21st September 1999
In the past five years, have you upgraded your PC? There's a lot of hardware and software out there, but it's nearly impossible to find the true scoop on products. You can count on a company to hype the heck out of anything, so who can you turn to for (typically) unbiased advice? The Usenet newsgroups, of course. If you don't have a news reader (or a news server), try using REMARQ.COM or DEJA.COM as your starting point. Before posting a question or comment, why not do a search for the product (or, perhaps more importantly, the manufacturer). Chances are, you'll discover real world experiences (which is much more than a spec sheet will ever tell ya). Don't purchase something without getting a second or third opinion!