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Cheaper and better. That's the idea behind this issue's cover story, " Cheap Tweaks". We sent longtime PC World contributor--and self-professed tightwad--Robert Luhn in search of products and tips that make computing better without much cost or effort. He returned

With a wealth of affordable solutions--40+ items, including something for everyone.

Consider it self-help for the smart PC user. But technology companies could simplify our work and play by introducing a few low-cost tweaks of their own.

Herewith, my two cents (cheap!) on a handful of nagging problems that are just begging to be resolved.

Harness the wondrous power of long file names: Windows has supported long file names for the better part of a decade. So why do software companies insist on employing vague monikers like the classic SETUP.EXE and mystifying obscurities like PSP704EV.EXE? Names along the lines of Paint Shop Pro 7.04 Evaluation Copy would go a long way toward taking the mystery out of file management.

Make menus make sense: Whenever I want to use Microsoft Word's thesaurus, I have to swoop my mouse pointer up to Tools, Language and then drag it past Set Language (which I've never needed) to get to Thesaurus. And each time I perform this ritual, I wonder why software companies require users to bypass obscure menu items to get to everyday ones.

End the curse of anonymous serial numbers: My office is awash in cards and stickers that list software serial numbers and carry stern warnings to file the number in a safe place. But an astounding percentage of these notices don't mention the product they're associated with.

...And the tragedy of orphaned power bricks: Speaking of inadequate labeling, consider AC adapters (often called wall warts). They almost never identify which device they're designed to power. Detach a few of your peripherals from their power supplies, and you may be hard-pressed to remember what goes with what; plug the wrong product into a brick, and you could fry your equipment but good. (Note to self: Find the time to label my adapters with a Magic Marker or sticky note.)

Don't treat my drive like a wastebasket: If there's one thing worse than buggy software, it's litterbuggy software--apps that dump files willy-nilly around your system, or that don't completely vacate your drive when you try to uninstall them. You get the feeling that some programmers graduated with honors from the Oscar Madison School of Software Engineering.

Stay out of Windows' system tray: Mine is currently populated by 11 little applets, all of which bog down my PC's performance--and few of which I ever asked for. Some of the culprits, like the RealOne Player's Message Center ad window (the bane of my existence at the moment) do nothing but get on my nerves. A simple solution here: Software should not install anything in a user's system tray without asking permission. Period.

Got any cheap tweaks you'd like to see technology merchants make? Drop me a note at mageditor@pcworld.com.

Two Great Chances at Some Great Prizes: Want a shot at winning a home theater and TV system? Take our subscriber survey on readers' experiences with PCs and other technology products they own or use. You can enter beginning April 1. Subscribers can also rate this issue for a chance at an Olympus C-4000 Zoom digital camera. Enter from April 4 through May 2, 2003. You'll need your subscriber number (from the mailing label on the front of your magazine) to take these surveys online. Each site includes the official rules and details on how to participate in the drawings if you're not a subscriber.

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