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How to Fix the Biggest PC Annoyances

Had it with Windows glitches, hardware headaches, and Internet irritations? Here's how to get rid of them for good.

Steve Bass

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Good vs. Bad Tech Implementations

We've all had occasion to marvel at the ingenuity of the people who design our hardware and software, but just as often some feature leaves us shaking our heads. Here are three products that got it right, and three others that missed the mark.

MP3 player carrying cases:

Good: The IRiver IHP-200 provides access to the controls even with the case on.

Photograph: Marc Simon

Bad: With the Apple IPod, you have to take the case off to work the controls.

Photograph: Marc Simon

Changing browser font size with your mouse's scroll wheel:

Good: Opera enlarges both the page's images and its text.

Bad: Internet Explorer enlarges only the text, leaving images their original size and throwing the page's design out of whack.

USB ports:

Good: A system provides more-versatile powered USB ports on the case front.

Photograph: Marc Simon

Bad: The only USB ports on the front are not powered.

Photograph: Marc Simon

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Steve Bass is the author of PC Annoyances: How to Fix the Most Annoying Things About Your Personal Computer, published by O'Reilly.

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