| Sharkoon Skiller Keyboard - Skillered |
| Functionally, the keyboard is only about as adequate as a gaming peripheral. The keys are quite soft to the touch and lack feedback. Not quite the platform I was hoping it would be. The repeat rate is slow, which means that there will be more than a few close calls during matches. |
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| The New ASUS ET2300INTI All-In-One (AIO) PC - The Next Level |
| ASUS has always been synonymous with exceptional PC offerings and performance hardware. In fact, it even has its own extreme computing range of products, which is parked under the Republic of Gamers (ROG) for those who are not in the know. |
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| HP Envy 20 TouchSmart - Where It Counts |
| The chassis of the Envy 20 is quite a block. It's not exactly heavy or very big. There is just a sense of largeness about it. I suspect that this is caused by the extra-large bezel. Extra-large in the sense that you get the idea that this chassis could easily accommodate a much bigger screen. |
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| It’s Not Too Late For AHCI |
| If you’ve installed your operating system without first enabling AHCI (Advanced Host Controller Interface) mode, then your HDD or SSD may not be performing as quickly as it could. In the past, we’ve noted that SSDs will not perform as well when the SATA controller is set to run in IDE (Integrated Drive Electronics) mode, and switching to AHCI in the BIOS after installation won’t do the trick. |
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| Logitech T400 Zone Touch Mouse - Maybe A Little Rearranging? |
| Windows 8 is all about the touch interface, which is great, except that not all screens are capable of interacting by touch. Logitech has a mouse that is meant to simulate the finer points of the new Modern UI while still being a traditional pointing device. This means it lets you get to the desktop faster. |
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| Cooler Master CM Storm Mouse Pads |
| An unsuitable mouse pad may not grab your attention during day-to-day computing tasks. But try to game with one, or use it with software that demands precision control over your mouse pointer, and its shortcomings will become readily apparent. |
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| Cooler Master CM Storm Scout 2 Ghost White |
| White cases are hot these days, and the Scout 2 Ghost White provides the clean white exterior finish that you used to have to spend hours sanding and painting to get, accented by the black steel mesh inset in the front panel, the black mesh under the top panel’s ventilation holes, and of course the black rubberized handle on top. |
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| Rejuvenate Your PC (Part 4) |
| Your PC is almost certainly connected to the internet or another network, but is it giving you the best possible performance? In this final section, we’ll examine ways to speed up everything from video streaming to file sharing and web browsing. |
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| Rejuvenate Your PC (Part 3) |
| Speeding up working with your PC isn’t just about making your machine run faster; it’s also about improving your own efficiency so you spend less time on mundane tasks when you’re using it. Successive versions of Windows have made things easier with the addition of useful shortcuts such as the Favorites bar in Windows Vista, and the introduction of jump lists and libraries in Windows 7. |
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| Rejuvenate Your PC (Part 2) |
| Your hard drive isn’t the only component that stands to benefit from a thorough clear out – your PC itself can deliver improved performance if you limit the number of running programs and how much system resources they’re allocated. |
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| Rejuvenate Your PC (Part 1) |
| The first task is to strip back your PC and remove all unnecessary files and software from your system, such as unwanted programs, redundant files, duplicates and other leftover junk. One swift defrag later and your PC should be looking a little bit more healthy. |
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| 50 New Windows Secrets (Part 3) |
| Sometimes your PC slows to a crawl during the boot process because too many programs are trying to start at once. Use a free program called Startup Delayer on the disc to delay less important programs, so they start at a quieter time, speeding up performance and boot times in the process. |
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| 50 New Windows Secrets (Part 2) |
| Multiple windows from the same application are grouped together by default to save space. To change this, right-click the Taskbar and choose ‘Properties’. Change the Taskbar Buttons drop-down menu to read ether ‘Combine when taskbar is full’ or ‘Never combine’. |
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| 50 New Windows Secrets (Part 1) |
| They say that knowledge is power, and there’s little more empowering than learning new tips and tricks that can help you make the most of your PC. A few minutes saved here and there will really add up over time, giving you more time to do the things you really enjoy. |
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| Learn How To … Restore Files With DocShield |
| DocShield is a fantastically useful program that will allow you to restore earlier versions of the same file in seconds. Never again will you have to painstakingly reverse all changes made to a document, or try to remember how the original draft sounded and undo your botched rewrite. |
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| Learn How To… Stick Notes On Your Desktop |
| Whatever you’re doing with your Pc, sticky notes are the best productivity tool around. There’s no better way to keep your thoughts and to-do lists organized. The Sticky Notes app that’s included by default in Windows 7 lets you create the digital equivalent of paper notes ad paste them all over your desktop, but it’s quite limited. |
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| The Perfect Enclosure (Part 4) : Cooler Master Storm Trooper, NZXT Phantom 820 |
| Being NZXT’s flagship case, it has a futuristic design to it along with a host of amazing features. Its build quality is great and it also has a raised-steel stand. It can accommodate a 360 mm radiator at the top, a 240 mm or 280 mm radiator at the bottom, and the rear fan can be slid up or down to directly be in front of the CPU cooler. |
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| The Perfect Enclosure (Part 3) : Corsair Graphite 600T, Corsair Vengeance C70 |
| This case is designed to look like an ammunition straight out of an armory. The build quality of the C70 seems solid and you can carry it around by using two attached spring-loaded handles at the top. The power and reset buttons accentuate it’s military design – there’s actually a safety flap that you need to flip open to access the reset button. |
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| Learn How To … Boost Your Protection Against PC Viruses |
| Paid-for antivirus programs tend only to work for 12 months. Instead of buying the software, you buy a subscription to the service, and when that runs out, your machine is unprotected. Most of us do internet banking and shopping from out PCs, so venturing online without an effective antivirus tool doesn’t bear thinking about. |
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| Learn How To... Protect And Copy Your Optical Discs |
| Recently, I found myself on the move with a few hours to spare. What about a nice session of my favorite game? The disc, however, which must be in the drive on my laptop for the game to play was at home in its jewel case. What I needed was a copy of the CD on my laptop’s hard drive that would be treated as the real thing. |
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| Learn How To... Remotely Access A PC |
| Getting a phone call from my mum isn’t unusual, but to get a call asking me to help her fix her laptop was a bolt out of the blue. The surprise wasn’t that she asked me, it was that I thought she never used her computer! I was wrong, but what she clearly hasn’t ever done is taken the time to give her laptop a bit of TLC |
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| Windows 7 : World Wide Zune: A Look at the Zune Online Services |
| With the first version of the Zune platform, Microsoft created its Zune Marketplace, an online store that sold only music that was protected by Microsoft's Windows Media DRM (Digital Rights Management) technologies. This limited the appeal of Zune Marketplace to the 17 or so people who bought the first-generation Zune devices. Clearly, some tweaking was in order. |
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| Acer Aspire 7600U All-In-One - Style On The Side |
| Acer has followed the likes of Dell and created a flagship PC – an all-in-one with a huge 27-inch screen. The all-in-one term means that all the hardware is packed behind the display. The only extras are the wireless keyboard and mouse, which match the PC’s glossy, jet black styling. That doesn’t mean it lacks power, though. |
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| Windows 7 : Troubleshooting and Repairing Problems - System Restore |
| System Restore enables you to restore the computer to a previously saved state, so you can “roll back” your computer to the way it was working before your cat jumped on the keyboard, or before you installed that stupid program or device driver that crashed your system. |
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| Windows Vista : Logon and Profile Options (part 2) |
| When you first install Windows Vista, Setup walks you through the process of setting up a user account for yourself by asking for your name and then having you choose a picture. One of the requirements of the username is that it not be "Administrator." |
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| Learn How Too... Work Faster Than Ever With Windows 8 (Part 3) |
| Experienced Windows users who spend much of their time in one advanced applet or another might be annoyed to find that their favorite tools have been buried by Windows 8. Microsoft has paid some attention, though, and there is a way to bring some of them back. |
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| Learn How Too... Work Faster Than Ever With Windows 8 (Part 2) |
| Windows 8 apps don’t have close buttons, but this isn’t an issue. Apps are suspended when you switch to something else, so they’re only a minimal drain on your system, and if you need the system resources, they’re automatically shut down. Their context is saved, of course, so when you re-launch one, it will carry on where you left off. |
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