Monthly Archives: January 2005
Saitek – X-52 flight control system
Flight simulation games have always had a firm following amongst wannabe pilots who want to relive WWII dogfights or experience more modern jet warfare. Essential to this air combat are a decent joystick and throttle control and while there have been many recent advances in design and functionality, none has totally managed that bridge between…
Microsoft – Virtual Server 2005
With its ability to run multiple instances of Windows on the same server hardware, Microsoft’s Virtual Server 2005 is a great tool for developers wanting to test applications at minimal cost. Likewise it can be used by companies to check out security patches and make sure new applications don’t cause problems before being rolled out…
Computer Associates – eTrust PestPatrol
If you’re suffering an endless stream of pop-up ads or continual redirections to “adult” sites when surfing the Net, your PC is probably infected by spyware. Unlike viruses, such pests rarely cause immediate damage but can seriously slow performance and the more dangerous will routinely log keystrokes and capture passwords. They can also be extremely…
Verbatim – 5 in 1 Store ‘n’ Go
Memory sticks are all the rage now, especially if you’re in a high-pressure profession, constantly on the go and wanting to keep a reasonably large amount of data with you at all times. The chances are you’re travelling with a lightweight laptop or notebook and need to keep in touch with base or other business…
iRiver – H320
Ever since Apple’s mighty iPod hit the shelves, the competition has been running round like scalded cats designing MP3 players that might still be attractive to an ever-hungry music market. Cheaper machines with similar amounts of memory but maybe a few more gadgets have constituted the usual plan of attack, yet even this is no…
Shuttle – XPC System P 8100G
Small form factor (SFF) PCs are becoming ever more popular. This is partly for reasons of size – after all, why have a huge beige tower when you only really need a small black oblong – but also for portability, so that people can carry their PCs to friends’ houses or LAN parties without too…
Seagate – External Hard Drive
You can add extra fixed storage to a PC in one of two ways. You can open it up, slide in an internal hard drive, secure it with four screws, connect up a data cable and a power cable and set the jumpers on existing and new drives to handle the changed configuration. Or you…
GSP – Family Tree Maker 2005 Deluxe
History. It’s all in the past, you may scoff. It’s all dates. And currants, and brandy… Wait a minute, that’s the recipe for a Christmas pudding, and you may scoff that as well. Oh no, it’s happening again – we’ve been Christmassed to death over the past month or so and even though the actual…
Creative – Zen Micro
It’s not difficult to deduce that Creative got the idea for its Zen Micro hard drive music player from the Apple iPod mini. Technically the two players have a fair amount in common, and they have similar price tags, so the obvious question is whether or not Creative has managed to trump the Apple icon….
Logitech – V500 Cordless Notebook Mouse
One person’s favourite mouse is another’s horror story. The variance in personal taste is one reason Logitech has made a real name for itself in replacement mice and keyboards, producing alternatives that cater to different needs. The company has also, though, developed a real knack for innovation, and this new cordless V500 shows that. Designed…