Posted 02/22/2010 at 04:54:37pm

I've had the wired version of these speakers since late 2001 and love them.  Music and movies sound great in a typical bedroom-sized room or office, and the subwoofer -- when corner-loaded -- is more than adequate for anything save kettle drums.  With proper speaker placement, the excellent stereo imaging also provides decent location queues for gaming, if you don't want the hassle of mounting a 5.1 or 7.1 setup for your computer.

Over 8 years later, the speaker connections are occasionally a little wonky and the volume pot is sometimes scratchy, but my only thought has been to just buy another set.

I originally paid $180 for mine, but the wired set is currently available direct from Klipsch for $150.  Good value, especially considering that most PC speakers are utter crap even at the $100 price point.

Posted 01/15/2010 at 05:07:12pm

I was sitting here doing a setup and just happened to glance at twirl at the right moment to catch this announcement.

I'm almost too stunned for words...almost.  I've been reading the mag since issue #1 and listening to the podcast since episode #1, and, as you know, PCGamer has worn out at least one revolving door during that time.  In some ways (even at the "advanced" age of 40), I miss the naked irreverance of the early years (Woof!); however, I've always thoroughly enjoyed the magazine throughout all the changes and attribute that to the stability you and Norm have provided.

You've had a very good run, Will, and I wish you the best in any future endeavor.

Posted 02/23/2009 at 03:27:02pm

Twitter is many things to many people but is definitely worth your time, no matter your age or interests.  I thought the entire concept was completely absurd until some of my favorite gaming podcasters lost their jobs, and the only way to "continue the conversation" was to follow them on Twitter.  Despite believing that most Web 2.0 solutions are utter rubbish, I've really grown to appreciate the service.

Even though I almost exclusively follow gamers and a few tech people, there is a striking immediacy -- a focus on the present -- that is quite revolutionary.  For example, MaximumPC's own @willsmith passed along THE striking cell-phone photo of the downed plane in the Hudson within (at most) three hours after the accident, and the pic wasn't seen on CNN.com until the next morning.  If you find a group of people to follow that have common interests, you will be surprised how entertaining, informative and even educational Twitter can be.

The basic functions of the web interface are simple, but a few weeks of exploration are necessary to start understanding the culture, etiquette and to find your own "little corner of the internet".  Twitter's help is a little lacking, but you'll get a lot of information about Twitter through Twitter.  The web interface is your training wheel set, and once you've gotten your balance, look at some of the clients above.

I currently use twirl at home and TwitterFox at work.  TweetDeck is definitely the most sophisticated app that I've used, but, with my presently focused feed, some features are unnecessary and twirl is fine.  At work, I have vendors and sales people dropping in unexpectedly, so I use TwitterFox for its low profile.  Bottom line, there are many ways to control your access to Twitter, and each seems to be free, so just experiment!

Twitter is bite-sized life in motion.  Sample, snack or gorge as you will.

@NT_