CNET Community help and how-to weekly newsletter
November 22, 2007
Dear CNET members,
For those celebrating Thanksgiving, happy holidays! Whether or not you're celebrating this holiday, to me this time of year means to be thankful and grateful for all the wonderful people around me--from the past or present. I have a long list of people to thank and things to be grateful for, but I wanted to take this opportunity to especially thank you: the community. Week after week, you find the time to read, contribute, and assist others in need of help, and I'm truly blessed! So to the members of the CNET community and my incredible group of dedicated forum moderators, I thank you from the bottom of my heart.

As I mentioned earlier this week, I will not be presenting the weekly newsletter Q&A. However, I did promise you some community discussion to nibble on through the holiday, so below you will find some of the most popular voted on and discussed polls from this past year. Get your votes in and discuss. I'll see you all next week when we help out Nancy with her MP3-player-buying decisions. Take care, folks, and be safe!

Oh and by the way, don't miss out on our annual Holiday Help Desk Marathon--where the CNET TV crew will be streaming live all day November 23 from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. PT and answering your holiday tech shopping questions and giving away prizes, too! Please call us on the day of the show at 1-888-900-CNET with your questions or e-mail them in advance to holidayhelp@cnet.com. Don't miss out!

Cheers!
Lee Koo
Manager, CNET community

Got suggestions? Send me an e-mail:
messageboards@cnet.com
Top 10 community polls of 2007
This week we revisit some of our past and most popular polls from the CNET community newsletters. Enjoy!

Will you be installing Windows Vista on your system this year?
(Please click on button to vote)
 Yes.
 I'm already using it. (How do you like it?)
 After it's been out for a few months.
    (How long will you wait?)
 No way! (Why not?)
 I will buy a new system with it
    already installed.
 I don't even have XP yet!
 I'm on a Mac and will never go to
    the dark side.
 Don't know yet.
Which antivirus utility protects
your computer?
(Please click on button to vote)
 AVG Anti-Virus (why this one?)
 BitDefender Antivirus (why this one?)
 CA Antivirus (why this one?)
 Kaspersky Anti-Virus (why this one?)
 McAfee VirusScan (why this one?)
 NOD32 antivirus
 Norton AntiVirus (why this one?)
 Panda Titanium Antivirus (why this one?)
 Trend Micro AntiVirus (why this one?)
 Other (what is it?)
How do you feel about the amount of software that comes on new PCs?
(Please click on button to vote)
 I don't like it at all! (Reasons?)
 It's overwhelming. I'd pay to have less. (How much would you pay more?)
 It's a bit much, but if it shaves a few bucks off the price, it's worth it. (What's a few bucks to you?)
 I like it. I'm glad it's there. (Give us some examples of the ones you used.)
Should cell phones be allowed
on planes?
(Please click on button to vote)
 Yes, all cell function allowed! (Why?)
 Yes, but only for text messages and checking voice mail. (Why?)
 Yes, but with certain rules set in place. (What would those be?)
 Not certain. (Why?)
 It really depends. (Depends on what?)
 No (Why?)
 Absolutely not! (Why so adamant?)
What brand of digital camera do you own, and are you happy with it?
(Please click on button to vote)
 Canon (What model?)
 Casio (What model?)
 Fujifilm (What model?)
 Kodak (What model?)
 Nikon (What model?)
 Olympus (What model?)
 Panasonic (What model?)
 Pentax (What model?)
 Sony (What model?)
 Other (What is it?)
Are you considering switching from a Windows PC to a Mac?
(Please click on button to vote)
 Yes. (Why?)
 Maybe. (Why?)
 No. (Why not?)
 Not switching, but using a Mac and using both OSes
 I'm already a Mac user! (Are you happy?)
 I'm thinking about it. (What's the hold up?)
 I'm not using either. (What are you using?)
Do you agree with Time naming the iPhone "Invention of the Year"?
(Please click on button to vote)
 Yes (Please explain.)
 No (Please explain.)
 Don't care. (Why not?)
Check out next week's question:
Q I never thought in my wildest dreams, I would be considering a MP3 player for myself, but here I am asking for advice on one. Every where I go, I can't help but see ads for the iPods and I'm very curious if this is the right MP3 player for me. I don't want to buy an iPod just because it is the trend as I want to buy something that will last me in the long run. Is the iPod really that popular that it is a must buy? Forgive me, as I'm completely new to this type of gadget and I want something simple to use and has low learning curve. Can you suggest a MP3 player that will be small enough for me to carry when I go for my daily walks? I also would like something with a screen that will allow me to store pictures of my kids, and one that has enough storage space for my entire Beatles and Elvis CD collections. What are some things that are a must to look for in a MP3 player and of course what are things I should avoid or be aware of when I buy a MP3 player? Any advice and recommendation will be helpful. Thank you.
--Submitted by: Nancy S.

We feature a new question every Friday, and if you have the answer for our member, you can submit it above. If your submission is picked by our members as the most helpful answer, you'll receive some cool CNET branded gear.
Check out our previous Community newsletters here.
Have a question?
E-mail us on one of our upcoming topics:
• Multimedia
• Internet Security
• Digital Cameras
• Home Audio & Video
 • PC Upgrading
• PC Troubleshooting
• Digital Music
• Consumer electronics
Need help right away? Don't wait for us, come and join our lively community forums for all the tech help and how-tos.

Which factor would most likely make you upgrade to a Blu-ray or HD DVD player?
(Please click on button to vote)
 Extra content (Please explain.)
 More DVD titles (Please explain.)
 Price point (At what point?)
 Special features (What specific features?)
 Video and audio quality
 Other (What is your reason?)
 I already own a hi-def DVD player (Which format and why that format?)
For a flat-panel TV purchase, do you think an extended warranty is
worth it?
(Please click on button to vote)
 Yes (Please explain.)
 No (Please explain.)
 Sometimes (Please explain.)
 Absolutely! I have already used it. (Tell us about it.)
 Never again; I've bought it before and had a bad experience with it. (Tell us about it.)
What would make you want to switch cellular carriers?
(Please click on button to vote)
 Wider selection of phones (Please explain.)
 Better rate plans (Cheaper or more variety? Please explain.)
 Shorter contracts (Please explain.)
 Exclusive special features (Give us an example.)
 Faster Internet connectivity (Please explain.)
 Better or larger coverage area (Please explain.)
 Better customer service (Please explain.)
 Other reason (What is it?)
2007 CNET Holiday gift guide
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