A Budget PC Under Rs. 25,000

One of the most significant changes that have taken place, over the last couple of years has been the gradual erosion of the single-core processor market by dual-cores. AMD and Intel have been waging a price war against each other on this front and this has lead to a situation where single core processors are now just literally 200-300 rupees cheaper than their dual-core counterparts. This is of course great news for consumers, as it means that it is now possible to assemble a dual-core powered multi-media ready desktop for as low as Rs. 25,000! Please note that since this is just a basic Rs. 5,000 upgrade from our popular Rs. 20,000 machine, many of our peripherals and components remain the same.Here is our choice of components for the ideal entry-level dual-core machine
CPU: AMD Athlon 64 X2 4400+ (Rs. 4,500)

While searching for the ideal processor for our machine, we considered both solutions from Intel and AMD. Though Intel has significantly lowered its prices and introduced the Intel 945 GZ chipset, we find that the AMD 4400 X2 processor/AMD 690G chipset combination offers far better VFM.
This is a mid-rung processor that offers a clock speed of 2.3 GHZ, 512K of L2 cache and in an important development has been made on a 65nm die process. This results in decreased power requirement, keeps the processor running significantly cooler and with its clock speed actually offers the performance of the Intel E6300 which costs Rs. 3,000 more.
Motherboard: Asus M2A -VM (Rs. 4,500)
Keeping in mind our budget, we had to choose our motherboard very carefully. Our first choice was the Asus M2NPV-VM board which has been featured in previous roundups. However, while we were making enquires in the market about the availability of the product, we found that most major dealers simply said that it was not available. The product seems to have just disappeared. This forced us to reevaluate our choice. Our second choice therefore and our choice for this machine was another Asus board – the Asus M2A VM.The M2A VM is a newly launched product and is based on the AMD690G chipset. It is the first product to come out of the ATI/AMD stable, since the merger occurred. This new chipset is an impressive effort and supports the entire range of currently available AMD processors. Apart from that it also has support for DDR2 800, offers dual video connectivity options (DVI and D-Sub) with the help of the Radeon X1250 graphics engine. The presence of both DVI and D-Sub is great as it allows you to connect both LCD and CRT monitors. The board also offers a Hi-Definition 5.1 channel audio chip the Realtek ALC883 codec, which offers excellent music playback capability. The board also features a single PCIe slot, which is perfect for people looking to upgrade to a dedicated graphics solution for gaming. For its expansion options, the board offers an impressive 10 USB slots and 1 Firewire.Overall with its support for current generation AMD processors, onboard graphics and sound and a vast array of peripheral connectivity the Asus M2A VM forms the perfect foundation to build our PC on.
RAM: Kingston DDR2 667 MHz (Rs. 2,500)
RAM prices have recently been going south and it's time take advantage of this. 1 GB of system memory is absolutely vital for system operations nowadays with the increased size and requirements of software. Kingston really needs no introduction. They have been making quality RAM sticks for a long time. Now available at a price of Rs. 2,500 with a 5 yr warranty, it’s the perfect product for our machine.
Graphics: Onboard (AMD 690G)
The AMD 690G chipset present on the motherboard, is a direct rival of Nvidia’s onboard graphics and is a reworked version of ATI’s own Radeon X700 series. It features a core clock speed of 400 MHz, is capable of dual VGA/DVI-D output and is fully compatible with DX9. Unlike Nvidia’s products however it only supports SM 2.0. This new chipset is also capable of HDMI output and in fact the board we have chosen here, also retails with HDMI support as a higher-end model.The new chipset also supports ATI’s legendary video acceleration and when you combine it with the fact that the chipset is Windows Vista Premium ready; its advantages really begin to add up.
Sound: Onboard (7.1 Realtek ALC883 Audio Codec)
Onboard audio over the years has rapidly increased in its quality of output and standard support. The codec being used here is the ALC883 which is 7.1 capable and even supports S/PDIF output. This makes this chipset a valuable bargain as it offers excellent audio quality output and does it for free.
Lan: Onboard 10/100/1000
This is the standard Gigabit onboard 10/100/1000 LAN that gives a maximum transfer speed of 1000 Mbps. It is fast enough to take care of your broadband internet (most users have a connection speed of 256 Kpbs or 512 kbps).
HDD: Seagate 160 GB SATA II (Rs. 2,100)
Built on the SATA II platform this drive has adequate storage. With its price now under Rs. 2,500 the drive is more than capable of holding quite a few movies and songs.Optical Drive: Asus DRW-1608P3S 16X DVD Writer (Rs. 2,250)
We carry forward this drive from our previous roundup as it remains amongst the best choices available at this price range even now.
This drive is an OEM product of Pioneer's 111L drive and offers great compatibility with all kinds of DVD media, which can be burnt easily at 16x without quality issues. The drive is also capable of writing to DL media which can hold more data than any other media solution currently available. Pioneer also has some of the best read speeds of any DVD drives and can easily be made region-free.
Monitor: Samsung 17 '' Flat 798MB (Rs. 5,600)
Under Rs. 5000, the 17-inch Samsung Flat CRT offers excellent value for money. And even though LCDs are hot nowadays, there are still certain areas in which CRTs do better. They can output at different resolutions and give excellent viewing angles.As with CRTs, the 17-inch 798MG has a viewing area of 16 inches. It has a maximum resolution of 1280 x 1024 at 65 Hz refresh rate while the optimal resolution is 1024 x 768 at 85 Hz. The maximum usable resolution is 1152 x 864 at 75 Hz. Maximum usable resolution defines the resolution at a refresh rate of 75 Hz or better. Anything below that will give a flickered output.
Keyboard & Mouse: Microsoft Optical Keyboard and Mouse Set (Rs. 800)
Microsoft makes excellent keyboard and mice which are sturdy and can be used over long hours of work. At a cost of just Rs. 800 this is an excellent buy.Cabinet: I-Ball i648 ATX Cabinet with integrated 400 Watt Powersupply (Rs 1,450)
Prices of cabinets have risen since we last did a roundup. We were forced to drop VIP here and replace it with an I-Ball cabinet that comes with a 400 W PSU and is available for cheap.
Speakers: Creative SBS 370 (Rs. 1,200)
This has been our favorite for a long time. The best part — it comes with a woofer to give you that thumping bass and gives you good sound quality for the price. The satellites are powered at 5 watts RMS each and the Subwoofer is powered at 11 watts RMS.
Specification Table

Components
Model
Price (Rupees)
Processor
AMD Athlon 64 X2 4400+
4,500
Motherboard
Asus M2A -VM
4,500
RAM
Kingston DDR2 667 MHz
2,500
Sound
Onboard 7.1 Realtek ALC883 audio codec
N/A
LAN
Onboard, 10/100/1000
N/A
Graphics
Onboard AMD 690G
N/A
Optical Drive
Asus DRW-1608P3S 16X DVD Writer
2,250
Hard Disk
Western Digital SATA II HDD 160 GB
2,100
Monitor
Samsung 17 '' Flat 798MB
5,600
Keyboard/Mouse
Microsoft Keyboard and Optical Mouse Set
800
Case
I-Ball i648 (400W PSU)
1,450
Speakers
Creative SBS 370
1,200

Total
Rs. 24,800
Our
Our new machine while making use of existing components from our earlier feature, marks a big step up in processing power and storage. Not only is it future-ready but also offers you a very good base to build a good powerful machine on.

Top 3 Value Windows Mobile Phones

Let me guess! The only reason some of you are reading this is probably because you want to integrate your Windows XP desktop experience on to your phone or you are simply tired of a Nokia and want to shift to something cool. But most of you I’m sure have had your eyes set on ‘a’ Windows mobile phone for a long time, and it just doesn’t fit your budget. Well, here are three Windows Mobile phones that are the best in their category under Rs. 20,000.

i-mate JAMANow here’s a phone that you will enjoy. Don’t confuse the JAMA with the JAM. Both are made by i-mate and there is a sea of a difference between the two (well, at least as different as Windows mobiles can get). JAMA was launched last month to meet the "modern consumer's" requirements, and it does well in this category.

To begin with, it features a 15.6mm slim build with a 2.4-inch touch screen. Like all the latest Windows Mobile phones this one too is equipped with Windows Mobile 5.0. So is there anything that the phone does that the others can’t? Not really, but there’s an attractive price tag. The i-mate JAMA is priced at Rs. 15,500 and is currently the cheapest available Windows Mobile phone. Also the phone supports your regular MSN Mobile, Instant Messenger, Medi Player 10 Mobile and Internet Explorer. The usual Microsoft Office Mobile applications such as Outlook, Word, Excel and PowerPoint Mobile are also present. Apart from this, i-mate also has three useful i-mate applications such as i-mate Profile Controller for easy profile and ring tone management. For this price, the performance is pretty brilliant too. The phone sports a 128MB ROM and 64MB RAM and works on a Samsung 300 MHz processor.
Specs

I-mate JAMA
Network: GSM 900 / GSM 1800
Physical: 106 x 52.5 x 15.6 mm, 110g
Display: TFT touchscreen, 65K colors
Memory: microSD (TransFlash)
Camera: 2 Megapixel, 1600x1200 pixels, video
Connectivity: USB, Bluetooth, Infrared, GPRS
Battery: Up to 150hours stand by, 4 hours talk time (according to product manual)
Street Price: Rs. 15,500

DVD Jon Hacks Into The iPhone

The infamous DVD Jon has done it again. The hacker, who rose to fame at the age of 15 when he wrote and distributed a program that cracked the encryption codes on DVDs, has now cracked the code that ties the much hyped iPhone to its operator, AT&T.

Jon Lech Johansen, as DVD John was formerly known, explained that he activated the iPhone without paying anything to its exclusive network operator. However, the catch is that he could not make the iphone function as a phone, but could access other features such as the touchscreen, the 6G iPod and the Wi-Fi browse.Meanwhile, Researchers at Errata Security say they have exposed a flaw in the gadget's web browser that could allow a hacker some control over the phone. Apple responded by pointing out that the iPhone was less vulnerable than other products in the market, such as those based on Windows Mobile or Symbian.

Most Annoying Features in MP3 Players

Back in those days when the dearest thing to me was my Sony Walkman, the single biggest annoyance happened to be the GSM signals interfering with the playback. This invariable happened due to the fact that headphones then, weren't equipped to handle GSM interference. But this didn’t stop me from cursing people for being constantly over the phone.These days, however, the reasons have changed, and I still curse. Although the reasons that annoy me have changed. After having used and tested scores of mp3 players, I realized that even though we have moved on to achieve a certain respectable level of technological integrity, we still lack in keeping our act together. In my opinion the only thing that MP3 players should differ from each other in is the sound. Why create a niche by wasting time building 'wild' keys and ‘innovative’ designs (hope you catch the sarcasm) when all they do is hurt.
Low Volume level
Now this one, you have to agree with me. What’s the point of making a good looking and plush product when the volume can’t even beat the racket on the road. Despite, what they call it, a cutthroat competition, companies make products with little room to maneuver with regards to the volume output.When it comes to selecting the right player, apart from the quality, I always look at the volume output. I’m not getting into wave frequencies or sound nitty-gritties. All I’m saying is that when you stay in a noisy city like ours, and (like me) if you depend on your music to save yourself from the insanity, then a player with low volume output will just put you off.
Another problem with some players in the market is that the sound begins to distort the moment the volume is pumped up. I know a certain sect of people who don’t mind, or in some cases can’t make out the difference. For true music connoisseurs, however, this is a big downer. By far, some of the Chinese players that have been on sale in and around the city are known to have this problem. Also, I will just add that I’m talking about low output levels in context of high bit-rate songs. It’s always nice to listen to songs that are properly ripped. You might notice that while playing certain songs the sound just skyrockets. For this, always make sure you normalize the volume on all songs. Also, you can use software like "mp3gain" to adjust peak normalization.
Bad set of earphones

Earphones alone can either make or break your listening experience. Of course, what may seem bad is a matter of perception and the design of one’s ear. This is exactly why I think while packing a set of earphones with the player, companies should keep the masses in mind before dishing out products that either keep falling off, or starts hurting your ear.
Apart from ergonomics, many players in the market are known to pack bad earphones with regards to quality. I know it’s the manufacturers prerogative to make stylish and innovative earphones. But not by compromising on people’s comfort level and want for good products. This is exactly why most people have to upgrade their set of earphones after buying the player. Players like Transcend T-sonic 610, Turbolinux Wizpy and even the Cowon A2 have below average earphones. While, some in this list come with bad designs, many here have a below average quality.What you need, instead, is the good ol' super-aural design to come back in fashion. These headphones are by far is the best value for money. The bass control as well as the stereo dynamics that these can handle is overwhelming. For people who are in love with earphones, would appreciate those in-ear ones that work on noise-isolation technology.
Bad Design
Trust me when I say sleek and slim is in. Keeping this in mind, every product is moving from small to smaller. This goes without saying that everyone prefers a tiny player that slips into the pocket without showing any bulge. However, I certainly don’t appreciate oddly shaped keys (odd is fine, it’s only when they get uncomfortable to use I have a problem) or/and unevenly placed keys. Perfect examples of small sized players with easy-to-use keys would be the Panasonic SV-MP020A, iPod shuffle, Creative MuVo series etc
Another annoying thing is to see mp3 players without a screen. iPod shuffle is one! I know it is meant for people with a fetish to shuffle songs. But I would love to see what I'm listening to, and it always rocks to have nice interface to arrange, rearrange songs, select presets etc. Shuffle doesn't allow any of that. And by not including, it's not like the prices are low either. You are still paying a premium than most of the players that cost less in the market. What the heck!!
Bad preset options

Whenever you pick a player to scrutinize at any shop, I suggest you check out the pre-loaded song with respect to each and every preset option. In fact, I go so far as to check the usability of EQ settings. I prefer using my own settings, however, when in a hurry it’s your right to expect the presets to perform up to the mark. That good presets come only with high-end products is a misconception. I know some cheap players like the iPod Nano and the Cowon A2 to be the cheapest in the category and still provide some killer preset settings.
Also i hate useless 5-band equalizers that some players dish out. So working on manual settings can prove to be a big problem. You dont want to end up with something that sounds like the loud treble rickshaw deck. While I'm at this, I'll also suggest you be wary of players with confusing UI. You will be stuck figuring out where to find what!!
Lack of expandable memory
Now this is something that is not very common. It beats me how companies have failed to standardize this. When you are making long distance trips, chances are you may have heard all the songs back to back twice. This is when you will wish your player had an option to increase the memory. It's not like players don't come with this option. The Wespro WK512S, the SanDisk Sansa series, iRiver clix etc. have this option, and they don't even come with a premium for this. In fact, if the Wespro player comes for less the Rs. 2,000.You know the list doesn't end here. There's DRM file compatibilty issues, external battery etc. You can discuss all this and more in our forums.

AUTOMOTIVE ENGINEERING

The last 100 years has seen the rise of the automobile as our primary mode of transport. The technology is constantly evolving and there are no signs of decline in the industry. Automotive engineering is the combination of mechanical engineering, vehicle dynamics, drivetrain engineering and engine design to form a subject that deals with all aspects of vehicle design.

Automotive engineers study such subjects as aerodynamics, vehicle ride and handling, power generation, crashworthiness and even management, looking at every component in modern vehicle construction. The entire automotive drivetrain, including the suspension, transmission, brakes, tyres and engine, can be modelled and simulated on computer making development of new components/vehicles a quick and relatively inexpensive process.

The use of computers does not stop there. In the last 20 years, due to the decrease in size and cost of microprocessors and sensing devices, there have been major advances in various aspects of automotive control, from Traction Control Systems (TCS) and Anti-lock Braking Systems (ABS) to Active Suspension systems and Power Steering all of which have improved the safety and performance of todays vehicles. The continued development of Engine Control Units (ECU's) has led to a reduction in exhaust gases and to more efficient operation of the Internal Combustion Engine (ICE). There is also a growing interest in the environmental impact of the automobile with research centring on electric (EV), hybrid electric (HEV, powered by both an ICE and electric motor) and Fuel Cells Vehicles (FCV) as a means by which to reduce greenhouse gases and fuel consumption.

With these new concepts emerging in an already large discipline, automotive engineering is an ever expanding field. As we move into the 21st century, the automobile, in all its forms, will continue to develop, performance, safety and fuel economy will continue to improve and exhaust emissions will continue to reduce. Automotive engineers are at the forefront of this development.