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October 30, 2003 |
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Looking for a true alternative to Apple's slick iPod? So am I; now we have one in Dell's Digital Jukebox. We have the full review, and our editors were thrilled with what they saw. Plus, Apple lets its new cat out of the bag: Mac OS X 10.3 Panther. |
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Dell
Call me stubborn, but I just feel compelled to resist the cult of Apple. No matter how absolutely cool the iPod is, I won't break down and buy one--no matter how many neon-outlined silhouettes Apple throws at me. Thankfully, resistance is not futile; Dell has given me (and other holdouts) a worthy alternative to the iPod in the Digital Jukebox DJ. The Dell DJ mirrors iPod's sleek, simple design and intuitive interface and delivers top-notch sound quality. But it improves on Apple's pretty player in two ways: outstanding battery life (we clocked it at 19.5 hours) and a cheaper price. And while iPod users have iTunes, Dell has a deal with Musicmatch for a similar setup that lets users download songs right to the DJ. Looks like I can stand firm against the Jobs collective for one more day, at least. |
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Panther and iBook
Had enough Apple hating? Let's talk about the love you showed for this week's Apple releases: an update to the new Mac OS X, called Panther, and a new G4 iBook that comes preloaded with Panther. Let's start with Panther, more formally known as Mac OS X 10.3. Other than a few new features (such as Expose, which shrinks all the windows, and the free iChat AV) and a redesign of the user interface, Panther's real update is its beefed-up compatibility with Windows networks and support for IPv6 networking. Need another reason to upgrade? Apparently, Panther is patched against security flaws that are present on previous versions of the OS. If you're in the market for a new Mac notebook, check out the speedy new G4 iBook, which is said to have Panther already onboard along with its fast G4 processor. |
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Sony Ericsson P900
Smart phones are called smart for a reason; these handheld/cell phone combo devices bring together two of most techies' most-used gadgets. But Sony Ericsson's snazzy P800 was sort of an über-smart phone, loaded down with a built-in camera, Bluetooth, world phone capability, and MP3 and MPEG-4-video playback--all in a very compact package. That's why so many of you were salivating at the prospect of the P900, an update to what Cell Phone Diva Joni Blecher called "the Maserati of smart phones." So, what's new? The P900 is slimmer and lighter and has more memory and a superior 65,536-color display. Basically, it's slicker, faster, and sharper; oh, and likely to be more expensive. But it will be worth it for the looks of envy you'll get when you whip this bad boy out, right? Look for our full review when the P900 comes out toward the end of the year. |
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Office 2003
Let me start by pointing out that, while it would make sense if the new Microsoft Office were named Office 2003, this version is actually named Microsoft Office System. Regardless of what the guys in Redmond call it, most of us call it indispensable. It's the heart of most of our workdays, with Outlook, Word, Excel, PowerPoint--all essentials. So any update to these vital apps makes all of us--from home users to educators to corporate execs--sit up and take notice. After giving the new versions of Office a look, we came away with these impressions: We like that Microsoft offers a less expensive edition for educational users, which can be installed on up to three PCs. We also appreciate that Outlook is now better at filtering spam and organizing e-mail. On the downside, we're not so happy with the lack of changes for at-home and small-business users, nor with the cutting of the very cool OneNote app out of the suite. Bottom line: We think you can't do much better than this new Office, but there's no huge reason to upgrade now. |
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Canon A80
Every now and again, a single product springs up in your searches and really gets me wondering what makes it worth all the attention. This week, that product was the Canon PowerShot A80, which was just reviewed by our digital doyenne Lori Grunin. After reading her review, I know what all the fuss is about. The 4-megapixel A80 offers such a breadth of features that it's easy enough for the point-and-shoot crowd but still has lots of room to grow for the budding photographer. It boasts speedy and efficient performance and even accepts accessory lenses. So, to those of you looking for a versatile digital camera that will grow with you as you gain skill, we say that this Editors' Choice shooter is definitely for you. |
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