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  • Maximum PC (January 2006)

    Posted on by Azrael Comment

    Source: Maximum PC – January 2006

    Maximum PC was my favorite PC magazine. It had a pretty long life with the first issue being published in September 1998 and the last print issue coming in April 2023. Unlike some magazines, it maintained a fairly consistent quality. It limped on another couple of years as a digital only magazine but the last issue in that form was published last month. Sadly, Maximum PC is officially, completely dead. The January 2006 issue includes:

    Features

    • Versus – In this feature, Maximum PC determines the best AMD chipset (nVidia nForce4 SLI x16), best Pentium chipset (nVidia nForce 4 SLI x16), best midrange dual-core CPU (AMD Athlon 64 X2 4400+), best high-end dual-core CPU (AMD Athlon 64 X2 4800+), best high-end single-core CPU (Athlon 64 FX-57), best mobile CPU (Pentium M 740), best high-end videocard (nVidia GeForce 7800 GTX 512MB), best midrange videocard (Leadtek Winfast 7800 GT TDH Extreme), best budget videocard (AOpen Aeolus 6800 GT), best high-capacity hard drive (WC Caviar SE 16 400KB WD400KD), best recordable DVD media (Fujifilm), and best fast LCD (Samsung 940BF).
    • MP3 Challenge – A listening test with MP3s enconded with different encoders and bitrates.
    • DV Cam Roundup – A digital video camera buyers guide. Most video cameras at the time relied on miniDV tapes though some also used hard drives, 3-inch DVDs, and even flash media though capacity was limited. Cameras covered here include the Samsung SC-X105L Sports Cam, JVC Everio GZ-MG70U, Canon Optura 50, Hitachi DZ-GX20A, and Sony DCR-HC42 MiniDV Handycam.
    • $300 PC – This $300 computer includes an AMD Sempron 2800+ CPU, MSI RS480M-IL motherboard, 512MB of generic PC3200 memory, 80 GB Seagate Barracuda 7200.7 SATA hard drive, and Lite-On 16x double layer optical drive.

    Departments

    • Quick Start – A look at the top technologies of 2006. Some of these include dual-core GPUs, physics accelerators, new socket from AMD, DDR2 memory for AMD and DDR3 for Intel, among others. Also, Sony includes malware with every CD, Sanyo releases new rechargeable batteries, Firefox gains on Internet Explorer, Plextor releases 18x DVD burner, and more.
    • Head2Head – Comparing speakers with headphones. In this case, Sony’s MDR-DS8000 Digital Surround Headphone System is comapred with Logitech’s Z-5500 Digital speaker system. Spoiler, the speakers win.
    • WatchDog – Maximum PC’s consumer advocate investigates WinFixer (adware), WinAntiVirus Pro (sketchy antivirus software), EZInkjets.com (a company that took orders but seemingly never delivered), and more.
    • How To – A guide to installing Linux. This tutorial uses Ubuntu.
    • Ask the Doctor – Questions answered about burning a BartPE disc, a randomly restarting computer, a Dell XPS 600 and its use of proprietary parts, lock ups on the Sony Vaio VGNFS760 notebook, hard drive ticking sounds, and more.
    • R&D – A white paper on Virtual 3D Audio and an autopsy of an LCD display.
    • In the Lab – A look at high-end thermal paste performance and an evaluation of the new nForce 4 chipset.
    • In/Out – Letters from readers about Intel adopting AMD64 extensions, LaCie external drives, driver updates, camera testing, 64-bit Windows XP driver problems, the WD Raptor, and more.
    • Rig of the Month – A reader puts a custom build PC in his RX-8.

    Reviews

    • Pc Enclosure – A look at the Cooler Master CM Stacker 830 case.
    • Desktop PC – A review of the S1 Digital Media Center featuring a Pentium 4 @ 3.2 GHz, 1GB Geil DDR2-533 RAM, 320GB Western Digital hard drive, nVidia GeForce 6600 GT video card with 128MB, 350 watt power supply, and more for $2500.
    • External Water Cooler – A review of the Thermaltake Symphone External Water cooler which includes a cooling tower that sits outside of the PC case for a pretty steep $400. This is designed more for those with HTPC systems that have small cases.
    • Wirelss 5.1 Speakers -A review of Logitech Z-5450 Digital speakers. They had the convenience of being wireless but were also relatively noisy.
    • Mid-size Case – A review of the Silverstone Sugo SG-01 case.
    • PDA – A review of the Palm TX. Before iOS and Android took over the world with smartphones, your choice was a Palm or Windows Mobile based device without phone capabilities.
    • Streaming Boxes – A look at the Pinnacle ShowCenter 200 and Olive Musica Wireless Music System.
    • Mp3/Video Player – A reviews of the Apple 30GB iPod.
    • VGA Coolers – A review of the Arctic Cooling VGA Silencers.
    • Cordless Mouse – A review of the Logitech G7 Mouse.
    • Antivirus Apps – Reviews of McAfee VirusScan 2006 and Norton Antivirus 2006.

    Gaming

    • Age of Empires III – A review of this classic real-time strategy game from Microsoft.
    • Call of Duty 2 – A review of this classic first person shooter. Not really much of an improvement over the original but why mess with success?
    • F.E.A.R. – A horror themed first person shooter.

    …and more!


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  • PC World (August 2005)

    Posted on by Azrael Comment

    Source: PC World – August 2005

    In 2005, PC World was already in decline. It was covering more computer adjacent things such as digital camcorders and phones by this point. It wasn’t terrible…yet, but you could see where it was headed. The August 2005 issue includes:

    Cover Story

    • Reinvent Your PC – Computer upgrade tips including adding a SATA drive, using a RAID, increasing RAM (to at least 512MB!), upgrading to a dual-core CPU (at least if you are already using an Athlon 64), adding USB 2.0, adding a faster wi-fi card, upgrading to a better graphics card, and more.

    Features

    • Wireless Networking: Faster! Farther! – A test of six new wi-fi products including the Linksys Wireless-G Broadband Router and Wireless-G Notebook Adapter, the Belkin Wireless Pre-N Router and Wireless Pre-N Notebook Network Card, the Netgear Pre-N Wireless Router and Pre-N Wireless PC Card, the D-Link Super G MIMO Wireless Router, and more.
    • PC in a Browser – A look at various services that allow you to access your computer remotely including MyWebEx PC Pro, Citrix Online GoToMyPC 4.1, 3am Labs LogMeIn Pro, Laplink Everywhere 4, Pro Softnet RemotePC 3, and O1 Communique I’m InTouch 4.

    Top 100

    • Spotlight: DV Camcorders – A look at the latest in DV camcorders including the Sony DCR-DVD403 DVD Handycam ($840), Sony DCR-HC42 MiniDV HandyCam ($560), Panasonic PV-GS250 ($850), Canon Optura 60 ($730), Hitachi DZGX20A ($750), and the JVC GR-DF550US ($450). With the exception of optical zoom, the cheapest modern smartphone is far superior for recording video.
    • Top 15 Desktop PCs – The top “power system” this month is the Alienware Aurora 5500 featuring a 2.6 GHz Athlon 64 FX-55, 256MB ATI Radeon X800 Pro graphics, 320 GB hard drive, 19-inch NEC LCD monitor and more for $3500. At the top of the “value system” list is the IBM ThinkCentre A51p featuring a 3 GHz Pentium 4 530, 160GB hard drive, 64MB ATI Radeon X300 Pro graphics and 17-inch ThinkVision LCD monitor for $1592.
    • Top 15 Notebook PCs – The top “desktop replacement” laptop this month is the Acer TravelMate 8100 featuring a 2 GHz Pentium M 760 for $2299. The top “all-purpose” laptop is the HP Compaq Nc8230 featuring a 2 Ghz Pentium M 760 for $2244, and the top “ultraportable” is the Dell Inspiron 700m featuring a 1.8 GHz Pentium M 745 for $1567.
    • Top 10 DVD Drives – The top internal DVD drive this month is the Plextor PX-716A for $125 and the top external drive is the Plextor PX-716UF for $230.
    • More Reviews – The top PCI Express graphics board is the MSI RX850XT-VT2D256E with the top nVidia card coming in at number 4 with the PNY Verto GeForce 6800 GT. The top LCD monitor is the Sony SDM-HS95P.

    Departments

    • Up Front – Google’s index has reached 8 billion web pages and counting…back when an editor could say things like “To its credit, though, Google has a history of treating its users’ data with respect.” with a straight face.
    • Letters – Letters from readers about hardware torture tests, permission-based filtering, spyware, and more.
    • Hassle-Free PC – Tips for becoming invisible on instant messaging services, sending files through e-mail that get blocked, and making sure you have all the video codecs you need.
    • Full Disclosure – Strategies for making sure you have your important files backed up.

    News & Trends

    • Longhorn Roundup – A preview of what would ultimately become Windows 7.
    • Apple/Intel: The PC Perspective – News on Apple’s switch to Intel processors.
    • Low-Cost Broadband From Cities Blocked – Cable and DSL providers square off against cities that want to offer broadband access to residents.
    • GPS Phones: New Ways to Find Places – Modern smartphones still weren’t a thing yet but devices such as the BlackBerry, Motorola i830, and others were starting to include GPS capabilities and mapping services.
    • Plugged In – Info on what will be in Office 12 (Office 2007), the ECS PF88 Extreme motherboard which supports both Intel and AMD CPUs, new internet radio services, and more.

    New Products

    • Anti-Spyware Utilities – A look at the latest spyware protection including CounterSpy 1.5, Spy Sweeper 4, and ZeroSpyware 2005.
    • LCD Monitor – The Samsung Syncmaster 242mp, a 24-inch LCD monitor featuring a TV tuner for $1700.
    • HP’s First 64-Bit-Ready Business PC – A look at the HP DX5150 featuring a 2.2 GHz Athlon 64 3500+ CPU for $915.
    • Online Calendar – The OneCalendar online calendar from Trumba.
    • Photo Printer – Epson’s PictureMate Deluxe Viewer Edition photo printer.
    • Web Browser – Netscape 8.
    • Online Music Service – Yahoo Music Unlimited.

    Digital World

    • TV Recorders – Modern ways to record your favorite TV shows, including DirecTV DVR with TiVo, DVR from Comcast, the MOXI set-top DVR cable box, and more.
    • Digital Audio – New satellite radio devices such as the Sirius Starmate, Tivoli Audio Model Satellite, Pioneer AirWare, Tao XM2go, and more.
    • Gadget Freak – All about becoming a podcaster.

    Here’s How

    • Hardware Tips – Tips for making a backup of your hard drive.
    • Internet Tips – Creating a mobile internet suite on a flash drive.
    • Windows Tips – Fixing bad folder behavior in windows file explorer.
    • Photo Printer Tips – Tips for getting good photo prints cheaply and keeping your photo printer running smoothly.
    • Answer Line – Questions answered about preventing viruses from disabling your protection, reading CDs that have become unreadable, and more.

    …and more!


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  • Maximum PC (January 2004)

    Posted on by Azrael Comment

    Source: Maximum PC – January 2004

    Maximum PC, known as ‘boot’ in its earliest days, was my favorite PC specific magazine. It was also still around until a few years ago. The January 2004 issue includes:

    Regulars

    • In/Out – Letters from readers about using an AMD64-FX CPU with an Opteron motherboard dual-GPU cards, motherboard recommendations, the nForce3 chipset, the remaining life for EIDE drives, upgrading a Pentium 4 machine, and more.
    • Quick Start – A look at a few pocket sized PCs including one by oqo that includes a 1 GHz Transmetta Crusoe CPU and 256 MB of RAM, a look at some new games including Madden 2004, Knights of the Old Republic, and Deus Ex, and more.
    • Head2Head – Comparing online music services iTunes, MusicMatch, Rhapsody, and Napster.
    • WatchDog – Poor OS X performance on G3s, Belkin router spam, and more.
    • Ask the Doctor – Questions answered about Serial ATA power, ATI Radeon 9600 Pro clock speed, random pop-ups, upcoming Athlon 64 chips, overclocking, upgrading a Sony Vaio, and more.
    • How To… – A Guide to improve your PC’s airflow.
    • Rig of the Month – This month’s Rig of the Month features a computer designed to look like an old military radio. The hardware includes an Athlon XP 2700+ and an ATI Radeon 9200.

    Reviews

    • HyperSonic Sonic Boom desktop PC – This PC features a yellow case, 3.2 GHz Pentium 4 Extreme Edition overclocked to 3.37 GHz, 1GB of DDR400, an ATI Radeon 9800 XT), two Western Digital WD360 10,000rpm SATA drives, and more for $3,384.
    • Hewlett-Packard Pavilion ZD7000 laptop – This laptop features a Pentium 4C @ 3.2GHz, 1GB DDR333 dual channel RAM, nVidia GeForce FX Go5200 video, 40GB hard drive and more for $2700.
    • ATI 4600 64Bit desktop PC – This PC features a Chieftec case, 430 watt power supply, an AMD Athlon 64 FX-51 CPU @ 2.2GHz, 1GB registered DDR333 RAM, 256MB nVidia GeForce FX 5900 Ultra video card, two 36GB Western Digital Raptor drives, and more for $3650.
    • PNY Verto GeForce FX 5950 Ultra video card – nVidia’s new top of the line card gets a positive review here.
    • Serial ATA Drives – Several Serial ATA hard drives are reviewed including the Maxtor DiamondMax Plus 250GB, Western Digital Caviar SE WD250JD, Hitachi Desktar 7K250 (the highest scoring in this review round-up), Seagate Barracuda 7200.7, and Maxtor DiamondMax Plus 16 300GB (the largest drive in this review round-up).
    • Budget 3D Cards – Reviews of the Radeon 9800 XT and Asylum GeForce FX 5700. Neither is the clear winner.
    • Empires: Dawn of the Modern World – An Age of Empires style game from Activision.
    • Call of Duty – A review of the now classic first person shooter.

    Features

    • Hardcore Hardware – A look at hardware and technologies that will appear in PCs in 2004. These include Serial ATA 2.0, Intel’s Prescott Pentium 4 CPU, AMD’s Newcastle, DDR2 memory, BTX, dual layer DVD burners, 802.11n, nVidia NV40 based video cards, ATI R420 based video cards, and more.
    • Meet the Mach L – An overdesigned PC featuring an 3.2 GHz Pentium 4, 2GB of PC4200 RAM, Raid 0 array of four 18GB 15,000rpm SCSHI drives, Radeon 9800 XT video card, Asetek’s Vapochill Case, and more.
    • The Softies – Maximum PC’s 2nd annual software awards featuring the 10 best applications and utilities of 2003. These include Microsoft PowerToys for Windows XP, DVD X Copy Platinum, Cakewalk Project 5 Soft Synth Workstation, JBuilder, Adobe InDesign 2.0, POPFile, Spybot Search and Destroy, iTunes, Trillian Pro 2.0, and Mozilla Firebird.
    • The Maximum PC Challenge – A USB Key torture test that includes freezing, heating, crushing, drowning, and more.

    …and more!


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