By 2010 PC World and computer magazines in general were already in a state of decline. The Internet was taking over. PC World still had some decent content but the page court was barely over 100 pages. The April 2010 issue includes:

Features

• Fantastic Freebies – A look at some of the best free software in various categories. Includes things like desktop customizations, web browser enhancments, productivity, and more.

• Find Your Windows 7 Desktop – A look at some of the latest Windows 7 ready PCs in various categories. This includes Core 2 Duo and early Core i5/i7 machines in a variety of form factors including all-in-ones, towers, small form factor and others.

• The Subscription Trap – How people are tricked into signing up for subscriptions. I hate subscriptions in general.

Departments

• Techlog – The difficulty of choosing a new smartphone from the vast sea of choices. It really does seem like there was a much greater variety back in the day.

• PCW Forum – Comments from readers about the upcoming Apple iPad, Windows 7, Botnets, portable hard drives, and more.

• The Back Page – A Commodore 64 desktop theme, a fan boy chart, and more.

Forward

• 3G Wireless Speed Tests – AT&T finishes at the top in this round of 3G speed testing.

• Beta Watch – A look at some of the latest beta software.

• GeekTech – An examination of nVidia’s new Optimus switchable GPUs. These were only briefly popular and tended not to be well supported in later versions of Windows.

Consumer Watch

• Do Kodak Printers Save Cash – HP challenged Kodak’s claims of cheaper operation. I had a Kodak printer for a while and liked it. Ink was definitely cheaper and seemed to last as long as in other brands. Of course, that all changed when Kodak discontinued their printers.

• Skeptical Shopper – Six mobile apps that will help you save money.

• On Your Side – Problems with the Dell XPS 730 and shipping via FedEx.

Business Center

• Switching to the Cloud – Advantages and disadvantages of using the cloud and a look at Microsoft’s upcoming Azure cloud-computing platform.

• Net Work – How to analyze network problems with Wireshark.

• Tech Audit – A use case in which an old business server was virtualized.

Security Alert

• Guard Data On Portable Drives – Options for encrypting portable hard drives.

• Privacy Watch – Theft by hacking now the top cause of company data losses.

Reviews and Rankings

• Ten Essential Android Apps – Apps in this list include AppManager, Astrid Task/Todo List, Google Sky Maps, Google Voice, Last.fm, and more.

• Bookeen Cybook Opus – This E-Reader beats out Sony’s latest.

• Top 10 Ultraportable Laptops – At the top of this list is the Sony VGN-Z598U/B featuring a 2.53 GHz Core 2 Duo SP9500 CPU.

• Lenovo ThinkPad Edge – The ThinkPad Edge features a 1.3GHz Core 2 Duo SU7300 and 4GB of DDR3-1066 for $799.

• Top 10 Solid-State Drives – At the top of this list is the Crucial RealSSD C300 256GB drive for $800.

• Top 10 Color Laser Printers – The top color laser printer this month is the Dell 5130cdn for $1549.

• Canon SD940 IS – This compact $300 12 megapixel digital camera gets a decent review here.

• Download This – A look at some downloads that will customize your desktop including GleeBox, YoWindow, and Download Statusbar.

Here’s How

• Tech Support Survival Tips – Tips for getting the best results when talking to tech support.

• Answer Line – How to reduce Windows Vista user account control messages.

• Rick Broida’s Hassle-Free PC – Tips for creating a system-repair disk, removing crapware from your new PC, and keeping your PC secure.

…and more!