|
Issue 262 - October 22, 2003
ISSN 1488-3163; PC Improvements © 2003
==== 2126 Subscribers in 60 Countries ====
Welcome to the 262nd issue of the PC Improvement News. PCIN consists mainly
of news and tips. There is something for everyone, and if this is your first
issue, I'm sure there will be something for you. If you give me two or three
issues, I know that you will come back for more!
You can reach me at editor@pcin.net with
any suggestions or comments.
Recommend PCIN at http://PCIN.net/recommend.php
Support PCIN at http://PCIN.net/donate.php
CONTENTS
Opening Thoughts
I know I've been promising it for a while, but I have finally finished the
Sunbelt Software iHateSpam software review. I've used it for about 2 1/2 months,
and it has caught almost 30,000 junk emails for me. Check out The
Tips and Other Stuff section below for more about the software and a link
to the full review.
Chris is working on a review of NewsGator, and RSS feed aggregator that integrates
with Outlook. After that, we have several other software titles to look at.
We're keeping busy, and hopefully you will find the reviews useful. Remember,
if you are interested in learning about a particular product and would like
us to check it out, just email us and we'll see what we can do.
Graham editor@pcin.net and
Chris chris@pcin.net
The NEWS
Amazon moves back into profit
"Online retailer Amazon has reported a quarterly profit for the first
time outside of the key Christmas sales period.
The company said free delivery offers and a new sporting goods store had
helped boost revenue by 33%.
It also gave an upbeat assessment of trading in the current quarter, predicting
sales growth of between 24% and 34%.
The results - only the third time in its history Amazon has made a quarterly
net profit - were slightly better than most Wall Street estimates."
For more info:
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/business/3212322.stm
Apple whistles a happy 1 million iTunes
"Apple Computer said Monday that 1 million copies of its iTunes software
for Windows have been downloaded since its introduction on Thursday.
The Cupertino, Calif.-based company also said it has sold more than 1 million
songs in that same time, a significant increase from the typical rate of
500,000 or 600,000 songs the company had been selling in recent weeks.
'We're off to a great start, and our competition isn't even out of the starting
gates yet,' Apple CEO Steve Jobs said in a statement."
For more info:
http://news.com.com/2100-1046_3-5093702.html
He turned Web site in the rough into online jewel
"Mark Vadon's ability to raise $57 million to sell diamond engagement
rings over the Internet during the spring of 1999 was not particularly remarkable.
After all, it was a time when budding entrepreneurs dreamed of hawking everything
from dog food to Dom Perignon online. And venture capitalists couldn't wait
to throw money at business plans scrawled on napkins.
But four years later, Vadon's brainchild, Blue Nile, is a rare breed: It
is one of the few pure online retailers to survive the dot-com implosion
- and thrive in its aftermath." For more info:
http://www.usatoday.com/tech/techinvestor/2003-10-19-entrepreneur_x.htm
Memorex to raise recordable CD prices
"Citing factors such as supply shortages and rising costs from overseas
disc manufacturers, Memorex plans to increase CD-R and CD-RW media prices
by 10 percent to 15 percent beginning January.
Manufacturing costs have increased 35 percent this year because of patent
royalty fees, rising production costs for petroleum-based plastics used to
make optical media, as well as transportation costs to deliver products to
warehouse and retail facilities, Memorex said in a statement Friday. Until
now, the company said, Memorex has absorbed all of these increases instead
of passing them on to customers."
For more info:
http://news.com.com/2100-1041_3-5094136.html
POLL of the WEEK
Last Week's Poll
Should Microsoft be held liable for any losses incurred as a result of
their unsecure software?
| Yes |
 |
57.14 % (84) |
| No |
|
33.33 % (49) |
| I don't know |
|
9.52 % (14) |
| Total votes: 147 |
This Week's Poll
You can also vote online at http://PCIN.net/polls/
PCIN.net FREEHELP
FORUM
Visit the PCIN.net FreeHelp Forum at http://PCIN.net/help/forum/ to
post your questions or answer others.
Question
I am running windows xp and as you all know or don't, microsoft in the
world of wisdom decided to remove the api's for the scsi, which conflicts
with ripping, all i need is a aspi driver that is compatible with my computer
so i can rip happily ever after i have a SAMSUNG CDR/W
Response
Try http://club.cdfreaks.com/showthread/t-51213.html
If that doesn't work, do a search on the entire forum at CDFreaks.com and
see what you can find.
To post a response, visit the General Hardware Help forum at http://PCIN.net/help/forum/index.php?board=4 and
click on the "SCSI APIS" topic.
Visit http://PCIN.net/help/forum/ to
post a question of your own.
PCIN.net UPDATE
Check out these new or updated pages on the PCIN.net site:
Sunbelt Software iHateSpam Software Review
http://PCIN.net/help/software/ihatespam.php
Logitech Cordless Elite Duo Hardware Review
http://PCIN.net/help/hardware/lced.php
XemiComputers Ltd. DeskLook 3.0 Software Review
http://PCIN.net/help/software/desklook3.php
Symantec Norton Ghost 2003 Software Review
http://PCIN.net/help/software/ghost2003.php
THE TIPS and OTHER
STUFF
Sunbelt Software iHateSpam Software Review
"If you have an email account, then you get SPAM, Unsolicited Commercial
Email, Junk Email, or whatever else you want to call it. If you have a web
site of your own, then the amount of junk email you get is probably even
higher. The increase of junk email has brought a number of products to the
marketplace that claim to reduce or all together eliminate your junk email.
I first heard about iHateSpam from an MCSE consultant that Chris and I have
worked with. He recommended a server version of the product. When we looked
into the product and saw that they had a desktop version, we had to try it.
iHateSpam is by Sunbelt Software. They have 2 different server versions along
with a version for Microsoft Outlook and a different version for Microsoft
Outlook Express. During the trial, I used the Outlook Edition with Microsoft
Outlook 2000. Chris also tried the Outlook Express Edition with Microsoft
Outlook Express 6.0 and had similar results."
Check out the full review at http://PCIN.net/help/software/ihatespam.php and
don't forget to rate the review!
What a Computer is Supposed to Do
Subscriber and co-worker Vicki sent me this:
i HAD to forward this one :)
What a computer is suppose to do
Whenever the day is getting you down..... try this!
This is what a computer is supposed to do! Click on the link below and then
type in your first name...
http://www.cse.unsw.edu.au/~geoffo/humour/flattery.html
Updates from Software602
I recently heard from Premysl Pech of Software602 letting me know of some
updates to the Software602 line of products. They have a Microsoft Office
alternative (free), as well as many other useful programs.
Software602 has recently released a new 3 software products:
602PC SUITE 4.0
Free Alternative to MS Office compatible with Word/Excel files
602PHOTO SUITE 4.0
Digital photo suite with photo editor, organizer and upload to web support
eDock Desktop 2.1
Secure personal storage with real-time encryption and full-text search
More information about the products is available here:
http://www.software602.com/products/home.html
PCIN.net AFFILIATED
SITES
Both of us have other sites other than PCIN.net. These are all sites that
we are actively involved in (they aren't client sites). Don't forget to check
them out from time to time for updates:
DISCLAIMER
and OTHER STUFF
PCIN is brought to you by Graham Wing. The opinions expressed are those of
the Editor, Graham Wing and the Assistant Editor, Chris Empey. Graham Wing
and Chris Empey accept no responsibility for the results obtained from trying
the tips in this newsletter.
- If any of the links are too long to fit on one line, you may have to cut
and paste.
- You can only win one contest every 30 days.
- To subscribe another address or unsubscribe, please visit http://PCIN.net/ and
follow the appropriate links.
- Recommend PCIN to others at http://PCIN.net/recommend.php and
be entered in a monthly draw.
- There are only 3 ways to get on the subscriber list. You have either been
subscribed by filling out a subscription form on any of the pages on my site,
you have requested FreeHelp from me in the past, or you have registered with
the FreeHelp Forum.
- If you have a web site or run your own newsletter, please email me at editor@pcin.net and
I will add it to the subscriber web pages that I have on my site.
- Support PCIN by visiting http://PCIN.net/donate.php
Return to the top
Graham Wing can be reached at editor@pcin.net
Chris Empey can be reached at chris@pcin.net
Copyright 1998-2003, Graham Wing. All rights reserved.
This publication may be reproduced in whole, or in part, as long as the author
is notified and the newsletter is presented as is.
Support PCIN by visiting http://PCIN.net/donate.php
PC Improvement News Home Page
PC Improvement News Archive
|
