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Linksys WRT54G 54Mbps 802.11g wireless router

Monday, December 26th, 2005 | Networking (LAN), Reviews | View Comments

The Linksys WRT54G connects to your computer via a network cable to provide wireless networking in a home environment.

The wireless router itself is fairly capable and can allow sufficient speeds for home networking. The ease of installation is another plus for those looking to create a wireless network at home.

Supporting everything up to the IEEE 802.11g draft it is able to handle almost any kind of network connections.

It does have its quirks though.

Network speed is much limited when a mixture of network connection types is used and slows the network right down.

It’s throughput of 20Mbps is decent for a consumer product of this nature, and faster speeds can sometimes be achieved, but if you really want more, go for a faster or more commercial model.

The two antennae allow great coverage of the networking area and allow good connections to the computers on the network.

There have been some updates to the firmware of this device which may or may not apply to you when you get it.

When you get it make sure to put in the setup CD first and just follow the setup instructions that come with it. That is reported as being the best way to ensure that everything works the way it is supposed to. Once that’s done you’ll enjoy your wonderful new wireless networking experience.

D-Link DWL-G510 Airplus G Wireless PCI Adapter

Monday, December 26th, 2005 | Networking (LAN), Reviews | View Comments

The D-Link DWL-G510 AirPlus G Wireless PCI Adapter allows you to host a wireless network using a card that fits into a conventional PCI slot.

The advantage of getting a PCI card wireless networking card is that the whole deal can be hidden behind the computer case instead of having a large receiver out somewhere. However those same good features can be bad too.

With range being a big factor in wireless networking situations you might have to do some moving of your case to get a good signal.

Opinions of users are varied, but that varies most with time. As with many products that are rushed to market they tend to have issues. There were problems with the firmware that came with the intial D-Link DWL-G510 Airplus G wireless cards.

Those do however seem to have been fixed for the most part and so you will find it a much easier to use card than before.

The card works fine with Windows XP standard networking drivers, or at least that was the experience of some users. If it doesn’t work straight away you might have to install some of the drivers that come with it.

Documentation is reported as being minimal, so not much help if you have any problems with it.

Overall the D-Link DWL-G510 AirPlus G Wireless PCI adapter is a reliable card that works fine in most conditions. For the bargain price it is offered at, it makes a great deal for those looking to get started with wireless networking without dishing out too much cash.

Logitech MX 3000 Laser Mouse and Keyboard combo

Friday, December 23rd, 2005 | Mice and Keyboards, Reviews | View Comments

Logitech are known for their input devices like mice and keyboards and have been making such stuff for a long time. The Logitech MX 3000 Laser mouse and keyboard are sure to give you that something extra from your computer. The laser mouse allows more accuracy through use of a laser instead of infrared. Both mouse and keyboard benefit from their wireless technology, taking away just those few extra cable clogging up your computer’s rear.

Actually the name of the Logitech MX 3000 laser mouse and keyboard combo is a little misleading. It is actually an MX 3000 keyboard and an MX 600 mouse. However that doesn’t make them any less potent.

This particular set used to be very expensive, over a hundred bucks, but has now dropped in price to somewhere in the reasonable range, at 65 bucks excluding rebate.

Features…

• MX 3000 cordless keyboard
• MX 600 Laser cordless mouse
• Keyboard with many extended buttons
• High accuracy mouse
• Standard software

I’m a standard keyboard user. There is nothing extra on my keyboard apart from the Windows buttons and the F keys at the top. I have never really had a great want for a keyboard with a thousand extra buttons. And very often people don’t have the software to use them installed either.

Anyways, all the extra buttons are designed to make things more efficient, which they do. Much like I learnt many Windows shortcut keys before and use them regularly, once you get used to them, you will wonder why you ever wanted less.

The keyboard does suffer from the keys being put in different positions. If I have to have new keys, no problem, but don’t mess with the ones I already know. The keyboard itself runs on AA batteries that will last a few months.

The mouse is an MX 600 laser mouse. It runs off 2 AA batteries and will last about 6 months before needing a change, but it has a battery indicator that will tell you when you need it. The mouse itself is design molded for right-handed users. Left handers will find it very awkward to use, if not unuseable.

Laser technology allows much greater definition and hence allows you to get greater accuracy when you are doing things like playing games and even doing design work on the computer. Just laser technology alone is worth it for those benefits, but a normal mouse would do fine for most.

In conclusion the price after rebate seems reasonable enough to take the plunge without breaking the bank. Both the keyboard and mouse are of good quality and will improve your general computing, with their added ease of use.

Logitech Z-5500 5.1 Speaker system

Wednesday, December 21st, 2005 | Reviews, Speakers and Sound Card Reviews | View Comments

The Logitech Z-5500 speaker system presents another check mark in the good books for Logitech. The Logitech Z-5500 manages to pick up where their older Z-680 leaves off.

With a whopping big 10 inch sub-woofer to handle bass and 5 satellite speakers to do the work of the higher range stuff it produces sound that is very impressive, especially if it is used with a computer system.

The main features…

• 505W RMS power (317W for satellites and 188W for subwoofer
• Multiple input sources (Digital optical, digital coaxial, 6 channel, analog)
• Hardware encoding for Dolby Digital and DTS
• Central control panel

The satellite speakers of the system are designed to give the maximum effect ot both the mid and high range sounds. The design of the casing is such that you can mount the speakers on a wall of just sit them on a surface. Speaker wire is attached to the speaker itself, so there is no customization available there, unless you like to splice RCA cables (not much fun). 25 feet of cable should be enough for most uses though.

The subwoofer on the Logitech Z-5500 is a large affair. If it is to be installed in a tight space situation you might have trouble finding a spot for it. Or perhaps you can turn it into a little table? The size of the speaker itself is 10 inch, but the size of the cage to the screws is 12 inches.

The speaker itself uses a large case because of Logitech choice of speaker design. The Logitech Z-5500 utilises a port to enhance the sound it produces. Although ported designs can be a little harder to implement, they do it well and the overall boost in performance is well liked.

The central control panel which sits upright by itself performs all the main functions of the system. There is a large knob in the center to change the volume. There are multiple choices for input sources so it should support everything you have. If you need to listen from a portable mp3 player there is a spot for a jack on the side of the panel.

Although very large for a computer speaker system, these guys blow away anything else out there. Of course you could shovel out more money, but hey, why do that? The functioning and looks are good and you just need to make sure you have the space and the two hundred and a bit bucks, then the Logitech Z-5500 becomes a great choice for watching movies, listening to music, or adding kick to you favorite games.

ATI and Nvidia getting ready to face Intel’s Broadwater chipsets

Tuesday, December 20th, 2005 | News | View Comments

Intel’s planned launch of its Graphic Media Accelerator intergrated Broadwater chipsets by the second quarter of next year has got both ATI and Nvidia on the move.

ATI has speeded up production of the R580 which is an upgrade of its current 90nm flagship model, and Nvidia has scheduled to roll out three new 90nm GPUs by the end of the first quarter next year.

The new Intel 965-series chipsets, the Q965, G965 and Q963 all integrate the Graphic Media Accelerator graphics core. Due for around Q2 next year.

ATI hopes the R580 will become the driving force of its mid-range and high-end GPU lines next year.

Nvidia is in production of the G71, G72 and G73, targeted at the high, mid and low range respectively.

Source: Digitimes