January PC Magazine highlights Checkit 98 Suite
Diagnose What Ails Your PC
December 14, 1998
The more things change, the harder
they are to fix. As Windows grows
more and more complex, the need
for diagnostic tools increases. Enter
CheckIt 98 Diagnostic Suite ($130
street), the latest product applying to be your
PC's mechanic.
Unlike programs such as Norton Utilities and
Nuts & Bolts, CheckIt emphasizes diagnostics
and treatment for hardware rather than software.
CheckIt's components test your PC's drives,
motherboard, and other devices for critical
problems.
One option is a Y2K-compliance test. As with
other problems, CheckIt was able to evaluate the
situation for us and correct it (fixing our faulty
CMOS/real-time clock active-support error).
But programs like CheckIt have limitations; in
this case, it couldn't do anything about two-digit
date fields in software applications. What it can
do is give your hardware a good checkup and
either recommend solutions, provide them, or
remind you to run existing Windows tools such
as ScanDisk regularly.
CheckIt 98 alone is probably enough for the
average user who wants more than Windows
system tools provide. But the suite is
recommended for the professional technician
who will likely be working on more than one
machine.
The suite contains additional firepower, such as
portable DOS diagnostics to help dig into an
ailing system when Windows won't boot.
FastMove!, a file-transfer/synchronization
program, simplifies the relocation of files to a
new PC. Also included are loopback plugs for
testing parallel and serial ports, and a parallel
file-transfer cable.
You also get CheckIt NetOptimizer, a LAN
administrator for those still whimpering about
dial-up connections. NetOptimizer makes
anywhere from four to seven test passes,
connecting to your ISP using different settings to
find an optimal connection.
While you're connected, you can pop up the
Internet Monitor, a floating window that displays
your current download speed, the time required
to download a 1MB file, and the total time you've
spent online.
Anyone who diagnoses and repairs PCs for a
living should seriously consider this suite of tools.
If you're a casual user, the core product--CheckIt
98--would be a better choice.
CheckIt 98 Diagnostic Suite. Street price:
$130. Requires: DOS or Microsoft Windows 95
or 98, 25MB hard disk space. TouchStone
Software Corp., Huntington Beach, CA;
714-969-7746; www.checkit.com
— Kathy Yakal |
