• Tag Archives Computer Shopper

  • Computer Shopper (September 1994)

    Posted on by Azrael Comment

    Source: Computer Shopper – September 1994

    Computer Shopper was not a magazine I picked up very often. Calling it a magazine is almost misleading. In the late 1980s and early 1990s it was phone book sized…or bigger. This issue approaches 900 pages which is pretty insane for a magazine. Before the Internet, this was THE source if you were looking for places to by computers or parts. However, in addition to all of the ads, it also had great articles. The September 1994 issue includes:

    Features

    • 60MHz Pentiums Under $1,500 – A look at were the “best buy” system based on the 60MHz Pentium processor. Systems here include the First Computer Systems Inc. FCS Green Pentium 60MHz, Micro Professionals Inc. P5/60 Pro Systems Ultra, MilkyWay Computer Products Myriad P5/60, Royal Computer Inc. Pro Desk, and the Tagram System Corp. Pentium VLB P60.

    • 64-Bit Graphics Accelerators – A look at some of the latest and greatest graphis cards. They weren’t even really GPUs at this point. Cards looked at here include the Diamond Viper Pro PCI, Media Vision Pro Graphics 1024 VL-Bus, Number Nine GXE64 PCI, and STB LightSpeed VL.

    • Special Report: Cyber Chips – A look at some of the latest and upcoming CPU technology. The top CPUs of the time included the 100 MHz DX4, 66 MHz Pentium, 100 MHz Pentium, 80 MHz PowerPC 601, 200 MHz DEC Alpha AXP 21064, 150 MHz MIPS R4600. Upcoming CPUs included the 133 MHz Intel P6, 100 MHz PowerPC 604, 100 MHz Cyrix M1, 100 MHz AMD K5, and 100 MHz NexGen 586.

    Shopper’s Guide: Super Systems

    • High-Powered Portables Move In – On the PC side of things, most vendors were still using 486 CPUs because of their lower power requirements but a few were putting 60 and 66MHz Pentium CPUs in mobile systems. For Mac, the PowerPC 603 (which would become the G3) would be the next big thing.

    • CPU Upgrades: Bridging The Generation Gap – CPU upgrade options were really just heating up at the time. There still weren’t a whole lot of options. SX2 and DX2 processors could be used to upgrade some systems and there was the long awaited Pentium Overdrive option that was upcoming. If I recall correctly, the DX2-66 I had back in the day could be upgraded to an 83 MHz Pentium Overdrive. On the Mac side, both DayStar and Apple had upgrade cards that would take 68040 based Centris and Quadra machines up to a 80MHz PowerPC 601.

    • Multiprocessing Goes Mainstream – Pretty much all CPUs were single core at this time and multiprocessing (systems with more than one CPU) were really just starting to become available on the Microsoft/Intel side of things. There were a relative handful of 486 and Pentium based options available.

    • Serious RISC Solutions – A look at Alpha AXP and MIPS R4000 based machines.

    Software

    • Communications Software – In this case, communications software mostly means terminal software. Software looked at here includes Crosstalk for Windows 2.1, HyperAccess 1.02, Procomm Plus for Windows 2.0 (always one of my favorites), QmodemPro for Windows 1.10, Relay/PC Gold for Windows 6.0, Smartcom for Windows 1.0, and WinComm Pro 1.06 among others.

    • Compoent Software – A look at technologies such as Microsoft’s OLE 2.0, OpenDoc, Appware, and Taligent.

    • News And Analysis – Microsoft introduces Exchange, new Harvard Spotlight presentation software, Excel outsells Quattro Pro and Lotus 1-2-3, and more.

    • Spin Doctor – A look at some of the latest CD-ROM titles including Score 800 (30 educational programs), Peterson’s College Database (profiles of 3,200 colleges and universities), Lovejoy’s College Counselor (more college info), ad more.

    • Wohl’s World – Supporting increasingly complex software.

    • Games – Reviews of several games including D-Day: the Beginning of the End, Serf City: Life Is Feudal, Aerodrome, Corridor 7: Alien Invasion, Aerodrome, and Fields of Glory.

    Trends & Technology

    • Charles Cooper – Falling mail-order PC prices.

    • Michael Slater – The 486 remains strong in the face of the Pentium onslaught.

    • Arlan Levitan – Microsoft’s version of 1984.

    • Van Name And Catchings – Searching for data on the PC.

    • John Dickinson – Intel and the competition.

    Tech Section

    • The Hard Edge – Comdex vs. CES, Microsoft’s new OS, and more.

    • Ultimate Windows – A look at the two types of 64-bit video cards: 32-bit interleaved design and true 64-bit.

    • PC’s Unplugged – New battery technologies for laptops.

    • Alfred Poor’s Computer Cures – Questions answered about problem parallel ports, upgrading the hard drive in a notebook, parallel port external hard drives, and more.

    • Developer Tools – Tools for creating fax enabled applications.

    • What Ever Happened To…? – A look back at IBM’s first attempt at a desktop computer, the IBM 5100. Plus the creation of the IBM PC.

    • Cyber-Privacy – A look at the RSAREF cryptography toolkit for encrypting e-mail.

    • Inside The Internet – A look at how the Internet works.

    • What’s The Code? – Programming techniques for performing 2-D rotation with fixed point math.

    Online

    • Hot Off The Wire – Apple has trouble determing audience for eWorld, IBM’s new wireless information-retrieval technology, and more.

    • ZiffNet Dispatch – New electronic cookbook, online survey results, and more.

    • Connect Time – Onlne services prepare for the arrival of broadband (which was still several years away in practice).

    • Shareware Shop – A look at some of the latest shareware including Music Sculptor, CD Jammer, Cool Editor, MIDI Mode Music Jukebox, Multimedia Sales Army Knife, and more.

    Multimedia Direct

    • Best Data’s ACE 5000 Multimedia Card – A combination data, fax, voice, and sound card.

    • North Coast Software’s PhotoMorph 2 – Image manipulation software.

    • Sony Imagesoft’s The Haldeman Diaries CD-ROM – Inside the Nixon White House.

    • Future Labs’ TalkShow 2.1 – Whiteboard software for your PC.

    • Quantas Press’ Terrorist Group Profiles CD-ROM – Dossiers of real terrorist organizations.

    • NuReality’s Vivid 3D – An inexpensive add-on that creates 3D sound from any set of speakers.

    • Dell Computer’s Dimension XPS P90 – A look at Dell’s new Pentium 90 multimedia powerhouse. Features include a 90 MHz Pentium CPU, a Panasonic double-speed CD-ROM drive, a Creative Soundblaster 16, 16 MB of RAM, 256K of secondary cache, a 540MB Quantum IDE hard drive, a Number Nine GXE 64Pro graphic accelerator card, and more for $3299.

    …and much more!


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  • Computer Shopper (October 2000)

    Posted on by Azrael Comment

    Source: Computer Shopper – October 2000

    Computer Shopper was a phone book sized magazine that peaked in the late 1990s and early 2000s. Though it was perhaps best known for being an excellent resource for ordering computer systems or parts, it also had plenty of great content in the form of articles and reviews. The October 2000 issue includes:

    Features

    • Light Makes Right – A look at five lightweight notebooks including the Compaq Armada M300 (Pentium III 600 MHz, 64MB RAM, ATI Rage LT Pro w/ 4MB, 12GB hard drive), Dell Latitude LS H400ST (400MHz Pentium III, NeoMagic MagicMedia256AV w/ 2.5MB, 6GB hard drive), HP OmniBook 900 (450MHz Pentium III, 64MB RAM, ATI Rage Mobility w/ 4MB, 6GB hard drive), IBM ThinkPad 570E 64U (500MHz Pentium III, 128MB Ram, NeoMagic MagicMedia 256AV2 w/ 2.5MB, 12GB hard drive), Toshiba Portege 3440CT (500MHz Pentium III, 64MB RAM, S3 Savage IX w/ 8MB, 6GB hard drive).
    • Scanning for Savings – A look at five low-cost flatbed scanners including the Acer 640BU, HP ScanJet 3400C, Umax Astra 3400, MicroTek ScanMaker 3700, and Visioneer 6200 USB.
    • Picking the Perfect PC – PC recommendations for different types of buyers. Some systems covered here include the Dell Dimension XPS B1000r, IBM NetVista, and HP Pavilion 9790C.
    • Sign On Once, Surf Often – A look at single sign-on services designed to manage all your web logins. Services looked at here include Microsoft Passport, digitalme, and v-Go 2.0.
    • Dialing Without Dollars – An article on making cheap or even free phone calls via the Internet.
    • Home Home on the Web – A guide to searching for a new home via the Internet.
    • Best Buys – A guide to new products that are best buys in their respective categories. Products here include the Dell Dimension 4100, Compaq Armada M300, Creative Nomad II MG, Dell Inspiron 5000e, and more.

    News

    • Net Now – A look at Windows ME. I honestly don’t think I ever touched this OS.
    • B2B Buzz – A look at e-Commerce sales and the upcoming Holiday 2000 season.
    • Hot Gear – A first look at some of the latest tech gear including the I-Jam Win-Jam Digital Audio Player, Sony DCR-PC5 Handycam, Minds@Work Digital Wallet, Wild Planet Spy Detectors, and SportBrain Starter Kit.

    Web Buyer

    • Site Reviews for Online Shopping – Reviews of tons of online shopping sites including PC shopping sites, Internet service providers, financial service, software sites, online auctions, cameras, books, music, and more. Plus, a look at 20 Halloween sites.

    Business Buyer

    • Is Rent-a-LAN Right for You? – A look at subscription-based computing services for outsourcing acquisitions, maintenance, and support.
    • e-Services and Tools – A look at unified messaging services that let you retrieve e-mail, voice messages, and faxes from one place.
    • Building Your Business – Eight tips for designing a web site that will help your sales.
    • Linux for Business – A look at various Linux distributions for business use, including Caldera OpenLinux, Corel Linux, Red Hat Linux, SuSE Linux, TurboLinux, and others.

    Help & How To

    • Building a PC from Scratch – A guide to building your own PC. This tutorial used an Enlight EN-7237 midtower case with 300 watt power supply ($78.99), Abit VT6X4 Slot I board with 733 MHz Pentium III and fan ($449), 128MB 133MHz Corsair SDRAM module ($159.99), 3.5″ floppy drive ($12.99), 40 GB Maxtor DiamondMax Plus ($280), Creative Labs PC-DVD 8x DVD-ROM drive ($146.99), and Hercules Guillemot 3D Prophet II GTS graphics card ($299.99).
    • The Hard Edge – Virgin Atlantic announces cell phone service from airplanes, a look at AMD’s new Thunderbird and Duron CPUs, and more.
    • Alfred Poor’s Computer Cures – Questions answered about mail merge, control panel issues, scan disk, Outlook mail purge, and more.
    • Buying Advisor – Finding an affordable web cam, software, and net connection for linking a language instructor in Honolulu with students in Tokyo.

    Opinions

    • John Blackford – Moore’s Law continues unabated and why it matters.
    • John Dvorak – A vision of the future of phone service.
    • Jim O’Brien – E-tailers may not be able to continue to use only price as a means of competing with brick and mortar stores.
    • Michael Slater – Wondering where all the tablet computers are. They wouldn’t really become mainstream until the iPad was introduced years later.

    Reviews

    • Desktops – Reviews of the Sony Vaio PCV-J100 (600MHz Celeron, 64MB 100 MHz SDRAM, 15GB hard drive, and more for $1128), Dell Dimension 4100 (800MHz Pentium III, 128MB 133MHz SDRAM, 20GB hard drive, nVidia GeForce2 GTS video card, and more for $1839), and CyberPower Athlon Special (800MHz AMD Athlon, 256MB 133MHz SDRAM, 34GB hard drive, ATI Rage Fury Pro graphics card, and more for $1849).
    • Hardware – Reviews of the Epson Stylus Color 670, FujiFilm FinePix 4700 Zoom, Maxtor DiamondMax 60, and Boston Acoustics BA4800.
    • Networks – Reviews of the Actiontec USB Internet Phone Wizard and Intel Anypoint Phoneline Home Network 10 MBPS USB.
    • Mobile – Reviews of the NEC Versa SXI (700 MHz Pentium III, 128MB SDRAM, 12GB hard drive, ATI Mobility-P graphic chip, and more for $3399, Dell Inspiron 5000e (750MHz Pentium III, 128MB SDRAM, 30GB hard drive, ATI Rage Mobility 128, and more for $3459), Acer Travelmate 524TXV (650MHz Pentium III, 64MB SDRAM, 12.1GB hard drive, ATI Rage Mobility-M1, and more for $2399), Kodak Palmpix Camera, Boxlight XD-9M projector, RIM 957 Wireless Handheld, Creative Noad II MG, IBuyPower Pocket Espresso PC, and Palm M100.
    • Software – Reviews of Extensis Portfolio 5.0, Astound Presentation 7.0, Adobe Livemotion, Peachtree Complete Accounting 8.0, Real Entertainment Center Plus, Generations Grande Suite 8.0, and Canon Officeready Buisness Plans.
    • Games – Reviews of Backyard Baseball 2001, Star Trek: Klingon Academy, Motocross Madness 2, and Diablo II.

    …and more!


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  • Computer Shopper (March 2001)

    Posted on by Azrael Comment

    Source: Computer Shopper – March 2001 –

    Computer Shopper, for much of its life, was a huge telephone book sized magazine with tons of ads of course but also tons of content. It had shrunk considerably by the turn of the century. The March 2001 issue, though much smaller than earlier years, was still a fairly hefty 250 pages. It includes:

    Features

    • Tower of Power – Reviews of “Power Systems” including the Compaq Presario 7000T, Gateway Performance 1500XL, HP Pavilion 9720A, IBM NetVista A60i, and Micron Millennia Max XP. These are all either 1.2 GHz Athlon systems or 1.5GHz Pentium 4 Systems with 128MB RAM and video cards such as the nVidia GeForce2 GTS Ultra and ATI All-in-Wonder Radeon. Prices range from $2513 to $3649 with the HP being the cheapest and the Compaq being the most expensive.
    • Handheld PCs – Reviews of five handheld PCs including the Casio Cassiopeia EM-500 (Microsoft Pocket PC), Compaq iPaq H3650 Pocket PC (Microsoft Pocket PC), Handspring Visor Platinum (Palm OS), Handspring Visor Prism (Palm), and Palm VIIx (Palm). Computer Shopper liked the iPaq ($500), Handspring Visor Platinum ($299), and Palm VIIx ($449) the best.
    • Take-Along Tunes – A guide to portable music players with a look at the various audio formats plus a look at various software players including FreeAmp, MusicMatch Jukebox 6.0, RealPlayer 8, SoundJam MP 2.5.1, Winamp 2.7, Windows Media Player 7, and X Multimedia System.
    • Many Happy Returns – Reviews of tax software including Kiplinger Taxcut Deluxe, Quicken Turbotax Deluxe, and TaxAct 2000 Deluxe.
    • Something for Nothing – Free stuff including free music at MP3.com, free clipart, e-mail, hosting, web access, phone, fax, and more.
    • Not of the Presses – A feature on eBooks with a look at the latest eBook readers such as the Franklin eBookMan, Palm OS Handhelds, Pocket PC Handhelds, RCA eBook REB1100, and RCA eBook REB1200 plus places to get free eBooks and more.

    News

    • Net Now – Arizona first to have public election using voting over the Internet, Zairmail offers letter service, an upgrade kit for furbies, and more.
    • Hot Gear – A look at some of the latest gadgets including the Cyber-shot DSC-P1 3.3 megapixel digital camera from Sony, the Pocket Concert Audio Player from Intel, the Kyocera QCP 6035 Smartphone, Kimar wireless audio streaming devices, and more.

    Opinions

    • Jack Blackford – The slow march towards seamlessly using all of your devices together (in this case, Cell phones, PDAs, LANs, and the Web).
    • John Dvorak – Thinner and flatter CRTs coming soon.
    • Jim O’Brien – A look at luxury shopping sites such as BlueNile, Ice, Millionaire, and Mondera.
    • Michael Slater – A look at multifunction devices and whether combining all those functions makes sense.

    Web Buyer

    • Site Reviews – A look at travel sites, online shopping sites, and more.

    Business Buyer

    • Off Site, on LAN – Keeping offsite workers connected.
    • e-Services and Tools – A look at the free online financial advice available on the Web from Intuit and Microsoft.
    • Building Your Business – Using cookies to add advanced features to your website.

    Help & How To

    • You Can Take It With You – A guide to moving your data, apps, and settings to a new PC.
    • The Hard Edge – The Pentium 4’s bus speed, DDR SDRAM, dealing with spam, and more.
    • Alfred Poor’s Computer Cures – Help printing to a file, upgrading RAM, checking your hardware configuration, and more.
    • Buying Advisor – Using the Panasonic Toughbook 47 for all your rugged computer needs.

    Reviews

    • Desktops – Reviews of the HP Pavilion 2755C (800 MHz Pentium III, 128MB RAM for $1049), Sony Vaio PCV RX280DS (1 GHZ Pentium III, 128 MB for $2199), and Tangent Medalllion Pro (1 GHz Pentium 3, 256 MB for $1995).
    • Hardware – Reviews of the Intel Pocket PC Camera and Kodak EZ200 webcams, Hercules Game Theater XP sound card, Matrox Marvel G450 ETV, Ricoh Mediamaster MP9120A Combo Drive, and Samsung ML-4600 printer.
    • Mobile – A review of the Acer Travelmate 351TEV, a laptop featuring a 700MHz Pentium III, 128MB RAM, for $2299, the Innogear Minijam, Motrola Timeport P8767, the NEC Versa SXI latptop, Sceptre Soundx 69502 laptop, and Tiny performance Notebook 800.
    • Software – Reviews of the newly released Netscape 6, Macromedia Dreamweaver 4, Documents to Go Professional Edition, and Psync.
    • Web Services – Reviews of homeadvisor.com and Phonefree.
    • Games – Reviews of You Don’t Know Jack 5th Dementia, Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater 2, and No One Lives Forever.

    …and more!


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