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Publisher & Editor-in-Chief Leo Simpson, B.Bus., FAICD Editor Greg Swain, B.Sc.(Hons.) Technical Staff John Clarke, B.E.(Elec.) Robert Flynn Rick Walters Reader Services Ann Jenkinson Advertising Manager Brendon Sheridan Phone (03) 9720 9198 Mobile 0416 009 217 Regular Contributors Brendan Akhurst Garry Cratt, VK2YBX Julian Edgar, Dip.T.(Sec.), B.Ed John Hill Mike Sheriff, B.Sc, VK2YFK Ross Tester Philip Watson, MIREE, VK2ZPW Bob Young Photography Glenn A. Keep SILICON CHIP is published 12 times a year by Silicon Chip Publications Pty Ltd. A.C.N. 003 205 490. All material copyright ©. No part of this publication may be reproduced without the written consent of the publisher. Printing: Macquarie Print, Dubbo, NSW. Distribution: Network Distribution Company. Subscription rates: $54 per year in Australia. For overseas rates, see the subscription page in this issue. Editorial & advertising offices: Unit 34, 1-3 Jubilee Avenue, Warrie­ wood, NSW 2102. Postal address: PO Box 139, Collaroy Beach, NSW 2097. Phone (02) 9979 5644. Fax (02) 9979 6503. PUBLISHER'S LETTER Marketing hype doesn’t sell anything One of the disadvantages of the all the new so-called high technology devices which are swamping the market is the high level of marketing nonsense which accompanies these products. In fact, there is so much “hype” in today’s marketplace that it must build up the suspicion, at least in the minds of cynical buyers, that most of these new products aren’t what they’re cracked up to be. It affects us here at SILICON CHIP too. Every day, lots of press releases come over the desk and when we read some of them we wonder why the companies concerned ever bothered producing the product; if they need that much hype, they must be garbage! As you might expect, a lot of these press releases never see the light of day, or at least they don’t appear in SILICON CHIP. Others we attempt to make some sense of, filtering out the real information from the bull. You’d be amazed at how often a two or three page press release comes down to just a couple of paragraphs. Just to give you some idea of the level of this nonsense, I’ll give you a few examples. One of the common claims is that a product is “ergonomically designed”. As far as I can determine, such a product has knobs or buttons on it which have some func­tion. At least, I don’t think any manufacturer would admit to producing a device that was “not ergonomically designed”. Then there are products, often software, which offer “full functionality” on a PC, Mac or whatever. I think this means that they will work on a PC, Mac or whatever. I really don’t think that these products would be on sale if they didn’t offer this “full functionality” but then again, you never know. Of course, all software that runs under Windows 95 or NT is “interactive and easy to use” which is, as anyone who has used some of this software knows, a load of old cobblers. Of course, many CAD programs are intuitive as well, which I think means that you can use them before you’ve opened the manual. We know that’s not true either. And the reason they’re “intuitive” is to “increase the design throughput, minimising commissioning times and speeding up the product time-to-market cycle”. Heaven forbid that any product or software would actually slow down the product time-to-market cycle. That wouldn’t do at all, would it? For me, much of this hype appears to be written by public relations people who really don’t have a clue what they are writing about, or perhaps, the products concerned really don’t have any features worth talking about anyway. More than ever, the warning “Caveat Emptor” or “Let the Buyer Beware” is as relevant today as it ever was. So look out. If you see meaningless hype accompanying a product, watch out. And if you are the person who actually writes this stuff, please don’t. Leo Simpson ISSN 1030-2662 WARNING! SILICON CHIP magazine regularly describes projects which employ a mains power supply or produce high voltage. All such projects should be considered dangerous or even lethal if not used safely. Readers are warned that high voltage wiring should be carried out according to the instructions in the articles. When working on these projects use extreme care to ensure that you do not accidentally come into contact with mains AC voltages or high voltage DC. If you are not confident about working with projects employing mains voltages or other high voltages, you are advised not to attempt work on them. Silicon Chip Publications Pty Ltd disclaims any liability for damages should anyone be killed or injured while working on a project or circuit described in any issue of SILICON CHIP magazine. Devices or circuits described in SILICON CHIP may be covered by patents. SILICON CHIP disclaims any liability for the infringement of such patents by the manufacturing or selling of any such equipment. SILICON CHIP also disclaims any liability for projects which are used in such a way as to infringe relevant government regulations and by-laws. Advertisers are warned that they are responsible for the content of all advertisements and that they must conform to the Trade Practices Act 1974 or as subsequently amended and to any governmental regulations which are applicable. 2  Silicon Chip