_{Cover of the December 2005 issue of PC World}

At one time, you could find PC World on the shelves of every book store and in many grocery stores and other places that carried magazines. Sadly, it disappeared with almost every other computer related magazine (and most magazines in general for that matter). The December 2005 issue includes:

Future Tech

• What's New for 2006 - A look at upcoming technologies and products in 2006 including Windows Vista, Blu-Ray and HD-DVD, Web 2.0, better and cheaper LCD displays, WiMax, Intel based Apple computers (RIP), and next gen game consoles like the Xbox 360.

Features

• Software-Giant Killers - Free and low-cost alternatives to high-priced software. Some products looked at hear include OpenOffice 2.0, Thunderbird, AVG Anti-Virus, ZoneAlarm, GIMP, Picasa (RIP), Musicmatch Jukebox 10, CutePDF 3, and more.


• Color Lasers Get Affordable - Ten color laser printers are reviewed and compared with prices ranging from $400 to $700.

_{Table of Contents from the December 2005 issue of PC World}

Reviews & Rankings

• Disc-Burning Suites - In the comparison here, the author recommends Nero 7 Ultra Edition for experts and Roxio Easy Media Creator 8 for novices.


• Mobile Phones - A look at the Motorola Rokr E1 (the first iTunes compatible phone) and the Sony Ericsson W800i Walkman phone. Both emphasize combining MP3 playback with phone functionality.


• Top 10 Desktop PCs - A look at the top "power" and "value" systems. The winner in the Power category is the Xi Computer MTower 64 AGE-SLI which includes a 2.4 GHz Athlon 64 X2 4800+, 256MB EVGA e-GeForce 6800 Ultra graphics, a 19-inch Viewsonic LCD and 600GB of drive space for $3699. The top system in the Value category is the CyberPower Gamer Ultra 7500 SE which features a 2 GHz Athlon 64 3200+, 256MB EVGA e-GeForce 6600 graphics, 17-inch ViewSonic LCD and 160GB of drive space for $1075.


• Graphics Card - The ATI Radeon X850 XT CrossFire Edition is tested here. It's not officially reviewed here but the recommendation from the author was not to upgrade to this model. Expected price was $449.


• Top 10 Notebook PCs - The top "Desktop Replace" model in this round-up is the Acer TravelMate 8100 featuring a 2 GHz Pentium M 760, 15.4-inch wide screen, and a DVD+R DL/DVD+-RW drive for $1999. The top "All-Purpose Notebook" was the HP Compaq nx6125 featuring a 2.2 GHz Turion 64 ML-40, 15-inch screen, and DVD+-RW drive for $1249.


• GPS Software - A look at Streets & Trips 2006 with GPS Locator. This type of package has been obsoleted by things like MapQuest and Google Maps.


• Backup Software - Reviews of Norton Ghost 10 and Tru Image 9 both of which get "Very Good" ratings here.

_{Table of Contents from the December 2005 issue of PC World (continued)}

Departments

• Up Front - The editor discusses recent changes to PC World's product reviews and rating system.


• Letters - Letters from readers about AMD vs. Intel, online speeds, resetting Windows XP admin passwords, file search tools, and more.


• Consumer Watch - Watchdog web sites for charitable donations, software heartbeats and security risks, and more.

News & Trends

• $500 Laptops - Basic laptops hit new low prices as the reach the $500 level. Three are looked at here including the Dell Inspiron 1200, the Acer Aspire 3003LCi, and the HP Compaq Presario M2000. They have 256MB to 512MB of RAM and feature either Mobile Sempron or Celeron M CPUs.


• U3: Portable Programs on a USB Drive - U3 is a technology that allows U3 compliant apps to be run securely from USB drives securely.


• Moving Your Number to VoIP? - These days, most people don't even have landlines but at the time a lot of people were moving over to cheaper VOIP options though apparently the wait could be a while. I still have a Magic Jack number...

Digital World

• Ten HDTV Myths - Things you need other than a hi-def TV to actually display hi-def content, how bigger isn't necessarily better, how a high resolution set won't necessarily result in a better pictures, and more.


• Gadget Freak - An overview of recent gadgets including the Tao XM2Go portable satellite radio, Firefly's kid friendly cell phone, the iAudio X5 MP3 player, and more.

_{Back cover of the December 2005 issue of PC World}

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