PCWorld May-12

“WE’RE ALL ADULTS here. We’ve all upgraded our operating systems before.” So began PCWorld’ highly enthusiastic review of Windows 95—Microsoft’s radical remaking of its crown jewel—in our August 1995 issue. The article continued: “Remember Windows 3.0 to 3.1? Or DOS 3.3 to DOS 5? Forget ’em. Upgrading to Windows 95... is A BIG DEAL.” Elsewhere in the magazine, Editor in Chief Philip Lemmons rendered our verdict on the new Windows user interface: “The staff consensus…is a standing ovation.” Ready for a ride on the déjà vu express? Microsoft certainly hopes you are. Because with the likely release later this year of Windows 8—the most ambitious overhaul of the operating system since Windows 95—the company hopes to reinvigorate its user base just as it did back in 1995, while positioning Windows for…

Desktop PCs Remain Alive! I was shocked to read Nate Ralph’s over-the-top assertion that the tower desktop is finished [“The Desktop PC—Dead or Alive?”Forward, March]. I disagree entirely. Power users—we’re in the thousands—will continue to demand the capacity and performance of a tower. Worse, he goes on to say that most users just need a machine to host their photos, stream their movies, and play an occasional video game. What? Why no mention of the really important applications of any PC, desktop or otherwise: email, Web browsing, social media, online shopping, and other Internet-based uses? All-in-ones? I wouldn’t have one if you gave it away. Bill Benjamin Biltmore Lake, North Carolina I find it humorous that people are being told to avoid desktop computers. As an experienced IT tech with a $2000 budget to…

THE NEW APPLE iPad is here (see our review on page 46), and we tested it next to the iPad 2 and top 10.1-inch Android tablets. The results? The new iPad streaks to the head of the pack, largely on the strength of its improved display. But that doesn’t mean Apple’s rivals should abandon the race—they simply have to work harder to overcome the iPad’s lead. Here I highlight a few findings; for our full analysis, see find.pcworld.com/72802. Graphics Powerhouse In the GLBenchmark 2.1.2 synthetic tests we performed, the new iPad, with its A5X CPU containing two Cortex-A9 processors and a quad-core graphics engine (PowerVR SGX 543MP4), blasted past Android competitors. On two of the GLBenchmark tests, the new iPad virtually tied the iPad 2. But on two others, including the Pro Offscreen test…

HUAWEI ASCEND D QUAD AND D QUAD XL Huawei, a newcomer to the high-end smartphone market, will release two Android phones in the second quarter. Both have 1280-by-720-pixel touchscreens and use Huawei’s own K3V2 quad-core processor. NOKIA 808 PUREVIEW Thanks to the 41-megapixel (no, that’s not a typo) camera sensor in this Symbian-based phone, you’ll be able to capture an image, zoom in on it, reframe it, and crop it without noise or pixelation. The 808 is due in the second quarter. SAMSUNG GALAXY BEAM An Android phone planned for release in the second quarter, the Beam measures just 0.49 inch thick, but packs a 15-lumen projector. That’s impressive, since most pico projector accessories are only 10 or 12 lumens bright. HTC ONE X At the Mobile World Congress show, the One X…

IT’S PRETTY EASY to use up your wireless data allowance for a given month—and if you do that, your carrier will knock your speed down into 2G territory. I saw it firsthand when I tested T-Mobile’s approach to “throttling.” For this test I maxed out my 2GB plan by downloading two movies. Nowhere in its terms of service does the carrier mention 2G speeds; the text messages T-Mobile sent me as I passed my limit, however, explicitly said that data transfers would slow to 2G speed levels. Would the carrier gradually reduce my data transfer rate, or would it immediately throttle the rate down all the way? The second hypothesis turned out to be the true one. The chart below lists my speeds before and after I maxed out my data plan. At…

Ebook Prices: DOJ Warns Apple, Publishers The U.S. Department of Justice has warned Apple and five book publishers that it is planning to file lawsuits against them for allegedly colluding to fix the prices of ebooks, according to a Wall Street Journal report, quoting anonymous sources. A DOJ spokesperson declined to comment on the report, but said that the ebook investigation is still open. Critics accuse Apple and the five publishers of setting prices in response to Amazon’s attempt to introduce a $9.99 rate for most ebooks. Watches and Pedometers Reward You for Workouts How much would you work out for $10? Switch2Health’s wristwatch and pedometer use motion detectors to track how much wearers exercise, and provide codes for prizes such as $10 iTunes, Macy’s, and Target gift cards. Consumers can buy the…