Pc News

[abadani69]

با پايان فصل تابستان و آغاز مدارس ميزان خريد و فروش قطعات و سيستمهاي كامپيوتر در بازار كاهش مييابد و اين در حالي است كه طي هفتههاي اخير بازار كامپيوتر تهران بيرونق بوده است.

به گزارش خبرنگار ما فعالان بازار افزايش ركود در بازار را به دليل نزديك شدن به ماه مبارك رمضان و برگزاري نمايشگاه جيتكس دبي پيشبيني ميكنند.در اين ميان قيمت برخي از قطعات كامپيوتر به علت كاهش تقاضا در بازار كاهش يافته است اما برخي ديگر نيز دچار افزايش قيمت شدهاند.

به گفته برخي از فروشندگان بازار كامپيوتر قيمت قطعات از جمله سيپييو و مادربورد افزايش يافته كه علت اصلي آن بالا رفتن قيمت جهاني اين قطعات است.كارشناسان معتقدند در ماه رمضان بازار بعد از افطار تعطيل ميشود و شروع فصل مدارس و كاهش استفاده دانشآموزان از كامپيوتر نيز موجب كاهش خريد در اين بازار ميشود.

از سويي برخي كارشناسان دو ماه آينده را بهترين زمان براي خريد برخي قطعات با قيمت ارزانتر ميدانند.پيشبيني ميشود ركود حاكم در بازار و كاهش حجم خريد و فروش تا اواخر آبان ماه سال جاري ادامه يابد. اين در حالي است كه آغاز نمايشگاه جيتكس دبي نيز بر بازار تهران تاثير فراواني دارد.

از آنجايي كه اكثر قطعات و اجناس كامپيوتر از طريق دبي وارد ايران ميشود در زمان برپايي جيتكس و حضور اكثر مديران شركتهاي ايراني در اين نمايشگاه، معاملات در بازار ايران كاهش يافته و متوقف ميشود.

[abadani69]

رييس مركز امور بازرسي سازمان حمايت از مصرفكنندگان و توليدكنندگان اسامي ديگر گارانتيهاي غيرمعتبر گوشيهاي تلفن همراه را اعلام كرد.

محمدحسن نعمتاللهي در گفتوگو با (ايسنا)، با بيان اين مطلب گفت: بعد از بررسيهاي انجام شده، گارانتيهاي ارس، سيماسرويس و ايرافون از ديگر گارانتيهاي غيرمعتبر شناخته شدند كه خريداران، بايد علاوه بر اسامي گارانتي كه پيش از اين اعلام شده و شامل گارانتيهاي ايرانيان، پارستل، پارسه، پارسپويش، نوين، امارات، آريانتل، آرياتل و سيما بود، در خريد خود به اين اسامي نيز توجه كنند.

وي يادآور شد: در برخي از اين گارانتيها خدمات مادامالعمر يا شرايطي وجود دارد كه عجيب و دور از انتظارات است.

او در ادامه از متوقف كردن واردات گوشي تلفن همراه نوكيا توسط ايراتل كه يكي از نمايندگيهاي رسمي آن بود، خبر داد و افزود: اين موضوع بهدليل وضعيت نابساماني كه در بازار گوشي تلفن همراه حاكم شده، اتفاق افتاده است.

رييس مركز امور بازرسي حمايت از مصرفكنندگان و توليدكنندگان با بيان اين كه گوشي معتبر بايد نمايندگي معتبري نيز داشته باشد كه درواقع اين نمايندگي به شركتهاي اصلي توليدكننده وصل است، اظهار داشت: خريداران بايد با توجه به اين اسامي دقت لازم را در تهيهي گوشي تلفن همراه خود داشته باشند و كالايي را خريداري كنند كه از گارانتي و خدمات پس از فروش مناسب و قانوني برخوردار باشد.

[abadani69]

گوگل تصميم دارد خدمات خبري خود را به ويژگي جديدي مجهز كند؛ اين ويژگي به كاربران امكان ميدهد مقالات مورد نظر خود را به اضافهي اطلاعات تاريخي راجع به مكانها و افراد مختلف پيدا كنند. اين آرشيو خبري قرار است همراه با راهنمايي شامل لينكهاي مربوط به روزنامهها و مجلات ارايه شود.



گوگل اين راهنما را به لينكهايي كه قبلاً در راهنماي جستوجوي وب اصلي قرار گرفتهاند مجهز كرده است. همچنين بعضي از اين لينكها مربوط به قرار دادهاي قبلي آنها با ناشرين و بنگاههاي خبري است.



اين آرشيو خبري گوگل لينكها را به محتويات اينترنتي تبديل نخواهد كرد و همچنين شامل كتابها و دايرةالمعارفها نيز نميشود،اما مقالات رايگان و غير رايگان را در بر خواهد داشت.



گوگل تنها اين لينكها را در اختيار علاقه مندان خواهد گذاشت و در مسايل مالي بين كاربران و ناشران دخالتي ندارد. اين خدمات جديد توافقات مالي را بين شركت گوگل و ناشران به دنبال نداشته است و گوگل تنها با شركت Archrya قرار همكاري را در اين زمينه گذاشته است.



اين آرشيو خبري به زبان انگليسي برنامه ريزي شده است، با اين حال محتوياتي به زبانهاي ديگر را نيز در بر دارد. طبق برنامههاي قبلي قرار است گوگل با همكاري با شركتهاي بين المللي ديگر اين طرح را در كشورهاي ديگر نيز معرفي كرده و آن را جهاني سازد.



اين آرشيو خبري گاهي به صورت نتايج يك جست و جو نيز ممكن است در Google.com ظاهر شود.

[Rasputin]

Testers: Vista RC1 Appears Stable

Early feedback from testers already using Windows Vista Release Candidate 1 report that the OS is more stable than expected, which bodes well for Microsoft's plan to have Vista out according to its current schedule.

Microsoft has said since March it will release Windows Vista to business customers in November, and consumers in January 2007. Though many have suspected the release will slip further, testers now say there's a good chance the company will meet its goal if the condition of RC1 is any indication.

"Overall I think Vista is looking very good at this point. ... I think all the worries of Vista slipping went out the window," said Brandon LeBlanc, a writer for LonghornBlogs, via e-mail.

LeBlanc said that Microsoft has made performance and stabilization tweaks that testers requested after Beta 2, and the latest test version of the OS--which could be the final one before Vista is released to manufacturing--is solid enough for regular use.

"RC1 is quite usable for everyday work, as I am currently doing myself," he said.

LeBlanc said Vista is so far along in RC1, he does not think another release candidate will be required before final changes are made and the OS is sent off for manufacturing. The previous major client release of Windows, Windows XP, had two release candidates before it shipped to manufacturers.

Bugs Remain
To no one's surprise, however, there are still bugs to be ironed out before Vista will be ready for its final release.

LeBlanc said the OS needs some work in terms of its user interface, for example. The test version "does lack some of the UI polish we were expecting at this point," he said. In Vista, Microsoft has completely revamped Windows' user interface with a new 3D interface called Aero.

Another Vista tester, Andrew Brust, chief of new technology for New York consulting firm Twentysix New York, said the latest test release of Vista feels more "grown up," even on hardware that is not necessarily optimized for the OS.

"Besides the fact that it's just a really nice OS, it feels very sprightly even on hardware that wasn't designed for it," he said.

Even trivial applications such as Solitaire and Minesweeper games have a next-generation look and feel in Windows Vista RC1, Brust said. "It's a trivial example, but it shows a certain attention to detail [on the part of Microsoft]," he said.

Harrison Hoffman, another Vista beta tester and one of the writers of the LiveSide blog, agreed that the latest test version of the OS could be used as a person's main desktop OS, even though it definitely needs some fit and finish before final release.

"Although it might not be quite ready for prime time, if you really wanted to, you could use this build as your primary operating system, but be prepared for a few applications and devices to not work correctly," he said via e-mail. "The OS does not hang, lag or crash as consistently as it used to. The performance has been greatly improved."

However, both LeBlanc and Hoffman noted that Windows Vista is still lacking driver support, a particularly sore subject because Vista has been billed as an OS in which devices will work as soon as you connect them without any further hassle, Hoffman said.

"The philosophy of Vista has been to have things 'just work' when you connect them and right now, some things just do not," he said. "Obviously this issue is going to get better with time and as hardware manufacturers work closer with Microsoft to remedy these problems."

LeBlanc sized up the hardware driver situation in Windows Vista RC1 this way: "Some work, some dona??t," he said. "Heck, Microsoft doesna??t even have Vista drivers for some of their own hardware, including their new LifeCams."

Twentysix New York's Brust called driver compatibility Microsoft's "biggest impediment" to getting Vista out in time. "Driver compatibility will be key for them," he said.

[Rasputin]

Microsoft to Launch Cheaper Xbox 360 in Japan

TOKYO -- Microsoft plans to launch a cheaper version of its Xbox 360 games console in Japan a week before the PlayStation 3 is due on sale.

The Xbox 360 core system, which is already on sale in other markets, will go on sale in Japan on November 2, the company said Friday. The console doesn't include several components that are present in the full system, such as a hard-disk drive and a headset, and as a result it will be cheaper. It will cost $256, about half the price of the PlayStation 3.

Initial versions of the core system will also have two popular games bundled with it: PGR 3-Project Gotham Racing 3 and Ninety-Nine Nights (N3). These games and three other titles will also be re-released on the same day under the banner "Xbox 360 Platinum Collection" for about $24--a competitive price compared with games for the rival PlayStation.

Pressure on Sony
That cheaper console could increase pressure on Sony, which seems unlikely to be able to satisfy demand for the PlayStation 3 on its November 11 launch and in the year-end sales period. Earlier this week the company said it would have 100,000 units of the PlayStation 3 shipped to retailers for the launch.

Based on previous PlayStation launches, that's sure to be far below consumer demand, so consumers will have to decide whether to wait until a PlayStation 3 finally becomes available or go for a competing console selling for half the price.

Nintendo's launch of its Wii console will also fuel the competition in the Japanese market. That system is due on sale sometime between October and December and is expected to cost around the same as the Xbox 360 core system.

Microsoft will continue to sell the Xbox 360 full version--which includes a 20GB hard-disk drive, a wireless controller, a remote control, a high-definition analog cable, and an ethernet cable--for $325.

[Rasputin]

Reporters' Phone Records Accessed in HP Probe

Reporters' Phone Records Accessed in HP Probe

As part of its internal probe of information leaks, Hewlett-Packard obtained the telephone records of nine reporters, the company confirmed.

The company has sent the list of the nine reporters to the Office of the Attorney General of the State of California, in response to the Attorney General's inquiries.

"HP is dismayed that the phone records of journalists were accessed without their knowledge, and we are fully cooperating with the attorney general's investigation," said company spokesperson Ryan Donovan.

CNET Reporter's Records Obtained
CNET reporter Dawn Kawamoto said the California state attorney general's office informed her yesterday that her home phone records had been obtained through a practice known as pretexting, in which someone poses as the owner of the account.

In an August 31 filing with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC), HP admitted that an outside investigator had used pretexting to obtain information. HP's internal investigation was sparked by what the company said were "multiple leaks of confidential HP information," including discussions by the board of directors, HP said in the SEC filing.

Kawamoto said someone must have posed as her husband, Jon Kawamoto, to obtain the records since the couple's home phone account is in his name.

"I'm furious," she said. "I feel like my privacy has been violated, and how do I know that this guy who pretexted me isn't going to hawk my information to somebody else?"

She referred questions on how she intended to respond to CNET.

Resignation
At a May 18 board meeting, HP board members asked fellow director George A. Keyworth II to resign, as a source of those leaks. He declined, but Thomas J. Perkins did resign over a dispute with HP's Chairperson Patricia Dunn over the investigation's handling, the company said.

The California Attorney General has asked HP for information about techniques used in the leak investigation, while the SEC is making inquiries into a filing HP made when Perkins resigned.

HP's Donovan confirmed reports that among the journalists whose phone records were accessed were a reporter from The Wall Street Journal and a reporter from CNet Networks. He declined to name the other reporters. The Wall Street Journal and CNet published reports including leaked information from board meetings. The leaks to the Wall Street Journal included information about discussions leading up to the firing of Chief Executive Officer Carly Fiorina last year.

The Attorney General's office declined to name the reporters on the list handed over by HP.

[Rasputin]

Court Halts Alleged Web Site Billing Scheme

A U.S. district court has ordered a halt to an operation that allegedly added unauthorized charges to the phone bills of small businesses and nonprofit groups for Web sites services that, in many cases, they didn't know they had and didn't request, the U.S. Federal Trade Commission (FTC) said.

Judge Kenneth Hoyt of the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Texas has approved a temporary restraining order halting the activity and freezing the assets of a group of businesses and individuals, the FTC announced yesterday.

The FTC's original complaint named defendants WebSource Media, BizSitePro, Eversites, Telsource Solutions, Telsource International, Marc R. Smith, Kathleen A. Smalley, Keith Hendrick, Steven Kennedy, John O. Ring, and James E. McCubbin Jr. The agency filed an amended complaint later, adding defendant WebSource Media LP, a successor to WebSource Media LLC.

FTC's Accusations
The defendants illegally billed thousands of customers, according to the FTC.

The operation was a maze of interrelated companies directed by the people named as defendants, the FTC said. The operation used telemarketers to make cold calls to small businesses and nonprofits, and offered a "free" 15-day trial of a Web site design. The customers were told there was no charge or obligation and that the Web site would be cancelled automatically if it was not approved by them.

Whether the customers agreed or not to be billed after the trial, their phone bills were often charged. When consumers called to dispute the charges, the operators told them they had "verification recordings" of an employee authorizing the charges.

The FTC said the operation is typical of fraudulent Web cramming operations--by using sales pitches to employees who frequently lack authority to make commitments for their employers and failing to effectively notify consumers that a Web site has been set up. The operators repeatedly changed the names of their companies to avoid detection by telephone companies they rely on to bill consumers and to evade scrutiny from law enforcers, the FTC said.

[Rasputin]

Amazon Opens Video Download Store

Amazon.com unveiled the Unbox Video Store yesterday, a direct rival to Apple's iTunes 24-7 video store, which allows U.S. users to buy or rent TV shows, movies, and other video content from the Internet.

Amazon Unbox is offering thousands of DVD-quality videos from over 30 movie and TV studios, which can be stored on up to two PCs and two portable video players at once, the company said. When a user downloads a movie or show, Unbox automatically sends a second download file optimized for Windows Media-compatible portable devices. It also keeps track of media purchases on a personal page at Amazon's Your Media Library, and acts as a backup, allowing users to download video purchases onto an additional PC.

Unbox is one of many new services aimed at capturing the growing interest in downloading video from the Internet. The service will compete with similar video download stores such as Apple Computer's iTunes, and is a direct threat to traditional DVD services from companies such as Blockbuster and Netflix.

Users interested in trying Unbox can go to Amazon.com/unbox. Amazon Unbox is offering a $1.99 rebate on a user's first purchase, enough for one free TV show. But new users will have to enter their credit card information into the system first as part of the registration process, and then download the Amazon Unbox Video Player software.

Unbox is charging between $7.99 and $14.99 for most movies, and rentals of the latest movies for $3.99.

Videos can also be sent as a gift. The company's Unbox RemoteLoad technology enables users to buy video from one PC, such as their home computer, and download it to another, Amazon said.

Windows Only
Mac OS users can not shop at Unbox. The service only works on Microsoft's Windows XP. Users with older PCs may also find it difficult to meet Unbox's hardware requirements. At minimum, a PC needs a 1.5-GHz microprocessor and 512MB of memory, such as DRAM (dynamic RAM), in addition to a DirectX compliant video (64MB) and sound card. Users must also have an Internet connection capable of sustained 800 kbps data transfer rates, Amazon said.

Unbox is offering a host of special offers to attract new users. From September 14 through September 27, for example, all of the final, cliffhanger episodes from last season's "CSI" TV shows will be on sale for just 1 cent, to promote the launch of the new season.

The company is also offering all 79 episodes of the original "Star Trek" series, including the original pilot. Some of the movies available on Unbox include "Inside Man," "Failure to Launch," "Walk the Line," and "V is for Vendetta," as well as classics such as "Ben Hur," and "Poseidon Adventure." Some of the major movie studios signed on with Unbox include Universal Pictures, Sony Pictures and Warner Bros. Entertainment.

[Rasputin]

Microsoft to Launch Cheaper Xbox 360 in Japan

TOKYO -- Microsoft plans to launch a cheaper version of its Xbox 360 games console in Japan a week before the PlayStation 3 is due on sale.

The Xbox 360 core system, which is already on sale in other markets, will go on sale in Japan on November 2, the company said Friday. The console doesn't include several components that are present in the full system, such as a hard-disk drive and a headset, and as a result it will be cheaper. It will cost $256, about half the price of the PlayStation 3.

Initial versions of the core system will also have two popular games bundled with it: PGR 3-Project Gotham Racing 3 and Ninety-Nine Nights (N3). These games and three other titles will also be re-released on the same day under the banner "Xbox 360 Platinum Collection" for about $24--a competitive price compared with games for the rival PlayStation.

Pressure on Sony
That cheaper console could increase pressure on Sony, which seems unlikely to be able to satisfy demand for the PlayStation 3 on its November 11 launch and in the year-end sales period. Earlier this week the company said it would have 100,000 units of the PlayStation 3 shipped to retailers for the launch.

Based on previous PlayStation launches, that's sure to be far below consumer demand, so consumers will have to decide whether to wait until a PlayStation 3 finally becomes available or go for a competing console selling for half the price.

Nintendo's launch of its Wii console will also fuel the competition in the Japanese market. That system is due on sale sometime between October and December and is expected to cost around the same as the Xbox 360 core system.

Microsoft will continue to sell the Xbox 360 full version--which includes a 20GB hard-disk drive, a wireless controller, a remote control, a high-definition analog cable, and an ethernet cable--for $325.

[Rasputin]

Reporters' Phone Records Accessed in HP Probe

As part of its internal probe of information leaks, Hewlett-Packard obtained the telephone records of nine reporters, the company confirmed.

The company has sent the list of the nine reporters to the Office of the Attorney General of the State of California, in response to the Attorney General's inquiries.

"HP is dismayed that the phone records of journalists were accessed without their knowledge, and we are fully cooperating with the attorney general's investigation," said company spokesperson Ryan Donovan.

CNET Reporter's Records Obtained
CNET reporter Dawn Kawamoto said the California state attorney general's office informed her yesterday that her home phone records had been obtained through a practice known as pretexting, in which someone poses as the owner of the account.

In an August 31 filing with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC), HP admitted that an outside investigator had used pretexting to obtain information. HP's internal investigation was sparked by what the company said were "multiple leaks of confidential HP information," including discussions by the board of directors, HP said in the SEC filing.

Kawamoto said someone must have posed as her husband, Jon Kawamoto, to obtain the records since the couple's home phone account is in his name.

"I'm furious," she said. "I feel like my privacy has been violated, and how do I know that this guy who pretexted me isn't going to hawk my information to somebody else?"

She referred questions on how she intended to respond to CNET.

Resignation
At a May 18 board meeting, HP board members asked fellow director George A. Keyworth II to resign, as a source of those leaks. He declined, but Thomas J. Perkins did resign over a dispute with HP's Chairperson Patricia Dunn over the investigation's handling, the company said.

The California Attorney General has asked HP for information about techniques used in the leak investigation, while the SEC is making inquiries into a filing HP made when Perkins resigned.

HP's Donovan confirmed reports that among the journalists whose phone records were accessed were a reporter from The Wall Street Journal and a reporter from CNet Networks. He declined to name the other reporters. The Wall Street Journal and CNet published reports including leaked information from board meetings. The leaks to the Wall Street Journal included information about discussions leading up to the firing of Chief Executive Officer Carly Fiorina last year.

The Attorney General's office declined to name the reporters on the list handed over by HP.

[Rasputin]

European Union Criticized for Action Against Microsoft

LONDON -- Four European Parliament members warned the European Commission that its actions toward Microsoft could endanger the competitiveness of European businesses by delaying the release of Vista, Microsoft's next operating system.

In a strongly worded letter submitted today to Competition Commissioner Neelie Kroes, the legislators said Microsoft regards the EU's regulatory actions as a "risk factor." Microsoft also used the terminology in its annual report filed August 25 with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission.

"This effectively means that the Commission's actions are endangering the ability of European business to compete globally," the legislators wrote.

The letter is signed by UK representatives Chris Heaton-Harris, Sharon Bowles, and Peter Skinner, plus Michal Kaminski of Poland.

Microsoft Has Same Concerns
Microsoft wrote in the SEC filing that its ongoing appeal of the European Commission's March 2004 antitrust decision means there's uncertainty over the legal principles regarding product design in the European market.

"These uncertainties could ... delay release dates for Windows or other products," the SEC filing read.

Microsoft has provided copies of Vista to the Commission along with technical information, said spokesperson Tom Brookes. The Commission, he said, has raised concerns regarding complaints from competitors.

In March, the Commission sent a letter to Microsoft chief executive officer Steve Ballmer, saying it was concerned about certain functions in Vista and how compatible the OS would be with products from other software companies.

Commission Doesn't Agree
Commission spokesperson Jonathan Todd said today that it's misleading to say the Commission is delaying Vista's European launch.

Todd disputed Microsoft's characterization of "uncertainty" in EU competition rules, saying the Commission has given guidance to the company many times regarding its antitrust decision. The Commission doesn't have to give Microsoft a "green light" before the company puts Vista on the market, he said.

The Commission sent Microsoft another detailed list of concerns in July, which the company replied to last week, Todd said. "It is up to Microsoft to accept and implement its responsibilities as a near monopolist to ensure full compliance," he said.

Business Worries
The Commission's actions have prompted concern among small to medium-size businesses in Europe worried that the EU could potentially delay Vista's release, putting them at a competitive disadvantage with the rest of the world, Bowles said.

"That climate of uncertainty caused through competition policy and actions already taken ... are meaning that Europe is being deprived," Bowles said.

Europe is in the middle of a ten-year plan, called the Lisbon Agenda, to increase the continent's competitiveness in technology. The legislators wrote that they are concerned the Commission's actions toward Microsoft are undermining Europe's moves to become a knowledge-driven economy.

[Rasputin]

The Print Shop: Printer Makers Answer Your Urgent Questions

When I signed off last month, I asked for questions, suggestions, or gripes that I could take to the major printer vendors on your behalf. I've been overwhelmed by your feedback and received questions from as far away as New Zealand and Slovenia.

It quickly became apparent that, although I couldn't possibly include everything you were worried about in one column, some questions were more common than others. Accordingly, I've spent the last couple of weeks chasing ten of the biggest printer vendors for their official responses to your most asked and most interesting questions.

I'll kick things off with topics of special interest to business but also applicable to the rest of us: ink smears, legal-size paper support by multifunction printers, 64-bit driver availability, and wireless networking options. In the next column, I'll look at some of the photo-related issues: all-in-ones that print onto CDs or DVDs, minimizing photo edge cropping, and printing gallery-quality prints and slides.

Note that some questions and responses have been edited for brevity.

(In Part 2, I include responses to your questions concerning professional and recreational photo printing. Incidentally, for more on all aspects of printers, check out our Printers Infocenter.)

So here we go.

Your Questions
How Do You Solve Inkjet Text Smearing Problems?
Are There Multifunction Printers That Support Legal-Size Paper?
Which Printers Come With Drivers for Windows XP Professional x64 Edition?
Are There Multifunction Printers With Wireless Printing Options?
1. How Do You Solve Inkjet Text Smearing Problems?
One of the biggest problems that I have with inkjet printers is the smearing of the ink. When I print out a PDF and use my highlighter on a page of printed material, the ink smears. If the page gets wet for any reason, the ink runs. I understand that some printer companies now manufacture inkjet printers that have one black ink cartridge that contains non-smear ink--waterproof, if you will. Please advise.
--Dr. C. Galdos, Brentwood, New York

Upshot: The best way to beat this problem is to use pigment-based black ink and also to give the page more time to dry after being printed. See below for specific details from each vendor.

Brother: To reduce or eliminate smearing, use the paper recommended by your inkjet manufacturer and be careful to always select the correct print resolution for the paper you are using. So don't select glossy paper when you are printing on plain paper. Brother also offers pigment black ink for its inkjet multifunction products. The pigment ink will also reduce smearing.

Canon: Many of Canon's Pixma products support an ink called PG-5 (Black). This pigment ink formulation prevents smearing, especially when it's marked with a highlighter.

Dell: Waiting a few minutes for the paper to dry will obviously help with smearing. Also, with Dell's Photo All-in-One inkjet printers, customers can reduce smearing by printing text documents in the photo mode setting (composite black).

Epson: Epson offers a line of printer and all-in-one products with Epson DURABrite Ultra, a four-color, fast-drying pigment ink that provides fade-resistant, water-resistant, and smudge-resistant prints.

HP: HP Advanced Paper is specially formulated to retain ink color near the surface while allowing the liquid carrying the inks to penetrate into the paper. This results in much faster drying, so you can handle printouts sooner with less risk of smearing. Additionally, you'll prevent streaking from water splashes. Most retailers offer HP Advanced Paper at the same price as other HP printing papers.

Lexmark: Lexmark's black ink is pigmented and waterproof, but not smear-proof. Therefore, highlighting may cause some smudging. The reader's PDF may be printing in composite black. As the black used may not be a true black, the color cartridge could be being used to create it, rather than the black ink cartridge. To help alleviate this problem, Lexmark recommends choosing "Black Only" in the printer options; the driver will then assure that the printer uses the waterproof black cartridge to print the document, instead of the color cartridge.

Oki Data Americas: Printouts from our toner-based digital LED color laser printers do not smear whether you're printing text in black or in color. This is because our products have a fuser that binds the toner to the page, ensuring that it won't smear in water or otherwise.

Ricoh: Does not apply as Ricoh does not make or market inkjet products.

Samsung: Does not apply. Samsung only offers laser printers.

Xerox: Printouts from Xerox's solid-ink laser printers do not lose resolution to smearing or wicking. The printers can print on any kind of paper and don't require coated papers, labels, or special transparency materials. With inkjets, the ink must dry quickly onto the paper to keep from smearing. The durability and adhesion of solid ink tends to be better on rougher papers.

Return to question index.

2. Are There Multifunction Printers That Support Legal-Size Paper?
Multifunction printers copy, but only in letter size. Why do printer manufacturers only make letter-size copiers? This is a large market that they are missing. There are millions of lawyers and real-estate professionals who use legal-size paper, as well as other professionals who use large-size paper.
--B. Nissen, The Bronx, New York City

Upshot: It looks like there's actually quite a bit of support for scanning and copying legal-size paper, particularly through the use of an automatic document feeder. See below for specific details from each vendor.

Brother: Brother has had letter- and legal-size copy capability for quite a while. This is available through flatbed models that accommodate legal-size copying or scanning or by way of an automatic document feeder when copying multiple pages.

Canon: While this is an area that Canon continues to research, the main deterrent would be a larger footprint for the printer itself.

Dell: Customers can scan/copy legal-size paper only with a printer containing an automatic document feeder. The Dell Multifunction Laser Printer 1600n and Dell Photo All-in-One 964 support this feature.

Epson: All-in-ones are available with automatic documents feeders that do support legal-sized paper, but Epson does not participate in this part of the market.

HP: HP's Officejet 7410 All-in-One and HP's Officejet 7310 All-in-One can scan and copy legal-size documents.

Lexmark: Any Lexmark printer with an automatic document feeder is capable of copying and scanning legal documents, even though the flatbed glass is only letter-size.

Oki Data Americas: All three lines of Oki Printing Solutions color MFPs are able to copy on legal-sized paper.

Ricoh: All Ricoh multifunctions offer legal-size paper trays.

Samsung: Samsung offers the SCX-4720FN, and the SCX-6320F, two multifunctions that can use legal-size paper to make copies.

Xerox: Xerox offers many multifunction printers that are capable of printing on legal-size paper, such as the WorkCentre C2424, a color, solid-ink multifunction printer, or the WorkCentre PE220, a black-and-white desktop multifunction printer.

Return to question index.

3. Which Printers Come With Drivers for Windows XP Professional x64 Edition?
I use XP Pro 64-bit and some printers just won't work with it. Can you list the ones that will?
--Name Withheld

Upshot: Some vendors are responding to this emerging need more than others so not every printer on the market will be supported. However, things look to be improving.

Brother: All of our current products work with XP Pro 64-bit. The drivers can be found on our support page.

Canon: All of our Pixma series of multifunction and single-function printers will operate with Windows XP Professional x64.

Dell: Dell has XP 64-bit drivers available online for the following laser printer models: 1100, 1710, 1710n, 3100cn, and 5100cn. The following inkjet Photo All-in-One models are XP 64-bit compliant: 810, 924, 944, and 964. Go to the Dell Printers page for more information.

Epson: All of Epson's current printers and all-in-ones work with XP 64-bit. Drivers can be downloaded from Epson's Web site.

HP: All HP inkjet products that were introduced in or after the fall of 2005 have had 64-bit drivers developed. Additionally, All HP LaserJet PDL-based products that have shipped since Windows XP x64 was introduced have 64-bit drivers. Depending on the product, the drivers are available either on the installation CD or by download from the HP site. There are two flavors of 64-bit drivers--x64 and IA64 (Itanium, least used)--and HP has created both versions.

[Rasputin]

4. Are There Multifunction Printers With Wireless Printing Options?
I notice there still aren't many options in wireless capabilities for multifunction printers, especially lasers. Are manufacturers starting to address that issue?
--C. Vaughn, New Smyrna Beach, Florida

Upshot: Printers with built-in Wi-Fi are becoming more popular, especially in the multifunction market. As you'll see below, even if your printer doesn't have Wi-Fi, you can usually add it through options such as USB dongles, wireless print servers, and bridging adapters.

Read my "Printing Without Cable Clutter" column for more details.

Brother: We introduced our first laser multifunction printer with built in wireless capabilities, the MFC-8870DW, in February. We also have two color inkjet MFCs with built-in wireless connectivity: the MFC-640cw and the MFC-820cw. We also offer a wired Ethernet interface in many of our multifunction products. With the wired interface you can connect your MFC directly to your wired or wireless router and then share the functions over the network. We also offer the HL-5280DW, which is a monochrome laser with built-in wireless capability.

Canon: Canon does not have any wireless laser products. We have three wireless inkjet printers: the Pixma MP800R multifunction, the Pixma iP90 portable printer, and the Pixma iP5200R desktop photo printer.

Dell: The Dell Wireless Printer Adapter 3300 ($99) is compatible with the Dell Laser Printer 1710 and 1710n, as well as Dell's Photo All-in-One 924, 944, and 964 printers.

Epson: Epson offers an optional wireless print server for specific printer models; however, it is not compatible with any multifunction printers.

HP: HP currently has several multifunctions with full wireless networking capabilities. HP LaserJet multifunctions have wireless features when combined with the company's Jetdirect wireless print servers. Other current products from HP that include wireless features include the HP Photosmart 3310 All-in-One and the HP Officejet 7410 All-in-One.

Lexmark: All Lexmark MFPs, including the X8350, X7350, X7170, X215, and X422, have the ability to print wirelessly through a 802.11g print server.

Oki Data Americas: Our digital LED color MFPs don't currently offer built-in wireless connectivity; however, users can easily purchase an external wireless LAN and connect it to their laser/LED MFP and achieve the same functionality.

Ricoh: There are multiple ways to connect a Ricoh MFP to a customer's existing PC or data network. For customers looking for a wireless solution, we offer IEEE 802.11b Wireless LAN and Bluetooth options. These allow workstations and laptops to print to the Ricoh MFP without direct cabling.

Samsung: PC World did not receive a response to this question.

Xerox: Xerox printers and multifunction devices can connect to a customer's wireless network using any of the widely available and inexpensive external wireless-to-Ethernet bridge adaptors.

Return to question index.

By the way, if you'd like to see what PC World thought of many printer models, click on any of the following links to see a list of printers we've reviewed from that company: Brother, Canon, Dell, Epson, Hewlett-Packard, Lexmark, Oki Data Americas, Ricoh, Samsung, and Xerox.

[Rasputin]

Apple iPhone Rumors Again

Two pieces of news rolled across my desktop this morning: one real and one theoretical. In the "news you can use" category, Apple has revamped its iMac line. PC World's Editor in Chief reports on that in his Techlog. And in the "some day my prince will come" category, some analysts are saying that Apple is close enough to producing an iPhone that investors should consider buying Apple stock. AppleInsider has that story.

When Apple rumbles (as it did when announcing an invite-only event next week), people cry iPhone. It does seem that Apple is working on some sort of iPod-based phone. Apple's own executives in a recent quarterly earnings call have alluded to something in that vein. If Apple's iTunes/iPod strategy is any indicator, the company could forgo profits on reselling wireless service in order to own and control the wireless experience for the hardware, on which Apple would make money.

How that would play out in a U.S. market dominated by Cingular, Verizon, and the like is unclear, but Apple doesn't traditionally look for large market-share, just a niche premium consumer base with potential to grow. Plus, it can be argued that Apple's previous attempts to collaborate with existing handset manufacturers--think Motorola Rokr and Slvr--have not met wild applause. Apple does better when it controls the whole hardware and software experience as it could with an iPod phone.

Rumors put the iPhone release sometime in 2007. It's hard to argue with that. What do you think?

Comments

I'd been using a Treo600 with an apple logo stuck to it's cover for the past 7 months. I'm wishing that Apple would make a phone because I can't carry too many things around on me, and having a single device would be great: my Treo is good for everything but music. Actually, it does, with internet radio, internet TV, and built in MP3 software on 1 gig SD card storage. However, it's still not easy to use, requiring a custom plug to use headsets v.s. earplugs while using the phone for making calls.

luanmikevu@comcast.net


luanmikevuSeptember 07, 20068:38 AM PT

"Apple doesn't traditionally look for large market-share, just a niche premium consumer base with potential to grow."

Are you smoking crack? You think the iPod is a niche device? Do you think Apple will be happy owning a small niche of the cellphone market if they see the opportunity to dominate a segment of it? Lol!

Your point that "the company could forgo profits on reselling wireless service in order to own and control the wireless experience for the hardware, on which Apple would make money," makes a lot of sense though, and is well made.

Yeah, an iPhone for 2007 without a doubt.

TommoUKSeptember 08, 20062:31 PM PT

"Apple doesn't traditionally look for large market-share, just a niche premium consumer base with potential to grow."

Wow. Its one thing to be arrogant, its another to be ignorant.

We are watching Apple begin its end-game strategy to finally exert its dominance into the consumer tech market, and the PC-side is still sitting back fat and happy, blissfully dismissing Apple as a "niche" player.

Its not even going to be close once the typical Windows user actually *touches* an Apple-designed device and finds out how they've been misled. First the iPod, then the iPhone. . .then the computer/home digital entertainment center/control center, whatever.

Not even close.

mrobSeptember 09, 20069:29 AM PT

"Apple doesn't traditionally look for large market-share, just a niche premium consumer base with potential to grow."

Wow. Its one thing to be arrogant, its another to be ignorant.

We are watching Apple begin its end-game strategy to finally exert its dominance into the consumer tech market, and the PC-side is still sitting back fat and happy, blissfully dismissing Apple as a "niche" player.

Its not even going to be close once the typical Windows user actually *touches* an Apple-designed device and finds out how they've been misled. First the iPod, then the iPhone. . .then the computer/home digital entertainment center/control center, whatever.

Not even close.

[Rasputin]

Security Projects Lag Five Years After September 11

WASHINGTON--Following the terrorist attack on the United States on September 11, 2001, the government launched a robust, and oft-criticized, electronic surveillance program, but other IT-related security projects designed to thwart terrorism have seen little advance.

Better cybersecurity leadership, more scanning of cargo going on airplanes and ships, and interoperable communications networks for emergency response agencies have all developed slowly. In some cases, fights in Congress have slowed progress, or the federal government has focused on other priorities. In other cases, the cost of IT projects has been an issue.

The fifth anniversary of the attacks will focus attention as much on what has not been accomplished to protect the U.S. from future attacks as on what has been, chiefly the surveillance system. In recent months, civil liberties groups have protested the shadowy electronic surveillance program run by the National Security Agency (NSA), with alleged cooperation from large telecommunications carriers. President George W. Bush has defended the program as necessary and legal, even as critics point out that the NSA is spying on U.S. citizens and residents without court orders.

Privacy Invasion
Critics say the emphasis on surveillance instead of on other technology has led to an invasion of innocent people's privacy and has not improved the nation's security.

The Electronic Frontier Foundation (EFF), leading a lawsuit against AT&T for its alleged participation in the NSA surveillance program, says some FBI agents have complained about the quality of the leads generated by the program. "It's like, 'Oh great, more calls to Pizza Hut,'" says Kevin Bankston, an EFF staff attorney. "This many may not help us connect the dots--it may just be creating more dots."

But there hasn't been a major outcry about the NSA program from the citizenry, with a common attitude being that innocent people should have nothing to hide.

"I worry that a lot of people are speaking out of fear," Bankston says. "You wouldn't want government cameras installed in your bedroom or your bathroom, not because you're doing anything wrong there, but because there are areas of our lives that should be private."

Surveillance Way Up
The biggest change since 9/11 is this culture of surveillance, adds Jim Dempsey, policy director at the Center for Democracy and Technology, an advocacy group focused on civil liberties online. Congress' quick passage of the Patriot Act following 9/11 attacks generated huge debates about its expansion of law enforcement powers, but the NSA program happened without congressional approval, he points out.

"All the ink that was spilled over the Patriot Act is irrelevant ... if the president says he'll do what he wants," Dempsey adds. Combined with technology advances in areas such as storage, location awareness, and facial recognition, these expanded government powers create "a pretty wholesale assault on privacy."

The Bush administration has defended its tactics, with the president saying this month that the government's counterterrorism efforts have subverted a number of plots since 9/11, including an anthrax attack and an airplane hijacking plan.

The NSA surveillance program "helps protect Americans," Bush said in a speech Thursday. He called on Congress to derail court challenges to the NSA program by passing laws approving the program. "If an al Qaeda commander is calling the United States, we need to know why they're calling," he said.

In three other IT-related areas, progress has been slow.

Cybersecurity
IT security groups have called for greater U.S. government emphasis on cybersecurity. In July 2005, Department of Homeland Security Secretary Michael Chertoff announced plans to create a high-level position, assistant secretary for cybersecurity, but that position remains unfilled, despite pressure from IT groups.

In addition, the DHS has never scored above an "F" in the federal government's annual computer security assessment. Another agency that has consistently rated "F" is the Department of Veterans Affairs, which was roiled earlier this year following a massive data breach.

Part of the problem is that the government is simply not as interested as it should be in paying for online defense, according to Marcus Sachs, a former Bush administration advisor on Internet security.

"It's kind of hard to convince the Congress to continue to fund cybersecurity efforts when the entire nation is shaking in its boots over chemical weapons and dirty bombs," says Sachs, who now works for SRI International, a research organization in Menlo Park, California. "We've not had any attributable cyberstuff that you could trace back to terrorism ... it's hard to make a case as to why we need to be worried about it."

Those kinds of attacks may still come, warns O. Sami Saydjari, founder and president of Cyber Defense Agency, an IT security research and consulting firm in Wisconsin Rapids, Wisconsin. Just one massive cyberattack would boost U.S. cyberdefense spending, but a major attack could cost American businesses up to $1 trillion, he says.

The technology to sufficiently harden U.S. cyberdefenses largely exists, but the government needs to create a program to improve the nation's cybersecurity infrastructure, Saydjari says. "Waiting until we have these attacks is not the time to develop that program," he adds. "Every year, the [cyber] attacks are better."

Emergency Response Communications
Security experts, including the 9/11 Commission, have requested additional radio spectrum so that emergency response agencies can better communicate with each other. During the 9/11 attacks, some emergency responders found that their communication systems did not interoperate. More radio spectrum is on the way--but not imminently, as February 2009 is the deadline Congress set for television stations to vacate the spectrum and move to all-digital broadcasts.

During a lengthy congressional debate over the digital TV transition, Senator John McCain, an Arizona Republican, tried to move up the transition date, arguing that emergency responders need the spectrum as soon as possible. But congressional concerns over the timing of commercial auctions for part of the freed spectrum led to the later date. If the auctions were too soon, the spectrum might not sell for the $10 billion Congress has budgeted, opponents of an earlier deadline said.

Meanwhile, some emergency response agencies are working with each other to improve interoperability, but those efforts are happening only in "pockets" of the country, according to Steven Jones, executive director of the First Response Coalition, a group advocating for interoperable emergency communications.

"There's no national strategy to coordinate all these efforts," Jones says. "Nationally speaking, I don't know that we're better off than we were five years ago."

Cargo Scanning
Hobbled by high costs and slow machines, airlines and cargo ships scan only a fraction of the baggage they carry, leaving their passengers at risk of hidden explosives and other weapons, critics say.

Most of the 6 billion pounds of cargo shipped on passenger airlines every year is commercial cargo, not checked baggage, and most of those crates and cartons are never scanned, exposing passengers to risk, according to U.S. Representative Edward Markey, a Massachusetts Democrat.

The problem is even greater on commercial shipping venues, with unscanned cargo rolling into the U.S. every year aboard 11.2 million trucks, 2.2 million rail cars and 51,000 cargo ships, according to the DHS.

The Transportation Security Administration, which operates airport security systems, says it faces a dilemma of choosing between inexpensive but inaccurate machines and expensive, high-quality machines.

Airport workers now scan baggage with two types of systems. Explosive trace detection machines are affordable--they're the size of a laser printer and cost a few thousand dollars--but rely on slow and error-prone human workers to collect test samples.

In contrast, more-sophisticated explosive detection system machines can process up to 500 bags per hour but weigh as much as 17,000 pounds and cost up to $1 million. And airports must invest much more money to insert those machines into their existing baggage conveyor belts to speed the process.

Still, officials with the Bush administration insist they've made significant progress in fighting terrorism over the last five years. A "network" of law enforcement and intelligence agencies, improved terrorist databases and international cooperation have successfully thwarted multiple terrorist plots, U.S. Attorney General Alberto Gonzales said in a speech Thursday.

"If there is one thing that all Americans will be thinking and saying when we mark a terrible anniversary on Monday, it will be the simple phrase, 'never again,'" he said. "And the goal of 'never again' cannot be achieved by the federal government alone, by any state government alone, or by any local police force alone. Our network of prevention is instead the key to protecting the American people."