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October 14, 2003 |
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What's white and compact and combines five most-wanted home entertainment gadgets in one box? Sony's PSX, the just-unveiled home media hub, and it's the hottest device with readers this week--even if it's set to sell only in Japan. Plus, we give you an update on our Treo 600 coverage. |
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PSX
In the gaming console wars, the name of the game is staying ahead of what fickle gamers want. So in order to maintain its market dominance, Sony needed to come up with an interim product that could tide its fussy users over until the PlayStation 3 is released (most likely in 2005, although the year keeps changing). Enter the PSX, a slick white box that's more like a media hub than a gaming console. The PSX builds in a PlayStation 2, a slot-loading DVD recorder, a digital video recorder, a TV tuner, and a networked media center. It even throws in digital audio output so you can get surround sound from this bad boy when it's connected to a compatible A/V receiver. The device will be available in Japan by the end of the year in a 160GB hard drive version for 79,800 yen (about $727) and a 250GB hard drive version for 99,800 yen (approximately $910). While you wipe up your drool, you may still have a few questions. First, when will this amazing box come to the United States? Most likely, not until early 2004. Second, will current PS2 users pay $700 more for this souped-up version of a box they already own? That's even less clear. But our editors will keep an eye on PSX developments. For more specifics about the Japanese version, check out GameSpot's coverage. |
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Treo 600
We know that you've probably been seeing a lot about this just-released smart phone from Handspring, which went on sale last week through preordering from Sprint. We've definitely seen the same coverage. But our editors pride themselves on the thoroughness of their review process, and Cell Phone Diva Joni Blecher is no exception. She's still busy sizing up the performance, features, and design of this highly anticipated update to the popular Treo 300. Joni says the full review should appear at the beginning of next week, but until then, get all the details on the Treo 600 in this CNET First Take. |
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N-Gage
When a device really dominates the market, it's just asking to be shot down. Look at Nintendo's Game Boy, which has been the portable gaming device to beat for years now. This year, two devices--Tapwave's Zodiac and Nokia's N-Gage--are hoping to take some of the portable gaming dollars for themselves. While the Palm-based Zodiac PDA isn't slated to come out until late October, last week, the superhyped N-Gage came out to much skepticism. Our editors' review revealed that the N-Gage may deliver a decent gaming experience, but its $300 price tag, pricey games, and awkward design won't do well in wooing Game Boy fans away from their cheap, quality device. But they did concede that anyone looking for a gaming world phone that also handles MP3 playback should definitely give the N-Gage a look. |
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iTunes
Last week, Apple sent journalists an invitation to an event this Thursday in San Francisco with the headline, "The year's biggest music story is about to get even bigger." What do you suppose that means? If you're like us, you're thinking iTunes for Windows. Ever since Apple unveiled its iTunes Music Store for Mac back in May, Windows users have been eager to get their own version; I even know a few who actually considered getting a Mac for the cause. With its ease-of-use, top-notch download sound quality, and flexible use options, the service has been far better than anything PC users had. But since then, other, similar newcomers have emerged--including Napster 2.0 and Musicmatch 8.1--all promising similar features and pricing. So is there still a PC audience to impress if a Windows iTunes emerges this week? We'll have our editors there to let you know if the announcement holds any surprises. |
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Spam
Sure, we all know that spam is a problem; it's even been proven in surveys. But one could argue that the real problem now is a lack of antispam tools to keep that unwanted e-mail out of our in-boxes. Two of the biggest names in security software have released their attempts at spam-killing apps, and we've evaluated both. The true winner was Norton's AntiSpam 2004, which is one of the first spam killers that actually does the job. It's not only one of the simplest antispam utilities to set up and use, it also consistently stopped 95 percent of the junk with almost no mistakes. So you get all the mail you want and none of the stuff you don't. Meanwhile, McAfee's SpamKiller 5.0 wasn't as impressive. It was able to stop spam, but it didn't integrate well with all the e-mail programs and operating systems we used, including AOL or the Mac OS. |
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