News: My September 1999 feature "The Buck Starts Here" was a finalist in the 1999 South African Science and Technology Journalism Awards in the category "Best Feature in a Specialist Periodical".

Current Year: Click here to view this year's items.
Archive: 2006 | 2005 | 2004 | 2003 | 2002 | 2001 | 2000 | 1999


December 2000
SACM Volume 8, Number 11

The Demon Console
[Feature]
The PlayStation 2 may have been designed for gaming, but it is definitely not a toy. Mandy J Watson and Allan Bezuidenhout take a peek under its hood and get to grips with the technology behind, arguably, the most exciting piece of gaming hardware seen in years.

Creative NOMAD Jukebox
[Hardware Review]

The Buck Starts Here
[Feature Reprint]
The Internet is a bit like the gold rush, with thousands of people rushing into largely uncharted waters hoping to make their fortune. While there certainly is money to be made online, it takes a lot of savvy and dedication to find the pot of gold. Mandy J Watson and Mike Hardaker investigate.

Eurocom 3420
[Hardware Review]

Iomega Zip 250 MB USB Drive FireWire Adapter
[Hardware Review]

Pret Á Portal
[Feature - I wrote/reviewed the News and Entertainment categories]
Looking for the hottest entertainment news, the cheapest package tour to Europe, or the latest word on Hansie Cronje? Then visit the following South African portals and discover why Allan Bezuidenhout, Seamus Fitzpatrick, Mandy J Watson, and Philippa Richardson think that they are among the best on offer.

Web Weavers
[Feature (Web Design Software Group Test) - I wrote the introduction)]
So what are the best tools to create a great Web site? Russell Bennett, Mandy J Watson and Doane Smuts get their hands on some of the best Web site design and creation software out there, and provide some answers.

Colin McRae Rally 2.0
[PlayStation Game Review]

Know Your Motherboard
[Feature]
While the motherboard is the backbone of any computer system, it's also the one piece of hardware that most intimidates users. Mandy J Watson attempts a demystified A-Z analysis of a typical motherboard.

Creative NOMAD II MG
[Hardware Review]

Connectix Virtual Game Station 1.40
[Software Review]

TREK ThumbDrives
[Hardware Review]

Art For Art's Sake?
[Feature]
Multimedia has become a big word in the business world lately. What does it really mean, though, and when should you be using it? Mandy J Watson explains.

Rapid Comms 101
[Feature]
The advent of real-time chat rooms, Email, and bulletin boards has changed the way people communicate. Mandy J Watson gets to grips with the language of the Net.

TextAloud MP3 v1.05
[Software Review]

Complete Web Studio 2.0
[Software Review]

Excel@ Middle School
[Software Review]

Need For Speed: Porsche 2000
[PlayStation Game Review]

The Clash Of The Titans
[Feature]
Quake III Arena and Unreal Tournament are at the forefront of multiplayer gaming. Mandy J Watson dodged hundreds of bullets and flying missiles and crawled back, heavily armed, with this comparative surveillance report.

Searching The Web
[Feature]
Mandy J Watson provides some tips and hints on how to get the best and most appropriate results from your Web searches.

Lockergnome
[Mailing List Review - http://www.lockergnome.com/]

Palm Portable Keyboard
[Hardware Review]

Odigo Messenger 2.5
[Software Review]

TerraTec TerraCAM USB
[Hardware Review]

whatis.com
[Web Site Review - http://www.whatis.com/]

LG MF-PD330 MP3 Player
[Hardware Review]

Victorinox Cyber Tool
[Hardware Review]

Ace Combat 3: Electrosphere
[PlayStation Game Review]

Attract Or Die
[Feature]
It's one thing to build the perfect Web site. It’s another thing entirely to attract visitors to your Web site and, importantly, keep them coming back for more. Mandy J Watson clicked on a lot of banner ads and returned with this report.

bleem! Version 1.5B
[Software Review]

Pro Pinball: Fantastic Journey
[PC Game Review]

Tiny Tank
[PlayStation Game Review]

Superbad
[Web Site Review - http://www.superbad.com/]

TerraTec m3po
[Hardware Review]

Desktop Cinema
[Feature]
Increasingly sophisticated technology and the Internet's possibilities as a distribution channel have produced a new form of cinema - one that has found a comfortable place on the World Wide Web. Mandy J Watson recently went online to the movies.

Gigatech MNB-7500 Slim-Notebook
[Hardware Review]

The Sims
[PC Game Review]

Grand Theft Auto 2
[PC Game Review]

Gabriel Knight 3: Blood Of The Sacred, Blood Of The Damned
[PC Game Review]

Instinct USB clik! Mini-Drive
[Hardware Review]

PrimaSoft Organizer Deluxe
[Software Review]

Pine D'music SM-320V Digital MP3 Player
[Hardware Review]

Comtel Mouse Phone
[Hardware Review]

Tomb Raider: The Last Revelation
[PlayStation Game Review]

Pick Of The Year (1999)
[Feature - I wrote the Mobile Computing, Input/Output, and Home Turf categories]
1999 was a great year for computer software and hardware. There were useful upgrades, great new releases, and one or two gems that you should never do without. Mike Hardaker, Rowan Puttergill, Philippa Richardson, and Mandy J Watson join forces to give you SA Computer Magazine's picks of 1999.

Iomega 250MB USB Zip Drive
[Hardware Review]

Lifeview USB External TV Tuner
[Hardware Review]

Britannica.com
[Web Site Review - http://www.britannica.com/]

Final Fantasy VIII
[PlayStation Game Review]