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April 8, 2003 |
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Super, amazing DVD-copying tool! Yeah, yeah: you've seen it all before, and you filter that spam to your trash. But what if you really could legally copy your DVDs? Would you? CNET readers are looking to find out. Also, explore Alienware's Area 51m and the latest 802.11g gear that actually lives up to its standard. |
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DVD copying
You get those annoying yet intriguing spam e-mail messages in your in-box at least once a week: "Make copies of your DVDs!" Sounds tempting, but it has to be a hoax and illegal, right? Well, the truth is many of those products actually do work, but their legality is a little foggy. And the legal issue is that much scarier with DeCSS creator Jon Johansen back in court and Hollywood getting antsy about newcomers such as the controversial SmartRipper, which rang up a lot of searches. But commercial DVD-copying products continue to pop up, so our editors decided to delve into the murky waters and try to explain some of the issues, as well as review one of the more popular commercial products, DVD X Copy. Our verdict? DVD copying is risky, but it works. And DVD X Copy is far more limited than the free programs but a bit safer, since it copy-protects your DVD copies with a digital watermark. Find out more by reading the full review. |
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Alienware
If you're a dedicated PC gamer, you're probably used to being tied down to a hot-shot desktop with all the bells and whistles--from a top-notch graphics card to a slick monitor to the fastest CPU. But now you can take that experience on the road. Alienware, maker of high-end gaming desktops, packs desktop power into a portable, the Area 51m notebook. This speed demon will let you blast through even your most demanding first-person shooter, all on the go. But even though they're not labeled as "gaming notebooks," many desktop-replacement laptops have the same chutzpah to let you game and run. Check them out before you shell out top dollar to buy an Alienware. |
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802.11g
OK, maybe you readers are always searching for info about this emerging yet unproven wireless standard that promises the range of 802.11b with the speedy throughput of 802.11a. But this week, we actually have two--count 'em, two--devices to crow about, which both finally deliver on the promise of 802.11g. While all the major device makers are pumping out the 802.11g goods, only Belkin and Netgear have actually delivered the testing results we wanted to see in a g router. Side by side, the competition just can't measure up. |
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Canon EOS 10D
Welcome, all, to the world of digital SLR cameras, where the image quality is extremely high, and the price tags are even higher. Don't believe me? Check out our editors' list of top dSLRs, where the top pick is the $8,000 Canon EOS-1Ds. What if you crave that level of quality but not that price? At this year's PMA show, our editors got an up-close-and-personal look at Canon's EOS 10D, which could be the best dSLR deal out there. According to our First Take, this sweet little package nicely straddles the line between pro features and consumer friendliness, and the $1,500-to-$2,000 price range can't be beat. Look for a full review of this cam coming soon. If you want more advice on the best in digicams, check out our editors' digital camera buying guide. |
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StartUp Manager
Aside from the fact that so many of you were searching for this handy little app, I'm most motivated to feature it this week because it solves a problem near and dear to my own notebook setup at home. When I boot up my machine, Windows launches all sort of annoying programs, drawing out my start-up time. That's where a cool tool such as Advanced StartUp Manager comes in. For those of you who don't really know how sysconfig works, this program lets you to control which programs run at system start-up. And it's hardly the only program out there that handles start-up cleanup--and most of those apps are free. Also check out Startup Control Panel, which has 95 percent approval from our readers, or the popular Ashampoo StartUp Tuner. |
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