MaximumPC 2008 11

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correspondence. Letters may be edited for space and clarity. Due to the amount of

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ISSUE

Are your downloads too

slow? Do NAS transfers

take millennia? We’ll

show you how to fix

your network problems

for maximum YouTube

effectiveness!

Netbooks

C’mon, a $500 notebook?!

These new, wee, cheap,

portable PCs are

everywhere. Should

you even care? We’ll pit

four of them against our

benchmarks.

Cable Confusion
I am in the process of re-
arranging my desk and
decided that since I was
going to disconnect every-
thing anyway, I’d give your
cable organization ideas a
shot. That’s when I noticed
that there’s contradictory
information in two of your
articles. In “Organize Your
Computer Cables” (Special
Winter 2008), Step 4 states,
“Be sure to combine like-
minded cables as much as
possible... The same holds

true for network cables and
power cords—consider them
the oil and water of your
wiring setup.” However, in
the July 2008 “Hack Your
Hardware” article, the sec-
tion entitled “Stealth Your
Cables” states, “Start by
deciding which cables to
bundle together.... We rec-
ommend grouping... your
power and network cables.”
Unless I’m misreading the
July 2008 article, these two
pieces of information don’t
agree. So which is correct?
—Felix Dozzi

Editor in Chief Will Smith
Responds: You’re absolutely
right, Felix! We goofed in the
July issue and should not have
recommended that you bind
your network and power
cables together. It’s best to keep
those wires separate wherever

possible, but if you absolutely

must cross them, make sure the

crossings are perpendicular.

Sorry for the error. We’ll have

the person responsible for the

error flogged. P.S. It’s Norman.

Power Shortage

I could not find a PSU rec-

ommendation on your Best

of the Best webpage (www.

maximumpc.com/best-of-

the-best) and would love

to see the category added

or an explanation of why

a PSU is not listed. I would

rather get a recommenda-

tion from Maximum PC

instead of another website

or magazine because you

have never steered me

wrong. Thanks for the help

and keep up the great work.

—Daniel Whatley

Senior Editor Gordon Mah

Ung Responds: We don’t

include PSUs in our Best

of the Best list because we

don’t regularly review them.

However, we can provide

some advice, so you can

make an informed choice. In

shopping for a PSU, I would

recommend you look for a

single-rail design. Weight

and warranty are also impor-

tant. The heavier the PSU,

the better (generally). And

the longer the warranty, the

greater the likelihood of it

being a good unit.

Making a Case for

Control4

I was surprised not to see any

Control4-branded products

listed in “The Digital Domicile”

(June 2008). Although you

need to go through a dealer

to purchase their products,

just one home controller can

control a home theater, dis-

tributed audio, IP cameras,

and the company’s Zigbee

lighting products. Granted,

the interface could use some

work and the system lacks

customization, but you can’t

beat the price for a fully

integrated home automation

solution, and setup is a breeze.

With the last update, Control4

added Rhapsody music ser-

vice downloads through the

onscreen interface, which

although is super cool, couldn’t

they have picked a better

music service?

—Patrick Clemins

Editor at Large Michael

Brown Responds: Thanks for

the feedback. I was interested

in discussing Control4’s prod-

ucts, and I met with company

representatives briefly at CES,

but they weren’t interested in

having their products covered

in a consumer/DIY magazine.

They’re focused exclusively on

the custom-installer market,

which is not part of Maximum

PC’s focus.

As for Rhapsody, I’ve

been a subscriber for years

and I absolutely love using the

service with the Sonos music

system. Using Rhapsody

on a PC, on the other hand,

is beyond aggravating.

LETTERS POLICY Please send your questions and comments to comments@maxi-

mumpc.com. Include your full name, city of residence, and phone number with your

correspondence. Letters may be edited for space and clarity. Due to the amount of

mail we receive, we are unable to respond personally to all queries.

WE’LL HAVE THE PERSON

RESPONSIBLE FOR THE

ERROR FLOGGED.

http://www.maximumpc.com|NOV 08 |MAMAMAXIMXIMXIMXIMUUUUMMPPPCC| 95

STOP, DROP,

AND ROLL

STOP, DROP,

ISSUEISSUE

ucts, and I met with company

representatives briefly at CES,

but they weren’t interested in but they weren’t interested in

having their products covered

but they weren’t interested in

having their products covered having their products covered

in a consumer/DIY magazine. in a consumer/DIY magazine. show you how to fix

They’re focused exclusively on

in a consumer/DIY magazine.

your network problems

in a consumer/DIY magazine.

They’re focused exclusively on your network problems

in a consumer/DIY magazine.

They’re focused exclusively on They’re focused exclusively on

the custom-installer market,

They’re focused exclusively on

the custom-installer market, the custom-installer market, the custom-installer market, the custom-installer market, for maximum YouTube for maximum YouTube

which is not part of which is not part of Maximum Maximum Maximum

As for Rhapsody, I’ve As for Rhapsody, I’ve

’s focus.

As for Rhapsody, I’ve As for Rhapsody, I’ve

been a subscriber for years

As for Rhapsody, I’ve As for Rhapsody, I’ve

been a subscriber for years

and I absolutely love using the

As for Rhapsody, I’ve

been a subscriber for years

NetbooksNetbooks

been a subscriber for years

and I absolutely love using the

been a subscriber for years been a subscriber for years

and I absolutely love using the and I absolutely love using the NetbooksNetbooks

service with the Sonos music

and I absolutely love using the

service with the Sonos music

and I absolutely love using the

service with the Sonos music

and I absolutely love using the

C’mon, a $500 notebook?!

Netbooks

service with the Sonos music service with the Sonos music C’mon, a $500 notebook?! C’mon, a $500 notebook?!

system. Using Rhapsody

service with the Sonos music

system. Using Rhapsody

C’mon, a $500 notebook?! C’mon, a $500 notebook?!

system. Using Rhapsody These new, wee, cheap,

C’mon, a $500 notebook?!

system. Using Rhapsody on a PC, on the other hand, These new, wee, cheap, These new, wee, cheap,

portable PCs are

system. Using Rhapsody system. Using Rhapsody

on a PC, on the other hand, on a PC, on the other hand, These new, wee, cheap, These new, wee, cheap,

portable PCs are

everywhere. Should

on a PC, on the other hand,

is beyond aggravating. portable PCs are

everywhere. Should

you even care? We’ll pit

is beyond aggravating.

everywhere. Should

you even care? We’ll pit

is beyond aggravating. is beyond aggravating.

everywhere. Should

you even care? We’ll pit

everywhere. Should

you even care? We’ll pit

four of them against our

you even care? We’ll pit

four of them against our

you even care? We’ll pit

comments@maxi- four of them against our

you even care? We’ll pit

comments@maxi-comments@maxi-comments@maxi- four of them against our four of them against our four of them against our

benchmarks.

Please send your questions and comments to comments@maxi- four of them against our

Include your full name, city of residence, and phone number with your

four of them against our

benchmarks.

Please send your questions and comments to four of them against our

Include your full name, city of residence, and phone number with your Include your full name, city of residence, and phone number with your

correspondence. Letters may be edited for space and clarity. Due to the amount of

Include your full name, city of residence, and phone number with your

correspondence. Letters may be edited for space and clarity. Due to the amount of

Include your full name, city of residence, and phone number with your benchmarks.

correspondence. Letters may be edited for space and clarity. Due to the amount of correspondence. Letters may be edited for space and clarity. Due to the amount of correspondence. Letters may be edited for space and clarity. Due to the amount of correspondence. Letters may be edited for space and clarity. Due to the amount of correspondence. Letters may be edited for space and clarity. Due to the amount of

mail we receive, we are unable to respond personally to all queries.

http://www.maximumpc.comwww.maximumpc.comwww.maximumpc.comwww.maximumpc.comwww.maximumpc.comwww.maximumpc.com

3

Netbooks

C’mon, a $500 notebook?!

These new, wee, cheap,

portable PCs are

everywhere. Should

you even care? We’ll pit

four of them against our

benchmarks.

and I absolutely love using the

service with the Sonos music

on a PC, on the other hand,

NEXT MONTHNEXT MONTHNEXT MONTHNEXT MONTH

Making a Case for Making a Case for Making a Case for

STOP, DROP, STOP, DROP, STOP, DROP, STOP, DROP, STOP, DROP, STOP, DROP,

I was surprised not to see any

STOP, DROP, STOP, DROP,

I was surprised not to see any

STOP, DROP, STOP, DROP,

I was surprised not to see any

Control4-branded products Control4-branded products STOP, DROP, STOP, DROP, STOP, DROP, STOP, DROP, STOP, DROP, STOP, DROP, STOP, DROP, STOP, DROP,

listed in “The Digital Domicile”

AND ROLLAND ROLL

listed in “The Digital Domicile”

AND ROLLAND ROLLAND ROLLAND ROLLAND ROLLAND ROLL

NEXT MONTH

Fix Your Network

Connection!

COMING IN

MAXIMUMPC’s

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1

DEC

1

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We’ll lay down the nitty-gritty

on Nehalem, AMD’s CPU road

map, next year’s GPUs, and

much, much more!

2009 Technology

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