Miller's Choice is a weekly selection of the top news, features and commentary by Ziff Davis journalists. Edited by Michael J. Miller, Executive Vice President and Editorial Director of Ziff Davis Media as well as Editor-in-Chief of PC Magazine, this copyrighted material is offered with the understanding that any fair usage will give attribution to the source.
Week in Review for October 18 - - Digital Life Takes Hold It was a big week for anyone who believes in the idea of "digital life" - - the convergence of PC and consumer electronics technology to help give people more control over their various forms of entertainment, from music to movies to television. Early in the week, Microsoft announced its Windows Media Center Edition 2005, a major step forward in convergence. (http://www.pcmag.com/article2/0,1759,1675128,00.asp) We reviewed the OS and the first six machines that support the OS (http://www.pcmag.com/article2/0,1759,1673924,00.asp). Personally, I found a lot to like about the new system, but a few concerns as well. (http://www.pcmag.com/article2/0,1759,1674138,00.asp). And we also looked at a number of ways to extend the Media Center experience, including Media Center Extenders that move recorded TV and the like to your TV (http://www.pcmag.com/review/0%2C2491%2Cs%3D26227&a%3D136832%2C00.asp), a new Pocket PC that can take your recorded content with you (http://www.pcmag.com/review/0%2C2491%2Cs%3D26638&a%3D136863%2C00.asp), and even a phone that now supports a mobile version of Windows Media Player (http://www.pcmag.com/review/0%2C2491%2Cs%3D1713&a%3D136901%2C00.asp). But for me the biggest news was our Digital Life show in New York (www.digitallife.com) which was literally packed with consumers wanting to see the latest in new technology. Check out the Best in Show winners (http://www.pcmag.com/article2/0,1759,1677195,00.asp) and see the slideshows of what was happening on the show floor (http://www.extremetech.com/article2/0,1558,1678059,00.asp) In other news this week, Google finally released the beta version of its long awaited Google Desktop search product (http://www.eweek.com/article2/0,1759,1676612,00.asp). Meanwhile, Intel scaled back its plans for a 4GHz processor (http://www.eweek.com/article2/0,1759,1676960,00.asp) And here's more from the Ziff Davis websites and publications: _________PC Magazine______________________________ YOUR DIGITAL HOME http://www.pcmag.com/article2/0,1759,1666273,00.asp Enjoy your digital music in every room of the house, display your vacation photos on the living room TV, and record your favorite shows on the PC. Thanks to new devices and technologies, all of these things are now possible. With scores of tips and more than 90 product reviews, PC Magazine shows you how you can enjoy multimedia at home like never before. (And for more, see our complete package at: http://www.pcmag.com/category2/0,1738,1590711,00.asp) BEEF UP YOUR BROWSER http://www.pcmag.com/article2/0,1759,1650380,00.asp The more time you spend on the Internet doing research, the more you come to realize that your browser isn't very powerful for gathering and sharing information. PC Magazine shows you eight ways to give your browser the kind of muscle it needs. KILLER GRAPHICS http://www.pcmag.com/article2/0,1759,1650683,00.asp New graphics chips from ATI and nVidia deliver awesome realism to PC games, but you'll spend a pretty penny. We rate nine top-of-the-line graphics cards to help you choose the best one. _________ExtremeTech______________________________ FIVE INTEL 925X MOTHERBOARDS http://www.extremetech.com/article2/0,1558,1676728,00.asp ExtremeTech spends quality time with five motherboards using the Intel 925X chipset and supporting the LGA775 Pentium 4 processors. All of these boards have strengths and weaknesses, and we find out just how much difference a BIOS makes. DOING THE MULTIMON http://www.extremetech.com/article2/0,1558,1674441,00.asp If you've got an old monitor just sitting around, maybe it's time to hook it up to your system and expand your desktop. Once you do, you'll never go back. We walk you through the process and look at how both ATI and nVidia handle multiple displays. _________eWEEK____________________________________ OPENOFFICE LOOKING BETTER ALL THE TIME http://www.eweek.com/article2/0,1759,1676737,00.asp Celebrating its fourth birthday, OpenOffice.org now offers most of MS Office's functionality at little or no cost. Sun's StarOffice suite and Java Desktop System are also in play. But what are their chances against Redmond's productivity domination? Check out this eWEEK opinion piece. CHECK 21 HELP ON THE WAY FOR BANKS http://www.eweek.com/article2/0,1759,1676859,00.asp Analysts say Halloween shouldn't be a scary time for banks and check-writers as new tech will help banks protect against fraud. _________Microsoft Watch__________________________ GET READY FOR NEW OFFICE12 SERVERS IN 2006+ http://www.microsoft-watch.com/article2/0,1995,1675795,00.asp Microsoft won't talk Office 12, but tattlers will. And based on various sources' tips, it sounds like Microsoft is readying an Excel Server, Visio Server and possibly some other new Office server products for debut in the 2006+ "Office 12" timeframe. The move isn't as crazy as it sounds (at least from Microsoft's perspective), especially when you consider Redmond's challenge of continuing to grow its information-worker revenues in a world where Office already commands in excess of 90 percent desktop-suite market share. Get the details with Microsoft Watch. _________CIO Insight______________________________ HOW IT BOLSTERS THE BASEBALL EXPERIENCE AND REVENUES http://www.cioinsight.com/article2/0,1397,1666698,00.asp Bill Schlough was named CIO of the San Francisco Giants at the tender age of 29. Five years later he's helping his team lead the league in IT. If Schlough keeps it up, he might earn himself a spot in the Customer Loyalty Hall of Fame, too. CIO Insight tells you about it. _________Baseline_________________________________ GIANT KILLERS http://www.baselinemag.com/article2/0,1397,1668258,00.asp They may be small. They may have skimpy financial resources. But what these companies do have is an ability to adopt technology that matters. And take business away from billion-dollar rivals that think they have a hammerlock on the markets. How do you take on the giant in your industry? Baseline takes a look. _________1UP______________________________________ FREELOADER: PLATFORMER MANIA! http://1up.com/do/feature?cId=3135544 Hop 'n' bop on a budget. 1UP.com shows you the way. _________Newsletter Information_________________________________ The e-mail address for your subscription is: [EMAIL PROTECTED] To UNSUBSCRIBE from Miller's Choice, click here: http://www.pcmag.com/unsubscribe_newsletter/0,4223,,00.asp?n=81&type=u&[EMAIL PROTECTED] To SUBSCRIBE to Miller's Choice or other PCMag.com newsletters, click here: http://www.pcmag.com/newsletter_manage/ Copyright (c) 2004 Ziff Davis Media Inc. All Rights Reserved. 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