Every few months a new media player comes along, and every time, without fail, multiple people in the media ask, “Will this be the iPod killer?”  The answer, of course, invariably turns out to be a resounding “no.”  The only way you won’t have heard of the iPod is if you’ve been living in a cave in a remote rainforest somewhere for the past...

In the world of computer software, there is no greater threat to the livelihoods of programmers than software piracy.  If given the choice between buying one’s software at retail, or downloading it or buying it for $5 on the street, many people around the world will choose the piracy route.  Why buy Photoshop for $649 at CompUSA when you can download...

A couple of weeks back, my co-writer, kram, wrote a column entitled “It’s AMD’s Spotlight.”  In it he noted AMD’s recent dominance in terms of benchmarks, heat dissipation and general popularity, and said that AM2 is just one more victory for them.  AMD has been in a great position for the past year or two, but that’s about to change with...

In the 1980s and 1990s, Microsoft’s goal was enormous market penetration.  This goal was expressed in terms anyone could get their head around: “A PC on every desk in every home in America.”  We’re not quite there yet, but we’re making good progress – according to the Census Bureau, in 2003, 61.8% of American households had at least one...

In the olden days of computing, everyone got a desktop computer.  Laptops became available in the mid to late 1980s, but they were clunky, expensive, and underpowered.  Some road warriors purchased a laptop, but they usually had a desktop as well because of the shortcomings of the laptops of the day.  However, over time laptops became sleeker,...

This week, I’m on vacation in Arizona soaking up the sights in the desert and the mountains.  Of course, that means I’ll have to take the obligatory vacation photos, and so that brings up the topic of cameras.  What kind should I use?  How to make some of this stuff look the most interesting?  And what happens if I can’t get a good shot...

Computers in general have gotten a lot cheaper over the past several years.  Lots of RAM, fast processors, and big hard drives are cheaper than ever.  This has put a serious crunch on manufacturers, as lower component cost and fierce competition has commoditized the PC market and thus slashed profit margins.  However, there’s one place in...

So you’ve just upgraded to a brand-new computer.  It’s fast and has a nice flat-panel monitor, and you’re really excited about it.  You unplug your old computer and set up the new one.  But now, what do you do with the old one?  You could give it to a friend or relative, or you could donate it to charity, but what if...

Kudos and Calamities: The Usefulness of CertificationsAuthor: thefultonhow If you’re a veteran of the IT world, you’re probably familiar with certifications.  Certs, as they’re sometimes called, are essentially exams that techs take in order to show that they’re proficient in the subject.  Certs cover everything from basic...

The computing world is abuzz with rumors, and once in a while even facts, about Microsoft’s new version of Windows, dubbed Vista.  It’s supposed to come out late this year for corporate customers, and in early 2007 for consumers.  It will feature a really cool new interface, support for 64-bit processors and new technologies, and new ways...

Most people, when they go to build a computer, pick out a nice Pentium 4, Pentium D, or Athlon 64.  They offer good all-around performance out of the box, and have plentiful motherboard support.  However, some overclockers and silent-PC freaks decide to take another route, and they buy laptop processors and put them into their custom builds. There are...

“My computer is running really slowly and I’m getting tons of pop-ups.”  It probably wouldn’t be hyperbole to say that this is the most commonly uttered computer-related comment.  As most of us know, slowness and pop-ups are classic symptoms of malware – viruses, worms, trojans, adware and spyware.  This week...

The internet is a great medium for getting information and help on all sorts of subjects.  Many people have a lot of specialized knowledge in one field, so they can give out lots of good advice in that area of expertise.  Of course, once in a while you get someone who doesn’t know their stuff chiming in with incorrect advice.  Usually this...

Laptops are becoming more and more popular; more laptops were sold last year than desktops. Consumers love their portability and small size; manufacturers love their profitability. And nobody loves them more than Intel, whose Centrino platform is the basis for the vast majority of modern laptops. Since the beginning, Centrino has offered good battery life, solid...

The number of different electronic devices that people are likely to own in this day and age is staggering.  You have your cell phone, iPod, PDA, laptop, digital camera…  After a while it gets to be tiresome.  Your pants are falling down from the weight of all these devices.  But you need, or at least want, to be able to make calls, listen...