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PCWorld.com FAQ

PCWorld.com offers a broad spectrum of information on technology topics, including content unique to PCWorld.com and stories from current and past issues of PC World magazine.

If you're like most people who come to PCWorld.com, you have a specific goal in mind. To help you get the most out of your visit, every PCWorld.com page includes navigation systems designed to get you where you want to go as swiftly as possible.

• How do I find information on PCWorld.com?
• How do I use Find-It URLs from PC World magazine articles?
• How do I register for PCWorld.com's special features?
• How can I make my PCWorld.com experience more personal?
• How can I comment on a PCWorld.com article?
• How can I share an article with a friend?
• How can I print an article on PCWorld.com?
• What kinds of information are available on PCWorld.com?

How do I find information on PCWorld.com?

PCWorld.com provides a number of ways for you to find the information you want:

• Left-column navigation links
  Along the left side of each page are links to our Info Centers, one-stop resources on popular topics ranging from desktop PCs to digital entertainment to tech at work. Each Info Center offers news, reviews, research tools, and a lot more.
• Top navigation links
  Links across the top of each PCWorld.com page take you to general types of content, such as reviews, news, and how-to stories, as well as to features such as our downloads library, forums, and product-pricing center.
• Search engine
  You can search for a specific subject, downloads file, or title by using the search field at the top-left corner of each PCWorld.com page. The new Show only options at the top of the search results list let you filter your query to a content subcategory (such as news, reviews, or how-to) with one click.
• Browsing by topic
  Another handy way to find information is to use the Browse by topic link next to our search box. The link will take you to a topic tree from which you can select subjects of interest.

How do I use Find-It URLs from PC World magazine articles?

PC World magazine readers have a convenient, quick way to locate content mentioned in the magazine: Find-It URLs. Find-It URLs are printed in blue in magazine articles, and you use them as you would use any other URL (Web address). First type the entire URL as it is published in PC World (beginning with the word find and ending with a five-digit code) into your browser's address field. Then click your browser's Go button to reach the mentioned page or Web site. You also have an alternative method: At the top of each PCWorld.com page is an Enter find.pcworld.com number link. Click that link, and a blank field will open next to it. In the field, enter just the five-digit number from the Find-It URL.

How do I register for PCWorld.com's special features?

When it comes to technology, you have questions, opinions, and expertise. So do the millions of other folks who visit PCWorld.com. You can get in on the action by becoming a registered member of PCWorld.com.

Registration is free and quick. After answering a few easy questions and signing up as a member, you can participate in PCWorld.com's forums and blogs, post product reviews, and create a customized PCWorld.com home page. Simply click the Register link at the top-right corner of any PCWorld.com page and complete the registration form.

Note: If you registered as a member before PCWorld.com was relaunched in July 2006, please reregister so that you can create your user name and password.

After you submit your registration, we will send a message to your e-mail address. Click the link in that message to verify your registration and go to the PCWorld.com sign-in page.

JavaScript and cookies are used for your sign-in and participation in various PCWorld.com features, so be sure that JavaScript is enabled in your browser settings and that your settings accept cookies from PCWorld.com.

How can I make my PCWorld.com experience more personal?

No two PCWorld.com visitors have quite the same needs and interests, so we give you several ways to customize the site:

• Featured content
  On our home page is a block of highlights from around the site that you can refine to match your interests. When you are registered and signed in, just click Customize this content. You can then select from feeds on more than 20 topics, such as hardware reviews, columns and blogs, digital cameras, spyware and security, and tech at work.
• My Pages
  All over the site, you'll find the Add to My Pages icon, which looks like a small plus sign and page. Click it, and the article or other item you're viewing will be tucked away in your My Pages library. Click My Pages at the top of the left-side navigation links to see the pages you've filed; you can save up to ten at any one time. Click the minus sign to the left of any article link in your library to remove that article and make room for another.

How can I comment on a PCWorld.com article?

Just finished reading a PCWorld.com article and have a reaction? When you are signed in as a PCWorld.com member, you can share your ideas with other site visitors. Just click the Comment icon, and you can post a response. (Published comments appear at the bottom of an article.)

How can I share an article with a friend?

When you find an article on PCWorld.com that you want to share, click the E-Mail icon in the row of icons near the top of the article, and you can quickly send a link to the story.

How can I print an article on PCWorld.com?

Click the Print icon in the row of icons near the top of the article. PCWorld.com will generate a printer-friendly version of the article and display it on your screen. To print it, use the Print command in your browser, or press Ctrl-P on your keyboard.

What kinds of information are available on PCWorld.com?

♦ How-to

Our how-to articles cover word processing, databases, the Internet, hardware, multimedia, upgrading, and many other subjects. Click the How-To link at the top of any PCWorld.com page. To see all of the topics available, including how-to topics, click the Browse by topic link.

♦ Reviews

Product reviews are some of the most popular content on PCWorld.com. We offer reviews and comparisons of products, as well as analysis of current computer-related trends and new information-technology products. Click either the Hardware or Software & Web reviews link at the top of any PCWorld.com page. To see all of the topics available, including reviews topics, click the Browse by topic link. In the reviews sections you'll find links to current articles, as well as to archived reviews. Many product reviews include a link that goes to the price-comparison page for that item in PCWorld.com's Shopping section.

Reading a lab-test PCW review is good--but reading a lab-test PCW review plus the opinions of readers who have used the product is even better. Product reviews in major hardware and software categories include a User Reviews tab, plus an Add Your Review tab that, when you are signed in, lets you quickly add ratings and evaluations of products you own and use.

Want to research hardware products in a major category such as cameras, desktop PCs, printers, or televisions? In our new hardware review section, as well as elsewhere on the site, you'll see a Find a review link near the top of the page. Click that link, and the Review Finder appears. After you choose a product category, you'll receive more choices that allow you to focus your search; click Get reviews to see a list of every product we've reviewed that matches your criteria. Finally, click on a product's name or photo to go to the full review.

Read how we test.

Read our guide to PC World Ratings.

Read how the charts work.

Once you've arrived at a specific review, at the beginning of the article we give you top-level information, including specs, pros and cons, our PC World Rating, and links to merchants. You can roll the mouse pointer over thumbnails to see multiple views of a product, and you can click on tabs to read user reviews or add your own evaluation when you are signed in.

♦ Price comparisons

For price-comparison information, links to sellers, connections to PC World reviews of specific products, and much more, click on the Shopping link at the top of any PCWorld.com page. This will take you to PCWorld.com's price-comparison section, which is powered by PriceGrabber and provides a wide variety of information to assist you in shopping wisely. You can select a product category from the list on the Shopping page. You can look for a specific product by entering its name in the Search for Products field, near the top of the page.

♦ Columns and blogs

All of our popular columns and blogs are in one place for easy perusal. Click the Columns & Blogs link at the top of any PCWorld.com page and then select the one you want. Columns (such as Answer Line or Geek Tech) are presented in a handy format that starts with the current installment and then works its way backward so you can check out previous editions. If you are signed in, you can post comments on the blogs.

♦ Forums

PCWorld.com offers discussion forums on tech topics from laptops to Linux. They're great places to ask (or answer) a question, to chime in on the news of the day, or to provide feedback to PC World. You can lurk and read without registering, but we hope you'll become a member and post messages of your own. Click the Forums link at the top of any PCWorld.com page to see the community's discussions on issues, exchange of technical information and help, and much more.

For more information on forums, see the Forums FAQ.

Subscribe to the free weekly "Community Scoop" forums newsletter.

♦ Downloads

Click on the Downloads link at the top of any PCWorld.com page to visit the Downloads library, an extensive selection of freeware files and shareware trial versions that you can try and then buy. Here are some guidelines for finding Downloads files:

• As on all PCWorld.com pages, the search function is at the top of the page. You can locate a specific file by typing its name or one of the words in its name in the field. (If you are not sure which letters in the file's name are capitalized, enter the search object as all lowercase; the search engine will search all possibilities.)
• To look for a general type of file, use the Browse Downloads topic tree, which is arranged by categories. Click on one of the category links to see a list of files available under that topic, as well as a list of subtopics that can help you refine your search.

The individual page for each Downloads file includes its specifications, such as its size, compatibility, and a link to the author's Web site. You can also browse related files in a list farther down the page.

Our Downloads section also provides an evaluation feature that lets you rate and review shareware, freeware, and demos when you are signed in; you can see what others have to say in their own user reviews as well.

For more details, check the Downloads FAQ.

♦ Current and past magazine content

If you are a subscriber to PC World magazine, you can look for an article from a current or previous issue by clicking the Current Issue link at the top left of any PCWorld.com page. The page is gated, so you will need your ten-digit PC World subscription account number to gain admission. (If your e-mail address is on file with your magazine subscription, you can use that instead.) After you log in, the table of contents of the current PC World magazine will display. To find material from past magazine issues, use the Previous Issues drop-down menu on that page.

♦ Free newsletters

PCWorld.com offers free newsletters on a spectrum of subjects, from "Daily Downloads" to "Weekly Brief" to the monthly "Tech at Work." Select the newsletters you want at our sign-up page.

For more information about how to subscribe, how to change an existing newsletters subscription, and how to "whitelist" newsletters to be sure you receive them, visit the Newsletters Help page.

♦ RSS feeds

Now you can get PCWorld.com's latest content delivered to you throughout the day via convenient RSS feeds--all you need is an RSS reader. All feeds are updated regularly, so you'll always have the latest information delivered to you, on the topics you choose. Select your feeds either by clicking the RSS icon in the row of icons near the top of an article or by going to our RSS Feeds page.

For more information, including what RSS is and how you can use it, read the RSS FAQ.