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 to particiapte in PCWorld.com's community features?
• How can I vote on whether I recommend an article on PCWorld.com?
• 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 Communications to Spyware & Security. Each Info Center offers news, reviews, research tools, and a lot more. Depending on the page you're visiting, you will also find a variety of links to resources, top reviews, and other information.
• 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 Business Center, downloads library, community, and product shopping/price-comparison center.
• Search engine
  You can search for a specific subject, downloads file, or title by using the search field at the top of each PCWorld.com page. On the Search Results page you can narrow your query to a content subcategory (such as news, reviews, or how-to) by clicking the category link above the search field.
• 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.

How do I register to participate in PCWorld.com's community 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 signing up, you can participate in PCWorld.com's forums and blogs, post product reviews, and comment on articles. Simply click the Join Us link at the top of a PCWorld.com page and complete the registration form. For questions about how to register, please consult the Registration FAQ.

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. Note that you can use the link only once. To sign in on later visits to PCWorld.com, just click the Sign In link at the top right corner of a PCWorld.com 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.

Sign-in on PCWorld.com is case-sensitive. This means that when you sign in, you must use exactly the same capital and lowercase letters as were specified in your e-mail address and password when you registered.

How can I vote on whether I recommend an article on PCWorld.com?

After you read an article, you can express your opinion about the article by clicking the Yes (thumb up) or No (thumb down) icon at the beginning or end of the article. (On Business Center articles, the icons are at the end.) You don't have to be signed in to participate in these votes. If you want to comment on the reason for your vote or on the article generally, see the next item.

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. On Business Center articles, that icon is at the bottom.

How can I print an article on PCWorld.com?

Click the Print icon in the row of icons near the top of the article. (On Business Center articles, that icon is at the bottom.) 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?

♦ Business Center

PCW's Business Center provides information for people who buy, implement, and optimize technology products and services in small to medium-size businesses. Articles are divided into seven key categories. We've also gathered useful content from around the Web, including our sibling publications Computerworld and Network World. And we've created a community: bloggers involved in day-to-day business issues, Expert Advisors who can answer your nagging questions, and a Community Tips section where you can share your knowledge when you are signed in 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 a 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 Reviews or Software Reviews link at the top of a 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 Shop & Compare 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 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 Business Center, Hardware Reviews section, and elsewhere on the site, select your desired product category from the Review Finder menu. Other pull-down menus will be displayed to let you focus your search.

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 online 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 Shop & Compare link at the top of a PCWorld.com page. This will take you to PCWorld.com's shopping and price-comparison section. Powered by PriceGrabber, it 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 also look for a specific product by entering its name in the Search for fields, just under the Shopping page header.

♦ Blogs and columns

All of our popular blogs and columns are in one place for easy perusal, on the blogs and columns page. You can reach it from the home page by clicking the See More in Blogs & Columns link under the PCW Bloggers heading. Columns (such as Answer Line and GeekTech) are presented in a handy format that starts with the current installment and then goes backward so you can check out earlier entries. If you are signed in, you can post comments on both blogs and columns.

♦ Community

PCWorld.com offers discussions 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 Community link at the top of a PCWorld.com page to see the discussions on issues, exchange of technical information and help, and much more.

For more information on PCW's Community, see the Forums FAQ.

You can also 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, as well as some complete software that is marked for purchase only. Here are some guidelines for finding Downloads files:

• You can always use the search function at the top of PCWorld.com pages. On Downloads pages, there is also a Search for ... in Downloads field in which you can search specifically for a Downloads file. 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 Software by Category topic tree. 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 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, too.

For much more information about the Downloads library, check the Downloads FAQ.

You can also visit the Download Store, powered by Digital River. In the store you can shop for and purchase software, often at special prices.

♦ Subscribe to PC World magazine or check/change your subscription

To subscribe to PC World magazine, click the Subscribe link at the top left of any PCWorld.com page.

You can check your subscription to PC World or change it by clicking the Customer Service link. You will need your ten-digit subscription account number and your zip code to log in. If your e-mail address is on file with your magazine subscription, you can use that instead of your account number.

♦ Free newsletters

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

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

♦ RSS feeds

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.