Release
Notes
AUGUST 2004 MAXIMUMPC 3
Contents 08.
I
just fi nished writing my very fi rst book, and man,
are my fi ngers, hands, and arms tired.
The tome is called Maximum PC 2005 Buyer’s
Guide and will be in book stores and on Amazon.com
at the end of the summer. The goal of the book is
to help you make the smartest possible decisions
for all of your PC component purchases. We do this
by detailing how the Maximum PC editors test and
evaluate products in each of 13 different categories:
mobos, videocards, hard drives, prebuilt PCs, etc.
The book takes a look back at the last 12
months’ worth of innovations and changes in
each PC component category. Not surprisingly,
this presented several challenges. While product
groups like PC speakers changed very little, other
categories like videocards, hard drives, and CPUs,
changed considerably.
I have a newfound appreciation for the writ-
ers of contemporary historical nonfiction. Several
times during the course of writing the 2005 Buyer’s
Guide , I had to go back and make wholesale chang-
es and/or additions. As an example, right when
I finished the chapter on CPUs, Intel announced
sweeping changes to its short- and long-term strat-
egies for its CPU designs. D’oh! (By the way, for
an interesting and alternative perspective on these
changes, make sure you read Tom Halfhill’s Fast
Forward column on page 14.)
I also gained tremendous respect for my upper
extremities. Publishing a magazine by day and writ-
ing a book by night definitely takes a toll. About a
month ago, my right inner elbow started burning
and then going numb after about four hours of work.
I’ve suffered torn ligaments that hurt less. My doctor
diagnosed the problem as the geek’s equivalent of
tennis elbow. The cure? Ice, Advil, and less time in
front of my PC. As if!
Ultimately, I did follow his advice, and the pain
has subsided, but the whole experience left me
feeling extremely humbled. After all—and if you’re
reading this magazine, this probably applies to you,
too—if I were to lose the ability to use my arms, my
life as I know it would be over. Even more humbling,
my doctor told me that over the next five to 10 years,
he, along with doctors everywhere, expects to see an
“epidemic” of repetitive stress-related injuries.
So, while you’ll find a plethora of useful PC fix-it
tips in our “Ultimate Troubleshooting Guide” on page
22, my tip is slightly more human: Whether you’re
playing games, writing e-mail, or programming,
make sure your posture is ergonomically correct, and
that you take frequent breaks. Humans aren’t like
PCs—when we break, we often stay broken. And, for
the time being, it’s impossible to buy a new body.
—GEORGE JONES
[email protected]
REGULARS
The Ultimate Tip
8 In/Out
You write, we respond
12 Quick Start
PC previews, news, and factoids18 Head2Head
This month: Ergonomic office chairs20 WatchDog
Maximum PC takes a bite out of bad gear50 Ask the Doctor
Symptom, diagnosis, cure52 How To...
This month: Supercharge Windows XP56 In the Lab
A behind-the-scenes look at Maximum PC
product testing96 Rig of the Month
It’s amazing what a person can
do with a PC!Page 18
The Plasma
2 SystemREGULARS
12
18
REGULARSREGULARS
Page 12
The fate
of PDAsPage 96
One man’s
dream
realizedREVIEWS
58 Desktop PC: Marauder Plus 64
59 Laptop PC: Sharp Actius PC-MM
60 Wi-Fi router: SMC 2304WBR-AG
60 Wi-Fi router: Netgear WGT
61 PDA: PalmOne Zire 31
61 PDA: PalmOne Zire 72
62 External hard drive: Kanguru Quicksilver Combo 120GB
62 External hard drive: SimpleTech SimpleDrive 400GB
64 Dual-layer DVD burner: Sony DRU-700A
65 Tablet PC: Compaq tc
66 External hard drive: DiskGO! 80GB USB 2.
66 Optical drive: PlexWriter PW-712A
68 Headphones: Sennheiser PC155 USB
69 Motherboard: Asus A8V Deluxe
70 Universal remote: Harmony H
70 Monitor color calibrator: Pantone ColorPlus71 Hitman: Contracts
71 Thief: Deadly Shadows
72 City of Heroes
72 Lineage II: The Chaotic Chronicledo with a PC!It’s amazing what a person canExternal hard drive: Kanguru Quicksilver Combo 120GB
External hard drive: SimpleTech SimpleDrive 400GBdo with a PC!GAMES