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ai 4/28/2006 5:46:09 PM

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at the heart of technology www.chip-india.com

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First look:
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WORKSHOP
Vinyl to Digital
104
12 MFDs reviewed 64

Be it printing, scanning, faxing or copying, we test it all

Learn to convert old tapes
to digital-quality CDs
FEATURE
26 external drives 52
Need to take files with you? Find your data partner here
94 Inside search engines
Answers in 0.0012
seconds? Here’s how
Digital makeover 108

Expert tips on facial touchups using Photoshop

Also available in Bangladesh
Nepal, Bhutan, Sri Lanka, U A E Olympus Stylus 720 SW: Compact and tough
 EDITORIAL 7

Release, damn it!

P
atience has never been one of my virtues. Since I was a kid, during those pre-
Christmas days there’s nothing I wouldn’t do to figure out what was under the
Christmas tree. The knowledge of an impending event used to drive me crazy with
anticipation.
These days, while I don’t go around pulling out my hair waiting for the next product
release, I have noticed something rather disconcerting—over the past few years, several
companies have been conveniently extending deadlines on their product releases. Be it
Sony’s interminable promises of their PS3 (last I heard, they promised it hitting stores in
November this year), or Microsoft Vista (along with the rest of their long-winded Vista-
variants to follow), to even game releases (I’ll bet all you gamers can’t say S.T.A.L.K.E.R.
without shaking your head in frustration, then wistfully recalling that fascinating preview
video released at E3 last year). Sure, it’s in a company’s own interest to release bug-free
and defect-free products while catching the crest of the next big buying wave. But after
their initial teaser releases, sneak previews and specification “leaks” die down, their viral
marketing strategies start to lose luster, leaving behind a whole lot of frustrated consumers.
Besides the frustration, these delays translate into significant financial repercussions within
the industry. In the case of Windows Vista, Microsoft was originally supposed to release the
OS back in 2005. This got pushed to October 2006. They are now pegging the release date to
I’d rather go with
January 2007. Clearly, it’s not a delay of a few months here. It is clear that several corporate
a current technology and domestic buying decisions have been postponed as a result of these delays. And the
that serves my present cascade effect continues—system integrators typically require six to eight weeks to integrate
specification changes into their product lineup. This tends to weigh in at the higher end of the
needs other than
delays with something as significant as a new OS. Besides ironing out bugs, developing and
languish, waiting for stabilizing drivers for locally available hardware, their technical support teams would also need
the next big thing to familiarize themselves with the new system to be able to respond effectively.
Things are no different on the hardware front. Take your pick—Blue-ray, HD-DVD,
WiMAX—we’ve all heard them being trumpeted for at least a couple of years, while products
based upon these epoch-making technologies are still nowhere in sight. It is clear that
companies invariably choose to delay a launch in favor of waiting to integrate an additional
“big feature” into their products. But the effects of such delays are felt everywhere—the
support companies who depend upon larger organizations for their product rollouts, the
enterprises who wait to migrate their systems to efficiency-boosting technologies.
As we continue to go about integrating newer technologies into our lives (both
intentionally and unknowingly over the course of our days), it is high time that companies
honor the need to deliver these technologies on time. Consumers are not as patient as
companies assume they are. More so, in this day and age where technology stalwarts
are doing a brilliant job at creating compelling products, the next best choice for the
consumer is actually a pretty good choice.
Being the impatient person I am, I’d rather go with a current technology and product
that serves my present needs other than languish, waiting for the next big thing. But
maybe that’s just me.

| Marco Angelo D’Souza

marco.dsouza@chip-india.com

MAY 2006 | INTELLIGENT COMPUTING CHIP

Contents
MAY 2006
32 Biolab on a Chip
NEWSWIRE
22 Embracing the PC
The Intel-powered Community PC
introduced to meet rural needs
is equipped to withstand the
challenges faced by villages in India.
32 Biolab on a Chip
Biochips are being used to detect
various diseases at the very onset,
warning us of of endemics and
biological poisons.
COVER STORY
34 Get Web-enabled
Learn the diverse ways of putting up
and running a web site using either
free or paid web hosting services.
HARDWARE
40 Top Gear
Our Test Center boys get close to an
array of products and give you a low-
down on their multi-faceted features.
52 Portadata
A comprehensive test run of flash
memory based and hard drive based
external storage solutions.
64 Eco Imaging
Scanning, copying, faxing, printing at
an affordable cost with MFDs.
72 Nvidia Fights Back!
Nvidia builds competition for rival
ATI with their new range of GPUs.
76 When Intel made Apple
Apple’s new Intel-based notebook
sports a spiffy look and feel so
quintessential of the brand, and
clubs a bagful of features.
78 Fuel Cells on the Move
With their dynamic energy storing
capacities, fuel cells are going to take
the world of mobile power by storm.
They facilitate a more environment-
friendly form of energy storage.
APPLICATIONS
84 Software Center
Read our reviews on a range of tools
for home and office use, displaying
marked advancements in features
and performance.
34
64 Eco Imaging
52 Portadata
90 Narrowed Viewing
Now you have the freedom to
watch what you want. Get
access to esoteric content with
the help of a new breed of
broadcasting technology christened
narrowcasting.
92 Waking up to WiMAX
WiMAX heralds the era of cost-
effective, convenient Internet access
in the nation’s web horizon. Find out
about the action in India.
94 Search Power
An in-depth analysis of the
significant and cogent functionality
of search engines.
HANDS ON
104 Recreating Music
An exemplary workshop discerning
the unique ways in which audio
cassettes can be recycled to audio
CDs and MP3s.
108 For Skin that Glows
Photoshop lends that magical
touch to your age-old portraits,
working wonders for your skin
and attributing that total image
makeover.
INTELLIGENT COMPUTING CHIP | MAY 2006
 94 Search Power
72 Nvidia Fights Back!
112 XP in your pocket
Learn the simple but meticulous
procedures applied to booting
Windows XP from a USB flash drive.
It is fun!
UNWIND
124 PC vs Console
The subject that stimulates intense
debate in the gaming world today
is whether PC gaming is superior to
console gaming or vice versa. Find
out more…
128 Star Wars: Empire At War
A game that gives you the power
to plan your galactic conquest and
command an entire war in the Star
Wars universe.
Olympus U 720 SW
…46
MAY 2006 | INTELLIGENT COMPUTING CHIP
84
130 Call of Cthulhu
Come explore the deeply intriguing
dark corners of the earth in the
scariest game churned out by game
developers this year.
132 The Lord of the Rings: The
Battle for Middle-Earth II
Get ready to step into a Middle-Earth
not witnessed before. The sequel
has all the elements necessary in an
RTS game with the power to get you
addicted. new build
134 Commandos Strike Force
While the previous versions stuck to
squad-based tactical missions, the
latest entry in the Commandos series
puts on the garb of a first-person
shooter game. Improvement in this
version is indicated in the less time
taken to complete the missions.
Regulars
Town Square 16
Letters 18
Technology Landscape 82
Dr. CHIP 100
Tips and Tricks 115
Game Reviews 128
Last Word 148
Software Center
| Products Tested
Hardware 40
Asus A8R32-MVP Deluxe, Asus PW191, Cowon iAudio U2,
Gainward Sound Xplosion, Gigabyte Triton Chassis, Leadek
WinFast A7800GS, Logitech X-530, Olympus U 720 SW, Plustek
OpticBook 3600, Sony DRU-820A, Xerox Phazer 3117
External Storage 52
Apacer HandySteno HT-203, Buffalo RUF2-S512-BS,
Corsair Flash Voyager, Kingston DataTraveler II Plus Migo,
PQI Cool Drive U339, PQI Cool Drive U339 Pro, Transcend
JetFlash 120, Zion UltraDiskPro, Buffalo Drive Station
HD-HB160U2-EU, ExBoot EXB-0131, Maxtor OneTouch III
FireWire 400/USB 2.0, Maxtor OneTouch III Turbo, Seagate
Pushbutton Backup 200GB, Seagate Pushbutton Backup
400GB, Western Digital Media Center, Western Digital
Essential, Buffalo MiniStation USB 2.0, ExBoot EXB-0121,
LaCie Mobile Hard Drive, Seagate Portable Hard Drive,
Transcend StoreJet 2.5, Western Digital Passport, LaCie
Carte Orange, Seagate Pocket Hard Drive, S-Media Hi-Tech
Microdrive, UMAX Pollux 300
MFDs 64
Brother DCP-115C, Brother MFC-410CN, Brother MFC-620CN,
Brother MFC-3240C, Brother MFC-5840CN, Canon Pixma
MP150, Canon Pixma MP450, Canon Pixma MP500, Epson Stylus
CX4700, Epson Stylus CX3700, Lexmark X3350, Lexmark X4270
 Disk Contents
MAY 2006 | VOLUME 3 | ISSUE 6

Mobile: Game Addons:

AVANT GO LOTR: BATTLE FOR MIDDLE
REMOTE DESKTOP FOR MOBILES 2.1 Game Demos: EARTH 2 1.02 PATCH
TOM RAIDER: LEGEND
Internet: BLAZING ANGELS: SQUADRONS OF WWII Movie Trailers:
AOL EXPLORER FIREFOX 2.0 GALATIC CIVILIZATIONS II THE FAST AND THE FURIOUS: TOKYO DRIFT
YAHOO MESSENGER 7.5 AN AMERICAN HAUNTING
Videos:
Multimedia: BLAZING ANGELS: SQUADRONS OF WWII Game Trailers:
QUARKXPRESS 7 ROGUE TROOPER FIFA WORLD CUP 2006 THE ELDER SCROLLS
PLATO VIDEO TO IPOD CONVERTER POSEIDON IV OBLIVION, MORTAL KOMBAT:
MAGIX AUDIO CLEANING LAB 10 ARMAGEDDON
Linux:
Security: FEDORA CORE 5
Game Demos:
ASHAMPOO MAGICAL SECURITY ICE AGE 2: THE MELTDOWN
ANTIVIR PERSONAL EDITION IRON WARRIORS: T-72 TANK COMMAND
VIRTUAL POOL 3
Utilities:
FREE ACCOUNTING SOFTWARE (BUSY UL 3.0)
WINZIP 10

Developer:
VISUAL BASIC EXPRESS 2005
ACEHTML PRO 6.05
 Quick Quote

MAY 2006 | VOLUME 3 | ISSUE 6

GENERAL MANAGER - PUBLISHING Chennai
Krishna Tewari O K Gurumurthy
Phone: (044) 28295050-54 Fax: (044) 28295060
EDITOR gurumurthy@infomediaindia.com
Marco Angelo D’Souza
Hyderabad
CHIP is a great ASSOCIATE FEATURES EDITOR
Carol D’Costa
Vasudevan Iyer
Phone: (040)55622211 Fax: (040) 23393488

resource for first-time SENIOR COPY EDITOR

Sharmistha Dey
Kolkata
A. K. Roy
Phone: (033) 2468637, 2468638 Fax: (033) 2462964
products, providing WRITERS
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Pranav Saran
fair reviews of their TEST CENTER
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capabilities (D) (011) 55303287
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Copyright 2004 INTELLIGENT COMPUTING CHIP

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www.chip-india.com
INTELLIGENT COMPUTING CHIP | MAY 2006
16 TOWN SQUARE
THIS MONTH ON chip-india.com
Town Square
G
reetings! The month of April was really
hectic as there was a lot of activity online.
On last check, the number of registered
users had grown to 22,200. The rate at which new
members are registering at our site again confirms
the fact that if you need any technical help or want
to share your technical knowledge with others,
then chip-india.com is your best bet.
The various sections in our forums have been
buzzing with activity. We found some interesting
topics posted by some of our members. The
most interesting one was posted by “dweller”
who informs us how to make a web cam work
via infrared. Just visit http://homepage.ntlworld.
com/geoff.johnson2/IR/ and you will get a step-
by-step procedure. In the site the owner, Geoff
Johnson, has provided screenshots so that you
don’t have any difficulty understanding the entire
process. The next useful tip we found was posted
by “hellrider” in the Internet section. He basically
explains how to free up 20 percent of your
bandwidth that Microsoft preserves. The steps are
as follows:
Click on Start and then navigate to Run.
Type gpedit.msc.
Under the Local Computer Policy, double click
on Administrative Templates.
Double click on Network and then on QoS
Packet Scheduler.
Here, you will need to right click on Limit
Reservable bandwidth.
Click on Properties and then on Enabled.
Also, set the bandwidth limit (percentage) to
zero.
However, there are two things that you need to
keep in mind before you can try this trick. The
first is you will need to have a login account with
administrative privileges. The second is that this
trick is only for Windows XP Pro. If you have the
Home edition, then you cannot try this out.
In the Games section, “qdalz” invited all the
forum members to visit the site that he had made
for a LAN gaming cafe called Technopoint. The
URL for the site is www.technopoint.in. When we
visited the site, we found that it gives complete
information regarding the games that are played in
the cafe as well as specifications of the machines
that are used to play these games. It even features
a full-fledged forum that allows you to share your
expertise in gaming. It also has individual sections
for FPS, RTS, sports and racing games.
Another post that caught our eye was by
“lionelxp” in the Hardware section. It includes a
complete price listing of all the PC components
that are available today in the market. No matter
what you are searching for, you will find the price
for it in this post. If you are planning to buy a new
PC, you must definitely check out this post as it
gives you a fair idea of what components can be
bought within your budget.
We would like to bring to your notice an incident
that occurred in the past month because it deserves
a special mention. Most of the members went on
strike demanding that unless some new features
were added to the web site or a completely new
web site was launched, they would continue the
agitation. As a result, no new topics were posted in
any of the section. Newly registered members were
affected since they could not find answers to their
queries in Know-How. So we plunged into action
immediately and as promised, we enabled avatars
for the first time in our forums. Now the forums
indeed look impressive with each member trying to
get an avatar which is better than that of the other
member.
We have also planned a host of other features
for the web site. In due course of time, they will be
implemented and you will not need to go on a
strike again.
Do keep writing in and tell us what you want to
see in the magazine, what software or games you
want included on the cover discs, etc. We will make
a note of your suggestions and if appropriate, will
surely incorporate them.
See you guys next month. ■
| Anup Pillai
INTELLIGENT COMPUTING CHIP | MAY 2006
18 LETTERS
Letters
Dear CHIP,
I am a practising doctor from Baroda, Gujarat and
was just about to buy a laptop when I came across
your March issue. I read the article on the laptop
comparison thoroughly. I was just wondering why
some of the big brands were omitted from the
comparison. I was mainly concerned about Toshiba
and HP/Compaq.
As you will agree, choosing a laptop is really
difficult and I need a quick answer so that I may
arrive at a decision on my dream laptop as soon
as possible.
Sincere regards and thanks once again for the
lovely article demystifying the whole big issue
for me.
Vivek
Hello Vivek,
Yes, in this day and age, selecting a laptop can
truly be a Herculean task given the sheer variety of
products within a given price range. We’re glad you
liked our comparison besides putting the various
products through their paces, we aimed at providing
a relevant view of specifications and performance
levels of today’s laptop technologies. Given the
fact that there are so many varieties of
laptop brands in the markets (many
of which were non-existent even a
year ago!), procuring products for
such a comparison has always been a
challenge. However, over the course
of this comparison, the majority
of the brands were pro-active in
making their products available to
us to meet with our deadlines. Some
brands such as HP/Compaq and Toshiba
were unable to have their laptops
sent across for reasons ranging
all the way from a refresh
in product lines to not
Umesh Dahiwalkar
being able to dispatch the devices in time. Since our
deadlines are sacrosanct, we had no choice but to
omit them this time around. As we do regular tests
of products in our standalone test section, expect
to see their reviews in our forthcoming issues.
Team CHIP
Dear CHIP,
Another great issue! In your March issue, the
gaming section was super as were the articles on
power supply and dressing up Windows XP. I have
one request which I have been trying to get across
to you for a long time. Please conduct an anti-virus
and firewall shootout. You review so many security-
related programs and there are so many newer ones
being released that it is hard to choose which is the
best for a given application. It would
be great if you could present them in a single
product comparison.
I also request you to review stuff that the
‘common Indian PC user’ can afford. No doubt, the
Test Center reviews the best hardware available
but please do also feature shootouts of things
like generic input devices (which are significantly
cheaper than the top-of-the-line Microsoft and
Logitech products), cabinets, power supplies, etc.
To conclude—for the past two years, I have
always noticed that the “Red Hot” software on the
tools CD is an image, video, audio or text editor.
Please include something new and unique in your
forthcoming CDs.
I know that you guys put in a lot of hard work
into each issue and may not be able to look into all
the suggestions but I believe that there is room for
improvement even for a magazine like CHIP!
Amit Patnaik
Hello Amit,
The topic of anti-virus and security software is an
interesting one. These applications are sciences unto
themselves—given the breadth of programming
expertise that needs to go into a software application
like an anti-virus program. So evaluating them
justly requires plenty of resources by way of live
virus samples, not to mention the hundreds of
test beds required to test infection methods, etc.
Even with infection types, these have proliferated
from file-level and e-mail infections to new-
generation threats through chat, spyware, adware
to even mobile viruses. And there are hundreds
INTELLIGENT COMPUTING CHIP | MAY 2006
 LETTERS 19

MAY 2006 | INTELLIGENT COMPUTING CHIP

 20 LETTERS
Letters
of newer infection types cropping up every day.
Since we are not fully equipped with the systems
required to do complete justice to an anti-virus
comparison, we prefer not to conduct one solely
on the basis of an application’s features. However,
Now you can we do have plans to collaborate with standards-
SMS us!
based test centers that have dedicated resources
for virus threat analysis and countering processes.
But this may take more than a few months.
Since we like knowing what’s
While we do have a fair amount of product
on your mind and what you
think about our magazine, we tests focusing on the more affordable hardware
now bring you another way and software products, we do try to achieve a
to get in touch with us. Have good balance of ‘high-end’ products with the
something to say about a test more affordable variants. You will see this in
review? Liked a feature story?
Was the workshop useful? the increased number of product tests around
SMS us your feedback! computer cabinets and input devices over the
Here’s how: last few months. Finally, regarding the types of
applications featured in the Red Hot section of
For comments on a story,
our Tools CD, we’ve created a dedicated mail ID
create the following message:
ICCO <Your comments here> to receive feedback on our cover disk contents. So,
Example: ICCO The cover do write to us at chip.cd@chip-india.com with
story was very useful suggestions on such applications and we’ll try to
incorporate as many of these in our future issues.
You can write as much as you
want in your comment! Team CHIP
To rate a story, product Dear CHIP,
review, etc look out for the We, the staff and officials of the Department of
story tag at the base of each
article and use it as follows: Science & Technology (Govt. of West Bengal), run
ICCP <Story tag> <Rating> an Office Library named “Aniwksha” at Bikash
Example: ICCP PWS 5 Bhawan in Kolkata. Ever since we have started
subscribing to your magazine, it has found favor
The “Story tag” is mentioned
with many of our Aniwksha members. The way you
at the base of every story
in the magazine and the cover technology topics and the manner in which
“Rating” is on a scale of 1 it is put forth is really fantastic. We have solved
to 5. plenty of our daily problems after reading sections
like your Tips and Tricks. Through your various
Finally, send your messages
to 7007. hardware and software product tests, we have
gained practical information on the performance
Cheers! and price of various products and it is easy to see
them presented in a nice tabular form. Also, the
cover stories are of great interest to all of us. We
preserve all of your magazines.
We have just finished reading the March 2006
issue. And we want to tell you that we receive your
70 07
ve r stor
y magazines very late, usually in the last week of the
as a fu n co
T hat w
ICCO month. In fact, we have still not received a copy
of the November 2005 issue and the same was
informed to your office over mail last month. It will
be of great help if you would be kind enough to
send us a copy of the November issue at the earliest.
Expecting an early reply.
Amiya Kumar Kalidaha
Dear Amiya,
Thanks for the kind words about our magazine
and apologies for the respective issue not
reaching you on time. This information has
been passed on to our subscription department
and they will be taking the necessary action.
Team CHIP
Dear CHIP,
Thanks to you. We have received the November-
05 issue of CHIP magazine. Thank you for your
prompt action and also for following up with our
request.
Amiya Kumar Kalidaha
Dear CHIP,
I have been a regular follower of your magazine
for almost two years now. We have just started a
pocket PC enthusiasts’ site at www.indippc.com
with an active forum of around 150 (and growing)
members. Now that Windows’ mobile platform
is getting popular in India with all the O2s and
Imates coming in (we really liked your review of
the Atom by the way), we thought it was about
time we had our own community site. I think we
are the one and only Pocket PC enthusiast site for
India. We would like if you could tell your readers
about this initiative. We would also appreciate if
Pocket PC/Palm enthusiasts from the CHIP team
could visit our forums and share a tip or two with
our readers.
Hoping to get a positive response from you. A
little support will indeed go a long way.
Vinit Gupta
Dear Vinit,
With data becoming more portable, having
access to one’s documents while on the move is
getting increasingly important. This is a good
initiative you’ve started and will certainly be a
practical resource to handheld users here in India.
We wish you all the best in this endeavor.
Team CHIP
INTELLIGENT COMPUTING CHIP | MAY 2006
22 NEWSWIRE
Embracing the PC
Intel’s Community PC has been built in a way that it can face
the challenges of rural India
T
he Indian rural sector is on the throes of
witnessing a revolution in coming face to
| Joydeep Bose face to technology. Several information
Director, Emerging Markets and Platform
Group, Intel communication technology programs sponsored
by the Government of India have got the rural
race jumping on the tech bandwagon.
But although India is being touted as the
next tech super power, it only has a miniscule
4 percent of PC population. In such a scenario,
Intel’s “Discover the PC” project makes sense
because the country has not been able to bridge
the digital divide completely. This project is Intel’s
initiative to make the benefits of computer usage
more broadly available to all developing nations.
Part of this “Discover the PC” project is a unique
PC platform designed to meet the needs of the
rural populace in India. In an interview with CHIP,
Joydeep Bose, Director, Emerging Markets and
Platform Group, talks more on the Community PC.
Q: How will the Community PC meet the
practical needs of the rural populace? How will
it help in educating the PC-illiterate race?
JB: The Community PC is an innovation
undertaken by Intel after intensive ethnographic
studies in rural India. Intel realized that the villages
needed computing to improve their efficiency of
business, improve productivity and manage their
growth and address social needs like education
and health. It also recognized that villages in
India need the computing power to meet social,
educational and health needs as well smoothen
the process of administrative functionalities. As
rural India is transcending from an agricultural
economy to a trading economy, the dynamics
also change—there is a growing need for efficient
and productive tools. Also, as quick delivery of
knowledge is possible through computing-based
devices, it becomes even more important to have
access to the specialized technology that can
address such educational and practical needs.
Our research revealed that providing
community services through ICT can help the rural
folks have access to such technology and thereby,
raise the their living standards. Given this premise,
the platform to provide ICT and community
services must be able to withstand the challenges
of rural India, which are harsh climatic conditions,
power blackouts, ability to control assets and
reducing the ownership cost. The result of this
research is the “Community PC”. This PC has been
constructed in a way that when denuded to tough
weather conditions such as extreme temperatures,
high dust levels, problems of fluctuating power
supply and lack of IT support in remote areas, it
can still function properly.
One of the usage models of the Community
PC is to use it as a device to help users
understand and learn the educational content in
addition to computer and software skills.
Q) The Intel-powered community PC is part
of the Discover the PC initiative. What other
projects are part of this initiative?
JB: The community PC is one among many
offerings from Intel as a part of the Discover the
PC campaign. There are other products like the
Affordable PC, Education PC and others, which
will be launched soon as a part of this campaign.
Q) Will the ruggedized PC help in computing
better?
JB: The ruggedized PC will ensure that the PC
runs for a longer time without failure in harsh
conditions, thus proving the overall utility and
longevity of the productive PC. The redesigned
motherboard has been optimized for power
consumption and will hence, result in better
utilization of the available power for computing.
Q) How will the Community PC platform
work? Tell us about its architecture.
JB: The Community PC has been developed
exclusively to fit into rural India. This PC caters
to the needs of the villages and is also equipped
to adapt to the varying climatic and topographic
conditions prevalent. The unique features of the
Community PC are:
INTELLIGENT COMPUTING CHIP | MAY 2006

• It runs on a car battery in cases of
fluctuating power supply.
• It consumes less power.
• It’s thermally redesigned chassis can
withstand extreme temperatures.
• It is fitted with a dust filter to combat
problems related to high dust levels.
• It is enabled with value added software
like Power and System Management.
• The CPC has a unique feature called
Asset Management that can be used to
provision and de-provision the PC based
on business logic. One key application of
this feature is “Pay per use”.
Q: What is Jagruti or Awakening
initiative all about? Do you think such
an initiative will help bridge the digital
divide and how?
JB: Jagruti is the name of the campaign
for the community initiative by Intel. It
is a Community Awakening initiative to
bring together various players in the ICT
space—the government, OS vendors,
independent software vendors, NGOs,
kiosk service providers and Intel. Everyone
has a part to play in order to bridge the
digital divide and thereby, the initiative
to channel the efforts of the ecosystem
around this objective. It has four key pillars:
a. The rugged hardware platform and
peripherals from Intel and its OEMs.
b. A low cost wireless connectivity solution
from Intel, OEMs and Telcos/ISPs.
c. A community alliance of 30+ software
vendors for rural applications through
Intel’s ISV network.
d. A financing model to provide access to
capital to rural entrepreneurs.
Jagruti is the umbrella program for a single
window rural computing solution.
Q) Where is this Community PC
available? What will its cost be like?
JB: The Community PC can be bought from
our OEMs. Depending on the configuration,
we expect our OEMs to quote in the range
of Rs 23,000 Rs to 25,000 for this product,
which would include everything along with
the 8-10 hour power backup solution.
Q) How is the Community PC different
from MIT’s $100 PC?
JB: We don’t want to comment on other
MAY 2006 | INTELLIGENT COMPUTING CHIP
people’s/companies’ projects. I guess,
all these programs aim at providing
technology to aid human life and in that
respect they are similar. Intel’s Jagruti is
not a not-for-profit initiative. Additionally,
the Intel Community PC is not a watered
down PC. Rural India does not want
cheap second-generation products. They
are looking for products, which will be
operational in their environment and
where the applications would add value
to their lives. Intel has been successful in
developing this value proposition.
Q) You have mentioned about these
community kiosks and plans of
community platforms to be set up on
them. How are these platforms going
to be put up? What necessary steps are
being taken in this respect?
JB: There are several ways in which these
kiosks and platforms would be set up in
rural India. Some of them would be:
a. With the help of the “Common Service
Centers” initiative of the Government
of India.
b. PC for government offices in rural India
through e-governance.
c. PC kiosks for railway stations/rural
telecom Internet cafes across the
country.
d. PC kiosks in post offices across rural
India.
The key to every deployment is
applications and connectivity, business
viability and access to capital, all of which
are covered under the Jagruti initiative.
Q) How far do you think these kiosks will
help in generating self-sufficiency among
the rural folks?
JB: Rural empowerment will be generated
by new services and information that
improve productivity and raise incomes for
illiterate people. It has a multiplier effect
in sustaining “involved” welfare building
of social and economic communities and
finally, integrating the village population to
India’s mainstream economy.
Q) How will the ruggedized
community PC platform generate
employment opportunities?
JB: Access to information—to new
SMS us!
NEWSWIRE 23
products, expanded choices and increased
purchasing power will improve the quality
of life. Rural entrepreneurship will result
in economic enrichment. Increased
penetration of trade and finance will benefit
farmers and the other poorer segment.
All of the above are expected to generate
both direct and indirect employment
opportunities.
Q) How is Jagruti different from
Microsoft’s Saksham project?
JB: Jagruti and Saksham are complementary
programs. Microsoft and Intel are integral
pieces to bridging the digital divide and are
working together in these initiatives.
Q) What are the other initiatives that
Intel is taking in this sphere and in
collaboration with who?
JB: Intel is involved in several initiatives
both in the computing as well as in the
connectivity sphere. It is working actively
with the Government of India—with various
organizations like the Ministry of Panchayati
Raj, state e-governance organizations, NGOs,
ISVs, OSVs, banks and other public sector
organizations. In the industry, we have key
partnerships with Microsoft, Yahoo, RedHat,
Oracle, TCS, IL&FS, NIIT, among many others.
Q) Are there any plans to introduce low-
cost laptops for educational needs?
JB: We are working on several platform
concepts including education centric
laptop for the emerging market. We shall
divulge the details as we have them. 
| Sharmistha Dey
Story code: NWI (See Readers’ Letters for details)
24 NEWSWIRE
Interpreting emotions
I t’s fairly easy to understand the meaning
of a facial expression and then analyze
it. But for those afflicted by autism, the
experience is entirely different. It is not only
difficult but they are also completely unable
to ascertain the feelings expressed through
facial expressions.
However, the Massachusetts Institute of
Technology (MIT) researchers have come up
with a novel computer-vision system, which
can do the mind reading for those who
are not able to do so. At the Body Sensor
Networks 2006 international workshop, two
researchers from MIT’s Media Lab wore tiny
cameras mounted on wire rods extending
from their chest to demonstrate how this
system works. The facial expressions and
the head movements captured by the
cameras are fed into a desktop computer,
capable of analyzing the data from the
video feed and give an estimate of the
individual’s mental state in the form of a
color-coded graph. Besides the graph, the
system is also equipped to provide a visual,
audio or tactile feedback to the wearer.
Interestingly, all these functions take place
simultaneously and the applicant does not
lose any time to infer what an expression
indicates during a conversation.
This system finds out that missing link,
which makes it hard for a person suffering
from Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) to
determine another’s emotion or thought.
Additionally, the graph helps in drawing
comparisons on the behavior of a normal
person from that of one who’s suffering
from autism and quantify them to identify
the problem better.
Presently, researchers are working on
evolving the system into a wearable PC,
enabling the user to get a response even if
he or she is on the move. Research is also
being carried out on Asperger Syndrome, an
ailment similar to autism but milder.
Snakebots come to rescue
R eal snakes are dangerous as one snake
bite might end your life but the snakes
we talk about here are life-savers. These
robot snakes team up with fire workers
to trace human existence under debris.
These snake robots are the invention of
37-year-old Howie Choset, professor at
Carnegie Mellon University. He and his
team have spent years in developing such
robots which can slither through collapsed
buildings in search of victims trapped
due to natural disasters, fire or other
emergencies. Choset recently claimed that
these robots are also capable of climbing
up and around pipes. It is this particular
feature that distinguishes his robot snake
from the several others.
Rescue workers who have worked
with such a snake robot claimed it to be
Laptop, PC thieves gypped
T oday, mobility among the workforce
has increased the risks of PC or laptop
theft or misplacement by employees, thus
leaving the personal or customer’s data
stored completely unprotected.
So in case you have lost your laptop
or PC, don’t worry. California-based
Everdream provides you with the solution
of tracking them down, keeping the data
securely locked within.
Everdream’s Theft Recovery Managed
Service (as the application is called) is
capable of retaining control over lost or
stolen PCs and laptops by encrypting or
deleting the data contained therein.
To enjoy the benefits, a user
needs to install the
application in
Dinesh Desai
a highly effective tool as it can move into
areas that are apparently impenetrable.
At the pace of taking out one stone
at a time to rescue a person, the time
consumed for such an operation is around
90 minutes. Keeping these factors in
mind, Choset designed a snake robot that
can move into the rubble and get the
victim out in the shortest span of time
without causing him any harm.
The lightweight aluminum or plastic
bodied robots have the length of an
arm, embedded with camera and
electronic sensors and can be controlled
by a joystick.
The “Breadstick” and “Pepperoni” as
they are called will be able to sense their
way up through the shards just as good as
their human operators.
his computer first. In case of theft or
misplacement, the device already installed
in the computer automatically connects
it to the web-based management console
named Everdream Control Center (ECC).
Immediately after the connection is
established, the ECC transfers a software
package that encrypts or deletes the
data from the hard disk. Consequently,
a collection of network information
regarding the PC or laptop is gathered at
ECC to locate and recover the machine.
Though recently launched, this product
has been appreciated by a number of
corporate firms dealing with
sensitive information.
INTELLIGENT COMPUTING CHIP | MAY 2006
NEWSWIRE 25
26 NEWSWIRE
Deciphering calligraphy The hidden “F”
A nalyzing handwriting or writing style
have been considered an art so far. But
with the advent of a calligraphy-deducing
application developed by Virginia-based
Gannon Technologies Group, the practice will
acquire a more scientific approach.
Gannon Technologies unveiled their
technology at the annual meeting of
American Association for the Advancement
of Science, where they were armed with a
dozen computers and a database of 500
handwriting samples, all of which were
reproductions of a single paragraph titled
“London Letter”. The company claims that
their application can differentiate varied
forms of handwriting while simultaneously
matching different samples of the
handwriting of the same person.
Here, the key functional area is statistical
analysis. From size to curvature gradation
of each and every character, the instrument
measures more than 200 different
parameters of a letter or a digit. Currently,
the group is also attributing a substantial
amount in research and development to
prove that the technology attains the same
accuracy level as that of DNA analysis.
It is felt that this technology of
evaluation will assign a scientific precision
to the forensic investigators’ or document
examiners’ efforts. Presently, this discerning
is solely dependent on manual skills to judge
and draw a conclusion on whether a writing
style presumed to be somebody’s is truly
his. But the prosecutors can challenge these
conclusions as they are aware about the fuzz
factor and the lack of proper technology to
substantiate such arguments. However,
with the new technology in hand, the
handwriting experts should calibrate
their scale of opinions ranging from
“certainty”, “highly probable”, “merely
probable” and “no conclusion” to
something more specific and figurative.
A team of scientists engaged in military
research recently came to the
conclusion that when it comes to reading
web pages, most readers read in an “F”
shaped pattern. Taking into consideration
the eye movements of 232
readers, it was found that a
reader generally reads in a
horizontal movement first.
This is followed by their
eyes moving downwards
a bit and then, ensues
reading across in a second
horizontal movement
covering a shorter area than what it was
previously. Finally, the user scans the
content on the left side of the page in a
vertical movement. Sometimes it could be
a systematic scan while at other times, it
could move faster just throwing a glimpse
at the text.
If a page contains some images or a box
at the top right, it is noticed that a viewer
Xtra in Xbox
N ow Xbox gamers can customize
their gaming experience by availing
the interesting option of replacing game
characters with that of the ones in the
downloaded movies.
Xbox Live has teamed up with
Paramount Pictures to offer their members
some new movie titles which includes
Mission: Impossible III and Nacho Libre. The
titles will come with HD formatted movie
trailers, exclusive theme pack and graphics.
Stars such as Jack Black of Paramount
usually concentrates over there leading to
some distortion in the “F” shape. All these
movements when tracked through a heat
map—with red colors defining the mostly
viewed area, yellow indicating the lesser and
blue signifying the least viewed area—gave
the shape of the letter “F”.
The study reiterates the guidelines
for web designing and writing web
content—since the user doesn’t read text
thoroughly, the first two paragraphs must
contain the most important information
comprising subheads, bullet points followed
by information in the realms of the text.
pictures have been roped in to play online
games with the regular gamers.
This tie-up is Microsoft’s second
attempt to bring movie entertainment
to Xbox gamers. The first tie-up with Epic
records in March 2006 provided Xbox
gamers the chance to download high-
definition free music videos from Xbox
Live Marketplace.
Xbox Live users are also allowed
to download exclusive content like
interviews and contests to play games
with their favorite artists.
Such alliances may lead to a bigger
development yet to take place in the
movie industry—permitting download
of full-length movies in consoles.
Hollywood is seemingly not very
comfortable with download of movies
but with the increasing focus
on the digital realm, this
advancement is bound to be
inevitable and Hollywood
better agree if they wish to
retain their popularity in
the digital world.
INTELLIGENT COMPUTING CHIP | MAY 2006
28 NEWSWIRE
XXX
Zone alert to track kids Robot in labor
A XXX
new way to deal with paedophiles
has been found. A California-based
technology firm has teamed up with Joe
Dawson, whose 11-year-old daughter
Jessica was kidnapped and killed last year, to
introduce the first cell phone that uses GPS
to alert parents when a child is walking near
a sexual predator’s home. The application,
christened “Child Predator Zone Alert by
SMS” is also known as CAT Trax. It claims to
provide the parents a GEOFENCE zone built
around every listed child predator within
a certain zip code. It will notify parents
through mobile or pager text messages
when their child enters any such zone.
To determine if a child is within a “Safe
Zone” or to track the direction and speed
of a CAT Trax, parents can call the toll free
number of CAT Communication or log on
to their web site www.cattrax.us. CAT Trax
is currently only available on Sprint IDEN
mobile service. Registration to this service
involves paying only a monthly subscription.
One needs to have a GPS and a Java
handset. Currently Sprint IDEN service is
available on selected Motorola handsets.
The service will also enable parents to
restrict incoming and outgoing calls as per
pre-selected numbers. This way, parents
wouldn’t need to get anxious about the
numbers their kids are dialing or receiving
calls from.
Depending on the maturity of a child,
parents may add numbers a kid dials on
the phone or receives calls from. They can
also provide their kids with the liberty to
communicate further by releasing
certain features of the phone blocked by
them earlier.
CAT Communication claims that their
service will also help parents fight problems
like children getting lost or falling prey to
child predators.
SMS us! Poll: Does your computer play DVDs? (See Readers’ Letters for details)
U sing patients as guinea pigs for
medical studies claim around 98,000
lives annually in the United States. To end
such preventable medical errors, Dr Paul
Preston, an anesthesiologist at Kaiser
Permanente’s (a hospital chain) along with
with Miami based Gaumard Scientific Co
have developed Noelle, a life-like high-tech
mannequin. This robot is being used in the
recently introduced four-year pregnancy
care training program.
Noelle has already become a star in Paul’s
training program and is being employed
in 30 of Kaiser’s hospitals. Such training
programs have also been introduced at 22
hospitals in Idaho of which five are already
using Noelle.
The price of this model ranges from $3,200
to $22,000 depending on the ability to best
approximate a live birth. Noelle can be
programmed for a variety of complications
and cervix dilation. At times, she can labor
for hours and unexpectedly give birth to a
Reversal of roles
I n this tech-age, teachers turn table with
students in a bid to sharing knowledge
of technology. Megan Kennedy, an eighth
grade student of Hill City School of Kansas,
recently exemplified it. She participated
in a program called GenYes (Generation
of Youth and Educators Succeeding),
where kids teach teachers how to use
technology. Kennedy’s project engaged
her in working with a local kindergarten
school teacher along with two of her
classmates to integrate an Apple iMovie
into a lesson about clocks. Together the
team created a 3-minute movie showing a
5-year-old at various time periods in a day
with the Jackson Five song “ABC” playing
in the background. As part of the project,
Kennedy showed one of the teachers how
to upload the video from the camera clips
and add titles at the bottom of the slides.
Kennedy plans to carry forward her project
to next year by creating a web site for the
teacher and linking the movie to it.
Projects like these are becoming a trend
these days. In areas like California, Texas,
Arizona, New York and other parts of the
breach baby in a matter of minutes.
Taking guard against all sorts of
possible complications that may arise
during childbirth, David Isaza, an engineer
with Gaumard, sat in the labor room and
sent wireless signals to Noelle from his
laptop. With a key stroke, he inflicted
complications in Noelle overriding any
pre-programmed instructions.
Noelle is helping to teach doctors and
nurses how to take proper care of women
in labour.
US, a kid’s knowledge of technology is
being increasingly recognized. Scott Parker,
a teacher at Hill City School, believes that
these projects create a win-win situation for
both students and teachers. Students learn
career skills like collaboration and meeting
deadlines and teachers get on-the-job
training in technology for classroom lectures.
Along with acknowledging a student’s
technical know-how, projects like GenYes
have another objective. According to
advocators like Jamal Hicks, a teacher of
social studies and technology at Jonas Salk
Middle School in Sacramento, California,
98 percent of students at Jonas Salk
don’t have access to PCs at home. For the
first time this year, the seventh-graders
participated in a technology literacy
project named TechYes, where students are
rewarded for their proficiency in computers
and are even attributed credits for teaching
other students various tech skills. Hicks
says projects like these bring a student
in the US at par with his international
counterparts who are more acquainted
with technology.
INTELLIGENT COMPUTING CHIP | MAY 2006
30 NEWSWIRE
Chuck bulbs for OLEDs Nano car gets an engine
T XXX
he time is near when we will discard
bulbs and fluorescent tubes and settle
for the windows of our home to lighten
the room after sunset. This is possible with
the help of OLEDs (Organic Light Emitting
Devices) that stay transparent even when
turned off, implying that if they are installed
as skylights or windows, they will allow
natural light to flow in during the day and
create a mimic of the same light at night.
After spending 13 years in studying
OLEDs, researchers Stephen Forrest and
Mark Thompson from the Princeton
University and University of Southern
California, invented an efficient single
color display for the first time. They used
a three-layer (one each for red, green and
blue) light source to emit white light. This
display is now ready to enter the next-gen
cell phones.
For any OLED device with multiple
layers, each layer is a semi-conducting
material of organic compound, where the
electrons of the organic molecules jump
at a higher energy level for a short span.
As the electrons come back to their lower
energy level, they release the surplus energy
in the form of light. Forrest and Thompson
added dopant (chemical impurities) to these
organic compounds to emit colored light
from these materials. This is how OLED
emanating red, green and blue light were
combined to generate white light.
OLEDs can be installed at multiple places
like walls, curtains, cabinets and tables
to receive more light compared to that
received from a bulb or tubelight. A regular
bulb emits 15 lumens per watt-hour of
energy whereas an OLED will discharge 25
lumens per watt-hour and it will also last
longer. While a bulb lasts 1,000 hours and
a fluorescent tube 10,000 hours, an OLED
will 20,000 hours. This way even the cost of
energy consumption is reduced.
F rom what we knew, the nano car that
has been much in the news basically
used to be an engine-less car made out of
organic molecules. These cars used gold
plates as its tracks which ensured the
wheels did not get stuck to the surface.
Instead, the wheels were dragged by
an electromagnetic field controlled by
a remote. But now the three-by-four
nanometer car has finally got an engine.
The car has been developed by Jim Tour
and his colleagues at Rice University,
Houston. The developers say that the car is
so small that around 20,000 of them could
get parked on the tip of a human hair.
The nano-car’s molecular motor
contains a pair of bonded carbon molecules
rotating in one particular direction when
illuminated by a specific wavelength of
light. While checking the movement of
the inherent hydrogen atoms, Tour’s team
made use of nuclear magnetic resonance—
the technique applied to monitor the
Just C’ALL!
N ow you need not carry your credit
cards, discount cards, cell phone,
music player, apartment and car keys
separately. All you need to carry is C’ALL,
the all-in-one device, handling everything
you found difficult to manage.
Measuring 54x85x6 mm, its biometric
system works on fingerprints and so
your privacy is taken care of. Being a
multipurpose device, C’ALL is
not restricted to
any specific type of
service. For example,
if you have two credit
cards—one using Visa’s
network and the other
exercising Mastercard’s
network—you need to
specify one from the list
of networks that you
would like to opt for and
again select the bank,
whose credit card you
would wish to employ.
While using C’ALL as
a phone, you first need
movement of atoms and molecules (similar
to MRI) and found that the engine is
capable of propelling the car.
Tour expects the car to travel at a
speed of 2 nanometers per minute with
the newly inserted engine. The gold track
comprises the chief source in making the
car move completely on its own with its
molecules consuming the entire energy
absorbed from the light. As of now, there
are no plans to replace the gold track with
anything non-metallic as the microscope
generally used to monitor the movement
of the car needs a metal base to deliver an
accurate reading.
to select the service provider and then dial
the number or receive a call.
C’ALL also serves the purpose of
a videophone. It can even switch
functionality, exchanging the role of a
mobile phone to that of a computer by
just getting plugged to a keyboard enabled
to run any operating system—whether it
be Mac or Windows.
C’ALL functions as a
library, video- and music
shop. You can read, listen
to and watch all that you
want. Go to a public online
library or buy all that you
want in any shop of the
world. It is also a gaming
device having the support of
network gaming.
With C’ALL, you’ll never
get lost. This is because the
GPS functionality of C’ALL
updates aerial photos from
the Internet and is therefore
capable of keeping a track of
your movements.
INTELLIGENT COMPUTING CHIP | MAY 2006
Biolab on a Chip
Biochips can identify various diseases before they spread, warn of the possibility of
epidemics and biological poisons and even detect spoilt food
W
ith the fear of diseases
proliferating as quickly as they
are these days, in the near
future you might have to pass through a
health exam while crossing the borders of
a country. A blood test can quickly provide
vital information, for instance, whether
you are carrying a particular virus or not.
Recent advances in science have enabled
testing of blood samples on a chip card.
The blood will be absorbed into the chip
through capillaries on the card. Chemical
reactions can be carried out inside the
chip’s miniature test sites. All this will be
done on a card which has a biolab on it.
The size of the card is the same as that of a
credit card.
The biochip, which combines biology and
modern semiconductor technology, is just
one of the many developments promised by
medical diagnosis technology. It is a chip that
can quickly recognize an illness or perform
genetic testing. One important advantage of
this chip, among other things, is that it will
be useful in fighting deadly outbreaks. So far,
epidemics such as bird flu have been difficult
to control because identifying the virus is a
slow and complicated process.
Biochips can be programmed to
accurately identify a particular virus.
Virus identification is performed through
electric signals from a series of sensors on
the silicon chip, while the programming
is biochemical in nature. “Each molecule
in nature has a corresponding match for
purposes of identification. These molecules
can be identified with by a biochip”, says
Dr Rainer Hintsche from the Fraunhofer
Institute of Silicon Technology (ISIT).
Viruses and even bacteria can be isolated
from blood samples if a biochip has been
equipped with the correct antibodies. The
chip can function as a genetics laboratory if
it has capture elements for DNA molecules.
Outside the medical field, biochips
are finding important roles. They can be
designed to analyze food, detect poison or
trace the presence of biological weapons.
Hintsche, together with two other
inventors from Infineon and Siemens,
German Future Award recipients—
Dr Walter Gumbrecht (Siemens), Dr
Rainer Hintsche (Fraunhofer ISIT), and Dr
Roland Thewes (Infineon) with biochip
plans. Infineon has since left the project
while Siemens and Fraunhofer have
advanced biochip development
received the German Future Award for
developing universal biochip applications.
“The technology that we are using at
ISIT is truly one-of-a-kind”, says Hintsche
with conviction. “Here, for the first time
industrial technology is being used to
combine a chip—just a common everyday
chip—with the world of chemical and
biochemical analysis.”
Biochip research has been on since
the year 1983. Since 1991, various micro-
systems have been developed at the
Fraunhofer ISIT. The main focus at the
Fraunhofer Institute has been the planning
of sensors for mobile construction.
In a sterile room with an area of about
2.500 m², ISIT produces chips at a capacity of
200,000 wafers a year. In another separate
room under yellow lighting, where silicon
sheets are processed, other materials such
as gold, copper, sulfur, acid and biochemical
substances are used in producing these chips.
To gain connections to the biological
realm, these silicon chips are equipped
with ultra-fine gold electrodes, tipped with
firmly embedded capture molecules. To
create these electrodes, developers relied
on existing technologies such as using
gold contacts from conventional chips
for electrodes. Between the gold and the
biomolecules is a layer of what is called the
“coupling chemical” by its discoverers.
INTELLIGENT COMPUTING CHIP | MAY 2006
 NEWSWIRE 33

DNA TEST ON A CARD
Siemens simplifies genetic analysis with
Quicklab, a minilab—the size of a credit
card. Biochemical reactions can be identified
in the many channels and cells of the card.
However, the reader still needs to be shrunk
to PDA size before it can be marketed
MASS APPLICATIONS
There is no molecule a biochip can’t
identify. Biochemical programming using
the right antibodies for capture, makes
the “Lab on a chip” universally applicable
in several fields. It can recognize diseases,
toxins and genes. This makes the minilab
attractive for military as well as for
medical use

Virus check
At ISIT, the chip has been developed in
a way that antibodies can be installed
onto it as capture molecules through the
“sulfur bridge” process on gold electrodes.
“Since we began, we have succeeded with
every type of biomolecule without any
exception”, says Dr Ralf Dudde at ISIT.
However, the real problem lies elsewhere.
Virus stockpiles in contries like the United
States are always tightly shut, without
the chance of anyone accessing them. But
the Robert-Koch Institute in Berlin helps in
creating antibodies.
The portion of the chip where the
capture molecules are located resembles
an array of tiny cells. Under the microscope,
you can see a fine screen of gold electrodes
in each element of the array. In order to
detect multiple components in parallel, a
biochip has to be equipped with many cells.
Smaller biochips have 10-20 cells and can
identify several other viruses. Just like in an
inkjet printer, a single sample-head equips
a chip with capture molecules. For genetic
tests, larger chips are used with as many as
1,000 cells in their arrays.
The factor that allows the construction
of compact and cheap biochips is the
detection system based on electricity. We
no longer need light sources, lenses and
filters as we did for conventional optical
identification where a biomolecule is
tagged with fluorescent coloring. Now,
biological identification can take place
on a chip electrically. This reduces the
cost of the test to 1/10 of the usual. As a
mass-production product, biochips can
be produced cheaply using industrial
semiconductor production methods.
Siemens Medical Solutions is one of the
companies that plans to mature biochip
techniques for the market as a molecular
diagnostic system called “Quicklab.”
“Siemens is certain of the potential of the
biochip market”, says Prof Erich Reinhardt
of Siemens, as he presses for and promises
the realization of the project in the near
future. With the “Lab on the chip”, Siemens
is aiming at a monster market. Every
year, molecular diagnosis represents as
much as a 1 million Euro market. Based
on the principle of “Blood in, info out”,
the analysis of samples at TKP, clinics and
practising doctors will be able to get faster,
more accurate results with biochips. For
example, a large lab facility could take
one or two weeks to deliver the results of
a SARS test. An electronic biochip could
deliver the same result in 1 hour!
Dr Joern Mosner, Quicklab project
manager at Siemens, estimates that by
2009, new biochips will begin to receive
medical certifications. Furthermore, clinical
applications starting from prototypes will
make their way to mass market products. A
few years down the line, it will be possible
to get an instant blood test done the
moment you arrive in a new country.
At the moment they rely on a single-
Links
www.isit.fhg.de: Fraunhofer Institute for
Silicon Technology
www.deutscher-zukunftspreis.
de/newsite/ 2004/kurzbeschreibung_
01.shtml: A simple explanation of the
biochip project
www.medical.siemens.com: Siemens
Biotechnica
use detector about the size of a credit
card–where the chip, capillaries and cells are
located–and a reader which records data. A
single highly integrated chip will take over
all the analysis that the card would handle,
and organic diodes would instantly show
the results.
Biochip implementations
For further development, researchers have
taken to many branching paths. They are
also creating portable devices for use in
diagnostics on field. With a weight of 2
kgs, the first generation of these products
are small enough to be used for testing
anything from milk in transport tanks to
antibiotic wastes. Air samples can also
be checked for E coli bacteria or decaying
meat can be instantly detected
in supermarket shelves using food
sensors.
“Toxins are also important”, says
Hintsche”. However, large chips are not
required; small biochips are enough to
detect certain toxins. Firefighters, military
and civil defense are field-testing devices
that can detect anthrax or sarin gas.
Biochips are also suited to detect biological
weapon threats.
In a major exercise, defense technology
producer, Diehl, has tested gear developed
at ISIT along with doctors and emergency
paramedics and expects to make use of its
application in the upcoming World Cup.
For too long, researchers elsewhere, in
Asia and the US, have also been searching
for the best combination between biology
and silicon chips. And sooner or later, it will
be found. ■
| Manfred Flohr

MAY 2006 | INTELLIGENT COMPUTING CHIP

34

Get Web--
Get on the Web and advertise

U
nlike the real world, the Web offers an
infinite number of possibilities for reaching
out. You could be a home user interested
in telling your family, friends or the world at large
about your hobbies and experiences; you could
even be an entrepreneur with a flair for cooking or
freelance designing wanting to get your name and
skill sets out to potential customers. No matter
what the situation, having a web presence puts you
in a different league altogether—right up there with
the professionals!
Coverstory

But where do you start? How do you go about

deciding where to host your web site? Can you
sell your wares directly off your web site? How do
you monitor how popular it is? All these questions
are potential stumbling blocks on the path to web
presence. We all know that broadband penetration
in India is on the upswing—in cities, the number

Dinesh Desai

INTELLIGENT COMPUTING CHIP | MAY 2006

 TECH VACATIONS | COVERSTORY 35

- enabled!
yourself or your hobbies!

of 256 kbps+ Internet access connections stands
at about 7.5 lacs at present and this is expected to
increase to 90 lacs by the end of this year, according to
Cellular Operators Association of India (COAI). Even
basic Internet access is reaching smaller cities and
towns due to the spurt of deployments by service
providers, using wired and wireless technologies.
All this implies that more people have the means to
access online information.
There’s another interesting trend—people are
gradually growing accustomed to surfing the web
from devices other than their desktop computers.
With the plummeting prices of laptops and Internet-
capable mobile phones, it’s not unusual to see folks
checking their mail or surfing the Web while in
transit. Apart from disseminating information, a
growing number of web sites today have services
embedded online. Whether it is online purchase of
products, downloadable ringtones or live RSS feeds
from personal blogs, Internet usage has become far
more utilitarian other than just being gimmicky. With
talk of newer wireless infrastructure (in both cellular
technologies and wireless Internet technologies like
WiMAX), this trend is not about to abate.
While in the past it was preferable to have a
web presence, in this day and age it is mandatory,
particularly if you want your business and popularity
to grow. So jump on the web bandwagon—it’s easier
than ever these days!

MAY 2006 | INTELLIGENT COMPUTING CHIP

SMS us! Story code: CRS (See Readers’ Letters for details)
36 COVERSTORY | TECH VACATIONS
Q: What are the benefits of having a
web site?
A: A web site not only allows anyone and
everyone access to online space, it is also
capable of incorporating a lot of things
within that space such as text, images,
photographs, audio and video files. So if you
are a person who likes to put down everyday
details in the form of notes or you are one
who owns a small business, a web site is one
space where, if you put up your stuff, you
are bound to be viewed/read globally.
There’s huge scope for business—
consider the fact that there are over
20 million online shoppers. Also, the
proposition of doing business online is
indeed luring when you get a prescient
account of the profits that can be incurred
by online businessmen. To top it all, the
online audience is growing by the day and
therefore, the scope for business growth
is immense.
Even if you are not a businessman, you
have the opportunity to exhibit your skills
and/or collections to the largest set of
viewers. If you wish, you can have all those
viewers comment or place feedback on the
work that you have displayed online. Not
only that, your online presence can attract
people who share the same views as that
of yours and all you folks can discuss on
a topic which you feel important and
relevant. This way you create and become
part of an online community.
More importantly, a web site gives
you a unique identity. Your web site gives
you a status that is singularly your own.
Sharing your profile, product or any other
information with anyone becomes easy as
people can access all of it at the click of
a mouse.
Q: I’m interested in creating a web
site of my own. But I want to do
it just for fun. Will I have to shell
out any money for it?
A: To whet your appetite of having fun on
a web site, you can avail the opportunity
offered by several companies in the form
of free online space. There are a number of
companies that offer free online space for
your personal web site such as www.yahoo.
com, www.wanadoo.co.uk, www.freewebs.
com, to name a few. Even Google has come
up with their free web site offer (www.
google.com).
You as the web site owner need to keep
in mind a couple of things such as how
much space you are going to get to upload
your web site, whether you are getting
enough space to upload photographs,
audio/video files apart from text and
photographs, enough space for e-mail
separately. Check whether you have the
liberty to design your web site or if there
are any limits for data transfer during a day
or week or even a month.
Although free, these web sites come
with different kinds of hidden costs
attached. Firstly, you will not be able to
name your web site as desired by you.
These companies will have their names
attached along with the name that you
have decided to opt for. For example, you
will never be able to name your web site as
“myname.com”; rather your web site would
be “companyname/myname.com” (the
company name here stands for the name
of the company offering you online space).
Secondly, your page will be nearly filled
with advertisements, banner ads at the
top or at the bottom, box ads at the sides,
pop-up ads, sliding ads and all possible form
of ads which the space offering company
deems fit to rake in some moolah out of the
space that they have offered you for free.
Thirdly, a web site with someone else’s
name along with yours is not a professional
approach to establishing your online
identity. It is as if you have borrowed
someone else’s room and that person
makes sure he announces it to every visitor
who comes to visit you.
Q: I want the web site I create to be
named after my grand daughter.
How do I do that?
A: The web site that you create should
have a domain name. This is very
important for any web site as it is the name
by which your site will be known. When
you plan to create a web site, you need
to contact a web hosting company who
will ask you for a name for your web site.
This is the juncture when you can assign a
name. This name can range from anything
to everything, even your granddaughter’s
name will work fine.
INTELLIGENT COMPUTING CHIP | MAY 2006
 TECH VACATIONS | COVERSTORY 37

The only thing that you need to different name. Remember your web site the name you have chosen. Now all you
understand is “availability”. If the name name should be short, simple and easy need to do is design your site and put it up.
you have suggested has not been used by to remember.
anyone else before, then you can surely Once you find the name you want to Q: I have heard there are sites that
have it. For example, if you want your web use is available, the next step is to register offer web hosting services. What
site to be named “www.greenapple.com” the name with that web hosting company kind of services are these?
while a web site with that name already so that no one else can use it. After A: To put up your web site, you need to
exists, then you have to think of some registration, you can call your web site with contact a web hosting company. These
companies have their own web sites that
| Training institutes enlist all the services they offer. You can
NIIT visit their site as a customer, check their
list of services and then register your
Useful links for http://www.niit.com/index.asp (click on link “Individuals” | select India
course information from the country list and click on “Go” | click on “Locate a center” domain name straightaway to avail their
services in uploading your web site. Web
Email careercourses@niit.com
hosting companies charge a certain
Arena Multimedia
amount for their services. Therefore before
Useful Links http://www.arena-multimedia.com/coursesshort.htm# you go ahead and decide on a web hosting
http://www.arena-multimedia.com/courses/shorttermcourses.htm company, you need to check the entire list
Email arena@aptech.ac.in of services that you can avail from them.
Even before registering your domain
Phone 022-28272300
name, check on the space first. You need
to keep in mind that your web site might
| Service providers have photographs, which implies you will
Web development Goradia Infotech require more space. Usually, a 100-page
companies E-mail info@goradiainfotech.com web site can be accommodated within
Brandmantra.net
50 MB space.
Web site http://brandmantra.net (click on “Why Us” | Scroll down
Also, check the bandwidth your web
to the bottom of the page and click on “Get a Free Website
hosting service provider is offering.
Consultation”)
Email info@brandmantra.net
Bandwidth is consumed every time a user
visits your web site. You need to check
Web hosting service VSNL
that the amount of bandwidth your web
providers E-mail customerservice@vsnl.co.in
site is using is less than the bandwidth
Tel no. Delhi 011-55501234
allotted to you. If not, then you either did
Mumbai 022-56578765 not get adequate bandwidth or the file
Kolkata 033-23554045 size of each and every page needs to be
Chennai 044-25360093 / 044-25366740 reduced.
Bangalore 080-56629000 Among other services, you need to
Sify check the level of security you are offered
E-mail Customer Support: customercare@sify.com to retain the privacy of your data; the
Product Information:
support that you get from your web
hosting company (whether it is 24x7 or
david_appasamy@sifycorp.com
not), server type (for example, Windows
sunil_gupta@sifycorp.com
or Linux) provided by your web hosting
biju_zachariah@sifycorp.com
service provider, etc.

MAY 2006 | INTELLIGENT COMPUTING CHIP

 38 COVERSTORY | GET WEB-ENABLED
Q: I don’t know how to design a web
site. Will the web hosting service
provider design it for me?
A: Web site design indicates how a web
site page will look on the screen when
it gets downloaded. This is again a very
important aspect of a site. If you are
hosting your site with some free service
provider like Yahoo or Google, you will be
allowed to use their design templates to
design your site. You need not have to be
a designer to work with those templates,
they are highly self-explanatory but they
have certain limitations. You might not be
allowed to modify the template as per your
requirement; if you wish to use the site
for conducting business online, these site
templates will hardly serve any purpose.
Web hosting service providers generally
don’t provide any support for designing
web sites. At this juncture, you might need
to get in touch with web developers. These
people are experts in understanding your
requirements and designing a web site that
exactly meets your needs. Web developers
charge you a certain amount (ranging from
Rs 300-400) for developing the site.
Another advantage of working with
web development companies is that they
take care of domain name registration
and also provide web hosting services. So
sift through the points you had checked
to decide on a web hosting company and
then opt for a web development company.
However, if you still feel your web site must
have the personal touch, you can try your
hand in designing your site. Refer to the
table for a listing of good training institutes
in the previous page.
Q: Does this mean the hosting
service guys will also maintain
my web site?
A: No, web hosting service guys generally
do not maintain a web site. But if you don’t
want to maintain it yourself, you can take
the support of web developers who are
masters in providing maintenance support.
Their support services range from adding
or deleting content, replacing sections,
adding or deleting product information
and photographs in case you are an
online businessman. At times, these web
development companies even go ahead to
process an order bought online from your
web site. Their maintenance support starts
from the time an order is placed to when
the product is ready to be shipped. They
take care of everything from documentation
of an order, tracking an order, checking
whether the payment is complete or not
to making the overall business process
hassle free. For the above tasks, there is a
minimum charge of Rs 200– 250.
Q: Is it safe to have personal
information on my web site? Will
hackers be able to deface my site?
A: The Internet is full of prowling monsters
waiting to hack into your personal
information. Therefore, you need to take
that extra care so that your personal details
don’t get pilfered. It is always advisable
to refrain from putting up any private
information on free web sites as they do not
guarantee security for your data.
A good web hosting service provider
offers a near-perfect secure environment
to store personal information or data
although there might not be an assurance
for 100 percent security. In fact, before
choosing a web hosting service you
should check this parameter very closely.
More so, if you are planning to do online
business where you need to deal with your
customer’s credit card information. You
need to check whether the web hosting
service providers are using SSL (Secured
Socket Layer), which is almost mandatory
for business sites. If you are a bit more
concerned then get in touch with your
service provider to find out what level
of security they implement. The level of
security is usually defined with the help
of bits of information. The greater this
number, the higher the security. Currently,
128-bit security is considered standard.
If you don’t want to get into the
nuances of security, then you need to
consult a web developing company. They
provide you with security services. All you
need to check is whether you are getting a
firewall for protection or if any third party
anti-virus application takes care of security.
Q: How do I conduct business
online?
A: So you have your web site up and
running and now want to use it as a
medium for selling your products. For this
you will need to consider some way in
which you can accept credit cards on your
site. Credit card payment option allows
you to take advantage of impulsive buyers
(including international customers), who
want to purchase your product immediately
after reading its features. This is because
credit card payment automatically takes
care of the currency differences.
There are two ways in which you can
accept credit cards on your web site:
By using your own e-cashier (merchant
account): To do this, you will need
to find a bank that will allow you to
open a merchant account. You can
check with your local banks for more
information on this.
Through a third party merchant: There
are numerous companies that are willing
to accept credit card payments on your
behalf in exchange for various fees and
percentages. This is explained later.
INTELLIGENT COMPUTING CHIP | MAY 2006

The next question that might crop up is
which method you should opt for. We
recommend that you go for the third party
merchant as it is very convenient to use. If
you are unsure about the response that your
product is going to get, then it is advisable
to go for this merchant. Also, the initial cost
of setting up your own merchant account
is very high as compared to that of a third
party merchant. The chances of being
gypped are also minimal while using a third
party merchant.
You will have to choose the third party
merchant according to the product that
you will be selling on your web site. If you
are a software developer and want to sell
your software, then you can tie up with
Digibuy (www.digibuy.com). They charge a
service fee of 13.9 percent per transaction.
Alternatively, you can choose Clickbank,
who charge you a one-time setup fee of
US$ 49.95 and a transaction fee of US$
1 plus 7.5 percent of the sale price. For
selling physical products (products that
are delivered to the customer’s doorstep),
use CCNow (www.ccnow.com). There’s
no setup fee but they charge you 9
percent per transaction. You could also
choose the popular PayPal (www.paypal.
com) as your merchant. They charge you
$0.25 for transactions of $15 and below
while for transactions above $15, you will
be charged 1.9 percent plus $0.25 per
transaction.
If you want to keep things simple, just
register yourself at www.ebay.in and
then provide your username on your site.
Persons who are interested in buying your
products will do so by logging onto eBay.
eBay itself uses PaisaPay as its merchant.
The buyer pays eBay (and not the seller)
through a credit card. The seller is credited
for the payment once the bank confirms
the transaction. eBay then verifies all
confirmed PaisaPay transactions and then
sends either a cheque or a demand draft to
each seller on a regular basis.
Q: Are there any forums where I
can discuss more about web site
development?
A: There are a number of web sites
from where you get information about
choosing good web hosting companies
MAY 2006 | INTELLIGENT COMPUTING CHIP
| Additional functionality
Learn here how you can add features to
your web site.
Adding a guest book to your web
site: Guest books allow visitors to your
web site to provide their names and e-mail
addresses and leave comments about your
site. Many sites offer free guest books
that display entries of your viewers and
allow you, the page designer, to delete old
or inappropriate entries. The steps are as
follows:
First, check if your web hosting service
allows you to add a guest book.
Check out the various sites that offer
free guest books.
Carefully read their terms and
conditions and then follow the step-
by-step process in order to determine
how your guest book looks, and what
questions need to be included.
Write down the code that will be given
to you.
Now all you need to do is to insert this
code to the appropriate section on your
web page and then advertise it to visitors
by mentioning about it.
Adding RSS feeds: RSS is an acronym
for Really Simple Syndication or Real-
time Simple Syndication. RSS is an easy
way of getting fresh content for your
web pages. RSS feeds are streaming
content that you can add to your
web site for free. RSS feeds are freely
available over the Internet. Some of
the major players in the RSS world are
Yahoo, CNN, Reuters, to name a few.
The simplest method by which you can
add RSS feeds to your web site is using
software called RSS Content Builder
which will get RSS feeds in both PHP
as well as Javascript format for your
web pages. Alternately, you could visit
as well as discuss issues about web
development, some of them are www.
webmasterforumsonline.com; www.
daniweb.com (Click on “Web development”
then click on “Web Design”); www.
knowledgestorm.com (Type “Web
development” or “Web design” to search
for forums); www.netaspace.com/hm/
home.aspx and the like. With most of these
GET WEB-ENABLED | COVERSTORY 39
www.tickermyfeed.com and simply
follow the procedure mentioned
there. If you search the Net, you will
find a wide array of options for adding
RSS feeds to your web site.
Adding a counter: How many people
have visited your web site? You can
display the number of visitors by adding
a graphical counter to your page. It is
a little box at the bottom of your web
page that has numbers on it. Every time
someone visits your web site, the number
will increase thus telling you as well as
everyone else who visits your site as to
how many people have been to your site
before. Some of the prominent counters
and their features are mentioned here.
TextCounter: This hit counter comes
in Perl version, a C++ version and a
graphical version. This is a very simple
counter that just lists the number of
visits your page has had.
Analog: If you want to try something
different then we recommend Analog.
This counter gives you all the regular
data like how many people have
visited your web site. It also breaks it
down into countries and gives you the
option of displaying the results in 35
different languages.
NBCiCounter: This one not only places
a counter on your page to keep track
of visitors, it also provides you with
a log that keeps track of page views
by date, day and time. Now you can
also find out what sites people surfed
before arriving at yours and what
browser they are using. The really
cool thing about this is that you can
receive an hourly breakdown of page
views—know what day and what time
visitors arrive at your site.
sites you need to register first and then put
up your queries. Even in yahoo groups, you
will gest links like Webmonkey, HTML-
Haven, php_king where you can discuss
your concerns about web site development
as well as get information about different
scripting languages that are oft used for
development of web sites. 
| Pradosh Mitra & Anup Pillai
40
Jagdish Limbachiya
Top Gear
W
e had an array of products this
month. The Asus PW191 is the
first 19-inch widescreen LCD
monitor we reviewed and it is arguably
the best looking LCD in the market. It was
indeed nothing short of a celebrity in the
Test Center. The iAudio U2 player is an
excellent choice for music lovers wanting
to equip themselves with a good sounding
MP3 player that does not hurt the wallet.
The Triton case from Gigabyte gives
you an absolute bang for the buck; it’s a
worthy investment if you are serious about
the thermals inside your computer case.
Shutterbugs going on a summer vacation
should consider the Olympus 720 SW;
Hardware
| The Ratings Explained
The products in the individual and
comparison tests share exactly the same
test procedures.
Each product in Top Gear is rated on
a scale of 5 for different key parameters:
Performance, Build Quality, Features,
Ergonomics and Warranty. These vary
according to the characteristics of the
hardware. For instance, ergonomics (ease
of use) is not important in a graphics
card and therefore, it will not be evaluated
for this.
A product’s Overall Rating is calculated
by assigning weightages to each evaluation
it adds an important dimension to the
ultra-compact digital camera segment—it
is shockproof and water-resistant. Gamers
now have a strong option for a surround
sound speaker setup—the Logitech X-530
delivers good quality sound at high volume
levels and the aggressive pricing makes it a
very attractive offer. The same cannot be
said about the Leadtek 7800GS AGP graphics
card, it commands a heavy premium for
being the most advanced AGP graphics
card in the market. Hardcore PC enthusiasts
should start saving for the Asus A8R32-MVP
Deluxe motherboard; it offers unrivaled
features including support for the latest
eSATA based external storage solutions.
parameter—the more important a parameter,
the higher is the weightage allotted to it.
In addition, there is a Value for Money
rating, which is calculated from the
performance and the features of the product,
in relation to the price. High performance
and lots of features at a low price translates
into a better Value for Money rating. This
rating is calculated using current prices.
Note: The prices mentioned here do
not include taxes. Hence, they will vary
according to the taxes applicable in
the city or state where you buy the
product from.
INTELLIGENT COMPUTING CHIP | MAY 2006

Looks can kill!
T his widescreen LCD monitor is a head
turner. To start with, the black piano
finish frame coupled with a brushed silver
stand lends superb styling. The design is
uniform and very simple, similar to the
plasma screens. Getting down to the
specifications and features, the PW191 has a
19-inch WXGA LCD screen with a maximum
supported resolution of 1440x900 and a
16:10 screen ratio. The brightness is rated
at 330cd/m2 and the contrast ratio is an
impressive 600:1. With a pixel pitch of
0.285mm, the PW191 sports 8 ms response
time. The viewing angle is pretty standard at
150°(H) / 130°(V) and it provides both D-Sub
as well as DVI connections. The LCD comes
with built-in speakers; the speakers are rated
at 2 W RMS each. The swivel design allows
5 to 25 degrees forward and backward
adjustment of the LCD panel while offering
120 degree adjustment laterally. The PW191
also offers 90 degree pivotal adjustment
for vertical viewing, enabling you to change
the orientation from landscape to portrait
through the software provided along with
the product. The portrait mode is suitable
for working with long charts and documents.
The OSD is integrated into the frame. Being
touch sensitive, the back-lit OSD controls
come to life when icons at the bottom right
corner are tapped.
MAY 2006 | INTELLIGENT COMPUTING CHIP
TESTED | HARDWARE 41
LCD Monitor
ASUS PW191
Specifications: 19 WXGA screen, Maximum Resolution
1440x900, Viewing Angle 150°(H) / 130°(V), Pixel Pitch:
0.285mm, Display Colors: 16.2 million, Brightness: 330
cd/m2, Contrast Ratio- 600:1, Response Time: 8 ms
Price Rs 29,000
Contact Richard Chen
Phone 022-40058894
E-mail media_india@asus.com.tw
Website www.asus.com.tw
Warranty 3 years
RATINGS
Build quality
Ergonomics
Performance
Features
Overall Rating
Value for money
Performance: The PW191 is an impressive
product with excellent brightness and
contrast matched by pristine image quality.
display. The viewing angles are also a little
tight for a 19-inch widescreen monitor. The
color accuracy deviates noticeably when
The overall color reproduction is good moving sideways. The touch sensitive OSD
but the color accuracy is slight off the controls were inconsistent in reponse.
mark for professional use. The colors are However, Asus assured us that the problem
a bit too vibrant, which helps in gaming was with the sample piece in particular and
and watching movies but does not aid not with the product in general. The built-
graphic designers. Working with multiple in speakers are average in sound quality;
documents is a charm, the wide aspect don’t expect them to replace your desktop
ratio and large screen size makes it very speakers.
convenient. The text is sharp and with a For: Excellent brightness and contrast,
native resolution of 1440x900, the LCD killer looks; impressive swivel and pivot
is perfect for office applications. Coming adjustments; superb build quality.
to gaming, the 8 ms response time is Against: Slightly restrictive view angles;
acceptable and we did not experience inconsistent performance when using
ghosting while enjoying a thrilling racing D-Sub input; colors too vivid for designers.
experience with Track Mania Sunrise or
NFS: Most Wanted. The 19-inch widescreen
display makes a huge difference when
watching movies. The vibrant colors and
sharp contrast ensures a near cinematic
experience. The swivel design offers a lot
of flexibility but it takes some effort to get
the position right and it’s not as easy as it
could be. It would have been a better idea
to provide a lock which can be released for
adjusting the position. Secondly, the display
quality is great provided you use the DVI
option. Using the analogue D-Sub input, we The touch sensitive controls are located at
the bottom right of the LCD
experienced banding and inconsistency in
SMS us <HWS> to 7007 (See Readers’ Letters for details)
42 HARDWARE | TESTED

Motherboard
Asus A8R32-MVP Deluxe
Specifications: Socket 939, ATI CrossFire Xpress 3-200
North Bridge, ULi M1575 South Bridge, 2 x full 16x PCI-E
slots, 7.1-channel Realtek ALC 882 HD audio, Silicon
Image SATA controller, SATA On-the-Go, 4xSata II Ports,
8xUSB ports, 2 xIEEE 1394a connectors, 2xATA 133
connectors, 1xFDD connector

Price Rs 12,000
Contact Jeffery Huang
Phone 022-40058894
E-mail media_india@asus.com.tw
Website www.asus.com.tw
Warranty 3 years
RATINGS
Build quality
Ergonomics
Performance
Features
Overall Rating
Value for money

CrossFire at its best

T he Asus A8R32-MVP Deluxe is based
on ATI’s latest CrossFire Xpress 3200
chipset codenamed RD580 or “Skeletor”.
around the CPU socket is clutter-free
without any intrusive capacitors,
allowing easy mounting of large
the cable for using the SATA-on-the-go
feature.

Like Nvidia’s NForce 4 SLI-16x, the new
chipset features two dedicated 16x
PCI-Express lanes for unprecedented
CrossFire performance. The RD580
follows the 110 nm fabrication process
and is just about 39 mm2 in size, making
it the smallest Northbridge in the market.
The ULi M1575 Southbridge supports
2xIDE connectors and 4xSATA II
connectors with support for RAID 0,
1, 0+1, 5 and JBOD configurations. In
addition to this, the board also packs
in an internal SATA II port and an
external SATA port on the back panel
controlled by the Silicon Image 3132 SATA
controller. There’s nothing missing from
the board—it is replete with 8-channel
high-definition audio, dual gigabit LAN,
2xIEEE 1394a connectors, 8xUSB ports
and 3 PCI slots. The back panel of the
board sports PS/2 and parallel ports,
coaxial and optical S/PDIF outputs, 4xUSB
ports and six universal audio jacks.
Layout: The board follows a fan-less
design with both the Northbridge and
the Southbridge featuring passive
aluminum heat sinks. The overall layout
of the motherboard is excellent. The area
heat sinks. TEST RIG
The SATA II ports controlled by the Processor: AMD Athlon 64 X2 4400+
Southbridge are intelligently placed Memory: 2 x 512 MB PC3200 Kingston
close to the edge of the board below the HyperX ULK2
Southbridge so that massive graphics Hard drive: Western Digital Raptor 740GD
cards like the X1900XT don’t get in the Graphics card: ATI Radeon X1900XT
way of SATA cables. Also, the PCI-E slots
are well spaced so that there’s enough SCORES
breathing space even with huge cards in 3DMark 2003: 17434 marks
dual-GPU setup. 3DMark 2005: 10520 marks
Performance: To make sure the
motherboard performs at its best, we PCMark 2005: 3621 marks
stressed it with top-end components
installed. Just as we had expected, SiSoft Sandra 2005 Pro
it did not leave us disappointed and CPU Arithmetic
belted out thunderous performance. Whetstones: 19820
The test scores reveal that the A8R32 is Dhrystones: 9171
a beast of a performer. At present, it is
the most powerful enthusiast CrossFire Memory bandwidth: 4,685 MB/s
motherboard in the market.
So, take this motherboard home and Everest Ultimate 2006
get set for next-generation gaming of the Read
ultimate kind. Sequential: 66 MB/s
For: 2xdedicated 16x PCI-Express lanes; Random: 60 MB/s
excellent layout; 7.1-channel high
definition Azalia audio; optical and Write
coaxial S/PDIF-out; excellent feature-set. Sequential: 68.5 MB/s
Against: The bundle doesn’t include Random: 64.5 MB/s

INTELLIGENT COMPUTING CHIP | MAY 2006

 TESTED | HARDWARE 43

Headset
Gainward Sound Xplosion
Specifications: 6-channel headset, self-adjusting
headband, 6-channel USB sound card, audio
extension cable, IR remote control.

Price Rs 2,450
Contact Mediatech India
Phone 022-26361111
E-mail chip@mediatechindia.com
Website www.mediatechindia.com
Warranty 1 year
RATINGS
Build quality
Ergonomics
Performance
Features
Overall Rating
Value for money

Personal surround sound

I f you think surround sound can only be
delivered by a multi-channel speaker
system, here’s something that will make
your jaws drop. The Gainward Sound
Xplosion is a multi-channel headset which
sports discrete drivers for each channel
—front, rear and center subwoofer.
To fit heads of all sizes, it features a
self-adjusting cushioned headband.
Upon wearing it, the headset fits
comfortably without the need to
adjust the length of the headband. The
cushioned ear pads over the earphones
add more to the comfort. These pads have
been included so that your ears don’t hurt
after a long music session or a movie.
For audio input, the headset features a
generous six-feet audio cable emerging
from the left headphone.
A suitable soundcard or a motherboard
having onboard multi-channel audio
output is required to enjoy the thrill of
surround sound. But in case you have
neither, don’t worry! The Gainward Sound
Xplosion is an all-round package which
also includes an external six-channel USB
soundcard—the Gainward Music 2 Go. It
resembles a puck and has volume control
buttons on top surrounding the backlit
Music 2 Go logo. Audio inputs and outputs
are located at the sides. Stereo, mic and
S/PDIF inputs are located on the left and
the six-channel output jacks are located
on the right. After installing Music 2 Go
like any other USB device, it requires a bit
of fine-tuning in order to adjust the sound
mode and equalizer to get the desired
sound quality.
After finding an IR receiver on the
soundcard, you’ll be even more surprised to
find a credit card-sized IR remote control as
part of the package. It has all the controls
that are present in the remote control of
a DVD player. However, using it requires
InterVideo WinDVD 5 installed on the PC.
A licensed copy of WinDVD 5 also forms a
part of the mega package.
Performance: The Sound Xplosion is
targeted mainly towards gamers and
movie buffs, who require an immersive
sound experience to get more thrill out
of games and movies. Of course, this one
The headset sports discrete drivers for
multi-channel sound
is a headset and you cannot expect it to
deliver the quality of surround sound that
multi-channel speakers emit. However, the
in-depth sound is quite perceptible since
it features support for six discrete sound
channels. Overall, the sound quality is good
except for the mids and the lows being
below average.
We suggest that instead of buying an
expensive headset costing you more than
a thousand bucks, shell out some more
money and get a multi-channel headset
as well as an external multi-channel
soundcard. Considering the features for the
price, the package is definitely a big bang
for the buck. You won’t regret putting in
your money for this one.
For: Good clarity; six-channel USB sound
card; S/PDIF I/O.
Against: Average bass; surround sound not
as immersive.
Audio extension cable and IR remote
control are an added bonus

MAY 2006 | INTELLIGENT COMPUTING CHIP

44 HARDWARE | TESTED

MP3 Player
Cowon iAUDIO U2 256MB
Specifications: Flash Player, 256 MB memory,
FM, Microphone, records FM, Line-in recording,
Rechargeable Li-Polymer battery, 20 hours rated
battery life, 95 dB signal-to-noise ratio, Weight: 34 gms
(Li-Polymer battery included)

Price Rs 4,800
Contact Lipap Systems Pvt Ltd
Phone 022-28743457
E-mail lipap@vsnl.com, iaudio@lipap.com
Website www.iaudio.com
Warranty 1 year
RATINGS
Build quality
Ergonomics
Performance
Features
Overall Rating
Value for money

Pocket this performer

W e all are quite familiar with
players from Apple, Creative and
iRiver. Let us introduce to you Cowon, an
internationally acclaimed contender in
the potable audio market. We have with
the IAUDIO U2, a very popular player from
Cowon. But does it live up to the hype it
has created? Let’s check it out.
Design: The U2 is the smallest MP3 player
we have reviewed so far; it weighs just 34
gms with the Li-Polymer battery included.
The display is backlit and has a blue
background light. But even though
the display is small, it packs in a lot of
information.
Features: As soon as you plug the U2 into
the PC’s USB port, it’s recognized as a
removable storage device. You just need to
drag and drop the songs.
The U2 is easy to navigate; we didn’t
even need to use the manual. It is capable
of making on-the-fly playlists i.e. it can even
create playlists when not connected to
the computer, an extremely indispensable
feature. The U2 is capable of voice and line-
in recording; it also has FM included.
Performance
Audio Quality - The sound quality is
phenomenal. We compared it to one of the
best sounding MP3 players—the iRiver IFP-
799T. Keeping all the settings at default,
we loaded both the players with the same
audio track. We found the U2 way better.
The highs were distinct and detailed and
the bass was tight and punchy.
Battery Life - It employs a rechargeable
Li-polymer battery life with a rated battery
life of 20 hours. With extensive usage, it
lasted us 16 hours, a good 4 hours short of
the rated battery life.
FM - With a player like this, you wouldn’t
want to use the FM, but if you do, the FM
quality won’t disappoint you.
We were informed that the 1 GB variant
has a street price of just Rs 6,500, an
absolute killer deal! We recommend you to
go for the 1 GB model instead of the 256
MB one.
For: Doesn’t require drivers for Windows
XP (just drag and drop songs); excellent
sound quality; small and extremely light;
can playback ogg files.
Against: Average microphone recording
ability.

Size comparison: The U2 vs an AA-sized

USB cable, USB plug, lanyard, line-in cable, case, earphone covers and earphones
battery

INTELLIGENT COMPUTING CHIP | MAY 2006

 TESTED | HARDWARE 45

AGP based graphics solution

Leadtek WinFast A7800 GS TDH
Price Rs 21,000
Contact Zebronics
Phone 022-26616202
E-mail zebronics@zebronics.com
Website www.zebronics.net
Warranty 3 years
RATINGS
Performance
Features
Overall Rating
Value for money

Gaming graphics
G amers on the AGP platform have
something to cheer about—the 7800GS
AGP is here! The Leadtek Winfast A7800GS
details. Looking at the bigger picture,
the performance is a tad disappointing
when compared to the 7800GT, which
15515
13419
3DMark 2003
Nvidia GeForce 7800GT
Nvidia GeForce 7600GT
TDH is the most powerful AGP based consistently stays ahead of the 7800GS. We 12731 Nvidia Geforce 6800GS
12007 Leadtek GeForce 7800GS
graphics solution that money can buy. Using tried over clocking the card; we were able 9495 ATI Radeon X1600XT
the 7800GS chipset, the card comes with 256 to push the clocks to 425 MHz/1.35 GHz, 0 5000 10000 15000 20000

MB of 256-bit memory. Being the first AGP the performance gain was between 3-7
card based on the 7800 series chipsets, the percent depending on the benchmark. 3DMark 2005
7277 Nvidia GeForce 7800GT
GPU uses 16 pixel shader units and 6 vertex For: Fastest AGP card with ShaderModel 3.0 5926 Nvidia GeForce 7600GT
shader units as compared to 20 pixel shader support; good software package. 5657 Nvidia Geforce 6800GS
5561 Leadtek GeForce 7800GS
and 7 vertex shader units in the 7800GT. The Against: Slower than the 7800GT and 5235 ATI Radeon X1600XT
Geforce 7800GS from Nvidia uses the 110nm 7600GT; overpriced. 0 1000 2000 3000 4000 5000 6000 7000 8000
G70 core that is clocked at 375 MHz and the
256 MB GDDR3 memory is clocked at 1.2 Doom 3 - High-1024X768@4XAA FEAR - MAX-1280x960@4xAA 16xAF
81 Nvidia GeForce 7800GT 32 Nvidia GeForce 7800GT
GHz. The package is pretty impressive with
71 Nvidia GeForce 7600GT 29 Nvidia GeForce 7600GT
two full game titles—Prince of Persia Warrior 64 Nvidia Geforce 6800GS 25 ATI Radeon X1600XT
67 Leadtek GeForce 7800GS 24 Leadtek GeForce 7800GS
Within and Splinter Cell Chaos Theory. The 43 ATI Radeon X1600XT 18 Nvidia Geforce 6800GS
box contains driver and utilities disc, DVI-VGA 0 20 40 60 80 100 0 5 10 15 20 25 30 35
converter and TV output cable.
Performance: The 7800GS is your best Doom 3 - High-1280X1024@4XAA HalfLife-2 Lost Coast-1024X768@4XAA 8XAF
55 Nvidia GeForce 7800GT 70 Nvidia GeForce 7800GT
bet if you want an AGP card that can 50 Nvidia GeForce 7600GT 40 Nvidia GeForce 7600GT
run all the current games at maximum 43 Nvidia Geforce 6800GS 40 Nvidia Geforce 6800GS
48 Leadtek GeForce 7800GS 37 Leadtek GeForce 7800GS
30 ATI Radeon X1600XT 33 ATI Radeon X1600XT
0 10 20 30 40 50 60
0 10 20 30 40 50 60 70 80

Doom 3 - High-1600x1200@4xAA HalfLife-2 Lost Coast-1600X1200@4XAA 8X AF

39 Nvidia GeForce 7800GT
36 Nvidia GeForce 7600GT 36 Nvidia GeForce 7800GT
31 Nvidia Geforce 6800GS 25 Leadtek GeForce 7800GS
23 Nvidia Geforce 6800GS
The card uses standard cooling, similar to 33 Leadtek GeForce 7800GS
20 Nvidia GeForce 7600GT
the GeForce 6800GS. It is powered through 20 ATI Radeon X1600XT
17 ATI Radeon X1600XT
a molex connector 0 5 10 15 20 25 30 35 40 0 5 10 15 20 25 30 35 40

MAY 2006 | INTELLIGENT COMPUTING CHIP

46 HARDWARE | TESTED

Digital Camera
Olympus Stylus 720 SW
Specifications: 7.1 MP CCD, 3x optical zoom, 5x digital
zoom, 115,000 pixels 2.5-inch TFT LCD, 28 preset
shooting modes, 19.1 MB internal memory, Rechargeable
Lithium-ion LI-42B battery, Weight 149 gms, Dimensions
91x58.7x19.8 mm, storage using XD-picture card

Price Rs 22,995
Contact Olympus India
Phone 022-22854495
E-mail anand.dsouza@ohc.olympus.com.hk
Website www.olympus.com
Warranty 1 year
RATINGS
Build quality
Ergonomics
Performance
Features
Overall Rating
Value for money

Zoom in
T he Stylus 720 SW is a unique offering
from Olympus. Taking a leaf out of
the tough notebooks, this one is a tough
camera that is capable of withstanding
the occasional drops, spills and splashes.
The 7.1 MP ultra compact digital camera
is a shock proof and waterproof device,
promising to withstand a 5-foot drop
and also allowing image capture under
water up to 10 feet. The 720 SW makes
use of light but durable shock-absorbing
materials throughout the interior and
incorporates the same sealant technology
used in Olympus underwater housings.
Offering 3x optical plus 5x digital zoom,
the camera has an impressive 2.5-inch
LCD screen which dominates the back
side. Aimed at the point-and-shoot user,
the 720 SW offers 28 preset modes that
should satisfy most of the users. There are
some very unique and specific shooting
modes that are specifically meant for
capturing images under water. You have
a choice of four modes when clicking
underwater which also includes a macro
mode for close-ups under water! There is
a special digital image stabilization mode
that is meant to avoid blurry images due
to handshake. Being “digital” in nature,
there obviously isn’t any optical image
stabilization mechanism. The camera
simply increases the ISO levels and
employs fast shutter speed to minimize
the blur. Another unique feature is the
Bright Capture technology, which helps
you take better pictures in low-light
conditions. It automatically lightens
the preview in the LCD monitor by
condensing light information from groups
of neighboring CCD pixels into each pixel
of the LCD. This allows you to see an
onscreen image that will more closely
resemble the final print. The display is 4.5
times brighter than those of other digital
cameras, making it easier to compose
shots in dark or subdued light.
Performance: The Stylus 720 SW is a zippy
performer with fast focusing. The image
digital stabilization feature works well
with good lighting conditions but is no
match for the optical image stabilization.
The Stylus 720 SW comes with Lithium-ion
battery and takes XD-picture card for storage
The 2.5-inch LCD screen is bright and
very efficient. The controls on the cam
are straight forward but the menus and
navigation can improve a bit. Build quality
is truly exceptional with an all metal body
and a shiny steel finish. The results of the
image quality tests were impressive. The
camera can capture good details though
the colors were a little on the softer side
when compared to that of the Canon IXUS
750 and IXUS 50. It captures movies at
640x480 but it can only do that at 15 fps.
In all, it is a good ultra compact camera
that is stylish and rugged.
For: 28 preset modes; waterproof and
shock proof; 2.5-inch LCD; excellent build
quality.
Against: Images are a little soft; menu
interface can improve; 640x480 movie
capture at only 15 fps.
The menu interface is simple but not as
user-friendly as that of the Canon cameras

INTELLIGENT COMPUTING CHIP | MAY 2006

 TESTED | HARDWARE 47

DVD Writer
Sony DRU-820A
Specifications: Writing speeds -16x DVD+/-R, 8x DVD+RW,
6x DVD-RW, 8x DVD +/-R DL, 5x DVD-RAM, 48X CD-R,
32x CD-RW

Price Rs 3,250
Contact Rashi Peripherals Pvt Ltd
Phone 022-55090909
E-mail navinderc@rptechindia.com
Website www.rptechindia.com
Warranty 1 year
RATINGS
Performance
Features
Overall Rating
Value for money

Burn it all
S ony’s latest entrant, the DRU-820A,
has the added functionality of DVD-
RAM recording. Let’s have a look at what
are well written and pretty illustrative.
The Sony DRU-820A incorporates BenQ’s
exclusive Dual Cooling System (DCS) which
reads CD-RW at 40x whereas most of
the competitors can do it at 48x. CD-R
and CD-RW burning is very fast and has
else it has to offer. features an Anti-Dust Cooling System and excellent media compatibility.
Design: One thing we really like about Air Flow Cooling System to reduce the DVD: It has excellent DVD read speeds.
Sony DVD burners is their faceplate risk of over-heating during high-speed DVD-R media support is good but the
design. The white bezel has a silver upper reading and writing. The popular BenQ writing quality is average. DVD+R writing
section giving it a smart look to the 1640 and 1650/55 drives are equipped quality is good.
otherwise bland design. with the same. Overall, it’s an above average DVD
With the 820A, Sony has gone just Performance: Once again, we will writer and the future firmwares should
a little different. They have used grey compare the Sony DRU-820A to the improve DVD-R write quality.
text instead of blue on the silver upper BenQ 1640, one of the best drives we Pros: Can read/write DVD-RAM; very
section, giving a good contrast if installed have tested. good reading speeds.
in black chassis. An additional black bezel CD: The 820A has excellent CD read Cons: Average quality DVD-R burn;
is bundled along. speeds, almost similar to that of the does not support disc quality (PI/PO)
Features: Sony adds DVD-RAM BenQ 1640, the only gripe being that it checking.
recording functionality making it a true Media type Read Speed X (Average)
multi-recording device. (DVD-RAM is Sony BenQ 1640
a disc specification other than DVD-R DRU-820A
and DVD+R. It’s not compatible with Pressed CD 35.96 36.87
most DVD recorders and most of the CD-R 36.61 37.39
standalone DVD players cannot read pressed DVD 11.81 12.08
DVD-RAM discs. DVD-RAM is more DVD-R 11.97 12.08
suitable to data back-ups and use in DVD+R 11.22 12.09
camcorders than DVD+/-RWs). Dual layer 9.04 9.07
DCS-dual cooling system
The bundled CD is for Windows, pressed DVD+R
the package includes Nero 6.6 and the Media type Media Rated Speed Speed Time
product manual. Three manuals (quick BenQ 1640 DVD+R 16x 11.47x 5:47
installation guide, bezel changing guide DVD-R 16x 11.96x 5:47
and Software installation guide) are Sony DRU-820A DVD+R 16x 11.85x 6:19
shipped along with the drive. The manuals DVD-R 16x 11.96x 6:08

MAY 2006 | INTELLIGENT COMPUTING CHIP

48 HARDWARE | TESTED

Computer Case
GIGABYTE Triton chassis
Specifications: Mid-tower (200x400x480mm WxHxD),
Net weight - 7.5 kgs, 2x120 mm fans (front and rear), full
aluminum case and front bezel, thumb screws, 5x5.25-
inch external drive bays, 2x3.5-inch drive bays (external),
3x3.5-inch drive bays (internal for hard disks), Front USB
(2 No), Audio (mic and headphones) and Firewire ports

Price Rs 2,990
Contact Gigabyte Technologies India Ltd
Phone 022-30616666
E-mail sales@gigabyte.in
Website www.gigabyte.in
Warranty 1 year
RATINGS
Build quality
Performance
Features
Overall Rating
Value for money

Case delight
G igabyte has just forayed into the
case market in India and the lineup
is very impressive. Let’s get up, close and
personal with Gigabyte’s Triton.
Design
Exterior - This case exudes sheer class in
the looks department. The body has a good
paint job with a matt finish. The highlight
here is the front bezel. Made of aluminum
with a brushed texture, it gives the case a
very rich and sophisticated look. Normally,
the front bezels are made of plastic.
Even the faceplates for the 5.25-inch and
3.5-inch drive bays are made of the same
brushed aluminum material.
Interior - The internal structure is made
of aluminum.
Features and installation
The Triton has no sharp edges and it is
pretty much safe working inside the case.
Gigabyte highlights that it follows a tool
less design and indeed so. It uses thumb
screws to fasten the side panel to the
case. For the optical and the floppy drives,
it uses a slide and lock mechanism. You
just need to slide the drives inside the
bay, align it and lock it with the plastic
clip-lock mechanism. You can mount up
to 5 optical drives and 2 floppy drives.
The mechanism for hard drive installation
is the most innovative. You just need to
align and fit one strip with threadless
screws on either side of the hardrive
and insert it in the hard drive cage. One
minor gripe is that after the hard drive
is in place, there is still little room for it
to vibrate when in operation (since the
hard drive has moving parts). We would
have liked the hard drive to be held in
place by using rubber washers like the
way Antec does thus leaving no room
for movement. The hard drive cage can
accommodate three hard drives. The
case is water cooling ready with holes
at the rear for easy passage of pipes.
For proper grip and stability, it has very
good quality rubberized feet that are also
good looking, hence adding on to the
aesthetics. Gigabyte has paid attention to
1 2
1. 120 mm rear fan, tooless PCI card installation mechanism and pre-cut holes for water cooling
setup 2. Side panel duct 3. Tooless optical, floppy and hard drive Installation and 120 mm front
fan blowing directly over the hard drive cage
every detail and has also included a soft
case cleaning cloth. The manual is precise
and well illustrated.
Case ventilation and cable management
The Triton has two 120 mm fans, one for
rear exhaust and one for front intake. We
consider it an ideal arrangement since
120 mm fans move more air than 80 mm
fans besides making lesser noise. It has
a honeycombed grill on the side panel
and also has a “Prescott” side duct which
assists in tunneling out the heat directly
from the processor. It has two plastic
buckles to assist in cable management.
For: Innovative toolless design; very
good build quality; brushed aluminum
front bezel.
Against: None.
3

INTELLIGENT COMPUTING CHIP | MAY 2006


Sound abound
T he Logitech X-530 is an entry-level
5.1 speaker system that attempts
to provide the best surround sound PC
audio for its worth. It also introduces
a technology that lends depth to the
sound, something that is often found
lacking in the value 5.1 speaker systems.
The improvement comes from Logitech’s
patented FDD2 technology that avoids
the uneven sound response created by
conventional dual-driver designs. The
Frequency Directed Dual Driver (FDD2)
satellites basically make equal use of both
the drivers to produce mid as well as high
frequencies. The 5.1 speaker system is
rated at a total of 70 watts RMS. The left,
right and rear satellites are rated at 7.4
watts RMS while the center is rated at 15.5
watts RMS. The subwoofer takes the rest of
the oomph with 25 watts RMS.
The overall rated frequency response is 40
Hz - 20 KHz and the satellites come fitted
with dual 2-inch drivers while the sub is
powered by a 5.25-inch ported driver. The
right satellite holds volume control and a
headphone jack for private listening. The
bass volume controls are at the back of
the subwoofer. The speaker system looks
simple and very professional and the
overall construction is pretty good for an
entry-level system. The rotating satellite
MAY 2006 | INTELLIGENT COMPUTING CHIP
TESTED | HARDWARE 49
Speakers
Logitech X-530
Specifications: Total RMS power: 70 watts RMS, Satellites:
45 watts RMS (2 x 7.4 watts front, 15.5 watts center,
2x7.4 watts rear), Subwoofer: 25 watts RMS, Frequency
response: 40 Hz – 20 KHz, Signal-to-noise ratio: 96 dB
Price Rs 6,995
Contact Logitech Electronic India Pvt Ltd
Phone 022-26571160
E-mail response@logitech.com
Website www.logitech.com
Warranty 1 year
RATINGS
Build quality
Performance
Features
Overall Rating
Value for money
stands offer a good degree of flexibility
and can also be wall mounted if desired.
The only real negative point so far is the
effects. The X-530 is pretty loud and with
the volume knob cranked at 70 percent,
there was no distortion or crackling. The
absence of a dedicated control unit. The sub does get a little boomy at high volume
placement of controls on the right satellite levels but it can be tweaked using the bass
makes it very inconvenient to reach out control at the back. Overall, an excellent
for the satellite for every small volume choice for gaming and watching movies—
adjustment you need to make. A dedicated the X-530 hits the sweet spot!
volume control unit with separate controls For: Excellent surround sound and
for front and rear satellites along with a positional audio; fairly loud; good bass
headphone jack would make the X-530 response; well priced.
more impressive. Against: Average for music, lacks a
Performance: We started the performance control unit.
tests with music playback quality. The
overall sound stage is very impressive with
good depth. The bass is surprisingly deep
for such a small subwoofer. The mids are
fairly well pronounced, thanks to the dual
2-inch drivers. On the downside, the high
frequencies are a little weak and
the lower mids get muffled when the
volume is pumped up. These are the
generic areas where most of the value 5.1
speaker systems fail to perform and hence
it’s not surprising. Being a 5.1 speaker
system, the emphasis is more on gaming
and movies rather than music and the
X-530 does a good job at it. Positional audio
in Doom 3 was near perfect while DVD Dual driver satellite with volume control
(right) and the connections at the back of
movies were enjoyable, courtesy a uniform
the subwoofer, along with bass control
sound stage and excellent surround
50 HARDWARE | TESTED

Laser Printer
Suits the office
Xerox Phaser 3117 T he Xerox Phaser 3117 is a monochrome
laser printer that has entered the market
at an affordable price. It comes with very
of grey appear grainy. This was noticed even
more when a vector image was printed.
Do not expect it to reproduce details very
basic features and is easy to use. Since it is well. Print quality of an A4 image was
a laser printer, you need not worry about average and showed that the printing tonal
buying new cartridges frequently. A Phaser gradation was not its strong point.
3117 comes with a “starter toner cartridge” Performance: It printed 15 pages of
that can print a thousand pages of text. The this image in a little over a minute. Files
printer is a bit smaller (in depth) than some containing a lot of graphics and text-
Specifications: Dimensions: 354x297.4x210 mm,
of Xerox’s costlier laser printers. The paper in-color were used to test the quality of
Weight: 5.5 kgs, monochrome laser printer,
600x600 dpi print resolution, 8 MB RAM, USB 1.1 tray can hold up to 150 sheets of A4 paper print. It was just about able to reproduce
interface, Windows 98/Me/2000/XP, Linux and needs to be open when the printer reflections and gradations in images and
is in use. If the tray could hold paper and text present in the file. If you are looking
Price Rs 4,500
Contact Xerox India Limited stay closed, it would save some desktop for basic text printing for your office or
Phone 011-39012000 space. Installation was quite hassle free and your project, then this printer will suit your
E-mail digital.solutions@xerox.com printer configuration was easy too. Very needs.
Website www.xerox.com/india
basic options are provided for tweaking the For: The printer has an affordable price
Warranty 1 year
RATINGS printing settings—print resolution, toner tag; ideal for small offices that heavily
Build quality
quality and darken text. Files containing rely on text printouts like balance sheets,
Ergonomics basic black text of varying fonts and sizes forms, etc.
Performance were printed continuously. The printer has Against: Quality of grey tones even at
Features a short warm up and was able to churn out the best possible settings is below average.
Overall Rating 20 pages in just one and a half minute. The Paper tray cannot be closed after paper
Value for money output is good with black text while shades is loaded.

Scanner
Scan in a flash
Plustek OpticBook 3600 T he Plustek OpticBook 3600 is a
scanner with a difference—apart
from its regular job of scanning text and
offer useful functions like scanning
to e-mail or printer, OCR and scanning
using custom or regular settings. The
photos, this one is specifically designed functions of the buttons are served by the
to scan books. What sets it apart from bundled applications which make these
other scanners is its innovative design and tasks a breeze. The software package
speedy operation. includes ABBYY FineReader 5.0, Presto!
As compared to the slim and sleek PageManager 6.0, Ulead PhotoExplorer
scanners, this 10 cm thick machine eats 8.0 and Ulead PhotoImact XL SE.
Specifications: Dimensions: 453 (w) x 105 (h) x 285 (d) mm,
up a big chunk of desk space. However, Coming to performance, the OpticBook
Weight: 3.96 kg, Optical resolution: 1200 dpi,
Interface: High speed USB 2.0, keeping in mind the prime function of 3600 works at jet speed! It takes just
Lamp type: Cold cathode scanning books, it features an excellent around 3 seconds to preview a page and 8
Price Rs 13,650
design. The lid opens horizontally and seconds to scan an entire page at 300 dpi.
Contact Mahendra Lalwani adjusts automatically to accommodate The overall quality of scanning is good but
Phone 011-2696 4070 even the reproduction of sharpness could have
E-mail mahendra@telexcell.com
thick books. been better.
Website www.telexcell.com
Warranty 1 year
The scanner features a comprehensive This scanner is aimed at small offices,
RATINGS and an intuitive control pad. You can libraries or individuals with a regular need
Build quality choose to scan a book or a sheet of of scanning books or simply requiring
Ergonomics paper and the functions of buttons scans in a flash!
Performance change accordingly. In case of a book, For: Super-fast; good bundled
Features you can scan an entire book page-by- software; easy to use; ideal for scanning
Overall Rating page using the book pilot, scan text books.
Value for money or choose between color or grey scale Against: Bulky; it weighs a bit low on
modes. For a sheet of paper, the buttons sharpness of the scanned images.

INTELLIGENT COMPUTING CHIP | MAY 2006

 TESTED | HARDWARE 51

MAY 2006 | INTELLIGENT COMPUTING CHIP

PORTADATA
Looking to buy an external storage solution? Our
comprehensive test includes a wide variety—get
flash based, hard drive based et al here

Vishwanath Vanjire

INTELLIGENT COMPUTING CHIP | MAY 2006


H
istory has a nice way of putting things in perspective.
Imagine this—the first hard disk drive was a monstrosity
consisting of 50 platters, each two feet in diameter. It
required four able-bodied men to lift it into the back of a truck
for transportation. And all of this provided a grand total of 5 MB
of storage space—just enough for a single MP3 song! Oh, and it
cost US $ 50,000.
Over the next few pages, you’ll see portable storage gizmos
where you don’t need to bring along your buddies to transport
them and where sizes have shrunk down to 1.8-inches, weighing
in at about 40 grams. On the capacity front, the largest external
hard disk you’ll see here is a cool 1 terabyte (1,000 GB)—space
enough for about 2 lakh MP3 songs or 13,300 albums. And
prices range from Rs 1,500 to Rs 45,000—wide enough to
accommodate all kinds of buyers. Indeed, storage has come a
long way!
With practically every aspect of our lives—our
communication, our entertainment, our work—crossing over into
the digital realm, each of us creates plenty of data these days.
With our lives and jobs demanding increased levels of portability
and adaptability, having the ability to take your data with you
is an important personal and professional edge. To answer this
need, the markets are replete with a multitude of products—
each offering a wide range of storages capacities, form factors
and technologies. When it comes to external storage, the two
broad technologies used are Flash and hard disk. The first clearly
has the advantage of being completely in solid-state (which
means no moving parts) and is therefore, sturdier and more
resilient as compared to hard disks. However, hard disks offer
MAY 2006 | INTELLIGENT COMPUTING CHIP
EXTERNAL STORAGE COMPARISON | HARDWARE 53
a far lower price-per-MB compared to Flash. What emerges is
an interesting mix of choices that pretty much addresses every
type of need for portable data consumers. Capacities range from
256 MB to over 500 GB and sizes range from the diminutive,
wearable devices weighing in at under 30 grams to pocket-sized
funky-colored metallic gizmos to ones that are about the size
and weight of a brick.
Chances are that we’ve all used some sort of portable
data device (like a floppy disk or a recordable CD) in the past.
Compared to these, today’s external storage devices feature other
interesting enhancements that greatly extend their usability. For
example, many of these offer software that facilitates easy data
backups along with on-the-fly encryption for added security. And
since they are all USB-based, the process of plugging in, backup
up and removing is literally child’s play. Last but certainly not the
least, these devices are way faster than any CD or floppy you’ve
ever used. Most of them are able to transfer data almost as fast
as your hard disk drive can deliver it. For example, while it takes
about 5 minutes to burn a CD on today’s quickest drives, even
the slowest of these external storage devices can copy a CD-full
of data in under 2 minutes. The fastest and that too, in under 25
seconds! While CD-Rs clearly serve a different application but if
you’ve been using one to transport your data between computers
or holding your daily work files, it’s high time you got yourself
one of these little portable storage devices.
Whether it’s pure data space or whether you plan to wear
your important files on a storage device as an accessory, you’ll
find them in here. And you certainly won’t get a slip disk carrying
it with you!
SMS us! Story code: HCE (See Readers’ Letters for details)
54 HARDWARE | EXTERNAL STORAGE COMPARISON
Test Process
Categories: The products have been divided
into two main categories on the basis of the
medium of storage. The storage medium
is either flash or hard disk based. Since
disk-based storage devices are available
in varying form factors, which is simply
because of the hard disk’s platter size.
These devices use either 3.5-inch, 2.5-inch
or 1-inch drives to store data.
This distinction on the basis of size
has been made mainly on the grounds of
functionality.
For example, the 2.5-inch and microdrive
(1-inch) products are for those who need
high-capacity ‘pocketable’ solutions. This
classification helps us in pitting like-sized
devices against each other and aids you in
making a smart buying decision.
Features: As you can see, a quarter of the
pie chart has been allotted to an external
storage drive’s features. Each drive was
marked on the sort of interface it offered
for data transfer. A device, for example,
that supports ‘Hi-Speed USB 2.0’ will score
more than a USB 1.1/2.0. In the same way,
drives that support FireWire 800 are given
more merit than ones that support FireWire
400. These are crucial as these standards
boil down to data transfer rates, which in
turn reflects on performance. Similarly, a
hard disk-based device with large buffer will
score over its counterparts.
Practical features like the nature of
power source used and the presence of a
write protect switch on the device have also
been considered. The power can be sourced
via the USB-port, integrated into the device
or available with an external power adapter.
An important feature that a plug-n-play
device should have is legacy support in the
form of Windows 98 drivers. Support for
Easy backup with a touch of a button
earned more points
10% Warranty &
Support
25% Features
20% Build
Quality
20% Ergonomics 25% Performance
Weightage distribution for evaluation
parameters
this operating system was also checked and
accordingly given merit.
Devices were also assessed on the
basis of their package contents. Items like
quick setup guides, cables and additional
backup/security-based utilities were also
given points as they are always good to own
along with the device.
Build Quality: An external storage device
should have a solid exterior that will offer
enough protection against sudden falls or
disturbances. Materials used to protect flash
drive or hard disk-based storage devices
were also considered in the comparison
– metal scoring over plastic. An external
storage drive must come with good quality
connectors and stands (if present). Any
device that made a half-hearted impression
on this front lost out on vital points.
Attention paid to the flash drive design was
also rewarded accordingly. Build quality
occupies 20 percent of the “weightage”
pie chart.
Ergonomics: In addition to making a rugged
storage device that can withstand physical
shock, it must also be pleasing to the eye
and comfortable to carry. The devices must
Practical design in flash drives was part of
the evaluation process
have smooth edges and preferably scratch
resistant. Some hard disk based devices
sported a rubber exterior, giving the user
additional grip. Attention paid to such
details was converted into points, adding
to the overall total. Ergonomics has been
assigned 25 percent share of the pie chart.
Performance: Finally, it boils down to
performance. All the devices were tested
on the same test bed to avoid any kind
of disparity in scores. Performance was
evaluated with ‘synthetic tests’ and ‘real
world’ tests. The synthetic test results were
computed with the help of Everest Ultimate
2006. Real world results were obtained by
creating a RAM drive on the system and
making the external device read-write to it.
System memory (RAM) was used to create
the RAM drive and data was read and written
to it. The test bed’s hard drive was not used
here so as to prevent it from becoming
a bottleneck. The real world tests were
given more weightage as they are a better
representative of a product’s performance.
The read/write tests were carried out
with a single large file as well as a collection
of files. Their times were noted and helped
in deciding the best performer. Performance
was allotted 25 percent of the pie chart.
Warranty and Value for Money: Warranty
is an essential part of any hardware test
process. It has been given a weightage of
10 percent in the test process. Brands that
offered more warranty (in years) scored over
other products. Based on the scores, a best
performer in the 2.5-inch and microdrive
category was chosen. The “Best Value”
winners were derived from the flash and
3.5-inch categories. Storage capacity and
price were the most important features that
were considered for the Best Value award.
| Test Rig
Processor: AMD Athlon 64 X2 4400+
Motherboard: Asus A8N-SLI Deluxe
RAM: 1GB Kingston DDR 400@2-2-2-5
HDD: WD Raptor 740GD
Operating system: Windows XP SP2
with DirectX 9.0c
INTELLIGENT COMPUTING CHIP | MAY 2006
 EXTERNAL STORAGE COMPARISON | HARDWARE 55

Flash drive Flash drive 3.5-inch drive

Buffalo RUF2-S512-BS PE
RFOR
M
Zion UltraDiskPro ES
T VA L Maxtor OneTouch III Turbo PE
RFOR
M

U
B
T

T
AN

AN
E
BES

BES
CE

CE
05 | 2006
E

T
E 04 |
E 04 |

T
2006 R 2006
ST R ST ST R
-CENTE -CENTE -CENTE

Specifications: Dimensions (WxHxD) mm:18.2x75.4x9, Specifications: Dimensions (WxHxD) mm: 22.8x70x2.5, Specifications: Dimensions (WxHxD) mm
Capacity: 512 MB, Interface: USB 2.0 Hi-speed Capacity: 1 GB, Interface: USB 2.0 Hi-speed 279x152x216, Weight: 3.72 kg, 7200 rpm, 16 MB
buffer, FireWire 800, Interface: USB 2.0 Hi-speed

Price Rs 1,500 Price Rs 1,650 Price Rs 46,798

Contact Buffalo Inc Contact Abacus Peripherals Pvt Ltd Contact Maxtor Corporation
Phone 011-41528532 Phone 022-56923941 Phone 011-51609661
E-mail anju@melcoinc.co.jp E-mail enquiry@abacusperipherals.com E-mail maxtorinfo@denave.com
Warranty 2 years Warranty 2 years Warranty 1 year

RATINGS RATINGS RATINGS

Features Features Features
Perfomance Perfomance Perfomance
Ergonomics Ergonomics Ergonomics
Build Quality Build Quality Build Quality
Overall Rating Overall Rating Overall Rating
Value for money Value for money Value for money

The Buffalo RUF2-S512-BS is a half a gig
dynamite stick packed with raw power!
Currently, it is the fastest USB flash drive
in the market. The flash memory chip is
packed in a cleverly-designed silver and
black shell. When you remove the cap
covering the USB connector, it clips at
the tip of the body so that you don’t lose
or misplace it. Alternatively, the tip also
serves as a loop to attach a carry strap.
However, you will need to buy a carry strap
as the package includes only the flash
drive. It doesn’t even include a driver CD for
Windows 98 or a USB extension cable. This
means it’ll be a pain for people not having
a front USB port on your PC case.
Looks wise, the drive isn’t all that great
but it’s a power performer with tremendous
read and write speeds. It just takes less than
30 seconds to fill up the entire drive! If you
plan to buy a flash drive, grab this one. It’s a
great bang for the buck too!
For: The fastest flash drive available in the
market; good price; two-year warranty.
Against: Average build quality; no bundled
USB cable; drivers for Windows 98 not
included.
Measuring as small as your thumb, the Zion
UltraDisc Pro is a funky-looking pen drive
with a metallic grey body and an orange
border. The drive follows a unique and a
clever design. The side portion of the body
and the cover of the drive feature a ridge so
that you can slide in a clip or a loop being
part of the bundle. The package also includes
a carry strap and a driver CD for Windows 98.
To ease users not having a front USB port,
Zion has also taken the effort of including a
USB extension cable as a part of the package.
To write-protect the drive in order to prevent
adding or modifying data, it also sports a
write-protect lock.
The read and write speeds of the drive
is quite decent for a value flash drive. For
an average user, a capacity one and a half
times as that of a CD-ROM and read and
write speeds of 10 MB/s will be more than
sufficient.
If you want good value for money
without sacrificing much performance,
there’s nothing better than this flash drive!
For: Write-protect lock; excellent pricing;
two-year warranty.
Against: None
The winner in the 3.5-inch drive stands 15
cms tall and weighs 3.72 kg—the heaviest
of them all. It houses two parallel ATA drives
that can be configured as RAID-0 or 1 drives.
It supports the USB interface as well as
FireWire—perfect for media professionals
working on Mac or Windows. The exterior
shell looks solid with the thick rubber
moulding at the sides. A single button on the
front panel is provided for quick backups.
Software provided with the drive
allows you to create secure partitions for
important data. The Turbo scored over the
Western Digital Media Center by a narrow
margin to win the Best Performance award.
The 320 GB drive took 10 seconds to format
but the 1000 GB Turbo took just 2 more!
Though the Media Center had a faster
access time (understandably), it couldn’t
compete with the Turbo’s read/write
throughput. It was able to transfer multiple
files at almost 20 MB/s compared to the
MC’s 16.5 MB/s.
For: 1000 GB of storage.
Against: The side panels can be easily pulled
quite a way back because they are made of
plastic instead of metal.

MAY 2006 | INTELLIGENT COMPUTING CHIP

56 HARDWARE | EXTERNAL STORAGE COMPARISON

2.5-inch drive 2.5-inch drive 1-inch drive

Western Digital Essential ES
T VA L Western Digital Passport PE
RFOR
M
LaCie Carte Orange PE
RFOR
M

U
B

T
AN

AN
E

BES

BES
CE

CE
05 | 2006
E E 05 |
E 05 |

T
2006 2006
ST R ST R ST R
-CENTE -CENTE -CENTE

Specifications: Capacity - 80 GB, Dimensions (WxHxD) Specifications: Capacity - 120 GB, Dimensions Specifications: Capacity - 8 GB, Dimensions (WxHxD)
mm: 154.3x44.20x218.75, Weight - 258 gms, (WxHxD) mm: 89.1x21.1x144.3, Weight- 258 gms, mm: 55x85x6, Weight-60 gms, Hi-speed USB 2.0,
Hi-Speed USB 2.0, 5400 rpm, Buffer Size- 2 MB Hi-speed USB 2.0, 5400 rpm, Buffer Size- 2 MB 3600 rpm, Buffer Size- 2 MB

Price Rs 4,500 Price Rs 9,950 Price Rs 9,600

Contact Amarjit Singh Contact Amarjit Singh Contact Neoteric Infomatique Pvt Ltd
Phone 9321029204 Phone 9321029204 Phone 022-39828600
E-mail amarjit.singh@wdc.com E-mail amarjit.singh@wdc.com E-mail sales@neoteric.co.in
Warranty 1 year Warranty 1 year Warranty 1 year
RATINGS RATINGS RATINGS
Features Features Features
Perfomance Perfomance Perfomance
Ergonomics Ergonomics Ergonomics
Build Quality Build Quality Build Quality
Overall Rating Overall Rating Overall Rating
Value for money Value for money Value for money

In sync with its name, the 80 GB Western
Digital Essential gives you all the essentials.
The drive looks elegant—the special design
of the drive allows good air flow to keep it
cool while preventing dust from directly
entering the drive. A single back-lit button on
the front is provided to power up the device
and the blinking backlit indicates activity. The
back panel is uncluttered with just a single
hi-speed USB 2.0 connector along with the
power input. The 7200 rpm drive with 2 MB
buffer gives commendable performance for
an entry-level product. Overall, the average
linear read/write speeds of the drive are very
close to 30 MB/s. It also boasts of the best
average read access times of all eight drives.
If you are looking for an affordable and
reliable 80 GB 3.5-inch external storage
solution, this one is for you. In terms of the
overall package, the Western Digital Essential
gives you the bare minimum—all you get is
a driver CD, USB cable, power adapter and
quick setup guide. Don’t expect any backup
utility or security software with this one.
For: Good performance; excellent read
access times; sturdy construction.
Against: No software package.
While being the coolest looking 2.5-inch
external storage device, the Passport also
gives maximum storage combined with
superb performance. While most 2.5-inch
drives provide 40 GB of storage, the Passport
provides three times more while keeping the
weight, dimensions and form factor intact.
The rubberized body lends a sporty feel to it
indicating portability and ruggedness.
The 5400 rpm drive gave exceptional
read/write speeds in both synthetic and
real-world tests. The overall performance
level of the drive is almost at par with that
of the 3.5-inch drives.
The passport is the only portable solution
that provides a storage space above 100 GB.
But before you buy it, make sure you have hi-
speed USB 2.0 connectivity to take advantage
of the performance. In case you have an older
desktop or a notebook with USB 1.1 port, the
drive will not power itself through the USB,
you require an external adapter which is not
a part of the package. There’s no software
application bundled along with the drive.
For: 120 GB of storage space; excellent
speeds; cool looks.
Against: No software package.
With digital data extensively used and
carried around, portable hard drives have
transformed from bland geeky boxes to
trendy fashion accessories. The LaCie is a
fraction smaller than a credit card and is
just 6 mms thick, which is remarkable for
an 8 GB drive. It weighs 60 gms—extremely
light for a portable hard drive. The main
hard drive is housed in a metal enclosure
which is further enclosed in a plastic body.
An extender USB cable is bundled along
with the package, very useful when you have
USB ports only at the back of your PC. It’s a
true plug-and-play device and is compatible
across multiple platforms (Mac OS 9.x/10.
x and from Windows SE to XP). Just plug
the device into a USB port and it’s instantly
recognized as a removable storage device.
You can immediately start moving data to
and from the drive. The LaCie is not just a
good looker but a very good performer too.
It’s the fastest drive in its category. For Rs
9600, it’s expensive but then uniqueness
comes at a price, doesn’t it?
For: Best performance in category; small
form factor and lightweight.
Against: Expensive.

INTELLIGENT COMPUTING CHIP | MAY 2006


| Buying guide
External storage is a common need
for almost all of us, be it students,
professionals, travelers or geeks. The
nature of requirements changes from
person to person since the areas of
application differ accordingly. Thus, you
have an option of buying a tiny flash drive
that stores 128 MB of data or go for a 4
KG brick that can store a staggering 1,000
GB of data. This buying guide will make
the process of choosing the right external
storage solution a no-brainer.
Flash memory based external storage:
Arguably the most sought after and
commonly used medium of external
storage, the thumb drives or the pen
drives are extremely popular for a quick
and inexpensive solution. Apart from the
price, the choice of pen drive primarily
depends on three factors-size, speed and
security. If size is the only consideration,
a 512 MB or 1 GB flash drive offers best
bang for the buck, the 2GB and 4GB
variants are rather expensive. If you
need speed as well, make sure you buy
a “high-speed USB 2.0” flash drive, it’s
significantly faster than the regular USB
2.0 drives, ensuring zippy transfers of
data. With critical data and documents
at stake, security of data along with
automatic back-up feature makes the
flash drive a lot smarter. Build quality,
looks and ergonomics are equally
important for flash drives. With frequent
use of flash drives, the build quality
is critical. Looks and ergonomics also
matter, students prefer the jazzy pen
drives with funky colors and shapes while
the professionals stick to grey tones and
look for sleeker drives. Minute details in
the form of rubberized grip for holding
the thumb drive while inserting in the
MAY 2006 | INTELLIGENT COMPUTING CHIP
EXTERNAL STORAGE COMPARISON
USB slot and a physical write protection
switch also add to the overall value.
Hard drive based external storage:
These drives offer more storage space
as compared to the flash drives but the
size and weight goes up as well. The hard
drive based external storage devices
can be broadly classified into three
categories-3.5-inch, 2.5-inch and 1-inch
based solutions.
3.5-inch external hard drives: These
are the heaviest of the lot; they offer
maximum storage and are suited for
back-up and secondary storage. For basic
storage requirements, look for at least
80 GB capacity solution with 7200 RPM
and 2 MB buffer speeds. In case you
need more storage, you have the option
of products offering 200 GB and above
of storage space and coming with 8 MB
buffer memory. The Monstrous 400
GB and 1000 GB storage solutions are
tailor made for power users looking for
maximum storage and performance. They
are ideal for audio/video editing purposes
and small-office back-up solutions. Many
of these products come with security
software and back-up utilities which
make the back-up process easy. Though
looks aren’t as important, the build
quality does matter. Hence once the
basics of storage capacity and speed are
in place, check for the software bundle
and build quality.
2.5-inch external hard drives:
Attempting to give the best of both
worlds, 2.5-inch based solutions are
portable, trendy and offer fairly good
storage space and speed. Ranging from
40 to 120 GB, these drives run at 5400
RPM and generally offer 2 MB of buffer.
Drawing power straight from the USB
| HARDWARE 57
port, these drives do not require any
additional power, which makes them
very convenient to carry and use. The 40
GB version sells for about five thousand
rupees, giving an impressive price per
MB ratio for a portable external storage
solution. Being portable, the build quality,
ergonomics and finish are critical. Drives
offering some degree of shock protection
along with good overall build quality
clearly enjoy an advantage over the rest
of the pack. Hence, do not hesitate to
cough-up that additional 20 percent, it
will go a long way in keeping the data
intact!
1-inch external hard drives: Being the
youngest of the category, these drives have
recently emerged as an intermediate option
between the 2.5-inch external hard drives
and the Flash drives. Being as portable as
the flash drives, the 1-inch external hard
drives offer a maximum of 10 GB of storage
space. If the 4 GB flash drives cannot suffice
your storage needs, the 1-inch external
drive is your best bet. Being mechanical in
nature, these drives are not as rugged as
the flash drives and hence, don’t expect
them to bear the same treatment as the
flash drives and still provide oodles of space.
In terms of performance, these drives aren’t
the chart toppers; they at best match the
flash drives for read/write speeds but are
miles behind the 2.5-inch and 2.5-inch hard
drive based solutions.
58 HARDWARE | EXTERNAL STORAGE COMPARISON

| Personal Take
SpecScan
1 2
Category Flash Drives
Soham Raninga
soham.raninga@chip-india.com
Kingston DataTraveler II Plus Migo PQI Cool Drive U339 Pro
Contact A A Infoways Pvt Ltd Varun Khandelwal
Phone 011-26442261 022-28743457
The Western Digital Passport is my E-mail info@aainfoways.com lipap@vsnl.com
passport to external storage. With Price* Rs 2,000 Rs 1,850
Overall
120 GB of storage, I don’t have to
Features (Out of 25) 9.79 16.85
worry about my movies, music, Performance (Out of 25) 16.63 12.12
games and all the stash I need to Ergonomics (Out of 20) 18.67 18.67
carry with me everywhere I go. Build Quality (Out of 20) 10.00 7.67
It also lets me carry my complete Warranty & Support (Out of 10) 10.00 6.67
music and movie collection, letting Overall (Out of 100) Total: 65.08 Total: 61.97
me share them with friends and Value for money
Features
enjoying them on any desktop or
Capacity (MB) 512 256
notebook by simply plugging it to the
Dimensions (WxHxD) mm 20.8 x 67.7 x 9 25 x 75 x 10
USB port. Interface USB 2.0 Hi-Speed USB 2.0 Hi-Speed
Backup software and data Form factor Flash Flash
encryption doesn’t matter to me but Write protection lock ✕ ✓
the performance does and that’s Activity indicator LED ✓ ✓
where the passport does the trick! Software features
Back-up software ✓ ✓
The speedy drive looks great and
Data encryption ✕ ✓
the rubberized body ensures the
Secure partitions (private zone) ✓ ✕
drive does not skid or slip easily. Easy-sync backup ✓ ✓
And even if it does, the excellent Performance
construction and design promises Synthetic (Everest Ultimate 2.6)
to take the bumps and drops in its Sequential speed
stride. When compared to the rest Read (MB/s) 25.70 15.10
of the devices across all categories, Write (MB/s) 14.90 24.00
Random speed
none of them can manage to give 100
Read (MB/s) 40.10 20.70
GB of truly portable storage. The
Write (MB/s) 5.60 8.33
3.5-inch drives might offer higher Average read access time (ms) 1.22 0.44
storage and performance but I do Real world
have some reservations in calling Single file test
them portable. Carrying a 1.5 kg Read (MB/s) 21.80 11.30
brick along with a power adapter is Write (MB/s) 16.06 13.25
Multiple files test
certainly not my idea of portability.
Read (MB/s) 34.00 13.60
Comparing the Passport with
Write (MB/s) 5.40 2.63
the flash drives isn’t fair and the Ergonomics
microdrives do offer fairly good Smoothened edges Good Good
storage but are slow and expensive Anti-slip grip ✓ ✕
when compared to the 2.5-inch Wearable ✓ ✓
drives. So with the Passport, you Cool factor Trendy Trendy
get space, speed, portability and Build quality
Quality of shell Excellent Good
style. Did someone say expensive?
Metal used in construction ✕ ✓
The passport gives 12 GB of storage ✓ ✕
Scratch resistance
per thousand rupees, the best ratio Choice of colors ✕ ✓
amongst all the portable storage Attached USB cap ✕ ✕
devices in the comparison. Go figure! Warranty & Support
Period of warranty (years) 1 2
* Prices are indicative and are subject to change, taxes extra
INTELLIGENT COMPUTING CHIP | MAY 2006
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Buffalo RUF2-S512-BS Corsair Flash Voyager PQI Cool Drive U339 Apacer HandySteno HT-203 Zion UltraDiskPro Transcend JetFlash 120
Buffalo Inc Tirupati Enterprises Varun Khandelwal Computer Kitchen Pvt Ltd Abacus Peripherals Pvt Ltd Mediaman Infotech Pvt Ltd
011-41528532 025-3950947 022-28743457 080-41127502 022-56923941 022-23828100
anju@melcoinc.co.jp mumbai@tirupati.net lipap@vsnl.com info@computerkitchen.com enquiry@abacusperipherals.com sales@mediamangroup.com
Rs 1,500 Rs 4,000 Rs 1,200 Rs 3,328 Rs 1,650 Rs 6,750

8.16 9.27 13.59 7.61 11.42 9.27

17.68 8.75 6.73 12.69 10.89 6.84
16.67 20.00 18.67 20.00 15.33 18.67
8.67 6.67 7.67 9.33 7.67 7.67
6.67 10.00 6.67 3.33 6.67 6.67
Total: 57.84 Total: 54.69 Total: 53.32 Total: 52.97 Total: 51.98 Total: 49.12

512 2000 512 512 1000 4000

18.2 x 75.4 x 9 75 x 24 x 12 65 x 25 x 12 65 x 25 x 12 22.8 x 70 x 2.5 25 x 75 x 11
USB 2.0 Hi-Speed USB 2.0 Hi-Speed USB 2.0 USB 2.0 Hi-Speed USB 2.0 Hi-Speed USB 2.0 Hi-Speed
Flash Flash Flash Flash Flash Flash
✕ ✕ ✓ ✕ ✓ ✕
✓ ✓ ✓ ✓ ✓ ✓

✕ ✕ ✓ ✕ ✕ ✕
✓ ✕ ✕ ✕ ✕ ✕
✕ ✓ ✕ ✕ ✓ ✕
✕ ✕ ✓ ✕ ✕ ✕

28.00 18.60 10.80 21.80 14.00 9.49

23.50 9.75 6.86 16.00 13.40 5.71

40.40 11.30 9.42 20.00 20.10 10.10

6.01 4.72 3.93 5.22 10.80 5.55
0.54 29.43 29.65 0.38 0.62 0.88

24.20 14.80 6.90 17.60 10.20 5.50

17.67 8.48 6.05 13.25 10.81 4.81

34.00 5.50 3.50 14.20 14.10 4.30

3.02 2.78 2.12 3.45 1.83 1.00

Good Good Good Good Average Good

✕ ✓ ✕ ✕ ✕ ✕
✓ ✓ ✓ ✓ ✓ ✓
Average Awesome Trendy Awesome Trendy Trendy

Good Average Good Excellent Average Good

✕ ✕ ✓ ✕ ✕ ✕
✕ ✓ ✕ ✕ ✓ ✓
✕ ✕ ✓ ✕ ✕ ✓
✓ ✕ ✕ ✓ ✕ ✕

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Category 3.5 inch
Name Maxtor OneTouch III Turbo Maxtor OneTouch III FireWire 400/USB 2.0
Contact Maxtor Corporation Maxtor Corporation
Phone 011-51609661 011-51609661
E-mail maxtorinfo@denave.com maxtorinfo@denave.com
Price* Rs 46,798 Rs 24,960
Overall
Features (Out of 25) 18.48 15.79
Performance (Out of 25) 22.57 20.94
Ergonomics (Out of 20) 16.50 17.50
Build Quality (Out of 20) 9.14 12.00
Warranty & Support (Out of 10) 3.33 3.33
Overall (Out of 100) Total: 70.02 Total: 69.56
Value for money
Features
Capacity (GB) 1000 500
Dimensions (WxHxD) mm 279 x 152 x 216 65 x 136 x 217
Weight (kgs) 3.72 1.45
Interface (USB/Firewire) 2.0 Hi-Speed / 800 2.0 Hi-Speed / 400
Form factor 3.5-inch 3.5-inch
RPM 7200 7200
Buffer size (MB) 16 16
Software features
Back-up software ✓ ✕
Data encryption ✕ ✕
Secure partitions (private zone) ✓ ✓
Easy-sync / One-touch backup ✓ ✓
Performance
Synthetic (Everest Ultimate 2.6)
Sequential speed
Read (MB/s) 33.30 33.30
Write (MB/s) 32.50 32.70
Random speed
Read (MB/s) 33.10 33.10
Write (MB/s) 32.50 32.70
Average read access time (ms) 16.38 16.94
Real world
Single file test
Read (MB/s) 33.18 33.93
Write (MB/s) 33.18 30.89
Multiple files test
Read (MB/s) 23.23 18.93
Write (MB/s) 19.47 13.54
Ergonomics
Smoothened edges Good Good
Ease of setup Good Good
Anti-slip grip ✓ ✓
Cool factor Passable Average
Build quality
Quality of shell Good Good
Metal used in construction ✕ ✕
Scratch resistance ✕ ✓
Shock absorption Good Good
Warranty & Support
Period of warranty (years) 1 1
* Prices are indicative and are subject to change, taxes extra
INTELLIGENT COMPUTING CHIP | MAY 2006
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Western Digital Media Center Seagate Pushbutton Backup 400GB Seagate Pushbutton Backup 200GB ExBoot EXB-0131 Western Digital Essential Buffalo Drive Station HD-HB160U2-EU
Amarjit Singh Seagate Technology Seagate Technology Computer Kitchen Pvt Ltd Amarjit Singh Buffalo Inc
9321029204 011-41811694 011-41811694 080-41127502 9321029204 011-41528532
amarjit.singh@wdc.com response.india@seagate.com response.india@seagate.com info@computerkitchen.com amarjit.singh@wdc.com anju@melcoinc.co.jp
Rs 13,000 Rs 15,000 Rs 9,120 Rs 9,199 Rs 4,500 Rs 6,900

16.13 15.37 14.86 11.66 8.02 9.70

21.19 20.40 20.12 20.18 20.74 18.58
17.50 14.00 14.00 12.50 17.50 10.00
8.29 9.14 9.14 12.57 8.29 11.71
3.33 3.33 3.33 3.33 3.33 6.67
Total: 66.44 Total: 62.24 Total: 61.46 Total: 60.25 Total: 57.88 Total: 56.66

320 400 200 80 80 250

150.1 x 57.4 x 241.3 165.1 x 57.1 x 180.97 165.1 x 57.15 x 180.97 35 x 225 x 125 154.43 x 44.20 x 218.75 53 x 173 x 164
1.4 1.3 1.2 1.2 1.2 1.6
2.0 Hi-Speed / 400 2.0 Hi-Speed / 400 2.0 Hi-Speed / 400 2.0 Hi-Speed / NA 2.0 Hi-Speed / NA 2.0 Hi-Speed / NA
3.5-inch 3.5-inch 3.5-inch 3.5-inch 3.5-inch 3.5-inch
7200 7200 7200 7200 7200 7200
8 8 8 2 2 2

✓ ✓ ✓ ✓ ✕ ✓
✕ ✕ ✕ ✕ ✕ ✕
✕ ✕ ✕ ✓ ✕ ✕
✓ ✓ ✓ ✓ ✕ ✕

29.30 27.70 27.70 31.20 28.40 30.10

31.20 33.30 31.60 30.00 29.20 25.00

29.20 27.60 27.60 29.30 27.60 29.90

30.90 33.00 31.80 30.40 28.50 25.00
14.00 15.75 15.27 13.71 13.62 19.96

28.71 28.00 26.50 29.47 29.28 29.86

33.43 34.46 35.27 30.27 30.27 25.02

18.35 18.28 18.21 13.66 17.49 13.36

16.58 14.89 11.28 13.74 13.74 13.74

Good Good Good Good Good Average

Good Good Good Good Good Good
✓ ✕ ✕ ✕ ✓ ✕
Average Trendy Trendy Average Average Average

Good Good Good Excellent Good Excellent

✕ ✕ ✕ ✓ ✕ ✓
✕ ✕ ✕ ✕ ✕ ✕
Average Good Good Good Average Good

1 1 1 1 1 2

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Category 2.5 inch
Western Digital Passport Buffalo MiniStation USB 2.0 Transcend StoreJet 2.5 Seagate Portable Hard Drive ExBoot EXB-0121 LaCie Mobile Hard Drive
Contact Amarjit Singh Buffalo Inc Mediaman Infotech Pvt Ltd Seagate Technology Computer Kitchen Pvt Ltd Neoteric Infomatique Pvt Ltd
Phone 9321029204 011-41528532 022-23828100 011-41811694 080-41127502 022-39828600
E-mail amarjit.singh@wdc.com anju@melcoinc.co.jp sales@mediamangroup.com response.india@seagate.com info@computerkitchen.com sales@neoteric.co.in
Price* Rs 9,950 Rs 5,800 Rs 6,000 Rs 6,060 Rs 8,700 Rs 5,250
Overall
Features (Out of 25) 7.19 8.43 8.30 6.85 11.90 8.99
Performance (Out of 25) 21.27 20.10 17.80 17.92 18.11 19.99
Ergonomics (Out of 20) 19.00 14.00 12.50 14.00 10.00 10.00
Build Quality (Out of 20) 13.14 8.86 12.29 13.71 10.86 9.14
Warranty & Support (Out of 10) 3.33 6.67 6.67 3.33 3.33 3.33
Overall (Out of 100) Total: 63.94 Total: 58.06 Total: 57.55 Total: 55.82 Total: 54.20 Total: 51.46
Value for money
Features
Capacity (GB) 120 40 40 40 40 40
Dimensions (WxHxD) mm 89.1 x 21.1 x 144.3 127 x 21 x 83 129 x 13 x 79.9 93.8 x 25 x 127 80 x 16 x 136 76 x 17 x 129
Weight (gms) 258 208 130 292 180 180
Interface USB 2.0 Hi-Speed USB 2.0 Hi-Speed USB 2.0 Hi-Speed USB 2.0 Hi-Speed USB 2.0 Hi-Speed USB 2.0 Hi-Speed
Form factor 2.5-inch 2.5-inch 2.5-inch 2.5-inch 2.5-inch 2.5-inch
RPM 5400 5400 5400 5400 4200 5400
Buffer size (MB) 2 2 2 2 2 2
Software features
Back-up software ✕ ✓ ✕ ✕ ✓ ✓
Data encryption ✕ ✓ ✕ ✕ ✕ ✕
Secure partitions (private zone) ✕ ✕ ✓ ✕ ✓ ✕
Easy-sync / One-touch backup ✕ ✕ ✕ ✕ ✓ ✕
Performance
Synthetic (Everest Ultimate 2.6)
Sequential speed
Read (MB/s) 30.1 27.9 23.7 27.6 23.7 26.4
Write (MB/s) 32.1 32.1 23.8 32.8 27.1 31.1
Random speed
Read (MB/s) 27.8 23.9 23.4 24.4 23.1 25.4
Write (MB/s) 28.7 25.4 20.8 25.8 22.1 24.6
Average read access time (ms) 18.32 19.76 20.11 17.07 19.56 20
Real world
Single file test
Read (MB/s) 29.86 30 26.5 27.48 26.35 30
Write (MB/s) 32 30.27 22.74 29.28 25.74 30.27
Multiple files test
Read (MB/s) 18.93 19.71 16.99 11.1 19.01 19.71
Write (MB/s) 14.35 16.25 10.16 9.25 10.16 16.25
Ergonomics
Smoothened edges Good Good Good Good Good Average
Ease of setup Good Good Good Good Average Good
Anti-slip grip ✓ ✕ ✕ ✕ ✕ ✕
Cool factor Trendy Trendy Average Trendy Average Average
Build quality
Quality of shell Excellent Good Good Excellent Excellent Good
Metal used in construction ✕ ✕ ✓ ✓ ✓ ✕
Scratch resistance ✓ ✕ ✕ ✕ ✕ ✕
Shock absorption Good Excellent Average Excellent Average Good
Warranty & Support
Period of warranty (years) 1 2 2 1 1 1
* Prices are indicative and are subject to change, taxes extra
INTELLIGENT COMPUTING CHIP | MAY 2006
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Category 1 inch
Seagate Pocket Hard Drive LaCie Carte Orange S-Media Hi-Tech Microdrive UMAX Pollux 300
Contact Seagate Technology Neoteric Infomatique Pvt Ltd Computer Kitchen Pvt Ltd Neoteric Infomatique Pvt Ltd
Phone 011-41811694 022-39828600 080-41127502 022-39828600
E-mail response.india@seagate.com sales@neoteric.co.in info@computerkitchen.com sales@neoteric.co.in
Price Rs 4,800 Rs 9,600 Rs 9,500 Rs 3,200
Overall
Features (Out of 25) 8.16 7.71 6.92 5.32
Performance (Out of 25) 7.65 8.23 4.34 4.82
Ergonomics (Out of 20) 19.00 10.00 12.50 10.00
Build Quality (Out of 20) 8.29 11.14 8.00 9.43
Warranty & Support (Out of 10) 3.33 3.33 3.33 3.33
Overall (Out of 100) Total: 46.43 Total: 40.42 Total: 35.10 Total: 32.90
Value for money
Features
Capacity (GB) 5 8 4 2.2
Dimensions (WxHxD) mm 76.9 x 76.9 x 18 55 x 85 x 6 50 x 70 x 10 49 x 57 x 9
Weight (gms) 62 60 54 40
Interface USB 2.0 Hi-Speed USB 2.0 Hi-Speed USB 2.0 USB 2.0 Hi-Speed
Form factor 1-inch 1-inch 1-inch 1-inch
RPM 3600 3600 4200 4200
Buffer size (MB) 2 2 0.25 2
Activity indicator LED ✓ ✓ ✓ ✕
Software features
Back-up software ✓ ✓ ✕ ✕
Data encryption ✕ ✕ ✕ ✕
Secure partitions (private zone) ✓ ✕ ✕ ✕
Performance
Synthetic (Everest Ultimate 2.6)
Sequential speed
Read (MB/s) 6.44 7.3 5.04 4.72
Write (MB/s) 8.19 8.64 4.32 2.41
Random speed
Read (MB/s) 5.81 6.35 4.15 2.62
Write (MB/s) 5.43 5.29 2.63 2.26
Average access time (ms) 24.47 33.02 107.85 107.74
Real world
Single file test
Read (MB/s) 4.19 5.2 3.9 3.99
Write (MB/s) 7.57 7.91 1.88 2.3
Multiple files test
Read (MB/s) 4.22 4.8 2.3 2.33
Write (MB/s) 1.27 5 0.87 1.07
Ergonomics
Smoothened edges Good Average Good Average
Anti-slip grip ✓ ✕ ✕ ✕
Wearable ✓ ✓ ✓ ✓
Cool factor Trendy Average Average Average
Build quality
Quality of shell Good Good Average Average
Scratch resistance ✕ ✕ ✕ ✕
Shock absorption Good Average Average Average
Retractable USB connector ✓ ✓ ✓ ✕
Warranty & Support
Period of warranty (years) 1 1 1 1

MAY 2006 | INTELLIGENT COMPUTING CHIP

Eco Imaging
Saving desktop space and precious rupees,
multifunctional devices pack plenty of features and
capability into a compact little device. We bring them
together here...
H
ow about setting up a printer,
a scanner, a copier and a fax
machine on your desktop? It’s
quick and as easy as the snap of a finger.
All you’ve got to do is invest in an all-in-one
or a multifunctional device (MFD) which
integrates all the functions in one compact
device, and set it up on your desk. Imagine
setting up individual devices—not only will
there be a mess on your desktop but also a
jungle of cables hanging behind the table.
In addition to saving space, MFDs are a
good bang for the buck. If you were to buy
a printer, scanner, copier and fax machine
individually, you’d end up paying much
more than the price of an MFD. On the other
hand, you can buy an MFD for a price as low
as Rs 4,500—a price you would have paid for
an inkjet printer around two years ago!
Today MFDs not only compete with
high-end standalone devices in terms of
specifications but also output quality and
speed. Most of the models we received
featured a 1200 dpi printer and a 600 dpi
scanner. Some had integrated memory
card readers and support for direct printing
(PictBridge) from digital cameras. A few
high-end models also sported color LCD
display for previewing pictures on memory
cards before printing them.
The integrated scanner in a printer
extends the functionality of an MFD to that
of a copier. You just need to press a button
to use the copier – no need to switch on
the PC.
We tested a dozen MFDs in this
roundup. Whether you’re looking for an
MFD for photo-quality prints or an all-in-
one solution for a SOHO environment, or
total value for money, you’ll find all here.
Pramod Jadhav

Test Process
We evaluated the MFDs on the ground
of features, performance, build quality,
ergonomics and warranty and support.
Let us take a closer look at what went into
each of the sections.
Features: Under this section we took
note of the functions supported by the
MFD—presence of a memory card reader,
the capacity of the sheet feeder and the
package contents. Extra points were
awarded for support for fax, color LCD
display and presence of stationery and
third party applications.
We also evaluated the individual
subsystems of the MFDs such as the
specifications of the printer and the
scanner. The printer and scanner were
evaluated primarily on the basis of their
native resolution. In addition to this, we
also logged other features such as the
scanning bit depth, support for PictBridge
direct printing, the number of cartridges
and the modem speed of the facsimile, and
awarded points accordingly.
Performance: To assess the overall
performance of the MFD, we evaluated the
output quality of the printer, scanner and
the copier.
Printer test: To evaluate the printer’s
performance, we printed the target image
on a 4x6 glossy photo paper at the best
quality settings supported by the printer
Target image used to evaluate the photo-
printing performance
10% Warranty &
Support
30% Features
10% Build
Quality
10% Ergonomics 40% Performance
Weightage distribution for evaluation
parameters
driver and noted the time taken to print the
image. We then rated the output based on
the readability of fine text, reproduction
of image details, skin tones, color
reproduction and overall image contrast.
In addition to this, we also printed a
combi document consisting of text and
image on an A4-sized glossy photo paper
at the highest settings and awarded points
on the basis of reproduction of color and
grayscale gradients, absence of color
bleeding in checkerboard, quality of text on
plain and color backgrounds and quality of
the thumbnail image.
Scanner test: To evaluate the scanner
we scanned an 8x10 photo and took note
of the time taken to scan at 300 dpi. We
compared the scanned image to the target
image and assessed the reproduction of
colors, sharpness and contrast. The closer
the scanned image to the real-world target,
the higher the points awarded in this test.
Copier test: To evaluate the copier, we
placed the copy target on the scanner bed
and rolled out a color copy on a sheet of
glossy photo paper at normal settings. We
then awarded points to the output based
on the quality of grayscale tones, color
reproduction, quality of text and overall
image contrast and sharpness.
Presence of a color LCD display and short-
cut buttons were awarded extra points
SMS us!
MFD COMPARISON | HARDWARE 65
Build quality: We looked for things such
as the quality of the body, print head
assembly, sturdiness of the scanner lid,
quality of the buttons and the sturdiness
of the sheet feeder. Higher scores were
awarded for better build quality.
Ergonomics: Devices with intuitive control
panel design and useful shortcuts such
as scan, copy, fax, paper size and type,
number of copies and reduce/enlarge
scored well. The readability of display and
the size of buttons were also an important
consideration. Foldable sheet feeder and
output tray were also given weightage as it
protects dust from creeping into the MFD’s
mechanism in addition to saving desktop
space when the device is not in use. More
points were given to machines that didn’t
have any sharp edges anywhere.
Warranty and support: Here marks were
awarded to the products on the basis
of the warranty provided in number of
years. The number of service centers and
the number of cities in which the service
centers are present were also taken into
consideration.
We concluded the test with the
calculation of the “Value for Money” index
which was derived by stacking the features
and the performance against the price.
The product with the best VFM index was
awarded the “Best value” award.
The combi document featuring complex
gradients and text on color background
Story code: HCM (See Readers’ Letters for details)
66 HARDWARE | MFD COMPARISON
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Solid performance

AN
Canon Pixma MP500

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-CENTE he Canon Pixma MP500 is big on
everything—size, speed, features
performance—you name it and it excels in
each of the above. It is easily the smartest
looking MFD. However, the glossy scanner
lid spoils the show, it’s easily susceptible to
scratches. Brilliant looks are complimented
by excellent utility. The paper feed trays
Specifications: Printer, Scanner & Copier. Print
Resolution (Native, Enhanced): 1200 /9600, Scan are foldable preventing exposure from
Resolution (Main, Enhanced): 1200/19200. dust when not in use. Even the card
reader has a protective flap cover. Another
Price Rs 16,995
striking feature is the color LCD screen.
Contact Canon India Pvt Ltd You can preview images from the card
Phone 0124-5160000
reader before printing them. If you have a
E-mail info@canon.co.in
Warranty 2 years phone with an IrDA port which supports
RATINGS IrMC version 1.1, you can print small JPEG
Build quality files wirelessly from the phone. It has a
Ergonomics PictBridge port for directly printing images
Performance from your digicam with a memory card
Features bypassing the need for a computer.
Overall Rating The MP500 is blazing fast in performance.
Value for money It can print seven A4 sized text pages in a
minute at normal quality, only second to
the Brother MFC-3240C which is capable
of printing eight. It’s the fastest in the
economy mode, spitting out 12 pages per
minute. At approximately 8 minutes, it’s
reasonably fast at printing a A4-sized combi
document. Its younger sibling, the MP450,
was the fastest at 4 minutes. But the
MP500 performs much better compared to
the MP450, it is also better than MFDs from
Brother and Epson which took between
11 to 18 minutes to do the same. The
print quality is exceptional with excellent
image details and color reproduction. The
level of noise was negligible giving very
sharp results. The quality of the scanned
image was at best above average. The
performance of the copier was also good.
For: Blazing fast printing; excellent print
quality; silent operation and color LCD
display screen.
Against: USB cable not provided; glossy lid
susceptible to scratches; no fax capability;
average scan quality.

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Brother DCP-115C 05 | 2006

Get your money’s worth
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-CENTE he Brother DCP-115C is a good,
affordable and simple-to-use multi-
functional device. But it misses out on fax
capabilities. It has a feature-rich control
panel with buttons for almost all the
functions including the ability to reduce
and enlarge the images while photo
copying. It allows you to scan to OCR using
Specifications: Printer, Scanner & Copier. Print ScanSoft’s Paperport 9, bundled along
Resolution (Native, Enhanced): 1200 /6000, Scan
Resolution (Main, Enhanced): 600/19200.
with the printer. The scan-to-file function
allows you to save the file directly to PDF
Price Rs 4,490
format, a very nifty feature indeed. It has
Contact Godrej & Boyce Mfg Co Ltd four individual print cartridges, one each
Phone 022-55961609 for Cyan, Magenta, Yellow and Black. The
E-mail nad@godrej.com
print cartridges are not fitted directly to
Warranty 1 year
the print head as in other printers, instead
RATINGS
they are fitted directly to the body of the
Build quality
printer. This is done to reduce the weight on
Ergonomics
Performance
the print head reducing the vibration and
Features
the noise produced while printing. In spite
Overall Rating of using this design for noise reduction,
Value for money the DCP-115C is clearly audible though
not unbearable. Although low on price, it’s
definitely not low on features. It also sports
a memory card reader capable of reading all
the popular formats including CF, Memory
Stick, XD and MMC.
The DCP-115 is reasonably fast in printing
text documents at draft quality but has
ordinary speeds while doing it at normal
quality. It can only print three pages in a
minute as compared to eight of the Brother
MFC-3240C known to be the fastest. The
DCP-115 might not be at par with the
MFC-3240C but it is much faster than other
high-end models of Brother while printing
the Combi and 4x6 photo at the highest
settings. The DCP-115C is an above average
performer in delivering quality prints.
Our tests revealed the image quality to
be good but accurate skin tones were not
represented. The 115’s scanning ability is
above average and at par with the other
scanners (the only scanner that delivered
excellent results is the Canon Pixma
MP450). The performance of the copier was
good. However, the reproduction of the
greyscale was a little offset.
For: Excellent value for money.
Against: No USB cable provided.

INTELLIGENT COMPUTING CHIP | MAY 2006


| TERMINATOR
1) PictBridge: It is a standardized
technology that lets you print images
from the memory card in a digital camera
directly to a printer regardless of brand.
This method completely bypasses the need
for a computer. To find out if a camera or
printer is PictBridge compatible, look for
the PictBridge logo on the packaging.
2) CMYK: Short for Cyan-Magenta-Yellow-
Black and pronounced as separate letters.
CMYK is a color model in which all colors
are described as a mixture of these four
process colors. CMYK is the standard
color model used in printing for full-color
documents. Because such printing uses
inks of these four basic colors, it is often
called four-color printing. In contrast,
display devices generally use a different
| Buying guide
With several models of MFDs available
from different manufacturers, it is a tough
choice to decide which MFD will be right
for you. In order to make your buying
decision easy, we have devised a buying
guide which tells you which MFD would
be suited to your needs depending on the
application area.
Home user: If you’re a home user,
your requirements would be basic
scanning, printing and copying. Rather
than investing in a fancy machine, it is
recommended to invest in an entry-level
MFD costing not more than Rs 4,500. A
1200 dpi printer, a 600 dpi scanner and
a copier in one simple device that can fit
in a small shelf will suffice your needs.
If you own a digital camera, support for
PictBridge direct printing would be an
added bonus.
Recommended Models: Brother DCP-115C,
Epson Stylus CX1500
Students: Creating projects, printing
notes and reports, scanning and copying
contents from books is usually what
school and college students essentially
require. Rather than investing in a budget
MFD, it is recommended that you stretch
your budget a little further and invest in a
MAY 2006 | INTELLIGENT COMPUTING CHIP
color model called RGB, which stands for
Red-Green-Blue. One of the most difficult
aspects of desktop publishing in color
is color matching—properly converting
the RGB colors into CMYK colors so that
what gets printed looks the same as what
appears on the monitor.
3) ADF (Automatic Document Feeder): It is
the ability to automatically feed multiple
documents, which have been placed in the
input tray, one at a time. This is particularly
useful for OCR (Optical Character
Recognition) scanning or for creating an
image database.
4) Duplex Printing: Most home printers
can print only on one side of the paper. To
print on the other side, one has to manually
mid-range MFD which is quicker and can
deliver better output quality. Here the
output quality is more important as quite
often creation of projects and reports
require printing and scanning pictures.
Recommended Models: Epson Stylus
CX3700, Canon Pixma MP150
SOHO user: If you have a small office or
run a small business from home, then you
should think about an all-in-one device
which integrates a facsimile in order to
help you communicate with your clients
and other people. Also, since the volume
of printing will be considerably high, a
quick printer is what you should look out
for. Presence of an automatic document
feeder (ADF) is highly recommended as
it will save you a lot of time since you
won’t have to manually feed pages while
scanning or faxing documents.
Thanks to the ADF, you won’t have to
feed sheets manually to scan and fax
MFD COMPARISON | HARDWARE 67
re-feed the paper into the tray.
Printing on both sides of a sheet of paper is
known as double-sided or duplex printing.
Printers capable of double-sided printing
usually have an internal tray that catches
the paper after the first side is printed, flips
it and runs it through the print cycle again.
5) Scan bit depth: Bit depth is also referred
to as color depth. It is the number of
colors that the scanner is capable of
reproducing. Each pixel requires 24 bits to
create standard true color and virtually all
scanners on the market support this. Many
of them offer 30 or 36 input bit depths.
They still only output in 24-bit color but
perform internal processing to select
the best possible choice out of the colors
available in the increased palette.
Recommended Models: Brother MFC-
5840CN, Brother MFC-620CN
Professionals: Imaging professionals
and photographers shouldn’t settle
for anything below a high-end photo-
quality MFD. But be prepared for a
heavy one-time investment. A 1200
dpi printer and scanner should be the
minimum consideration. In order to print
photographs from digital cameras and
memory cards, make sure your MFD is
equipped with a card reader and a color
LCD screen so that you can preview the
photographs before printing. Since such
devices guarantee photo-quality printing
and high scanning quality, they rightly
justify the high price.
Recommended Models: Canon Pixma
MP450, Canon Pixma MP500
Using the built-in card reader you can
directly print images off memory cards
 RFOR
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| MFD COMPARISON

AN
68 HARDWARE

BES

CE
E 05 |

T
2006
ST R
-CENTE

| Personal Take
SpecScan
1
Name Canon Pixma MP500
Contact Canon India Pvt Ltd
Anand Tuliani Phone 0124-5160000
anand.tuliani@chip-india.com
E-mail info@canon.co.in
Price* Rs 16,995
After testing a dozen MFDs, I vouch
Overall
for my favorite of the lot—the Features (out of 30) 22.06
Canon Pixma MP450. Right from its Performance (out of 40) 36.52
sleek look to its performance—it Build quality (out of 10) 10.00
simply rocks! Owning this MFD is Ergonomics (out of 10) 8.96
like having a photo-lab at home. Warranty & Support (out of 10) 8.47
Reproducing accurate color Overall (out of 100) Total: 86.02
contrast and fine details flawlessly Value for money
Features
was a breeze. And that too without
Dimensions (WxHxD) cms 44.9 x 20.6 x 42.7
wasting much time. It also topped in
Weight (Kg) 9.6
the scanner performance test. Using Functions (Print, scan, copy, fax) ✓ | ✓ | ✓| ✕
the PictBridge capability and card Interface USB 2.0 Hi-speed
reader, you can also print pictures Memory reader (SD/MMC, Memory Stick, XD, CF) ✓| ✓| ✓| ✓
directly from digital cameras and Sheet Feeder Capacity 150
memory cards after previewing Print resolution (Black, native color, enhanced) 1200 / 1200 / 9600
them on its crisp 5 cm color LCD Duplex printing ✕
display. If you’re looking for a high- Direct printing ✓
Scan resolution (Main, enhanced) 1200 / 19200
end MFD with an excellent price tag,
Scan bit depth (Input) 48
don’t miss this one!
ADF capability ✕
Fax speed NA
Performance
Printer tests
Print speed: Text (Draft, Normal) (ppm) 12 / 7
Print speed: (Combi, Photo) (min:sec) 7:57 / 3:48
Print quality
Gaurav Seth A4 photo (out of 10) 10.00
Gaurav.seth@chip-india.com
Combi document (out of 10) 10.00
Scanner tests
I am a value for money kind of a
Scan speed (Photo, magazine) (sec) 15 / 10
person. But I don’t compromise
Scan quality (8x10 Photograph) (out of 10) 7.80
on quality even if I have to spend a
Copier quality 10.00
little extra. The Canon Pixma MP150 Silent operation Excellent
fits my bill perfectly. Since I am a Build quality
home user, the speed of printing Printhead assembly Excellent
doesn’t really matter to me (unless Sturdiness of scanner lid Excellent
it is pathetically slow); image Button quality Excellent
quality is what I dig for. The MP- Sturdiness of sheet feeder Excellent
150 strikes a double bonanza. The Ergonomics
Arrangement of control panel buttons Excellent
quality of printing is very good and
Size of buttons Excellent
at the same time it is blazing fast,
Readability of display Good
nearly matching our best performer,
Number of functions in the control panel 9
the Canon Pixma MP-500. All this Absence of sharp edges ✓
at a price of Rs 6,500 is simply Warranty & Support
unbeatable. Also, Canon’s 2-year Number of authorised service centres 130
warranty is an added bonus. Number of cities with service centres 100
Period of warranty (years) 2
* Prices are indicative and are subject to change, taxes extra
INTELLIGENT COMPUTING CHIP | MAY 2006
 MFD COMPARISON | HARDWARE 69

2 3 4 5
Canon Pixma MP450 Canon Pixma MP150 Brother MFC-5840CN Epson Stylus CX4700
Canon India Pvt Ltd Canon India Pvt Ltd Godrej & Boyce Mfg Co Ltd Epson India Pvt Ltd
0124-5160000 0124-5160000 022-55961609 080-30515000
info@canon.co.in info@canon.co.in nad@godrej.com murthy@eid.epson.co.in
Rs 10,995 Rs 6,495 Rs 14,590 Rs 8,999

22.06 18.28 28.29 19.47

36.29 35.32 25.55 24.95
9.60 8.80 7.40 8.80
9.09 8.38 6.30 9.48
8.47 8.47 4.87 8.00
Total: 85.51 Total: 79.25 Total: 72.41 Total: 70.70

44.4 x 18.5 x 41.7 44.3 x 18.1 x 38.1 46 x 34 x 48.5 43 x 18.1 x 35.4

6.23 5.4 9.88 6.8
✓| ✓| ✓| ✕ ✓| ✓| ✓| ✕ ✓| ✓| ✓| ✓ ✓| ✓|✓| ✕
USB 2.0 Hi-speed USB 2.0 Hi-speed USB 2.0 USB 2.0 Hi-speed
✓| ✓| ✓| ✓ ✕| ✕| ✕| ✕ ✓| ✓| ✓| ✓ ✓| ✓| ✓| ✓
150 150 350 100
1200 / 1200 / 4800 1200 / 1200 / 4800 1200 / 1200 / 6000 1200 / 1200 / 5760
✕ ✕ ✓ ✕
✓ ✓ ✓ ✓
1200 / 19200 1200 / 19200 1200 / 19200 1200 / 9600
48 48 48 48
✕ ✕ ✓ ✕
NA NA 33.6 NA
10

8/6 10 / 7 8/3 12 / 3
4:04 / 2:21 4:22 / 1:52 18:05 / 8:11 7:00 / 3:28

8.80 8.40 7.40 6.20

9.43 8.29 7.86 8.29

17 / 9 16 / 10 35 / 29 30 / 19
9.60 8.20 6.20 5.60
9.60 9.60 8.40 6.80
Average Good Good Average

Excellent Good Average Good

Excellent Good Good Good
Excellent Excellent Good Excellent
Good Good Good Good

Excellent Excellent Good Excellent

Excellent Excellent Good Good
Good Good Good Good
9 7 9 7
✓ ✓ ✓ ✓

130 130 75 180

100 100 70 130
2 2 1 1

MAY 2006 | INTELLIGENT COMPUTING CHIP

 T VA L

70 HARDWARE | MFD COMPARISON ES

U
B

E
05 | 2006
E

T
ST R
-CENTE

SpecScan
6 7 8
Name Brother MFC-620CN Epson Stylus CX3700 Brother DCP-115C
Contact Godrej & Boyce Mfg Co Ltd Epson India Pvt Ltd Godrej & Boyce Mfg Co Ltd
Phone 022-55961609 080-30515000 022-55961609
E-mail nad@godrej.com murthy@eid.epson.co.in nad@godrej.com
Price* Rs 13,900 Rs 5,999 Rs 4,490
Overall
Features (out of 30) 22.38 14.43 19.62
Performance (out of 40) 23.87 25.38 22.79
Build quality (out of 10) 7.40 8.80 7.40
Ergonomics (out of 10) 6.49 7.92 6.30
Warranty & Support (out of 10) 4.87 8.00 4.87
Overall (out of 100) Total: 65.00 Total: 64.52 Total: 60.97
Value for money
Features
Dimensions (WxHxD) cms 43.9 x 16.5 x 45.4 43 x 17 x 34.5 37.3 x 13.5 x 34.5
Weight (Kg) 7.2 5.8 6
Functions (Print, scan, copy, fax) ✓| ✓| ✓| ✓ ✓| ✓| ✓| ✕ ✓| ✓| ✓| ✕
Interface USB 2.0 USB 2.0 USB 2.0
Memory reader (SD/MMC, Memory Stick, XD, CF) ✓| ✓|✓| ✓ ✕| ✕| ✕| ✕ ✓| ✓| ✓| ✓
Sheet Feeder Capacity 100 100 100
Print resolution (Black, native color, enhanced) 1200 / 1200 / 6000 1200 / 1200 / 5760 1200 / 1200 / 6000
Duplex printing ✕ ✕ ✕
Direct printing ✓ ✕ ✓
Scan resolution (Main, enhanced) 600 / 19200 600 / 9600 600 / 19200
Scan bit depth (Input) 36 48 36
ADF capability ✓ ✕ ✕
Fax speed 14.4 NA NA
Performance
Printer tests
Print speed: Text (Draft, Normal) (ppm) 8/3 11 / 3 9/3
Print speed: (Combi, Photo) (min:sec) 17:39 / 8:29 11:07 / 6:14 9:33 / 3:12
Print quality
A4 photo (out of 10) 8.40 6.20 6.20
Combi document (out of 10) 6.57 8.29 6.29
Scanner tests
Scan speed (Photo, magazine) (sec) 38 / 26 30 / 17 44 / 57
Scan quality (8x10 Photograph) (out of 10) 6.80 6.20 6.80
Copier quality 6.20 6.80 6.80
Silent operation Good Good Average
Build quality
Printhead assembly Good Excellent Good
Sturdiness of scanner lid Average Good Average
Button quality Good Excellent Good
Sturdiness of sheet feeder Good Good Good
Ergonomics
Arrangement of control panel buttons Good Excellent Good
Size of buttons Good Good Good
Readability of display Good Poor Good
Number of functions in the control panel 9 5 9
Absence of sharp edges ✓ ✓ ✓
Warranty & Support
Number of authorised service centres 75 180 75
Number of cities with service centres 70 130 70
Period of warranty (years) 1 1 1
* Prices are indicative and are subject to change, taxes extra
INTELLIGENT COMPUTING CHIP | MAY 2006
 MFD COMPARISON | HARDWARE 71

9 10 11 12
Brother MFC-3240C Brother MFC-410CN Lexmark X4270 Lexmark X3350
Godrej & Boyce Mfg Co Ltd Godrej & Boyce Mfg Co Ltd Lexmark International (India) Pvt Ltd Lexmark International (India) Pvt Ltd
022-55961609 022-55961609 022-26057755 022-26057755
nad@godrej.com nad@godrej.com sachinp@lexmark.com sachinp@lexmark.com
Rs 6,990 Rs 10,490 Rs 6,499 Rs 3,999

20.32 19.98 19.47 17.12

23.64 22.33 22.81 19.37
6.80 6.20 5.20 5.20
5.06 5.91 4.74 5.78
4.87 4.87 2.87 2.87
Total: 60.69 Total: 59.28 Total: 55.09 Total: 50.34

30.7 x 27.94 x 52.6 37.3 x 13.5 x 45.3 46.6 x 18.6 x 29.8 44.1 x 17.2 x 31.9
6.5 5.5 3.87 4.5
✓| ✓| ✓| ✓ ✓| ✓| ✓| ✓ ✓| ✓| ✓| ✓ ✓| ✓| ✓| ✕
USB 2.0 USB 2.0 USB 2.0 USB 2.0
✓| ✓| ✓| ✓ ✓| ✓| ✓| ✓ ✕|✕| ✕| ✕ ✕| ✕| ✕| ✕
100 100 100 100
1200 / 1200 / 6000 1200 / 1200 / 6000 1200 / 1200 / 4800 1200 / 1200 / 4800
✕ ✕ ✕ ✕
✓ ✓ ✕ ✓
600 / 2400 600 / 19200 600 / 9600 600 / 19200
36 36 48 48
✕ ✕ ✓ ✕
33.6 14.4 33.6 NA

9/8 8/3 8/5 10 / 7

15:33 / 4:50 14:00 / 8:28 5:04 / 3:02 4:28 / 2:32

6.20 5.60 3.00 3.00

4.57 9.14 4.29 4.86

33 / 18 44 / 27 25 / 10 36 / 22
6.80 6.80 7.00 3.80
6.80 5.20 3.80 4.20
Average Average Excellent Good

Good Average Average Average

Good Average Average Average
Good Good Good Good
Average Good Average Average

Good Good Good Excellent

Good Good Good Excellent
Poor Average Average Average
9 9 8 7
✓ ✓ ✕ ✕

75 75 22 22
70 70 22 22
1 1 1 1

MAY 2006 | INTELLIGENT COMPUTING CHIP

72 HARDWARE | FEATURE
Nvidia fights back!
With the G71 and G73 in its arsenal, Nvidia plunges into the GPU arena with a bang!
N
vidia recently launched their new
range of GPUs that will compete
with ATI’s products which swept
our graphics comparison tests conducted
in the Feb 2006 issue. Now with Nvidia
back in the game with the latest launch,
it’s time for the knock-out round. With
the Radeon X1900XT GPU, ATI changed
the design and implementation of the
processor by improving the efficiency of the
R580 core. As a result, the R580 boasts of 48
pixelshader processors (the highest ever).
The 90nm fabrication process allowed
ATI to squeeze in the extra performance
and keep the die size as well as the heat in
control. The latest from Nvidia- the G71
and G73 also using the 90nm fabrication
process but they take a different approach
to take advantage of the same. This article
is aimed to execute the all important job of
finding out whether the latest GPUs from
Nvidia can match their counter parts or
even overtake them in the quest of gaining
supremacy. For starters, let’s look at the
new GPUs and their technical specifications,
comparing them to the older series as well
as the competition.
Investigating the GeForce 7900GTX
Based on the G71 core, the GeForce
7900GTX is the most powerful offering
from Nvidia aimed at the Radeon X1900XT
from ATI.
Yes, the 7900GTX is not different in
GeForce 7900GTX
terms of the Pixel and Vertex shader units
when compared to the 7800GTX. The
transistor count has also gone down from
304 million transistors in the 7800GTX to
278 million in the 7900GTX. By shrinking
the die size and reducing the transistor
count, Nvidia claims to have drastically
reduced the power consumption of the
card, thus cutting down on the heat as
well. As a result, Nvidia was able to bump
the clock speeds much higher while
consuming less power. The 7900GTX
comes with 512 MB of GDDR3 256-bit
memory, similar to its rival the Radeon
X1900XT. By default, the G71 is clocked at
650 MHz and the 512 MB memory has a
reference clock speed of 1600 MHz.
How different is the 7900GT?
The 7900GT is based on the same G71
core and has the exact specifications
when it comes to the shader units. Being
the exact chip, the only changes are in
the clock speeds for the core as well as
Pramod Jadhav
GeForce 7900GT
the memory. The 7900GT also is a 256
MB card as opposed to the 7900GTX
which boasts of 512 MB of GDDR3 256-bit
memory. The core is clocked at 450 MHz
and the memory chips operate at a
modest 1320 MHz.
GeForce 7600GT, the mid-range contender
While the GeForce 6600GT is still a worthy
contender for the mid-range segment,
the 7600GT based on the G73 core is a
smarter solution from Nvidia. Based on
90 nm fabrication, the G73 boasts of 12
pixelshader units and 5 vertex shader
units. By default, the card comes with 256
MB GDDR3 128-bit memory. The 7600GT
takes maximum advantage of the 90 nm
process by reducing the size of the chip
and in the process boosting the core clocks
to 560 MHz. The reference clock speed for
memory is also bumped up to 1400 MHz.
The 7600GT is not a sucker for power as
well; it does not require additional power
to juice it up.
INTELLIGENT COMPUTING CHIP | MAY 2006
 HARDWARE | FEATURE 73

Index
3DMark 2003 HalfLife-2 Lost Coast
20871 Nvidia GeForce 7900GTX 1600x1200@4xAA 8x AF
FPS
17782 ATI Radeon X1900XT
60 ATI Radeon X1900XT
17329 Nvidia GeForce 7800GTX OC
16727 ATI Radeon X1800XT 53 Nvidia GeForce 7900GTX
15515 Nvidia GeForce 7800GT 48 ATI Radeon X1800XT
15502 Nvidia GeForce 7900GT 39 Nvidia GeForce 7800GTX OC
13419 Nvidia GeForce 7600GT 36 Nvidia GeForce 7800GT
12731 Nvidia GeForce 6800GS
34 Nvidia GeForce 7900GT
12007 Leadtek GeForce 7800GS
9495 ATI Radeon X1600XT 25 Leadtek GeForce 7800GS
GeForce 7600GT 23 Nvidia GeForce 6800GS
0 5000 10000 15000 20000 25000
GeForce 7600GS coming soon! 20 Nvidia GeForce 7600GT
Index 3DMark 2006 17 ATI Radeon X1600XT
The GeForce 7600GS is aimed at the value
5837 Nvidia GeForce 7900GTX 0 10 20 30 40 50 60
conscious buyer looking for an inexpensive
4746 ATI Radeon X1900XT
solution for gaming. Based on the same
4395 Nvidia GeForce 7900GT Doom 3
core as the 7600GT, the 7600GS has the
3205 Nvidia GeForce 7600GT FPS High-1024x768@4xAA
same 12-pipe architecture with 5 vertex
2853 Leadtek GeForce 7800GS 124 Nvidia GeForce 7900GTX
shader units. The clocks are toned down 0 1000 2000 3000 4000 5000 6000
111 ATI Radeon X1900XT
to 400 MHz for the core and a measly 800
107 Nvidia GeForce 7800GTX OC
MHz for the 256 MB RAM. The card is yet to 3DMark 2005
Index 97 ATI Radeon X1800XT
be seen in the market but one can expect 10856 ATI Radeon X1900XT 94 Nvidia GeForce 7900GT
the stocks soon! 10161 Nvidia GeForce 7900GTX
81 Nvidia GeForce 7800GT
8384 Nvidia GeForce 7800GTX OC
71 Nvidia GeForce 7600GT
7937 ATI Radeon X1800XT
Pricing and availability 67 Leadtek GeForce 7800GS
7524 Nvidia GeForce 7900GT
We got our hands on the 7900GTX and 7277 Nvidia GeForce 7800GT 64 Nvidia GeForce 6800GS
the 7600GT from Leadtek while the 5926 Nvidia GeForce 7600GT 43 ATI Radeon X1600XT
7900GT being almost sold out made a late 5657 Nvidia GeForce 6800GS
0 30 60 90 120 150
5561 Leadtek GeForce 7800GS
entry in our test labs, thanks to ASUS for
5235 ATI Radeon X1600XT
sending the N7900GT which is a slightly 0 2000 4000 6000 8000 10000 12000 Doom 3
overclocked version. The 7900GTX and High-1280x1024@4xAA
FPS
the 7600GT from leadtek are based on the F.E.A.R
FPS 96 Nvidia GeForce 7900GTX
exact reference design with default clock
65 ATI Radeon X1900XT 87 ATI Radeon X1900XT
speeds. The 7900GTX will set you back by 61 Nvidia GeForce 7900GTX 74 Nvidia GeForce 7900GT
about 26K while the street price for the 57 ATI Radeon X1800XT 73 ATI Radeon X1800XT
highly sought after 7900GT is close to 45 Nvidia GeForce 7900GT
70 Nvidia GeForce 7800GTX OC
22K. With a price tag of 13K, the GeForce 37 Nvidia GeForce 7800GTX OC
55 Nvidia GeForce 7800GT
32 Nvidia GeForce 7800GT
7600GT is the most affordable of the trio. 50 Nvidia GeForce 7600GT
29 Nvidia GeForce 7600GT
The cards are currently offered only on PCI- 25 ATI Radeon X1600XT 48 Leadtek GeForce 7800GS
E platform except for the 7600GS, which 24 Leadtek GeForce 7800GS 43 Nvidia GeForce 6800GS
might also offer AGP variants. 18 Nvidia GeForce 6800GS 30 ATI Radeon X1600XT
0 10 20 30 40 50 60 70 80 0 20 40 60 80 100
Let the scores do the talking…
We put the trio from Nvidia to the test HalfLife-2 Lost Coast Doom 3
by taking them through a string of latest 1024x768@4xAA 8xAF FPS High-1600x1200@4xAA
FPS
synthetic as well as real world benchmarks 86 ATI Radeon X1900XT 76 Nvidia GeForce 7900GTX
by comparing them to rest of the GPUs in 82 Nvidia GeForce 7900GTX 70 ATI Radeon X1900XT
the market. 81 ATI Radeon X1800XT 57 Nvidia GeForce 7800GTX OC
73 Nvidia GeForce 7800GTX OC 56 Nvidia GeForce 7900GT
Test Rig 70 Nvidia GeForce 7800GT 52 ATI Radeon X1800XT
Processor: AMD Athlon 64 X2 4400+ 59 Nvidia GeForce 7900GT 39 Nvidia GeForce 7800GT
Motherboard: Asus A8N-SLI Deluxe 40 Nvidia GeForce 7600GT 36 Nvidia GeForce 7600GT
RAM: 1GB Kingston DDR 400@2-2-2-5 40 Nvidia GeForce 6800GS 33 Leadtek GeForce 7800GS
HDD: WD Raptor 740GD 37 Leadtek GeForce 7800GS 31 Nvidia GeForce 6800GS
33 ATI Radeon X1600XT 20 ATI Radeon X1600XT
Operating system: Windows XP SP2 with
0 20 40 60 80 100 0 10 20 30 40 50 60 70 80
-DirectX 9.0c
Nvidia GeForce 7900GTX, Nvidia GeForce 7900GT, Nvidia GeForce 7600GT
MAY 2006 | INTELLIGENT COMPUTING CHIP

SMS us! Story code: HFG (See Readers’ Letters for details)
74 HARDWARE | FEATURE

The Contenders to 595/1600 MHz (core/memory). The core

Leadtek GeForce 7900GTX 512 MB@
stock speeds
Asus GeForce 7900GT
256 MB-overclocked version
Leadtek GeForce 7600GT 256 MB@
stock speeds
The 7900GT is a sell-out, we barely got
our hands on the Asus 7900GT. Being an
overclocked version, we first compared the
performance Asus 7900GT by setting the
clocks to default specs of GeForce 7900GT
and later, overclocked it beyond the factory
clock speeds.
Stellar performers
Starting from the top, there is very little
to choose between the GeForce 7900GTX
and the Radeon X1900XT. Both the cards
sit right at the top and thus, Nvidia with
the 7900GTX is at level with ATI. We will
bring you the clash of the overclocked
1900XTX and 7900GTX in the coming
The small
size of the
90nm G73
core keeps the
temperature
under control,
allowing higher
clock speeds
issues to decide on the winner. Till then,
the scores are leveled. The GeForce
7900GT and the 7600GT are clearly the
superstars of the show. At default clocks,
the 7900GT stays above the 7800GT but
once overclocked, the 7900GT rockets to
the number two spot coming second only
to the 7900GTX. The overclocked version
of the 7900GT certainly helped with the
added cooling and better memory chips
used. If you are looking to buy a high-end
card, the 7900GT is highly recommended.
Next is my favorite, the GeForce 7600GT.
With stock cooling and reference design,
we were able to push the Leadtek 7600GT
can still be pushed a bit higher but we
decided to stop at 595 MHz. The 7600GT
at stock rules over the GeForce 6800GS,
GeForce 7800GS (AGP) and the ATI Radeon
1600XT. Once overclocked, the GeForce
7600GT screams at the top sitting very
close to the GeForce 7900GT and almost
matching the GeForce 7800GT. The 90
nm fabrication has done a lot of good
to the G71 and G73 cores from Nvidia
and as a result, the GeForce 7600GT and
the GeForce 7900GT offers fantastic
performance and value for their respective
segments. The icing on the cake comes in
the form of reduced power consumption.
A 7600GT SLI setup will not require any
additional power and will come close to
matching the performance of a 7900GT/
X1900XT. All eyes on the ATI camp, we
await the release of X1800GT which
should thicken the plot! ■
| Soham Raninga

Overclocking the G71 and G73

Index 3DMark 2003 FPS F.E.A.R Doom 3
18666 Nvidia GeForce 7900GT (569/1650) 57 Nvidia GeForce 7900GT (569/1650) FPS High-1024x768@4xAA
15515 Nvidia GeForce 7800GT 116 Nvidia GeForce 7900GT (569/1650)
45 Nvidia GeForce 7900GT
15502 Nvidia GeForce 7900GT 94 Nvidia GeForce 7900GT
32 Nvidia GeForce 7800GT
81 Nvidia GeForce 7800GT
14075 Nvidia GeForce 7600GT (595/1600) 32 Nvidia GeForce 7600GT (595/1600)
79 Nvidia GeForce 7600GT (595/1600)
13419 Nvidia GeForce 7600GT 29 Nvidia GeForce 7600GT 71 Nvidia GeForce 7600GT
12731 Nvidia GeForce 6800GS 24 Leadtek GeForce 7800GS 67 Leadtek GeForce 7800GS
12007 Leadtek GeForce 7800GS 18 Nvidia GeForce 6800GS 64 Nvidia GeForce 6800GS
0 5000 10000 15000 20000 0 10 20 30 40 50 60 0 20 40 60 80 100 120

3DMark 2006 HalfLife-2 Lost Coast Doom 3

Index 1024x768@4xAA 8xAF High-1280x1024@4xAA
FPS FPS
5303 Nvidia GeForce 7900GT (569/1650) 73 Nvidia GeForce 7900GT (569/1650) 92 Nvidia GeForce 7900GT (569/1650)
4395 Nvidia GeForce 7900GT 70 Nvidia GeForce 7800GT 74 Nvidia GeForce 7900GT
59 Nvidia GeForce 7900GT 55 Nvidia GeForce 7800GT
3505 Nvidia GeForce 7600GT (595/1600)
44 Nvidia GeForce 7600GT (595/1600) 55 Nvidia GeForce 7600GT (595/1600)
3205 Nvidia GeForce 7600GT 40 Nvidia GeForce 7600GT 50 Nvidia GeForce 7600GT
40 Nvidia GeForce 6800GS 48 Leadtek GeForce 7800GS
2853 Leadtek GeForce 7800GS
37 Leadtek GeForce 7800GS 43 Nvidia GeForce 6800GS
0 1000 2000 3000 4000 5000 6000 0 10 20 30 40 50 60 70 80 0 20 40 60 80 100

Index 3DMark 2005 HalfLife-2 Lost Coast Doom 3

9346 Nvidia GeForce 7900GT (569/1650)
1600x1200@4xAA 8x AF High-1600x1200@4xAA
FPS FPS
7524 Nvidia GeForce 7900GT 40 Nvidia GeForce 7900GT (569/1650) 70 Nvidia GeForce 7900GT (569/1650)
36 Nvidia GeForce 7800GT 56 Nvidia GeForce 7900GT
7277 Nvidia GeForce 7800GT
34 Nvidia GeForce 7900GT 40 Nvidia GeForce 7600GT (595/1600)
6439 Nvidia GeForce 7600GT (595/1600)
25 Leadtek GeForce 7800GS 39 Nvidia GeForce 7800GT
5926 Nvidia GeForce 7600GT
24 Nvidia GeForce 7600GT (595/1600) 36 Nvidia GeForce 7600GT
5657 Nvidia GeForce 6800GS 23 Nvidia GeForce 6800GS 33 Leadtek GeForce 7800GS
5561 Leadtek GeForce 7800GS 20 Nvidia GeForce 7600GT 31 Nvidia GeForce 6800GS
0 2000 4000 6000 8000 10000 0 5 10 15 20 25 30 35 40 0 10 20 30 40 50 60 70 80

INTELLIGENT COMPUTING CHIP | MAY 2006

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76 HARDWARE | FEATURE

When Apple met Intel

We bring you a first look at Apple’s new Intel-based notebook. Sporting the familiar
Mac-esque look and feel, there are a host of enhancements under its skin

Processing x 2
With the new Intel Core Duo processor
under its hood, Apple has injected a big dose
of power into its line of new notebooks and
desktop computer. The first Intel processor
to be built using the new 65-nanometer
technology and featuring two cores running
at up to 2.16 GHz, this is serious power for the
serious multi-tasker. Within each processor
is 2 MB of L2 cache that is shared between
the two cores. Add to it, there’s a brand new
667 MHz Front Side Bus (FSB) that drives the
rest of the system, raising the performance
bar even higher. Bring on those video, audio
and imaging applications!

See all
The Mac’s now got an eye. Characteristic of
Mac design, an almost-invisible webcam is
built right into the bezel of the screen frame,
letting you use applications like iChat for
four-way videoconferencing or iMovie HD
for creating videos, or Photo Booth for quick
and easy digital photographs. Particularly
with iChat AV, there’s this really cool 3-
dimensional view created from your friend’s
video feeds—a super way of implementing
multi-user videoconferences.

INTELLIGENT COMPUTING CHIP | MAY 2006


From gaming to imaging
Especially strong on the graphics front, this
notebook features an ATi Radeon Mobility
X1600 PCI Express-based 3D subsystem.
Yep, all that translates into some pretty
impressive gaming and graphics
performance—a nice complement
to the already powerful processor.
It works
There’s a brand new logo that
tells the world which Mac
software will work on
both the older PowerPC-
based computers and
the new Intel based
systems. Using a
MAY 2006 | INTELLIGENT COMPUTING CHIP
FEATURE | HARDWARE 77
component within the Mac OS X operating
system called Rosetta, Apple promises that
there will be no issues in using the familiar
Mac applications on their new Intel-based
systems. At present, only some of their
current applications like iLife ’06, Safari
and Mail work out-of-the box on these new
machines. Their other Intel-compatible
applications are available for purchase in
stores or you can “crossgrade” to them from
your existing versions.
And all the rest
This notebook is still an inch thick, there’s
the same attention to detail—the power
cord is retractable and the keyboard is
backlit. There’s also a sudden motion sensor
that protects your data by parking the hard
disk heads in the event of a sudden change
in notebook orientation (aka falling out of
your hands).
Front Row seats
With so much of compute power and screen
space at your disposal, how better to enjoy
it than to sit back and relax? The Macbook
Pro now comes with a nifty little 6-button
remote control that lets you take wireless
charge of a range of applications from your
slideshows to iTunes music playlist to your
DVD movies.
For all the details on how well it performs,
check out our full-blown test review next month.
SMS us! Story code: HFM (See Readers’ Letters for details)
78 HARDWARE | FEATURE
Fuel Cells on the Move
This long-awaited energy storage technology is on the verge of becoming a reality.
We take a look at what’s going on in the world of mobile power
N
otebooks and mobile phones only
offer a limited amount of mobile
freedom—after several hours of
operation. Even the most efficient battery
needs to be recharged. Fuel cells, however,
promise greater flexibility while also
facilitating a more environment-friendly
form of energy storage.
It has been a while since developers
have successfully produced energy from
hydrogen and oxygen for supplying mobile
appliances. In fact, the principles behind
creating this energy have been known as
long ago as the 19th century. But now, a
breakthrough has occurred—fuel cells are
now on the verge of being commercially
viable. Several Japanese manufacturers
have simultaneously announced that they
will be bringing fuel cell-powered mobile
phones, MP3 players and notebooks to the
market within the next two years.
According to analysts, fuel cell
technology will experience a boom starting
in 2010. Apart from being used for portable
Battery replacement: Slim micro fuel cells for mobile
devices produce their energy from hydrogen and oxygen
accessories, which is happening now, fuel
cells will also bring life to all sorts of new
applications such as wireless networked
sensors and electronic sensors embedded
in the human body.
High-powered batteries
Research on several variants of fuel cells
is going on in Japan and Germany. The
Fraunhofer Institute for Reliability and
Microintegration (IZM) in Berlin has
clearly demonstrated one of the biggest
advantages of fuel cells—their higher
energy density.
“Fuel cells have at least five to 10 times
higher capacity than that of traditional
batteries and accumulators”, says Dr
Robert Hahn, coordinator of micro fuel cell
development at IZM. As a result, devices
can function for a far longer period
without the need for recharging. This
could perhaps be the first step toward
facilitating day-long laptop computing
(powering the device for 8 hours
continuously without a recharge).
Fuel cells generate energy from a
supply of hydrogen produced from other
substances. The engineers at IZM use two
different methods to do this.
In the first method, inorganic
substances such as zinc or potassium
hydroxide—like those found inside regular
alkaline batteries—react with hydrogen
in an enclosed cell. The entire system
measures 4 cubic cm and produces as
much as 2.1 watt-hours, which is more
than twice a comparable AAA alkaline
battery. This efficiency is possible because
of the ease of producing hydrogen without
complicated chemical processes as found
in standard batteries.
“A mobile phone has variable energy
consumption rates, depending on
whether it’s being used for phone calls
or photography. In the system we’ve
developed, hydrogen production varies
to meet the demand of the moment”,
explained Dr Hahn.
INTELLIGENT COMPUTING CHIP | MAY 2006

Hours of talk time
Toshiba proves that fuel cells are
not against attractive design.
Tiny holes in the casing allow
the fuel cell to breathe oxygen
from the air while its by-
product, water vapour, leaves
the cell the same way. This fuel
cell relies on a reservoir filled
with methanol
In the second method, methanol and Freiburg have developed a cell that can be
ethanol replaces the hydrogen. These cells integrated into microchips. A hydrogen
are capable of a higher operational life by “tank” is placed in a thin layer on the
achieving a higher energy density. surface of the chip. Hydrogen enters the
Fuel cells can measure as little as a cell through a process of diffusion. This
quarter of a centimeter across. In non-stop development, which can produce hundreds
operation with stable hydrogen, they of milli-watts can also be used on self-
can provide energy density as high as recharging sensors.
80 to 160 MW. Therefore if three single
cells are hooked up in series, they can Portability issue
produce a voltage of 1.5 v. This is enough Mobile accessory prototypes based on this
to replace the button battery type. With technology indicate that developers are
foil technology, these cells can easily be focused on producing a fuel cell where size
integrated into the surface of electronic and portability are the prime factors. The
devices. Japanese had yet to demonstrate a mock-up
While IZM uses silicon wafers only as a or a prototype or deploy such cells in any
substrate material in manufacturing, mobile device.
researchers at the University of The first adopter for fuel cells
is NTT DoCoMo—the biggest
mobile operator in Japan. They
Hours of video have introduced a UMTS mobile
The new 3G-capable cell phone from Fujitsu, which allows for
phones (like the UMTS-based
a much longer operational duration
one shown here) tend to be
power-hungry. With this fuel than before.
cell power source shaped like In mobile applications, while
a shell, this mobile phone is playing video games on phones
capable of doubling video
running on the traditional Lithium
playback duration to 4
hours. Fujitsu developed Ion batteries, the device can
this mobile phone only last for up to 2 hours. The
for NTT DoCoMo. aforementioned Fujitsu device
As seen, it works
is capable of at least twice that
great, but needs
enhancements on operational time—a huge step
its aesthetics indeed. However, this comes at
an aesthetic cost as the fuel cell
MAY 2006 | INTELLIGENT COMPUTING CHIP
SMS us!
FEATURE | HARDWARE 79
Hours of music
As much as 3.5 ml of
methanol is required
to play 35 hours of
music—10 ml for
60 hours. Toshiba
has introduced two
prototype MP3
players—one with a
hard disk and the other
using flash memory.
Smaller versions of
these products will
become available in
2007
Day-long notebook
Most notebooks powered by Li-ion batteries are
drained within four hours of operation. With a
methanol fuel cell that has a tank shaped like
a docking station, Fujitsu’s product promises
continuous operation for up to 10 hours
looks like a charger, with measurements
of 150x56x19 mm and a weight of 190
gms. The fuel cell is equipped with small
methanol-filled reservoirs measuring 1.8
mm and 1.2 mm.
The second largest mobile operator in
Japan, KDDI, has been working with Hitachi
and Toshiba to bring its own advances to
mobile phones. The first prototype has been
introduced though the mass-market version
will be available in the year 2007.
The Toshiba fuel cell measures a mere
22x56x4.5 mm and weighs 8.5 gms—small
enough to be integrated into an MP3 player.
In Japan, Toshiba has introduced two MP3
players with fuel cells—one based on hard
disk technology and the other implemented
using flash memory.
Toshiba’s flash-based MP3 player
Story code: HFC (See Readers’ Letters for details)
80 HARDWARE | FEATURE
| FUEL CELLS USING FORMIC ACID
Electrons
HCOOH
H2
CO 2
Anode
This fuel cell uses formic acid (HCOOH) as its power source. On the side of the anode, the for-
mic acid is broken up into carbon dioxide (CO2) and hydrogen (H2) through chemical reactions.
The rest of the process is identical to how all fuel cells work. Positive hydrogen ions penetrate
the polymer membrane to reach the cathode. The negatively charged electrons create an elec-
trical current by flowing through an electrical circuit. At the cathode, the H+ ions react with O2
from the air to form water vapour which is environment friendly.
measures 35x110x 20 mm with a weight
of 78.5 gms when fully fueled. With
3.5 ml methanol, it is capable of playing
music continuously for 35 hours. The hard
disk-equipped player measures 65x125x27
mm and uses a larger fuel cell than the
flash player (60x75x10 mm, offering 300
MW) with a larger tank of 10 ml. With a
full tank, the device weighs 270 gms and is
capable of playing music continuously for a
commendable 60 hours. Toshiba promises
smaller versions of these products for the
mass market by next year.
As a technology demonstration, Toshiba
equipped a Portege M300 sub-notebook
with a methanol fuel cell. Its power
source resembled a thick docking
station with an energy density
five times greater than that of
Fuel cell and Li-ion
technology in a single
casing. The fuel cell
recharges the battery
O2
H+
O2
H 2O
H+
H 2O
Polymer
Membrane Cathode
Useful web links
1. www.pb.izm.fhg.de/hdi/040_groups/
group4/index.html:
Information from IZM regarding fuel
cells.
2. www.ise.fraunhofer.de/english/fields/
field5/index.html:
Fuel cells at ISE.
3. jp.fujitsu.com/group/labs/en/: Fujitsu’s
research website.
4. www.initiative-brennstoffzelle.de/en/
live/start/1.html: Portal Information
portal regarding fuel cells.
5. www.tekion.com: Cells using
alternative fuels.
Li-ion batteries. Therefore, present-day
technology has aptly demonstrated the
capability of fuel cells but portability
still remains an issue that needs to be
worked out.
Innovative developments
While awaiting further developments,
Nokia has frozen its fuel cell research and
experiments. Prior to this, the Finland-
based company had been experimenting
with a headset that might extend
operation time to more than 10 hours. As
with Toshiba, Nokia’s fuel cells would use
methanol as the hydrogen source.
Motorola has chosen a different
substance to generate hydrogen from,
namely formic acid (HCOOH). To gain access
to this technology, Motorola invested in
Tekion, a Canadian company. While most
developers were focusing on Methanol as a
fuel source, Tekion chose to use a substance
called Formira, which consists of purified
and modified formic acid.
The hydrogen that is necessary for
generating energy is produced thorugh a
chemical reaction (see illustration). “Strong
electric currents and simple chemical
processes from Formira fuel cells enable
the construction of a product that is more
simple compared to methanol systems.
This makes it truly appropriate for mobile
devices”, says Neil Huff, president of
Tekion, speaking about the advantages
of his system over existing fuel cell
technologies. The proof is evident in the
smaller size of the product.
Tekion’s innovative developments
continue. Right now, researchers have
developed a hybrid system called the
“Formira Power Pack.” In it, both the fuel
cell and the Li-ion battery are united
within a single casing. The battery supplies
energy to the device whereas the fuel
cell produces the energy to recharge the
battery—a cyclic system of sorts. According
to Huff, this technology combines the
benefit of both power sources. With it, he
promises that users wouldn’t need to carry
their own external chargers.
This hybrid technology will reach the
market next year. The first product will
be a satellite phone that is currently in
development. It appears that 2007 is the
target year for the industry when fuel cell
based products will hit store shelves. But
there are several questions that need to be
addressed: Will all the technological hurdles
be overcome by then? Are they going to
be small enough to integrate into today’s
trendy ultra-tiny mobile products? How
much will it cost?
While all this remains to be seen, it is
indeed exciting to visualize a time when cell
phones, PDAs and laptops have the juice to
last us all through our working days. ■
| Manfred Flohr
INTELLIGENT COMPUTING CHIP | MAY 2006

Dual-headed demons
T
he world of personal computing is intrigued
by two recent developments—Apple’s Boot
Camp software and dual-core processors.
It’s only a matter of time before applications
leverage both technology breakthroughs. And this
could also be the start of something big—heard of
server partitioning and virtualization? Imagine that
happening on the desktop platform.
In June 2005, Apple took the radical decision
to power all forthcoming Apple PCs with Intel
processors. When I first heard about it, I fantasized
about running Windows and all my favorite
applications on the brilliantly designed Macintosh
computers. Then there was a contest with $14,000
prize money. Someone with the handle “narf”
took up the challenge, tweaked his Intel Mac and
got it to boot both in Windows XP and Mac OS X.
In technical terms, Narf’s solution is referred to
as XOM.efi or just XOM. If you’d like to learn more
about this bootloader or read the FAQ, head to
http://onmac.net.
Though Apple neither endorsed nor supported
the contest, it got Steve Jobs and other top honchos
at Apple thinking how Apple could benefit from
having Windows XP running on a Mac.
Our professional dependence on Windows
applications and compatibility concerns keep us
from experiencing the splendor of “Macdom”.
But what if a Mac could run Windows and all our
favorite software as efficiently as on an Intel PC?
Apple’s Boot Camp software solution (similar to
XOM) is a means to achieve this.
We know that PC hard disks can be partitioned
for different OSes that enables you to boot up
natively in Windows 2000 or Windows XP, or Linux.
But nobody achieved this feat successfully on a
Macintosh before (though there were attempts).
This is because of vast differences in the hardware
architecture and Windows and Macintosh
operating systems have different ways of booting.
To date there are two native solutions: XOM
and Boot Camp. With a native solution, the
system boots up in one operating system; the OS
has all the system resources at its disposal. But
what if I’m working on a multimedia application
on the Mac and suddenly need to reference some
contacts in my Windows contact management
software? The switch can be time consuming
MAY 2006 | INTELLIGENT COMPUTING CHIP
PERSONAL TECHNOLOGY | HARDWARE 81
since I will need to shut down all my Mac
applications and reboot into Windows. This is one
of the many glitches of using Boot camp.
The solution is to run both the Mac OS X and
Windows XP simultaneously. This is achieved
through a technique called Virtualization. The
software Parallels Workstation for Mac OS X from
the company Parallels makes this happen. You can
download the free beta from www.parallels.com.
Parallels Workstation is a desktop
virtualization solution that lets you divide a single
PC into multiple “virtual machines”. Each VM
| Brian Pereira
can then run its own OS and applications. The brian.pereira@chip-india.com
wonderful thing about this software is that it will
allow you to run other OSes alongside the Mac OS.
This includes older versions of Windows, Linux,
OS/2, MS-DOS, Solaris or FreeBSD. The company
says the final version will let you run several OSes
While your Mac
at once. Of course, this would work only with
processors that support Virtualization technology. PC is rendering a
And Intel’s Core Duo processors (used in the Intel movie, you could
Macs) do support virtualization.
This technique isn’t new. It borrows from old catch up on a LAN
server virtualization technology pioneered by game in Windows
VMware. With virtualization, you have two or more
operating systems running simultaneously on a
even as a peer-to-
server. The requirement is that the server must have peer application is
multiple processors and support SMP (symmetric
multi-processing). Plenty of memory and hard disk
running on Linux
space is required. These resources are partitioned
and a single box is divided into multiple virtual
machines. Each OS and its applications run on its
own virtual machine environment or “window”.
What use would this be on a desktop? Well, if
your computer is on a peer-to-peer network with
heterogeneous computer platforms, several things
could be going on at the same time. While your
Mac is rendering a movie, you could catch up on
a LAN game in Windows even as a peer-to-peer
application is running on Linux—and all this takes
place on the same system!
Multi-tasking in Windows was once a challenge
but is now taken for granted. Someday, multi-
tasking across operating systems will be common
which is why I look forward to dual- or tri-boot
systems and dual core PCs.
The writer has been covering personal technology
issues for the past 12 years
82 HARDWARE | FEATURE
Musical Bliss
A guide to buying the right kind of MP3 player
Entry-level
Models: COWON iAUDIO U2 256 MB, Creative Muvo
TX 256 MB, Transcend T-Sonic 610 512 MB
Budget: Below Rs 5,000
W hen your budget is Rs 5,000 or less,
the line between entry-level and
mid-range players thins. The players in this
category are basically the same kind. The
only difference between the two is that
the mid-level players have more storage
capacity. For example, the 1 GB iAUDIO U2
costs around Rs 6,500 while the 256 MB,
which falls in the entry-level category costs
about Rs 4,500. We strongly recommend
putting in a little more money and going for
the 1 GB model.
At this price point, you only have the
option of buying flash memory based
players. Since the entry- and mid-level
players have the same feature set, we will
walk you through them in the mid-level
category.
You might be curious about how
different these players are as compared to
the unbranded MP3 players available for as
little as Rs 2000 bucks with a capacity of
512 MB. One of the most distinguishable
factor is the audio quality and the
signal-to-noise (S/N) ratio where the latter
category of players falls short. Anything
above 85 dB S/N is good. Our choice in the
entry-level category is definitely the 256
MB iAUDIO U2. It offers the best audio
quality and has a plethora of features
including FM, line-in and voice recording.
SMS us! Story code: HTL (See Readers’ Letters for details)
Mid-range
Models: Cowon iAUDIO U2 1 GB, iRiver iFP795 512 MB,
iPod Nano 1 GB, Creative Muvo TX 512 MB
Budget: Between Rs 5,000 - 10,000
T his is the most interesting category
offering a very good value for money
with a fair balance of good performance
and added features. The most important
feature is of course the sound quality.
Next comes the user interface. It should
be intuitive. Third and a very important
feature is the ability to make on-the-fly
playlists i.e. you should be able to choose
songs from different locations and make
a playlist without being connected to
the computer. The fourth feature could
be a pro as well as a con depending on
your requirements. It is very convenient if
directly recognized as a removable storage
device as soon as you plug it into the
computer’s USB port. No device drivers
are required, just drag and drop the songs!
The drawback is that the player won’t
automatically sort out the songs according
to the artist, genre and album. With the
players that are able to sort, specific device
drivers should be installed in the computer
before transferring any song to the player.
The concluding aspect is the battery type
and more importantly, the battery life. A
20-hour per charge battery life is a must.
Our choice again is the 1 GB iAUDIO U2
MP3 player. Top notch performance and 1
GB capacity at a price tag of just Rs 6,500 is
just unbeatable!
High-end
Jagdish Limbachiya
Models: Creative Vision: M 30 GB, iPod Video 30 GB,
iRiver H10, Creative Zen MicroPhoto
Budget: Above Rs 10,000
A t Rs 10,000 and above, you should
definitely be looking at hard drive-based
players with a storage capacity of 20 GB and
above. The current breed of MP3 players is
also capable of playing videos. Players like
the Creative Vision: M need device drivers
to be installed on the computer and are not
instantly recognized as a removable storage
device when connected to the USB port.
Also, you need their propriety software to
transfer music since it categorizes the music
according to the artist, album and genre.
For a device with 30 GB of storage, this kind
of sorting definitely helps in sifting through
your music collection. But then, you would
also like to use the device as a portable hard
drive to carry data from one PC to another.
It is not necessary for you to carry the device
drivers with you always. The Creative Vision:
M has come with a unique solution—it lets
you partition a portion of the 30 GB hard
drive to be specifically used for data storage.
Our choice here is the Creative Vision:
M—it has very good sound quality and a
brilliant color screen. It can play video files
from a variety of formats including divx,
xvid, etc. It can also play and record FM and
best of all, it has A/V out i.e. you can directly
play video from the player onto your
television.
| Gaurav Seth
84
Software Center
T
his month, we bring you a selection
of tools for the home and office
desktop spanning media file
management, system optimization, audio
authoring etc. Also, we review the latest
QuarkXPress 7 Public Beta 2. We came
away impressed by the enhancements in its
capabilities and workflow functionality. The
competition in the page layout arena just
Applications
got tighter. Sony ACID Pro is a professional-
quality multi-track audio editing tool with
audio hardware integration capabilities.
When it comes to sluggish hard disks, our
software of choice for system optimization
is Diskeeper 10 Professional Edition. Based
upon efficient and intelligent algorithms
for file re-ordering, this application
delivers tangible results when it’s through
| The Ratings Explained
The parameters used for evaluating
software are assigned a graphical rating
out of a scale of 5. These parameters include
performance, features and ease of use. The
overall rating shown in the reviews is based
on all these factors.
In addition, there is a value for money rating
for each application. This rating is obtained
Pramod Jadhav
optimizing your hard disk.
We also review one of the most
powerful and comprehensive image
management applications we’ve
seen—with cataloging, editing, printing
and publishing options. It offers all
image-related tasks jobs in one package.
Searching for a home theater quality media
player? Zoom Player Professional plays
back all of your audio and video files while
offering much configurability for squeezing
out the last ounce of clarity in your
computer-based home theater system.
For virus scanning, we’ve reviewed Avira
AntiVir PersonalEdition Classic—a free file
scanner application. You’ll find all of these
applications on our cover disks—so go
ahead and dig in.
by stacking the features and the utility of the
application against its price.
In the case of freeware and shareware
tools that are available for download from
the Internet, we replace the price with the
download size (and therefore the time taken
to download the application) for arriving at
the value for money rating.
INTELLIGENT COMPUTING CHIP | MAY 2006

Spinnin’ up tunes
C reating music was once the prerogative
of the select few who were specifically
trained in music. However, today’s music
authoring applications provide a rich
variety of music creation capabilities
where, with a little training, it is relatively
simple for even a casual music enthusiast
to jump right in and compose. Sony
ACID Pro 5.0 is one such application that
specializes in creating music by looping
sampled sounds and modifying their
characteristics using a large number of
parameters. The good news is that it’s not
as difficult as it sounds—this software
enables you to create music using intuitive
tools that help you find your groove along
the way. It can be used to develop music
for web sites, disks, music videos or Flash
animations. And you don’t even need to be
a musician as there are over 1,000 sound
loops to choose from.
Installing it was a snap (though it does
require Microsoft .NET to be installed
on the computer). It is clearly a taxing
application indicated by the relatively
long startup time (over 10 seconds on
our Pentium 4 with 256 MB of RAM) as it
initializes internal music databases for its
various components. As with any audio
editing software, the application’s interface
has the propensity to appear daunting at
MAY 2006 | INTELLIGENT COMPUTING CHIP
first as there are toolbars, buttons and
sliders present everywhere. However, after
stepping through the online help file, we
find that its layout and various areas are
adequately explained. The main interface
areas include the toolbar, the track list, the
timeline and the window docking area.
The toolbar includes all the functions
pertaining to the track at hand. This
includes the file loading buttons, the
selection tools, the Groove tool and a link
to the web from where additional media
can be downloaded. The track list on the
left indicates the various tracks being used
within the project along with specifications
such as volume, name, status, etc.
Double-clicking on a track will open a visual
representation of the wave file where you
can further define the track type (looped,
one-shot etc), adjust its pitch or stretch
it to fill specific segments within your
composition. You can audition any changes
to your audio samples from within this
window itself. This allows minute control
to every sound in your project.
Immediately beneath this window is
an indication of the tempo of your song
(beats per minute) and the key it is playing
in. There is a file browser window at the
base from where you can load work files
or sounds into the program. Finally, on the
SMS us!
TESTED | APPLICATIONS 85
Audio Production
Sony ACID Pro 5.0c
System requirements: 800 MHz processor, 256 MB
RAM, 200 MB free hard disk space, Windows-
compatible sound card, CD-Writer (for burning
tracks), Windows 2000/XP
Price $ 225 (Approx. Rs 10,125)
Contact Sony
website www.sonymediasoftware.com
RATINGS
Ease of use
Features
Performance
Overall Rating
Value for money
Find it on CHIP CD
right, there are the volume sliders that let
you control the master volume for your
track’s left and right channels.
Perhaps the most impressive feature of
this program is its ability to “stretch” audio
clips and have them match the tempo of
your song. This sole functionality enables
you to drag and drop any type of audio file
into your song and not bother having to re-
format it to the rhythm and tempo of your
song. Another cool feature is the “Groove
Mapping” tool that lets you apply “rhythm
ambience” to your track. With this, you can
enable your composition to sound like one
of over 50 groove styles including Funk,
Rock, Jazz swing, Hip Hip, Conga, Reggae,
etc. This lends instant creativity to your
projects thereby giving in plenty of scope to
play around with different music options.
For the more advanced users, there
is support for VST plugins, Media
management, ReWire device support, Disk-
at-once CD burning, etc. Offering a simple
interface with access to several tools, Sony
ACID Pro 5.0 is a fun yet functional music
creation application.
For: Intuitive interface; automatically
matches sound clips to the tempo of your
track; groove mapping creates interesting
variations of songs
Against: Expensive.
Story code: SWS (See Readers’ Letters for details)
86 APPLICATIONS | TESTED
Page Layout
QuarkXpress 7 Beta 2
System requirements: At least 128 MB RAM, at least
250 MB available hard disk space Mac OS X v10.4
(Tiger) or later, Windows XP
Price To be announced
Contact Quark
website www.quark.com
RATINGS
Ease of use
Features
Performance
Overall Rating
Find it on CHIP CD
Page layout, refreshed
W ith QuarkXPress 7, Quark has
started out with a clean slate and
created it ground up. In doing so, they have
incorporated a host of open standards into
the core—chief among them being XML
support. Also, new Document Object Model
in QuarkXPress 7.0 is the QXML system that
will impart read-write capability to virtually
every aspect of the Quark file including
formatting, hyphenation, style sheets and
justification.
The main interface of this version of
QuarkXPress 7 features some interesting
enhancements—the most obvious being the
new Measurements Palette. The equivalent
of InDesign’s Color Palette, this toolbar is
replete with features. Instead of crowding
the workspace with palettes, it displays
context-sensitive information depending
upon the function used during page
design. This would, for example, change
depending upon whether you are working
on text where there are tabs that allow
access to character attributes, runaround,
space/alignment, frame settings, etc. These
tabs vary depending on the function used.
This certainly frees up screen space leaving
more room for the layout work at hand.
For managing palettes, QuarkXPress 7
now groups them together, making it very
similar to what is seen in InDesign. Another
significant feature—transparency can
be controlled in every area that has color
control including the Edit Menu, the Color
Palette, Measurement Palette, etc.
Today, when the print workflow is so
largely digital, the ability to collaborate
between various support teams is critical.
Adobe already realized this in creating CS2
and it looks like Quark has too. There is a
new Composition Zone feature that lets
designers define a specific segment within
a page layout for other designers to access
and work on simultaneously—a boon for
projects where different artists work on
different aspects within the same page—for
example, layout, illustrations, images, etc.
These sections can then be easily re-used
across different projects. Next, there is the
Job Jacket feature that allows designers to
define limits so that they never stray away
from the original objective of the project,
from the typography, color and style sheet
point of view. This can be of considerable
use while rolling out to press, wherein
tight control can be maintained over the
production process in accordance with the
norms laid down by designers.
There are several other enhancements
such as the ability to numerically define
curves while working with images (as
opposed to dragging curves with the
mouse), the ability to apply filter effects to
alpha channels, etc. There is the new Open
Type feature that enables the use of creative
font structures such as ligatures, character
alternates and Glyphs. You can preview
layouts on a variety of output devices; the
program can also be configured to use the
color settings of previous QuarkXPress
versions ensuring backward compatibility.
During file creation, designers can see
their projects using multiple views across
several panes in a single window or across
separate windows—ideal for multi-monitor
setups. While QuarkXPress 6 allowed
users to create multiple layouts of a single
project, this version allows you to export
individual layouts and even append them
to existing projects.
While this is still a beta release, it is a
good indication of things to come when the
final version of QuarkXPress 7 is announced
later this month. Does it outshine InDesign?
It would only be fair to say so when the final
versions are compared. But for InDesign, the
competition has certainly grown strong.
For: Better user interface with new
Measurements Palette, improved workflow,
better support for open standards, several
new features to whet the creative designer.
Against: This beta release is occasionally
unstable.
INTELLIGENT COMPUTING CHIP | MAY 2006

Streamlined access
D iskeeper 10 Professional is a program
that consolidates and compacts the
data on your hard disk, streamlining the
reading and writing process.
The main interface of the program is
well laid out using three sections. The upper
pane contains a listing of the volumes in
your system. The lower pane displays a
visual status of the defragmentation job,
the logs, history, etc. The pane on the left
is a Quick Launch bar that groups common
tasks together, making it easier to learn,
navigate, use and configure the software.
For example, this section has steps that
guide the user to configure and launch a
defragmentation job on one or more hard
disks using a wizard-like approach. This
makes it simple for the first-time users. The
more advanced users can access all of these
tasks by right clicking on the volume in the
upper pane of the interface.
Besides basic file and folder
defragmentation, this program offers
the ability to defragment the Windows
Snappy and feature-packed
O pera has long-since been accepted
as a formidable player in its field. A
long-standing advocate of open standards,
Opera’s underlying architecture is based
on standards-based web technologies. This
ensures compatibility with all web sites
that are created using open standards. Since
Opera went free in September 2005, the
software has become much more enticing.
Most appealing with this browser is its
minimalist approach—everything from
the install size (just 3.7 MB) to install time
(under 7 seconds) spells efficiency. There
are a plethora of options for configuring
the browser in accordance with individual
tastes. Its support for tabbed web pages,
mouse gestures, integrated compatibility
with search engines, integrated e-mail
client (called M2) with spam filtering,
RSS reader, popup blocker, password
manager and form filler make for quick and
convenient surfing. Perhaps one of Opera’s
most interesting features is its Small
Screen Rendering capability, allowing the
browser to correctly display web sites on a
screen of virtually any size.
MAY 2006 | INTELLIGENT COMPUTING CHIP
TESTED | APPLICATIONS 87
System Utility
paging file as well. It does so using the
Boot-time defragmentation feature which
allows the file to be accessed and modified
Diskeeper 10 Professional Edition
during system startup. This single feature
results in a significant increase in hard disk
response. Besides the paging file, Diskeeper
can even optimize other Windows core
component files like the Master File Table
(MFT), that significantly enhances the
speed with which files are located on the System requirements: Microsoft Windows 98,
Microsoft Windows Me, Microsoft Windows XP
hard disk. Home, Microsoft Windows XP Tablet PC, Microsoft
The program contains a host of other Windows XP Media Center, Microsoft Windows XP
features like performance and volume Professional, Microsoft Windows XP Professional
x64, Microsoft Windows NT 4.0 Workstation (SP6),
health analysis, Smart Scheduling, Event
Microsoft Windows 2000 Professional
logging and a nifty “Set It and Forget It”
operation mode. Through it all, the user Price US $49.95
Contact Diskeeper Corporation
can configure the amount of system load
website www.diskeeper.com
taken by the program so that Windows
can be used normally, even during a RATINGS
Ease of use
defragmentation run.
Features
For: A holistic set of features for hard
Performance
disk file system optimization; ability to
Overall Rating
defragment core Windows files.
Value for money
Against: Relatively expensive.
Find it on CHIP CD
Web Browser
Opera 8.53
With the interface being completely
configurable, you can modify every
element of the web display or the interface.
There are other thoughtful touches such
as “Quick preferences”, which provides
one-key access to commonly accessed
options like toggling web features (Flash,
Java, etc), enabling proxy servers, pop-up
blocking, etc. System requirements: Windows 95, Windows 98,
There are, however, some instances Windows NT, Windows 2000, Windows XP,
where sites render incorrectly in the Mac OS X, Linux
browser. But this is, more often than not, Price Free
non-standard programming practices in Contact Opera Software
creating web sites, other than being a fault website www.opera.com
of the browser. To maximize compatibility RATINGS
with web sites, the program also has an Ease of use
option to identify itself as IE or Firefox—a Features
neat trick for countering sites that are Performance
specifically programmed to run optimally Overall Rating
on select browsers.
Find it on CHIP CD
For: Quick page rendering; efficient size;
standards-based engine; integrated mail
client; RSS reader; pop-up blocking, tabbed
browsing; free.
Against: Some web sites do not render
correctly.
88 APPLICATIONS | TESTED
Photo Manager
StudioLine PhotoClassic 3
Swiss-Army imaging
W ithin its 46 MB download, StudioLine
PhotoClassic offers a toolshed of
capabilities for performing functions like
printing, e-mailing, editing or archiving
images and more.
The main interface consists of a large
workspace area where the images are
displayed. Surrounding it are panes that
System requirements: Windows XP/XP SP2/2000/
display a variety of information and tasks
ME/98, Pentium-compatible processor, (800 MHz or
higher), 256 MB RAM, 150 MB free hard disk space, pertaining to the job at hand. For importing
24-bit color graphics card at 1204x768 resolution and managing images, the application
Price €59 (Approx Rs 3,245)
can load the image into its file store or
Contact H&M System Software simply catalog images in a target folder.
Phone 49 6074 9130 Once images are imported, they can be
E-mail lmomin@perfectrelations.com
categorized and tagged at a very granular
website www.studioline.net
level, using descriptions (image tags), star
RATINGS
ratings, classifications, etc. This enables
Ease of use
them to be easily recalled and located with
Features
the Picture Search functionality, where you
Performance
Overall Rating
can locate files using these attributes.
Value for money On the image editing front, the program
features a comprehensive array of functions
including color correction, cropping,
Free show!
Media Player
Zoom Player Professional Z oom player is a media playback
application that handles virtually every
type of DVD, audio and video file out there.
Best of all, it sports a surprisingly small
install size with spiffy response.
During installation, Zoom Player informs
you of possible problems that could be
encountered while playing back certain file
types. More importantly, it tells you where
to download the codecs required to enable
System requirements: Windows 98, Me, 2000, XP,
2003 Server
you to play these files.
The interface itself is simple with the most
Price $27.95 (Approx Rs 1,260)
often-used controls being easily accessible. It
Contact Inmatrix
website www.inmatrix.com can be started up in file mode or DVD mode,
RATINGS depending upon the video being played. In its
Ease of use audio avatar, it offers MP3, OGG, AC3 along
Features with a host of other common audio formats.
Performance It has playlist capabilities with powerful
Overall Rating tools that enable search for media within
Value for money the playlist. There is also an internal 10-band
graphics equalizer offering present and
Find it on CHIP CD
custom settings. Each of these windows can
be toggled on and off, enabling a slim-profile
and unobtrusive interface.
However, this program’s real power
resides in its video play back capabilities.
rotating, red-eye reduction, format and
conversion, white balancing, along with the
more advanced features like histograms
and color curves. Using an interface that
displays all relevant functions on one screen
along with simultaneous “before and after”
displays, the program makes it easy to
extract the best out of your digital camera,
scanner or web images.
When the images begin to pile up,
PhotoClassic 3 can either backup your
images to a writeable CD/DVD, offload
them (where the source images are deleted
from the hard disk after copying) or
simply burn selected images to a disk for
distribution to friends. Additional functions
include the ability to generate a web
gallery where the application creates a web
ready for upload.
For: A one-stop shop to photo
management; editing and distributing; FTP
uploading of web galleries.
Against: Interface tends to be cluttered.
It boasts powerful DVD front-end control
offering a host of playback and video
control functionality seen in much bigger
applications. Besides the usual video
controls, its most impressive feature is its
ability to use external video decoders and
filters—even combinations—to provide
the most finely-tuned video experience
available on a computer. Besides being a
straightforward media playback application,
it can be extended by advanced users and
tweaked to perfection. It supports hardware
color, brightness and gamma management,
reducing the load on the CPU during
playback. This is especially useful if you plan
to run other applications in the background
while running movies. It can play back
ripped DVD files from the hard disk, create
and recall bookmarks within DVD movies,
restrict viewing using parental controls, etc.
For: Effortless DVD and movie file playback;
provides minute control to advanced video
and audio parameters; can use external
video decoders.
Against: Most of the advanced features are
available in the registered version.
INTELLIGENT COMPUTING CHIP | MAY 2006

Virus-free for free
T here’s clearly no escaping the fact
that today’s desktop computers need
protection from threats. If you’re looking for
a free, usable alternative to commercially
available anti-virus programs, you might
want to give this program a go. In its
Classic version, it is a pure file-based virus
scanner without the functionality of POP3
scanning, Adware or Spyware detection.
This added functionality is only available in
the Premium version of the software, which
costs €20 per year, per license.
The main interface is tabbed-based,
which provides access to the anti-virus
configuration while displaying its running
status. The scanner section displays the
storage devices attached to your computer
including the hard disk, local drives,
removable drives, the Windows system
directory, etc. Scans can be launched on
these devices by simply right clicking and
selecting the appropriate option. It is even
possible to manually scan individual files
Video in a flash
I f you’re looking for an easy way to create
Flash-based movies from regular video
clips, this is a nifty little application to
serve that need. Sporting a lucid step-by-
step interface, you are guided through the
entire process of converting your video
clips to Flash movies.
The main interface contains tabs that
signify each step in creating a Flash movie.
You start out by selecting the target video
file ranging from WMV, ASF, MPEG, MOV,
QT or AVI files that are compatible with the
application. You can also view information
about the video and audio attributes of the
currently loaded file here. Clicking on the
next tab takes you to the Effects section,
where you can incorporate one of 19
different video effects such as grayscale,
sepia, motion blur, posterize, etc. This
screen displays your original video stream
alongside a screen that displays the results
of the effect, making it easy to review.
Here, you can also adjust image brightness
and contrast. On the following screen, you
can incorporate a graphical or text-based
watermark (like a company logo or name)
MAY 2006 | INTELLIGENT COMPUTING CHIP
TESTED | APPLICATIONS 89
System Security
Avira Anti-Virus
on your computer. The Guard tab indicates
instances of infections found, along with
the files in which they have been detected.
For automating your virus scanning, it
supports scheduling where pre-defined
scan runs can be programmed to run
automatically. The last tab displays a listing
of application-generated reports related to
scan runs, updates, quarantines, etc. Also, System requirements: At least 196 MB RAM, IE 5.0 or
higher, Windows XP, 2000, NT 4 (SP 6), Me, 98 SE, 98
as any anti-virus application should, this
program also features online updates to its Price Free (for personal use)
Contact Avira GmbH
virus definition files from its servers.
website www.free-av.com
The red umbrella motif in the software’s
RATINGS
interface screen is indicative of the features
Ease of use
in the version—red implies that this is a free
Features
trial version, while a silver umbrella indicated
Performance
an enhanced feature set, which is available Overall Rating
only in the paid version of the software.
For: Quick and effective file-based virus Find it on CHIP CD
scanning; simple interface without loading
the systems significantly; free.
Against: No support for Adware/Spyware
or POP3 mail scanning in the free version.
Flash Authoring
within your Flash video. This screen allows
you to select positioning and attributes of
the watermark.
Flash Video Studio 1.5
This is followed by the Settings screen
allowing you to configure the video
quality and resolution, the audio quality,
sampling rate, number of channels and
finally the frame rates and aspect ratio.
The last screen lets you publish your Flash
System requirements: 400 MHz processor or better,
video. Here, the software creates the
128 MB RAM, 10 MB free hard disk space, Windows
SWF file, which can also be compressed. 98, Me, 2000, XP
For easier incorporation to a web site, it
Price $49.95 (Approx Rs 2,250)
can generate an HTML file that links to
website www.flashvideostudio.com
the Flash movie. Both of these can be
RATINGS
uploaded to an FTP server directly within
Ease of use
the software itself. For easier navigation Features
while playing back the Flash file, it embeds Performance
playback and volume controls within the Overall Rating
video clip itself. The Bandwidth Profiler Value for money
simulates the load of your Flash video file
on different types of Internet connections Find it on CHIP CD
during playback.
For: Simple; easy-to-use interface; video
effects capability.
Against: Overly intrusive overly in the
free version.
 90 APPLICATIONS | FEATURE
Narrowed viewing
Want more than the regular dope on happenings around the world? Here’s a new
kind of broadcasting—narrowcasting, catering to your unique individual preferences
T
ired of flickering through channel after
channel and not finding a program suiting
your taste? If this is what you often
experience, here’s something that will arouse your
interest. “Narrowcasting” or niche programming
makes broadcasting of specialized content
over broadband Internet to your cell phone and
television. It is a new concept in the video landscape
with shows catering to a race of esoteric viewers to
please either their tastes or whims. Narrowcasting
can be more specifically defined as need-based
programming. For instance, watching your mother
display her culinary skills for you while you are
in the US is no longer a distant dream. Ditto for
your parents interested in knowing how you are
managing in the country, you have just relocated to
all alone recently.
Narrowcasting is similar to video-on-demand
and video blogging. While video-on-demand
gives us the freedom to download and play any
video on television, video blogging allows the blog
community to share video clips on the Internet.
Narrowcasting enables a user to download video
footages applying to his specified needs or interests
and watch them on his TV or cell phone.
Global players
A number of companies have already deployed the
technology and are providing broadcast services
to viewers. Atlanta based DaveTV has already
committed 100 channels of 100,000 hours of
Dinesh Desai
licensed programming. DaveTV’s programs can be
downloaded and played on TV with the help of a set-
top box that is available for $200. Akimbo, a company
based in San Mateo, California offers 1,600 programs
for a service charge of $10 per month. But more than
60 percent of these programs have an additional
cost ranging from 50 cents to a few dollars.
Verismo Networks that focuses on media network
applications is driving the convergence of broadband
and media to whet the consumer’s growing appetite
for personal entertainment. The solutions developed
by Verismo promise to open the floodgate of video
footages created and uploaded by film makers who
want to address a particular audience. For example,
tiger lovers can share all information on tigers by
uploading related videos so that those interested in
tigers can search for the respective video clips and
view them. The additional benefit of narrowcasting
is the ability to transfer these clips to the mobile, thus
enabling you to watch while on the move.
With broadband Internet becoming a trusted
conduit for broadcast-quality video, narrowcasting
content is simply a cakewalk. Also, narrowcasting
content over broadband does not incur heavy
infrastructure costs; hence it is an economical way
of delivering specialized audio/visual data in a quick
span of time to a community of viewers. MD of
Verismo Networks Satish Mugulavalli states that,
“Narrowcasting will reduce the cost of distribution
to a great extent. It will also help in establishing
a community of sorts. Narrowcasting will enable
INTELLIGENT COMPUTING CHIP | MAY 2006

people to come together and share the
content of their choice. This will create a
revenue generation opportunity for small
businessmen or individuals willing to share
and distribute specific content.”
What you need
Watching videos via narrowcasting will be
as simple as watching TV programs with
a set-top box installed. With a set-top box
attached to your television, as you receive
all the channel information and only need
the TV remote to surf the channels; likewise
for narrowcasting, you need a similar box
called the Client Box. This is attached to
your TV set, which then receives and stores
the content information. The Client Box
comes with an in-built Linux-based OS for
playing content of any type ranging from
WMV, MPEG2, MPEG4 and DivX. All you
need to do is search and play the program
of your choice. Now if you wish to telecast
content, then along with the Client Box you
need another piece of hardware called the
Server Box. This box is like a miniature server
as found with an ISP. The main function
of this box is to take the video feed from a
recording device, for instance, a camcorder,
store the feed and upload it on the server.
All these functions are performed with the
help of a Media Server-based application
that comes along with the Server Box.
In a corporate setup, the organization
collaborates with Internet service providers
reposed with the responsibility of the Server
Box. The Internet service providers set up the
Server Box and the content management
application on their server and then telecast
the content. It is up to the organization to
You need to use the on screen keyboard to
type the title of your search item.
MAY 2006 | INTELLIGENT COMPUTING CHIP
decide on the number of location points
it wants its content to be telecast upon.
These location points may range from
one to 10 per license. Once this decision is
taken, the organization simply needs to buy
the number of Client Boxes required and
set up the same at those location points
where it will be viewed. So for internal
communication within an organization such
as watching the CEO speak across the branch
offices of a particular company, the Client
Boxes will have to be set up at those offices.
How it works
Both the Server Box and the Client Box
are provided with an IP address. All a
broadcaster needs to do is attach a video
camera with the Server Box and upload
the content on the website of the company
offering this service. So what you need
to do is run a search with the help of the
navigation button of your TV remote, select
the video content that you intend to watch
and download it on the Client Box, and then
view it on your TV.
To search and play content on your TV,
you just require your TV remote. If you need
to search any title you simply need to use
the onscreen keyboard of the application.
Select the letters of your search tags with
the help of the onscreen keyboard and the
five buttons of the TV remote and you have
your list of searched items. To simplify the
operation, two different types of search
functions are offered. First, the incremental
search narrows down the search result with
every letter typed. This procedure is similar
to narrowing down to the number in your
mobile phonebook. The second search type
is based on personal information, which you
provide while you sign up for the service.
Downloading on the mobile is still easier
as you can actually type the search tag using
the mobile keyboard. To access video on
your mobile, you just need to ensure that
your mobile’s GPRS service is activated.
This will help you browse the site, search
content title and download it. The handset
must support software to playback the
downloaded video. However, if your phone
is not GSM enabled, you need not worry.
You can still use your phone to send an
SMS to Verismo Networks and schedule
a download of the video at the Client Box
SMS us!
FEATURE | APPLICATIONS 91
installed in your home. As your mobile
phone number is already registered with
the service provider, in this case Verismo,
an SMS from your number will be treated
as an authenticate request and will be
served accordingly. Verismo is all set with
their products and are now only looking for
partners who will take the responsibility of
manufacturing the hardware. Versimo also
plans to keep a flexible cost structure for
the content that may range from 50 cents
to $10. They will allow the content owner or
creator to decide on the cost depending on
the type of content. Pricing is variable—it
could be either a flat rate applicable to all
types of content or it could depend on the
nature of the content. For example, content
videos on fashion and cooking could be
either uniformly or separately priced.
Indian scenario
Taking cognizance of the potential for
Internet video in India, companies like
Verismo have deployed the technology
here. While conventional broadcasting
serves to an audience interested in regular
feeds of news bytes, sport, movies, the
special interest program zone has remained
untapped. As a result, people have been left
pining for world cinema, advertisement,
medical content and home video content.
Narrowcasting has the propensity to
meet the needs of a wide spectrum and
might even result in overriding traditional
programming. As Mugulavalli concludes,
“With broadband Internet spreading in India
by leaps and bounds, this is indeed the right
time to introduce narrowcasting.” ■
| Pradosh Mitra
Story code: AFN (See Readers’ Letters for details)
92 APPLICATIONS | FEATURE
Waking up to WiMAX
True anytime, anywhere connectivity is possible with WiMAX.
It’s your cost-effective convenient Internet access of the future
T
he Internet scene in India has seen some
changes in the past few years. Wi-Fi exposed
us to the freedom of being connected
wirelessly. The concept of always-on Internet was
born with the advent of Wi-Fi. It radically changed
the way Internet is accessed at home, in the office,
in public locations and on the move. But where Wi-
Fi is stuck with its limits (speed and range), WiMAX
is likely to pull it off. WiMax (802.16X) promises
much more in terms of outdoor broadband
wireless service delivery.
In fact, WiMAX is all set to revolutionize
the entire broadband wireless access industry.
WiMAX that stands for World Interoperability for
Microwave Access is a cost-effective broadband
wireless technology that enjoys substantial support
from the computer and telecom industry. WiMAX
systems can cover a geographical area of up to 50
kms and can deliver bandwidth of up to 72 Mbps.
The advantage of WiMAX is its ability to deliver VoIP
and video services. For the fixed wireless broadband
industry, WiMAX industry standards are being
developed as an alternative to DSL and cable.
According to Ranajoy Punja, vice president,
marketing, Cisco Systems, “Businesses in the urban
areas can use WiMAX to backup the Internet
How Wimax works
Pramod Jadhav
access system in case of failure of their wired
infrastructure. With the help of WiMAX, cellular
operators will be able to backhaul their wireless
Internet services from a cell tower to a central
office; it can also be used as a backhaul to hook up
to the Internet at Wi-Fi hotspots.”
Existing wired or wireless technologies
experience inherent limitations. As Punja echoes,
“Unlike wired solutions, WiMAX requires no
blocking traffic to dig miles of trenches for
telecommunication cables, no ruining blocks of
roads to provide Internet services, no waiting on
massive infrastructure build-out projects and no
overhanging cables that can snap anytime. It offers
a fast, affordable and convenient solution to India’s
widespread Internet access needs.”
WiMAX is relatively easy to install. Deployment
costs will be lower, especially in rural areas that lack
proper infrastructure and where the population
is more scattered. Using WiMAX technology, the
service provider will be able to plan a 95 percent
predictability coverage increasing the installation
success rates and decreasing deployment costs.
The OFDM (Orthogonal Frequency Division
Multiplexing) technology integrated in WiMAX
makes it possible to provide a Non-Line-of-Site
INTELLIGENT COMPUTING CHIP | MAY 2006

(NLOS) coverage of up to 15 kms around the
base station and coverage of up to 50 kms in
Line-of-Site (LOS) conditions.
The WiMAX (802.16X) standard has
been developed and supported by over 300
members of the WiMAX Forum. This wide
acceptance of the technology will guarantee
interoperability, reliability and further
developments of the technology. Not only
that, it will also reduce the cost of equipment.
“Internationally, the CPE (Customer Premise
Equipment) such as modem costs vary
from $300 to $1,000. Wider adoption of the
technology and interoperability of the base
units with various CPEs will also drive down
costs.”, says Manish Gupta, vice president,
marketing & alliances, Aperto Networks.
The forum intends to restrict the cost of
CPEs to below $100. Furthermore, WiMAX
will use a single radio covering all licensed
and unlicensed frequency bands allocated by
the International Telecommunication Union
(ITU). Not only will this enhance the flexibility
of the technology but also reduce costs of
the base stations and CPEs.
But what about ISP tariffs for WiMAX-
based connectivity? “The broadband tariff
structures are a prerogative of service
providers like VSNL but world over, WiMAX
based broadband access works out to be
cheaper than DSL and E1 based broadband
network services.”, affirms Gupta.
VSNL has recently completed
deployment of Aperto Networks’
PacketWAVE multi-service broadband
wireless systems in over 65 cities across
India. This is part of an initial deployment
phase with the goal of expanding the
network to cover over 200 cities within a
period of 12 months. Though currently VSNL
is servicing corporate houses such as Tata
Motors, Hyundai Auto and Amadeus using
the 3.3 GHz frequency band, it eventually
intends to provide services to home users as
well. “We expect to start providing WiMAX-
based broadband Internet services in cities
like Kanpur and Jaipur within the next three
to six months.”, says Gupta.
Aperto’s PacketWAVE family of base
stations and subscriber units are a part of a
wide network enabling high-speed wireless
voice and data services for a wide variety
of users throughout the country. “WiMAX
technology and Aperto’s carrier grade
MAY 2006 | INTELLIGENT COMPUTING CHIP
WiMAX has the
potential to provide
cost-effective wireless
broadband coverage
across India
WiMAX Forum Certified solutions are a
perfect fit for the communication needs of
the Indian subcontinent.”, points out Gupta.
Aperto Networks is the founding board
member of the WiMAX Forum as well as
the founder of and lead contributor to
IEEE 802.16 and the ETSI-BRAN standards.
Aperto’s PacketMAX is incidentally the first
WiMAX certified product to be launched
globally. Currently, over 200 Internet service
providers in 65 countries across the world
are using it. In India, three out of five service
providers have already installed Aperto
solutions and more than 10 service providers
have commercially deployed this solution.
The company has recently established a
WiMAX development center in Bangalore
to accelerate the development and
deployment of Aperto’s WiMAX Forum
Certified and WiMAX-class products.
“Aperto is tapping the Indian market which
has the potential to be one of the largest
WiMAX markets in the world.”, says Reza
Ahy, chairman and CEO, Aperto Networks.
India is a hot market for WiMAX-
based broadband connectivity. It has 40
million Internet users out of which only
an estimated 0.8 million have broadband
Internet access. If one considers the
teledensity, then in rural India it is still
hovering at a mere 2 out of 100 and 35
out of 100 people in urban India. Only 10
million of 49 million copper lines in India are
capable of transmitting data at high speeds.
The cost of building a vast fiber optic cable
network across the country will be mind-
boggling. In such a scenario, WiMAX fits the
scheme of things as it has the potential to
provide cost-effective and reliable coverage
across India. WiMAX will be able to meet
the connectivity needs of rural India and
can provide reliable and cost-effective
connectivity to government offices, police
stations, schools, hospitals, banking
institutions and even ATM networks.
SMS us!
FEATURE | APPLICATIONS 93
Given India’s geographic spread, WiMAX
is poised to make a tangible difference in
connecting India. Considered as a promising
next-generation wireless technology that
can support high data rates along with a
long transmission reach, WiMAX can bridge
the digital divide in India and empower
citizens in far flung areas as well.
WiMAX networks will be able to support
fixed, nomadic, portable and mobile
wireless broadband connectivity on the
same network. The first PCMCIA cards
that will provide Internet access on the
move are expected to hit the markets by
the end of 2006. Two versions of WiMAX
will eventually become operational. First,
the products based on the 802.16-2004
standard have already been deployed
globally. The 802.16-2004 standard is
equivalent to the Wi-Fi Alliance for IEEE
802.11 and is optimized for fixed and
nomadic access in Line-of-Sight (LOS) and
Non-Line-of-Sight (NLOS) environments.
Subsequently, products based on the
802.16e standard, designed to support
portability and mobility will be launched
commercially. This version is based on
the 802.16e amendment and provides
support for handoffs and roaming. The
802.16e WiMAX standard is expected to
be operational in the 2.3 GHz and 2.5 GHz
frequency bands.
These versions of WiMAX are expected
to co-exist and address the requirements
of a variety of target market segments,
bearing in mind factors such as availability
of the spectrum, regulatory constraints and
the timeline for deployment. ■
| Amish Mody
Story code: AFW (See Readers’ Letters for details)
94 APPLICATIONS | FEATURE
Search engines are sine qua non today—they have made the web much more
accessible and user-friendly
“I know I’m searching for something
Something so undefined
That it can only be seen
By the eyes of the blind
In the middle of the night.”
– Billy Joel (American Pianist,
Singer and Song Writer)
T
his Billy Joel song effectively captures
the quintessence of the Internet
and search engines, though the
phenomenon called the Internet was
unheard of at that time. The Internet, from
being a prerogative of a selected few, has
seeped into everyone’s lives around the
globe. It would not be an exaggeration to
say that every piece of information one
would ever need is placed somewhere in the
form of bits and bytes on a complex maze
of web pages that comprises the Internet.
There is no exact figure on the total number
of web pages out there but a rough estimate
would run into tens and hundreds of billion.
Retrieving the required information from so
many pages would be a Herculean task but
thanks to search engines, the process has
been simplified. Let us take a look at where
the search engines originated from.
Search power
History of search engines
The grandfather of all search engines
called Archie can be traced way back to
1990 created by Alan Emtage, a student at
McGill University in Montreal. That was a
time when the primary modus operandi
of sharing files across the network was
File Transfer Protocol (FTP). In this method,
anyone who has to share a file would run
a service called FTP server. A user requiring
this file would connect to the PC using
another program called FTP client. The
availability of files for sharing would be
divulged by posting on discussion forums
or mailing lists in what could be termed as
the Internet, equivalent to word of mouth.
Later, anonymous FTP sites came into being
allowing users to post or retrieve the files.
Archie changed all this by combining a
script-based gatherer, which would scour
the FTP sites creating indexes of the files on
its run. The regular expression matcher of it
allowed the users to access its database.
If Archie is called the grandfather of
search engines then Veronica can rightly be
called the grandmother. This search engine
Pramod Jadhav
was developed in 1993 at the university of
Nevada System Computing Services Group.
It was a lot similar to Archie but worked on
Gopher files. Gopher is a service akin to FTP
but comprises plain text documents.
Matthew Gray’s World Wide Web
Wanderer, the mother of search engines,
was the first to employ the “robot” concept.
A robot is essentially a software program
designed to access all web pages using
the links found in the web pages already
accessed. Though it was first designed to
count the number of web servers, later it
started capturing URLs as it went along
creating the first web database called
Wandex. Mathew Gray’s wanderer fueled
the development of many more robot-based
search engines, many of which power
today’s search engines.
Types of search engines
All the search engines prevalent today can
be categorized into two types:
Crawler-based search engines: A crawler-
based search engine employs software
known as “spiders”. These spiders crawl
INTELLIGENT COMPUTING CHIP | MAY 2006

through the web collecting links
found in web pages as the source
| Functioning of a Crawler
for continuing further searches.
All the pages referenced by the
links are stored in a database of
indices that relate to the textual
contents of the pages. This index
is then used for displaying the
pages that match the queries
Error?
entered by a user.
Directory-based search engines:
Unlike crawler-based search
engines, directory-based ones are
completely human driven. Here, a
directory containing the links of the
pages is maintained by the creator
of a web site, where links to web
pages can either be provided by
the webmasters or by the people
reviewing that particular site.
Owing to their speed and
autonomous nature, crawler-based
No
search engines are the more
popular of the two. So let us
take a closer look at what makes
them tick.
A crawler based search engine
is essentially composed of three
components—a) The Spider or
Crawler, b) Indexer, and c) Ranking Software.
Spider
This is the component that relentlessly
crawls through the web, accessing and
downloading pages. Spiders work on the
principle that all pages are linked through
hyperlinks. They usually start off with a
list of URLs (Universal Resource Locators,
commonly known as web addresses) and
then proliferate by accessing hyperlinks
found within the progressive web pages.
Since it is not feasible to access every
single web page out there, spiders are
programmed to be capable of filtering and
deciding where to stop and what routes to
take while traversing the web. This speeds
up the search. The frequency with which
a spider visits a web page also depends
on how often that page is updated. This
behavior is decided by a set of policies
programmed into the spider called crawling
policies. This includes 1) A selection policy
(i.e. which pages to download) 2) A re-visit
policy (i.e. when to check for changes to the
MAY 2006 | INTELLIGENT COMPUTING CHIP
FEATURE | APPLICATIONS 95
and modifications happening
frequently. This throws additional
Get new URL from
pressure on the search engines
the crawl queue from the freshness and relevance
standpoint. If freshness is an
indication of accuracy, age
Issue nonblocking
“connect” to indicates the superannuation of
remote site the local page downloaded from
No
the site. A good search engine
always strives to achieve high
Yes
Have we
Poll the socket
waited too long? freshness and low age in its search
Ready for writing? results. There are two re-visiting
policies used: a Uniform Policy,
Issue the http
GET request which requires all pages to be
No visited uniformly irrespective of
the rate of change of a page and
Not Ready
Yes
Poll the socket Have we waited a Proportional Policy, where the
too long?
frequency of the updates to the
Ready for reading? page determines the rate at which
Read available data the pages need to be visited.
Politeness policy: When spiders
rove the web, they do affect
Done? the overall performance of the
web albeit imperceptibly. For
Yes example, network resources come
Process and store under pressure as spiders hog a
the object
considerable amount of bandwidth
due to the very nature of their
functioning. Also, they often work
pages) 3) A politeness policy (i.e. how to in parallel, further increasing the load on a
avoid overloading the web sites) and 4) A server. They could even load servers if they
parallelization policy (i.e. how to coordinate access them too frequently. Finally, botched
distributed web crawlers). spiders that cannot process a web page
Selection policy: The mercurial growth correctly could even crash a servers or a
of the web has necessitated the need to router. A partial solution to overcome this
identify a good selection policy for the problem is the Robots Exclusion Protocol,
URLs to be navigated. A study done by allowing web site administrators to specify
Lawrence and Giles found that of all the which pages need to be visited and what
pages available on the web, only 16 percent information is to be accessed. On the top
are actually downloaded and indexed.
With such a meager percentage of the
coverage by search engines, it becomes
necessary to display only the most relevant
pages to users by prioritizing them. The
significance of a page can be determined by
its intrinsic quality, number of inbound links,
number of visits to a particular page and
most importantly, the ones with the most
relevant information.
Re-visit policy: Given the depth and
expanse of the web, the time required
to navigate even a scant number of web
pages could run into months. The web is
dynamic with lots of additions, deletions
SMS us! Story code: AFS (See Readers’ Letters for details)
96 APPLICATIONS | FEATURE
of a URL, a file called robots.txt is specified
which invokes this Robots Exclusion Protocol.
Another method is by incorporating this
authorization information in the META
tags of a web page. This tag informs the
spider that the current page should neither
be indexed nor be followed. Currently,
very few spiders/robots support this and
it is completely up to the spiders to decide
whether or not to obey them.
Parallelization policy: A parallel crawler
is one that spawns multiple processes, so
as to cover more ground while searching
the web. Though the goal is to increase
the download rate, it has to take care
of minimizing the overhead caused by
this parallelization and also to prevent
multiple processes from downloading
the same page. To contain this redundant
downloading, there are policies for
assigning new URLs during the crawling
process as discovered by multiple methods.
Dynamic assignment: Here, a central server
takes the responsibility of assigning the
URLs to each crawling process dynamically.
This allows for the load to be balanced
uniformly on the available crawlers.
Static assignment: In this policy, there is a
fixed rule stated from the beginning of the
crawl, which defines how to assign new
URLs to the crawlers. For the assignment
function to be effective, it has to satisfy
three properties: i) Each crawling process
should receive approximately the same
number of hosts ii) if the number of
crawling processes increases, the load per
process should reduce iii) the assignment
must be able to add or remove crawling
processes dynamically with minimal impact
on the overall functioning of the system.
Indexer
This component is responsible for the
indexing function of the search process.
Every page that has been encountered
and thought by the spider to be worthy
of downloading has to be indexed in a
manner where the user receives relevant
results quickly. The indexer performs
a number of functions: it reads the
repository containing the web pages
downloaded by the spider, decompresses
the documents and parses them. Each
document is converted into a set of word
occurrences called “hits”. The hits record
the word, position in document, an
approximation of font size, capitalization,
etc. It also parses out all the links in
every web page and stores important
information about them in an anchor file.
This file contains enough information to
determine where each link points from and
to, and the text referred to by the link.
Page ranking
The success of a search engine is measured
by the relevance of its search results. This
final job of displaying the search results
in your web browser is handled by the
page-ranking component of a search
engine. People who dabble in search engine
optimization make it their task to figure
out ways to program web pages so as to
enable them to show up within the first 10
results of a search query. Hence, unraveling
the secrets of the algorithms employed by
the search engines can help enthusiasts
create pages with the high rankings.
Although the inner details of the
algorithms employed by the search engines
are not publicly available, the manner
in which the results are displayed gives
some insight into the criteria used for
ranking pages. These tell-tale signs could
be the title of the web page, headings,
links of titles within a page, frequency and
prominence of a word on a page, popularity
of a link, freshness of information on that
page, etc.
Some users employ devious means
to wrongfully create pages to appear at
the higher ranks in a search query even
though the page might not contain
relevant information. This is known
as “spamdexing”. People who practise
spamdexing are called search engine
spammers. There is a subtle difference
between search engine optimization and
spamdexing. Spamdexing is more of a
crooked art aimed at misleading search
engines while SEO is the art of adding
quality-rich results to a search query, in
such a way that the page gets listed by
way of its own merit. There is a downside
though to spamdexing which makes the
spammers wary—if the search engine
concludes that a particular page has
resorted to deceitful means to enhance
its ranking, the particular site can be
blacklisted and not considered in the
future. The golden rule is that a page gets
listed only if it has original quality content.
Future of search engines
Though the current breed of search engines
are adequately efficient at retrieving
results, they are still incompetent at
interpreting the actual intent of the
user. For example, if the user has typed
“windows” and is hoping to get a listing of
prices and styles for windows to be fitted
at his house, the results would probably
be a listing of results related to “Microsoft
Windows” while the actual information
on home window styles would be buried
somewhere within. This means the user
would have to painfully sieve through a
plethora of results to find the relevant
answer to their query. Life would be much
easier if the search engines could decipher
the actual intent of the query rather than
taking everything at its face value. This
is exactly the area where all the search
engine powerhouses are directing their
efforts—personalization.
To have the ability to interpret what
the query means, search engines need
to track the surfing habits of the user.
This culminates in the user parting with
some of his privacy to obtain the correct
results. Therefore, as stated in our previous
example, if a search engine were smart
enough to notice that the user sieved
through the many incorrect search results
and select the one on architectural
windows—which is what the user was
looking for—it would save this information
linked to that particular user. Therefore, the
next time the user types a similar query,
it could throw up more relevant results
compared to what it did before. On a
deeper level, a search engine could “profile”
a user with questions relating to preferred
living habits, etc and use this to add further
relevance and accuracy to its search results.
The possibilities of enhancement of search
engines are limitless and over a period of
time, future search engines could make
today’s generation of web search systems
look archaic and clunky. ■
| Rajesh Kokkonda
Software Engineer, CA
INTELLIGENT COMPUTING CHIP | MAY 2006

Gaming Legalities
A look at the common legal issues in the gaming industry
The gaming industry has grown by leaps
and bounds over the past few years and so
have legal concerns. Some of them, rather
mundane, constitute the usual suspects as
listed below:
Choosing a legal entity
The “developers” or “owners” should know
what legal entities they need to take into
account. Should it be a partnership firm or
a private limited company? Private limited
companies have many advantages but they
need to comply with the regulations in the
Indian Companies Act, 1956.
Stakes and shares: There’s the question of
allocation of stakes and shares to each of
the group members if the team as a whole
succeeds on a venture. In any partnership,
one has to be clearly in agreement on
one’s “share”.
Intellectual property: Developers should
know who is responsible for ownership of
the assets in the game. Intellectual property
considerations form the core element in a
legal proceeding.
First, it is essential to ensure that
the team or a young company has an
intellectual property policy in place.
One must ensure appropriate standards
regarding the use of proprietary software.
While using third party software, one needs
to ensure that it is licensed.
Let us here look at a case study that
illustrates an important point. The case
involved a dispute between Team Play Inc et
al and Boyer [2005 US Dist. LEXIS 21753].
The Plaintiffs comprised the publishers and
distributors while the defendant was the
developer of a video game. The defendant
claimed that in 1995, one of the plaintiffs
engaged him to develop a game called
Sharpshooter. The plaintiffs later created
another shooting game called the Police
Trainer 2. The defendant argued that the
new game infringed on his copyright in
Sharpshooter. The Plaintiffs sued in order
to obtain a declaratory judgment that
MAY 2006 | INTELLIGENT COMPUTING CHIP
| Rodney D Ryder
rodney@preconcept.com
they were not violating the defendant’s
copyright. The plaintiff argued that there
was no infringement because there were
no similarities in source code between the
games, no substantial graphical similarities
existed and the games were even dissimilar
in their feel and content. Therefore, any
similarity is the result of the application of
non-copyrightable ideas. The judge agreed
to the reasons substantiated.
The defendant had argued that the
judge should not compare Police Trainer
2 to Sharpshooter alone. Rather, the
judge should compare Police Trainer 2
to what the defendant called a series of
games represented by Police Trainer and
Sharpshooter together. The judge rejected
this argument on finding that two games
alone did not compose a long enough
running series.
Upon review of the allegedly similar
portions of the game consisting of
a “Balloon’s Challenge”, a “Memory
Challenge”, a “Whack the Criminal” segment
and a “Select Rank Exam”, the judge found
that there was no evidence of copying.
Intellectual property and consultants
A formal consultancy agreement is essential
to the smooth running of the relationship
between the game owner and the
consultant. The agreement should be tailor-
made to the particular consultant—recycling
an agreement prepared earlier for someone
else is not to be recommended.
There are several aspects to be
COLUMN | APPLICATIONS 97
considered, some of which have been
mentioned below. Not all will be relevant
to every situation but they may serve as a
useful guide.
Is this genuinely going to be a
consultancy or an employment
relationship?
Have the work-specifications been
defined?
How much time must the consultant
devote to the services offered?
Should there be a specified amount of
minimal work level to be provided by
the consultant?
How must the consultant render his
services? Should he do it personally
or through sub-contracting/providing
of a substitute or should he do it with
the help of a nominated subscriber/
substitute?
Mechanism for performance review
Some questions need to be answered such as:
Should there be an indemnity from
the consultant in relation to tax and
national insurance?
Will the expenses be reimbursed?
What level of control is to be exercised
over the consultant’s work?
What sort of protection measures are
required for safeguarding of confidential
information?
Will restrictive covenants be necessary?
Which law should govern the contract?
Steer clear of controversial subjects
In the United States, for example, the
debate rages on censorship issues. Although
there is no formal agency to regulate
computer or video game content, in India, it
would be advisable to steer clear of material
or content that could be classified as
obscene or promoting communal tension. ■
Rodney D Ryder heads Technology Law
Practice at full service law firm,
Khaitan & Co
rodney@khaitanco.com
98 APPLICATIONS | INFOGRAPHIC

Media Identification
Almost everyone has a music collection of his or her own. They
might be stored on hard disks as MP3, WMA, WAV files or
they could be shelves filled with audio CDs of all your favorite
albums. If you store your music in one or both formats it must
be quite a pain cataloging each one. Software is available that
allows you to neatly categorize all your songs according to
genre, album, artist and title. Typing out each title in an album
can get really painful unless you love your keyboard to bits. If
you do not like the idea of sweating over a piece of software
that requires you to type out each album and title then try using
“CD Trustee” instead. In addition to the software, you need to
have an Internet connection. Pop an audio CD in—CD Trustee
will recognize it and categorize it for you. You can then save
this “catalog” as a database file with the “.mdb” extension.

1 3
send their audio CD information. The
same goes for Gracenote too but their
database is larger. Gracenote also
uses a new version of CDDB—version
2. This is where the similarity ends
between freedb and Gracenote.
The new version adds to the older
feature set in terms of intelligent
management as well as increased
number of fields of description.

MusicID is what CDDB initially

1. Smart Identifier
Freedb and Gracenote use more or
less the same technique to recognize
audio CDs. Both use the CDDB-based
protocol to query servers that hold
data on audio CDs. Each audio CD
has a unique identification code,
which is read by the software that
offers CDDB support. Winamp (uses
Gracenote services) and dBpowerAMP
(uses freedb services) are two such
2
examples.
The code is read and sent to
Gracenote or freedb servers and
tallied with existing records. If the
CD’s identification code is found then
its information is pulled from the
database and displayed in the media
player. Details like artist, album, title,
track length, etc are displayed. The
freedb database is made entirely
with the help of registered users who
started out as in the late Nineties.
Now it has evolved to do much more
than just recognize your audio CD.
With over a million users knowing
and unknowingly using this service,
MusicID can also assess current audio
file tags and offer to edit them if
needed.
2. Smart Playlists
Gracenote’s Playlist and Gracenote
Playlist Plus, as the ir names suggest,
provide users with a smarter way of
listening to digital music. Playlists are
generated on the fly as you listen to
music on your computer or portable
player. On the computer the service
might be integrated into your media
player while the on the portable player
it is embedded (part of the firmware).
It can create playlists depending on
the sort of music you are currently
listening to. Playlist templates based
on genres are also created by the
people who provide the software or
portable player. Playlist Plus also pays
attention to your listening habits
and file ratings to generate playlists
accordingly. The playlist updates its
database as and when more audio
is added to your collection. Playlist
 INFOGRAPHIC | APPLICATIONS 99

A media player today is more than just hardware or software. They are smart
apps or devices that use special techniques to identify, organize or manage
your music files—online or offline

This means you can even open it with Microsoft Access. One
audio CD has been cataloged without a single key stroke.
This automation is the courtesy of the existence of a music
recognition technology called CDDB owned by Gracenote. As of
now Gracenote owns this technique of recognizing an audio CD
and listing information related to that particular album. Freedb
is another outfit—one that runs on the GPL license that caters
to online music recognition. Gracenote has more clout and also
developed its media cataloging technology to a great extent to
add to the user’s convenience. For example, Winamp and iTunes
uses Gracenote’s CDDB service to recognize audio CDs played
on your computer. Understanding how this service works is
very simple but knowing about what more it can do for us as
consumers is extremely interesting.

and Playlist Plus are usually used in 5

conjunction with MusicID.
3. Smart Seller
This service is called Gracenote Link
and it goes about displaying content
generated by the guys who provide
the software you use on the desktop.
Link piggy backs on MusicID to know
what you are currently listening to
and provides information on content
that might be of interest to you – say
for example, information on where
you can download the ringtone for
the song you are listening to. It can be
intrusive at times but who isn’t trying
to make a buck out of everything?
4. Smart Recommendations
I am not someone who watches MTV all
of the time to know when my favorite
artist releases a track from their new
album. But if I use applications that
4 6
make use of Gracenote’s Discover
then it will inform me of the release.
It can even suggest new artists based
on the genre you usually listen to.
This technique involves a complex
procedure of categorizing music
across over a thousand genres,
analyzing digital music on the basis
of waveforms as well as community
sales. This almost sounds like the
smart seller above. That is because it
also makes use of Link to do some its
dirty work.
This service is offered in computer
software, streaming music services
as well as mobile phones.
file tags or “ID”. Mobile MusicID is
offered on mobile phones by mobile
application developers to certain
service providers. If you like the song
being played in a restaurant all you
need to do is start the application and
record the tune. A portion of the clip
is matched with over 8 million records
stored on Gracenote’s media servers
in a matter of seconds!
6. Smart Voice Control
Gracenote’s award winning
innovation, MediaVOCS takes things
a little further by allowing users to
literally command their systems to
play the music they want to hear. Just
say, “Soft Rock” or “The King” and a
playlist will be generated to play soft
rock or Elvis Presley tunes. ■
| Ashutosh Desai

5. Smart Matcher
Gracenote uses Philips audio
recognition technology to analyze a
song’s wave form if their identification
cannot be done with the help of

Dinesh Desai Pramod Jadhav

SMS us! Story code: AIM (See Readers’ Letters for details)
100
Dr. CHIP
Dinesh Desai
Remove Toolbars In OE
Q> I am experiencing a strange problem in
Outlook Express. Every time I open a ‘New
Message’ window, I see extra toolbars that
have smileys. They are also separated by
Hands on
too much space also. I do not need these
additional toolbars. How do I get the ‘New
Message’ window to look normal again?
-Gauri
| How to Read the Code
All code lines and commands are
written in the following manner:
netsh•int•ip•reset•tcpreset.txt
where the • symbol denotes a space.
Hence, the above code line should be
typed as
netsh<space>int<space>ip<space
>reset<space>tcpreset<dot>txt
You might have unknowingly
accepted the installation of software
(search bars, smiley bars, etc.) on your
computer. These toolbars add themselves
to the web browser (especially Internet
Explorer) and Outlook Express. Right click
on the toolbar, in the ‘New Message’
window and uncheck the additional
toolbars that are cluttering the interface.
Regarding the additional space that
appears near the buttons in the ‘New
Message’ window, select ‘Customize’
Remove additional lines from the toolbar
in OE by selecting each ‘Separator’ one at
a time
after right clicking on the toolbar. In
the list of the buttons under “Current
toolbar buttons”, select “Separator” (one
at a time) and click on ‘Remove’. This will
remove all those additional lines that
appear near or between the buttons.
Rearrange the buttons according to your
preferences with the “Move Up”/“Move
Down” buttons. Click on Close and check
your new interface now. Uninstall the
toolbar/search bar software from Add/
Remove programs in Control Panel so
they never appear again in the ‘New
Message’ window.
Remove PowerPoint Templates
Q> My brother recently downloaded some
PowerPoint design templates from the
Microsoft website. The problem is I do
not know the name of the file that was
downloaded. How do I know if they have
INTELLIGENT COMPUTING CHIP | MAY 2006

been installed? I would like to know if
they can be removed. How do I go about
doing this?
-Jeev
Usually, PowerPoint templates are
stored in, “C:\Documents and Settings\
<username>\Application Data\Microsoft\
Templates” or “c:\Windows\Application
Data\Microsoft\Templates\Presentation
Designs”. If the “Application Data” folder
is not visible, then click on Tools | Folder
Options (in Windows Explorer). Click on
the ‘View’ tab and select “Show hidden
files and folders”. Then click on Apply and
Ok. Try arranging the files in the templates
folder according to the date modified
to identify the new ones. If you have
the link from where the templates were
downloaded then you can find out the
file name from there and run a search for
the same on your hard drive. PowerPoint
template files use the “.POT” extension. If
the template has been installed on your
system, then you should also find it in Add/
Remove Programs in the Control Panel. It
should show up in the list as “Microsoft
Office PowerPoint Template Pack”.
Unable to print over network
Q> In my office, I work on a Windows XP
Professional machine. Software like Office
2000 and McAfee’s anti-virus solution are
installed on it. Drivers for the network
printer (an HP laser printer) are also installed.
I have been able to print to the HP laser
printer but for the past few days, I’m
receiving an error stating that the, “Printer
properties cannot be displayed.” What do I
do? Will I have to reinstall the printer drivers?
- Jacob
You did not mention if you have a
firewall also working along with the anti-
virus. It could be the print spool service
that needs to be running might be off or
the firewall might have blocked it from
accessing the network. This could have
occurred accidentally or unknowingly – if
the firewall has been configured to display
alerts when any file or service attempts
network access. You should try starting
the print spooler service manually first.
Click on Start | Settings | Control Panel
| Administrative Tools | Services. Locate
MAY 2006 | INTELLIGENT COMPUTING CHIP
“Print Spooler” from the list of services
and double click on it. If it has already
stopped, then click on ‘Start’. If it is already
running, then stop and start it once again.
Also, make sure the service is configured to
startup “Automatically”. Click on Apply and
Ok. If your firewall is active, it might alert
you of the spooler service trying to gain
access to the network (it uses “svchost.
exe”). Allow it to access the network since
it is required to send a print to the network
printer. Now if you try to send a print, it will
definitely work.
Unable to Register Photoshop CS2
Q> I just bought a copy of Adobe’s
Photoshop CS2. I tried activating the
product but there is no text in the
registration window – nothing in the
menus or buttons! How do I register this
product? I have spent money on this!
-Keshav
Add Photoshop CS2 specifically to make
the system allow the registration process
Check to see if your anti-virus
is active during the registration. If it is
McAfee’s VirusScan 8.0i, then you will
need to disable the “Buffer Overflow”
function in the application. In addition to
this, right click on My Computer and select
Properties. Then click on the ‘Advanced’
tab and under ‘Performance’ click on
the ‘Settings’ button. Click on the ‘Data
Execution Prevention’ tab. Select the ‘Turn
on DEP for all programs and services except
those I select.’ radio button and click
on ‘Add’. Navigate to “C:\Program Files\
Adobe\Adobe Photoshop CS2\Photoshop.
SMS us!
DR. CHIP | HANDS ON 101
exe” and click Open. Now click on Apply
and then Ok. Restart the computer and try
the registration process again.
Address Book Error
Q> I use Outlook Express as my default
e-mail client on my Windows 98 computer.
I have started experiencing some trouble
sending e-mails. Every time I try accessing
my Address Book from Outlook Express,
I get an error message that says, “The
Address Book failed to load. Outlook
Express is incorrectly configured, please
re-install.” I have tons of addresses in my
Address Book. It has taken me a year to
build my contacts. Is there any way I can
salvage them?
-Niravi
This error might be due to a
damaged “Wab32.dll” file. You will need
to extract the file and replace it with its
damaged counterpart. You will need the
Windows 98 CD for the file extraction. To
begin the process, click on Start | Run, type
“sfc” and then click OK. Click on “Extract
one file from installation disk”.
Type the file name you want to restore.
Here it is, “wab32.dll”. This will go in the
“Specify the system file you would like
to restore box” field.
In the “Restore from” box, type
“X:\win98”. Replace “X” with your
optical drive’s letter. In the “Save file in
box”, make sure the destination is “C:\
program files\common files\system”.
Insert the Windows 98 CD-ROM and
begin the file extraction. Restart the
computer after this is completed.
Story code: HDC (See Readers’ Letters for details)
102 HANDS ON | DR. CHIP
Use the System Configuration Utility
in Windows XP to replace damaged or
missing files
No Spell Check in OE
Q> The Outlook Express on my computer
refuses to run a spell check on the mails
I try to send to my friends. Even though
the spell check option is enabled it does
nothing. What can I do to make this e-mail
client of mine to work properly again?
-Ravish
This might be happening because
of the corruption of certain files related
to the spell check feature in Outlook
Express. This could also occur if you do
not have Microsoft Word installed on your
computer. You can get your spell check
option back by carrying out the following
steps. Open the Registry Editor – click on
Start | Run, type “regedit” and click on
Ok. Navigate to the following key in the
Registry Editor,
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\Software\
Microsoft\Shared Tools
After selecting “Shared Tools”, double
click on “SharedFilesDir” in the right hand
side panel of the Registry Editor. Enter the
CHIP-INDIA KNOW HOW | (www.chip-india.com/knowhow)
Game Resolution Problem
I am facing a problem with my computer.
When I double click any game the screen
becomes blank for one or two seconds
and it again returns to the Desktop.
Please help me out as I am unable to play
games on my computer.
- chinna90
I had the same problem with Red Alert 2.
This was what I did to rectify it and it should
work for you too. First, reinstall the game
and then go to the Display Options (of the
following path as “Value Data”,
C:\Program Files\Common Files\
Microsoft Shared\
Click on Ok and close the Registry Editor.
Restart the computer and check to see if
this solves the problem. If the problem
persists, try copying the file “csapi3t1.dll”
from the Windows XP CD or replace it from
another PC. To replace the file from the
Windows CD, use the System Configuration
Utility. Click on Start | Run, type “msconfig”
and click on Ok. In the General tab, click on
the ‘Expand File’ and enter the file name
you want to restore.
Select the “i386” folder in your XP CD
and enter the path where you want the file
to saved.
This file resides in the following folder
by default,
C:\Program Files\Common Files\
Microsoft Shared\Proof
MDM Service Error
Q> I just got a new office suite for my
Windows XP Professional machine.
While installing Office 2003 I got an error
informing me that an “MDM service
could not be stopped”. It also mentioned
a number – 1921. I restarted and tried it
again but it did not work. What can I do to
get this installation to work?
-Vikram
MDM stands for Machine Debug
Manager. You can set the service to start or
stop from the Windows Services window.
Click on Start | Run, type “services.msc”
and click on Ok. Alternatively, click on Start
| Settings | Control Panel | Administrative
Tools | Services.
game). Change the resolution to 800x600.
This should work. The problem is that
you might have accidentally changed the
resolution to a value that is not supported by
your video card – 1280x720. It can cause the
game to hang. You can change the resolution
to a slightly higher value – depending on the
graphics card you own. (It might not even
have been you who changed the resolution.
In my case, my brother had changed the
resolution!)
- schizophrenia3.14
Locate the “Machine Debug Manager”
service from the list and double click on
it. Under the ‘General’ tab, make sure the
“Startup type” is set to “Automatic”. Click
on the ‘Apply’ button and then click on
‘Start’ to begin the MDM service. Click on
Ok to close the MDM service dialog box.
Close the Services window and restart the
Office installation.
IE Problem
Q> Whenever I open a web page in the
Internet Explorer, the pictures do not
load. Instead, I get a script error. I do not
understand what it means. Why is this
happening?
-Gopal
You will need to edit the Registry
Error to workaround this problem. Click on
Start | Run, type “regedit” and click on Ok.
When the Registry Editor window opens,
navigate to the following key,
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\Software\
Microsoft\Internet Explorer\
Main\FeatureControl\FEATURE_
LOCALMACHINE_LOCKDOWN
Change the default security settings in the
Internet Explorer from the Registry Editor
INTELLIGENT COMPUTING CHIP | MAY 2006

Select the subkey “FEATURE_
LOCALMACHINE_LOCKDOWN” and on
the right hand side panel locate “iexplore.
exe” and double click it. Change the default
value of “1” to “0”. Close the Registry Editor
and restart the computer. Your web pages
should load without any problem within
the Internet Explorer.
Screen Resolution Error
Q> I got a new computer loaded with
Windows XP Home Edition. It also has
WinDVD installed, which I use to watch
movies on my computer. But the problem is
that I keep getting an error saying, “Please
lower your screen resolution or color depth
and try again.” What do I do?
-Karan
If there are no other applications
running at the same time either in the form
of open windows or in the system tray
(bottom right of the screen) that might
be eating into the system resources then
you will need to hike up the ‘hardware
acceleration’. Right click on the Desktop and
select Properties. Click on the ‘Settings’ tab
and click on the ‘Advanced’ button. Click on
the ‘Troubleshoot’ tab and move the slider
under ‘Hardware Acceleration’ towards ‘Full’.
Restart your computer and try playing the
movie once again. If you still get the same
error, then reduce the screen resolution
and also set the ‘Color Quality’ (in Settings
tab of the Graphics Properties dialog box)
to “Medium (16-bit)” and click on Ok. This
should reduce the strain on the video card
(especially if it’s integrated – it will use
Increase system or DirectX acceleration
in Windows if you experience problems
playing DVDs on your PC
MAY 2006 | INTELLIGENT COMPUTING CHIP
system memory as video memory). Also,
check to see if the ‘DirectDraw Acceleration’
is enabled in Windows’ DirectX settings.
Click on Start | Run, type “dxdiag” and
click on Ok. Click on the ‘Display’ tab in the
DirectX Diagnostics dialog box and enable
“DirectDraw Acceleration”. Click on “Save All
Information” and then on Exit. Restart the
computer and try playing the movie now.
Unable to Login
Q> I am a Windows 2000 Professional
user. I am unable to login to my system
ever since I installed a security update
for my operating system. The security
update was related to some buffer overrun
vulnerability. When Windows tries to bring
up the login screen I get an error saying it
unable to load the logon user interface. It
mentions a file named Msgina.dll as the file
that was unable to load. The message asks
me to restore the DLL. How do I do that?
-Ketan
The ‘msgina.dll’ file is required
during the login process because it is
required for user authentication in the
GUI mode. You have not mentioned the
name of the security update you installed.
That might have not been installed
correctly. Right now you can try to restart
the computer and press the [F8] key after
the initial boot screen (memory test).
When the Advanced Startup Options
appear, choose the “Last Known Good
Configuration”. You should reach the
desktop since it will load a snapshot of
the system when it had booted without
any problem. For Windows XP users
if “Last Known…” does not work then
try booting into the Safe Mode. Run
System Restore from Start | Programs |
Accessories | System Tools and select a
date when the system is booted without
any complication. XP will restart with the
DR. CHIP | HANDS ON 103
Need a hand with your PC travails?
Log on to www.chip-india.com/
knowhow and post your query. Voila!
You’re on your way to a glitch-free
future.
Info | For Accurate Diagnosis…
1. Mention system specifications.
2. Mention new hardware or software
installed recently.
3. Note the error message, including the
action or event that triggers the error.
For instance, the error message comes
up only during startup or shutdown, or
when starting a particular application
and so on.
4. Mention any changes you’ve made
just before you started getting the
error. For instance, have you deleted
some files recently or uninstalled
some application?
system snapshot created for the day you
choose. Download the security update
again and save it to your hard drive. It is
assumed over here that you tried to install
a security update named “MS_Update.
exe”. Replace this name with the name of
the security update. Enter the following
command to install the update manually
into a folder called “MyTemp” in the
“C:” drive. Press [Enter] after giving the
command,
X:\MS_Update.exe /T:C:\MyTemp
(“X” is the drive in which you save
the security update prior to installing it
manually.) ■
104 HANDS ON | WORKSHOP

Recreating music
A detailed workshop that tells you how to convert your audio cassettes to audio
CDs and MP3s

T
here was a time when I had more Begin the workshop with your favorite you’ll need a cable having a 3.5 mm stereo
than 200 audio cassettes gathering audio cassette. This is what you need pin at one end and 2 RCA connectors
dust in one corner of my room. to do: at the other.
Needless to say, I was rebuked for this by STEP 1. To capture the playback of the To connect the player to the computer,
my parents and anyone who visited my audio cassette, the player needs to be connect one end of the cable to the output
room. At times, I felt like getting rid of connected to the PC. Depending on the of the player and the other end to the line
the old tapes and dumping them in my type of player, you’ll require a suitable input jack of the sound card. The line input
garage. But sifting through the collection stereo cable. If you are using a portable jack is usually marked blue or labelled
made me realize I couldn’t part with the player like a Walkman which has a as “Line-in”. However, bear in mind that
classic albums of the 60s and the 70s. After 3.5 mm earphone jack for output, you’ll in case the panel of your motherboard
pondering for weeks, I finally arrived at need a cable having 3.5 mm stereo pins doesn’t feature six audio jacks, remember
a solution—converting my entire audio at both ends. And if you plan to use your to change the output mode to stereo if it is
cassette collection to audio CDs. Now, home audio system having RCA output, set to the multi-channel mode.
I can enjoy the golden numbers of the
yesteryears by just sliding my favorite disc
into the CD player. I can even carry them on
my MP3 player on my way to work.
If you too are looking out for a way to
convert your audio cassettes to audio CDs
or MP3s, this workshop explains the entire
process in detail. In addition to dumping
a cassette to an audio CD, the workshop
also shows you how to get rid of tape hiss
and add brilliance to tapes that sound dull.
We used the Magix Audio Cleaning Lab 10
in this workshop. The demo version of this Stereo cable with 3.5 mm connectors at Stereo cable with a 3.5 mm pin at one end
both ends and 2 RCA connectors at the other end
software is present on the CHIP Tools CD.

INTELLIGENT COMPUTING CHIP | MAY 2006


STEP 2. Set the recording source on your
PC to “Line-in” or else, you may end up
recording from the microphone or some
other source.
Double-click on the volume icon in the
system tray to bring up the “Volume
Control” dialog box.
Click the options menu and select
“Properties”.
STEP 3. Launch Magix Audio Cleaning
Lab 10 and click on the “Record Audio”
button on the main screen, which brings
up the “Record” dialog box. Before you
This is how the “Record” dialog box should look like after setting various parameters,
before you move on to recording
STEP 4. Now get set for a marathon
recording session. Completely rewind
the audio cassette and push the play
button. After around 10 seconds, just
when the cassette is about to play, click
on the “Record” button. Audio Cleaning
Lab will now start recording the playback
in real-time—you’ll notice the waveform
being created in the background as the
recording takes place.
Now go out and get some fresh air! It’ll
take around 30 to 45 minutes for an entire
side to finish.
Head back to your seat when the side is
about to end. Hit the “Stop” button when
MAY 2006 | INTELLIGENT COMPUTING CHIP
Set the recording source to line-in
proceed to recording, it’s important to
set the recording level to an optimum
level so that the recorded content
doesn’t distort or sound too soft.
After setting the recoding parameters,
hit the record button to start recording
the last song is over and close the dialog
box. Before you proceed any further, click
on the “Save” button on the toolbar to
save your work.
SMS us!
WORKSHOP | HANDS ON 105
Check the “Recording” check box and
select the option “Line-in” from the list
of volume controls.
On clicking the “OK” button, you will
be presented with the “Recording
Control” dialog box. Check the “Select”
checkbox below the line in volume
slider and close the dialog box.
Play the audio cassette. You’ll notice
the left and right level meters
respond to the playback.
Click on the “Level control” button
in the “Recording Control” dialog
box and move the “line-in” volume
slider up or down to adjust the
recording level. Set it at such a
position that the audio level never
reaches the peak of the level meter.
If set correctly, the recording level
indicator will display the message
“Level is optimal”.
Next, move on to the “File path” in
the same dialog box and specify a
folder to save your work. As sound
files hog drive space, make sure the
destination folder is on a drive with
ample free space.
Finally, set the “Automatic CD
Track recognition” to “Tape”
from the drop down list. This
feature automatically places
markers wherever long pauses are
encountered in a wave file in order to
split tracks while saving or creating
an audio CD. Hold on! Don’t close the
dialog box.
Story code: WRM (See Readers’ Letters for details)
106 HANDS ON | WORKSHOP

Now close the Denoiser window and let

us move on to Mastering.

Enhancing audio quality

Audio cassettes, especially the very old
ones sound dull due to the primitive
recording technique used at that time.
Sound is also affected due to the wear
and tear resulting from constant use.
Mastering can do wonders to sound—you
can revitalize the dull audio quality just by
tweaking some of the sound frequencies
with the help of an equalizer.
Click on the “Edit” button
corresponding to “Equalizer” present in
the Mastering section to bring up the
FX rack.
Using the equalizer, you can tweak the
low, mid-range and high frequencies as
Use the Denoiser control panel to eliminate background noise and tape hiss per your requirement while playing the
recording.
STEP 5. Since audio cleaning and mastering positioned approximately at the The overall clarity can be tweaked
requires very attentive hearing, it is centre of the gap. using the “Brilliance Enhancer”. I
strongly recommended to use a good Click on the “Pick” button in the suggest you don’t move the sliders
headset. The purpose of cleaning and Denoiser window to pick the sample of the equalizer or the brilliance
mastering is to eliminate background noise of the hiss. You can hear it by clicking enhancer to the extremes as it
and hissing present in an audio cassette on the “Play” button next to it. will lead to loss in audio quality.
as it isn’t a digital medium. In addition to Also, set the processing quality to Acceptable results can be achieved
this, it even enhances the quality of sound “High” from the drop down list. using low to average values.
bringing it close to CD quality. The software analyzes the recording After you’re done with tinkering
and automatically de-hisses the equalizer settings, close the FX rack.
Getting rid of background hiss entire file based on the sample of the The Equalizer button under Mastering
Select the “Cleaning” tab from Audio hiss picked. will now get highlighted.
Cleaning Lab’s title bar. Cleaning and
mastering controls will show up below
the waveform.
Click on the “Edit” button
corresponding to denoiser to bring up
the denoiser rack.
The rack looks like a complex machine,
but it is very easy to use. Click and drag
it a little down so that the playback
controls in the main interface are
visible. Power it up by clicking on the
“power” button.
To remove the background hiss,
pick a sample of the hiss present in
the recording. The best section to
pick up from this sample is the silence
between tracks. Drag the scroll bar
below the waveform to the right
until you notice a small break
indicating silence. Click on the
Use the Brilliance Enhancer and the 10-band equalizer to enhance the sound quality
timeline so that the cursor is

INTELLIGENT COMPUTING CHIP | MAY 2006


The Denoiser and Equalizer buttons get
highlighted indicating they are active
Incase of 60-minute tapes, you can burn the entire contents to a CD on the fly.
Preview the final outcome
Remember to preview the final outcome. If
you’re not satisfied, you can always go back
and change the settings.
Clicking on the play button will play
back the recording with the settings
you applied. Click on the BypassFX
button to the left of the playback
controls to hear how it sounded
originally. The difference will be
remarkable.
Now, move on to splitting the track.
Burn baby burn!
Ready to burn your audio cassette to an
audio CD? Select the “Export” tab from
Audio Cleaning Lab’s title bar and click
on the “Audio CD” button at the base of
the screen.
MAY 2006 | INTELLIGENT COMPUTING CHIP
WORKSHOP | HANDS ON 107
Using the Bypass FX button, you can
preview the mastered recording
Click on the “Tracklist” button in the
dialog box to make sure the tracks have
been split.
Insert a blank disc into the optical drive
and click on the “Burn” CD/DVD button
to burn the compilation.
Alternatively, you can even convert
your precious audio cassette to WAV,
MP3, WMA or OGG format using the
“Export Audio” feature.
Note that as the capacity of a CD is limited
to 80 minutes, it won’t be possible to
burn a 90-minute audio cassette to a
single CD. In such a case, first convert the
cassette to MP3 and then compile the
desired tracks into an audio CD using a CD
burning application such as Nero Burning
ROM. 
| Anand Tuliani
 Vishwanath Vanjire
For Skin that Glows
Learn how professionals use Photoshop to touch up photographs of portraits
to create that million-dollar-skin look
T
he possibilities offered by the digital realm are truly
limitless. In the case of imaging, the advent of the digital
camera has effected a sea change in the way we take, store
and share our photographs. Coming from a time when we were
wary of the number of film rolls being used, digital technology has
proved to be a boon for trigger-happy shutterbugs everywhere.
While digital photographs have certainly introduced huge
amounts of convenience for the photographer, the advantage
of image enhancement is often overlooked. Unlike film-based
photography, images taken by a digital camera are infinitely
modifiable. This singular advantage is used to the fullest
extent by professional users, where they crop, enhance and
edit their images to product stunning results. With a little
basic knowledge of some of the features of today’s image
editing applications, you’ll be surprised with what you can do
with your digital photos.
Take portrait photography. People—family and friends—
are perhaps the most popular subjects for majority of digital
camera users. And it is natural for people to see a well-shot
photo of themselves. Alas, we’re not all Ashok Salians and
don’t have the propensity or patience to invest in expensive
equipment to consistently take that ideal portrait photograph.
Look closely and you’re bound to uncover flaws in your subject
such as skin blemishes, dark circles or scars—obviously, most
of these flaws are beyond your control. But take heart—we’re
in the digital realm, remember? Join us as we show you how to
use technology to wipe away those flaws and bring out a glow
in your subjects that even the best of skin creams cannot!
The makeover
Since our photos of people are typically shot in places where
the lighting or background is not conducive to obtaining studio-
quality results, we often obtain results that expose flaws in our
subjects—skin might appear darker or duller, blemishes may
show up, teeth might be stained… the list goes on. What follows
are tips on how to touch up these various areas of your portraits
to unveil hidden beauty and obliterate minor flaws.
First, we need to whiten our subject’s teeth. However, it
shouldn’t be so white as to appear unnatural in the final result!
The same can be done for the eyes—whitening them can
erase traces of weariness. Next, blemishes on the skin need
to be removed so impart a smooth texture in your subject’s
complexion. Finally, using special tools, you can impart an
ethereal “glow” to your subject’s skin—something you only
find in advertisements! Sounds good? Then let the makeover
begin.
INTELLIGENT COMPUTING CHIP | MAY 2006
 WORKSHOP | HANDS ON 109

Waving the wand

STEP 1. Start with a high-resolution portrait that has
enough of detail in it—preferably one of a full facial
composition as shown in the image. The higher the size
of the image, the evident will be the effects of your
touchup.
Open this image in Photoshop. Before we begin
with the editing, we need to normalize the image
for color and brightness to get rid of any cloudiness
and low contrast. This is done by using the Auto Color
function in Photoshop. Hit Ctrl+Shift+B to do this. You
will immediately notice the difference. With your image
is as high- balanced for color and contrast, you’re now ready to get
01 | Selec t a portrait that
n as po ssible . Closely- cropped into the core of the workshop.
resolutio
ide al
facial shots are

STEP 2. Begin with whitening the subject’s teeth. To do this, you

can use a tool called the Dodge tool in Photoshop. This tool enables b
you to gently brighten precise areas of your image by “painting”
over them. From the Tool palette on the left of the Photoshop
interface, click on the Dodge tool (or hit the “O” key to invoke it).
Change the Range to “Midtones” and the Exposure to “30%” from
the status bar (located beneath the Menu). Now use the box
bracket (‘[‘ and ‘]’) keys to change the size of the brush (the circular
screen cursor). Zoom into your subject’s teeth for more accurate
control. With a comfortable brush size, left-click your mouse on the a
stained areas of the teeth—you’ll gradually see the effects as you
do so. For best results, use even strokes moving vertically from the
top of each tooth to the bottom. Stop when you are satisfied with
your teeth whitening job. Take care not to whiten too much or they
will appear to glow unnaturally!
Repeat the same procedure if you need to whiten the whites
of your subject’s eyes, in case they are reddish. You might need
to zoom into the subject to focus on the white areas. Here too,
exercise caution against whitening them too much.

a. Use the Dodge tool to selectively

brighten sections of your image.
d With the ability to target the
shadows, midtones or highlights, you
c can accurately focus on the teeth

b. Modify the parameters of the Dodge

tool as shown in the screenshot. Your
values might change, depending on
the effect you need

c&
d. The power of the Dodge tool lies in
its ability to naturally brighten. The
difference is clear!

MAY 2006 | INTELLIGENT COMPUTING CHIP

SMS us! Story code: WTP (See Readers’ Letters for details)
110 HANDS ON | WORKSHOP

rtait and 03 | Af ter:

into your po Using the Healing
Brush tool, you
03 | Before: Zoom find skin blemishes can be a digital co
d to smetic surgeon!
you’re boun

STEP 3. Next up, we remove skin blemishes. Be it pimples,

scars or random marks on your subject’s skin, we use an TIP: Automating with Action scr
ingenious tool in Photoshop 7.0 called the “Healing brush”. As ipts
Once you get acquainted
wit h these tools and their
its name implies, it enables you to “heal” selective portions set tings, you could exp
eriment with creating
of your image and it does so by using the color and texture an
Action Script that runs
all of these functions wit
of surrounding areas as a reference. ha
single click! Here’s how
you do it: Firs t load an ima
To use this tool, first select a comfortable brush size as ge.
Access the Actions toolbar
(W indow | Actions) and
described earlier. Then press Alt and left-click on a nearby click on the “Create new
action” but ton. Now exe
area around the blemish. This defines the area that will be cute
steps 4 and 5. Click on the
“Stop” but ton when you
used as a starting point for the Healing tool. Now release the ’re
through. That’s it— you
will have created an Act
“Alt” key and click on the blemish and voilá—it’s gone! Repeat ion
script that automatically
runs through these steps.
this procedure until your subject is free from blemishes! Henceforth, all you need
to do is load a new por trai
Practise using this tool until you get the hang of it. For best t,
manually whiten teeth and
remove blemishes, then
results, it is recommended to use small even brush strokes. run this action script— you
’ll save time in generating
your mas terpieces of mak
eovers!

STEP 4. Now comes the magic—it’s time to impart an

ethereal smoothness and glow to your subject’s skin. We
will be using two Photoshop filters for this—the Gaussian
Blur and the Unsharp mask filters. Let’s see how they
work.
The Gaussian Blur imparts a controlled hazy effect to
your image. This will form the basis of the glow effect.
Access this tool by clicking on Filter | Blur | Gaussian Blur.
Enter a value of 10 and click on “OK”. You’ll immediately see
the effect on your photo.
Next, we need to reduce this effect to prevent the
subject’s details from dissolving away. Do this by clicking

04 | Use the Gaussian Blur function to

image
evenly blur your target

INTELLIGENT COMPUTING CHIP | MAY 2006

 WORKSHOP | HANDS ON 111

on Edit | Fade Gaussian Blur. In the box that appears, move

the opacity slider to a value of 50 percent and keep the
mode as “Normal”. By now, you should already see the
glow effect in your image.
However, you’ll find that these steps have removed some
of the image details. To restore these, we use the Unsharp
Mask Filter. Click on Filter | Sharpen | Unsharp Mask. In the
box, you’ll find three parameters—Amount, Radius and
Threshold. Depending upon your particular image, these
vales would vary. Experiment with the following values:
set Amount between 80 and 120, Radius between 2 and
5, Threshold between 2 and 10. For this particular image, I
used values of 95, 5.0 and 8 respectively.

04 | To counte
r the blur effect, use the
Unsharp Mask to sharpe
n your image

05 | 05 |
Before: Notice the girl’s skin and teeth After: Is the difference obvious?

STEP 5. Now all that’s left is to restore the contrast in the image
and enrich the colors a tad bit. To counter the blur effects, you’ll
need to slightly increase the brightness and contrast in your photo.
Do this by selecting Image | Adjustments | Brightness/Contrast.
Here, slide the Brightness and Contrast values to not more than 10
each. Experiment with this value until you see a natural balance
in your particular image. Finally, you might want to increase the
saturation in your image to enrich its colors. Do this by clicking on
Image | Adjustments | Hue/Saturation. You should see noticeably
better results by increasing the “Saturation” slider to about 10.
You’re done—you can now save your work.
Using these methods, we have touched up our image in much
the same way as most professional photographers do for their
pictures. In each of these steps, experiment with different values
and settings until you find the ones that work best. ■
| Marco D’Souza

MAY 2006 | INTELLIGENT COMPUTING CHIP

112 HANDS ON | WORKSHOP
XP in your pocket
Booting Windows XP from a USB flash drive is simple. We tell you how...
W
indows XP cannot be booted
from a USB flash drive—at least
that’s what Microsoft says.
We at CHIP beg to differ; here we
generously share a few tips and tricks to
establish that it can be done. The only
condition is that motherboard and BIOS
must allow booting by a USB flash drive.
This feature is usually found in newer
motherboards but for older models, a BIOS
update should solve the problem.
With these tips and tricks, you will be
able to come up with a standard bootable
version of Windows that includes hotfixes,
service packs and important utilities such
as recovery tools all loaded into your USB
flash drive (aka USB pen drive, USB thumb
drive and USB stick). According to Microsoft’s
EULA (End User License Agreement), you are
allowed to copy Windows XP to external
media such as USB flash drive as long as it is
used for your own PC.
Getting started
For a “portable XP”, you can do with a USB
flash drive with a minimum capacity of
256 MB. However, with the need to include
extra utilities, hotfixes and service packs,
we would recommend using at least a 512
MB flash drive.
For our test environment, we used the
Memorex 1 GB Traveldrive. Booting XP on
an Athlon 1.4 GHz machine via 1.1 USB
port took no more then 1 minute and we
assume booting from a 2.0 USB port should
be even quicker.
STEP 1. Formatting the USB flash drive
Firstly, try to format the USB flash drive
using the FAT 16 file system as most BIOS
generally accept this particular format
as a bootable medium. Surprisingly, the
onboard Windows formatting tool did not
work for us. So, we opted to use the “USB
Disk Storage Format Tool” from HP instead.
After starting up the program, choose the
USB flash drive to be formatted and select
“FAT” located under “File System”.
Enter a name of less than 11 characters
for “Volume Label” and click on “Start” to
begin formatting.
After the process is completed, open
Windows Explorer and navigate to the root
directory on which Windows is located
- usually, “C:\”. Copy the “boot.ini”, “ntdlr”
and “NTDETECT.COM” files from the
directory to the USB flash drive.
If you can’t locate the above mentioned
files, try deactivating the “Hide protected
operating system files” option found under
“Tools| Folder Options| View” of Windows
Explorer. Next, select “Show hidden files
and folders” option as well. You should be
able to see the files now. Copy them to the
formatted USB flash drive.
STEP 2. Booting from the USB flash drive
Before installing Windows or any other
program into the USB flash drive, you
should run an initial boot-up test to verify
if the flash drive works. For that, you need
to restart your PC and select USB flash
drive as the “First Boot Device” in the BIOS.
The BIOS will either show the name of the
plugged-in USB flash drive or something
generic such as “USB-HDD” (AMI).
For this test, deactivate “Quick Boot”
and “Show Full Screen Logo” options
in order to monitor any BIOS reported
activities. Also, the “USB Legacy Support”
and “USB 2.0 Controller” options should
be activated if available. Save and exit
from the BIOS to restart the PC. If the BIOS
starts up without any problems, it should
run till it reports a “HAL not found” error.
Do not panic as this file is yet to be copied
to the USB flash drive.
If you encounter any problems, look
for a particular option in the BIOS that
extends the response time of the USB
INTELLIGENT COMPUTING CHIP | MAY 2006

1 Formatting the flash drive: The USB
Disk Storage Format Tool helps you
create a bootable USB flash drive
drive, for example, the “USB Mass Storage
Reset Delay” option found in the AMI-BIOS.
Choose the highest value and gradually
decrease the value until the problem pops
up again. This way, you will know the
optimum time supported by your USB flash
drive to respond to the BIOS boot command.
If you still encounter problems, check your
BIOS motherboard manual or visit the BIOS
related web sites (such as www.rojakpot.
com). Note that on slower USB flash drives,
this latency can go up to about 30 seconds.
After this, restart the PC and access
Windows using normal boot-up by
selecting your hard disk as “First Boot
Device” from the BIOS.
Copying Windows to the
USB flash drive
The next process is divided into four
stages. Firstly, you need to free Windows
of any excess baggage. Secondly, prepare
third-party utilities, then create a self-
starting copy of Windows and finaly, copy
all of these to the USB flash drive.
STEP 3. Standardizing Windows
To produce an optimal copy of Windows
XP complete with service packs, hotfixes
and drivers, you can use a freeware called
“NLite”. Note that NLite requires access to
Microsoft .NET’s library, which needs to be
installed on your system. This and Service
Pack 2 are available on the Microsoft web
site. The Service Pack and hotfixes need
not be installed as NLite will only integrate
the necessary setup files.
Remember to install the .NET-Framework
MAY 2006 | INTELLIGENT COMPUTING CHIP
3 Removing IE: As a safety measure,
remove the browser but keep the
“Internet Explorer Core” option checked
before NLite. Before running NLite, create a
folder named “XP” on your desktop. Insert
your Windows setup CD into the DVD/CD-
ROM drive and copy the whole CD into the
new folder. Any changes made from now
are done to the newly copied files in the
XP folder. Do not meddle with the existing
installed copy of Windows on your hard
drive. Run NLite and select the “XP” folder
as the root directory. Click on “Next”
after the program completes reading
the folder until you reach “Task Selection”.
Activate options for integrating SP and
hotfixes as well as “Erase components”,
“Patches” and “Tweaks”.
With the help of the NLite wizard,
you should aim to create an optimal
streamlined copy of Windows. To
minimize total file size and shed excess
baggage, remove any entries highlighted by
NLite as safe for deletion. Visit www.msfn.
org (MSFN Forums - Member Contributed
Projects - nLite) to get more information on
the latest configuration manuals and other
useful tips on this program.
Also, If you prefer to use an alternative
browser such as Firefox, you may discard
the Internet Explorer option but do include
the “Internet Explorer Core” option so that
useful features such as Windows Update
can still function.
STEP 4. Preparing utility tools
The next step involves preparation of
installation files for each utility tool to
be included into the USB flash drive. If
you want to include Firefox, do not use
the full setup file from Mozilla’s web site.
Instead, use the “Mozilla Firefox Plug-In”
SMS us!
WORKSHOP | HANDS ON 113
4 Choices: Select plug-ins for desired
recovery tools on the list by clicking on
the “Enable” button
customized for “Bart’s PE” (available from
http://oss.netfarm.it/ winpe).
Besides Firefox, you might want to
include other software such as Ad-Aware,
Nero Burning ROM and Avert Stinger
anti-virus scanner. Any other software
you deem necessary can be included but
do take into account the space limitation
of your flash drive. As NLite only creates
a copy of Windows that contains setup
files and not the installed version, we will
not be able to copy the entire “XP” folder
into the USB drive. To create a bootable
Windows XP, we need to make use of the
“Bart’s PE” tool found at www.nu2.nu.
After installing “Bart’s PE”, run “PE
Builder” and insert “XP” as “Source”.
When referring to this article, just use
the default directory name provided
(C:\PEBuilder319\BartPE, depending on
your version of PE Builder) located under
the “Output” section for convenience.
Next, click on “PlugIns”. If you follow our
recommendations, choose to activate the
Story code: WBX (See Readers’ Letters for details)
114 HANDS ON | WORKSHOP
plug-ins for Nero, Ad-Aware and Avert
Stinger. If any of your desired tools are not
displayed, visit www.nu2.nu/pebuilder/
#plugins to download the necessary plug-
ins and extract the file into the plug-in
folder of Bart’s PE. Every plugin contains a
readme file that describes its installation.
STEP 5. Integrating safety tools
For each tool that was marked for inclusion,
there would be a specific folder respectively
found under Bart’s PE installation directory.
All the necessary files should be copied here.
This way, the selected tools will be installed
with Windows.
Let’s start with the Firefox browser. All
we need to do is extract the downloaded
plug-in into the “C:\PEBuilder319\plugin”
folder. You don’t have to make any changes
as the plug-in is already optimized for
integration to Bart’s PE. Next, install the
“Ad-Aware” freeware version included
in your CHIP CD. Copy the “defs.ref” and
“add-aware.exe” files from the installed
Ad-aware folder into the “C:\PEBuilder319\
plugin\adawarese” folder.
Next, proceed to install Nero Burning
ROM. Copy all the files from the Nero
directory to the “nero burning rom” plug-in
folder. In that folder, you will notice a
file called “penero.inf”. Open it with a
Windows text editor (e.g. Notepad). For
Nero Burning ROM version 6, discard the
semicolon (;) in front of [Software.AddReg]
and for the three lines below. Edit in your
username, company name and Nero serial
number before saving, and closing the file.
Lastly, insert the Stinger anti-virus tool
available free from http://vil.nai.com/
5 Insert setup information: Open the “penero.inf” file to insert your name and NERO
serial number as shown above
vil/stinger. Copy the “stinger.exe” file into
its specific folder.
STEP 6. Preparing Utility Tools
Bart’s PE automatically configures English
as the standard keyboard layout. In order
for other languages to be set as the
default keyboard layout, you need to
edit an INF file in the “keyboard”
plug-in folder.
Open the “keyboard.inf” file in that
folder and search (using notepad or any
text editor) for the section “[Default.
AddReg]”. Discard the semicolon (;) in
front of your desired layout language, for
example, 0x1, “Keyboard Layout\ Preload”,
“1”, “00000407” for German language.
To double check, see if the first line at the
last section shows “German (Standard)”.
If so, you have successfully changed the
standard keyboard layout. Next, save the
file into the original folder.
STEP 7. Making Windows bootable
Up to this point, all preparations are ready.
Ensure that the USB flash drive is plugged
in and delete any file copied for the first
test. Next, run PE Builder and
make sure that “XP” is selected as
“Source”. Deactivate the “Create ISO-
image” and “Burn to CD/DVD” option.
Click on “Build” so that Windows is created
as a self-starter.
TIP: If you have not installed SP2, you might
encounter an error report after clicking
on “Build”. To overcome this problem,
download the newest version of the
“ntdll.dll” file from www.dll-files.com for
free. Extract the ZIP file and install
the dll file into the subfolder i386 located
under the “XP” folder. This way,
Bart’s PE would assume that you have
installed SP2.
STEP 8. Copying files to USB Flash Drive
With the help of a batch file, you will now
be able to copy Windows to a USB flash
drive. Point Windows Explorer to the folder
“C:\PEBuilder319\plugin\peinst” and run
the file called “peinst”.
In the opened DOS screen, select button
[1] and change the source-path to “C:\
PEBuilder319\bartpe”. Next select
button [2] and enter the letter in which
the USB flash drive is located as your
target path.
Moving on, choose button [5] to install
Bart’s PE and start through button [1].
Bart’s PE will now transfer all relevant
data into your USB flash drive. When the
“Installation completed” message shows,
your USB version of Windows is ready for
use. To test it, boot your PC with the USB
flash drive. The USB version of Windows
will look slightly different when compared
to the standard Windows XP.
Working with USB Windows
STEP 9. Getting rid of viruses with stinger
Start the tool by clicking on “Go | Programs
| McAfee Stinger” and click on “Scan Now”
to start the cleaning process. You may
choose which drive to scan and Stinger
would scour each folder and file to discard
high priority viruses such as bagle, Sober,
and Mydoom.
STEP 10. Using hidden functions
Besides the integrated tools, USB-Windows
also offers other useful features such as
the favorable command line prompt. As
long as you are not an adamant mouse
user, you might find this a very welcome
feature. If you have still not set the non-
English layout for your keyboard standards
as explained earlier (and if you absolutely
need to), you can still accomplish this by
clicking on “Go | System | Keyboard-Layout”
and take your pick.
With Windows installed on a pocket
drive, you can use it on any computer
anywhere provided it supports USB booting.
| Manfred Flohr
INTELLIGENT COMPUTING CHIP | MAY 2006
 TIPS & TRICKS | HANDS ON 115

Tips&Tricks MAY 2006

WINDOWS 116
1 Windows XP Changing drive letters
2 Windows XP Summary of a Word document
3 Windows XP Restore the Show Desktop icon to Quick Launch bar
4 Windows XP Schedule tasks
5 Windows XP Clear the Prefetch folder
Umesh Dahiwalkar
6 Windows XP Removing old restore points
7 Windows XP Remap keyboard keys
Tip of the month | Applications
Analyze your hard disk space APPLICATIONS 119
I have dumped lots of files in different folders and
8 Microsoft Excel Using “Match” and “Lookup” functions
sub folders on my hard drive over a period of time.
9 Word Listing shortcut keys
Now I don’t remember where I have stored what and
I am seriously short of space. Can you suggest any 10 Word Disable default setting while visiting hyperlinks
software that can help me identify the old unused 11 Word More than default file names
files? 12 PowerPoint 2003 Getting rid of text at the end of slide shows
13 PowerPoint Embedding sound files in presentation
The software JdiskReport enables you to
understand how much space the directories and 14 Adobe Photoshop Opening images in a jiffy
files consume on your disk drives. It helps you find 15 Adobe Photoshop CS2 Using the filter gallery
large, old and obsolete files and folders. It analyzes 16 Adobe Photoshop Undo a series of last steps
file trees and collects statistics that are presented
17 Illustrator 10 Creating graphs with own design
as overview charts and tables. You need to have
Java Run time Environment previously installed in 18 Illustrator 10 Creating perspective shadow
order to install this application.
Some of the features of this software are “Size
INTERNET & COMMUNICATION 122
Views”, which quickly show how much space the
19 Internet Explorer 6.0 Force your own style
files and folders consume on your disk drives. The
“Top 100 Lists” shows the list of 100 largest files, 20 Internet Explorer Use Safe Search
the least recently modified files and the most 21 Outlook 2003 Blocking return receipt requests
recently modified files. “Size Distribution Views”
help you learn more about the different file sizes
on your disk drives. If you are in the “Show file size”
HARDWARE 123
mode, you can see how much space is consumed by 22 MP3 Player Alternative to MP3s
large, medium sized and small files.
23 Digital Camera Information of snaps shot by a digital camera

MAY 2006 | INTELLIGENT COMPUTING CHIP

SMS us! Story code: HTT (See Readers’ Letters for details)
116 HANDS ON | TIPS & TRICKS
Windows
1 | Windows XP
Changing drive letters
On adding an additional hard disk to
my system, the drive letters of the new
partition succeed the drive letter of the
optical drive. How do I change the drive
letter of the new partition so that it
precedes the drive letter of the optical
drive?
On adding a new drive to the system
after Windows XP is installed, the drive
letters of the new partition succeed that
of the optical drive. If you’re used to having
the optical drive’s letter last in the list under
‘My Computer’, you need to interchange the
drive letters. Here’s how you do it:
Disable the optical drive before you
proceed to interchange the drive letters.
If the optical drive is active, you won’t be
able to interchange the drive letters of
the new hard disk and the optical drive.
Right click on ‘My Computer’ and select
‘Properties’.
Under the ‘System properties’ dialog
box, click on the ‘Hardware’ tab. Bring
up the ‘Device Manager’.
Expand the heading ‘DVD/CD-ROM’ drives.
Right click on the listed optical drives and
disable them.
Exit the ‘Device manager’. Now,
interchange the drive letters.
Right click on “My Computer” and select
“Manage” from the context menu to
bring up “Computer Management”.
Select “Disk management” under the
heading “Storage”. All the existing
partitions will get listed in the right pane.
1a Drive letter 1: Remember to disable the
optical drive
1b Change the drive letter of the new drive
Right click on the drive letter you wish to
change and select the option “Change
Drive Letter and Paths”.
Click on the “Change” button in the next
dialog box and choose the new drive
letter from the drop down list. Since you
disabled the optical drive, you will now
get the option to assign the drive letter
previously assigned to it.
Click on “OK” and exit the “Computer
Management” application.
Now, enable the optical drives you had
disabled. Head back to the “Device
Manager” and enable optical drives. Job
done! Go to “My Computer” and check the
drive listing.
2 | Windows XP
Summary of a Word document
Which is a quick way to view the details
of a Word document such as number of
pages, word count and line count without
having to open it?
The most common way of
viewing the details of a Word document
is by opening the document and then
going to “Tools | Word count”, which gives
the detailed statistics like the number of
pages, word count, number of paragraphs,
lines and so on. But did you know that
there’s a simpler way out? You can view
the statistics without even opening the
document and it just requires four clicks!
2 The summary shows complete statistics
of the document
Just follow these steps:
Right click on the Word document and
select “Properties”.
In the properties dialog box, select the
“Summary” tab.
Click on the “Advanced” button in the
“Summary” tab and there you go! All
the statistics are right there!
3 | Windows XP
Restore the Show Desktop icon to
Quick Launch bar
Recently, I accidentally deleted the desktop
icon just on the right of the “Start” button.
Whenever I have many windows open, I
click on the desktop icon to immediately
reach the desktop instead of minimizing
each and every window. Now I am no longer
able to do that. How do I get back the “show
desktop” icon?
To get back the “show desktop” icon
do the following:
Make sure “Quick Launch” is enabled
Right click on the taskbar and then click
on “Properties”, and a box will pop up.
Under the taskbar tab, check the option
that says “Show Quick Launch” and
then click on “Apply”.
After you are done with this, click on
“Start” and then click on “Run”. A small
box will pop up on the right hand
corner. If any text is present, delete it
and type the command “regsvr32 /n /i:
INTELLIGENT COMPUTING CHIP | MAY 2006
118 HANDS ON | TIPS & TRICKS
3 Type this command in the run box
U shell32” in the open box without the
quotes. Wait for a couple of seconds
and you will see a small window, which
says “DllInstall in shell32 succeeded”.
Now, you will be able to see the “Show
desktop” icon again.
4 | Windows XP
Schedule tasks
How can I automate the launch of an
application as and when I want?
Task scheduler is a very powerful
utility but it is not often used to its full
potential. Many of the applications that
you install make use of task scheduling to
automate periodic tasks. But you can also
schedule your own custom task, automating
the launch of a particular application at a
desired time and date! This is how you can
assign custom tasks using the task scheduler.
Go to “Start | Control Panel”.
Open “Scheduled Tasks”. This will give
you a list of tasks already scheduled.
To add a new task schedule, click on “Add
Scheduled Task”.
After launching the “Scheduled Task
Wizard”, click on “Next” to continue.
The next screen will provide you with
a list of all the applications that are installed
4 Simply select the task you want to
schedule or use the browse option to
locate a particular application
on the system. You can select the application
of your choice that you would like to
schedule; in case the application is not listed,
you can click on “Browse” and manually
select the executable application that you
would like to schedule.
Once selected, the next step is to
schedule it by instructing Windows
about when exactly you want the task to
be scheduled - whether daily, monthly,
weekly or every time you log on. Once
done, click on “Next”. The next screen
asks for exact timing of the task to
be executed and the exact day when
you want to start with the scheduling
process. Select the time and day of your
choice and click on “Next”.
The next step asks you to enter your
name and a password as a checkpoint
for the task to run. Enter the user name
and password to confirm the task
schedule and select “Next”.
The last step will simply confirm the
scheduled task, click on “Finish” to end
the task scheduling procedure.
5 | Windows XP
Clear the Prefetch folder
Tell me a way to clear or clean the Prefetch
folder
Windows XP’s new feature called
“Prefetch” keeps a shortcut to recently
used programs. But it can get filled up with
old and obsolete programs and in turn can
actually slow down the proceedings. Here
is a way in which you can clear/clean the
“Prefetch” folder so that it’s updated with
only the latest and most used programs.
To clean the “Prefetch” folder, go to:
Go to “Start | Run”.
Type the word “Prefetch” in the space
and click on “OK”.
Press “Ctrl-A” to highlight all the files.
Delete them to empty the folder.
6 | Windows XP
Removing old restore points
How do I delete old restore points and
create some free space?
The “System Restore” feature in
Windows XP works perfectly fine for
most of us. But the over cautious nature of
the feature does result in a lot of storage
space being occupied by the system restore
files. If you would only like to have the latest
restore point and not all the restore points
that have been created, you can delete all
the previous restore points and free some
space. Follow the instructions to learn how
to clean up the old redundant restore points.
Open “My Computer” and right click
on the drive whose restore points you
want to clear.
Select “Properties” and under the
“General” tab, click on “Disk Cleanup”.
Click on “More Options” tab and select
the last option “Cleanup” under the
“System Restore” section.
You will be asked if you want to delete
all but the most recent restore points,
click on “Yes” to delete all leaving the
most recent of system restore points.
6 Clean the old system restore points
to free some space. Do not delete the
recent ones!
7 | Windows XP
Remap keyboard keys
I have Track Mania Nations, a free car
racing game. The game doesn’t have the
option to change controls and uses the
conventional up, down, left and right
INTELLIGENT COMPUTING CHIP | MAY 2006

arrow keys for controlling the car. I use
a different set of keys for acceleration,
brake, left and right. Of late, I have started
playing the game on LAN with my friends.
My performance is hampered since I
cannot use the keys, I am normally used to
when playing car-racing games. Can you
suggest a way to deal with this problem?
Well, since you don’t have the option
of changing the controls inside the game,
the only way left is to remap the keyboard.
But remember it will edit your registry
settings, so make sure you back up your
registry before you make changes to it. Here
we use a free keyboard mapping software
included in the “Windows” resource kit. This
software has been included in the Tools CD.
First, install the application by double
clicking on the set up file.
After installation, go to “My Computer >
C: drive (or the drive where your operating
system is installed) > Program files >
Windows Resource Kits> Tools. Double
click on the yellow remap key icon. Once
the application opens you see two sets
of keys. The top is the base keyboard and
the bottom is the remapped keyboard.
Just drag the required keys from the base
keyboard to the remapped keyboard.
The changed key will reflect in red in the
remapped keyboard.
Then, click on the “Save and Exit”
button on the top left hand corner. It will
show a prompt asking you to confirm the
changes.
Click on “OK” and reboot the system.
APPLICATIONS
8 | Microsoft Excel
Using “Match” and “Lookup”
functions
I own a hardware store and maintain
an exhaustive inventory. The list runs
into over a thousand parts in a single
month itself! Microsoft’s Excel helps
me to catalog the items in my store. But
I need to keep referring to the file for
information on batch orders. I run a search
for a particular order with the help of the
invoice number. I search either by scrolling
or using the ‘Find’ function in the Edit
menu. Is there a more ‘intelligent’ way of
locating orders in my Excel file?
MAY 2006 | INTELLIGENT COMPUTING CHIP
You can search by the invoice number
in your inventory list. It involves the use of
Excel’s “Match” and “Lookup” functions.
The “Match” function is used to look for a
particular value from a selected cell range.
The result is the row in which this value is
located. The “Lookup” function can be of
two types—vector or array. The vector type
of “Lookup” returns a value from a single
row or column range. This is what will be
used along with “Match” to give you the
results you are looking for.
Let’s consider a small inventory that
consists of four columns—“S. No.”,
“Invoice No”, “Batch Quantity” and
“Send To”. The objective is to search the
inventory by the invoice number to get
to know, who placed the order and the
quantity requested.
Using the “Match” function will only point
to the row in which you will find all the
relevant information—here the value will
correspond to the “S No” column. This
column was deliberately created since
it makes it easier to look for the desired
information instead of counting the rows.
If we are going to enter the “Match”
function in cell “H13”, then the invoice
number you are looking for should be
entered in another cell—say, “H12”.
The “Match” syntax is,
=MATCH(lookup _value,lookup _
array,match_type)
“Lookup_value” is the value you are trying to
locate in the inventory list, which is “H12”.
“Lookup_array” is the range of cells that
“Match” needs to look through. Here, it is
the “Invoice No” column. Only, select the
column that contains the invoice numbers
(in this example, it is “C24:C26”.
“Match_type” can be any of three
values—1, 0 or -1. Using “1” in the syntax
8a Excel’s Match functtion
TIPS & TRICKS | HANDS ON 119
8b Excel’s Lookup function
will return a result that is less or equal
to the “Lookup_value”. In this case,
“Lookup_array” (invoice column) must be
sorted in an ascending order. It will have to
be sorted out in an ascending order (select
the column and click on Edit | Sort).
If “0” is entered, then it looks for the exact
value from the “Lookup_array”. In this
instance, the “Lookup_array” can be unsorted.
If “-1” is entered, then it will search for a
value that is the smallest and greater than
or equal to the “Lookup_value”.
You will be looking for a specific invoice
number, hence the “Match type”
is going to be “0”. Here is what the
formula will look like in cell H13,
=MATCH(H12,C4:C26,0)
Now, enter an invoice number in cell
number “H12” and press Enter. Cell
number “H13”, which is labeled “S No”
will display the row that contains the
invoice number. Half your worries are
solved here. An incorrect value will just
display “#NA”.
Now that you have found out where your
invoice number is, let us fetch the “Batch
Quantity” and “Send To” values as well.
This way you don’t need to scroll through
the list. Using the “Lookup” function in this
120 HANDS ON | TIPS & TRICKS
scenario will ease this problem too. Here is
the “Lookup” vector syntax,
LOOKUP(lookup _value,lookup _
vector,result_vector)
The vector function is used because we
need to pull values from single columns
only and not from an array.
“Lookup_value” is the value that the
function searches for.
“Lookup_vector” represents the range of
cells (a single row or column) that contains
the “result_vector”. It is the range of cells
from where the result will be obtained.
The size of this range has to be equal to the
“Lookup vector”.
To know who has placed the order (for
the invoice number we just searched
for), we will first create a “Lookup”
function for the “Send To” column.
The “Lookup” function will be,
=LOOKUP(H13,B4:B26,E4:E26)
“H13” is the cell where the result of
the “Match” function resides and “B4:
B26” is the “S No” column. Since we
are trying to get information from the
“Send To” column, the “result vector”
is “E4:E26”. The formula will “lookup’
the row (the value is obtained from the
result of the “Match” function) and pull
information from the “Send To” column.
The same function is created once again,
this time to pull values from the “Batch
Quantity” column in order to get the
amount ordered. The “result_vector”
column range will be “Batch Qtty”.
Hence the formula will look like this,
=LOOKUP(H13,B4:B26,D4:D26)
Whenever you need to look for an
order, just enter the invoice number.
The “Match” function you created will
tell you where it is located (S No) while
the “Lookup” functions will display the
quantity ordered and to who, you need
to send it to.
9 | Word
Listing shortcut keys
I use the shortcut keys available in Word
2003 quite often. But sometimes I forget
them and as a result have to use the mouse
for performing a certain task. Is there a
way to make Word list these shortcut keys
making it easier for me to use them, in
case I forget these keys?
You can have Word 2003 show you
all the shortcut keys for any given toolbar
button by following these simple steps:
Click on “Tools” and then click on
“Customize”.
When the multi-tabbed window dialog
appears, choose “Options”.
Now, select “Show shortcut keys in
Screentips”.
Click on “Close”.
10 | Word
Disable default setting while visiting
hyperlinks
Every time I need to visit hyperlinks present
in a Word document, I cannot directly click
on the link. I need to hold down the CTRL
key while clicking the link. I find this process
cumbersome. Is there a way to directly visit
these links without holding the CTRL key?
Whenever you want to visit a
hyperlink in a Word document, you need to
hold down CTRL key while clicking on the
link. If you find this process tedious, then
you can disable this setting as follows:
Click on “Tools” and then on “Options”.
In the multi-tabbed dialog box, click on
the “Edit” tab.
De-select “Use Ctrl+click to follow
hyperlink”.
Click on “OK” to close the dialog box.
11 | Word
More than default file names
By default, Word 2003 remembers the
file names of the last four files used.
I want to increase this list so that Word
can remember more files names. Can this
be done?
Yes, this can be done. You can make
Word remember a maximum of nine
recently used files as supposed to the
normal four files that Word remembers by
default. The steps are as follows:
Click on “Tools” and then “Options”.
Click on the “General” tab from the
multi-tabbed dialog box.
Enter 9 next to “Recently used file list”.
Click on “OK” to close the dialog box.
12 | PowerPoint 2003
Getting rid of text at the end of slide
shows
How can I prevent the“End of slide show
- click to exit” text from appearing at the
end of my PowerPoint slide shows?
Whenever you view a slide show
made in Microsoft PowerPoint 2003 by
selecting “Slide Show”, “View Show” or by
pressing F5, at the end of the show a black
screen appears with the text, “End of slide
show - click to exit”. From here, if you did
12 Prevent the “End of slide show-click to
exit” from appearing
not mean to end the slide show, you can
press the cursor top key to get back to the
previous slide. And if you want to end the
slide, just press the space bar. However,
if you do not need this functionality and
want this black screen to disappear at the
end of slide shows, perform this tweak:
Click on “Tools’ and then “Options”.
Click on the “View” tab from the multi-
tabbed dialog box.
De-select the “End with black slide”.
Then click on “OK” to close the dialog box.
INTELLIGENT COMPUTING CHIP | MAY 2006

13 | PowerPoint
Embedding sound files in
presentation
Whenever I transfer PowerPoint
presentations containing sound files from
my home computer to that in my office, I
find that the presentation lacks the sound
effects. How can I fix this problem?
When sound files in a Microsoft
PowerPoint 2003 presentation don’t get
copied when you transfer the presentation
from one computer to another, it is
because PowerPoint normally only links
large sound files to a presentation instead
of embedding them. By default, if you
add a sound file greater than 100 KB,
PowerPoint only establishes a link between
the presentation and the large sound file.
If you wish to copy the presentation with
sound, you must also copy the original
sound files along with the PPT presentation
file. However, if you find this process
cumbersome, you can force Microsoft
PowerPoint to embed larger sound files in
your presentation. While this increases the
presentation’s size and load time, it may
make it easier to distribute presentations
to others. The process is as follows:
Click on “Tools” and then “Options”.
On getting the dialog options, click on
the “General” tab.
Next, go to “Link sounds with file size
greater than” and enter an arbitrarily
high number such as 50000 KB. This
way, a sound file would have to be
greater than 50 MB for it not to be
embedded.
Click on “OK” to save your changes.
Resave the presentation with now
embedded sound.
13 Embed sound files in your PowerPoint
presentation
MAY 2006 | INTELLIGENT COMPUTING CHIP
14 | Adobe Photoshop
Opening images in a jiffy
Give me a quick tip on how to open an
image as quickly as possible!
Going to “File | open” and dragging
images to Photoshop’s workspace are the
known methods of opening files. If you
really want to save time, try this tip the
next time you want to open a file.
Simply double click anywhere on the
workspace.
Browse for the file you wish to load. It
requires lesser mouse movement and
hence saves quite a bit of time.
15 | Adobe Photoshop CS2
Using the filter gallery
Is there a tool in Photoshop through which
I can quickly preview and apply more than
one filter at a time?
If you use filters too frequently and
wish to quickly preview and apply more than
one filter at a time, try the “Filter Gallery”. It
is magical! However, to take advantage of
it, you need to upgrade to Adobe Photoshop
CS2 as the previous versions don’t have
this feature integrated. The “Filter Gallery”
appears under the “Filter” menu. If you go
to the “Filter Gallery” instead of applying
filters, you will preview multiple filters
before applying them. The filters are listed
under various categories such as artistic,
brush stroke, distort, sketch, stylize and
texture as found under the “Filter” menu. To
preview a filter, you just need to expand any
category and click on the filter you wish to
preview. The parameters of the filters can be
adjusted using the sliders to the right.
To preview multiple filters:
15 Preview and apply multiple filters using
filter gallery in Photoshop CS2
TIPS & TRICKS | HANDS ON 121
First, add a new effect layer by clicking on
the “New effect layer” button appearing
below the list of effect layers next to the
“Delete effect layer” button.
Click on the effect layer added
and make it visible by checking its
checkbox. The icon of an eye appears
when an effect layer is visible.
On selecting a new filter, it will get applied
over the previous filter allowing you to
view the combined effect of two filters.
To preview individual filters, hide all the
effect layers apart from the one you
wish to preview. Unchecking an effect
layer will hide it.
After you’re satisfied with the effects, click on
the “OK” button to apply the selected filters.
16 | Adobe Photoshop
Undo a series of last steps
Using the undo feature in Photoshop, I can
only undo the last step. How do I undo a
series of tasks last performed?
By default, you can only undo the
last step in Photoshop. Pressing “ctrl+z”
repeatedly won’t undo a series of tasks last
performed. But pressing “ctrl+z” repeatedly
with the “alt” key pressed will even undo the
tasks previously performed. Just keeping a
single key pressed makes quite a difference!
17 | Illustrator 10
Creating graphs with own design
How can I apply design on the bars of
a graph?
To apply design on the bars of a
graph, you need to create a design to make
INTELLIGENT COMPUTING CHIP | APRIL 2006
122 HANDS ON | TIPS & TRICKS
17a The graph design window showing
the preview of the design, ready to get
applied on a graph
17b The Graph column window from where
you need to select the design to apply
it compatible for a graph and then apply it.
It is up to you to decide what kind of design
you want to apply.
Once that is done, select the design and
follow the steps to make it compatible for
a graph.
Click on “Object” on the menu bar.
Click on “Graph > Design”. This will open
the “Graph Design” window.
Click on the “New Design” button. This
will show the design in the preview
space.
Click on the “Rename” button. This will
open the “Rename” window where you
can type the name of the design, for
example, My design.
Click on “OK” on the “Rename” window.
Click on “OK” on the “Graph Design”
window.
Now to apply the design on a graph, follow
the steps:
Create a graph with the data.
Click on “Object” on the menu bar.
Click on “Graph > Column”. You will be
able to see all the designs that can be
applied on the bars.
Click on “My design”.
Click on “OK”.
And you’re done!
18 | Illustrator 10
Creating perspective shadow
How will I create a shadow with perspective?
Before going ahead with applying
shadow, you need to create a design of an
object. Once that is done, create a copy
of that object and apply black color on it.
After this step, select the black replica and
the follow the steps to create the shadow.
Click on “Free Transform Tool” or press
“E”. The “Free Transform Tool” works
only on control points (the six points
you see on the rectangular structure
when you select an object.)
Press the mouse button once the cursor
is on the top middle control point, press
the “Ctrl” button and drag the mouse
18a The cursor changes to a black arrowhead
when you drag the anchor point
18b The same black arrowhead changes to
white when two points converge
to the right if you want the shadow to
be on the right. This will shorten the
height of the object and at the same
time, distort the shape by adding a
perspective to it.
Press “Ctrl” + “[”. This will arrange
the position of the objects. The
black replica will be placed behind
your object.
Click on “View” and tick the option,
“Snap to Point”. This will help in
checking whether the anchor points
(the points which help a vector graphic
to take a shape) at the original and the
replicated objects are converging or not.
Deselect the black replica and click on
the anchor point.
Drag the black replica. While dragging,
you will find the cursor has changed
from an arrow to a black arrowhead. The
moment the points converge, the black
arrowhead changes to a white one.
INTERNET AND COMMUNICATION
19 | Internet Explorer 6.0
Force your own style
Please tell me how I can use my own choice
of styles etc on web sites
Various web sites have their own
styles, fonts, colors and other elements.
While most of us are okay with the idea of
viewing the web site as intended by the
creator, some of us might not be always be
happy with the fancy red and yellow fonts
and jazzy colors. So here’s how you can
have things your way to an extent:
Go to “Tools” menu in the Internet
Explorer.
Click on “Internet Options” and
under the “Generals” tab, click on
“Accessibility” option at the bottom
right corner of the window. This will
give you options to override the font
size, styles and colors with your own
choice of colors and styles; you can also
add or edit your own style sheet under
the option “User Style Sheet”.
20 | Internet Explorer
Use Safe Search
How do I filter explicit language in Google?
While Google by default keeps the
INTELLIGENT COMPUTING CHIP | MAY 2006

19 You can view the webpages with your
own choice of colors and fonts by using
your own style
explicit images out, the language is not
filtered by default. You can set Google to
filter the text for explicit language and
ensure that your kids do not end up with
explicit search results.
Open the Google search homepage and
click on the option “Preference” under
the “Advanced search” option on the
right side of the page.
Go to the “SafeSearch Filtering” option.
Change the filtering from “Moderate”
to “Strict filtering” to block explicit
language.
In case you are looking to unlock all the
filtering, select the last option “Do not
filter my search results”
Click on the option “Save Preferences”
at the bottom right corner and your
new preferences are applied.
21 | Outlook 2003
Blocking return receipt requests
How can I prevent Outlook 2003 from
asking me to respond to return receipt
requests?
Some Outlook 2003 users like to turn
on Read Receipts for their e-mail. This way,
any time their e-mail is read by another
Outlook 2003 user on the same network,
they will be notified that their e-mail
reached its destination. While some find this
feature useful, others may not like the idea
of getting deluged with these requests. To
increase privacy, you can choose to ignore
these requests altogether. So people will not
know at what time (or day) you read your
e-mail. The procedure is as follows:
Click on “Tools” and then click on
“Options”.
Select the “Preferences” tab from the
multi-tabbed dialog box.
MAY 2006 | INTELLIGENT COMPUTING CHIP
Click on “E-Mail Options”.
When the “E-Mail Options” dialog box
appears, click on the “Tracking Options”
button.
Click on the radio button, “Never send
a response”.
Click on “OK” on the three dialog boxes
to close them.
HARDWARE
22 | MP3 Player
Alternative to MP3s
I prefer audio CDs to MP3s because I don’t
want to compromise one bit on audio
quality. Every time I went out on a trip, I
always carried my discman with me. Now,
I am looking for a more compact solution.
Are there any players and formats other
than MP3 players and MP3s outputting
better sound quality while being small and
light as MP3 players?
MP3 is an acronym for MPEG-1
or MPEG-2 audio layer 3. It is a coding
scheme for the compression of an audio
signal. It uses perceptual audio coding and
psychoacoustic compression to remove
all superfluous information, i.e. it filters
out all the information from a song which
can’t be discerned by the human ear. One
alternative to MP3s is FLAC; it stands for
Free Lossless Audio Codec. FLAC is similar
to MP3 but lossless, meaning the audio is
compressed in FLAC without any loss in
audio quality. It is supported by most of
the operating systems including Windows
XP. The compression software is free and
available for download at http://flac.
sourceforge.net/. We have also included
the Windows XP version in the Tools CD of
the May issue. To playback files encoded
in FLAC, you need a player that is capable
of doing that. Here is the list of devices
capable of playing files encoded in FLAC.
COWON’s iAUDIO A2, iAUDIO U3,
iAUDIO M3, and iAUDIO X5.
iPods via the Rockbox firmware
replacement.
iRiver’s iHP-120/iHP-140/H320/H340
via the Rockbox firmware replacement.
23 | Digital Camera
Information of snaps shot by a
digital camera
TIPS & TRICKS | HANDS ON 123
I have recently purchased a digital camera.
I have started exploring the various
features of the camera using options like
exposure, ISO, etc. Many a times I shoot
the same object experimenting with
different settings to figure out which is
the best setting. The problem comes when
I download the pictures on my computer.
It becomes difficult to distinguish snaps
with minor differences in settings. Can you
suggest a convenient way by which I can
identify which snaps were taken applying
what settings?
A digital camera records an image
using the EXIF file format (Exchangeable
Image File). Most digital cameras support
this format. For example, if you have set
the camera to record the image in the
JPEG format, it actually records an EXIF
file (which uses the JPEG compression to
compress the photo data within the file).
Image data such as ISO, shutter speed, etc
is stored directly in the file. The data can
be read by any application supporting
“JPEG” like Windows picture and fax
viewer, Irfan view, etc.
23 Information of snaps shot by a digital
camera
Just right click on the image file and go
to “Properties”.
In the new window that opens up, click
on the “Summary” tab. Under that,
you will find all the information and
the settings pertinent to which snap
was taken. ■
124

PC vs Console
With the line between PC and console gaming thinning, let’s
take a look at where they stand today and in the near future

F
or a long time now, PC and console gaming have catered
to a different set of audiences. Sure, there is also another
category that likes playing on both the platforms.
As a kid, I started off with the consoles. My first console
was the Atari. Computers were very expensive then. My next
console was the NES (Nintendo Entertainment System), an
8-bit console that revolutionized the console gaming industry.
I was hooked to Contra and still remember how I used to boast
about finishing the game thrice. After that I had a computer,
a P3 system, wherein I didn’t game much on and eventually
bought the PS2 in 2001. Then about four years back, I entered
the PC gaming world.
I started off by playing Counter-Strike and Need for Speed
Porche and never looked back, though I still prefer playing
multiplayer sporting games like football, basketball and arcade
games like Tekken and Mortal Kombat with my friends on the
PS2. Till now, there was a clear distinction between gaming on
the PC and on the console offering higher image quality while
gaming.
Fast forward to present—it’s that time of the decade when
the next-generation consoles have just been launched or are
about to be launched and the big players are caught in a frenzy
to deliver a blockbuster hit. The highlight here is that this
generation is equipped to walk the PC shoulder to shoulder.
With HDTV already in use, the humble idiot
box is dangerously close to providing
resolutions, which were only possible on
the PC monitor. With both the platforms
almost merging or rather overlapping
territories, it would be interesting to
see where we go from here.
Unwind

Pramod Jadhav

INTELLIGENT COMPUTING CHIP | MAY 2006

 FEATURE | UNWIND 125

Now, let’s have a one on one comparison taking various features under consideration
PS2: 1 Hardware price PC: 0

PS2 console Retail Pack: Rs 13,000 (Official Price)
The package includes: 1) Console, 2) Controller
Additional costs: Memory Card (8MB): Rs 550
Additional Dual Shock Controller: up to Rs 1,000
You also need a television for it . Though most of us would
argue that we already have a television, we need to add the
costs to make a fully functional gaming system.
Total Cost: 14,550 + Rs 13,000 (21-inch CRT TV) = Rs 27,550.
PS2 wins here.
We will build a gaming rig keeping the price as low as
possible without compromising on gaming performance. It’s
not for the casual gamer but more for someone with a good
gaming appetite and not so heavy pockets.
Mid-Level Gaming PC Configuration: AMD 3000+,
Asus A8N-E, 1GB DDR 400 RAM, Big Byte 6600GTPCIex,
Antec SLK 1650 with 350 watts PSU, DVD-ROM, Creative 2.1
Inspire speakers, Microsoft K/B and optical Mouse
Total Cost : Rs 40,000

PS2: 0 Game prices PC: 1

Minimum: Rs 199, Maximum: Rs 1,499 PC is the clear winner Minimum: Rs 999, Maximum: Rs 2,999
PS2: 0 Eye candy PC: 1
With the above mentioned configuration, one can easily
Almost 99 percent of the PS2 games are built to be displayed
game at a resolution of 1024x768 with AA and AF turned on.
at a resolution of 480i, the resolution of a normal CRT TV.
The PC easily wins here.
PS2: 1 Reliability PC: 0
The PS2 assures you a 100 percent reliable hassle free PC game developers have to keep in mind various different
gaming experience. The moment you pop in a PS2 game in computer configurations when developing games for
the console, it will perform flawlessly at an assured 60 fps. the PC. A gaming PC needs to be well in sync to spit out
No lag, no system hang-ups, no nonsense! This is primarily smooth frames without lagging. In spite of having a good
due to the fact that a game developer for a PS2 game knows configuration, problems may creep up. Lag is the most
exactly, what hardware he’s designing the game for. dreaded word in computer gaming, a lower resolution is
The PS2 wins here. tolerable but LAG, no way!
PS2: 1 Shelf life PC: 0
The PS2 was launched in the year 2000. The PS3 will be No doubt, PCs are capable of housing rendering farms
arriving at the end of 2006. So, the PS2 has effectively reigned though its sheer strength to deliver has led to its downfall.
for almost six years. The point here is that the PS2 has been New generation of graphic cards are launched every
capable of playing games hassle free over a period of six nine months and with that changes the game’s system
years without any further investment to the hardware. requirements.
PS2: 1 Ease of use PC: 0
Pop in the disc, turn on your television and grab that Gaming on the PC is a little more complex. You need a little bit
controller! It’s so simple that even a seven-year old kid can of expertise for tweaking the image settings, playing around
comfortably do it. The PS2 is the clear winner here. with the AA and the AF to give you the best picture quality.
PS2: 0 Suited game genres PC: 1

Both the PS2 and the PC are capable of playing games

RPG (Role playing game), FPS (First Person
of the all the above mentioned genres. We are looking at the
Shooter), RTS (Real Time Strategy): In all these
respective platforms more suited and preferred to
games, the computer mouse is very essential for easy
each game genre.
movement in the game. With the PS2 game pad, one has to
Arcade Games: It’s much more enjoyable and thrilling
use the combination of the analog stick and buttons to move
to play arcade type fighting games like Tekken and Mortal
around which can get annoying at times.
Kombat using the gamepad on a large screen.
It’s pretty close here but we will have to give it away
Sporting Games: Games like football and wrestling
to the PC since sporting and arcade games are still quite
are much more enjoyable on a larger screen when two
playable and enjoyable on the PC.
opponents are sharing the same screen.
PS2: 0 LAN/online gaming PC: 1

Online gaming for consoles has come a long way. The PC is the most flexible online gaming platform.
The PS2 has a huge online gaming network . PC gaming on LAN can also be a very good experience;
It’s not possible to play with other PS2s on a LAN Counter-Strike is one of the flagship games to propel gaming
network, you need to have an Internet connection. on LAN. The PC is again the clear winner here.
PS2:
PS2:44 Verdict PC:
PC:44
It has been an evenly fought battle. In the end, it all depends on what suits you best.

MAY 2006 | INTELLIGENT COMPUTING CHIP

SMS us! Story code: PCG (See Readers’ Letters for details)
126 UNWIND | FEATURE
The new generation of consoles has
almost arrived with Xbox 360 already out
and the PS3 and the Nintendo Revolution
in the making. So what do we have in
store with these power packed consoles?
One of the most important aspects is that
since these are more powerful machines,
they can deliver better graphics at higher
resolutions. So can you just plug them into
your regular television and start gaming
right away? Yes and No. Your regular CRT
television can give a maximum resolution
of up to 480 lines. These new-age consoles
can churn graphics as high as 1080p. So
before we dive into the numbers, let’s have
a look at the various standards used.
Resolution is the most important aspect
that decides on how sharp the image
you are viewing would be. The regular
television which most of us have in our
living room can provide us maximum 480
lines of details whereas an HDTV can give
out as much as 1080 lines of detail. And
especially on big screen televisions, HDTV
Next-generation consoles
Progressive Wide-
Name Resolution HDTV
Scan Screen
1080p (High Definition TV i.e. HDTV) 1920x1080 yes yes yes
1080i (High Definition TV i.e. HDTV) 1920x1080 yes no yes
720p (High Definition TV i.e. HDTV) 1280x720 yes yes yes
480p 852x480 no yes yes
480i (Regular TV) 480 lines no no no
looks much better in terms of sharpness 1/30th of a sec giving it a complete look.
and clarity than a regular television set. Progressive scan works in the same
manner as the computer monitor. Here, the
Progressive scan entire image is drawn from left to right.
So then what’s the difference between One full frame of video is drawn every
1080p and 1080i? The suffix “i” stands 1/60th of a sec. Hence, a progressively
for interlaced and the “p” stands for scanned image has lesser jagged lines and
progressive scan. motion artefacts.
The older television sets use the So it’s clear that if you want to utilize
interlace method to draw images on the the true potential of your next-gen console,
screen. The electron gun at the back of the you need to have a HDTV i.e. a high-
TV first fires the odd lines on the onscreen definition television. Consider that as an
image and then during the second pass, it investment too when you plan to go for a
fires the even lines. All this happens within next-gen console.
Microsoft Xbox 360
This is Microsoft’s battle tank for the next- Storage options: The Xbox 360 contains
gen console war and sure, it’s a tough rider. a Laptop style removable hard drive. It also
The Xbox 360 is capable of churning out has two Memory Slots.
mind-blowing graphics at a resolution of up
to 1080i and all of this in small form factor. Optical drive: The Xbox 360 has
Though the current releases are touched DVD-ROM (it can also play almost all CD
up versions of the previous titles, expect and DVD formats), the game discs come
another year for the game developers to on dual layered DVDs (8.5 GB) and it’s
unleash the true potential of the Xbox 360. backward compatible with Xbox games.
Eye candy support: The Xbox 360 is Availability: The Xbox 360 is available
designed for the HDTV era. All games have internationally (since December 2005) but
been designed at least to a 720p resolution it’s not yet available in India.
which is capable of scaling up to 1080i.
Though it doesn’t extend support for Price: The Xbox 360 is priced in two main
1080p yet. Resolution: 480i, 480p, 720p categories:
and 1080i.
a) The basic package consists of one
Controller: The controller for the Xbox wired controller minus the hard drive
360 is 2.4 GHz wireless—supporting up to for $299.
four wireless controllers. b) The $399 package includes a wireless
controller, a communication headset
Networking: There’s Ethernet (RJ45) for Xbox live, component A/V cable,
and its 802.11 A/B/G Wi-Fi ready but the Ethernet wireless cable and a 20 GB
adapter is not included. hard drive.
INTELLIGENT COMPUTING CHIP | MAY 2006

Nintendo Revolution
So how does the Revolution stand up in the
technologically loaded world of the PS3s
and the Xbox 360s?
Nintendo president Satoru Iwata says,
“Today’s consoles already offer fairly
realistic expressions, so simply beefing up
the graphics will not let most of us see a
difference. So a new machine needs to
do much more. An unprecedented game
play experience, something that no other
machine has delivered before.” And this is
exactly what the Revolution is set to offer to
gamers around the world. Nintendo breaks
more than 20 years of video game history by
abandoning the traditional controller held
with two hands and introducing an all-new
freehand-style unit held with one hand.
A sensor on the top tracks the orientation
and position of the controller and you can
manipulate things on the screen by moving
the controller.
Let’s take a look at the specifications.
Eye Candy support: Though not
confirmed, it’s rumored that the revolution
will not have any high definition output.
This may be a serious drawback with both
MAY 2006 | INTELLIGENT COMPUTING CHIP
Sony PS3
The PS3 will be the successor to the most
popular console of the millennium i.e. the
PS2. And with what Sony’s promises to
offer, I wouldn’t be surprised if the PS3
continues to reign.
Sony states that the graphic chip is
more powerful than two GeForce 6800
ultra cards put together. We are eagerly
awaiting the release of the the PS3, what
Sony’s Ken Kutaragi calls a “supercomputer
for computer entertainment.”
Eye Candy support: Sony pledges
support for 1080p that the Xbox
360 doesn’t offer. Besides, the PS3
offers dual HDMI (High Definition
Multimedia Interface) ports giving
out the highest quality digital output.
Resolution: 480i, 480p, 720p, 1080i
and 1080p.
Controller: The PS3 sports a Bluetooth
wireless controller and upto four
the PS3 and the Xbox 360 embracing the
high definition standard.
Controller: Motion sensed wireless
controller, single hand use supporting up to
four controllers.
Networking: No Ethernet jack is
provided. The Revolution connects to the
Internet using 802.11b and 802.11g Wi-Fi
wireless.
FEATURE | UNWIND 127
controllers are supported.
Networking: Ethernet (RJ45) 802.11 B/G
Wi-Fi and Bluetooth 2.0.
Storage options: The PS3 has a laptop
style removable hard drive. It has an
external memory slot for the following
memory types: CF Slot (Type I, II), SD Slot
(Regular, Compact), Memory Stick and
Memory Stick Duo.
Optical drive: The optical Drive of the
PS3 comprises Blu-Ray ROM (Can also
play almost all CD and DVD formats). The
games will come on single and dual layered
Blu-ray discs with storage capacities of
25 GB and 50 GB respectively. The PS3 is
backward compatible with the PS2 games.
Availability: The PS3 will be launched in
November 2006.
Price: Estimated price of the PS3 is $499.
Storage options: 512 MB of internal flash
memory storage. Memory can be expanded
using removable standard SD cards, which
can be inserted into the console through
one of two SD memory card slots.
Optical drive: The front-loading disc slot
accepts three types of media:
Revolution games - stored on
proprietary 12 cm discs.
Game Cube games - proprietary 8 cm
MiniDVD discs.
Standard DVD media - the functionality
to playback standard DVD movies
is unlocked with a separate
attachment.
Availability: By the end of
November 2006.
Price: Nintendo has not yet revealed
the price but it claims it will be much
lower than that of the PS3 and the
Xbox 360.
It is being rumored that the price
point will revolve between $150 to
$200. ■
| Gaurav Seth
128 UNWIND | FEATURE
Welcome to the battlefield in space where you decide
the fate of an entire galaxy
Pramod Jadhav
E
ach one of you who played the demo
of this game must have been restless
to get your hands on the retail
version. I too experienced the same feeling.
So when the game was sent to me for
review, I was ecstatic and I hoped it would
be as cool as the demo. In Star Wars: Empire
at War would-be Jedi and Sith conquer
some of the well known planets from the
Star Wars universe including Hoth, Endor,
Yavin, and Coruscant.
The game installs fairly quickly without
any trouble. Just follow the auto-run
prompts and soon you will be planning
your own galactic conquest. At this
stage, I would like to inform you guys
about the game manual as well as the
sturdy fold-out chart that is included in
the package. You might wonder what is
so noteworthy about the game manual
that it needs a special mention in the
review. Well, the game manual consists
of 65 pages and each page is filled with
detailed text. Everything that you as a
player would need has been included in
this manual such as menu explanations,
interface tips, etc. The chart lists out all
the officers, vehicles, spacecrafts and
facilities available for both the Empire as
well as the Rebellion. Don’t bother to read
the entire thing as the tutorials provide
you the same information.
The two basic modes of this game
are the story driven Campaign mode and
Galactic Conquest mode. If you need to
get a gist of how the game play is then you
can select the Training mode. The Galactic
Conquest mode is essentially a series of
linked battles. The player can choose from
several battle locations, each revolving
around a particular event made famous
from Episodes IV, V and VI. The basic
starting conditions can be customized so
that you can adjust the beginning tech
level, maximum tech level and the starting
credits. You also have a Skirmish mode,
which is essentially a single battle fought
either on land or in space. You can play as
either the Rebellion or the Empire. These
two sides are distinct from each other
with respect to their abilities as well as
the technologies used in space and ground
combat. The Empire researches technology
which is a costly and time consuming
process but the Rebels, using R2-D2, steal it
from the Empire.
As you conquer more and more planets,
you will be able to produce different units
and then shuffle these units out of the
core systems in your territory to reinforce
the front. Having land and space garrisons
is vital to avoid getting hit badly. Keeping
large forces handy and ready to move
is also important in order to attack the
enemy, and to mop up if you are attacked.
Also during ground combat, you can call in
air strikes so that you can destroy enemy
structures quickly and easily. Taking down
a space station is a visual treat as it starts
to fall apart and then produces a series of
huge explosions. If you are playing as the
Empire, then you can even gain access to
the infamous Death Star. But it can only
be used to destroy planets and by the
time you do gain access to it, most of the
galaxy will be under Imperial command so
the capability to destroy planets would be
redundant. If playing as the Rebels then
you will need to use different tactics as
initially your resources will be limited. You
will have a wide array of missions, which
include freeing the enslaved Wookies and
guiding Princess Leia to safety as she
makes her escape with the stolen plans
for Death Star.
The graphics for this game are superb.
Everything about the space battles looks
INTELLIGENT COMPUTING CHIP | MAY 2006

very nice, especially when viewed with
the nifty little cinematic camera option.
The cinematic view is a sort of ultra
zoomed overhead view which gives you
a much larger as well as clearer view of
the battlefield. You could have never
imagined that wholesale destruction in
vacuum could look so beautiful. All ship
models, space terrain features (nebulas,
asteroid and debris fields, planets, etc)
and weapons’ effects are presented very
crisply, and are pleasing to the eye. Space
battles come to life with brilliant laser fire,
torpedo detonations and the characteristic
shapes of deadly Star Destroyers. The
various planets model weather and
terrain effects, which impact upon unit
performance, for instance, wind, dust,
sand, snow, smoke, and indigenous life
Price: Rs 1,499 Publisher : LucasArts
XP/ 2000, Pentium IV 1.0 GHz or equivalent, 256 MB RAM, 2.5 GB of free hard disk space, video card with 32 MB or more memory
MAY 2006 | INTELLIGENT COMPUTING CHIP
look very sharp and pleasant. AT-ATs, AT-STs
and Storm Troopers have been replicated
with utmost precision.
The controls for this game are quite
simple and you will be familiar with them
after you are through with the Training
mode. The sound effects are up to the
mark that you would expect from a Star
Wars game. The background score for this
game has been copied from the movies and
it complements the game well.
Once you start playing the game, you
will realize how aggressive the enemy AI
actually is. However, the game lags behind
in the manner in which the reinforcement
position has been conceived by the
developers. Your reinforcement units fly
in via a drop ship and can be dropped
only at specific reinforcement locations. If
Distributor: Gayatri Impex Pvt. Ltd. Phone: 022-23881443
SMS us!
FEATURE
REVIEW | UNWIND 129
your enemy takes over the control of this
location then you will have to wrest the
initiative back so that you can call in more
troops. This at times can get frustrating.
But despite this shortcoming, Star Wars:
Empire at War is fun to play. You will
never be bored of engaging yourself in
intergalactic warfare. If you are a strategy
games fan then you must get this game as
soon as possible. Trust me, this game will
not disappoint you. ■
| Anup Pillai
RATINGS 8.5 / 10
For: Improved graphics; very aggressive
enemy AI; fun to play.
Against: The reinforcements can be
dropped only at specific locations.
E-mail: gayatriimpex@vsnl.com System: Windows
Story code: SWE (See Readers’ Letters for details)
130 UNWIND | FEATURE

Brace yourself for hair-raising action in this scary game

A
fter being in the development stages for
almost five years, Publisher Bethesda
Softworks along with Ubisoft has finally
released its first person action-adventure game Call
of Cthulhu: Dark Corners of the Earth. You might
not have heard about this game as the publishers
hardly made any noise. But despite the long delay in
releasing this game as well as poor marketing, I must
say your wait for the scariest game this year is over
with its release.
The game lets you step into the shoes of Jack
Walters, a reputed investigator. Before you start
playing the game, a cut scene shows your character
scribbling something into his diary and then
committing suicide at the Arkham Asylum in the
year 1922. The next thing you know, the game
rewinds to the year 1915. You as Jack Walters are
called upon to investigate the mysterious incidents
that take place inside a house. As soon as Jack
begins the investigation, he realizes that the people
living in the house have known him from a long
time even though he doesn’t recognize them. As he
investigates further and reaches the underground
floor, he suddenly encounters some alien creatures
and then loses his consciousness. Fast forward again
to 1922. A second cut scene shows Jack writing his
diary wherein he mentions that he has no memory
of what had happened in the house that night. He
makes another scary revelation that even though
his friends and the doctor claim that he was in the
asylum for about six years, to him those six years
felt like only five months. His next case leads him to
a small town called Innsmouth, where he needs to
investigate the sudden disappearance of a young lad
called Brian Burnham.
As soon as he arrives at Innsmouth, he realizes
that there is something wrong with the town as
well as with the people living there. Apart from the
intimidating look they throw, they refuse to divulge

INTELLIGENT COMPUTING CHIP | MAY 2006

Pramod Jadhav

any details when you enquire about the mysterious
disappearance of the Burnham lad. However,
during the course of his investigation, Jack does
come in contact with some friendly people in the
town who provide him with clues as well as other
details enabling him to trace the whereabouts of
Brian. Thanks to Jack’s third eye, he can view scenes
through the eyes of others when deemed fit by the
game designers. But most of the time he is seen
working on how to get into buildings without being
caught.
The first time a scary scene hits you in the
game is when the Innsmouth town residents try
to assassinate Jack while he is sleeping in the hotel
room. While his enemies are heavily armed, Jack
has no arms and has to rely solely on his intelligence
as well his presence of mind to make his escape
for good. One wrong move and the residents will
chop off his head or blow it to pieces with their
shotgun. The constant threats to his life and his lack
of offensive ordnance means he is running scared
almost all the time. It is only during the later half
of the game that Jack gets fire arms to finish off his
enemies.
As the game progresses, Jack finds himself in
more difficult and scarier situations. The game
is filled with surprises, puzzles and traps. Careful
reading of the clues that are picked up during the
investigation stages is of utmost importance. If
you fail to decipher even a small clue, then you
will find yourself stuck at a particular stage for
ages not knowing what to do next, or it might also
lead to your cover being blown and being killed
instantly by the residents of Innsmouth. Sometimes
you will have to use items in your inventory to
solve a puzzle. Also, pay attention to the in-game
conversations that take place either between
the enemies or between you and the friendly
characters. One level that needs particular mention
is “Devil’s Reef” which is full of traps of different
nature and varying difficulties; one wrong step will
lead you to instant death. The game auto saves only
when a new level begins or ends. In order to save
while the game is in progress, you will need to find
the “Elder” sign.
The initial build-up of tension sets the scene
for the rest of the experience; a gripping fear
interspersed with weird sounds, whistling winds
play on your nerves and a sense of isolation—all
these add up to make this game really scary. A
significant omission in this game is HUD. You can
Publisher : Bethesda Softworks Distributor: e-xpress Interactive Software Pvt Ltd
equivalent, 512 MB RAM, 8x or faster DVD drive, 3.5 GB of free hard disk space, video card with 64 MB or more memory
MAY 2006 | INTELLIGENT COMPUTING CHIP
FEATURE
REVIEW | UNWIND 131
see how much damage has been done to you or
how much ammo is left with you, directly on the
screen. You have to open the inventory to see all
the statistics. However, you will come to know of
your deteriorating health condition as soon as the
color of your vision changes. If you have incurred
heavy damage, the color of your vision changes to
grey which means that you will die soon. If you have
suffered small or mediocre damage then blood will
be splattered all over the screen. This indicates that
you need to heal yourself by using the bandages
and sutures available in your inventory. Another
distinctive feature of this game is Jack’s loss of
sanity, particularly when he is too tensed or scared.
So to bring himself back to his senses, Jack needs
to inject himself with doses of morphine but
frequent usage of the same could do him more
harm than good.
The controls of this game are very easy to master
and are almost similar to most of the FPS games
that you have played. Sound effects are excellent—
you can hear Jack breathing heavily if he has been
The inventory which
running around for a while; you can also listen to tells you the status of
him groaning in pain when he is injured badly. your health
However, the game lacks in its graphics. Even
though the entire game, right from the start to
the end has the dark and eerie feel associated
with night time, it looks outdated compared to
other games today. This is because the game was
confined to the development stage for too long.
Another drawback is the lack of a quicksave option.
This could really annoy you especially when you
You will have to be sharp
are very close to finishing a particular level and to shoot down these
are killed by the enemy. As a result, you will have creatures
to either play the game from the starting point or
from the “Elder” sign.
The game is a blessing in disguise for all those
guys who own an entry-level graphics card. Even
if you play this game at the highest possible
settings, it will run smoothly without any lag. It
is a game that will keep you on the edge of your
seat. It gives you about 20 hours of addictive game
play and certainly merits a place in every gaming
enthusiast’s collection. ■
| Anup Pillai
RATINGS 9 / 10
For: Great story; good sound effects; some
stages are very scary.
Against: The graphics are outdated.
Phone: 022-28870017 System: Windows XP/ 2000, Pentium IV 1.0 GHz or
SMS us! Story code: COT (See Readers’ Letters for details)
132 UNWIND | FEATURE
Pramod Jadhav
M
ost of you by now must be
quite familiar with all the
places as well as the battles
fought in Middle Earth in order to gain
control of the ring either by reading the
book or watching the trilogy directed by
Peter Jackson, or by playing the games.
While LOTR: Battle for Middle Earth stuck
very closely to the films, the plot for its
sequel LOTR: Battle for Middle Earth II
is borrowed from both the films as well
as the rich literary mythos. This was
possible since EA Games have obtained
a unified license. Hence, the developers
could use more characters, locations in
this game and make it more appealing
visually. As the developers rightly
proclaim, this is the Middle Earth that
you have not seen.
The installation files for this game
are distributed over six discs. Inserting
one disc after the other into your optical
drive could be a frustrating experience.
But once you start playing the game,
all your frustrations will soon vanish
and you will be deeply immersed in the
playing sequence. The earlier version
mainly concentrated on the Fellowship
A compelling sequel that promises a Middle Earth
not seen before
and their journey through Middle Earth
as they destroyed the evil forces of
Isengard and Mordor and helped Frodo
destroy the ring. In this game, the Elves
and Dwarves forge an alliance in order to
defeat the army that has been prepared
by Sauron. The single player campaigns
are divided into two parts, the good and
the evil. Each part has eight missions
in it. You will find yourself waging war
against your enemies in locations like
Rivendell, Celduin, Erebor and The Shire.
If you have played the earlier game,
then you will finish these missions in
about sixteen hours (estimated roughly,
an hour per mission). Next, you can try
your hand at War of the Ring which is a
remake of the original mission system.
In this, you can select your own conflicts
forming a Risk style map of the regions
of the Middle Earth. Create your own
heroes and armies and march them off
to war. You can always build more troops
on the battlefield but only the ones from
your strategy map will retain experience
or even survive the battle, win or lose.
Likewise, any buildings or bases you
have built during a battle will similarly
disappear. You can also take your battle
across the Internet with the Multiplayer
option. Apart from the skirmishes, you
can also play out a whole game of War of
the Ring online.
The new features in this game are
plenty. The biggest change is certainly
the buildings. You can build wherever
you wish to instead of being limited
to very specific locations. There is also
an elaborate system of wall building
and defensive structures upgrades. A
significant change has been made to
the resource gathering system. You will
need to spread your encampment far
and wide for gathering resources. The
effectiveness of a resource gatherer is
dependant on the large area of unused
land around it, so placing a farm too
close to another farm does you no good.
Battle for Middle Earth II features a
huge variety of sides like the Men of the
West, the Elves, the Dwarves, Isengard,
Mordor and the Goblins. Each side
brings new play styles to the game and
offers you some advantages as well as
disadvantages. You will find that the
Dwarves are very slow while the Goblins
INTELLIGENT COMPUTING CHIP | MAY 2006
 FEATURE | UNWIND 133

can be easily crushed with the help of
cavalry units. The role of the heroes has
been expanded in this game. Each race
now gets access to a number of heroes
not seen in the trilogy. The Dwarves
get access not only to Gimli but also
his father Gloin and even King Dain
himself. The Goblins can summon the
giant spider Shelob, the Goblin Kong and
Drogoth and the Dragon Lord. Both your
heroes and your units gain experience
from their respective battles and
become more powerful which is great.
Unfortunately, you won’t get to carry
your units over to the next one and even
when you do, it’s only a certain few. This
makes the unit advancement much less
satisfying than it could be. You can also
take to the sea in the new naval vessels.
But when compared to the sheer number
of battles that you will be fighting on
land, the naval battles seem far too less.
A new addition is the “Create-a-Hero”
option. This allows you to explore your
creative side, adding on the heroes
that you created in the game. But the
customization options are very limited.
The sound is equally impressive as
Orcs roar with rage and the Men of
Gondor shout rallying calls. Many of the
actors from the movie have reprised
their roles for their gaming counterparts.
The excellent film score has also made
the migration and dramatically sets the
backdrop. As I mentioned before, Battle
for Middle Earth II is a visually impressive
experience. The game has a cinematic
feel to combat that makes it stand apart
from any other RTS game. Bodies go
flying as trolls swing massive stone clubs
and goblins fall under the trampling
hooves of cavalry charge. Before and after
each mission, there is a short cut-scene
describing the happenings in the war,
the goal and the location of the mission
and the strategic value associated with
it. The most noticeable feature of these
cut-scenes are that they are a very good
blend of art and in-game graphics. During
these cut-scenes, Elrond (Actor Hugo
Weaving) provides the narration. A lot of
work has gone into upgrading the graphics
for this game as compared to the previous
one and it has really paid off. However, in
order to enjoy these superb graphics, you
will need a high-end graphics card along
with a minimum of 1 GB of RAM. Don’t be
despondent if you have a low-end
system for the game will run albeit at
very low specs.
To sum it up, Battle for Middle Earth
II has all the right ingredients which
are essential in a RTS game. Three new
factions—a new building mode, new
heroes, improvements to the game
engine, a completely new “War of the
Ring” campaign—you name it and
the game has it. Note that the game
is addictive and you won’t feel like
getting up from your seat until you have
completed all the missions. ■
| Anup Pillai

RATINGS 9 / 10
For: Excellent graphics; good story based
campaigns; six new sides included.
Against: Hogs 6 GB of your hard disk space!

Price: Rs 1,299 Publisher : EA Games Distributor: Gayatri Impex Pvt. Ltd. Phone: 022-23881443 E-mail: gayatriimpex@vsnl.com System: Windows
XP/ 2000, Pentium IV 1.6 GHz or equivalent, 512 MB RAM, 8x or faster DVD drive, 6 GB of free hard disk space, video card with 128 MB or more memory

MAY 2006 | INTELLIGENT COMPUTING CHIP

SMS us! Story code: LBM (See Readers’ Letters for details)
 The latest entry in the Commandos series is an
FPS game with a difference

T
he previous games in the Commandos series have all been
squad-based tactical games. However, the latest entry in
the same series titled Commandos Strike Force makes a
transition to the first-person shooter territory. The Green Beret,
the Sniper and the Spy form the core members of the Strike
Force. While the previous versions required a lot of time as
well as patience to complete the missions, Strike Force lets you
accomplish your missions easily and smoothly.
Once the installation is over, the tutorial sessions make you
familiar with the new aspects of game play. In most of the
missions, you will have two commandos at your disposal. The
new feature in this game is the ability to switch between two
commandos while the game is in progress. You are the one
who has to decide which commando needs to be used at that
particular instant. So you will have to be aware of the strengths
as well as the weaknesses of each of them.
Even though it is an FPS game, the use of stealth through
most of the game is of utmost importance. And it is this feature
that sets it apart from the other FPS games. The Spy by far is the
pivotal character in the game. He is a German national who has
joined the Allied forces to fight the Nazis. He can kill them and
steal their uniforms. With these stolen uniforms, he can disguise
himself as a Nazi. In this game, the developers have added a new
spin to it. The Nazis have ranks within them—soldiers, sub-
officers, officers, generals and Gestapo. When you don an enemy
soldier’s uniform, you’re able to walk amongst your enemies
without being immediately detected. However, if you stay too
long near an enemy soldier, while in a soldier’s uniform, he’ll start
to become suspicious of you. A little question mark meter will
appear above his head and will start to count down. During this
countdown, you have two options. You either kill him and hope
that no one sees you take him out or run away and he’ll forget
about you. Now for example, if you put on an officer’s uniform,
soldiers and sub-officers will not become suspicious of you at all.
Other officers of a higher rank like a Gestapo will recognize you
after a period of time. The objective here obviously is to get a
uniform belonging to officers of higher rank each time you can, in
order to gain more freedom when moving around.
You have a mini radar in the lower left hand corner of your
screen. On this display are your objectives and arrows which are
Pramod Jadhav
indicators for your enemies. The arrows will show which way a

INTELLIGENT COMPUTING CHIP | MAY 2006

 REVIEW | UNWIND 135

solider faces and also his level of alertness. Green signifies that
he should be on patrolling duties and unaware of your presence,
yellow means he has become suspicious and red implies he is
on the hunt for you. When you walk up to a closed door, there
are two options. One is simply to open the door and the other
is to look through a keyhole view mode. With more missions,
you unlock some cool stuff. A particular mission needs special
mention here—it is the stage where you will be defending a
snowy French town from a German counter attack from the
other side of the river. You have Green Beret and Sniper at
your disposal. Once the attack starts, all hell breaks loose—
increasingly difficult challenges, dramatic music, an avalanche
of enemies from multiple directions, mortar fire, tanks—so
constant movement is required by the player to contain the
multiple tasks that the game throws up.
Unfortunately, this is the only level where the game gets
really exciting and you feel like you are in the midst of a huge
war. Once this level is over, you again have to rely on stealth
to finish off the Nazis. Also, the AI in the game is weak. If two
soldiers stand very close to each other and you quietly finish one
of them, the other hardly notices that his companion is dead.
Even if a commotion is caused while assassinating a Nazi, just
run away and hide in some safe place. The persistence level of
the Nazis is so low that they will give up the chase to trace the
intruder in less than a minute. Earlier, the dead bodies had to be
picked and hid in a safe place so as not to be spotted by enemies
else they raise an alarm. But here, the dead bodies just disappear
with time. So when killing an enemy soldier, pray that his dead
body is not spotted or you could be in trouble. Also, the ability to
switch between the commandos while the game is in progress
could act like a double-edged sword. The problem is when you
switch from one commando to the other, the previous one
remains static. He does not move a muscle and is virtually
a statue.
The sound effects are noteworthy. The background music is
good and fits in with the game’s theme. Voice acting is decent
though graphics aren’t as great. Undoubtedly, graphics has
improved when compared to the previous versions but when
compared with the other WWII games like Call of Duty 2 or
Brothers in Arms: Earned in Blood, the game falls short way
of expectations. The interposing cut scenes are also not very
appealing, visually.
But despite the above shortcomings, it is a decent attempt by
the developers and is definitely worth a try. ■
| Anup Pillai

RATINGS 7.5 / 10
For: A completely new genre; ability to switch
between commandos.
Against: Weak AI; the missions are much easier
to play.

Price: Rs 1,299 Publisher: Eidos Developer: Pyro Studios Distributor: Milestone Interactive Phone: 022-28203319 System: Windows XP/ 2000,
Pentium IV 1.8 GHz or equivalent, 512 MB RAM, 8x or faster DVD drive, 3.5 GB of free hard disk space, video card with 64 MB or more memory

MAY 2006 | INTELLIGENT COMPUTING CHIP

SMS us! Story code: CSF (See Readers’ Letters for details)
138 Classifieds

INTELLIGENT COMPUTING CHIP | SEPTEMBER 2005

 Classifieds 143

SEPTEMBER 2005 | INTELLIGENT COMPUTING CHIP

144 Classifieds

INTELLIGENT COMPUTING CHIP | SEPTEMBER 2005

148 LAST WORD
The Last Word
G
oing to government offices is something I
habitually avoid, unless there’s some urgency.
But as fate would have it, I had to visit the
local ration card office, the regional passport office,
and a post office—all within a span of two months.
I share with you my experiences and suggest a few
ways in which technology can be used to make life
simpler for both the “applicant” and the officer at the
window.
My passport expired in February and I had to
renew it. And while going about it, I discovered that a
lot had changed since my last visit in 1996.
They’ve taken computerization a step further
by making online registration compulsory. First I
had to visit the regional passport office web site at
http://passport.bom.nic.in/ and register to get an
appointment. Then I had to take a print out with my
registration details and attach this to my application
form (downloaded from the same site).
Before the big day arrived, I had to get all my
documents (and past life) in order. I needed to furnish
my ration card as proof of residence. So I visited the
ration shop to update my residential address.
I arrived at what I thought was an early hour, but
there were 50 people ahead of me in the queue. After
a grueling long hour or so, I finally got to the window
to pick up the application form. Then it was another
long queue to submit the application form (after a
little waltzing between window No. 3 and window
No. 5). And by the time my application was
actually accepted, it was late afternoon and I
was famished and exhausted.
Wouldn’t it have been simpler to just key
in all these details in an online form and
submit it? They could do the verification
later, just as the police verification is done
for the passport. And if my details were
then embedded in a chip on a smart card,
I would never have to stand for hours in
serpentine queues.
A few weeks later I visited the post
office to collect a relative’s MIS (monthly
income scheme) payment. There was a
long queue again with 10 people ahead
of me.
I spent time taking in the
surroundings. The lady clerk at the MIS
window was obviously inexperienced.
Dinesh Desai
In front of her was a computer monitor, covered and
unused. On her table were a couple of registers and
forms. And all around were bundles of jaundiced
forms with dog-eared edges. I looked around. More
piles of forms, some stacks carelessly thrown on top
of steel cupboards.
I wondered what was in those forms and ledgers.
Why did they need to keep them at all now that they
had computers?
The day on which I had to visit the passport office
finally came. I reached there at 8:45 am and was again
greeted by a long queue. An hour-long wait in the
queue and we were finally allowed into the compound
at 9:45 am. A few minutes later, we moved into the
building. The guards at the doorway scrutinized our
applications and online registration forms.
Once inside the hall, I quickly made an assessment
of how many windows they had (29), and what
functions these served. There was one window for
submitting the applications, another for making the
payment, another for special cases and so on. I looked
around and found that there were lots of people but
few seats. The procedures and rules were prominently
displayed (as on the web site).
The window finally opened and I calculated it took
15 - 20 minutes to accept one application. By the time
my turn came, I had stood an hour-and-a-half in the
queue already.
After submitting my application at window No.1,
I moved to window No. 2 to make the payment. That
meant another hour in the queue.
Despite all this computerization and online
procedures, why does one have to endure such agony?
I had to skip a whole day of work to visit the passport
office. I was finally done only by 2:30 pm.
It would have been simpler if I could have
submitted my application online and then visited the
office with my original documents for verification. If
the verification could be done at the first stage, there
would be no need to fill and submit forms in triplicate.
Documents could be scanned and stored in a central
database, made accessible to the crime branch, police
and other concerned departments. That would reduce
the amount of paper moving between departments
and speed up the whole procedure.
Exactly 30 days later, the postman arrived with my
passport. I was grateful for the promptness. 
| | Brian Pereira
INTELLIGENT COMPUTING CHIP | MAY 2006
 2006
06

Get on the Web | 26 External drives tested | Digital makeover RNI Registration No. MAHENG/2003/12687
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