PC Computing

PC Computing by Soft Bank Corp. is for people who really love to play with computers. Some articles are quite technical, but it also has some sections -- such as "Usability Emergency Call" and "Questions!" -- where it tries to solve some basic problems readers might have. It's packed with information and seems to carry little advertising. This issue comes with a CD-ROM that contains Netscape Communicator 4.06J and Internet Explorer 4.01 SP3. Many PC magazines this month come packaged with the same type of CD-ROM, but none were as inexpensive as PC Computing (¥580).

The coolest article in this issue is entitled "How to Become a Hacker. A Guide for Beginners." This probably inspired more than a few people to buy the magazine. The article takes up more than 30 pages, and the first section is dedicated to explaining Windows and how to tune up it up. Knowing your own system is the first step to become a hacker, the article says. The second section is a bit technical -- it introduces another OS, Unix (the CD-ROM that comes with the magazine also includes a version of Linux, TurboLinux Lite 2J), and explains how to install it in your computer while keeping Windows.

Unix is the most commonly used OS on the Internet, and a good grounding in Unix is essential to go to that "next level" of Internet awareness. The final section explains how to use the Linux system, and includes a column called "Find the Security Holes in a CGI Script," a first step for any hacker-wannabe wanting to go underground. Another feature article introduces various ways of Web communication such as subscribing to e-mail magazines, registering with mailing lists, participating BBS and chats on the Internet. The magazine has two other feature articles, one about upgrading CPUs (comparing Pentium II, Celeron, and K6-2), and the other article evaluates IBM voice recognition software. Many people who tested IBM's ViaVoice 98 voice recognition software felt it would be a good typewriting tool for slow typists, but also found it rather troublesome to remember all the commands. --KF

Nikkei trendy

As the name suggests, Nikkei Trendy is the magazine that covers a la mode products and predicts coming trends. One of the cover stories in the November issue explores the trend of falling prices in various industries in Japan. This is a lengthy article, consuming almost 40 pages. Covered are the price wars among airlines (46% price cuts since 1995), package tours (16% cuts), fast food industries (69% cuts), hotels (34% cuts), car rentals (33% cuts), TFT computer monitors (50% cuts in 6 months!), CPUs and computers themselves (30% cuts), amusement parks (27% cuts), and much more. It also introduces ¥100 stores, where many items are 30% cheaper than the same items sold elsewhere.

Most of the readers heartily approve of the downward trend in prices - they especially favor the price of McDonalds's hamburger dropping from ¥210 to ¥130 during the last three years. For car rentals, on the other hand, 62% of the readers think that the cost of a 12-hour rental for 1500cc-class cars (Nippon Rent-a-car, for example, cut the price to ¥9,000 from ¥11,700) does not appeal much.

Another article focuses on laptop computers. Miniaturization has always been popular in Japan, and laptop computers are no exception, shrinking ever smaller with every new product release. Thin and light computers are getting more attention these days, and the article compares five B5-sized notebook computers, four A5-sized "sub-note" computers, and five A4-sized "all-in-one" computers. One of the B5-sized computers is only 1.19kg, and all the other B5s introduced here are lighter than the weight of three Nikkei Trendy magazines.

Nikkei Trendy also has many regular columns -- for example, "What's New?" lists new products and services, and this issue's "Trend Forecast" predicts when Digital CS will catch on. Quite a few financial services are introduced in "Financial Revolution."

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