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		<title>APC - User - techkid</title>
		<link>http://apcmag.com/</link>
		<description>APC Magazine covers the latest in computing with a critical, independent eye to help you make the most of your tech dollar.</description>
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			<title>Asus sold me Vista with illegal cracks</title>
			<link>http://apcmag.com/forum.htm?g=posts&amp;t=504</link>
			<guid>http://apcmag.com/forum.htm?g=posts&amp;t=504</guid>
			<description><![CDATA[lol!! Wow - can someone give me a copy of this disc? Or is there torrent link for it? XD]]></description>
			<pubDate>Sat, 20 Sep 2008 11:09:30 GMT</pubDate>
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			<title>Asus sold me Vista with illegal cracks</title>
			<link>http://apcmag.com/forum.htm?g=posts&amp;t=504</link>
			<guid>http://apcmag.com/forum.htm?g=posts&amp;t=504</guid>
			<description><![CDATA[It's great that you've finally been helped & I'm pleased with Bing Lee's & WinRAR's response. Good on you for persisting!]]></description>
			<pubDate>Sat, 20 Sep 2008 11:42:00 GMT</pubDate>
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			<title>How Much RAM Is Enough?</title>
			<link>http://apcmag.com/forum.htm?g=posts&amp;t=800</link>
			<guid>http://apcmag.com/forum.htm?g=posts&amp;t=800</guid>
			<description><![CDATA[I have a HP Compaq D530SFF Desktop, which has a Pentium 4 3.0 GHz Processor & 512 MB RAM. It also runs XP Pro.
Unsurprisingly, it's very sluggish with such meager specs. So I thought it was due for a much-needed RAM boost. I tried the eBoostr software, but was dismayed by the limited trial (4 hrs) so I thought I'd pay up & buy some real RAM. I looked everywhere and the cheapest was $AU100 for a 2GB pack, but it was a generic brand, so I stayed clear of that one. The next cheapest pack was from the RAM specialists themselves, Crucial.com. They had a 2GB RAM pack for $US100 shipped. I ordered it. On the final "completion" page, it showed that somehow I had bought two lots of the 2GB RAM packs...well, by the time I contacted the sales rep in US of A, he said that since it had already been shipped, he couldn't cancel the order and that I could send it back to receive a refund.
Well, I installed one of the packs and now my computer is finally responsive most of the time...but I was wondering: should I just install the other pack so I can guarantee speed in the future and faster boot-up times? So I'm faced with a new dilemma, and I need your help! ]]></description>
			<pubDate>Sat, 20 Sep 2008 12:16:14 GMT</pubDate>
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			<title>How Much RAM Is Enough?</title>
			<link>http://apcmag.com/forum.htm?g=posts&amp;t=800</link>
			<guid>http://apcmag.com/forum.htm?g=posts&amp;t=800</guid>
			<description><![CDATA[[quote=tim2hawkes]1 gig is ok
I run 1.25 on my laptop which is xp and it is fast
but 2 is better you can get it for au 60 [/quote]


Sorry - I mustn't have made it clear enough: I've already installed one of the 2GB Packs but don't know whether to install the other one...]]></description>
			<pubDate>Sat, 20 Sep 2008 14:25:13 GMT</pubDate>
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			<title>How Much RAM Is Enough?</title>
			<link>http://apcmag.com/forum.htm?g=posts&amp;t=800</link>
			<guid>http://apcmag.com/forum.htm?g=posts&amp;t=800</guid>
			<description><![CDATA[Hey guys,
Thanks for all your replies and offered help. Sorry I haven't responded quicker; my internet's dial-up speed most of the month so APC takes virtually forever to load. Sometimes I have to view it in skweezer.com
Anyway, I've stuck with having 2.5GB RAM installed in the computer; it's made it like a new computer. I actually like to use my computer now!
As I said, I accidentally bought an extra 2GB RAM pack and I tried to sell it on eBay, but it didn't sell. I'm gonna try relisting it. 
If anyone's interested, here's the specs:

Genuine [b]Crucial[/b] 2GB kit (1GBx2), 184-pin DIMM, DDR PC3200 memory module
•  Module Size: 2GB kit (1GBx2) 
•  Package: 184-pin DIMM 
•  Feature: DDR PC3200 
•  Specs: DDR PC3200 • CL=3 • Unbuffered • NON-ECC • DDR400 • 2.6V • 128Meg x 64 
]]></description>
			<pubDate>Sat, 25 Oct 2008 11:46:59 GMT</pubDate>
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			<title>Lenovo 3000 N200(reviewed by a14 yr old)</title>
			<link>http://apcmag.com/forum.htm?g=posts&amp;t=568</link>
			<guid>http://apcmag.com/forum.htm?g=posts&amp;t=568</guid>
			<description><![CDATA[[b]
Lenovo 3000 N200[/b]

With this budget notebook from Lenovo, we wonder what more you could want for the price.
--------------------------------------------------------
Pros: Price, robust design, keyboard, good specs
Cons: no webcam, crapware, integrated graphics
Rating: 8/10
--------------------------------------------------------
Online: www.lenovo.com.au                               
Contact: Lenovo
Market: Everyone
Price: $599
--------------------------------------------------------

[b]Design[/b]

The Lenovo 3000 N200 bears Lenovo's traditional black, boxy design; however, it retains the sturdiness popularised by the original company, IBM.  A smooth, silver external casing, is contrasted by the matte black interior. A Kensington lock slot sits on the left top corner.

The keyboard is roomy & certainly enables you to touch-type with minimal errors. All of the main buttons (shift, enter, backspace, arrow keys) are big enough for quick pressing.

On the top right of the keyboard, there are 3 volume buttons - up, down & mute. In the middle, there's a "Lenovo Care" button which, when pressed, brings up a window with most frequently used applications, help & support tools, & preselected tasks such as "back up now" & "manage multimedia." The far left has the power button & usual system & keyboard lights.

The touch pad is smooth & not too recessed which helps to prevent dust & what-not to get stuck in the corners. Its sensitivity enables minimal finger-movement & less frustration.

It comes with a 14", 1280x800, "VibrantView" screen, which is their fancy name for high gloss. While having it glossy enables a brighter display & richer colours while using less backlight power, the downside is that it reflects really annoyingly while near lights.

The screen hinges are strong enough to take a beating and enable you to fold the screen back about 110°. 

[b]Features[/b]

Beneath the hood, the budget Intel® Pentium® Dual-Core Mobile Processor T2310 clocks in at 1.46GHz, which runs Vista Basic rathersmoothly.

It has a CPU speed L2 Cache size of 1MB and a bus speed of 533 MHz.

For graphics, it has the usual integrated Intel 965 chipset which is adequate for the everyday computer tasks. 

It has 1GB of DDR2 RAM and a 110GB Hard Drive.

For wireless connectivity, it has 802.11a/b/g Wi-Fi, but no Bluetooth, which is a letdown. It also has Gigabit Ethernet.

Using a registry hack, I enabled Aero - minus the translucent windows and smooth window transitions. It runs very well with no glitches. Even with dwm.exe (Desktop window manager) running constantly for Aero, it doesn't slow the computer down or cause any program lag.

Since our purchase in January, we have not experienced any program crashes or hangs. 
Also, contrary to popular negative opinion, we have NOT run into any Vista driver problems; in fact, no problems that are Vista-related.

It has 4 USB 2.0 ports, a firewire port, an Express Card slot, a headphone & mic jack, an SD Card slot and a DVD multi-recorder, which are all easily accessible. For video outputs it has the ancient S-video & VGA outputs. There's a spot at the top of the screen for where a webcam is supposed to be, but it's covered up with a plastic sticker.

One of the major letdowns about this notebook is all the unnecessary, bloated crapware that Lenovo has preinstalled on it like: Windows Live Toolbar, a Lenovo gadget that cycles through all the accessories that you need to buy and a suite of Lenovo-designed apps that are supposed to be useful but end up just copying built-in Windows utilities.

One of their apps is a backup tool called Lenovo Rescue & Recovery which pops up without your permission everytime you boot up the computer, asking you to back up your computer. No matter how many times you dismiss the annoying nag message, it relentlessly pops up.

Other included applications included are PC-Doctor 5, Corel Business Center, Picasa and the Cyberlink 'Power' range of products. Lenovo's Multimedia Center is also pre-installed, but it's essentially pointless middleware that serves as a launcher for other programs - and unfortunately if you remove it, it seems to remove Cyberlink's products as well.


The Windows Experience Index scores for this notebook is:

                                                                                        
Processor: Intel(R) Pentium(R) Dual CPU T2310 @ 1.46GHz	---  4.6
RAM: 0.99 GB ---	                                                                 4.2
Graphics: Mobile: Intel(R) 965 Express Chipset Family ---	          2.2
Gaming Graphics: 251 MB Total available graphics memory ---	  3.1
Primary Hard Disk: 66GB Free (105GB Total) ---	                  4.8
[b]Base score: 2.2 (determined by lowest subscore)[/b]

You can squeeze out about 3 hours from its battery while running in power saver and using it for non-CPU intensive applications. 

[b]
Details of Purchase[/b]

The most attractive factor about this notebook is the price. We bought it from Big W for a meagre $599! Compared to other budget notebooks, this is a true bargain.

We actually purchased this notebook for my autistic brother who needs a computer to encourage him to communicate with us via text-to-speech software, and making school-related documents. For the price, it's more than enough...

[b]Reviewed By: techkid. I'm a 14 year old tech geek. Tech is my passion. 
This is my first ever review. Your feedback will be greatly appreciated. [/b]
]]></description>
			<pubDate>Sun, 27 Jul 2008 22:25:06 GMT</pubDate>
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		<item>
			<title>Lenovo 3000 N200(reviewed by a14 yr old)</title>
			<link>http://apcmag.com/forum.htm?g=posts&amp;t=568</link>
			<guid>http://apcmag.com/forum.htm?g=posts&amp;t=568</guid>
			<description><![CDATA[[quote=kearnsy]I think your target market is a little too broad ;)

I don't see Vista with 1Gb with a shared graphics system as the system for "everyone" [/quote]

You know how APC editors put that same field in all their reviews.
Take, for example, the Acer Ferrari 1100 in this month's issue. It also has "Market: Everyone" in its "review at a glance" box. It's okay for everyone, can be sold to everyone, but not necessarily meets everyone's individual needs & aesthetic tastes...that was my purpose for throwing it in. =D]]></description>
			<pubDate>Wed, 30 Jul 2008 21:04:23 GMT</pubDate>
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		<item>
			<title>Lenovo 3000 N200(reviewed by a14 yr old)</title>
			<link>http://apcmag.com/forum.htm?g=posts&amp;t=568</link>
			<guid>http://apcmag.com/forum.htm?g=posts&amp;t=568</guid>
			<description><![CDATA[[quote=petert]techkid, if you really are a 14yo, then I congratulate you on your article. [/quote]


Hi Peter,
I am truly encouraged by your comment, as I am 14 years old.
Thanks a million =)
~Techkid]]></description>
			<pubDate>Thu, 31 Jul 2008 22:09:58 GMT</pubDate>
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		<item>
			<title>Lenovo 3000 N200(reviewed by a14 yr old)</title>
			<link>http://apcmag.com/forum.htm?g=posts&amp;t=568</link>
			<guid>http://apcmag.com/forum.htm?g=posts&amp;t=568</guid>
			<description><![CDATA[[quote=Fungyo]Nice notebook, but I have issues detecting the optical drive with most Linux distros. Foresight Linux and Slackware detect it out-of-the-box, others you need to add acpi=off to the kernel line when booting or you can add it to menu.lst
Having no acpi support creates another problem, which is probably the most important for notebooks, no powersaving support.

Edit...
I found a workaround. Use the Lilo bootloader. I was always using Grub, so it seems it has something to do with grub. [/quote]


Ok - thanks for the tip, mate!
Btw, whaddyareckon of the review?]]></description>
			<pubDate>Sat, 25 Oct 2008 12:21:20 GMT</pubDate>
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		<item>
			<title>Linux Queries and Troubleshooting</title>
			<link>http://apcmag.com/forum.htm?g=posts&amp;t=869</link>
			<guid>http://apcmag.com/forum.htm?g=posts&amp;t=869</guid>
			<description><![CDATA[I have an old Pentium 3 600MHz (I think) whitebox computer with 1/2 GB RAM & a CD-R drive. I'm planning to install a very user-friendly Linux distro for my uncle who's never used computers before (and is therefore computer-illiterate). I have a copy of Windows 2k which used to be installed on there; however, I thought that all the maintenance and trouble that could come when you mix a computer dummy with Windows and all its malware-prone glory would outweigh the upsides. So I've been looking at Linux distros and I found Lindows (aka Linspire) which is now no longer in production; Freespire replaced it. Freespire looked very user friendly as it had codecs installed & it emulated the simple Windows UI pretty well. The only problem is that I'm currently throttled to 64kbps for the rest of the month so I wouldn't even bother trying to download the .iso file. I checked out PCLinux too and it also seemed like another good beginners distro. Still, my internet connection stops me from even considering trying it out. 
I also looked at Ubuntu 8.04. It's good also, but I thought that there must be something a little less "intimidating" (I myself don't mind it, but I really want an "OS for Dummies." If only you could install OSX86 on there XD)
I'm trying to run Linux Mint on the computer, but whenever I put a live CD in, it boots up to the initial OS menu but doesn't boot any further - the computer just restarts after a few minutes of the CD drive making some weird noises. I don't know what the problem could be because I removed the DVD drive from my primary computer and was able to boot & even install a Linux distro. 
Any ideas on which distro would be good for the above-described guy, and any troubleshooting suggestions?
Btw, I have Ubuntu and other distros only coz they're from the APCMag DVDs.]]></description>
			<pubDate>Sat, 25 Oct 2008 11:59:21 GMT</pubDate>
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			<title>What's your homepage?</title>
			<link>http://apcmag.com/forum.htm?g=posts&amp;t=213</link>
			<guid>http://apcmag.com/forum.htm?g=posts&amp;t=213</guid>
			<description><![CDATA[I luv about:blank bliss. Especially since netvibes causes extreme distraction...and takes forever to load on my PC.]]></description>
			<pubDate>Sun, 14 Sep 2008 16:26:24 GMT</pubDate>
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			<title>Bellme Free Alternative</title>
			<link>http://apcmag.com/forum.htm?g=posts&amp;t=1168</link>
			<guid>http://apcmag.com/forum.htm?g=posts&amp;t=1168</guid>
			<description><![CDATA[[url=http://budurl.com/bellme]Bellme[/url] looks to be a great marketing idea. However I was wondering whether there was a free alternative? Is there any way to implement this on my [url=http://budurl.com/filmtime]friend's biz website[/url] without any or minimal cost involved? 
Also, I know I'm digressing, but what do you think my friend could improve on in his website? 
Thanks in advance.]]></description>
			<pubDate>Sat, 11 Apr 2009 12:58:43 GMT</pubDate>
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