Oh Tannenbaum

Every year are at the latest at the beginning of advent forth brought or desperately. And even if the Festival in the first place (at least traditionally) follow the return to basic social values, they have firmly established under the Christmas tree, or by the fireplace in the Western industrialised countries: wishes and the gifts associated.

Even then, if they put not in the interest of own wishes and gifts ensure however often that, even before the recipient “That’s nice but!” Note takes expensive revived attention with a highly cheerful, the pre-Christmas atmosphere of part comes into a tailspin.

As in the previous year, the editors of computer base by means of a small article want to provide help for self-help, 2004 disclose their wishes and thoughts regarding the tangible gifts and donate idea. Even if we have focused on the following products from the world of computer hardware, the selection on this sector was limited. While Volker Rißka took advantage of this tolerated gap in the rules with benevolence, the guidelines in view on the in terms of length following hardly a review post by Christoph Becker probably but still slightly sharper be formulated should have;-)

Now, we wish you lots of fun in reading the article, the one or the other food for thought and a Merry Christmas!

Wish list

Andreas

The same procedure as every year… Is Christmas and I wonder how every year what I me because Nice could afford. Decided I signed up for a new housing. My old although visually makes a good impression and was quite favourable at the time to purchase. However I have not expected that more and more hard drives, optical drives, fans and PCI cards will keep indentation in the housing. Thus the good piece is now chock-a-block and of an air circulation, one can really no longer speak what is noticeable especially at temperatures.

After a short search, I’m cool master on the stacker teachme. The case, which is decorated in a chic grey/black design, offers exactly what I need: square, and abundant! It has 536 x 227 x 584 mm and launches whopping 14 kilos on the scales. This is somewhat cumbersome for LAN parties, but you can watch it as a good training in the fight against winter fat. In addition, it has seven external 5.25 “drive bays, an external 3.5″ drive Bay and three internal 3.5 “-drive bays.” Thus resolves the chronic lack of space on my drives and I have enough capacity to expand my drive inventory.

The three supplied case fan complement each other wonderfully to my four available and provide a cool temperature. If these should make me always still not satisfied after the conversion, there is also enough room for a water cooling system.

So, my recommendation for this year goes to the cool master stacker. Sufficient space and visually sophisticated design are worth just under 150 euros me in any case.

Arne

Because the heat of overclocked AMD Athlon XP-M in my PC from the cooler from Arctic Cooling – purchased mainly from a price perspective – not even close can be tamed – and certainly not at an acceptable volume – “Not erosion, but half” is in this year under the motto the purchase of a water cooling, even if my relationship completely for crazy will explain to me.

I’ll computer Airplex 240 radiator, two quiet 120-mm fan of MR computer equipment on an Aqua (“ichbinleise”) with per 1000 Rev/min and a 600 Eheim station as pump set at the individual components. Total fun costs me then including copper blocks from the junkyard just under 160 euros.

The surprise of unpacking and probing of the gifts will get spannenderweise remain: it is still uncertain whether the cooler brand fabricated for processor and graphics card actually work so well I hope.

Christoph

All the years it is again so far and the industry is happy about rising sales for the Christmas season. And despite unemployment benefit II, Hartz again especially a type of electronics will be this year more and more type “blue reflexed” IV, abridged Christmas references and General depression of education isolated layers under the Christmas tree: digital cameras. And so also editor Christoph in the pre-Christmas stress between mulled wine stalls, Speculaas and chocolate weihnachtsmännern arose, to find a corresponding device, which would provide satisfaction of its claims – finally had given the old digital camera up just the spirit and borrowing it another type of the friend could be also no permanent solution. Something new has been so.

One set so to find and quickly found something that promised to be a good partner for the next years of the picturesque excesses my part: Sony’s Cyber-shot W1. The finesse of this camera were quickly found out. In addition to a quite appealing appearance it has HAD CCD a super 5 megapixels and a Carl Zeiss Vario-Tessar lens including triple optical zoom. As a result, images in JPEG format with a size of up to 2592 x 1944 pixels and up to sechsfacher digital zoom are possible. Sony’s smart zoom function is also available and represented by a factor of twelve. Disclose all other information here, beyond certainly the scope, so that at this point, I would like to refer to the technical data.

Special cream piece of that camera has but certainly the 2.5 “wide TFT display, which makes the photographing a true pleasure. This has a total 123200 pixels and offers therefore a certain degree of sharpness to make ambitious Knippsen possible. In addition, the display has an automatic brightness adjustment, which adjusts the image displayed always the possible environment to ensure optimal visibility of the Viewer. Included with the Sony Cyber-shot W1, a set of NiMh batteries is included, as well as a charging cable and a memory stick with 32 MB of memory. When the W12 – which technically with the W1 is absolutely identical and comes only with black housing – also yet another set comes with batteries and a charger.

Since 32 MB on a digital camera 5 megapixels are slightly too small, you had to are still on the search for a larger storage device. As Sony we know that often goes its own way, you can use unfortunately no relatively cheap CF cards with this model. Must produce a memory stick and it best in the Pro version of fast, because the stick for quick snapshots otherwise falling behind would get and not fast enough can save the images. An appropriate storage card from the House Sony 256 MB euros however proud 90, what a student and at best is clearly too much of a good pseudo amateur photographer. Thank God there are good alternatives third also with memory sticks, so that eventually a 256 MB large pro model from the House of Hama was. This costs about 50 to 60 Euro and is therefore a good deal less expensive than brand-name products directly from Sony.

The supplied battery keep quite long; but not long enough to survive an or other large-scale cycling or similar. For this reason, additional batteries had to manufacture, that should support the potential mobility of the owner of the camera. Here you must Sony credit it highly, that you gave in to the W1 and the W12 out, to implement special batteries, you can buy expensive only from Sony. Commercially available Mignon cells here completely sufficient so that sometimes the one or the other set of normal alkaline batteries can be used. Since this is however not at all environmentally friendly, the referencing here today editor bought in addition or four NiMh batteries from Ansmann the House with each 2200 mAh. Although already accumulators with 2500 are mAh available on the market, but also which with only 2200 should suffice for our purposes completely.

The Sony Cyber-shot W1 is available to an Internet price of 270 to 300 Euro at the time, this model for too expensive 320 euros was sighted in a local, very red electric market chain. The W12 brings it on average a few euros more in the purchase price, offers however more for the money. In addition, 60 euros for a memory card as well as 15 to 20 euro for additional batteries are added once again easily. It has made these investments but once or make leave – Christmas is Yes – will be but certainly not regret it and in the future, perhaps the one or the other image make more. In this sense: Have fun at the photographing!

Frank

After last year, the full transition was been completed from a desktop PC to the notebook and this still perfectly performed his service, all investments for the PC this fall fall flat probably. From the world of electronics I’ll not digress but also this Christmas and as a digital camcorder is high on the wish list. Whether it comes also to buy from manufacturers, as well as I wanted, still stands in the stars, because the own claims and the price so positively correlated struggle at the moment with the conscience, whether an such investment should be made and considered not previously even three times. Also compromising the sound quality must be made with digital camcorders, which provide an acceptable price / performance ratio, often, because the own noise will inevitably with captured.

In an acceptable price range are the Canon MVX250i, Sony DCR-HC40, Sony DCR-PC 109e, Panasonic NV-GS 120 EC, Panasonic NV-GS 55 EC and the JVC GR-D93E shortlisted come. A decision, whether and which model may soon be kept in the hands, will fall but probably not until after Christmas.With relevant information that could affect decision making contact to the contact form.

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A gimmick, which I would like to be seen, but lacks a more beneficial and therefore probably has no chance of a purchase, would either be the Zalman Reserator 1 or Innovatek HTC’s radiator. As passive radiators, which are also completely free-standing placed next to the housing of the PC, they could visually enhance the native, actually complete water cooling and also reduce the noise continues. However, the price of one – admittedly quite chic is – piece aluminium with just under 200 or 250 euros for a mere gimmick slightly too high. In the Zalman Reserator 1 a CPU heatsink, the ZM WB2 is included although gold, however this would eke probably missed being with me, because the water cooling, as already mentioned, is equipped with all necessary components and already has three radiators.

Jan-Frederik

As the largest dream on the wish list were only an intent for’s new year, has managed the TFT but not under the Christmas tree for Christmas 2003 firmly scheduled. The good, old 19 “CRT monitor did it Yes finally still (more poorly than right).” So the Festival run entirely without hardware across the stage, the first real new acquisition took place some two months later.

In 2004, a notebook, the Samsung P30 chic 15 was just in time for CeBIT “-TFT and a comfortable resolution of 1400 x 1050, purchased and sent the boob tube once again of which come to the end of the year in retirement.” Wireless thanks to high performance, unlimited mobility in house and garden and long battery life have made the notebook within a few days to the sole work PC and now ensure that 2004 requests are guaranteed. Because 512 MB quickly reach their limits memory in the daily Windowsbetrieb, another 512 MB are on the wish list this year at the top. Whether the project is also implemented in the day, I give in a known;-)

Jirko

Computer monitors, laptops, USB flash drives – this is nothing for me everything. Not that I would reject it under normal circumstances, but more mobility means in our circles, that you can work anywhere. Is a better photo, that photo editing is tailored exactly to us and with the USB stick more and more benchmarks in the domestic test lab can be transported. An impressive logic certainly, that are the rage wrinkles on the forehead to any outsider can, as draw editor but it is get the maximum from the minimal. It must therefore provided that let us bring down the computer in conjunction with, and so in this guide, worked out a raison d ‘ être – clever select the own desires – and express. But what remains still? Input devices, scroll faster and write? Certainly not. A computer tower, which, ever growing – offers a growing room for even more hardware in his proportions? Certainly, here follows a clear no for an answer. So, what is it for now, the smart editor wonders there? The answer lies because almost on the tongue:

Loud hear nothing brings those responsible — with 5.1 no one faster working and whether Skype or not, provoziertem lack of understanding also no THX certificates help, order to adequately implement the statements expressed already in the shaking of the head and orders of the Chief. Enough “reasons” so plentiful with new Indrik cubes. No less to bear comes that the Audigy abgestrichene already in the attendance of the editor should be called 2 Platinum EX with a 2.1 system from Logitech not really busy. So, there is enough pent-up demand looking in this direction and plentiful, so Santa Claus because wants.

505 Watt RMS output, Dolby Digital and ProLogic II, cordless remote control and sound touch control, are the words that – moderate terms – provide a desired anticipation (behind the keyboard and screen but for a dripping mouth). The speech is from Logitech’s new THX speaker system, the Logitech Z-5500 digital. But there are not only the inner values that count here. Rather also the exterior design knows how to convince, that good in my room and like me would expressed. My letter to the North Pole would therefore in any case one of the licentious and rhetorically precise representation following my good self simple request include: Dear good Santa Claus, dance me at with a Logitech Z-5500-digital!

Michael

If a rock ‘ n’roller in the day comes, will it still be around him. Therefore I will try perhaps a little curb the factory noise in my data center, where I exchange the “SEI-Leise” power supply with disco crash plugin against a really quiet.And it seems the tagan TG380 is my favorite. The experience and tests of recent years show that performance is not always everything. What is the use the inclined user, if while the heating costs fall dramatically, but the dissipation of the poorly-designed power supply unnecessary hunts in the amount the electricity bill? And who accepts it voluntarily when the indent of enemy tank garrisons drowned out – virtual of course by the way even annoying noise. And since I am more than satisfied with the other processing power of my miners, I put an end to the obsession with upgrade and decided again to disarm; at least, as regards the sound producer. And perhaps I can enjoy the delicate light game of the Angel’s finger of a virtuoso Jeff Hannemanns then again to the fullest without disturbing noise. Does anyone know?

Parwez

It is therefore once again, Christmas is just around the corner and the Western world – not to mention the Christmas crazy Japanese – storms the shops and buys all sorts of useful and useless things to the Christmas. One cannot expect the course priced. But no matter, it is after all only one time in Christmas. Actually I would reccomend Yes everyone, until mid-January to save up the money or close to money/vouchers, since there are more in the end of. But it’s realized Christmas and;-) is the reason we know not always in the first place.

With regard to hardware, is to me at the moment only the purchase of a new printer – you must indeed not participate in the General upgrade madness. Is purchased, what is needed! It will be a laser. Since I but even so far decided on no model, a recommendation would be out of place.

What can I recommend otherwise? Ah, right, there was but this stylish 17-inch TFT-display Sony in the store, which anlachte me so. Beautiful in black held, with exquisite design and a grandiose for my taste just rendering.

The jewel the name SDM-HS74P and is equipped with a X-black LCD. Compared with conventional TFT displays the colors and contrasts are just powerful, since it’s even fun, attend the otherwise barren slide show in the shop. I personally like even better than a tube monitor the display, but also one can argue is certainly. The display for players is suitable with a response time of 16ms, a resolution of 1280 x 1024 pixels, a brightness of 400 cd / m², a contrast ratio of 500: 1, DVI-D connector and extensive color settings. Quake 3 or similar fast shooter I have not seen so far while on it, but at least at videos no Striae formation was to observe. Who is playing much, look at so before more precisely the display.

Of course, also this display has its small dark side. Sony X-black displays are not completely free of mirroring, so that annoying reflections may occur depending on the angle of incidence, by proper installation this can be avoided however. The second negative point is the price. In Sony’s online store the display with 529 euro is listed and even Scrooge finds no 459 euro offer. Nevertheless all looking the display look at just after a new monitor in the store, over the brilliant image makes up the small negative points for me at least.

Sasan

Long time, I was wondering what is should find worthwhile under the tree this year. But the playful child is ultimately prevailed in me. Obviously I am beyond namely but still not the time in the PC games fascinating. Therefore I would hope that, this year in my opinion, best top title of the year: half-life 2 and Rome: total war. Half-life 2 that brought the hope of convincing story, technically quite on the contrary to Doom 3 in me. That is why it gets a chance, though, we actually should condemn the pursuit after perfect graphics, even at the expense of content,.

Then but still a bit being used to train the brain cells, a blockbuster in the strategy genre. Rome should properly represent the successful total war series also reports according to. Thus, it also deserves a spot under the tree.

Because it is likely but probably not more really smooth running on a GeForce FX 5950, must a bit what happen in the area of the graphics card. I have immediately advise me in this regard and am finally come to believe that there should be an ATI Radeon X 800 from ASUS. Switch do hurt, but I’m married so it is not sent with NVIDIA. So, I embrace my Christmas.

Rouven

Yikes, again a year passed? All the better: At last specifically a reason that in 12 months accumulated “do you you at some point once get” concept from the background of memory shown and then finally to clarify.

Given my new hobby, DJing, as well as even no money for the computing field was left just in the last annuellen period, what is at the latest is noticeable extent in terms of performance on current titles such as half-life 2 to a. Certainly it does the GeForce4 Ti 4600 at the expense of image quality still more or less, however, the Gewappnetsein for the-future comes slowly to its limits. A new pixel centrifugal muss her so! And although the market currently, at least at first sight is difficult to overlook, as a product of the GeForce 6600 series for my purposes emerges nonetheless.

That it is not quite, but it also is clear: the relatively intensive in recent times load on the file system signalled clearly that 512MByte of RAM are always sub optimal and I will try to drive an upgrade so well here. This is not only the file system as well, but minimizes the loading of current games – and what is it better to hit two birds with one stone?

Steffen

According to recommendations of portemonnaie-capable USB Z-Cyber Proton stick in Christmas Advisor of last year 2003, I had to say recently that during the last twelve months obviously from the bends in the coin tray of purses was somewhat overused and now slightly bent from his Ledertäschchen looks. In short, he denied any work instructions. Even the resurrection capabilities of Linux – so was tried it at least on IRC more or less believable to convey – the sudden disappearance of pixel failure on a late September purchased IBM ThinkPad was attributed to those who could not prevent the fluent has in-depth transformation of Flash in electronic waste.

Ordered one was yet again. A newer model with USB 2.0 and also some more space. And, this time more cautiously this deal: Although his permanent place of residence will be again the wallet, but this time in a better area than the coin swamp.

TeddyBiker

After I was in the last year of proud owner of a very favourable Microsoft desktop set for legendary 29.90 euros, emerged in the course of time, that the 2-button mouse for me is not yet appropriate. But more than I wanted to have initially come true, as the former owner of the IntelliMouse Explorer 1.0, I miss the side buttons. Navigating the Web is not very comfortable without the side buttons. For this reason have I a a new set of Microsoft home selected.

These elite are the Optical Desktop for Bluetooth.

The MS Optical Desktop Elite for Bluetooth combines the Wireless Optical Desktop Elite with the advantages of modern Bluetooth technology. The supplied, thumb-sized transceiver stick makes PCs running Windows XP Service Pack 2, Bluetooth enabled and connected up to seven Bluetooth compatible devices such as printers, PDAs or mobile phones. The stick is connected via the USB interface with the PC or notebook, mouse and keyboard are then added through the Control Panel on the menu “Bluetooth devices”. The transceiver transfers the data from keyboard and mouse without cables up to 10 meters.

A shortcoming of previous Bluetooth devices is the high power consumption. Owing to its revised optical chip run mouse and keyboard much longer than its predecessor. Popular features such as the padded wrist rest, the 4-way scroll wheel on mouse and keyboard, as well as the five Favorites buttons which show such as when the car radio of a button, complete the package. The doubly occupied F-keys allow quick access to frequently used Office applications. From the centrally positioned Media Center multimedia applications can be easily and conveniently by pressing a button control.

In view of the fact that this set list price euros whopping 149,-, Santa Claus is may get probably a medium-term financial credit.

Tobi

Each year the agony of the option… What lays you down this time again to chic hardware under the Christmas tree? This year the choice 193P with a contrast ratio of 1000: 1 and a diagonal size of 19 inches to the current 22-inch CRT monitor are the Samsung SyncMaster either be replaced by iiyama, or a new business notebook with fast Dothan processor. The business notebook will, have seen from this stage, probably the final contract.

Shortlisted, the Fujitsu-Siemens LifeBook E8010, the Samsung P35 and already tested by us, the ASUS M6800N have come. The Interior will look approximately like this: Intel Pentium M 1.8 GHz processor with Dothan core, 1024 MB RAM, 80 GB hard drive, DVD burner and a high resolution, high-contrast 15-inch SXGA +-display with a resolution of 1400 x 1050 pixels. High battery life, and the combination of fast processor and “adequate” amount of memory will be probably more and more einstauben the domestic desktop PC. Also the integrated 54 MBit/s fast Wi-Fi module, which allows wireless surfing in the garden or in the company contributes to significantly. The factors determine which device is finally put under the Christmas tree, display and weight, as the equipment otherwise take in almost nothing. It emerges however a relatively clear trend toward the ASUS M6800N.

The cost for such a notebook are the only Downer, because these are located at approximately 2000€. But for this you have peace in terms of upgrading the next years. Been whether next year thoroughly is through without other new hardware (see Samsung TFT), is however highly doubtful;-)

Tommy

Before you know it, Christmas is also at the door and thus a time where many manufacturers shortly before the end of Gates is coming from that now the right time is, to call a product under a test in the memory of many potential buyers. As a result, the desk with a big pile is work, which are processed before Christmas are must, and a much larger stack, which up to then been processed should be, to the limits of endurance filled. Time is the element where it is and the I me about Christmas time most fondest wishes. Then were also a few free minutes to the book “the fabric of the cosmos: space, time, and the texture of reality” by brain green, the also for “The elegant universe” (see also) responsible is finally to read. The latter deals with the Super – string and M-theory, which attempts, the universe in a ten or eleven-dimensional space to described. Interesting way just for this description the math is still not far enough, so that physicists had to develop their own tools to solve the problems here. “The fabric of the cosmos,” is this year appeared and represented (almost) the latest state of research. And since the subject interests me burning and I so eerily like to go the editorial colleagues on the nerves, I need to read at last the time.

From a computer perspective I do not not very much fortunately. Half-life 2 and Doom 3 to run perfectly – what you want because actually even more? The acoustic problem of last year could be addressed although 947 U processor cooler actively by a tagan TG380-U01 power supply and a Thermalright SLK with YS-tech fan. But now it is the graphics card and the Northbridge cooling system, which is eating away at the nerves. Here, there is still room for improvement. In addition, the massive and ongoing use of the voice cries over IP software “Skype” – I can recommend it to anyone without exception highly – only in this way following the acquisition of a new headset. The Sennheiser PC150 tested by us has therefore a place very far above the Christmas wish list. Also the increasing expansion of the German DVB-T network makes ever more attractive, appropriate card for the computer (also priced) so that such a product also has been the focus of interests. However, I here lack the market overview. I therefore would like on your recommendations. Stupid way Micronas with the Ngene announced already a dual TV-tuner for the PCI Express bus, so that an investment in a PCI board seems already almost no longer makes sense to me. What do you mean?

Volker

Every year again, the same modest question: what will I have? Or: I use what could? The latter question is it probably the ultimate. It is clear that for me that it will be most certainly no stuff for the PC. The plans from last year in terms of 19 “-TFTs have been fulfilled and the rest of the good old PC’s with certainly still a quite a while.” So, why buy something, what you may not use or is not necessary?

The essential purchase for my part may be so, far from any hardware and software, a new bicycle. The last two nicked and the giftgrüne “emergency dial” brand diamond year 197 x – therefore even older than myself: p – makes also no longer really with. So will be after Christmas – I am not crazy and try it before – looked a little, what could be so to the debate. Really an idea does not yet exist – comes time, comes Rat(d).