Windows Middle East - September 2010

09 VOL 15

THE REGION’S FAVOURITE PC & CONSUMER TECHNOLOGY GUIDE An ITP Technology Publication SEPTEMBER 2010

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SEPTEMBER 2010

LASER PRINTER GROUPTEST SMARTPHONE GROUPTEST ALAN WAK E GAME REVIEW

MOBILE GRAND MASTERS Six smartphones fight for the ultimate prize

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CONTENTS 1

CONTENTS WINDOWS MIDDLE EAST

12 COMMENT 12 COM E MT N Had enough of spam in your inbox or pinging onto your mobile handset?

Help should finally be on the way for residents of the U.A.E. with the Telecommunications Regulatoy Authority's new Unsolicited Electronic Communications Regulatory Policy.

14

MONOCHROME LASER PRINTER GROUP TEST

14 GROUP TEST 14 O MO NA MSTERS If you're in the market for a monochrome laser printer for your SOHO, small- or medium-sized business you're in luck, WIN DOWS tests four of the latest models on the market. Find out which offers the fastest performance and best valuefor-money.

22 GROUP TEST 22 O MBILE GRAN DA MSTERS

22

SMARTPHONE ROUND-UP

Today’s high-end smartphones are expensive investments but perhaps more importantly, are extremely clever devices that are equipped with a plethora of features. You could find features such as GPS tracking, media playback capabilities, instant messaging services, a high resolution digital camera, push e-mail and much more on any of the six smartphones we have on test. Here, we look at everything from Apple's ever popular iPhone, to everybody's favorite business device, the BlackBerry, as well as a number of new models that make use of Google's impressive Android operating system. So, if you're curious about which smartphones grabbed our Best Performance and Best Value award flip over to page .2

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60

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2 CONTENTS 6 6 7

NEWS

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CON SUMER REPORTS IW L O NT RECOMMEN D IPH OE N4 IW D NOW S 7STEERS TH EO WRL D TOW ARDS -4 6BIT COMPUTIN G

31 HOT KIT REVIEWS 33 35 36 37 38 39

APPL E IPAD MICROSOFT OFFICE 20 10 A KSPERSK YIS 20 11 ACER TIMEL IE NX 2 8 4T 0G ECS BL ACKSERIES-H 7 5 H MUS IN TELCORE I5 K 56

41 BUYER'S GUIDE THE BIGGEST TECH REFERENCE GUIDE 42 43 44 45 46 47 48 49 50 51

COMPON ET NS DESK TOPS DIG ITALIMAG IG N A HD NE HD LS MON ITORS O NTEBOOK S PERIPH ERAL S PRIN TERS SOFTW ARE STORAG E

52 GAME ON 54 56

TRAN SFORMERS:A WR FOR CY BERTRON AL AN A WK E

60 REGULARS 60 62 64

COMPETITION S CD CON TEN TS OG L IN GOFF

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38

40

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4 REGULARS

Editor’s letter An ITP Technology Publication

LOGGING ON Visit WINDOWS MIDDLE EAST online and read this content and much more at www.itp.net

WINDOWS MIDDLE EAST SEPTEMBER 2010

CALLING ALL PHONES Smartphones are different things to different people. For some these handhelds are a tool to make life easier and for others, a sort of odd status symbol where only the biggest, most expensive, and more often than not, totally unusable will do.

I’ve never really had any fascination with smartphones beyond using them to make phone calls and so I’ve stuck with my trusty Nokia E61 for what seems like an eternity. This is a simple phone by today’s standards in that it has no digital camera, has a web browser that struggles with almost any website and lacks 3G data support. What it can do however are phone calls, text messaging and survival.

The survival bit is perhaps the most useful and used ‘feature’ for me because in the time that I’ve had it, it has been dropped countless times, has fallen into water and has even slid off the dashboard of my car, onto the road. After all these traumatic experiences the phone has scars on its body but believe it or not, it runs like new and so I’ve never ever had the urge to upgrade to a newer model.

This past month has been interesting however because the six smartphones that were sent across for our grouptest (you can find it on page 22) have shown me just what I’m missing out on. Beyond taking photographs, being able to play videos, run games and active wallpapers, these smartphones can actually make even mundane tasks an event, with their splashy user interfaces and vibration feedback. Of course, these features have been around for the better part of three years but it’s only now that phones have got to a level of sophistication that has made me consider retiring my trusted warhorse.

That said, I still have across-the-board issues with today’s super-smart handhelds. My biggest quibble? Well, it’s quite simply battery life, or rather, the lack of it. Most of the smartphones I’ve come across in the last few years and indeed all six of the models in this month’s grouptest tap out after about a day and a half of mixed use. Given that the phones themselves have evolved so much in terms of design and what they offer, I don’t understand why battery life has taken such a backseat.

After all, old handhelds could run for three to four days.

Sure, the hardware necessary to make today’s phones special have heavy power requirements but I reckon it’s up to manufacturers to make their phones better in every way. If they need to invest more cash into battery research and development or put pressure on companies who supply the batteries then so be it.

My old E61, to this day, still runs for three and a half days on a full charge despite fairly heavy use and, believe it or not, it is still running on the original battery. If I’m to be persuaded to retire my existing phone, I’d like my next one to give me at least the same battery performance if not more. Surely that’s not asking for too much.

Jason Saundalkar Jason.saundalkar@itp.com

Registered at Dubai Media City PO Box 500024, Dubai, UAE Tel: 0097 1 (0)4 210 8000 Fax: 0097 1 (0)4 210 8080 Web: www.itp.com Offices in Dubai & London ITP Technology Publishing CEO Walid Akawi Managing Director Neil Davies Managing Director ITP Technology Karam Awad General Manager Peter Conmy Publisher Natasha Pendleton EDITORIAL Group Editor Mark Sutton Tel: +971 4 210 8225 e-mail: mark.sutton@itp.com Editor Jason Saundalkar Tel: +971 4 210 8635 e-mail: jason.saundalkar@itp.com Deputy Editor Clayton Vallabhan Tel: +971 4 210 8682 e-mail: clayton.vallabhan@itp.com Contributor Ben Furfie ADVERTISING Group Advertising Manager Brett Pearson Tel: +971 4 2108345 e-mail: brett.pearson@itp.com STUDIO Senior Designer Michel Al Asmar PHOTOGRAPHY Director of Photography Sevag Davidian Senior Photographers Jovana Obradovic Staff Photographers Efraim Evidor, Isidora Bojovic, Rajesh Raghav, Ruel Pableo, Lyubov Galushko, George Dipin, Mosh Lafuente, Murrindie Frew, Shruti Jagdeesh, Verko Ignjatovic PRODUCTION & DISTRIBUTION Group Production Manager Kyle Smith Deputy Production Manager Ali Fahmi Production Co-ordinator Basel Al Kassem Managing Picture Editor Patrick Littlejohn Image Retoucher Emmalyan Robles Distribution Manager Karima Ashwell Distribution Executive Nada Al Alami CIRCULATION Head of Circulation & Database Gaurav Gulati MARKETING Event Manager Preeta Panicker ITP DIGITAL Assitant Editor Vineetha Menon Tel: +971 4 210 8579 e-mail: vineetha.menon@itp.com Group Sales Manager ITP Digital Business Websites, Ahmad Bashour Tel: +971 4 210 8549 e-mail: ahmad.bashour@itp.com Senior Sales Manager, ITP.net, Nathalie Akl Tel: +971 4 210 8520 e-mail: nathalie.akl@itp.com Internet Development Manager Mohammed Affan Content Manager Asad Azizi Web Advertising Manager Meghna Jalnawalla Creative Director Craig Willers ITP GROUP Chairman Andrew Neil Managing Director Robert Serafin Finance Director Toby Jay Spencer-Davies Board of Directors K M Jamieson, Mike Bayman, Walid Akawi, Neil Davies, Rob Corder, Mary Serafin Circulation Customer Service Tel: +971 4 286 8559 Printed by Emirates Printing Press L.L.C.Dubai.

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Please contact itp images@itp.com for further details www.itpimages.com The publishers regret that they cannot accept liability for error or omissions contained in this publication, however caused. The opinions and views contained in this publication are not necessarily those of the publishers. Readers are advised to seek specialist advice before acting on information contained in this publication which is provided for general use and may not be appropriate for the reader's particular circumstances. The ownership of trademarks is acknowledged. No part of this publication or any part of the contents thereof may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system or transmitted in any form without the permission of the publishers in writing. An exemption is hereby granted for extracts used for the purpose of fair review.

Published by and © 2010 ITP Technology Publishing, a division of the ITP Publishing Group Ltd. Registered in the B.V.I. under Company Number 1402846.

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6 NEWS

NEWS

WINDOWS MIDDLE EAST SEPTEMBER 2010

CONSUMER REPORTS WILL NOT RECOMMEND APPLE IPHONE 4 The highly influential nonprofit organisation 'Consumer Reports' has said it cannot recommend Apple’s recently launched iPhone .4The news comes after the organisation’s in-house engineers confirmed a problem with reception on Apple’s latest smartphone.

W " hen your finger or hand touches a spot on the phone's lower left side - an easy thing, especially for lefties - the signal can significantly degrade enough to cause you to lose your connection altogether if you're in an area with a weak signal,"said contributor Mike Gikas in a report on Consumer Reports’ website.

Consumer Reports (www.consumerreports.org) publishes consumer guides based on its own personal findings on everything from technology products to motor vehicles. The organisation released a report last month stating that a problem does exist and also said that it has tested other smartphones - such as Apple’s own iPhone 3GS and Palm’s Pre - and found none of the signal-loss problems experienced with the iPhone .4 Apple says it shifted 1.7 million iPhone 4smartphones in the first three days since it was introduced on the market.

Complaints about poor signal reception appeared almost immediately after the phone was picked-up by eager customers. The iPhone 4uses a wraparound antenna and owners say that signal strength is affected heavily if the phone is touched in a certain way. Apple has since been sued by iPhone customers because of these problems.

Since the reception issues have come to light Apple has said that almost any cellphone will suffer a loss of signal if held in certain ways. The company later said it had discovered a software glitch that overstates signal strength, though it did not directly address concerns about the antenna with that admission.

Gikas recommended covering the gap in the wraparound antenna with duct tape or some other non-conductive material.

Reception issues aside Consumer Reports said the iPhone 4scored high in other test areas such as battery life, quality of display and the quality of its video/still image camera.

However, Gikas said the signal problem was the reason the iPhone 4would not be classified as a r" ecommended"device in its smartphone ratings.

A " pple needs to come out with a permanent - and free - fix to the antenna problem before we can recommend the iPhone4 ,"said Gikas in his blog post.

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NEWS 7

WINDOWS 7 STEERS THE WORLD TO 64-BIT COMPUTING Nearly 46% of PCs around the world are running Microsoft's Windows 7 64-bit operating system (OS) according to a blog submission by Brandon LeBlanc, Communications Manager at Microsoft. This increase in adoption far supersedes the 11% that Windows Vista-64 bit managed to capture over three years.

32-bit operating systems can recognise an upper limit of 4GB of system memory. A 64-bit OS overcomes this limitation and allows for intensive software to make full use of the machine's available resources.

LeBlanc wrote on the Windows blog that “the price of desktop and notebook memory has dropped over the last several years making it easier for OEMs to up the amount of memory in the PCs they ship.�

AMD and Intel x86 chips are gaining popularity and are fully capable of running 64-bit applications. A synchronous compatibility offers faster performance over the 32-bit application version. Moreover, Windows 7 64-bit is also capable of running 32-bit applications that have yet not taken the 64-bit leap.

Intel collaborated with Microsoft whilst developing Windows 7 to make what is claimed to be one of the most stable operating systems on the market. It was acknowledged that the 64-bit version gave room for more addressable memory and added security benefits; however certain application incompatibility and issues pertaining to privacy control have posed challenges to users migrating from Windows XP. The chip maker has cited two major quips; the first, many legacy 16-bit applications are unsupported by Windows 7 and secondly the way Windows 7 stores 32-bit applications in a different path makes it prone to applications being unable to access certain files.

In a bid not to ruin the pudding the aforementioned irregularities can be addressed in Windows 7 virtualised environments like the virtual Windows XP mode.

DU LAUNCHES UNLIMITED VIDEO ON DEMAND SERVICE The UAE's second telecoms operator, Du, has launched an unlimited video on demand service for AED75 (US $20.4) a month. The operator said that the service will be free for its TV customers for a limited period as an introductory offer.

The service provides customers unlimited access to a catalogue of entertainment including movies, TV series, dramas, documentaries, music, and children's programmes.

"We are very excited to announce the launch of our unlimited video on demand service with premium TV programmes that give our customers the choice to watch what they want, all with a simple click on the remote control from the comfort of their home," said Farid Faraidooni, Chief Commercial Officer of Du. Du originally launched its video on demand service in December 2009, allowing customers to browse through a catalogue of movies including Arabic, Hollywood, Bollywood and classic films at a cost of between AED 7 AED 19 per film.

SOUQ.COM CALLS ON SMES TO SETUP SHOP ONLINE Souq.com is urging owners of small and medium businesses to setup a virtual store using their platform instead of investing in a physical store in the country.

The firm says that setting up an online store on Souq. com saves owners the "hassles of initial capital investment, legal work and technology/physical infrastructure".

It costs AED 35 (per month) to run a Souq Store. Owners need to abide by certain terms and conditions including maintaining a minimum of ten simultaneous listings, offering a warranty of at least 30 days on products and committing to handling customer disputes, and making sure their feedback rating is 98% positive or higher at all times, unless the business is registered in the U.A.E. "Startups need solid technology platforms, technical assistance and market exposure to develop and grow their businesses", said Ronaldo Mouchawar, CEO of Souq. com. "We believe that we can address these needs and bring value to regional entrepreneurs, by providing fast and easy access to their products with no upfront costs and minimal eligibility requirements. Additionally, this will also provide start-ups with increased visibility to potential investors, clients and partners to help accelerate business success and thereby foster innovation and encourage entrepreneurship in the Middle East."

WINDOWS MIDDLE EAST SEPTEMBER 2010

KEEP UP-TO-DATE WITH THE LATEST TECH STORIES, OPINIONS AND REVIEWS IN OUR WEEKLY NEWSLETTER To subscribe, go to ITP.net/index. php?option=com_newsletter

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8 NEWS

PHISHING ALERT ISSUED FOR MASHREQ BANK An alert has been issued by FraudWatch International warning that Mashreq Bank is the target of a phishing scam.

The alert from FraudWatch, a privatelyowned internet security company, reveals a scam e-mail is doing the rounds, which includes a link that directs potential victims to a fake Mashreq website in the hope of obtaining sensitive account information when customers try to log on.

According to the FraudWatch notification, the e-mail address used in the scam is:customerservice@ mashreqbank.com with ‘Notification Alert'used in the subject line.

While the fake website includes genuine-looking content, one key giveaway is the fact that it has an obviously incorrect URL from the original Mashreq site.

This is not the first time an alert has been posted for Mashreq; the bank has been the target of 18alerts from FraudWatch alone since the start of the year, most involving disguised hyperlinks that redirect users to phishing sites.

Mashreq admits that it has been the target of a phishing campaign but reassures customers that security is priority.

M " ashreq advises UAE residents that the UAE's banking industry, including Mashreq, has been the target of phishing campaigns,"aGvin Sanderson, e Had of iD stribution at Mashreq told ITP .net. M " ashreq's online banking system is fully secure and safe, and Mashreq regards the security of its customers very seriously. We constantly advise customers through SMS, e-mail campaigns, website and prior to Mashreq online login, not to divulge their personal information, including their online banking logon details to any third party."

W " e have sent out over one million SMSs to our customers this year, advising them never to respond to any e-mail even proposing to be from their bank,"he added.

Any Mashreq customer that suspects they are a phishing victim should contact the bank immediately to close or freeze their account to avoid losing funds.

WINDOWS MIDDLE EAST SEPTEMBER 2010

GOOGLE ANDROID GRABS MORE MARKET SHARE According to data from independent research firm comScore, smartphone market share is beginning to illustrate a differing trend.

Apple and RIM still maintain the majority but both have experienced a drop in market share. Android based systems though, recorded gains in popularity and ate into a portion of the market that was previously occupied by Apple and RIM. RIM settled at 1 4.7 % market share - a drop of half a percent, followed by Apple with 24 .% 4which is a drop of 1% . Windows mobile stood at 13.2% – a drop of 2% . Android though gained % 4to end at a total market share of 13% . This was lower than the .52% gain that o Gogle’s Android enjoyed from e Dcember to February but still showed the increasing popularity of the platform.

Android’s gains could primarily be attributed to a wide array of smartphone makers adopting the platform in favour of market demand. Moreover, the phones have been claimed to perform extremely well in a fiercely competitive market. Some examples of this success are evident in the sensational frenzy of the ‘H TC rDoid Incredible’ recently released by an overseas carrier that had a tough time maintaining stock of the units, and the preceding success of the Motorola ‘D roid’.

Even with Android and Apple slicing a fair share of the market, RIM may still prove a difficult opponent especially with Blackberry v.6 soon approaching and a buzz from the grapevine about a Blackberry tablet.

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NEWS 9

Most UAE nationals don't trust the information they receive through BlackBerry Messenger, a new survey by Integral Research revealed.

According to a WAM report, the survey found more than half of the Emirati respondents (55%) do not trust the information they receive via Blackberry Messenger - the highest percentage of any nationality.

61% of UAE nationals surveyed agree that people use Blackberry Messenger to anonymously spread rumours and false information.

The national survey also found that three quarters (70%) of Emirati subscribers believe the use of Blackberry Messenger by children and teenagers is inappropriate, compared to the survey average of 52%.

Integral Research interviewed 400 people for the survey, including UAE Nationals, Arabs, Asians and Westerners.

PUMA PHONE NOW IN U.A.E The Puma Phone, which was launched at the Mobile World Congress in February, has made its way to the United Arab Emirates.

Marketed as an 'active smartphone', the Puma Phone comes with a number of fitness extras including a pedometer, GPS tracker and stopwatch and sports a Puma branded user interface. Beyond the fitness features, the smartphone includes a ‘spin and scratch' music player, a 3.2megapixel camera, microSD expandable storage, video calling, Internet access along with Bluetooth and solar charging capabilities.

"Just as PUMA is unlike any other sport-lifestyle company out there, the Puma Phone is unlike any mobile phone on the market," said Jochen Zeitz, CEO of PUMA. "We want to engage with our community in a way that is consistent with everything PUMA stands for.

Blending together the influences of sport, lifestyle and fashion, the Puma Phone reflects the joy, spontaneity and individuality that the PUMA brand is known for."

The Puma Phone was first made available in Europe and through the Puma online store in April, before being released to other international markets like the Middle East. It is now available for AED 2,099 at various local electronics retailers including Jumbo Electronics, Virgin Megastore and E-max in the UAE.

FREE CASES TO SOLVE IPHONE 4 RECEPTION WOES Apple CEO Steve Jobs admitted their phones are "not perfect" at a conference held last month, with many expecting the company to announce a fix for the iPhone 4's well reported reception problems.

And they did...sort of. The company's answer to the issue, dubbed 'antennagate', is to give a free case to every owner of its iPhone 4, or offer a refund to anyone who has already purchased one. The offer however is only valid until September 30th.

The bumper case, which is available on Apple’s site prevents a user's hand from making direct contact with the external antenna, which is said to cause the reception problem. Anyone not satisfied with their iPhone 4 purchase is also entitled to a full refund, provided the unit is not damaged and is returned within thirty days of purchase.

Jobs however insists that nearly every smartphone can lose signal strength if held in a certain way and demonstrated this at the conference last night using the BlackBerry Bold 9700. Research in Motion Co-Founders Mike Lazaridis and Jim Balsillie were less than impressed. A statement from the RIM leaders provided to tech blog ‘CrackBerry’ refers to it as Apple's "self-made debacle".

"Apple's claims about RIM products appear to be deliberate attempts to distort the public's understanding of an antenna design issue and to deflect attention from Apple's difficult situation....RIM has avoided designs like the one Apple used in the iPhone 4 and instead has used innovative designs which reduce the risk for dropped calls, especially in areas of lower coverage. One thing is for certain, RIM's customers don't need to use a case for their BlackBerry smartphone to maintain proper connectivity. Apple clearly made certain design decisions and it should take responsibility for these decisions rather than trying to draw RIM and others into a situation that relates specifically to Apple," read the statement.

WINDOWS MIDDLE EAST SEPTEMBER 2010

EMIRATIS WARY OF INFO SENT VIA BLACKBERRY MESSENGER

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12 COMMENT

VIEWS AN END TO SPAM IN THE UAE?

WINDOWS MIDDLE EAST SEPTEMBER 2010

Had enough of spam in your inbox or pinging onto your mobile handset? Help should finally be on the way for residents of the UAE with the Telecommunications Regulatoy Authority's new Unsolicited Electronic Communications Regulatory Policy. Mark Sutton explains...

The policy, part of UAE telecoms law, includes a number of elements but in short, it makes UAE telecoms operators (Etisalat and du) responsible to do their best to control the flow of unsolicited electronic messages, when those messages either come from the UAE or are sent to the UAE. If anyone wants to send you marketing messages the operators have to ensure that they ask you first, and have to do their best to stop those messages if you say no.

The policy effectively places the onus on the operators to use all measures to minimise the distribution of unsolicited mail over their networks. The policy takes a few different approaches to this control and makes some distinction between tackling e-mail and mobile-based spam but there are a few common requirements. The first is that operators get consent from users to receive marketing messages, either by requesting that they ‘opt in' first or by giving them the means to ‘opt out'.

Interestingly, the policy says it is okay for the government to spam you but not government-owned commercial entities. So far, so good.

So, a workable policy on unsolicited e-mail marketing messages and the ability to get your operator to cut off this sort of message should provide

a welcome means of reclaiming your inbox, and stopping the spammers. But of course, it's never that easy.

The policy itself isn't one of clearest such documents around, apparently,

and while you might hope that it’s effects are felt immediately, operators and the TRA seem to be quite silent about the subject.

Requests to find out some more information - namely will the operators start providing this sort of opt-in/optout ability, will they have a complaints procedure, will they publicise the

complaints procedure and can I get Ohm Events organisers to stop sending me SMS messages every other day - didn't get much of a response.

Admittedly, changes in personnel at the TRA meant our enquiries went nowhere for a while but I still can't get any one to explain the basics of the policy to me, or when the TRA might start to enforce it.

Etisalat couldn't come back with an answer after waiting for days, while du provided what has to be one of the worst PR responses I've ever seen to a media enquiry.

So for the moment it looks like this policy is going nowhere for now despite the fact that the operators were already supposed to have submitted the details of how they proposed to provide mobile spam opt-in/ out and unsubscribe facilities to the TRA since the end of January this year.

A cynic might suggest that the operators themselves make plenty of money off of spam or marketing messaging from valued third parties as the disclaimer probably reads, and therefore have no inclination to implement rules in a timely fashion.

But I am sure they are just sorting out a few last minute amendments and soon, I'll be able to opt out and unsubscribe, and those incessant spam SMS messages from Diamond Football Mania Challenge will be a thing of the past.

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14 GROUPTEST

Monochrome printers

MONO MASTERS

WINDOWS MIDDLE EAST SEPTEMBER 2010

Monochrome laser printers are the workhorses for many SOHOs as well as small- and medium-sized businesses because they offer performance, reliability and a low cost of ownership. Each year printer manufacturers update their product lines with new models and this month, WINDOWS puts four to the test. Read on to find out how they all faired‌

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GROUPTEST 15

WINDOWS MIDDLE EAST SEPTEMBER 2010

Monochrome printers

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16 GROUPTEST

Monochrome printers

CANON I-SENSYS LBP6650DN

The compact printer that could

PRICE $436 CONTACT +9714 391 5050 WEB www.canon.com

PRICE $162 CONTACT +9714 391 6000 WEB www.hp.com

✪✪✪✪✪

anon describes its i-SENSYS LBP6650dn as a ‘high performance, compact mono laser printer offering productive auto duplexing and extensive network connectivity for seamless integration into IT print workflows’.

Putting the LBP6650dn through our testing gauntlet we reckon Canon is right on the money. On the interface front the Canon offers both USB and Ethernet connectivity so you can connect it to a PC directly, or, for shared access, hook it up to a print server or network switch. In either case the Canon proved a doddle to setup.

The printer has fairly clean looks but in terms of size and weight it is the second largest and heaviest model in this grouptest. The only printer with a larger footprint was Xerox’s Phaser 3435.

C

WINDOWS MIDDLE EAST SEPTEMBER 2010

HP P1102W

Fast but not the fastest

✪✪✪✪✪

Feeding the i-SENSYS our tes documents this printer proved quick. Our 20-page text document was put to paper in quick time at a speed of 29.2ppm.

Considering Canon claims a print speed of 33ppm this is very impressive. Moving on to the more complex text and graphics PDF the LBP6650dn managed a speed of 17.1ppm. With both print tests the printer produced the first page in seven seconds.

Our only real issue with the Canon LBP6650dn had to do with its price tag. At US $436 it is the most expensive mono machine here and unfortunately, it isn’t the fastest.

PERFORMANCE ✪✪✪✪✪ FEATURES ✪✪✪✪✪ VALUE FOR MONEY ✪✪✪✪✪ VERDICT A well-built monochrome machine that can burn through pages in a flash. Its Achilles heel is its high price tag.

he P1102w targets SOHOs and small- and medium-sized businesses and in this grouptest, it manages a fair few distinctions.

Retailing for US $162 the HP is the least expensive printer on trial by a margin of $198. With dimensions of 349 x 238 x 196 and a weight of 5.3kg, the P1102w is also the smallest and lightest printer here.

Despite its compact size the HP packs some serious features; its print engine is capable of a maximum print resolution of 600 x 600dpi and it is also the only printer in this grouptest to offer WiFi connectivity. On the downside it lacks an Ethernet port, which most businesses would rely on.

Putting the printer to work the HP returned fairly reasonable performance figures considering its compact size and low retail price. HP claims the

T

P1102w offers a monochrome print speed of 18ppm, so the 14.5ppm it managed when handling our 20-page text document was actually quite decent.

Its first page out time of 10 seconds was also quicker than the more expensive Xerox managed while losing out to the faster Canon and OKI printers by just threeand two-seconds.

The only worry we had with the P1102w was that after every print job, we noticed a bit of steam leaving the top of the printer. This didn’t affect print performance however despite us feeding the printer 40-pages at a time for a period of 30 minutes.

PERFORMANCE ✪✪✪✪✪ FEATURES ✪✪✪✪✪ VALUE FOR MONEY ✪✪✪✪✪ VERDICT The P1102w is well priced, is reasonably quick and sports WiFi connectivity. A solid buy for a SOHO or small business.

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18 GROUPTEST

Monochrome printers

OKI B411DN

XEROX PHASER 3435

Balanced to perfection

Is its print engine as fast as its processor?

PRICE $360 CONTACT +9714 204 5813 WEB www.oki.com

PRICE $399 CONTACT +9714 883 8838 WEB www.xerox.com

✪✪✪✪✪

KI says its B411dn offers ‘fast, affordable mono printing for every small business’.

The printer packs a 330MHz processor and ships with 64MB of memory as standard. And like the Canon and Xerox contenders in this round-up the OKI can be upgraded with up to 320MB of memory for when an organisation’s print loads increase. If you’re concerned about expandability then the OKI ticks all the right boxes.

On the interface front as well the OKI is fully-featured as it offers parallel, USB and Ethernet connectivity, so regardless of your offices’ setup you’ll be able to get busy printing in no time.

The B411dn’s print engine is rated at 33ppm and offers a 2400 x 600dpi maximum print resolution. Starting with our 20-page text

WINDOWS MIDDLE EAST SEPTEMBER 2010

O

✪✪✪✪✪

document the printer immediately established its performance credentials thanks to its speed of 28.5ppm – the fastest in this test. The OKI also managed to produce the first page in eight seconds, the second quickest time here. Moving on to the text and graphics PDF the OKI blew us away once again, managing a print speed of 22.5ppm – the fastest performance by far.

Considering the printer’s performance, interface options and the fact that it, like the Canon and Xerox models, also offers an automatic duplexer, it’s incredibly well priced at a cost of US $360.

PERFORMANCE ✪✪✪✪✪ FEATURES ✪✪✪✪✪ VALUE FOR MONEY ✪✪✪✪✪ VERDICT The B411dn is ideal for small businesses thanks to its super quick print performance and wide array of standard features.

he Xerox Phaser 3435 is designed for office environments and at a cost of US $399 it is the second most expensive monochrome laser printer in this test.

In testing the printer proved reasonably quick though it fell behind the cheaper OKI and more expensive Canon offerings on the whole. Feeding the Xerox our 20-page text document, it spat out the first page in 11 seconds, which made it the slowest printer off the mark. In line with this, the printer’s final print speed of 25ppm was the second slowest in this grouptest.

Feeding the printer our 6-page text and graphics PDF document, the Phaser managed a print speed of 15.6ppm – the second slowest once again. The Phaser’s slow first page out performance was quite surprising because the

T

printer features the fastest processor – at 400MHz - in this grouptest.

With a weight and dimensions of 12.7kg and 401 x 434 x 312mm respectively, the Phaser has the largest footprint in this grouptest, followed closely by the Canon i-SENSYS LBP6650dn. Compared to the Canon however the Xerox is better equipped in the connectivity department because whereas the former only offers USB and Ethernet ports, the latter includes those ports along with a parallel port. As a result the Xerox can be connected to even very old office machines, if a network is also amiss.

PERFORMANCE ✪✪✪✪✪ FEATURES ✪✪✪✪✪ VALUE FOR MONEY ✪✪✪✪✪ VERDICT While the Xerox has strong specifications its actual print performance is average at best and comes at a somewhat high cost.

www.itp.net/grouptests

Monochrome printers

GROUPTEST 19

MONOCHROME PRINTERS

MANUFACTURER Product

CANON

HP

OKI

XEROX

i-Sensys LBP6650dn

P1102w

B411dn

Phaser 3435

$436

$399

$162

$360

Telephone

+9714 391 5050

+9714 391 6000

+9714 204 5813

+9714 883 8838

Web

www.canon.com

www.hp.com

www.oki.com

www.xerox.com

400MHz

Price

MAIN SPECS Processor

333MHz

266MHz

330MHz

Memory on-board

64MB

8MB

64MB

64MB

Memory upgradeable

320MB

8MB

320MB

320MB

Maximum resolution

2400 x 600 dpi

600 x 600dpi

2400 x 600 dpi

1200 x 1200 dpi

400 x 376 x 267

349 x 238 x 196

244.5 x 387 x 364

401 x 434 x 312

12.4kg

5.3kg

12kg

12.7kg

One-year

One-year

Three-year

One-year

Input tray capacity (sheets)

250

150

250

250

Output tray capacity (sheets)

150

100

150

150

Parallel

N

N

Y

Y

USB

Y

Y

Y

Y

WiFi

N

Y

N

N

Ethernet

Y

N

Y

Y

33.0ppm

18.0ppm

33.0ppm

33.0ppm

7 secs

10 secs

8 secs

11 secs

Windows tested speed (text only)

29.2ppm

14.5ppm

30.0ppm

25.0ppm

First page out (text and graphics)

7 secs

10 secs

8 secs

11 secs

17.1ppm

13.3ppm

22.5ppm

15.6ppm

Performance

----

----

-----

---

Features

----

----

-----

----

Value

----

-----

----

----

Overall

----

----

-----

----

OTHER Dimensions (W x D x H) mm Weight Warranty

PAPER HANDLING

CONNECTIVITY

Claimed print speed First page out (text only)

Windows tested speed (text and graphics)

SCORES

WINDOWS MIDDLE EAST SEPTEMBER 2010

TEST RESULTS

www.itp.net/grouptests

20 GROUPTEST

Monochrome printers

EDITOR'S CHOICE OKI B411DN

or a printer to walk away with our Best Performance award it would have to offer great print performance in terms of both speed and quality. Considering that all four printers offered sterling print quality it ultimately came down to speed and in that respect OK I’s magnificent B411dn proved unchallenged.

OK I claims a print speed of 33ppm and when we fed the printer our in-house testing documents, it simply left the other printers in this grouptest in the dust; it

WINDOWS MIDDLE EAST SEPTEMBER 2010

F

HP P1102W

returned the highest pages per minute (ppm) figures in both tests and was the second fastest printer when it came to the first page out test times.

Besides its amazing performance this monochrome master also offered plenty of connectivity and can be upgraded, so it can better tackle heavier print demands.

The icing on the cake is that the OK I is also covered by a three-year warranty whereas its competitors were only covered by a oneyear warranty.

he extremely compact HP P1102w grabbed our Best aVlue award simply because it offered fantastic value-for-money.

In terms of cost the printer is the cheapest in this round-up by far, retailing for just US $162. Despite its low asking price the printer offers a healthy print resolution of 600 x 600dpi and on the speed front, it was actually quite peppy.

In our intensive six-page text and graphics test it returned a print speed of 13.3ppm, which makes it

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just 3.8ppm slower than that $274 more expensive Canon i-SEN SS Y LBP6650dn. o Nt bad at all.

On the interface front the HP offers both USB and W iiF connectivity, the latter is something that no other printer in this grouptest features as standard. ith its compact W dimensions the P1102w will also occupy the least amount of space in your SOHO or small business, making it ideal for cramped environments. The HP is also quite silent and so won't disturb anyone sitting nearby.

HOW WE TESTED To test a printer’s performance we connected each in turn to our testbed PC via USB cable connection. e Wthen installed the supplied drivers and began running our tests.

In order to gauge each printer’s real world print speed we fed each two different documents; the first a 20-page text-only document, while the second was a six-page document consisting of text and graphics content. Of the two the latter gives a closer indication of what performance a printer will deliver in the real world. In both tests, we started a stopwatch the second we hit the P ‘ rint’ button and timed how long the printer took to complete the print job. e Walso noted how long it took for the first page to appear in the paper out tray.

The times we ended up with were then converted into a pages per minute (ppm) figure using the following formula – 60 (seconds) x number of pages (either 20 or six) /time taken by printer (in seconds). In both cases higher ppm figures equate to better print performance and therefore a higher performance score.

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WINDOWS MIDDLE EAST SEPTEMBER 2010

22 GROUPTEST

High-end smartphones

www.itp.net/grouptests

High-end smartphones

GROUPTEST 23

Today’s high-end smartphones are extremely clever devices that pack features such as GPS GPS, media playback playback, instant messaging messaging, high resolution digital cameras and more. In this grouptest WINDOWS puts six of the latest models to the test, so read on if you want to know which is the one for you.

WINDOWS MIDDLE EAST SEPTEMBER PTEMBER 2010

MOBILE MASTERS

www.itp.net/grouptests

24 GROUPTEST

High-end smartphones

ACER LIQUID

APPLE IPHONE 3GS

Is it as fluid as liquid?

Great but a little rough around the edges

PRICE $545 WEB www.acer.com

PRICE $841 WEB www.apple.com

✪✪✪✪✪

hen Acer launched its Liquid line months ago the first model was only available in white.

Today, the Liquid can be had with a black body though the phone’s specifications haven’t changed at all.

On a day-to-day basis the Liquid proved somewhat challenging to use owing to a number of issues. The first has to do with the LCD which struggled with fast finger movements – when swiping our finger across the screen (to change from one screen to the next), the Liquid seemed unaware that we had even made the gesture. Slowing down our finger movements got the job done but this is not an ideal solution.

Putting together SMS messages or e-mails also proved troublesome as the Acer couldn’t quite keep up with our quick fingers and thus we had to make a

WINDOWS MIDDLE EAST SEPTEMBER 2010

W

✪✪✪✪✪

conscious effort to slow down so the phone could keep up.

The Acer also appeared sluggish when it came to launching software and browsing websites. Looking over the Liquid’s specs we noticed the smartphone is equipped with a 768MHz processor, which suggested that the CPU couldn’t be at fault considering Motorola’s Milestone offers a slower CPU and didn’t struggle at all when tested.

The Liquid redeems itself in that it is the least expensive phone in this grouptest and is equipped with features that make it competitive with the other Android models here.

PERFORMANCE ✪✪✪✪✪ FEATURES ✪✪✪✪✪ VALUE FOR MONEY ✪✪✪✪✪ VERDICT A well priced Android device but its LCD and sluggish performance hurt what could have been an excellent value buy.

hile Apple has released its iPhone 4 in various countries, it hasn’t yet been officially launched in the Middle East. This makes the 3GS Apple’s official flagship in the region.

Using the 3GS is a doddle thanks to its slick user interface, responsive screen and manageable physical dimensions. The iPhone’s multi-touch and gesture support coupled with its functional, intuitive interface made using the phone a pleasure everyday - the 3GS was ultimately the easiest phone to get accustomed to in the least time.

Due to its age however some of the 3GS’ features are slightly out of date; with a resolution of 3-megapixels, the iPhone’s camera offers the lowest resolution in this grouptest.

Most of its competitors here offer higher resolution

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5-megapixel cameras with the exception of RIM’s BlackBerry Bold 2 9700, which offers a 3.2megapixel camera.

Comparing photos we captured with the 3GS to those grabbed by the Samsung Galaxy S say, we noticed more detail on photos shot with the latter phone, especially when blown up on a big screen.

Our biggest issue with the 3GS however is that it offers limited battery life. In mixed use we were forced to recharge the phone after just a day and a half – far from ideal. At the same time the 3GS is still an expensive proposition at US $841 for the 32GB variant.

PERFORMANCE ✪✪✪✪✪ FEATURES ✪✪✪✪✪ VALUE FOR MONEY ✪✪✪✪✪ VERDICT If you can deal with its high price, the 3GS is still a solid handheld thanks to its awesome interface, good looks and loads of available content.

www.itp.net/grouptests

High-end smartphones

BLACKBERRY BOLD 2 9700

HTC DESIRE

It has business written all over it

One very desirable smartphone

PRICE $626 WEB www.blackberry.com

PRICE TBC WEB www.htc.com

lackBerrys have always had a serious business edge and the Bold 2 9700 is no exception.

Finished in black and sporting a colour-matched holster the Bold 9700 screams business and, when it comes to usability, it’s more of the same.

Whereas other phones in this test try to inject graphics into every feature and function, the BlackBerry offers pure functionality.

While some might appreciate this, the - at times - endless menu systems and options that the OS presents you with can become quite a chore.

Beyond this the phone is easy-to-use as far as texting and e-mailing are concerned thanks to its responsive QWERTY keyboard. While we maintain that the Curve 8900 has the best keyboard we’ve come across on a smartphone, the 9700’s

B

✪✪✪✪✪

keys are very useable too.

With a 624MHz CPU the Bold is quite a quick phone to work with though there is an exception - the 9700 took the longest time to boot after it had been powered down. We hope the next BlackBerry OS does away with this.

This Bold 2 9700 is equipped with a 3.2megapixel digital camera but in use the slightly higher resolution didn’t make much of a difference as the Bold and iPhone 3GS returned very similar photos. That said low-light photography is where the BlackBerry destroys the iPhone 3GS thanks to its built-in flash.

PERFORMANCE ✪✪✪✪✪ FEATURES ✪✪✪✪✪ VALUE FOR MONEY ✪✪✪✪✪ VERDICT While the Bold won’t blow you away with its user interface, it is still a great smartphone with loads of features for an attractive price.

TC was the first manufacturer to bring an Android handheld to market and since then, the firm has released numerous Android devices. The Desire is the latest and is expected to go on sale in the region in the coming weeks.

In hand the Desire feels a high-end, premium device and this is thanks to its beautifully textured battery cover. The cover is also etched with the HTC name – a classy touch.

Like the Samsung Galaxy S the HTC packs a 1GHz processor and thus it performed fluidly no matter what we did. We noticed a little bit of lag from time-totime when using the web browser but beyond this we had no complaints.

The Desire offers four physical buttons, rather than touch sensitive, in addition to an optical trackpad and these served to aid

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usability. The smartphone’s 3.7-inch capacitive multitouch screen while slightly smaller in size compared to the Galaxy S’ 4-inch LCD, returned visuals that were just as impressive with regards to both colour and sharpness. Typing out text messages, e-mails and navigating the web was also easy as the screen proved responsive to even very quick fingers.

The biggest problem with the Desire is its limited battery life. In mixed use with WiFi the phone needed a recharge after just 25 hours. Moreover battery life dropped significantly when running ‘Live wallpapers’ and widgets.

PERFORMANCE ✪✪✪✪✪ FEATURES ✪✪✪✪✪ VALUE FOR MONEY ✪✪✪✪✪ VERDICT The HTC Desire is a great looking Android device that’s fun to use but its limited battery life hurts its overall appeal.

WINDOWS MIDDLE EAST SSEPTEMBER 2010

✪✪✪✪✪

GROUPTEST 25

www.itp.net/grouptests

26 GROUPTEST

High-end smartphones

MOTOROLA MILESTONE

A sleek and fully-featured Android phone

PRICE $681 WEB www.motorola.com

PRICE $735 WEB www.samsung.com

✪✪✪✪✪

otorola’s handheld devices have earned a reputation for their vault-like build and the Milestone does nothing to tarnish that.

In hand the Milestone feels substantial - not surprising considering its weight of 165g - and it only takes sliding out the QWERTY keyboard from under the LCD to understand just how wellbuilt this device is. The keyboard slides out with just the right amount of resistance and clicks firmly into place. If you’re looking for a phone to stand the test of time, this is it.

Working on the keyboard, the sense of solidity remains but the small size of the keys retard progress – even those with small fingers mistakenly hit keys near the one they actually wanted.

It’s a good job then that the Milestone also features a 3.7-inch touchscreen LCD.

M

WINDOWS MIDDLE EAST SEPTEMBER 2010

SAMSUNG GALAXY S

Literally bulletproof

✪✪✪✪✪

This proved easier to work with and coupled with Android 2.1 the Milestone was quite easy-to-use.

The phone features a 5-megapixel camera and it returned some great photographs. Night shots were good as well thanks to the included flash.

In terms of overall experience however, the Milestone falls behind the HTC and Samsung Android devices simply because the latter two feel more polished and react faster. We were also unable to get this phone to work with the Android Marketplace and so couldn’t install any of the free applications, no matter what we tried.

PERFORMANCE ✪✪✪✪✪ FEATURES ✪✪✪✪✪ VALUE FOR MONEY ✪✪✪✪✪ VERDICT The Milestone is, quite literally, a solid phone with decent features. It just feels a little dated compared to other Android devices.

he Galaxy S is a new release from Samsung and like the Acer, HTC and Motorola phones, it uses Google’s Android.

The Samsung’s vital specs include a 1GHz processor and a 4-inch LCD sporting a resolution of 480 x 800 pixels. It’s these two components in particular that give the Galaxy serious appeal. The processor and operating system are a perfect match and deliver sublime performance; navigating from screen-toscreen is nearly instant while launching applications and games takes only a second at the most.

The LCD on the other hand produces gorgeous visuals with strong colour definition and razor sharp clarity. Some of the ‘Live wallpapers’ are stunning to look at while the interface itself just looks polished and inviting. The screen is also very responsive, so banging

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out e-mails and SMS messages is quick and stress-free.

On the design front the Galaxy resembles Apple’s iPhone and in terms of dimensions and weight, there’s nothing to complain about. The only slight issue is that the Samsung’s battery cover is quite slippery, so holding onto the phone can be a little tricky.

This cover and front LCD retain fingerprints as well, so the phone looked a mess after just a few hours of use.

In mixed use with the WiFi enabled from time-totime the Samsung’s battery went flat after 39 hours – not ideal but better than a number of the phones here.

PERFORMANCE ✪✪✪✪✪ FEATURES ✪✪✪✪✪ VALUE FOR MONEY ✪✪✪✪✪ VERDICT The Galaxy S is a fantastic smartphone that’s fun and easy-to-use.

The experience it delivers bests even Apple’s iPhone 3GS.

www.itp.net/grouptests

High-end smartphones

GROUPTEST 27

HIGH-END SMARTPHONES

MANUFACTURER Product

ACER

APPLE

BLACKBERRY

Liquid

iPhone 3GS

Bold 2 9700

Price

$545

$841

$626

Web

www.acer.com

www.apple.com

www.blackberry.com

Software

Android 1.6

iPhone OS 3

BlackBerry 5

Processor

768MHz

833MHz

624MHz

Onboard storage

2GB

32GB

1GB

Expansion slots

microSD

N

microSD

MAIN SPECS

Screen size

3.5-inch

3.5-inch

2.44-inch

480 x 800 pixels

320 x 480 pixels

480 x 360 pixels

802.11b/g support

Y

Y

Y

3G support

Y

Y

Y

Infrared

N

N

N

Bluetooth

Y

Y

Y

Voice functionality

Y

Y

Y

Keyboard

N

N

Y

Keypad

N

N

N

Stylus

N

N

N

Cradle

N

N

N

Camera

Screen resolution

CONNECTIVITY

FEATURES

5.0-megapixels

3-megapixels

3.2-megapixels

GPS support

Y

Y

Y

MP3 playback

Y

Y

Y

Push e-mail

Y

Y

Y

115 x 62.5 x 12.5mm

115.5 x 62.1 x 12.3 mm

109 x 60 x 14 mm

mini-USB

USB

micro-USB

Dimensions (WxHxD) PC Interface Weight Warranty

135g

135g

122g

One-year

One-year

One-year

SCORES ---

----

----

Features

----

----

-----

Value

----

---

-----

Overall

----

----

-----

Performance

WINDOWS MIDDLE EAST SEPTEMBER 2010

OTHER

www.itp.net/grouptests

28 GROUPTEST

High-end smartphones

HIGH-END SMARTPHONES

MANUFACTURER

HTC

MOTOROLA

SAMSUNG

Product

Desire

Milestone

Galaxy S

Price

TBC

$681

$735

Web

www.htc.com

www.motorola.com

www.samsung.com

Software

Android 2.1

Android 2.0

Android 2.1

Processor

1GHz

550MHz

1GHz

Onboard storage

32GB

8GB

16GB

MAIN SPECS

Expansion slots

microSD

microSD

microSD

Screen size

3.7-inch

3.7-inch

4-inch

480 X 800 pixels

480 x 854 pixels

480 x 800 pixels

802.11b/g support

Y

Y

Y

3G support

Y

Y

Y

Infrared

N

N

N

Bluetooth

Y

Y

Y

Voice functionality

Y

Y

Y

Keyboard

N

Y

N

Keypad

N

N

N

Stylus

N

N

N

Cradle

N

N

N

Camera

Screen resolution

CONNECTIVITY

FEATURES

5-megapixels

5-megapixels

5-megapixels

GPS support

Y

Y

Y

MP3 playback

Y

Y

Y

Push e-mail

Y

Y

Y

119 x 60 x 11.9 mm

60.00 x 115.80 x 13.70mm

122.4 x 64.2 x 9.9mm

micro-USB

micro-USB

micro-USB

WINDOWS MIDDLE EAST SEPTEMBER 2010

OTHER

Dimensions (WxHxD) PC Interface Weight

135g

165g

119g

One-year

One-year

One-year

Performance

----

----

-----

Features

----

----

-----

Value

N/A

----

----

Overall

----

----

-----

Warranty SCORES

www.itp.net/grouptests

High-end smartphones

GROUPTEST 29

EDITOR'S CHOICE

icking a phone worthy of our Performance award was a difficult task because there were a number of great options to choose from. In the end we settled on Samsung’s amazing new Galaxy S because it offered just a little more ‘x factor’ than its competitors.

The Galaxy S made a strong first impression with its design and physical dimensions – it was easily one of the most stylish looking phones here.

The Galaxy S also offered the best overall user

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experience in this grouptest thanks to its fast 1GHz processor and LCD screen.

In use we found the LCD was very responsive to work with, offered stunning visuals and was simply the largest offered by a smartphone in this grouptest. Its large size made playing games, browsing the web and just using the phone a fun and captivating experience.

The Galaxy S also offered battery life that silenced most of the competition here – an impressive feat when you consider its CPU and 4-inch LCD.

BLACKBERRY BOLD 2 9700

igh-end smartphones have always been expensive devices but for a device to secure our Best Value award it would have to offer a strong cocktail of performance, features and usability for an aggressive price tag. In that respect the BlackBerry Bold 2 9700 was simply unbeatable in this grouptest.

We first reviewed the smartphone a few months ago when it had just been introduced on the market and at that time we found it to be a very capable device.

H

Since its introduction the phone’s price has dropped from its original price of $735 to $626 (without any operator specific data packages) thus making it the second cheapest phone in this grouptest. At the same time the phone’s everyday performance and built-in features are quite competitive with the other devices here.

The only signs of the BlackBerry’s age are related to its operating system, which seems less flashy and intuitive compared to the iPhone and Android OSs.

HOW WE TESTED In order to get an accurate look at each phone, we used them as if they were our own for a period of one week.

During the trial period we paid attention to factors such as battery life, how useable the keypad/keyboard was (where fitted) and similarly how responsive the touchscreens were. We kept an eye on performance when launching apps and games and looked at how a phone performed when it came to dealing with websites over a WiFi connection. Usability was also examined as smartphones offering great performance and features are rather pointless if taking advantage of them is too difficult. We also judged each phone from a design and dimensions perspective. Stylish phones with manageable dimensions that were easy-to-hold were graded higher than smartphones that were stylish but hard to hold on to. We also awarded each phone with a value score based on their cost in relation to what they offered; a phone that was sensibly priced and packed decent features finished with a higher value score than a model that was expensive but was lacking up-to-date or competitive features.

WINDOWS MIDDLE EAST SEPTEMBER 2010

SAMSUNG GALAXY S

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Reviews

HOT KIT 31

33 PRODUCT OF THE MONTH

Awarded to outstanding Awarded to the most products that have excelled in outstanding product we've both value and performance. encountered during the month.

CONTENTS 33

Apple iPad

35

Microsoft OfďŹ ce 2010

36

Kaspersky Internet Security 2011

37

Acer Aspire TimelineX 4820TG

37

Canon PowerShot SX210 IS

38

ECS Black Series H57H-MUS

38

Gigabyte GA-X58A-UD9

39

Intel Core i5 655K

39

Jabra Clipper

40

Kingston KHX2250C9D3T1FK3/6GX

40

Zotac ZBOX HD-ID11

37

40 WINDOWS MIDDLE EAST SEPTEMBER 2010

Reviews

www.itp.net/reviews

32 HOT KIT

Reviews

HOTKIT

WINLABS TESTIN G EX PLAIN ED

when dealing with old and new game titles. As all three tests involve playable games, they are real world tests rather than synthetic and thus provide an accurate view of a graphics card’s performance.

Each graphics card is tested at three different test resolutions; 1024 x 768 pixels, 1600 x 1200 pixels and, finally, 1920 x 1200 pixels. All of the games are run on the maximum settings with the exception of full screen anti aliasing, which we leave at 4x setting.

Then, depending on the price and positioning of the graphics card, performance scores are awarded based on how well, or not, it has performed at a specific resolution. For example, low end or entry level graphics cards are graded mostly on their performance at 1024 x 768 pixels whereas expensive, ultra-high-end cards are graded based on their performance across all three resolutions.

HARD DISK TESTING

WINDOWS MIDDLE EAST SEPTEMBER 2010

WINDOWS MID MIDDLE EAST is the definitive for PC and consumer electronics Buyers’ Guide fo products in the region. We strenuously test products in our dedicated Dubai WinLab in order to highlight the very best models for our readers.

Here we explain just how we test new kit in order orde or derr to ooffer ffer ff er ttruly ru authoritative and objective recommendations, helping us keep WINDOWS recommendatio most relevant technology magazine. the region’s mos

CPU TESTING

GRAPHIC CARD TESTING

Testing processors is a time consuming process because there are a number of different tests that we employ. Depending on the CPU that has to be tested, we construct a testbed using a compatible motherboard. However, the 2Gbytes of OCZ memory, Gigabyte GeForce 8800 GTX graphics card, Seagate Barracuda 7200.11 1Tbyte hard drive and optical drive remain as standard components.

All benchmarks are run at 1024 x 768 pixels and we employ the following benchmark tests; Cinebench 9.5, PCMark 2005 CPU and memory tests, 3DMark 2003 and 2005 CPU tests and POV-Ray to test raw processing performance. To test multimedia performance, we run a Lame 3.97 WAV to MP3 encode test, a TMPGENC video encode, MPEG to DivX conversion test in addition to running F.E.A.R and World in Conflict. With the exception of POV-Ray and all the encode tests, higher numbers mean a faster processor and thus a higher performance score.

Our graphics card testbed comprises an Intel Core 2 Q6700 quad-core processor that runs at 3GHz, an Asus Maximum Extreme motherboard, 2Gbytes of Corsair DDR2 RAM, Western Digital’s 300Gbyte Raptor X SATA drive, a Serial ATA optical drive and a 750-watt PC Power and Cooling power supply. All of these components are housed in Thermaltake’s Armour+ chassis and we use Microsoft’s Windows Vista operating system. To test a graphics card, we hook it up to this machine and this is then connected to our Viewsonic VX2835wm 28-inch LCD screen.

The screen offers a maximum resolution of 1920 x 1200 pixels, which means it allows us to test graphics cards at all the major resolutions. To test graphics cards, we use three specific benchmarks; F.E.A.R, Company of Heroes and World in Conflict. The first benchmark uses older DirectX 9 rendering technology whilst the latter two game titles use DirectX 10. This enables us to gauge a graphics card’s performance

To test hard drives, we use our graphics card testbed.

The drive in question is hooked up to the motherboard’s Serial ATA II controller (or USB or Firewire port if it’s an external hard drive) and tested using a combination of real world and synthetic benchmark tests.

For internal hard drives, we rely on a copy test to ascertain real world performance. The test folder is stored on a SSD drive, ensuring that this drive won’t bottleneck the drive being tested and, to gauge write performance, we time how long it takes for the 4Gbyte folder to be transferred from the SSD drive to the test drive. To test read performance, we do the opposite and time how long it takes for the test drive to transfer the data to the SSD drive. Lower times in both cases equate to better performance. Next we call into action HD Tach3, a synthetic benchmark. This tests a drive in terms of its access time, average read and write performance, burst speed and CPU utilisation. In terms of access time and CPU usage, lower numbers are better.

With external drives we use the same real world read/write test methodology but instead of using a 4Gbyte folder only, we also test the drive with a single 238Mbyte test file. Again, lower times give a drive higher performance scores.

OTHER PRODUCTS Products such as MP3 players, PMPs, mobile phone etc are tested for a period of one or two weeks.

During this time we use the products as someone who purchased it would and this helps us gauge performance, features and value for money. In most cases the brunt of the testing is subjective and the testing always focuses on real world usefulness.

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HOT KIT 33

APPLE IPAD A tablet PC to rule them all PRICE TBC WEB www.apple.com

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oing on the mass of press coverage leading up to the launch of Apple's iPad in the United States and Europe, you’d be forgiven for thinking that the plans for Apple's - at the time latest - device had come into the hands of Steve Jobs through some kind of divine intervention.

Sure, it’s shiny, and pretty, and well… shiny. That huge 9.7-inch touch screen, finished with a glossy black border and a silver metallic back is simply gorgeous. It all screams buy me but should you? Well if you’re looking at the iPad based on its internal and external hardware, then you’re looking at it the wrong way. Don’t worry; this is an Apple product, and as you’d (usually) expect, the build quality is top-notch but the real star of the show is the operating system. iOS – and the applications that run on it – is what makes the iPad so special.

Freed from the confines of the iPhone’s small screen and bolstered by the 1GHz A4 chip at the heart of the device, iOS really shows what it is capable of.

The device deals effortlessly with any swipe, twist and turn you throw at it.

But perhaps the best ways to explain

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just how good the iPad actually is, is to look at the way it sneaks into your life. You will find yourself in bed with it (probably to the disdain of your wife or husband), you will find yourself taking it with you everywhere you go, and most tellingly, you’ll find yourself wiping a thick layer of dust off your computer when you finally do need to use it for something the iPad can’t do (which is exceedingly rare).

Sure, there are downsides. The lack of a keyboard means that unless you’re willing to stump up money for the physical keyboard dock, it isn’t really feasible to type for long periods (unless you particularly like the feeling of repeatedly hitting your fingers against a hard surface). And the need to pay out $30 for a camera and USB kit feel like Apple are deliberately trying to wring as much money out of you as possible.

Then of course there is the infamous Flash issue. This, in truth, isn’t as much of a problem as Adobe would have you believe. The biggest downside though is people’s misconception about the device. The iPad isn’t meant to be the geek’s new toy. Believe it or not, the longer you spend with it, the more you realise that isn’t what it is about. It’s

closer to an evolution of the PDA, than a netbook.

It’s about quickly browsing the web, checking your e-mail or finding out just where on earth you’ve seen that guy on the TV before, the one whose name you can’t remember, without having to wait five minutes for your laptop to boot. The simple fact is, it’s not meant to replace your computer (a point also demonstrated by the fact that you are required to plug your iPad into a computer so you can activate it).

PERFORMANCE FEATURES VALUE FOR MONEY

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SPECIFICATIONS 1GHz Apple A4 processor, 256MB DRAM built into Apple A4 package, PowerVR SGX 535 GPU, multi-touch 9.7-inch LCD screen, native resolution 1024 x 768 pixels, 3-axis accelerometer, 802.11a/b/g/n WiFi support, Bluetooth 2.1 + EDR support, 32GB storage capacity (non-upgradeable flash memory), 680g, non-removable internal rechargeable battery, iOS 3.2.1.

PROS Brilliant user interface, lovely LCD screen, great form factor and design, WiFi support.

CONS Quite an expensive gadget, expensive accessories, no Flash support.

VERDICT Is it worth it? Put it this way. If you never bought one, you wouldn’t miss it. But buy it and you’ll soon wonder how you lived without it.

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TABLET PC

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OFFICIAL SHOW CATALOGUE 18 - 22 October 2009 Dubai International Convention and Exhibition Centre Dubai, United Arab Emirates

POWER UP YOUR BUSINESS

OFFICIAL SHOW CATALOGUE 17-24 OCTOBER 2009 www.gitexshopperdubai.com

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HOT KIT 35

MICROSOFT OFFICE 2010 PROFESSIONAL Is Office 2010 a worthwhile upgrade for all?

PRICE $420 CONTACT +9714 391 7000 WEB www.microsoft.com

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icrosoft claims Office 2010 has more than 100 new features and that it allows integration with ‘Office Web Apps’ - a web-based solution that allows users to create and edit documents. The question is, do we need yet more features considering most users never really went beyond scratching the surface of the older suites?

A first glance at Office 2010 told us that the design started with Office 2007 is maintained, with very few alterations.

The biggest change relates to the Office button at the left corner of the screen (this served as the control centre in Office 2007). This now gives way to a highlighted ‘File’ tab while the ‘ribbon’ feature is now standard across all the apps in Office. The major benefit that the ‘ribbon’ format helps with is with its intuitive feel and thus time-saving capabilities. Users are not hounded by a never ending myriad of menus to access single functions (something Office 2003 was notorious for).

Examining Word, Excel and PowerPoint - the suite’s bread and butter - more closely it appears that Microsoft has not disturbed much with a revolutionary new design in terms of

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the interface and the position of heavilyused features and tools. The interface itself is similar, albeit a little refined, with smooth operability and a pleasant upgrade to a new ‘Backstage View’.

This allows for the editing of personal information and revision dates on a user's documents.

PowerPoint gets added video editing capabilities, while drag and drop for videos into slideshows is now a cinch.

Web presentations are now possible too with a feature to create webviewable slideshows. Most browsers worked flawlessly with this feature but all users require a ‘Windows Live’ login, as the presentation can only be put into a ‘Live’ folder.

Moving on, our interest was pegged the most when we launched Outlook, the e-mail client that has seemingly stood the test of time. Here the user is offered a refreshing experience that isn’t too hard to digest. ‘Conversation view’, similar to Gmail’s threaded messages, is a much appreciated update that makes it much easier to interact with and manage e-mails. A nicer ‘to-do’ list and flattering interface also contribute to make it the best revision in the suite.

A word of mention about ‘Web Apps’; you get a skeletal word processor, with the level of sophistication of Word 95.

This proved troublesome most of the time since we found ourselves unable to even edit a document, let alone share it with other users equipped with a Windows Live ID. That said our problems here were no doubt caused by a flaky Internet connection, though this does suggest that you have a fast Internet line if you plan to take advantage of these apps.

PERFORMANCE FEATURES VALUE FOR MONEY

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REQUIREMENTS 32/64bit AMD or Intel processor running at 500MHz, 256MB of system memory, screen running at a resolution of 1024 x 768 pixels, 3GB of hard disk space, DVD-ROM drive, Internet connection.

PROS Interface is yet more refined and easier to use, Outlook’s new ‘Conversation View’ is brilliant, stable.

CONS Still an expensive buy, ‘Web Apps’ seems to require a fast Internet connection, loads of features you may never use but are still paying for.

VERDICT If you’re using Office 2003 or an older version of Office, the newer 2010 suite is a worthwhile upgrade. If you’re a happy Office 2007 user however, Office 2010 doesn’t really offer a massive upgrade, with the exception of Outlook.

WINDOWS MIDDLE EAST SEPTEMBER 2010

OFFICE SOFTWARE

Reviews

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INTERNET SECURITY SUITE

36 HOT KIT

KASPERSKY INTERNET SECURITY 2011 In the war against cybercrime, is this software all you need as armour?

PRICE $60 CONTACT +9716 556 0933 WEB www.kaspersky.co.uk

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aspersky Internet Security 2011 (KIS 2011) is the latest update to Kaspersky’s security suite line-up and the Russian company reckons its latest creation offers ‘Complete PC and Netbook protection’.

Like most Internet security suites on the market KIS 2011 has almost every feature a user needs to ward off internet attacks and then some. Like its predecessor it offers a real time scanner and so addresses the need for real-time protection against web and e-mail borne threats; ‘Safe run’ for websites and applications adds a layer of protection over its default security system.

A straightforward and intuitive interface allows most key options to be quickly accessed via a few clicks. As a result you don’t have to be a tech-head to protect your machine and its data.

In fact, most of the suite’s usability is controlled through the main screen alone, with gears and levers to satisfy even the most demanding power user.

There are two scan options available, ‘Critical Area Scan’ and a ‘Full Scan’. The ‘Critical Area Scan’ searches for threats in the most probable threat zone, and the ‘Full Scan’ runs through the entire system. The latter can take quite a

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WINDOWS MIDDLE EAST SEPTEMBER 2010

Reviews

while to complete, depending on the amount of data you have. Luckily, these scans can be scheduled to run at times when the user is not likely to use the PC, therefore minimising the need to sacrifice performance during real time computing. Most e-mail and instant messaging clients are supported for both incoming and outgoing communication checks, including Trojan infiltration – very handy. Web browsing is constantly monitored in the background for phishing and known hazardous websites.

Should active ‘Safe run’ for websites be activated, a light green border around the browser window shows you that it is protecting your system from external invasion. This is an extremely useful tool to have when e-Banking or shopping online, where critical information is safeguarded from prying eyes. While all these utilities are useful, our personal favourite is the ‘Anti-banner’ option, which is a real pro at blocking ads and sponsor banners graciously accelerating our travel through the information superhighway.

An integrated Parental control restricts and monitors use of social networking sites, instant messaging and checks computer and application control

amongst others. It looks for and protects against transmitting private data like passwords and credit card details.

The software suite while comprehensive is, thankfully, light on system requirements so you won’t need to worry about your rig’s specifications. At the same time the software also functions unobtrusively for the most part, though we noticed some performance degradation when a full scan was being performed, while working on the PC.

PERFORMANCE FEATURES VALUE FOR MONEY

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REQUIREMENTS 800MHz AMD or Intel processor, 512MB of system memory, 480MB of hard disk space, CD drive, Internet connection, Internet Explorer 6 or higher, Windows Installer 2.0, Windows XP/Vista/7 compatible.

PROS Well priced, loads of features and tools to protect your machine and its data, virus/threat database is updated quite frequently.

CONS Steep space requirements, system performance is affected when a full scan is running in the background.

VERDICT Kaspersky Internet Security 2011 includes a plethora of features to protect your machine and its data from a variety of Internet threats. It is reasonably priced, runs without making its presence felt for the most part and is easy-to-use.

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ACER Aspire

TimelineX 4820TG

Power-packed portable

PRICE $950 (starting price) CONTACT +9714 881 3111 WEB www.acer.ae

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POINT-AND-SHOOT CAMERA

PERFORMANCE FEATURES VALUE FOR MONEY

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SPECIFICATIONS 2.4GHz Intel Core i5 M520, 4GB DDR3 memory, ATI Mobility Radeon HD 5650 GPU

CANON PowerShot

SX210 IS

Compact, mega-zoom, HD video... Perfect? Almost PRICE $380 CONTACT +9714 391 5050 WEB www.canon.com

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PERFORMANCE FEATURES VALUE FOR MONEY

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SPECIFICATIONS 14.1-megapixel image sensor, 14x optical zoom, 720p HD video capture, DIGIC 4

cer says the 4820TG was created ‘in the pursuit of the extreme'. Is it really everything that Acer claims?

Design-wise the Acer isn’t the thinnest laptop we’ve tested but considering its components, its slim size is quite impressive. On the looks front the TimelineX while not stunning is a decent looker but people won’t think ‘that’s a lot of money’ when they see it.

Thankfully, in terms of performance the 4820TG doesn’t pull any punches.

With a 2.4GHz Intel Core i5 M520 CPU, 4GB of DDR3 RAM and a dedicated ATI Mobility Radeon HD 5650 with 1GB of discreet memory, the Acer returned some impressive benchmark results. With scores of

A

with 1GB memory, 14-inch LCD, 320GB SATA hard drive, Windows 7 Home Premium 64-bit, one-year warranty.

he SX210 IS targets users interested in a high-end camera but who are not keen on splurging for a basic SLR. With a resolution of 14.1-megapixels, 14x optical zoom, 35-point face detection and a host of other toys, there’s no doubt the SX210 is packed with high-end features. Using the camera over a period of one month, we found its photos realistic and vibrant - its intelligent contrast correction, scene detection and handy image stabiliser no doubt played a part in the quality of our shots.

Retailing for US $380 the SX210 IS falls in the same category and price bracket as the Nikon Coolpix S8000.

The Nikon however is almost

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image processor, 35-point face detection, optical image stabiliser, intelligent contrast correction, 215g, one-year warranty.

HOT KIT 37 75.51fps and 27fps in Street Fighter IV and World in Conflict the notebook certainly has gaming credentials and moving on to applications, its PCMark Vantage numbers were also quite healthy. Across the board this slim Aspire was much faster than Acer’s own Aspire 8943G desktop replacement machine.

With its compact dimensions and weight of 2.2kg the 4820TG is a proper portable and on the battery front, it ran for three hours and 20 minutes.

Usability-wise the Acer’s 14-inch LCD screen creates razor sharp visuals and has wide horizontal and vertical viewing angles; we could see the Acer’s display even when looking at its screen from 90-degrees off-axis.

VERDICT Sleeper looks aside, the 4820TG is a power-packed monster that’ll satisfy all of your portable needs.

half as thin, a tad bit lighter and better designed overall.

While the Canon’s casing feels quite rugged and looked like it was capable of shrugging off a few knocks, we found its zoom controls quite flimsy. The position of the pop-up flash - on the top left corner of the camera - is a little annoying as well, simply because this is where most users rest their left index finger, when holding a point-andshoot. Since the flash has to pop-up when the SX210 is on, you'll have to hold the camera differently.

Given the SX210's specs, we were baffled as to why Canon would design such a powerful camera and then handicap it with odd design and ergonomics.

VERDICT Though the SX210 has some issues, its zoom and photo capture abilities make an appealing case.

WINDOWS MIDDL MIDDLE EAST SEPTEMBER 2010

PORTABLE LAPTOP

Reviews

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LGA 1156 MOTHERBOARD

38 HOT KIT

ECS Black Series

H57H-MUS

A reasonable solution for a mid-range rig PRICE $199 CONTACT +9714 397 8035 WEB www.ecs.com.tw

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LGA 1366 MOTHERBOARD

PERFORMANCE FEATURES VALUE FOR MONEY

WINDOWS MIDDLE EAST SEPTEMBER 2010

Reviews

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SPECIFICATIONS Micro-ATX form factor, Intel H57 Northbridge, four DDR3 slots, one PCI-E x16 graphics

GIGABYTE

GA-X58A-UD9 Your ticket to a monster machine PRICE $649 CONTACT +9714 886 3330 WEB www.gigabyte.com

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PERFORMANCE FEATURES VALUE FOR MONEY

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SPECIFICATIONS Intel X58 Express chipset, ICH10R Southbridge, six DDR3 DIMM sockets, seven

he Black Series H57HMUS is the only motherboard that ECS offers with an Intel H57 Northbridge.

The board features a micro-ATX form factor and as a result is quite cramped - the memory slots sit very close to the lone PCI-E x16 graphics slot, so if a full-size GPU is present, unlocking the locks on the slots will be quite problematic.

This motherboard offers USB3.0 and Serial ATA 6Gbps support but strangely, rather than being integrated on the board itself, ECS provides these features on two separate PCI-E expansion cards. If you want both features then, the PCI-E x1 and PCI-E x4 slots will have to be used, meaning you won’t be able to add any

new PCI-E cards. A single PCI slot is present however, so you can still opt to use a PCI-based expansion device.

Peering into the ECS’ BIOS we found it similar to the last Black Series board we reviewed, meaning it offers some tweaking options but not enough for serious overclocking. Not ideal if you have a multiplier locked processor.

To test this motherboard we built a system around it using an Intel Core i7 860 processor, 4GB of Kingston Hyper X DD3 memory and a Gigabyte GeForce GTX 480 graphics card. We also used a 1TB WD Caviar Black hard drive and Windows 7.

Running our standard testing suite on the board, it posted figures that were higher than ECS’ own H55H-CM.

slot, one PCI-E x1 slot, one PCI-E x4 slot, one PCI slot, Serial ATA 6Gbps support, USB3.0 support, two-year warranty.

VERDICT High cost and limited expansion options aside, the ECS is a decent board to build a rig with.

he GA-X58A-UD9 is Gigabyte’s flagship X58 board and it sports a price tag of US $649. For that mighty price you get a LGA 1366 board that can run four GPUs simultaneously and packs 6Gb/sec Serial ATA support.

The board is able to run a four-way multi-GPU setup thanks to no less than seven PCI-E x16 expansion slots, four of which can run in x16 mode. These four slots should be used when building a multi-GPU system as they will provide maximum bandwidth for the bandwidth-hungry graphics cards. The remaining three PCI-E x16 slots run at x8 mode and so can be populated by other expansion cards.

Despite the board’s feature-rich nature it still sports a clean, useable layout thanks to its XL-ATX form factor. You’ll need a fairly large case to house the motherboard however, as it measures 345 x 262mm.

The UD9’s BIOS offers plenty of overclocking options, so you will be able to push your components to their very limits.

The GA-X58A-UD9 outperformed every other X58 board we’ve tested in our benchmarks by small margins. We were able to build a quad-GTX 470 setup but here performance didn’t quite blow us away. This isn’t the Gigabyte’s fault however as multi-GPU technology, has always returned iffy graphics performance.

PCI-E x16 slots, two gigabit Ethernet ports, six 3Gb/sec SATA ports, two 6Gb/sec SATA ports, RAID support, three-year warranty.

VERDICT A pricey board but if you’re building a monster PC its features and performance make it worth the price.

T

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INTEL Core i5 655K Unlocked multipliers for less PRICE $216 CONTACT +9714 369 2666 WEB www.intel.com

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BLUETOOTH HEADSET

PERFORMANCE FEATURES VALUE FOR MONEY

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SPECIFICATIONS LGA 1156 socket, two 3.2GHz cores, HyperThreading, 128KB total L1 cache,

JABRA Clipper More than just a Bluetooth headset PRICE TBC CONTACT +9714 299 6556 WEB www.jabra.com

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PERFORMANCE FEATURES VALUE FOR MONEY

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SPECIFICATIONS Bluetooth 2.1 + EDR specification, 10 metres operating range, up to eight hours standby

ntel designed its Core i5 655K CPU for system builders interested in producing inexpensive pre-overclocked systems.

Intel reckons this is possible since it has given the 655K an unlocked multiplier so high-end (i.e. expensive) motherboards with tweakfriendly BIOSs are not needed for overclocking.

The Core i5 655K is based on the Clarkdale architecture and sports two 3.2GHz cores. Since it also features HyperThreading technology, it can process four threads simultaneously. As the 655K is just an unlocked version of the Core i5 650 CPU it is compatible with all P55, H55 and H57 motherboards.

Running our benchmarks the Core i5 655K performed as expected in that it

I

512KB total L2 cache, 4MB total L3 cache, DDR3 memory controller, unlocked multiplier, 32nm, 73-watt TDP, three-year warranty.

nlike the Star Trek shaped Bluetooth headsets of yore, which either gave you away as a tech junkie or someone who likes flashing LEDs near their ear, the design of the Clipper is rather unique, subtle even.

Aimed at trying to get you to wear this fashionable accessory on clothing below the collar or clipped to a strap on a backpack, it features a rubberised clip design with a strong steel inlay that can fit around 4mm of material. The clip has a microphone, volume controls and a multi-function button. This in turn attaches to a set of headphones that boast stereo sound with noise cancellation. The length of the headphone

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time, two hours charging time, up to six hours talk time, 3.5mm headphones jack, 20g, oneyear warranty.

HOT KIT 39 returned figures that were very close to the numbers produced by the multiplierlocked 650 CPU. This is not a huge shock given that, as we said earlier, the 655K is just a Core i5 650 with an unlocked multiplier.

Thanks to its unlocked multiplier, overclocking the 655K was a very simple affair. First, we simply left the front side bus at its standard frequency and pushed the CPU’s multiplier up from its standard 24 to 28, which resulted in a frequency of 3.8GHz. We also tried reducing the multiplier to 25, while increasing the bus frequency to 166MHz. At these settings the system posted at 4.1GHz though the PC wasn’t 100% stable until we increased its VCore voltage.

VERDICT With its unlocked multiplier the 655K can be easily overclocked on even standard motherboards.

wire is proof that the Clipper was meant to be worn close to the collar and not tucked into a belt buckle - we tried and the microphone made our conversation inaudible.

Perhaps a real deal sealer is that this gadget can connect to two devices at the same time. Phone, laptop, iPod, anything Bluetooth equipped. It doesn't support connectivity to two mobile phones at the same time however.

Charging takes an hour and a half, whilst usability with continuous music and calls drain it within six hours. Eight days of claimed standby along with its innovative design position the Clipper as a Bluetooth device carving new ground in an market of clones.

VERDICT Fresh styling and functional features make the Clipper stand out in a crowd of plane-jane Bluetooth headsets.

WINDOWS MIDDL MIDDLE EAST SEPTEMBER 2010

LGA 1156 PROCESSOR

Reviews

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TRIPLE CHANNEL MEMORY KIT

40 HOT KIT

KINGSTON HyperX

BAREBONES PC

ingston’s HyperX KHX2250C9D3T1FK3 kit targets enthusiasts and overclockers interested in performance memory for their Intel X58based systems.

The kit offers 6GB of memory and features Intel’s Extreme Memory Profile (XMP) support. When XMP is enabled, it runs the modules at 2250MHz with a CAS latency of 9.

Fitting these sticks to our Gigabyte GA-EX58-UD4 motherboard we found the modules featured two different XMP profiles.

Although both memory profiles push the modules to run at 2250MHz at 1.65volts, the profiles’ timings are slightly different. This is likely to help the modules run with 100% stability on a

KHX2250C9D3T1FK3 K High frequencies are its forte PRICE $336 WEB www.kingston.com

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PERFORMANCE FEATURES VALUE FOR MONEY

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Reviews

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SPECIFICATIONS Triple channel kit, 6GB capacity, 2250MHz rated operating frequency, Intel XMP support,

ZOTAC ZBOX

HD-ID11

Ready to build

PRICE $209 CONTACT +9714 355 5520 WEB www.zotac.com

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PERFORMANCE FEATURES VALUE FOR MONEY

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SPECIFICATIONS 1.66GHz Intel Atom D510 CPU with HyperThreading, one 200-pin DDR2-800

CAS 9, integrated heatspreaders, HyperX Fan active cooling system, lifetime memory warranty, one-year fan warranty.

he ZBOX HD-ID11 comes from Zotac’s mini PC line but unlike the ‘MAG’ the ZBOX isn’t ready to run right out of the box. With the ZBOX you have to add memory and a storage device first.

In terms of design the ZBOX looks very similar to the MAG we reviewed in our January issue. This is not a bad thing however because we rather liked the sleek looks and design of the MAG. Opening up the machine is simple and straightforward; you only need to undo two thumbscrews and slide the top cover off.

On the inside the memory socket and 2.5-inch drive bay are easily accessible so fitting our 2GB DDR2

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SODIMM socket, nVidia ION GPU with 512MB DDR3 memory, 2.5-inch drive bay, one-year warranty.

range of motherboards.

Selecting the first XMP profile the modules ran 100% stable at 2250MHz with a CAS latency of 9 at 1.65-volts. This is a very impressive performance that makes this Kingston kit the fastest we've ever tested.

Not satisfied with this already immense feat we tried pushing the modules further and, amazingly, we managed to squeeze an additional 90MHz out of the sticks by increasing voltage to 1.70-volts.

As this kit features Kingston’s Hyper X Fan active cooling system, the sticks ran cool throughout testing and we never noticed any instability at all. The HyperX Fan itself is easy to install and requires only minor assembly.

VERDICT Since you get high frequency RAM, competent cooling and a lengthy warranty, this kit is ideal for enthusiasts.

memory module and 128GB Kingston SSD Now V+ drive took less than a minute. The only thing we suggest is for Zotac to add an additional SODIMM socket, so it’s possible to fit two DDR2 modules to this machine.

Once Windows 7 and the necessary drivers were installed we found the HD-ID11 a competent machine. The D510 CPU, 2GB of RAM and Kingston SSD drive made the ZBOX feel a very fast machine within Windows. We could multi-task with ease and never once found ourselves wanting more horsepower.

With CUDA compliant video decoding software installed, the Zotac HD-ID11 also tackled Full HD video like a champ.

VERDICT The HD-ID11 is an impressive barebones that can be turned into a competent rig with the right components.

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BUYERS GUIDE 41

BUYERSGUIDE HOW TO USE THE GUIDE The Buyers’ Guide is a fully comprehensive guide to the best products that WINDOWS MIDDLE EAST has reviewed, and is intended to act as an effective resource for buyers of such products in the Middle East market. The Buyer's Guide is updated with new products each month, and out of date products removed.

Each of our ten product categories contains ten recommended product buys. For each product we’ve included vendor (or local distributor) contact details, our Windows Middle East overall rating, our verdict on the product and details of which issue we reviewed it in (alternatively you can find all our product reviews - in full - on www.itp.net).

Each of the products shown scored either 4/5 or 5/5 in its respective review, so instead of listing products in score order we have arranaged these by price, with the most expensive at the top of the page. This makes it quick and easy for you to find the product you can best afford.

We also offer advice on how to go about buying products within each particular product category. This gives you, the reader, the ability to make a better-informed judgment about what kit is suitable for your needs.

RATINGS EXPLAINED

Awarded to products that offer you the most bang for your buck.

Awarded to products that offer impressive amounts of power and speed.

PRODUCT OF THE MONTH

The best product of the month is given this prestigious award.

COMPONENTS DESKTOPS DIGITAL IMAGING HANDHELDS MONITORS NOTEBOOKS PERIPHERALS PRINTERS SOFTWARE STORAGE

AWARDS are basically presented to products for their outstanding performance and value. A Performance or Value winner must have received five stars in that particular category. An Editor’s Choice award goes to outstanding products that have excelled in both value and performance.

FEATURES: What value-added features are included? Do they benefit the user?

Are they innovative?

PERFORMANCE: Does the product perform well? Is it quick?

EASE OF USE: How user-friendly is the interface? Does it require expertise?

VALUE FOR MONEY: Does the price represent a fair return on performance?

DESIGN: Is the product well designed?

Are buttons easy-to-access? Are ports and connections well-placed?

EXCELLENT VERY GOOD GOOD AVERAGE POOR

WINDOWS MIDDLE EAST SEPTEMBER 2010

Awarded to outstanding products that have excelled in both value and performance.

42 43 44 45 46 47 48 49 50 51

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42 BUYERS GUIDE Components RATING WEB REVIEWED

RATING CONTACT WEB REVIEWED

+++++ www.kingston.com June 2010

+++++ +9714 886 3300 www.giga-byte.com April 2009

RATING CONTACT WEB REVIEWED

+++++

RATING CONTACT WEB REVIEWED

+++++

+9714 369 2666 www.intel.com May 2010

+9714 299 3873 www.asus.com August 2010

Kingston HyperX LoVo KHX1866C9D3LK2 Dual-channel DDR3 memory kit

$200

Kingston’s fantastic LoVo HyperX memory kit offers tremendous performance at an unbelievably low operating voltage.

Gigabyte EX58-Extreme High-end LGA1366 motherboard

$512

If you’ve got a Core i7 processor and want the best performance or you intend on overclocking, this motherboard offers all you’ll ever need.

Intel Core i7 980X LGA1366 six-core processor

$999

This super-chip features six 3.33GHz processing cores and a ton of cache memory. There’s simply no better choice for multi-threaded software.

ASUS ENGTX480 DirectX 11 graphics card

$550

Although the Asus isn’t the fastest GTX 480 graphics card we’ve tested it’s still a worthwhile buy thanks to its sensible price tag.

GIGABYTE GV-R577D5-1GD-B PCI-E Graphics Card If you want to run the latest and greatest games in full splendor and you’re on a budget, then this is the card for you. At 1920 x 1200 the card returned framerates of 41fps, 31fps and 53fps in our Tom Clancy’s H.A.W.X, World in Conflict and Company of Heroes tests.

CONTACT WEB REVIEWED

+9714 886 3330 www.giga-byte.com January 2010

BUYING TIPS COMPONENTS Before you buy a motherboard you should first decide on what processor you’re going with. AMD and Intel use entirely different CPU socket types and within each company’s processor ranks, there are different sockets for different chips. If you want a ‘Bloomfield’ Core i7 975 Extreme Edition processor, you’ll need a motherboard with a LGA 1366 CPU socket. On the other hand if you want a ‘Lynnfield’ Core i7 processor, you’ll need a LGA 1156 board. On the flip side, with AMD, you’ll need a Socket AM3 motherboard if you’re going to buy a Phenom II processor.

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Depending on what you expect your machine to do, you should consider a motherboard’s chipset and its accompanying features carefully. If you want to play games at very high resolutions consider a board that packs multi-GPU technology. This will allow you to run two or more GPUs in parallel for better gaming performance. On the other hand if you’re interested in building a high-end machine on a budget, consider an overclocking friendly motherboard that will let you squeeze the most out of your processor, memory and other components.

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IF YOU WANT TO PLAY GAMES AT VERY HIGH RESOLUTIONS ” CONSIDER A BOARD THAT PACKS MULTI-GPU TECHNOLOGY.

$235

www.itp.net/reviews

BUYERS GUIDE 43 Desktops YOYOTECH FI7EPOWER MK3 High-end gaming PC

$8,175

Yoyotech’s PC has oddles of character and packs some serious performance under its distinctive hood. The only real issue is its price tag.

BenQ nScreen i91 All-in-one PC

$517

RATING CONTACT WEB REVIEWED

+++++

$1,200

RATING CONTACT WEB REVIEWED

+++++

While the nScreen i91 isn’t able to seamlessly playback Full HD content it is ideal for browsing the web, dealing with e-mails and working on office applications.

International Computer Company ZAI Mid-range gaming PC An attractive machine that can tackle apps and games with ease thanks to a balanced set of internal components.

Sky Electronics Expeditor EXP - X980/6/80SSD/1TB/480X2/RV2 High-end gaming PC

RATING +++++ CONTACT +9714 800 344357 WEB www.yoyotech.co.uk REVIEWED June 2010

$4,688

If you want butter smooth gaming framerates and wait-free application performance the Expeditor is the rig for you. It’s also very reasonably priced considering its high-spec components.

+9714 299 1000 www.benq.com November 2009

+9662 664 446 www.zai.com.sa June 2009

RATING +++++ CONTACT +9714 266 3774 WEB www.skyelectronics.com REVIEWED July 2010

ZOTAC MAG HD-ND01 I0N NETTOP The MAG (short for ‘Mini All-In-One-Giant’) is a complete package that offers attractive pricing, a sleek frame and full HD video playback. This mini-PC is incredibly compact and with a black and silver finish, it is quite a looker. You can bolt it to the back of your PC’s LCD or even a Plasma or LCD TV.

CONTACT WEB REVIEWED

+9714 266 3774 www.zotac.com January 2010

$299

BUYING TIPS DESKTOPS Buying a desktop machine off the shelf can be tricky business. To get the most bangs for your buck you’ll have to pick a machine that satisfies all of your specific requirements. If you want to play games at high resolutions, with all the details turned on and with a smooth framerate for instance, look closely at the machine’s processor and graphics card; if money is no object opt for a high-end rig that packs a top-end dual or quad-core CPU and a highend GPU with dedicated texture memory. On the other hand if you’re on a constrained budget consider buying a machine that has a mid-range CPU but a high-end GPU.

PICK A MACHINE THAT SATISFIES ALL ” OF YOUR SPECIFIC REQUIREMENTS.

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If content creation is your concern, make sure you buy a desktop machine with a triple- or quad-core processor. Most content creation software is heavily multi-threaded so they can take advantage of multiple processing cores and return better performance. At the same time make sure you have ample memory as content creation work is generally quite memory intensive. Aim for at least 4GB of memory if you’re working with images and page layouts and over 6GB if video editing and effects make up the brunt of your work.

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www.itp.net/reviews

44 BUYERS GUIDE Digital imaging RATING +++++ CONTACT +9714 391 8400 WEB www.sony-mea.com REVIEWED January 2010

Sony Bravia VPL-VW85 Full HD projector

RATING +++++ CONTACT +9714 391 5050 WEB www.canon-me.com REVIEWED June 2010

Canon Legria HFM306 Full HD camcorder

RATING +++++ CONTACT +9714 364 8600 WEB www.samsungmea.com REVIEWED November 2009

Samsung ST550 12.2-megapixel digital camera

RATING +++++ CONTACT +9714 391 5050 WEB www.canon-me.com REVIEWED February 2009

Canon EOS 5D Mark II Digital SLR camera

$7,357

While the Sony isn’t exactly cheap at US $7,357 it actually offers a cost-effective solution if you’re looking for a way to go Full HD with a massive screen size.

$817

The Legria HFM306 offers high quality capture performance and ease-of-use. The only thing it lacks is a long life battery.

$354

The ST550 is an easy-to-use touchscreen digital camera that offers highly-detailed and colour accurate photographs. It also makes it very easy to take self portrait shots.

$3,133

An aggressively priced full-frame SLR camera that excels at producing high resolution images with little or no visible noise.

OPTOMA ES526 Multimedia Projector The ES526 doesn’t put a foot wrong as far as its projection performance and value are concerned. The projector offers a ‘Bright mode’, which boosts brightness noticeably, whilst the lamp will last for 3000 hours. We were also impressed by the sharpness and crispness of fonts projected through this device.

BUYING TIPS DIGITAL IMAGING There are thousands of digital cameras on the market and each of these models belongs to either the point-and-shoot or SLR camera categories. If you’re just getting started with photography you’re better off trying a standard point-and -shoot model first. However, if you’re a confident photographer and want full control over the images you take, a SLR camera is the way to go.

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Going the SLR route the first thing you should do is invest in a high quality lens and a high capacity memory card. SLRs can be purchased with a standard kit lens or as ‘body only’ where the former is a little more expensive as you get a starter lens to begin with. While this lens will take basic photos, you’ll want higher quality ‘glass’ for the best image results.

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Consider buying a tripod for your camera. These relatively inexpensive accessories help you stabilise your camera and are particularly useful for taking photos of distant subjects. The lesser the camera moves the better the photographs.

3

CONTACT WEB REVIEWED

+4419 236 91800 www.optoma.com January 2009

IF YOU’RE JUST GETTING STARTED ” WITH PHOTOGRAPHY YOU’RE BETTER OFF TRYING A STANDARD POINT-AND-SHOOT MODEL FIRST.

$531

www.itp.net/reviews

BUYERS GUIDE 45 Handhelds BlackBerry Curve 8900 Business smartphone

$512

RATING +++++ WEB www.blackberry.com REVIEWED October 2009

$700

RATING +++++ WEB www.garminasus.com REVIEWED June 2010

$653

RATING WEB REVIEWED

The Curve 8900 offers excellent features in a package that’s aggressively priced and intuitive to work with.

Garmin-Asus Nuvifone M10 Touchscreen smartphone The Nuvifone M10 boasts sharp, if unoriginal looks and some very useful GPS features. Great for on the go users.

LG KM900 Arena Touchscreen smartphone While the KM900 Arena offers solid features and a great looking interface, its touchscreen hinders overall usability.

Sony Ericsson Xperia X10 Touchscreen smartphone

$816

If you’re looking for an alternative to the typical Apple iPhone or RIM BlackBerry device, this phone’s features and interface make it worthy of consideration.

+++++ http://ae.lge.com October 2009

RATING +++++ WEB www.sonyericsson.com REVIEWED June 2010

LG CHOCOLATE BL40 Smartphone Distinctive looks, great features and intuitive usability are the BL40s strong points.

The phone sports a minimalistic design, so the front only shows a speaker, a camera, the 4-inch LCD and LG’s logo. It also features a standard 3.5mm audio jack so you can use most headphones without worry.

CONTACT WEB REVIEWED

+9714 800 54 http://ae.lge.com January 2010

$735

BUYING TIPS HAND HELDS Like fully-fledged notebooks, handheld devices fall into one of a number of different product categories; you can get standard mobile phones or data centric devices such as PDAs and Smartphones. If you’re after a device solely to make phone calls and perform text messaging, a standard mobile will do. These sometimes offer extras such as digital camera and MP3 functionality.

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Today’s mobile phones, PDAs and Smartphones allow you to install additional software that you can download off the Internet. To store all this extra data however your handheld will need to have a solid amount of onboard storage. Most handhelds offer between 64MB and 1GB as standard but, if you want more to store additional software or even music or photos, check if the handheld has a memory card expansion slot.

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CHECK IF THE HANDHELD ” HAS A MEMORY CARD EXPANSION SLOT.

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Pay attention to the size, resolution and colour capabilities of your handheld’s screen. If you’re buying a handheld with the intention of watching full motion videos, make sure the LCD’s colour palette supports up to 16million colours as these give the best playback quality and colour definition. Lower end LCDs are limited to colour palettes of only 64,000 colours and thus don’t produce the best video or photo outputs. In terms of a device’s screen size, just pick one that you’re happy with and as far as its resolution is concerned, opt for a screen that offers no less than 320 x 240 pixels.

www.itp.net/reviews

46 BUYERS GUIDE Monitors RATING +++++ CONTACT +9714 362 7500 WEB www.samsung.com/ae REVIEWED June 2009 RATING CONTACT WEB REVIEWED

+++++ +9714 335 3666 www.phillips.com December 2009

RATING CONTACT WEB REVIEWED

+++++

RATING CONTACT WEB REVIEWED

+++++

+9714 881 2191 www.lge.com September 2009

+9714 299 1000 www.benq.ae September 2009

Samsung Series 6 UN40B6000 40-inch LED LCD

TBC

Although the initial outlay is high, this Series 6 model will ultimately prove less expensive in the long term due to its lower power consumption. It also packs killer visual punch.

Philips Cinema 21:9 56-inch LCD TV

$5,449

Although 21:9 content isn’t widely available as yet, the Philips is still worth having because of its impressive video-scaling.

LG Flatron W2261V 22-inch wide-screen LCD

$217

The Flatron W2261V offers killer visuals, an elegant and attractive design and won’t necessarily break the bank. A great buy.

BENQ E2200HD 22-inch wide-screen LCD

$195

BenQ’S E2200HD has aged very gracefully and is now an even better value buy than when it was originally launched.

LG M2294A 22” Flat-screen wonder LG’s latest 22-inch screen is flexible in every sense of the word as it can function as a TV screen or as a computer monitor. It offers great visuals on the whole and, as we’ve come to expect from LG, looks the part too. The included remote will also make sure you never have to get off the couch again.

CONTACT WEB REVIEWED

+9714 881 2191 www.lge.com August 2009

$326

BUYING TIPS MONITORS There are two types of HD display types on the market; HD and Full HD. If a screen is marked as ‘HD Ready’, it will support the 720p and 1080i HD resolutions. A Full HD screen however supports both 720p and 1080p. HD screens are generally cheaper than Full HD screens but, if you’re after the best possible quality, opt for a Full HD screen as 1080p content is far superior to 720p and 1080i content.

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Keep an eye out for a screen’s response time. Response time is measured in milliseconds (ms) and in this case, lower numbers are better. Screens with response times under 5ms are less likely to blur when displaying quick moving content. Slow screens will show tearing or picture breakup and any screen with a response time above 8ms should be avoided.

3

The most popular display technologies for wide-screen HD TVs today are Liquid Crystal Display (LCD) and Plasma. Of the two technology types, Plasma screens still offer slightly better colour richness and deeper, more accurate looking black colours, are less susceptible to motion blur and are cheaper when compared to an identically-sized LCD model. LCD-based TVs on the other hand don’t suffer from screen burn-in, are less power hungry, lighter and feature more compact cabinet designs.

PLASMA SCREENS STILL OFFER ” SLIGHTLY BETTER COLOUR RICHNESS AND DEEPER, MORE ACCURATE LOOKING BLACK COLOURS

www.itp.net/reviews

BUYERS GUIDE 47 Notebooks HP Pavilion DM3-1340EV Budget portable

$600

Cash strapped buyers will appreciate the DM3’s aggressive price tag and, suave looks and strong overall performance.

FTS M2010 Netbook

$408

A handsome netbook that boasts quick performance and lengthy battery life. The M2010 is competitively priced too.

Asus U53JC Bamboo Collection Desktop replacement

$1,635

Although the Asus has a green element to it, this machine packs serious firepower at a very attractive price point.

Toshiba Qosmio X500-11G High-end desktop replacement

$2,479

The Qosmio X500-11G is a heavy-duty desktop replacement that can tackle applications and games without breaking a sweat.

RATING CONTACT WEB REVIEWED

+++++ +9714 391 6000 www.hp.com/me August 2010

RATING +++++ CONTACT +9714 501 5716 WEB http://ts.fujitsu.com/ REVIEWED November 2009 RATING CONTACT WEB REVIEWED

+++++ +9714 299 3873 www.asus.com August 2010

RATING +++++ CONTACT +9714 881 7789 WEB www.toshibame.com REVIEWED August 2010

APPLE MACBOOK PRO Desktop replacement notebook The MacBook Pro boasts a large 17-inch LED backlit LCD and despite its large, desktop replacement dimensions, it weighs less than 3kg. The LCD is a stunner when it comes to visual quality; videos look superb and photos are vivid and look very accurate when compared to the original subject.

CONTACT WEB REVIEWED

TBA www.apple.com May 2009

$3351

BUYING TIPS NOTEBOOKS There are a number of different laptop types available so, depending on your needs, you should pick an appropriate laptop: • Desktop replacements are exactly what their name implies; they are designed to act as a fully-fledged replacement for a desktop computer. As a result they focus more on providing high performance rather than portability, which generally makes these laptops the heaviest type (2.5kg and heavier). They are also the worst in terms of battery life, as a result of their high performance components. These laptops can be configured with components and features that other notebooks just wouldn’t be able to accommodate such (as 17-inch screens).

• Portable laptops are designed to balance performance and portability. These laptops sit in a weight class between 1.9kg and 2.4kg, which makes them lighter than their desktop replacement counterparts. Along with this, these notebooks also offer greater battery life.

• Ultra-portable notebooks are, as you can imagine, designed for portability exclusively. This laptop type generally offers the longest amount of battery life though they are normally equipped with entryor mid-level components, particularly in terms of the processor, graphics processor and hard disk. These notebooks generally weigh under 1.8kg with the lightest models weighing as little as 1kg.

• Tablet PCs are similar to ultra-portables except for one difference; these laptops offer a touchsensitive screen. This screen can normally swivel and sit flush against the laptop’s body so the user can write (using a stylus) as if the PC were a notebook.

• Netbooks are the newest member of the portable PC market. They are designed for budget mobile computing. The focus of these devices is primarily light application use such as word processing and web browsing. Size and weight wise, they mirror ultra-portables.

NETBOOKS ARE THE ” NEWEST MEMBER OF THE PORTABLE PC MARKET. THEY ARE DESIGNED FOR BUDGET MOBILE COMPUTING.

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2 op or

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48 BUYERS GUIDE Peripherals RATING WEB REVIEWED

Wii +++++ Nintendo Gaming console www.wii.com April 2007

RATING +++++ CONTACT +9714 883 6244 WEB www.microautomation.ae REVIEWED December 2008

$559

This console transforms gaming from being a geek's pastime into a fun engaging activity for all the family. Ingenious.

Powermatic PE4G-25 Power protection strip The PE4G-25 offers a cost-effective way to protect your electricial hardware from all types of electricial damage.

RATING WEB REVIEWED

+++++

RATING CONTACT WEB REVIEWED

+++++ Belkin Washable Mouse

www.apple.com February 2010

+9714 391 7000 www.belkin.com March 2009

$23

Apple iPod Touch 64GB Media player

$477

An improvement over its predecessor but while it’s great to use every day, it isn’t quite perfect just yet.

$32

Waterproof mouse Belkin’s Washable Mouse works as claimed, so you needn’t ever worry about buying a new mouse when the next liquid-disaster strikes.

SANDISK SANSA FUZE 2GB Slick and efficient It’s sleek design and surface means it is one of the best looking players out there that works like a dream. Better still, it can be expanded into a player with a formidable storage space with the purchase of a microSD card.

CONTACT WEB REVIEWED

+9714 217 0741 www.sandisk.com October 2008

$125

BUYING TIPS PERIPHERALS Two of the most important peripherals you can buy for your desktop PC - or even your laptop - are the keyboard and mouse. It’s these two devices that you rely on to physically interact with your PC, sometimes for very long periods at a stretch. It’s wise then to invest in quality devices that sport ergonomic designs so you can work without aches and pains. If you’re a hardcore gamer and want every possible advantage consider looking for devices that are designed specifically for gaming. These peripherals will likely offer a number of extra buttons, enhanced responsiveness and more.

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If you want an immersive experience when you’re gaming, watching movies or even listening to music, a fully-fledged surround sound system is a must have. A 5.1 system that’s compatible with the Dolby Digital and/or DTS audio standards is a great starting point that provides six different audio channels (five for the speakers and one for the subwoofer). Depending on the size of the room you should pick a system with an appropriate amount of power, so you don’t have to crank the volume up to maximum. Even high quality sound systems will suffer from reduced quality when running at their top volume setting.

2

IF YOU’RE A HARDCORE GAMER ” AND WANT EVERY POSSIBLE ADVANTAGE CONSIDER LOOKING FOR DEVICES THAT ARE DESIGNED SPECIFICALLY FOR GAMING.

www.itp.net/reviews

BUYERS GUIDE 49 Printers Brother HL-3070CW LED-Colour printer

RATING CONTACT WEB REVIEWED

+++++

$773

RATING CONTACT WEB REVIEWED

+++++

$323

RATING CONTACT WEB REVIEWED

+++++

RATING CONTACT WEB REVIEWED

+++++

$360

Lively performance, compact dimensions and flexible connectivity make the HL-3070CW a worthwhile buy.

Lexmark x544dn Multi-function printer When you take into account the X544dn’s many features and super quick printing, it is seriously good value for money.

OKI B430dn Monochrome laser printer The B430dn is a reasonably priced printer that packs tremendous performance and functionality into a compact package.

Xerox Phaser 6280N Colour laser printer

$495

A well-priced workgroup colour laser printer that offers high print speeds, top-notch quality and features that adapt to your demands.

+9714 883 5878 www.brother.ae May 2010

+9714 427 6302 www.lexmark.com April 2009

+9714 204 5810 www.oki.com June 2009

+9714 883 8838 www.xerox.com September 2009

XEROX PHASER 6130N Ready to serve Xerox says its Phaser 6130N is an ideal solution for workgroups of up to seven people that deal with small but frequent print jobs - and it’s right; the printer offers snappy performance. We also found text to be sharp and free of any anomalies. Overall, a well priced colour laser that performs well and also packs in solid features.

CONTACT WEB REVIEWED

+9714 883 8838 www.xerox.com March 2008

$424

BUYING TIPS PRINTERS When you’re in the market for a printing device and performance is a concern, don’t base your decision solely on manufacturer quoted ‘ppm’ (pages per minute) figures. Each manufacturer uses a different testing methodology to produce their ppm figures so you can’t compare one brand’s figures to another.

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Printing devices can have a number of different connectivity options such as USB, parallel, Ethernet or even WiFi. If the printer is only going to be used by a single machine, opt for a printer that features USB connectivity. If however you want to share the printer amongst multiple users, consider going the WiFi or standard Ethernet route.

A DUPLEXER IS ABLE TO AUTOMATICALLY FLIP PAGES, SO YOU CAN TAKE ” ADVANTAGE OF DOUBLE-SIDED PRINTING WITHOUT ANY MANUAL LABOUR.

WINDOWS MIDDLE EAST SEPTEMBER 2010

If you want to save paper without hurting productivity consider a printing device with a built-in automatic duplexer. A duplexer is able to automatically flip pages, so you can take advantage of double-sided printing without any manual labour.

www.itp.net/reviews

50 BUYERS GUIDE Software RATING WEB REVIEWED

+++++

RATING WEB REVIEWED

+++++

www.abbyy.com

August 2009

Abbyy PDF Transformer 3.0 PDF conversion software

$96

A feature-packed PDF tool that does it all with minimal fuss. It’ll run well on low end machines as well.

www.adaox.com March 2010

ESET Smart Security Security suite

$69

While Smart Security lacks a very strong antispyware component it is very easy-to-use, packs a decent scan engine and a tough firewall.

RATING +++++ WEB www.symantec.com REVIEWED March 2010

Norton Internet Security 2010 Security suite

RATING +++++ WEB www.kaspersky.com REVIEWED March 2010

Kaspersky Internet Security Security suite

$77

A fast, slick and good-looking internet security platform that does a good job of protecting your PC with its wide-variety of features.

$60

With its vast number of features, brilliant performance and US $60 price tag, Kaspersky Internet Security is excellent value-for-money.

APPLE ILIFE 09 Apple’s iLife suite is a multimedia package that is designed to help you organise and manipulate content such as photos, movies, music, DVD and web-based content. A new feature is one known as ‘Faces’ and is part of the iPhoto 09 application. This is essentially designed to help you organise photos without burdening you with sifting through hundreds of pictures.

$106 WEB REVIEWED

www.apple.com April 2009

BUYING TIPS SOFTWARE If your PC is connected to the Internet, is part of a local area network or you connect flash drives that have been attached to other machines, it’s worth investing in a fully-fledged security suite. Most security suites offer anti-virus, anti-spam and firewall protection, so they can keep your machine and its data free from harm. Avoid standalone anti-virus products unless you’re prepared to manually ensure your machine is safe from hackers, spam etc. If you’re on a tight budget you can also benefit from a number of free security solutions that are easily available online.

WINDOWS MIDDLE EAST SEPTEMBER 2010

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If you’re keen on upgrading to a newer operating system (OS) and your PC has 4GB of system memory (or more), make sure you buy a 64-bit OS rather than a 32-bit variant. A 64-bit OS can address much more memory than a 32-bit OS (32-bit operating systems are limited to around 3GB), so your OS and software can actually take full advantage of all your memory. Running a 32-bit OS with 4GB of memory, the OS and all your software would only be able to use 3.5GB.

2

AVOID ” STANDALONE ANTI-VIRUS PRODUCTS UNLESS YOU’RE PREPARED TO MANUALLY ENSURE YOUR MACHINE IS SAFE FROM HACKERS, SPAM ETC.

www.itp.net/reviews

BUYERS GUIDE 51 Storage Kingston DataTraveler 200 USB memory stick

$175

Beyond its price and average performance the DataTraveler 200 is worth considering for its warranty and security features.

Western Digital Scorpio Blue 750GB Notebook SATA hard disk

$149

Western Digital’s Scorpio Blue is a quick performer that’s free from noise and vibrations. It also boasts a very attractive price tag.

Intel 160GB X25-M SSD Internal SSD drive

$440

Although performance hasn’t sky-rocketed compared to its predecessor, the second generation Intel X25-M SSD offers better value and reliability.

Western Digital VelociRaptor WD6000HLHX Internal SATA hard disk

$329

The latest update to Western Digital’s VelociRaptor range brings higher storage capacities and better performance. It is the fastest Serial ATA spindle-based drive you can buy.

RATING CONTACT WEB REVIEWED

+++++ +4401 932 738888 www.kingston.com November 2009

RATING CONTACT WEB REVIEWED

+++++

RATING WEB REVIEWED

+++++

RATING CONTACT WEB REVIEWED

+++++

+9714 881 3234 www.wdc.com June 2010

www.intel.com October 2009

+9714 881 3234 www.wdc.com July 2010

HP SIMPLESAVE SD 320A Portable USB Hard Drive The sd320a is a no-brainer for novice users interested in data backups. The SimpleSave software is aptly named because it makes data backups supremely simple.

The software is also able to perform incremental backups, so you don’t need to worry about selecting new files after the first backup process completes.

CONTACT WEB REVIEWED

+9714 391 6000 www.hp.com/me January 2010

BUYING TIPS There are many different types of storage devices but the most common is the internal hard drive. There are a wide variety of drives available; some target performance seekers, some are designed for low noise and lower power and some aim to offer a mix of performance and price. Thus you should buy a drive that fits your specific needs; if you’re after top performance, opt for a drive that features a spindle speed of 7200rpm or even 10,000rpm.

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If you’re after super-quick read and write performance and money is no object consider buying a solid state drive (SSD). These drives use high speed memory to store data – rather than rotating storage platters - and because there are no moving parts they are extremely quick and, should prove more reliable as well. The only downside with these drives, apart from their high cost, is that they are only available in limited capacities. 512GB is the largest SSD available on the market today.

When buying a flash drive look beyond just how much capacity the drive offers.

Today it’s possible to buy flash drives that feature password protection, hidden secure partitions and much more. You can also buy flash drives that are designed for rugged use, are water proof and even dust proof.

3

”THE ONLY DOWNSIDE

WITH THESE DRIVES, APART FROM THEIR HIGH COST, IS THAT THEY ARE ONLY AVAILABLE IN LIMITED CAPACITIES.

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STORAGE

www.itp.net

52 GAME ON

News

GAME ON NEWS CIVILIZATION V SPECIAL EDITION ANNOUNCED Publisher 2K Games has announced that it will be releasing a special edition of its forthcoming turn-based strategy game Civilization V. The game will be known as ‘Sid Meier’s Civilization V Special Edition’ and will be a retail-exclusive title in contrast to the digital-only ‘Digital Deluxe Edition’.

The special edition will contain collectable items such as a 176-page hardcover art book, five metal figurines, a two-disc audio CD soundtrack and a making of DVD. The Special Edition is scheduled to become available on the market on the 24th of September.

Civilization V adds new elements to the long-running turnbased strategy series such as hexagonal tiles, which developer Firaxis Games claim will allow for deeper strategy, more realistic gameplay and stunning landscapes. The game features a brand new game engine and an overhauled combat system that allows only one unit per tile and gives cities the ability to defend themselves.

FABLE III FEATURES OVER 47 HOURS OF SPEECH

WINDOWS MIDDLE EAST SEPTEMBER 2010

KANE & LYNCH 2 TO HIT STORE SHELVES EARLY KANE&LYNCH2TOHITSTORESHELVESEARLY IO Interactive has confirmed to website Voodoo Extreme that Kane & Lynch 2: Dog Days has gone gold and will actually hit store shelves a week earlier than previously stated.

“The team has worked hard to deliver a game that’s different from the current trend of third-person shooters and we’re so pleased to be able to share it with the world ahead of schedule,” said Niels Jorgensen, General Manager of IO Interactive. “With development now complete, why keep people waiting any longer? We want to let gamers experience the game we’ve created and get them online betraying their friends in Fragile Alliance, so we have decided to bring the release date forward by one week."

The game will now launch on August 17th in North America and August 20th throughout Europe and other PAL territories.

Kane & Lynch 2 will be available for the PC, PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360 gaming platforms.

In an interview with gaming site Gamespot, Lionhead Studios’ Audio Associate Producer Georg Backer said that Fable III contains over 460,000 words, which translates into over 47 hours of speech within the game.

“It took three writers to write the 460,000 or so recorded words in the game,” said Backer.

Its predecessor Fable II offered about 37 hours of speech. The game also called on a full cast of actors, said to be over 80.

A number of celebrities have given their voice to the game; John Cleese features as Jasper, Stephen Fry voices Reaver once again, while actors such as Jonathan Ross and Simon Pegg voice-act as yet unknown roles.

Fable III is the third game in the Fable series of action role-playing games. The game is scheduled to launch on the 26th of October for the Xbox 360 and Microsoft Windows gaming platforms. The game is said to be playable using Microsoft’s forthcoming Kinect bodygesture-based control system.

The iPhone app Dubai has been waiting for has arrived…

Search 1000’s of restaurants, bars, gigs, clubs and films

Eat Out Hungry? Find the restaurants closest to you in seconds

Share

Send events to friends and bookmark your favourites

Download your FREE application today

timeoutdubai.com/iphone

www.itp.net/reviews

54 GAME ON

Transformers: War for Cybertron

XBOX

✪✪✪✪✪ Price: $76 Controller: Xbox 360 controller Best Bit: Escalation is a blast, tearing through waves of robots is something we’ll never tire of.

Verdict: War for Cybertron has its fair share of flaws but it takes a number of steps in the right direction. It’s certainly the best Transformers game we’ve played to date. here have been a number of Transformers games over the years and despite being a huge fan, this reviewer struggled to find anything to like about them. Coupled with the equally bad movies it’s plain to see that it has been a brutal time for Transformers fans. Thus, when Transformers: War for Cybertron was officially announced, this reviewer couldn’t help but cringe. Thankfully, War for Cybertron is much better than its predecessors and while it’s not quite perfect, it’s definitely worth playing.

The game features campaigns for the evil Decepticons as well as for the heroic Autobots and either campaign can be played right from the start. If you’re interested in following the storyline in chronological order, the Decepticon campaign is what you should play first.

The Decepticon campaign kicks off with Megatron fighting to return the Transformers’ home world of Cybertron

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to his version of the planet’s golden age. Unfortunately for the opposing Autobots and pretty much every Transformer on Cybertron, Megatron has found out that the unstable but highly powerful dark energon can help him in his quest. For long-time fans this game actually fits into the Transformers' universe and is set before the Transformers come to Earth and make contact with its inhabitants.

War for Cybertron features third person shooter gameplay and many players will find it’s quite similar to the awesome Gears of War. You’ll spend most of your time running and gunning and while there’s plenty of cover strewn across the various environments, annoyingly, you can’t actually duck.

What’s even more frustrating is that it seems everyone else around you can.

Throughout the campaign you’re accompanied by two of your fellow Autobots or Decepticons but in reality, they make no difference to how you

play. This is simply because the artificial intelligence (AI) powering your comrades is basic at best so you’ll ultimately find yourself doing all the heavy lifting. In stark contrast the AI driven foes make for one heck of a challenge. The medium difficulty setting frequently saw us getting overwhelmed and replaying sections repeatedly.

(Don’t even bother with the hard setting unless you have Blur’s reflexes.)

Each Transformer can turn into his alternate mode in a matter of seconds and while the transformation process itself isn’t a focus (unfortunately), there are genuine reasons to use your alternate form. You can perform some very cool Transformer-esque moves; charging up to an enemy in Prime’s truck mode at full throttle, transforming at the last minute and hacking the said enemy into two will never get old.

There are also a few segments where you have to use your alternate mode to drive or fly to an objective and these

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Transformers: War for Cybertron

GAME ON 55

War for Cybertron succeeds at making you feel like you’re actually fighting a war on the Transformers’ home world of Cybertron.

When you run out of ammo you’ll have to make do with your melee weapon. This isn’t such a bad thing however; a well-placed shot is generally a one-hit-kill.

Megatron is throwing everything in his arsenal at Optimus and the other Autobots. Expect a proper fight from start to finish.

campaign in full with a friend using the cooperative mode.

Graphically, War for Cybertron is a mixed bag. Playing the game on our Xbox 360 the game ran quite fluid but up close some of the textures seemed to be of very low resolution and just

spoilt the look of the game. This is especially apparent on the chest plates of most of the Transformers.

The environments are diverse in their look and design and succeed in making you feel like you’re fighting on the cold, metallic world of Cybertron.

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sections breakup the otherwise fairly gameplay. constant run and gun gameplay One annoying and out of place aspect of Transformers: War for Cybertron is that you actually have to look for ammo, so you can use your projectile and energy weapons. When you run out and you will run out a lot - you’re forced to fall back on a melee weapon. While we understand that collecting ammo is a part of the gameplay experience, this title would have felt more like a Transformers game if you had limited ammo only on the very powerful weapons rather than on everything.

Playing as Optimus or Megatron it seemed almost insulting that these two titans had to bother with looking around for ammo. Another issue with the game is that there's no real reason to play as anyone but Optimus or Megatron.

Besides the single-player campaign War for Cybertron has loads in the way of multiplayer options. Of the several different game modes we found ‘Escalation’ the most fun and challenging. This mode replicates Gears of War’s ‘Horde’ mode where you have to survive wave after wave of attacking enemies. If you’re connected to Xbox Live you can also play through the

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56 GAME ON

Alan Wake

XBOX

✪✪✪✪✪ Price: $76 Contact: +9714 261 8111 Controller: Xbox 360 controller Best Bit: Alan Wake is one of the most atmospheric games we have played, it’ll suck you in and won’t let go until it’s all over.

Verdict: Incredible atmosphere, exciting and engaging gameplay combined with superb visuals and audio make Alan Wake a masterpiece that everyone should play. lan Wake was first announced to the gaming world at E3 in May 2005 and at that time developer Remedy Entertainment said it had been in the early planning stages since 2001.

Alan Wake then has been in development for over eight years and this reviewer is glad to say that the time was well spent.

Remedy Entertainment describes Alan Wake as a psychological action thriller and uses TV-series-style presentation from start to finish.

The game is broken into a series of episodes (five in total) and as each is finished, the player comes one step closer to understanding the main plot (and of course finishing the game).

Gamers play the part of protagonist Alan Wake, a bestselling crime fiction author who has suffered from writer’s block for over two years. The story opens with Alan and his wife Alice arriving in the small town of Bright Falls in the hopes of relaxing and kickstarting the author’s creativity. However, things go awry shortly after the couple arrives at their rented cabin in the middle of Cauldron Lake; Alice falls into the lake and, after diving in after her, Alan awakens to find that he has been in a car crash and a week has passed since he and his wife arrived in town.

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The game’s storyline is carried forward by Wake who provides narration from time-to-time as well as by various objects that he comes across within the game’s down-right spooky environments. Every so often Wake will find a page of a manuscript – written by Wake himself though he doesn’t remember it - that actually tips the player off about what he’s going to have to deal with in the future. At the same time these pages also fill in the blanks about what has happened.

Wake will also find TVs that serve to fill in the proverbial blanks and in contrast to this, the radios scattered across Bright Falls actually tell the story in the present tense, from the perspective of the locals that inhabit the town. Overall, Alan Wake’s story telling style is brilliant and had this reviewer glued to the game until it was finished.

Unlike other action thriller games Alan Wake’s primary and most effective weapon is not projectile-based. In fact,

projectile weapons are almost useless against the foes in the game - known as Taken - until Alan first weakens them using, wait for it, light. The process to take down baddies then is two-fold; Wake must first weaken them using his trusty flashlight or any other source of light he finds and if the light itself doesn’t destroy them, he must then unload with pistol, shotgun or rifle fire. The game’s combat system is top notch in terms of how it works, is very satisfying to experience and is innovative too.

When was the last time you played a game that made light sources your primary weapon?

On the normal

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Alan Wake

difficulty level Alan Wake presents a fair challenge thanks to its clever artificial intelligence. The Taken will setup ambushes where possible and if you use light sources such as flares or flashbangs, they will back away and try to hide until the light has faded. The Taken also have ranged attacks, which will strip you of valuable life.

Unlike Resident Evil 5 however ammo isn’t in very short supply so you won’t find yourself counting every bullet. There are also ‘Safe Haven’ areas in the game; these are lit areas that can heal Wake and often have weapons and ammo - a nice touch as the game world is dark most of the time. The mostly unrelenting darkness makes the player feel constantly threatened even when baddies aren't in immediate view (it doesn't help that you'll also see a few trees being violently pushed over by an unknown force in the distance).

Alan Wake’s excellent storytelling and combat are supported well by its sound effects and graphics. The music and sound effects help sell the intriguing story and threatening atmosphere and in terms of graphics, it’s more of the same. The environments are beautifully designed, are fun to explore and will downright scare you senseless from time-to-time. While facial animation is lacking compared to some of today’s games, the overall effect is brilliant.

Our only real complaint with Alan Wake is that it’s over way too quickly.

On the normal difficulty level, and two aching hands later, the game was over in six hours.

GAME ON 57

Alan and Alice arrive in Bright Falls with every intension of resting and relaxing. It’s just a shame that no one told them about the town’s deep dark secret.

The game’s graphics engine does lighting very well but facial animation is somewhat lacking.

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Alan Wake offers very satisfying combat that’s also unique in terms of what you actually have to do; you have to weaken baddies with light before pumping them full of lead. In some cases light on its own will also do the trick.

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58 EXPERT SPEAK

SELECTING THE RIGHT NOTEBOOK Santosh Varghese, Regional General Manager of Toshiba Gulf’s Computer Systems Division explains what to look for when shopping for a notebook.

Every professional has a preference when it comes to the perfect laptop.

Some prefer the latest technology over portability, while others opt for the one that fits their hectic work schedule, or suitcase. Currently there are a number of different specifications, new technologies and innovations plus several form factors that are available in the market. All this can make choosing the most suitable professional laptop difficult. Below are some of the things to consider when you’re in the market.

WEIGHT AND SIZE Portable laptops weigh more than 1.8kg but less than 3.1kg and provide more options for mobile professionals.

These laptops have optical drives, high capacity hard drives and large display screens and are easier to carry around than full-size desktop replacement machines. Notebooks that fall into the latter category are meant for only very occasional travel. For professionals on the go it’s also wise to invest in a strong, durable laptop that is not sensitive to shocks and bumps.

WINDOWS MIDDLE EAST SEPTEMBER 2010

BATTERY LIFE For professionals on the move it’s important to have long battery life so you can continue to work on long journeys. Some modern laptops can last up to eight hours on a single charge allowing you to make the most of your travel time. If your standard battery is proving limited, you can also extend your battery life with an extra battery pack or a long-life battery such as a 9-cell model; the latter can give you up to 14 hours of battery life.

CONSIDER THE PERFORMANCE YOU NEED Certain components play an integral part in a machine's performance. One such element is the CPU or processor.

If you are running heavy applications like 3D animation or you're a gamer that wants to play games at highresolutions, a fast quad-core CPU and GPU is what you need for the best experience. If you’re a mobile user with light office application needs however,

consider a dual-core processor on a notebook with a LED backlit screen.

The latter usually consumes less battery power than a standard LCD while providing better colour definition at the same time.

KNOW YOUR WARRANTY AND EXPANSION OPTIONS. Local or international warranty is available on most laptops. Toshiba provides a minimum two-year warranty on all business laptops in the Middle East with options to extend the warranty period up to five-years. Users should also enquire about what options are available for future upgrades such as hard drives, memory and internal expansion cards.

KNOW YOUR BRAND Choosing the right brand is essential as this will determine the reliability, service and quality you get. Toshiba is at the forefront of leading innovation in the laptop industry, providing quality and performance that delivers.

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Competitions

COMPETITIONS… As always the Windows team has worked to ensure you have the chance to win some killer, high-tech kit. For your chance to win, just follow the instructions below...

POWER PACKED MACHINE

WINDOWS MIDDLE EAST SEPTEMBER 2010

TOSHIBA QOSMIO X500-11G

DESKTO

Toshiba’s Qosmio DYNAM P O range of notebooks are designed for ‘Multimedia & Gaming’ and in last month’s desktop replacement grouptest, the absolutely brilliant Qosmio X500-11G captured our Best Performance award.

This month, Windows has teamed up with the extremely generous guys from Toshiba to give you, our faithful readers, the chance to take home this cracking over US $2000 notebook.

The Qosmio is a high-end desktop replacement in every way and this is obvious the second you look at its list of components. The brain behind the notebook is a quad-core 1.6GHz Intel Core i7 Q720 processor with HyperThreading technology, which can execute eight threads at the same time. There’s also a colossal 8GB of system memory and, for graphics firepower, you’ll find nVidia’s GeForce GTS 360M with 1GB of dedicated memory. With these extremely impressive core components it’s no wonder the notebook returned superb application and gaming benchmark results.

Going further still the X500-11G also features two 500GB hard drives so you have ample storage space and, if you want to share data or burn backups of your favourite movies, the Toshiba also packs a Blu-ray writer. You’ll be able to fully enjoy HD content on this monster machine too thanks to its 18.4-inch LCD screen which packs a native resolution of 1920 x 1080 pixels. All-in-all a cracking machine and one that looks quite good finished in black and contrast red.

If you’re keen on winning this awesome desktop replacement monster visit our website at www.itp.net/ competitions and answer this easy question: What is the Qosmio range of laptops designed for?

a) Multimedia & Gaming b) Mobility to Go c) Business Computing

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Competitions

REGULARS 61

MEDIA MAGIC KWORLD MEDIA PLAYER M102 If you enjoy watching movies, listening to music and viewing photographs and wish you could do it all on your widescreen TV or home theatre system you’re in luck. After reviewing the KWorld Media Player M102 in last month’s issue of Windows, we’re giving away one of these flexible media players to a lucky reader.

Measuring just 140 x 90 x 30mm the KWorld M102 will give you the mobility you want. And, with a SD/SDHC/MS memory card reader and USB connectivity, the Media Player makes it simple for you to output content directly to your big screen TV. The KWorld Media Player supports RM/RMVB, WAV, WMA, OGG and numerous other file formats, so no matter what you throw at it, you won’t be disappointed. The media player includes a bonus copy of ‘Format Factory,’ an application that ensures you can convert any media file to a host of compatible formats. Another benefit is a handy resume function that can memorise and resume play exactly from where it was stopped.

CONTENT MASTER

For a chance to win this suave looking media player point your web browser to www. itp.net/competitions and answer this simple poser: What is the bonus software included with the KWorld Home Media Center M102?

a) Format Factory b) Media Factory c) Media Master

QUALITY CAMERA

WOND WEBCRAOUS M

Are you in need of a webcam or is your present webcam a travesty in terms of colors and overall performance? If you answered yes to either of those questions don’t fret, Windows is here to help. Microsoft’s excellent LifeCam HD-6000 is a cracking performer that will satisfy even the most demanding users and thanks to Microsoft, we’re giving one lucky reader a chance to take it home.

The HD-6000 is a recent addition to Microsoft’s webcam family and it can capture widescreen video in fantastic 720p HD quality. As the webcam is also equipped with the company’s own ‘TrueColor technology’ it gives users a clearer image filled with vivid colors.

Video framerates are excellent too at 30fps and thanks to an auto-focus system, the HD-6000 delivers brilliant sharpness. A built-in mic with noise cancellation technology is a bonus on this hi-tech marvel and while it is optimised for Windows Live Messenger, it is also compatible with most other VOIP web chat clients.

To win this fantastic prize visit our website at www.itp.net/competitions and answer this: What is the technology used by Microsoft’s

LifeCam HD-6000 to produce clear images with more vivid colors? a) TrueBright b) NewBright c) TrueColor

WINDOWS MIDDLE EAST SEPTEMBER 2010

MICROSOFT LIFECAM HD-6000

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CD Contents

OUR PICK OF WINDOWS CD

WINDOWS MIDDLE EAST SEPTEMBER 2010

KASPERSKY INTERNET SECURITY 2011 Kaspersky Internet Security 2011 is an all-in-one security suite that packs a variety of features and technologies designed to keep you and your machine safe and secure whilst surfing the web. This new security suite includes a number of new features such as ‘Safe Surf’ and ‘System Watcher' technology in addition to a host of carry over features from its predecessor.

ADVANCED SYSTEMCARE FREE 3.6.1 If you’re looking for a onestop-shop to keep your rig in prime shape, look no further than Advanced SystemCare 3.6.1. The software features an easy-to-use interface that allows you to clean and maintain your PC efficiently and effectively. The ‘Maintain Windows’ and ‘Diagnose System’ tools incorporate spyware removal, a privacy sweep and more.

JET AUDIO BASIC 8.0.6

TEAMVIEWER 5.0.8625

The latest version of Jet Audio Basic sports a trendy design that resembles an equaliser. It is highly customisable and can convert files across several audio and video formats. The presence of features such as the Cross-fader, Reverb, Widesound modes, a clock that features a timer and alarm, and wait for it, a tool for seeking out song lyrics, truly sets this apart as a complete multimedia package.

TeamViewer allows remote access on a second computer arming users with the tools they need to share screens securely, transmit data, control access rights and determine which user has control over the connection. New features include VoIP audio and video conferencing, both of which blend in quite easily into the interface without sacrificing the accolades of performance and reliability.

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REGULARS 63

CD Contents

P TOCK PI

HOW TO USE CD BROWSER Place your CD in your PC’s CD-ROM drive. If you have disabled autoplay, double-click ‘CDBrowser’ on the CD instead. When CD Browser starts, six buttons will appear listing software categories. Click a category and the software titles will appear in the left window.

Simply choose which title you wish to view and click its name. Program details will appear along with three buttons: Install runs the installation program, Website takes you to the vendor’s site, and Screen displays a larger image of the software in action. In the middle of the window is also an option to change the CD browser’s skin.

CD 161: SUPERB SOFTWARE UTILITIES

ESSENTIAL FILES

ADVANCED SYSTEMCARE FREE 3.6.1 GLARY UTILITIES 2.26.0.0956 WINRAR 3.93

ATI RADEON HD 5000 SERIES DRIVERS (WINDOWS 7 32-BIT) NVIDIA GEFORCE 400 SERIES DRIVERS (WINDOWS 7 32-BIT) JAVA RUNTIME MICROSOFT ACTIVESYNC 4.2 VLC 1.0 WINZIP 11.1

MULTIMEDIA Photoscape 3.5 brings users the joy of photo editing with a whole lot of fun and intuitive user friendliness. An apt editor for a generation of newbies exploring the D-SLR segment, it supports RAW as well as other major image formats, including JPEG, PNG and animated GIFs. It allows for batch image editing, colour picking, raw conversion, resizing, redeye elimination, cropping and colour balancing. Also worth a mention are the extremely easy to use templates of photo collages and Web comics.

HAIR MASTER 4.0 SONY VEGAS MOVIE STUDIO HD PLATINUM 10 JET AUDIO BASIC 8.0.6

INTERNET AUTO FTP MANAGER 5.11 KASPERSKY INTERNET SECURITY 2011 TEAMVIEWER 5.0.8625

PRODUCTIVITY PHOTOSCAPE 3.5 PRIMOPDF 5.0.0.19

UTILITIESCare Free 3.6.1 Advanced System Glary Utilities 2.26.0.0956 WinRAR 3.93

MULTIMEDIA

Hair Master 4.0 HD Platinum 10 Sony Vegas Movie Studio Jet Audio Basic 8.0.6

INTERNET5.11

Auto FTP Manager 2011 Kaspersky Internet Security TeamViewer 5.0.8625

PRODUCTIVITY PhotoScape 3.5 PrimoPDF 5.0.0.19

GAMES

Tag: The Power of Paint Forever 4.4 Super Mario Bros 3: Mario

S ESSENTIAL FILE drivers

GAMES TAG: THE POWER OF PAINT SUPER MARIO BROS 3: MARIO FOREVER 4.4

SUPER MARIO BROS 3: MARIO FOREVER 4.4 A classic remake of the cult following that had the world hooked on the stubby Italian plumber living in a mushroom kingdom. Created by a fan of the game the basic platform gameplay hasn’t changed much. There are still villainous turtles and mean mushrooms to hinder Mario’s quest to getting to the other side of the world whilst collecting as many coins as he can. Mario fans will be quite happy to give this game a few well deserved stars for overall entertainment and playability.

ATI Radeon HD 5000 series (Windows 7 32-bit) drivers nVidia GeForce 400 series (Windows 7 32-bit) Java Runtime 4.2 ync Microsoft ActiveS VLC 1.0 WinZip 11.1

TERNET KASPERSKY IN SECURITY 2011 ne security suite that packs a

ty 2011 is an all-in-o Kaspersky Internet Securi to keep you safe and secure – technologies designed variety of features and tion for you and your family r It provides constant protec while surfing the web. software includes a numbe shop or play online. The bank, work, you r r technology’ and whethe Surf’ and ‘System Watche ‘Safe as such s feature of new from its predecessors. s that were carried over feature upon es improv

Sponsored By www.itp.net

tion | September 2010 An ITP Technology Publica

IMPORTANT NOTICE: The Windows Middle East free CD, which contains programs and applications, is provided as a free service to readers of Windows Middle East magazine for personal use. You may not rent, lease, assign, re-sell or otherwise transfer the rights to anyone for any product contained on this CD. The contents of the CD-ROM are provided as is, and although every effort has been taken to ensure the disk and contents are virus and defect free, Windows Middle East, nor The Information & Technology Publishing Co. Ltd., accept liability for any loss or damage resulting from the use of this CD-ROM or the programs on it.

We recommend that you make a back-up of all your data before installing any of the software on this CD. Windows Magazine does not provide technical support for this CD-ROM or the programs on it. If your CD-ROM is physically defective, please return it to Reader Services, P.O. Box. 500024, Dubai, United Arab Emirates, so we may issue a replacement.

WINDOWS MIDDLE EAST SEPTEMBER 2010

PHOTOSCAPE 3.5

161

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Logging off

LOGGINGOFF MAN STARTS WORK ON HOME NUCLEAR REACTOR A lot of people undertake home do it yourself (DIY) projects but no matter what you’ve got cooking, the Windows team is sure that Mark Suppes, a web designer for Gucci based out of New York, has you completely beat.

Suppes is actually working on a sustainable nuclear reactor in a warehouse in his Brooklyn neighbourhood. The reactor is based on nuclear fusion which isn’t reliant on radioactive material such as uranium or plutonium. These are essential ingredients for nuclear fission reactions.

The 32-year old has thus far invested US $32,000 of his own money, as well as an additional $4,000 he received from investors. The web designer and part time mad scientist has been purchasing parts for his project from eBay and is officially recognised as the 38th independent amateur physicist in the world to create a working fusion reactor.

At Windows we live for home DIY projects and while we have every confidence in Mr Suppes’ abilities, we’re happy that New York is over 6,000 miles away.

TOUGH AS NAILS MOUSE-PAD The ‘Fierce Teflon & Steel Mouse Surface’ by Rude Gameware could very well be the toughest (and craziest) mouse-pad ever. After all when’s the last time you came across a mouse-pad tough enough to be thrown over a grill (pictured)?

The mouse surface features a solid steel core mounted on a non-slip rubberised base and is coated with Teflon. The company says ‘Teflon has been proven to be the material with the least friction ever created. With the Fierce Teflon Mouse surface you'll experience outrageous mouse speeds faster than your own reflexes, plus your meat won't stick to the grill. Your friends will envy your newfound ability to p0wn them on the battlefield as well as at the barbecue’.

The last bit of marketing speak isn’t a joke either, the surface can actually be used to grill burgers though the company is careful to point out that it doesn’t encourage that sort of behavior. The Fierce Teflon & Steel Mouse Surface can be purchased for US $30 and was released last month on the 3rd of July.

WINDOWS MIDDLE EAST SEPTEMBER 2010

DO YOU DIG IT? We’re big fans of LEGO’s ‘TECHNIC’ kits and the news in is that the second half of this year will see a new motorbike, container truck, new crane and last but certainly not least, a very cool motorised excavator (pictured).

The excavator is likely to carry the model number 8043 and is set to feature no less than four motors and four linear actuators. The motors will drive different transmissions allowing the excavator to drive forward and reverse, steer left and right, spin its cabin 360-degrees, dig and lift. Two infrared remote controls will give the user control over this very cool model.

The model is said to measure over 18-inches in length and like some other TECHNIC kits can be rebuilt into a second model, in this case a tracked loader.

Instructions to build the second model can be downloaded from LEGO'S website While we’d normally reserve final judgment for after we test a product, we’re sure that this TECHNIC kit will be awesome. The last couple - or hundred - TECHNIC kits have certainly impressed.