shoots in just 1.4 seconds, and after that, it can capture 3 frames per second in continuous shooting mode. On our image-quality tests (using the Imatest suite), the D5100 delivered a centerweighted average of 1,860 lines per picture height—any result higher than 1,800 is very

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Nikon D5100 $899.95 list (with 18-55mm kit lens) l l l l h

PROS Superb still image and video quality. Excellent low-light shooting capability. Sharp, articulating LCD. Continuous autofocus during Live View shooting. Lots of useful in-camera effects. CONS Continuous autofocus in Live View is slow. Some lens noise when autofocusing in video mode. No 720p60 video recording.

sharp. Video produced by this camera is just like its still images—gorgeous. Because it has a huge image sensor, video is sharper, shows less noise, and has a larger depth of field and dynamic range, than that of a dedicated camcorder or compact camera. Overall, if you want an easy-to-use D-SLR that offers solid features, is lightning fast, and can produce fantastic photos and video, the Nikon D5100 is the perfect choice. If you want the simple video recording but don’t mind a lower-res LCD and lack of microphone input, however, you could save $200 and grab the Nikon D3100. —PJ Jacobowitz >>CLICK HERE FOR MORE


LG Infinia 47LW5600

One of The Best 3D HDTV Deals Around U n t i l re ce n t l y, t h e t wo b i g gest knocks against 3D HDTVs have been high prices and cumbersome (and expensive) 3D glasses. The LG Infinia 47LW5600 addresses both of these issues with great success, plus delivers excellent color quality, low power usage, and a robust feature set. The 47-inch LED-backlit panel is housed in a sleek 1.2-inch cabinet, and all four of its HDMI ports and two USB ports are easily accessible on the left side of the cabinet. There are also two sets of component A/V ports, composite jacks, a wireless control connector, and an RS-232 service port, all of which are flush with the rear of the cabinet. The 47LW5600 uses passive 3D technology to deliver outstanding 3D imagery, with the use of lightweight, inexpensive glasses that can be worn comfortably for hours. I was blown away by the panel’s depth and clarity. The picture remained bright, and color quality was spot on. The 47LW5600 also earns our GreenTech stamp of approval; it used only 95 watts of power during my testing while running in Cinema mode. A well-rounded 3D TV, the LG 47LW5600

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LG Infinia 47LW5600 $1,699 list L l l l h

PROS Reasonably priced. Very dark blacks. Excellent good 2D and 3D quality. Two bundled remotes, one mimics an on-screen mouse. CONS Some 3D crosstalk. LG-branded Web apps could use a makeover.

delivers excellent 2D and 3D picture quality, and unlike most 3D HDTVs it comes with the glasses to accommodate a family of four. You also get wired and wireless networking, a cool Magic Motion remote, a nice selection of Web apps, and energy-efficient LED backlighting. At just $1,700, this set is one of the best HDTV deals around, so it’s our Editors’ Choice for 3D sets.—John R. Delaney >> CLICK HERE FOR MORE JULY 2O11 PC MAGAZINE DIGITAL EDITION 15


Asus Eee Pad Transformer TF101

An Android Tablet That’s Affordable

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he Wi-Fi-Only Asus Eee Pad Transformer TF101 attempts to separate itself from a crowded Android 3.0 tablet field with its low price, some user interface tweaks, and a cool accessory—an optional keyboard dock that converts the tablet into a virtual netbook. Does it stand out as a unique Honeycomb tablet? In a word: No. But it is an inexpensive option that isn’t missing any key features. The Wi-Fi-only Eee Pad Transformer is aggressively priced, costing $100 less than the iPad 2. Not included in the price is the full QWERTY keyboard dock, which, for $149, turns the tablet into a streamlined netbook. It even folds up like a laptop when connected. Though the keyboard dock looks like a very cool idea, the unit we tested suffered from a number of bugs: Our mouse pad didn’t work, for example. Since we had a pre-production dock in need of a firmware update, we can’t provide a fair assessment of its performance. In such a crowded emerging tablet field, it’s hard to recommend one Honeycomb

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Asus Eee Pad Transformer TF101 $399 (16GB) and $499 (32GB) L l l h m

PROS Currently the most affordable Honeycomb tablet. Speedy Nvidia Tegra 2 processor. Honeycomb features strong multitasking, e-mail and calendar notifications. HDMI out for HD video and mirroring. $150 keyboard dock accessory turns the tablet into a virtual notebook. CONS Optional keyboard accessory was buggy at launch. Honeycomb interface can be cluttered. Virtual keyboard is slightly modified and doesn’t handle predictive text well.

tablet over another. If you are attracted to the keyboard dock accessory and you are sold on Honeycomb as your platform, the price is definitely right, as the Transformer is the cheapest tablet with Android 3.0 right now. If you’re looking for more than a WiFi-only model, the T-Mobile G-Slate (by LG) is a small notch ahead of the Honeycomb competition because it’s the first tablet to integrate 4G wireless—and it also has a goofy-but-fun 3D camcorder. But if you want the best tablet you can buy, go with an iPad.—Tim Gideon >> CLICK HERE FOR MORE


Samsung Galaxy S II (Unlocked)

Phenomenal Phone, But Expensive The finest Android phone we’ve seen so far, the Samsung Galaxy S II isn’t just a competitor to the current iPhone. It competes with the next iPhone. The Galaxy S II is the fastest Android device I’ve ever used, with the best screen, the best camera, and the latest version of Android software. But few people in the U.S. will buy it, because it’s only available unlocked, with no carrier subsidies, for $799. That’s simply too high a price in a nation where people are used to buying top-of-the-line smartphones for $199. This is one handsome phone, although it could be built from more luxurious materials given its price. The star here is the breathtakingly beautiful touch screen. The new Super AMOLED Plus technology offers deep blacks and hypersaturated colors and is also viewable outdoors in full sunlight. The Galaxy S II is an excellent voice phone. Signal reception on AT&T is strong, and the earpiece is loud and clear. Transmissions on the other end sounded decent, and the phone did a good job blocking background

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Samsung Galaxy S II (Unlocked) $799.99 direct L l l l m

PROS Fast processor. 4G Internet speeds. Gorgeous screen. Great camera. Latest version of Android. CONS Very expensive. Some bloatware. Screen resolution isn’t cutting-edge. Missing movie store.

noise. Screaming along at true 4G, HSPA+ 21 speeds, the Galaxy S II is also one of the fastest AT&T Internet phones available. The phone also works as a Wi-Fi hotspot, if you have the appropriate service plan, and connects to 802.11b/g/n Wi-Fi networks. The Galaxy S II is an absolutely terrific phone for music and video capture and playback, and the 8-megapixel camera takes sharp, clear photos with good color and light balance. Without a doubt, the Samsung Galaxy S II is smoking hot. It earns our Editors’ Choice award, but its sky-high price is tough to justify.—Sascha Segan >> CLICK HERE FOR MORE JULY 2O11 PC MAGAZINE DIGITAL EDITION 17

first looks business

HP 100B All-in-One PC

An Affordable, Simple All-in-One Office PC

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he master of all-in-one desktop PCs is HP. In addition to its more innovative (and expensive) TouchSmart models, the HP 100B All-in-One PC shows that HP can produce a business desktop that is both full-featured and economical. With its AMD Fusion APU (Accelerated Processing Unit), the 100B has enough power for day-to-day tasks, light multimedia creation work, and even some video. The 100B is a standard-looking all-in-one desktop with the components built into the screen. With a whole lot of effort, you can remove the back panel in order to get into the desktop for component replacement. It’s capable of holding a larger hard drive and up to 8GB of memory (it ships with 2GB), though you’d have to remove the existing components to replace them with larger chips or hard drive. The desktop’s 250GB hard drive is plenty for most business use. More space would be needed for video work, but in that case

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you’d be looking at a much faster tower or all-in-one PC anyway. That hard drive comes pre-loaded with your choice of operating system (chosen from various flavors of 32-bit Windows 7, FreeDOS, or RedFlag Linux), and some HP utilities. Outside of the unit, there are six USB 2.0 ports, audio jacks, and an Ethernet port. The system really doesn’t have lots of connectors for add-on equipment: No USB 3.0, no eSATA, no HDMI, and no DisplayPort. At this price point you wouldn’t expect them anyway. Benchmark performance isn’t much of an issue at this price point, as there isn’t a lot of oomph in these sub-$600 systems. YouTube’s 720p HD videos will play smoothly on the HP 100B, but 1080p HD videos are jerky (not that you would ever do that anyway, as the system’s screen tops out at 1,600-by-900 resolution). Our Handbrake video encode test took 9 minutes 9 seconds to complete, and Photoshop CS5 took 18:17. That’s at least faster than the Acer Z290G-

HP 100B All-in-One PC $499.99 list l l l l m

PROS Compact. Inexpensive. Limited bloatware. FireFox Virtual Browser and Virtual PC-XP Mode. CONS Slow on multimedia creation tasks. Not true 1080p HD. External power brick.

U525W, which took a lot longer (14:41 on Handbrake; 23:03 on CS5). The HP 100B has enough power to let your users know that they are at least getting new, faster PCs, and a clerical worker likely won’t need anything faster. If you need to save a lot of money and space for each of your business users, take a look at the HP 100B; it’s economical, nicely equipped, and compact.—Joel Santo Domingo >> CLICK HERE FOR MORE

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Lenovo ThinkPad X1

If Only Its Battery Lasted Longer

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any of us lamented the end of the Lenovo ThinkPad X300, a fantastic 13-inch business ultraportable. Now, Lenovo brings the ThinkPad X1, which will appeal to business and home users alike. A backlit keyboard, edge-to-edge gorilla glass screen, click touchpad, and high-fidelity Dolby sound are features you’d find in some of the hottest consumer laptops. And the ThinkPad X1’s processing chops rival those of its ThinkPad siblings. Weighing 3.7 pounds, the X1 is a bit heavy because of its glossy, gorilla-glass screen. Practically unbreakable, this screen doesn’t get scratched or damaged easily. The ThinkPad X1 is powered by a 2.5-GHz Intel Core i5-2520M processor. It finished the Handbrake tests in 2 minutes 25 seconds, which is almost half the time as the MacBook Air 13-inch (4:28) and Samsung

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Lenovo ThinkPad X1 $1,399 direct l l l h m

PROS Sturdy construction. Gorilla glass is scratch-proof. Backlit keyboard. Great typing experience. HDMI and DisplayPort. Fast 2.5inch HDD. Standard Voltage processors only. An excellent mix of wireless technologies. Dolby sound is worthy of an entertainment laptop. CONS No anti-glare screen available. Standard battery alone doesn’t crank out enough battery life. Hefty for an ultraportable without an optical drive.

Series 9 (4:45). All this speed, however, didn’t bode well for the battery. Its 3 hours 20 minutes on MobileMark 2007 fell below expectations for a single battery. The X1 is one of the most powerful business ultraportables available, but I can’t get over the fact that two batteries are required to get the kind of battery life needed by a road warrior. I would go with the ThinkPad X220 instead.—Cisco Cheng >> CLICK HERE FOR MORE

Specs GHz Intel Core i5-2520M processor; 320GB hard drive; 4GB RAM; Intel HD Graphics 3000; 13.3-inch widescreen; 3.7 pounds; 802.11n wireless; Microsoft Windows 7 Professional Edition

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HP Elitebook 8560p

A Stylish Workhorse For Offices

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hile most professionals are tempted by an ultraportable that can be tucked under their arm or into a small tote, there’s simply no substitute for a desktopreplacement laptop that can do it all. The HP Elitebook 8560p is a workhorse, as its 15.6inch widescreen and top-of-the-line parts are there for powering through the most difficult tasks. And a modern look, thanks to a new aluminum design, doesn’t hurt either. For corporations that rely heavily on legacy devices, the 8560p ships with a Serial port, VGA, FireWire, ExpressCard, and RJ11 modem jack. SmartCard and fingerprint readers are also present. And of course, there’s the future-proof stuff: Two of the five USB ports are USB 3.0 and one is eSATA. A DisplayPort can stream both audio and video to an external flat panel. My review unit came with a 2.7-GHz Intel Core i7-2620M—a dual-core processor, not

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HP Elitebook 8560p $1,499.99 direct l l l l m

PROS Powerful Intel second-gen components. Extensive security and wireless feature set. Aluminum chassis. Glass touchpad. Bright, high-resolution widescreen. USB 3.0 and eSATA equipped. CONS AMD graphics doesn’t offer that big of a lift in graphics power. Less than 4 hours of battery life is mediocre these days.

quad core. It’s a powerful processor, nonetheless; the 8560p powered ferociously through tests like PCMark Vantage and Cinebench R11.5, beating the Dell E6420 and HP 8740w. The 8560p’s 62WH battery (6-cell) delivered a passable MobileMark 2007 score of 3 hours 54 minutes. The HP EliteBook 8560p is a powerful business laptop with cutting-edge components. Its battery life isn’t stellar, but it is meant to be more office fixture than traveling companion.—Cisco Cheng >> CLICK HERE FOR MORE

Specs 2.7-GHz Intel Core i7-2620M processor; 500GB hard drive; 4GB RAM; Intel HD Graphics 3000; AMD Mobility Radeon HD 6470M; 15.6-inch widescreen; 6.4 pounds; 802.11n wireless; DVD+R DL optical drive; Microsoft Windows 7 Professional Edition

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first looks software

Yahoo Mail (2011)

A Webmail Winner, But Not Champion

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ince last October, Yahoo has been beta-testing the next version of its Web-based e-mail service—the most widely used such service in the U.S. (Hotmail takes the prize worldwide). Now that the company has started rolling out the new Yahoo Mail to its 284 million users, it’s time to finalize our review. I find Yahoo Mail’s new interface the cleanest, clearest, most intuitive of the big three Webmail services (the other two are Google Gmail and Windows Live Hotmail 2011). Hotmail, it’s true, is softer on the eyes, and, while Gmail has improved, it’s still too much of a sea of links and gray bars for me. One downside to Yahoo Mail, though, is that you have to pay for a Plus account to remove the display ads or use your account through a POP e-mail app—that’s free with Gmail and Hotmail. Once logged in, you see the What’s New page, which shows unread e-mail from your designated contacts along with headlines from Yahoo news. Hotmail also has a welcome page that shows you social updates and mail from your priority contacts before

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you can get to your inbox. Gmail takes a slightly different approach to revealing mail from your most important correspondents, using a Priority Inbox atop the regular inbox. The layout of Yahoo’s inbox isn’t drastically changed, but it’s definitely updated and looks cleaner. It’s still tabbed, and anything you do—read, reply, search—opens a new tab, which I like. It’s something neither Hotmail nor Gmail does. Yahoo Mail has long trailed Gmail in speed, and Yahoo reps stressed that the Web mail app is twice as fast as its predecessor. I do notice a welcome acceleration from the previous version, especially when opening e-mails. But for faster inbox access, Gmail still has it beat. I’m happy to report that all the current Webmail biggies—Hotmail, Yahoo, AOL, and Gmail—dynamically update the inbox to show newly arrived messages, just like Outlook does. But in my tests, new mail showed up faster in Gmail and Hotmail than in Yahoo. So should you Yahoo? If a great interface and lots of features are most appealing to you, then yes. If speed and spam-filter-

Yahoo Mail (2011) FREE L l l l m

PROS Beautiful interface with tabs. Convenient apps. Photo viewer. Faster than the previous version. Good social networking integration. CONS Too much spam, including IM spam. POP access and disposable addresses require a paid account.

ing are paramount, pick Gmail. But for the best of both worlds, I recommend Hotmail, PCMag’s Editors’ Choice for webmail. —Michael Muchmore >> CLICK HERE FOR MORE

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july 2011 PC MAGAZINE DIGITAL EDITION 23

FIRsT LOOKs sOFTwARE

Lynda.com

Superb Software Training Online Your boss is breathing down your neck, and you need to learn very quickly how to pull off a specific software trick. Whether you need to animate using keyframes while working in CSS or learn how to run a PowerPoint show, lynda.com has you covered. This learning and training site is built on video tutorials that primarily teach software skills, especially deep and complicated professional-level software, although it also has content for hobbyists (digital photography, for example) and computer novices. Paying members log in to access video content anytime and as often as they like. Membership starts at $25 per month, although you have to pay up to $37.50 per month to access some additional exercise files for practicing your newfound skills. The courses are chopped into easy-tofind segments, each no more than about five minutes long. The more than 1,000 courses include: Family Photography: Taking and Sharing Great Photographs;

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Lynda.com $25 direct l l l l m

PROs Amazing library of more than 1,000 learning courses for people at all experience levels. Deep training for advanced software, particularly Adobe products. Well structured site. Excellent video and audio quality. Instructors are well vetted. CONs Can be tough to find entry-level training for very complex software, i.e., better for keeping skills sharp than learning high-end software from scratch. Equally helpful training videos sometimes available for free online or with software upgrade purchases.

Google Calendar Essential Training; Home and Small Office Networking; and PHP with MySQL: Beyond the Basics. Professionals who need a quick class in a specific piece of software will find lynda. com much more useful than scrubbing through amateur YouTube videos, and much more efficient than attending a live Web-based class that meets at a specific date and time.—Jill Duffy >> CLICK HERE FOR MORE

first looks software

WebWatcher

Monitor Your Child’s Every Move Online If you just want to keep the kids away from smut and prevent cyberbullying, WebWatcher isn’t for you. But if you need to track every PC and Internet action by an at-risk kid, it will do that job very well. Once it’s installed, all configuration and reporting is strictly remote. WebWatcher records every action on a child’s monitored computer and lets parents configure settings and view logs remotely. After installation there’s no sign at all of WebWatcher. Out of the box, it records all Web sites visited, all programs launched, all IM and e-mail conversations, and all Web searches. It also snaps periodic screenshots, records all keystrokes, and adds detailed monitoring for Facebook and MySpace. While not its primary function, Web content filtering is a WebWatcher option. WebWatcher defines 35 major Web site categories and many, many subcategories. I put WebWatcher through its paces and discovered a few limitations. The Web-site monitoring and category-based blocking features work only with Internet Explorer,

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WebWatcher $169.95 list l l l l m

PROS Records absolutely all activity on the child’s computer. Full stealth installation. All configuration and reports via online portal. Real-time email notification when “alert words” appear. Optional Web-content filtering. CONS Could be used for illicit spying. Not browser-independent. Scheduler for program blocking is very awkward. Program blocking can be fooled. Dashboard only available in extra-cost Premium edition.

Firefox, and Chrome. Also, program blocking proved to be porous. I set it up to not allow Windows solitaire to run, but had no trouble running a renamed copy of it. If you install WebWatcher, your child will have no privacy at all on the computer. For many parents, this level of spying is undesirable. But if you need to track a child who’s engaging in risky activities, WebWatcher is what you want. All configuration and reporting take place online, and that pushes WebWatcher over the top, making it our new Editors’ Choice for parental-monitoring software.—Neil J. Rubenking >> CLICK HERE FOR MORE juLY 2011 PC MAGAZINE DIGITAL EDITION 25

john c. dvorak

The Permanence Of Posting Online

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hree recent news stories have made me want to completely re-evaluate my online strategies and persona. Some of the things I can do; with others I have no control. But let me tell you that the situation is bad and getting worse, and you’d better heed the advice in this column. The first story was about the explicit photos and tweets and shenanigans done by Representative Anthony Weiner. This story occupied a good two weeks of the news cycle. Personal and lewd pictures, stupid comments, and all sort of things were revealed because he was simply not circumspect about his online chatting. Second we have the newest Facebook facial-recognition technology. Say you’re at a party, and someone takes a picture with you in the background (doing god knows what), then someone posts that picture on his or her Facebook page; Facebook’s new software will see you and tag you. So now, like it or not, every time you show up anywhere and anytime, Facebook can ID you.

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26 PC MAGAZINE DIGITAL EDITION july 2011

Facebook says it is minimizing the use of this software, but the fact that it exists is pretty onerous. Third on the list was the revelation that almost every password you can imagine is not secure on today’s computers. The processing power of a Core i7 by itself is enough to crack almost any password whatsoever. Within minutes. Now it’s ridiculous how easy it is to crack into someone’s account. I’m sure various agencies do it all the time just to see what people are up to. To make matters worse I stumbled upon an obvious flaw on the Apple iPad. I was using someone’s iPad and wanted to install something and was presented with a password block. It wanted to know his iTunes password. I tried a few passwords to no avail and then the message came up saying I obviously had forgotten the password and did I want to reset it? I said yes, and the next thing I knew the message icon lit up saying I had some mail. Since there didn’t seem to be a block to look at it I opened the message and was allowed to reset the password,

The younger crowd pooh-poohs privacy, but let’s see what they think 10 years from now when they can’t get a job because of some photo on Flickr. which gave me the access that was blocked earlier. This was not my machine! And this is called security? Ridiculous. The fact is all these systems are compromised. The younger crowd pooh-poohs privacy, but let’s see what they think 10 years from now when they can’t get a job because of some photo on Flickr. Party Photos Are Like Tattoos I always tell people that posting photos or comments or just about anything is like getting a tattoo. Once it’s on, it’s pretty hard to get rid of it. You’re stuck. As a writer I have old crap thrown back at me forever and have to live with it. But I’m always aware of the tattoo factor and luckily have editors once in a while. And unlike Weiner, I’m not dumb enough to post really stupid pictures of myself unless I want them to be seen by everyone for some reason. Of course most stuff goes nowhere, at least at the moment. But once it gets on a server it can be dredged up 20 years from now, costing you a job or your social status. At least one survey is out that says 33 percent of all teens have posted or sent a nude or semi-nude pic of themselves to someone or other. This is an outrageously high number and should be a concern to everyone, especially the teens. And 59 percent of all young adults say they have posted or sent

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sexually suggestive messages. My advice? Try whispering in the ear instead. So people need to take action. First, rethink your online strategies. Is being on Facebook all day that necessary? With teens they seem to be in touch 24/7. Why? What are they going to miss out on if they take a break. Parents need to discourage the use of this product. Next, rethink your password strategy. Always realize that the password can’t only be cracked, but easily cracked. And the nonsense about making sure to use a number and symbol and enough letters is all bull. Be somewhat circumspect about posting photos of yourself acting like a goofball at a drunkfest. People see these photos and even if it was a once-in-a-lifetime party and you never normally do this, you will be seen as that person forever. “Oh, do you still have that beer cap?” Now, if your profession is standup comedy, then perhaps none of this is important. But for most people all this is bad and going to get worse. Only you can protect your own privacy. So treat yourself with respect, and think twice before doing something stupid online. It will come back to bite you. . Dvorak Live on the Web John’s Internet TV show airs every Wednesday at 3:30 ET on CrankyGeeks.com. You can download back episodes whenever you like. july 2011 PC MAGAZINE DIGITAL EDITION 27

SASCHA SEGAN

The Challenge of Rural Wireless Broadband

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s AT&T attempts to swallow T-Mobile, one of the big carrots it’s holding out for government regulators is the promise of universal, wireless broadband covering 97 percent of the nation. The company is right: this could be a big deal for millions of Americans whose economic opportunities have been limited by lack of good Internet access. But if that broadband is expensive and strictly limited, as mobile broadband is now, it won’t make nearly as much difference. There are many kinds of broadband in America. The gold standard is a fast, high-bandwidth connection with a roomy data cap. That’s what AT&T offers with its U-Verse service, for instance, which gives you 250GB of 12 Mbps Internet for $30 per month. Then there’s AT&T’s DSL; a little slower and with a 150GB cap, but in the same realm. Rural America already has

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broadband. It just has a more expensive, limited form. HughesNet satellite Internet blankets the country. It’s costly, relatively slow and has low data caps; HughesNet’s middle plan costs $60 per month right now for 300MB per day (9GB per month) at 1.5 Mbps down. HughesNet isn’t greedy. It’s just really expensive to provide satellite Internet. But HughesNet looks liberal compared to mobile broadband offered by the wireless carriers. AT&T’s 4G data plan costs $50 per month for 5GB, plus $10 per GB. Every major wireless carrier, other than happily unlimited Sprint 4G/Clear, charges similar rates. To get even the 9GB HughesNet offers, you would have to pay $90 per month. And with LTE, you’ll be able to use that data cap up at record speeds: at 10Mbps, you can rip through 5GB in less than two hours. AT&T estimates that its own DSL subscribers tap, on average, about 18GB per

Rural America already has broadband. It just has a more expensive, limited form. month. That’s $30 per month for a U-Verse customer. For an AT&T wireless broadband customer, that would be $180 per month— not exactly a great choice for rural America. The wireless companies have been warning about this for a while. In AT&T’s LaptopConnect terms of service, the company prohibits the use of an AT&T wireless connection “as a substitute or backup for private lines, wirelines or full-time or dedicated data connections.” The other wireless carriers (except Sprint and Cricket) generally have similar terms of service. Hear that, FCC? We’re not supposed to use mobile Internet as a primary home connection. The Limitations of ‘Mobile Internet’ This is a pity because, according to the Pew Internet and American Life Project, home, PC-based Internet offers economic advantages that “mobile Internet” doesn’t. In an Associated Press article linked on Pew’s site, Pew researcher Aaron Smith says that updating a resume, for instance, is less feasible on a phone than on a PC. “Research has shown that people with an actual connection at home ... are more engaged in a lot of different things than people who rely on access from work, a friend’s house, or a phone,” Smith says in the story. This bears out in the much more parsimonious Internet use of phone users. When we surveyed six PCMag iPhone owners (admittedly, in the days before the Netflix app)

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we found nobody went over 500MB per month. Why? Because their mobile devices weren’t being used as their primary connections, and because mobile Internet, at the prices currently offered, isn’t an answer to lack of home Internet. Businesses: Still PC-Centric If the government wants to cause a new flourish of business activity, most businesses are run from PCs, not phones, and those PCs need a “full-time or dedicated data connection,” not an as-you-may, occasional-use mobile hookup. “Rural America needs wireless broadband regardless of the extent to which it may be used as a substitute for wireline,” said AT&T spokesman Mark Siegel. “It brings to rural America the kind of robust wireless broadband choice that is being made available to consumers in urban areas,” he said. That means AT&T’s wireless broadband isn’t the solution to the rural digital divide. If it’s like wireless broadband in urban areas, it may be second-rate, designed to supplement rather than replace a primary connection. But as most rural folks don’t have a good choice for primary connections in the first place, this promise of nationwide, rural, high-speed broadband may mean a lot less to Americans than it first appears to. STAY PHONE-SMART Keep up with the latest on smartphones by reading Sascha’s column at go.pcmag.com/segan. JULY 2011 PC MAGAZINE DIGITAL EDITION 29

PETEr PAChAL

Apple OS X Lion or Win 8: Which Will Win?

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n recent weeks, both Microsoft and Apple have laid out their visions of the future of computing, and the message is clear: It’s all mobile, all the time. First Microsoft revealed Windows 8, borrowing heavily from Windows Phone to be friendly to tablets and touch interfaces. Then Apple took the stage to show off its Mac OS X “Lion” system software, which owes a lot to its mobile platform, iOS. Whose vision is more compelling? Apple appears to have the advantage of having been focused on mobile for longer. Sure, Microsoft had a mobile version of Windows for years before Apple got into phones, but Windows Mobile is as far removed from current smartphones as a Walkman is from an iPod touch. Microsoft is making the bigger bet on the mobile-centric philosophy, though, as it appears to be all but throwing out the familiar Windows interface in favor of the touch-friendly tiles, simplified menus, and full-screen modes that are the norm on smartphones and tablets. (There is a “legacy view” in Windows 8,

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which brings back the folders and Windows, though it’s certainly not the emphasis.) For all of Lion’s iOS roots, it’s still primarily made to be used with a keyboard and (nontouch screen) monitor. I imagine this is because of Apple’s general stance against “vertical” touch screens like the HP TouchSmart line (even though those aren’t vertical in the strictest sense). It appears Apple draws a line in the sand between traditional personal computers and anything portable. Beyond here there be Lions. Microsoft’s approach is different. While Apple scales up its iOS mobile platform for the iPad’s larger touch screen, Microsoft plans to give Windows tablets the same OS as desktops and laptops, in fact architecting the new OS from the ground up to be friendly to both. Smartphones are stuck with the scaled-down version, Windows Phone. At least, that appears to be the approach, based on what Microsoft showed at its All Things Digital and Computex events. Why would Microsoft go this route, when Apple has clearly shown that a “lite” tablet

While I admire the ambition and holistic approach of Microsoft’s Windows 8 master plan, it appears too ideal. People don’t use all devices in the same way. OS, centered around showcasing media (music, video, and photos), is enough for consumers? The simple answer: for Microsoft, it’s not all about consumers. Business and enterprise have always been a big factor in whatever Windows does, and with tablets it needs to appeal to customers who want to do more “serious” things than watching Netflix and posting tweets. Certainly there are companies itching for Microsoft to release a tablet worth buying; a Goldman Sachs study from earlier this year found that 32 percent of Chief Information Officers (CIOs) surveyed were planning to buy a Windows slate for their businesses (though, tellingly, 42 percent were planning on getting an iPad). Different Devices, Same OS There’s something more fundamental fueling Microsoft’s approach here, though. By revamping Windows to more closely resemble Windows Phone, the company appears to be trying to make the OS experience more consistent across all devices; even the new Xbox 360 dashboard is starting to look more like a mobile OS. It’s now clear that when Microsoft announced in January that it was re-engineering Windows to run on ARM processors (heavily favored in mobile devices) it was not some kind of “let’s wait

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and see” side bet. It’s going all-in on Windows being on everything, come what may to the OS itself. When Windows Phone 8 is revealed, the lines between it and Windows 8 likely will be blurry—much more fuzzy than the line between Lion and iOS 5. In the end, I think Apple’s approach will win. While I admire the ambition and holistic approach of Microsoft’s Windows 8 master plan, it appears too ideal. People don’t use all devices in the same way (it’s actually why we have different devices in the first place), and drawing the OS line between portable touch screens and keyboard-and-monitor setups seems sensible—at least for now. Someone needs to remind Microsoft that there are still many displays that aren’t touch screens, and that it hasn’t shown a compelling Windows tablet yet. Having a touchcentric OS is certainly a key part in creating one, but taking the entire Windows environment down the same road is either brilliantly forward-looking, or premature. We’ll find out which when Windows 8 finally debuts next year and Apple releases the iPad 3. Whose OS strategy will come out on top? My money’s on the guy with a proven track record in mobile. TALK bAcK TO PETE E-mail your thoughts to [email protected]. JULY 2011 PC MAGAZINE DIGITAL EDITION 31

THE 12 COOLEsT GADGETs YOU CAN BUY Add these products to your must-have tech list right now. They’ll impress your friends. By Wendy Sheehan Donnell

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vEr ThE COursE of time, the average tech editor sees hundreds of products. And if you cover multiple categories like I do, that number can easily creep into the thousands. (And I won't even mention how many years I've been doing this job!) The truth is, though, that many of these

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products—even the ones their manufacturers claim will change the tech landscape forever—are easy to forget. There are the few gems that stand out, and it's not always just because they're best in class. Often they are, and as you'll see, many of the gadgets on our list are Editors' Choice winners. They ace perfor-

Bowers & Wilkins Zeppelin Air

mance, offer a good balance between features and price, or even better, they cover all of those bases. But consider a product like the 3-star Kyocera Echo. In our review, we called this smartphone a "fascinating misfire." Ouch. Its "clunky software kills the buzz," we said. Frankly, you probably shouldn't even buy it. But it makes the list because it's the first phone with two screens that lets you combine them for multitasking. That's too cool a concept to ignore. How do you define cool? It's not easy. After all, just like beauty, it's in the eye of the beholder. While I get excited about a

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pocket camera with an 18x zoom lens, you might find your new PC security suite to be the best thing since sliced bread. Even so, here are a dozen recently tested products that just have that indescribable thing that we think makes them interesting. 1] Bowers & Wilkins Zeppelin Air $599.95 l l l l m

The drop-dead-gorgeous, sublime-sounding Bowers & Wilkins Zeppelin Air iPod dock with wireless streaming via AirPlay will cost you, but it won’t disappoint. CLICK HERE FOR MORE JULY 2011 PC MAGAZINE DIGITAL EDITION 33

2] Peel Universal Control $99 l l l l m

The Peel Universal Control uses your iPhone or iPod touch as both a universal remote and a TV guide, and though it won’t replace all of your remotes, it’s one of the most useful home-theater accessories you can buy. CLICK HERE FOR MORE

3] HTC Thunderbolt $249.99 with contract l l l l m

The first 4G LTE cell phone for Verizon Wireless, the huge HTC Thunderbolt lands with a bang, scorching the landscape and sending mere 3G phones fleeing for cover. This is the fastest Internet phone ever, and it wins our Editors’ Choice for the top touch-screen smartphone on Verizon. CLICK HERE FOR MORE

4] Panasonic Lumix DMC-TS3 $399.95 l l l l m

Images from the Panasonic Lumix DMCTS3 are on the soft side, but its tough build and innovative feature set make this pocket camera our favorite rugged outdoor shooter. CLICK HERE FOR MORE

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5] Nintendo 3DS $249.99 l l l l m

A time-tested game system design coupled with innovative, convincing 3D technology makes the Nintendo 3DS a force to be reckoned with. It’s not only the most advanced Nintendo DS yet, but a solid first in a new generation of handheld game systems. CLICK HERE FOR MORE

6] Sony Bravia KDL-46EX720 $1,599.99 l l l l m

With excellent 2D- and 3D-picture quality, a hearty feature set, and an affordable price, the attractively minimalist GreenTech-approved Sony Bravia KDL-46EX720 easily earns our Editors’ Choice. CLICK HERE FOR MORE

7] Nikon Coolpix S9100 $329.95 l l l l m

The speedy-shooting Nikon Coolpix S9100 delivers a big 18x optical zoom lens and a high-res LCD in a small, pocket-size package at a great price. CLICK HERE FOR MORE

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8] Samsung Series 9 $1,649.99 l l l l m

Not an Apple fan? The Samsung Series 9 ultraportable laptop is a cracker-thin (but robust) Windows version of the MacBook Air (and will cost you just as much). CLICK HERE FOR MORE

9] Digital Storm Black Ops Enix Edition $3,627 l l l l m

The price tag on the Digital Storm Black Ops Enix Edition indicates that it’s among the high-end category of gaming desktops, but is it hard-core enough to be the best? All signs point to yes. CLICK HERE FOR MORE

10] Apple iPad 2 with Smart Cover iPad 2, $499 to $849; Smart Cover, $39 to $69 l l l l m

No list of cool products would be complete without Apple’s tablet, but let’s also not forget the innovative, magnetized Smart Cover, which protects your iPad 2 without sacrificing its slim profile. (IPAD) CLICK HERE FOR MORE (SMART COvER) CLICK HERE FOR MORE

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11] ThinkGeek Joystick-It Tablet Arcade Stick $24.99 l l l h m

It's a little on the pricey side, but the innovative yet simplistic Joystick-It Tablet Arcade Stick from ThinkGeek is one of the most elegant solutions to tablet- and smartphone-gaming we’ve seen yet. CLICK HERE FOR MORE

12] Kyocera Echo L L L M M

$199.99 with contract

Yes, the Android-based Kyocera Echo for Sprint is a fascinating misfire. But a smartphone with two screens that can work together for multitasking is too cool a concept to ignore. Right now, not enough software supports this gutsy design, but here’s hoping that will change in the future. CLICK HERE FOR MORE

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IPAD ALTERNATIVES: The GOOD, The BAD, The UGLY The tablet market is about more than just the iPad. Seriously. Here are the best—and worst—iPad competitors you can buy now. By Dan Costa

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ith more than 80 percent of the market and an even greater degree of mindshare, there is no doubt the Apple iPad dominates the tablet market. And for good reason: Aside from the brief, ridiculous distraction that was the Joo Joo, the iPad was the first real consumer tablet to catch on. Plus, Apple has done a

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brilliant job of leveraging the iTunes ecosystems and the App Store to deliver a seamless and enjoyable tablet experience. For more than a year, no tablet could touch the iPad, but that’s finally changing. RIM, with its BlackBerry PlayBook, and Google along with hardware partners like Samsung, Motorola, LG, and others, are all offering legitimate iPad alternatives. Some are good, some are bad, and yes, a few are just plain ugly, but at least now we have some choices. The most successful iPad alternative to date is the Android-based 7-inch Samsung Galaxy Tab. Available on every major wireless carrier, the Galaxy Tab was one of

the few tablets to hit store shelves back in 2010. The Tab is more portable than the iPad and offers an easy way to get access to Android apps on the go. The problem with the Tab is that it was released with Android 2.2, which isn’t designed specifically for tablets, and OS upgrades haven’t been promised. The Motorola Xoom was the first tablet to use Android 3.0 (Honeycomb), which was designed specifically for tablets. This is a lot closer to Google’s vision for the tablet experience, but it too has some problems. The interface can be overcomplicated at times, and Honeycomb-optimized apps have been slow to surface. With the competition heating up, tablet manufacturers are doing anything they can to differentiate their products. The T-Mobile Slate by LG, for example, can capture and

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play back 3D video. The Asus Eee Pad Transformer TF101, on the other hand, can use an optional accessory to turn it into a netbook. A feature like 3D may seem superfluous on a tablet until you consider that without it, this tablet is pretty much exactly like every other Honeycomb tablet you can buy. Low-cost vendors like CherryPal, with its CherryPad and Coby, are offering bargain prices on Android tablets, with predictable results. This is where you start to fall into the ugly category. As Honeycomb 3.0 continues to roll out, we’ll likely see more compelling tablets. And in the meantime, hopefully RIM will smooth out the rough edges on its BlackBerry PlayBook tablet (or at least make native e-mail work). Until then, check out our iPad alternatives on the next few pages. JULY 2011 PC MAGAZINE DIGITAL EDITION 39

Acer Iconia Tab A500 $449.99 list l l l h m

Pros: Inexpensive. Zippy Tegra 2 processor. High-res screen. Solid connectivity options with USB, HDMI ports. Solid media-specific apps. Cons: Comparatively large and heavy. No 3G or 4G options. Front-facing camera isn’t optimally angled. Honeycomb isn’t yet a mature app platform. Bottom Line: Acer’s Honeycomb tablet, the Iconia Tab A500, has similar strengths and weaknesses to its direct competitors, but its $450 price is easier to swallow than some others. CLICK HERE FOR MORE

Asus Eee Pad Transformer TF101 $399.99 list l l l h m

Pros: Currently the most affordable Honeycomb tablet. Speedy Nvidia Tegra 2 processor. Honeycomb features strong multitasking, e-mail and calendar notifications. HDMI out for HD video and mirroring. $150 keyboard dock accessory turns the tablet into a virtual notebook. Cons: Optional keyboard accessory was buggy at launch. Honeycomb interface can be cluttered. Virtual keyboard is slightly modified and doesn’t handle predictive text well. Bottom Line: The Asus Eee Pad Transformer TF101 distinguishes itself from the sea of emerging Honeycomb tablets with its aggressive pricing, and an optional accessory that turns it into a virtual notebook. CLICK HERE FOR MORE

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Barnes & Noble Nook Color Price: $249 direct L l l l m

Pros: Bright, 7-inch LCD screen with 16 million colors. Intuitive touch-based navigation. Runs third-party apps. Deep social integration. Lots of periodicals available. Cons: No 3G, just Wi-Fi connectivity. Proprietary AC adapter. Battery life is short for a dedicated eBook reader. Bottom Line: More than an ebook reader, less than a full-blown tablet, the Nook Color’s artful compromises make for a compelling, color reading experience that is ideal for both books and magazines. CLICK HERE FOR MORE

Cherrypal CherryPad $188 list l l m m m

Pros: Very inexpensive. Small and light. Runs Android. Cons: Company’s reputation is questionable. Some features are not yet enabled. Resistive touch screen can be difficult to type on. Limited storage. Bottom Line: The Android-based Cherrypal CherryPad has flaws aplenty, and there are definitely better tablet options, but its $188 price tag is tough to beat. CLICK HERE FOR MORE

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Coby Kyros MID7015 Internet Touchscreen Tablet $199 list l l m m m

Pros: Affordable. Better-than-average graphics for Android 2.1. Supports 1080p playback via HDMI output. Comes with case and earbuds. Cons: AppsLib, the Archos-designed apps portal, is the only market available. Touch screen is resistive and not terribly sensitive. File sync is a tedious process. Bottom Line: The $200 Coby Kyros MID7015 Internet Touchscreen Tablet uses a limited version of Android, and lacks the grace and abilities of more advanced (and expensive) tablets. CLICK HERE FOR MORE

HTC Flyer $798.95 list l l l h m

Pros: Fast performance. Clear, bright screen. Excellent pen input. Sense UI improves on Gingerbread OS. HTC’s extra apps are solid. Cons: Outdated, non-tablet-specific version of Android. Google Talk video chat isn’t supported in Gingerbread. Slow browser performance. Cluttered default layout. Cameras are only mediocre. Bottom Line: For artists and those who still enjoy writing by hand, the HTC Flyer is a solid tablet thanks to its well-implemented penspecific features. But if you’re not interested in pen input, Android tablets with Google’s latest tablet-specific Honeycomb OS are a better bet. CLICK HERE FOR MORE

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Motorola Xoom (Verizon Wireless) $599.99 (32GB) list l l l h m

Pros: The first Android tablet with Google’s tablet-specific Honeycomb OS. Fast. Beautiful, highly responsive touch screen. HDMI output for television/computer monitor viewing. Cons: User interface seems overcomplicated at times. Flash support is only in beta mode, has limitations. While promised in the future, there’s no support for SD cards at launch. Android Market on the device is buggy. Few highquality, must-have Honeycomb apps. Bottom Line: The Motorola Xoom for Verizon Wireless is the best Android tablet yet, but with a lack of key features (like full Flash video and SD card-slot support) and mediocre apps at launch, it doesn’t measure up to the Apple iPad. CLICK HERE FOR MORE

RIM BlackBerry PlayBook Price: $599 (32GB) list L l h m m

Pros: Excellent user interface. Sharp, beautiful screen. Top-notch browser with full Flash-video support. Wirelessly transfers files to and from computers on same network. Free Internet tethering with Blackberry phones works well. Cons: Some hardware issues and significant software bugs. No native e-mail support at launch—only browser bookmarks for Webmail sites. Bridge support for BlackBerry phone sync not yet finalized. No video chat. Bottom Line: For now, the PlayBook is outmatched by competitors with more versatile and complete feature sets. CLICK HERE FOR MORE

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Samsung Galaxy Tab $490.48 list l l l h m

Pros: Fast. Well-built with a slick design. Runs almost all Android apps. Supports Adobe Flash 10.1. Cons: Not enough tablet-centric software. Reflective screen. Slick back. Bottom Line: With solid, well-designed hardware, the Samsung Galaxy Tab for Sprint is the first viable Android-based competitor to the Apple iPad. But so far, it doesn’t have apps that will compel you to buy one. CLICK HERE FOR MORE

T-Mobile G-Slate with Google (by LG) $529.99 (32GB) list L l l h m

Pros: First 4G tablet. Powerful Tegra 2 processor. Excellent HD screen, with HD output capability. Shoots and plays 3D footage (glasses included). Affordably priced (after rebate) for 32GB capacity. Generally intuitive user interface. Dual-facing cameras. Video chat. Cons Default Honeycomb home screen feels cluttered. Flash 10.2 beta is buggy. Strange, off-center orientation for front-facing camera. Occasionally reboots, unprovoked, when idle. Android Market needs more Honeycomb apps. Bottom Line: Attention potential Motorola Xoom buyers: the T-Mobile G-Slate with Google (by LG) has Honeycomb, too—as well as a slightly smaller design and 3D capabilities. CLICK HERE FOR MORE

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THIS PCMaG.COM rEvIEW rEPrINTED COurTESy OF SOS ONLINE BaCkuP

SOS Online Backup Home Edition 4.7.4 $9.95 per month for up to five PCs l l l l h

PROS One account covers multiple PCs. Can back up external and network drive. Good iPhone app. Share files via link. Wizard helps choose what to back up. Search backup set. Local backup app included. All files archived, never deleted. CONS No Mac or Linux version. Some issues with 64-bit Windows and network drives.

SOS Online Backup Home Edition 4.7.4

Personal Backup Champ SOS Online Backup has been a favorite of ours for years, and the company continues to improve its online backup service. We like its abundance of useful features and its clear, friendly interface, and its new pricing plan is a plus, too: $9.95 a month for five PCs and up to 50GB of data. This looks good even compared with all-you-caneat services like Carbonite, which charges $4.95 a month for just one PC. The wizard interface of SOS hasn’t changed much, but there’s an added “So Simple” system scan for commonly desirable backup files—office documents, images, music, and video. Or there are several other ways you can choose which specific files you want to back up. For critical files, you can enable SOS’s Live Protect feature, which will watch the file and immediately send update information to the backup servers. I only wish you

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could designate folders as well as files for live protection. The default scheduling option is once daily in the wee hours. But you can increase this to hourly. Of course, only file changes will be uploaded, so only the first upload will require an enormous data transfer. Performance-wise, SOS Online Backup did well; it never noticeably slowed down my PC. Processing and uploading a 100MB batch of mixed test files took 22 minutes, similar to the times of MozyHome 2.0, IDrive, Carbonite, and Norton Online Backup. With its reasonable price, Live Protect, versioning, and many more unique capabilities, SOS Online Backup Home Edition remains our Editors’ Choice for personal online backup. But if you don’t think 50GB is enough to cover all your home PCs, you may be happier with a competitor like Mozy or Carbonite.—Michael Muchmore

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Solutions Get to the Root Of Your Router Problems A Wi-Fi network is one of the greatest tech conveniences your home or business can have—when it’s working right. Here are 8 common router problems, and how to solve them, quickly. By Samara Lynn

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ithout question, your router is one of the most useful and convenient tech devices you own. But many of you probably view it as one of the biggest sources of frustration, anxiety, and downright anger. The fact is, setting up a home router—and keeping it running—is still more complicated and demanding of tech knowledge than the average user would like it to be. Part of the problem is that routers do so much more than the average user can understand. A router performs two primary functions. First, it routes data packets between networks. Second, it serves as a

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wireless access point, sharing the inbound Internet connection with all devices on a home network. A router is the central figure in a home network, connecting the vast Internet with our comparatively tiny (yet increasingly sophisticated) private networks. That’s a complex set of responsibilities for a small, inexpensive device to perform. Most routers manage to do all these jobs reasonably well for the vast majority of the time. But, because all of these functions are critical to a router’s network, when your router begins to act up, you’re likely to forget the fact that it functioned flawlessly for weeks, or even months, at a time. And your router will act up, from time to

1

My New Router Won’t Connect to the Internet

time. Unfortunately, these bridges between the wilds of the Web and a home user’s local area network, or LAN, are the perfect breeding grounds for a host of problems. Inability to reach the Internet, intermittent connection drops, and dead spots in wireless coverage are just a small sampling of the endless litany of migraine-inducing Wi-Fi weirdness that goes on when routers fail us. You have the power to remediate many of these issues, even if you cringe at the thought of troubleshooting your wireless network. Here are the eight most common wireless questions I get from readers and corresponding down-and-dirty troubleshooting tricks you can try before you call technical support.

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The Problem: You buy a new router. You disconnect the old router, connect the new one, and follow the manufacturer’s instructions for setup. Even though you can see the new wireless network and can even connect your computer or device, you cannot browse the Internet. Quick Fix: Unplug the network cable (or cables) and power from the broadband modem you received from your ISP, including the coaxial or DSL connection, as well as all cables from the new router. Leave everything unplugged and disconnected for at least 30 seconds. Next, reconnect the coaxial cable, DSL, or FIOS connection to the broadband modem, making sure it’s firmly in place and that the WAN/Internet light is on. Then, attach all cables back to your router (including the Ethernet cable from the broadband modem to the router’s WAN port) and power the router back on. Make sure the Internet connection activity light is on. Doing these steps forces the broadband modem to flush any information it is holding onto from your previous router. Try browsing the Internet. If you still can’t, go through the router setup instructions again, now that you have reset the broadband modem. JULY 2011 PC MAGAZINE DIGITAL EDITION 47

solutions networking

2

The Router Setup Software Won’t Detect the Router

The Problem: The instructions to your new router say that the software on the CD that came with the router should automatically get your computer to detect the new router, wirelessly. You’ve tried a couple of times and keep getting a message that indicates the software cannot find the router. Quick Fix: This is actually a common problem with newer routers on the market that have “automated setup.” Sometimes the setup process just doesn’t work. Here’s how you can bypass the setup and go right into the router’s management interface to set up your wireless network. Connect an Ethernet cable from your computer to one of the LAN ports of the router (you can also keep

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the router connected to the broadband modem). Go into your computer’s network settings. In Windows 7, they are located in Control Panel | Network and Internet | Network Sharing Center | Change Adapter Settings. Right-click and select Properties of Local Area Connection. Highlight Internet Protocol Version 4 (TCP/IP v4). In the TCP/IP v4 windows that opens, click the radio button, and select “Use the following IP address.” Under “IP address” you type an address that matches the default IP address of your router, a string of numbers broken up by periods. You’ll find this in the router’s documentation. For instance, if the default IP of the router is “192.168.1.1” you should type in “192.168.1.2”—making the last number different prevents an IP address conflict with the router but places your computer and the router on the same network. Under “Subnet mask,” type in “255.255.255.0”—this is the subnet mask for your typical home network, and for “Gateway” type in the default IP of the router—in this example it would be the “192.168.1.1” address. You now have your computer on the same network as the router. You can now open a browser and enter the router’s IP address. Just type the router number into your address bar, like this: http://192.168.1.1. You will be prompted to enter a username and password. This information is also available with your router’s documentation. Once you are in the management interface, you can manually set up your wireless connection: the SSID, pass phrase, and security.

If you can’t browse to the router’s interface, you may have made a typo. Recheck your network settings under “TCP/IP v4” properties once more.

wireless information in. Mac users: You can also “force-join” an SSID that has stopped broadcasting through a Mac’s Airport Utility. Select to join “Other” and type in the name of the network and password. Of course, you still want to find out why your SSID stopped broadcasting. Check to make sure broadcasting was not inadvertently disabled in the router’s software, reboot the router, and check for any software updates

3

The Wireless Network’s Name/SSID Has Disappeared The Problem: All of a sudden, your SSID or Wi-Fi network name is no longer listed when you click to see available wireless networks. There are various reasons this might happen, and it’s not an uncommon occurrence. Quick Fix: Force your computer or device to connect to the router even if it’s not broadcasting. From Windows, go into Control Panel | Network and Internet | Network and Sharing | Manage Wireless Networks. If you see your wireless network listed, right-click on its icon and click Properties. Check the option “Connect even if the network is not broadcasting its name (SSID).” If you don’t see your wireless network listed, click “Add” then select “Manually connect to a wireless network” and put your

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4

My Internet Connection Keeps Dropping

The Problem: You are happily surfing the Internet, and every now and then the connection drops. Perhaps you see the light flicker down to nothing on your broadband cable modem and then suddenly all LEDs light up again. Quick Fix: This is a common issue, particJULY 2011 PC MAGAZINE DIGITAL EDITION 49

solutions networking

ularly for those with cable Internet service or FIOS. You wouldn’t believe how often this problem is caused by a degraded signal coming into the cable modem. If you use splitters, try replacing them. If you have several splitters on an inbound cable connection, say one coming into your home and another to break out the cable signal in your home entertainment system, check to see if they are -7dB splitters (printed on the outside of the splitter). Try replacing a -7dB splitter that your broadband modem is connected to with a -3.5 dB splitter, which may decrease signal loss. Also, if you happen to have a three-way splitter and you are not using the third connection, try replacing it with a two-way splitter.

5

When I Move to Another Room in the House, the WiFi Signal Drops

The Problem: In your living room, your wireless connection is fine. Move into another room and the signal becomes weak or nonexistent. Quick Fix: There are several things that

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could cause a wireless signal to drop. The big culprit is interference. Cordless phones and any device using the 2.4-GHz band could be the cause. Even things you couldn’t imagine could cause interference, including mirrors and glass. Once you’ve checked for physical interference, test something: Do all your devices and computers lose signal at the same location, or just one in particular? If all, chances are the problem lies with the router. Consider an external antenna for the router and also check for router firmware updates. If one specific machine is dropping the signal, update that machine’s wireless client adapter or upgrade the adapter altogether.

6

Port Forwarding Does Not Work

The Problem: You want to run an application that requires a specific port on your network to be open. You follow the directions that the app developers provide only to get the error, “Port closed.” Quick Fix: Usually, this isn’t a problem with a user’s configuration. It’s a problem on the

Internet service provider’s side. ISPs will often block ports to strengthen your network against hackers and intruders. Before frantically going through your configuration steps again, check to make sure the port you are setting up for forwarding is not blocked by your ISP. Use a tool like the Open Port Check Tool to see if the port you need opened is being blocked. If so, contact your ISP.

7

I Forgot the Password to My Router

The Problem: You forgot the password to manage your router. Quick Fix: You have to reset the router back to its factory-default settings. You’ll lose all your configuration settings made on the router. On the back of most routers is a recessed button labeled “Reset.” Using a paper clip, hold this button in until the LEDs on the router blink (the amount of time you need to hold the reset button may vary from router to router, so check the documentation). This will enable you to use the default username and password again. Also, many current routers allow you to save the configuration settings so you don’t have to reconfigure after performing a factory reset, so check to see if your router has that capability.

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8

The Router Shuts Itself Off

The Problem: After having a router for a while, you notice that every now and then it shuts itself off. Quick Fix: This is usually caused by overheating. Many of us leave our routers running 24/7. As it ages, the router can become more inefficient at cooling. Check to ensure the cooling vents on the router are not obstructed. Unplug the router for a bit. Use a can of compressed air to clear out as much dust as you can from the vents. Newer routers have energy-efficient settings that let you specify when it should shut the wireless radio off or power down, such as after 30 minutes of being idle. If your router doesn’t have this feature, best practice is to turn it off when it’s not being used to extend its life. ■


solutions BUILD IT

Build It

How to Build a Mini Fusion PC AMD’s new Fusion APU technology makes it easy to build a small home PC that packs big media-processing power, but requires only a minuscule amount of your green. By Matthew Murray

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rocessor powerhouses AMD and Intel are forever exchanging blows (and technology advances), but rarely is it ever as heated as it has been this year. Intel kicked off the year by releasing its second-generation Core (aka “Sandy Bridge”) processing platform, a family of products aimed at powering the next generation of everyday PCs, particularly for photo and video viewing and editing. Within days, AMD released its own advancement: Fusion. Like Sandy Bridge, it integrates graphics processing on the CPU die for the first time, and has media manipulation on its mind. But it also has an eye toward low power usage and capabilities, profile, and price ideal for the budget or nettop market. Given that we have examined how to build a Sandy Bridge PC, it seemed only fair to look into how we’d put together one using AMD’s new platform. When we started getting into it, we were thrilled to find it could be

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done for less than $400. If you don’t want to spend a lot of money, but you are still looking for a capable little secondary or tertiary media machine, it’s a fine way to go. Perhaps the most interesting thing about AMD’s Fusion hardware is that with it you don’t differentiate between the processor and the motherboard: Buy one and you buy the other. Most of the Fusion “combos” we looked at had more or less the same basic features, so we picked the Gigabyte E350N-USB3 ($149.99 list). In addition to its 1.6-GHz, dual-core Accelerated Processing Unit (APU), it offers a wealth of video output ports (VGA, dual-link DVI, and HDMI), two USB 3.0 ports, and one PCI Express (PCIe) x16 slot for future upgrading. We also grabbed 4GB of Kingston HyperX memory ($49.99 list), in this case gray; this will fill up both slots, but the motherboard gives us the option of replacing these with two 4GB sticks later if we want. Most of our other decisions were influ-

Components Motherboard/APU Gigabyte E350N-USB3 $149.99 RAM Kingston HyperX Gray 4GB kit $49.99 Case/Power Supply Antec ISK300-150 $79.99 Hard Drive 640GB Seagate Momentus $84.99 Optical Drive Lite-On DS-8A501C $32.99 Total: $397.95

enced by the motherboard’s form factor, which isn’t one even dedicated builders see every day: Mini-ITX. Because such motherboards aren’t designed for traditional ATX-size cases, we wanted a case just right for Mini-ITX. We found one in the Antec ISK300-150 ($79.99 list). It comes with its own 150-watt power supply (more than enough for our purposes); looks sleek; and, at 3.8 by 8.7 by 12.9 inches (HWD), it may be

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too small for adding more than half-height expansion cards, but it won’t consume a lot of space, and has a smart layout for adding components. Of course, those components also had to fit in this extra-small case, which limited our choices a bit. There was no room for a fullheight 5.25-inch optical drive of the type we’d use in a regular desktop, so we had to go with a “slim” model, specifically the LiteJuly 2011 PC MAGAZINE DIGITAL EDITION 53

solutions BUILD IT

Building a Mini-Fusion PC, Step by Step

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On

On DS-8A5S01C DVD burner ($32.99 at Newegg). Another option was a slim Blu-ray drive, as Fusion specializes in improved Bluray handling. But the lowest-cost model we found was $100, and our goal was to keep the price down—if you don’t mind spending a bit more, and you have lots of Blu-ray discs to watch, it’s something to consider. We faced a similar conundrum with local storage. A 3.5-inch hard drive was out of the question. We knew a solid-state drive (SSD) would give us a huge speed boost, but they’re way too expensive: $100 for just

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the case’s rear panel, you’ll find three thumbscrews. Remove them, then carefully lift the cover off the case. (You may find that pulling it toward you from the front, and “bending” the left side panel around the screw on the left of the rear panel will help you remove it. It worked for us.)

40GB, and we wanted more space than that. So we settled for a 640GB Seagate Momentus, which we found for $84.99 on Newegg. But if you have enough spare change sitting around for an SSD, we’d definitely recommend going that route. It’s important to remember that this is a very small case, which needs to maximize every inch of its interior if everything is going to fit. Even if you’re familiar with building systems, you might want to read carefully to make sure you know what to expect when you crack open a case like this.

2

Because the motherboard arrived with the APU already integrated, we don’t have to worry about installing it. In fact, the only extra piece of hardware we need to install is the memory. To do that, pull out the white plastic clips on either side of the two memory slots. Line up the memory so the notch at the bottom of a stick fits around the pole in the center of the bay. Press down on the memory gently but firmly, until the plastic clips on either side click and lock into place. Repeat with the other memory stick.

3

To

make room for the motherboard, you have to remove the metal bracket inside the case that holds the optical drive and storage drives. It’s held on by three screws, one near the center of the rear-panel area, and two near the front of the case. Unscrew them using your Phillips screwdriver, then carefully remove the bracket from the case.

4

Our Antec case came with a generic I/O plate already installed in the opening at the back of the case, which we had to remove. Once you’ve freed that opening (if necessary), make sure the motherboard-specific plate is facing the right direction (hold it up to the motherboard if you’re not sure), then firmly press it into place around four edges.

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July 2011 PC MAGAZINE DIGITAL EDITION 55

solutions BUILD IT

5

You don’t need to install standoffs in the ISK300-150—one of its many little timesavers. So just gently place the motherboard in the case, making sure its rear-panel ports protrude through the I/O plate you just installed and that the screw holes in the motherboard line up with the standoffs. Then, secure the motherboard with the screws that came with the case.

6

As the metal drive bracket is still out of the case, this is an ideal time to install both of the drives we’re using. Let’s start with the optical drive. Press the front of the optical drive door on the front of the case to open it. Then gently press on the long plastic rectangle from the inside to release it.

7

Remove the thumbscrew on the metal bracket (it’s the only one left); this will release the top drive tray from the bracket.

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8

Place the optical drive in the bottom tray on the larger bracket, and secure it with screws from the side. Make sure the optical drive opens to the front, the tray sticking out far enough to clear the case’s front panel, with the SATA connections easily accessible in the back. Both the drives are now attached, but don’t replace the bracket yet!

9

Place the SSD on the hard-drive (upper) tray, with the SATA connectors visible on the inside-case side.

10

Secure the SSD with screws from beneath.

11

Because of how little space there is inside the case, it’s going to be easiest to connect all the interior cables now. These include the front-panel connectors: USB, which connect to two jacks between the heat sink and the rearpanel ports; eSATA, which plugs into the SATA ports just above the PCI Express x16 slot; and the headphone and microphone jacks, which connect to the audio port right next to the multiple-speaker outputs. You’ll also need to connect the two power cables (one four-pin, one 24-pin), and the front-panel connectors, located just between the 24-pin power jack and the memory slots. (The cables are easily marked; look in the motherboard manual if you need more help.) Once all that’s done, connect the additional SATA data and power cables to the drives, and the four-pin Molex fan connector to the remaining cable from the power supply.

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July 2011 PC MAGAZINE DIGITAL EDITION 57

solutions BUILD IT

12

With all that done, you’re ready to reassemble things. Replace the upper drive tray on the metal bracket; it hooks around on both sides, with one side bearing screw threads. Line that side up with the screw hole, and then reinsert the thumbscrew you removed.

13

Replace the metal bracket by sliding the front section (containing the drives) underneath the two screw holes and placing the opposite end above the screw hole there. Replace the three screws you removed.

14

Carefully replace the case’s cover, and return the three thumb screws to their position. You’re done building! Now you just need to install Windows and whatever programs you’ll want to use, and your Fusion system will be ready to go.

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To the person reading over my shoulder: Yes, I am reading PC Magazine. Digitally. And yes, it is awesome. Now stop ogling and get Zinio for yourself.

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Editors’ Choices in Key Categories For the complete reviews of these products and more Editors’ Choices check out go.pcmag.com/editorschoice

Desktops mainstream

Dell XPS x8300-5215NBK $1,099 list

Editor netbook

MFC INKJET

Samsung NF310-A01 $400 street

NEW

business NEW

Budget/Value

HP Pavilion p6727c-b $749.99 list entry-level

Lenovo IdeaCentre K33011691AU $599.99 list HP TouchSmart 310-11257 $699.99 list gaming/Multimedia

Dell Vostro 3350

$741 direct

Lenovo ThinkPad X220

Velocity Micro Edge Z40

$1,199 direct ALL-In-one

Apple iMac 21.5-inch (Thunderbolt) $1,199 list

NEW

budget

HP Pavilion dv6-6013cl $649.99 list

Apple iPad 2 (Wi-Fi + 3G) 64GB sTORAGE Portable

Seagate FreeAgent GoFlex Ultra-Portable Drive (500GB) $99.99 list

network-attached storage

Synology DiskStation DS1511+ NAS $900 list LCD Monitors

COMPACT DESKTop

Laptops & netbooks mainstream

Asus U41JF-A1 $857 street

Viewsonic VX2258wm $339 street $2299 list

$888.99 direct gaming

Toshiba Portege R705-P35 $899.99 list Multimedia

Acer Aspire AS8950G-9839 $1,499.99 direct Desktop Replacement NEW

Dell XPS 15z $1,534 direct

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Canon CanoScan LiDE110 Color Image Scanner $59.99 direct document scanner

Xerox DocuMate 3115 networking Western Digital My Passport Essential SE $159.99 list Cisco Linksys E1200 Wireless-N Router $60 list Netgear N750 Wireless Dual Band Gigabit Router

NEW

$130 street

HDTVs plasma

Dell UltraSharp U3011 $1,499 direct

Samsung PN58C8000 $2,999.99 list LCD

Printers

HP Pavilion dm3t $625 direct Toshiba Portege R835-P50X

SCANNERS

NEC MultiSync PA301W

CONSUMER ULTRA-LOW VOLTAGE ULTRAportable

Canon REALis SX80 Mark II $3,999 direct

$399.99 direct

desktop

business

Dell Inspiron Zino HD (Inspiron 410) $849.99 direct

projectors Epson PowerLite Home Cinema 8350 $1,299 direct

$699 direct

HP Omni 100 $559.99 list

$549 direct

Epson Stylus Photo R3000 $849.99 direct

NEW

tablet

Western Digital MyBook Studio Edition II $430 list

HP Compaq 4000 Pro

Photo Printer

$1,299 direct

Digital Storm Black Ops Enix Edition $3,267 direct NEW

Brother MFC-J6710DW

$300 street

monochrome laser

Sony Bravia KDL-46EX720 $1,439 direct

Brother HL-2270DW $150 street

LED

color laser

LG Infinia 47LW5600

Dell 2150cdn $399.99 direct standard inkjet NEW

Epson WorkForce 60

$129.99 direct all-in-one

HP PhotoSmart eStation $399 direct

Kodak ESP C310 $99.99 direct

60 PC MAGAZINE DIGITAL EDITION juLY 2011

$1,699 list

Blu-ray Players Samsung BD-C6500 $249.99 list Digital Cameras compact

Canon PowerShot S95 $399.99 direct

s’ Gaming

RUGGED compact

Panasonic Lumix DMC-TS3 $399.95 list

Sony PlayStation 3 120GB (PS3 Slim) $299.99 direct

Kodak EasyShare M580

Nintendo 3DS $249.99 list

$199.95 direct

$119 list

Office 2010 Professional $499 direct

iWork for iPad $9.99 direct

GPS Devices

D-SLR

Nikon D300 $1,800 street NEW

Microsoft Office for Mac 2011

Nikon D5100

$899.99 list

direct

Digital Video Cameras Sony Bloggie Touch 8GB (MHSTS20/S) $199.99 direct Sony HDR-SR11 $1,099.99 direct

VIDEO-Editing SOFTWARE

photo editing

Adobe Photoshop CS5 Extended $699 to $899 list Aperture 3 $199 direct portable media Players Microsoft Zune 120GB $249 list Apple iPod touch (4th generation with Camera) 8GB, $229 direct

Apple iPod nano (5th gen.) 16GB, $179 direct

Speakers/Docks Bowers & Wilkins Zeppelin Air $599.95 list Altec Lansing Octiv 650 $199.95 list

media extenders Slingbox PRO-HD $299 list

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DYMO Stamps and DYMO Printable Postage Free

Barnes & Noble Nook Color $249 direct

Barnes & Noble Nook Touch Reader $139 direct

NEW

headphones Bowers & Wilkins P5 Mobile Hi-Fi Headphones $299.95 list Aliph Jawbone Era $129 direct Shure SE215 $119 list

CyberLink DVD Suite 7 Ultra $129.95 direct

TurboTax Premier Online (Tax Year 2010) $49.95 direct

E-BOOK readers

bluetooth headsets

Digital Photo & Video

Basecamp Free

$229.99 list

superzoom

Nikon Coolpix S9100 $329.95

FreshBooks Free

Garmin nüvi 2350LMT

Cell phones AT&T

Samsung Rugby II SGH-A847 From $249.99 with contract

Apple iPhone 4 $199 list Sprint

Samsung Epic 4G $349.99 list HTC Evo 4G $299.99 list LG Rumor Touch

iphone/IPAD apps Zite (for iPad) free GoodReader for iPad $5 direct Air Sharing $6.99 direct Photogene $2.99 direct NEW

Note Taker HD (for iPad)

$4.99 direct

multimedia Adobe Acrobat X from $199 list Adobe Photoshop Elements 9 $99.99 list CyberLink PowerDirector 9 $99.95 list

Corel Painter 12 $429 list NEW

Apple iTunes 10.3 Free

Apple iLife ’11 $49 direct

$79.99–$279.99 list T-Mobile

HTC Sensation 4G

NEW

$199 list

T-Mobile G2x With Google $199 list Verizon Wireless

HTC Thunderbolt $249 street Motorola Droid 2 Global $559.99 list

Office & productivity QuickBooks Premier Edition 2011 $399.95 list

security antivirus

Ad-Aware Free Internet Security 9.0 Free Webroot AntiVirus with Spy Sweeper 2011 $39.99 direct

Norton AntiVirus 2011 $39.95 direct Suite

Norton Internet Security 2011 $69.99 yearly

Norton 360 version 5.0 $79.99 for three licenses juLY 2011 PC MAGAZINE DIGITAL EDITION 61

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DesignNews Magazine July 2011

e-FOREX magazine July 2011

Oracle Magazine July August 2011

Tile Magazine July-August 2011

PC Magazine Windows Vista Solutions (PC Magazine)

PC World Magazine (US version), August 2011

PC Magazine Guide to Digital Photography

PC Magazine Guide to Digital Photography

PC Magazine Digital SLR Photography Solutions

The New Yorker Magazine July 4, 2011

PC Magazine Wireless Solutions

PC Magazine wireless solutions

Geo Magazine - Indian Edition - July 2010

SERVO Magazine - July 2007

PC World January 2011

PC World May 2011

Custom PC - March 2011

PC Magazine Windows XP Solutions

PC Magazine Windows XP Solutions

PC Magazine - April 10 2007

PC Magazine Office 2007 Solutions

Esquire Magazine, USA Edition, January 2011

Home Power Magazine, June - July 2011, Issue 143

Harper's Magazine September 2011

Offshore Magazine - February 2011

DesignNews Magazine December 2011

PC Magazine Digital Edition, July 2011

PC Magazine Digital Edition, April 2011

PC Magazine 2011-01

PC Magazine - February 2011

PC Magazine - April 2011

DesignNews Magazine July 2011

e-FOREX magazine July 2011

Oracle Magazine July August 2011

Tile Magazine July-August 2011

PC Magazine Windows Vista Solutions (PC Magazine)

PC World Magazine (US version), August 2011

PC Magazine Guide to Digital Photography

PC Magazine Guide to Digital Photography

PC Magazine Digital SLR Photography Solutions

The New Yorker Magazine July 4, 2011

PC Magazine Wireless Solutions

PC Magazine wireless solutions

Geo Magazine - Indian Edition - July 2010

SERVO Magazine - July 2007

PC World January 2011

PC World May 2011

Custom PC - March 2011

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PC Magazine Windows XP Solutions

PC Magazine - April 10 2007

PC Magazine Office 2007 Solutions

Esquire Magazine, USA Edition, January 2011

Home Power Magazine, June - July 2011, Issue 143

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