B R I E F S

Disks at risk

This time it isn't a hoax: your hard disk really is in danger. Two files, called PKZ300B.EXE and PKZ300B.ZIP, are being distributed on the Net. But they are not new versions of the popular DOS compression PKZIP - they are fakes. Patrick Weeks, in charge of product support at PKWare, which makes PKZip, warns they will wipe your hard drive. The most recent version of the real thing is 2.04G: if in doubt, compare the file size of different versions between sites. If still in doubt, find a relevant newsgroup and ask.

Pentium notepads

Pentium-powered notebooks should be in the high street by autumn. Last week Dell Computer, Toshiba and Hewlett-Packard announced notebook systems based around the new 75MHz and 90MHz Pentium, which uses less power than desktop versions because it runs off a lower voltage.

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