by: Cheryl Dominianni
At a snail's pace, we creep along toward the paperless office. But if your patience is wearing thin, you don't have to wait to tame your paper monster. PaperMaster 2.0 is personal paper-management software that, when coupled with a scanner, provides instant access to information that was previously paper-based. The program lets you file, find, fax, copy, edit, e-mail, form-fill and annotate digital documents.
PaperMaster uses an intuitive file cabinet metaphor. The cabinet on the opening screen has some drawers already named, but you can easily create new drawers and folders. You can customize your cabinet with graphics and font colors. Drag-and-drop makes moving drawers, folders and documents a snap, and a lock option lets you restrict drawers with passwords.
PaperMaster accepts documents via scanner, fax modems, e-mail and other Windows applications. You can scan documents directly into the file cabinet using any TWAIN- or ISIS-compliant scanner. The program installs the PaperMaster File Cabinet as a printer driver, which simplifies inputting documents from Windows applications. You can directly import image files in .TIF, .PCX, .BMP, .GIF or JPEG formats. It's also possible to set the software so that all incoming faxes are routed directly into PaperMaster's Inbox.
Once a document is in your cabinet, you are able to fill in a form for the doc and annotate the file with sticky notes. You can also search for specific text (after using the Read and Index command), and fax and e-mail the file. PaperMaster's fax/copy tool can replace a dedicated fax and copier--a feature sure to interest small-office users.
Version 2.0 enhancements include the ability to share cabinets or take them on the road; support for color and gray-scale documents; and an Inbox where you can store documents for later filing, straightening and autocropping features. The ability to fill in forms with a type text tool, and MAPI- and VIM-enabled e-mail are also new.
PaperMaster is a versatile program with an intuitive interface that can help you master the paper chase.
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PaperMaster 2.0
Price: $99 (street); upgrade from 1.x, $49 (street)
Platforms: Windows 95, 3.1
Disk Space: 7MB
RAM: 8MB
DocuMagix
800-DOCU-MAGIX,408-434-1138
by: Philip Albinus
Right when you thought you could come up for air in a sea of information, along comes the Internet tidal wave. Before you go under for the last time, give askSam 3.0 a look.
I tested a beta version of askSam and found its search engine vastly improved. This fleet-footed application can search for a word or text string in the blink of an eye. It also has new features for working on the World Wide Web. HTML import and export capabilities have been added to simplify organizing Web information. Just find a Web page and save it to your hard drive as an HTML file. AskSam 3.0 will open the file and preserve the hyperlinks in bold-faced, colored type, and you can turn the Web page into a searchable askSam database file. The Internet Desktop section also offers predefined templates for managing e-mail and newsgroup messages.
AskSam 3.0 ships with a set of clever applets called askSam Office. The six apps include askSam files to track addresses, notes, to-do items, faxes, memos and letters.
AskSam 3.0 is a 16-bit application that works well under Windows 95. The company says a 32-bit version will debut by mid-1996. Until then, you won't be sacrificing anything with this powerful and flexible program.
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askSam 3.0
Price: $149.95
Platforms: Windows 95, 3.x
askSam Systems
800-800-1997, 904-584-6590
by: Hailey Lynne McKeefry
Even if you're a little fish in a sea of big businesses, you can still project the spit-and-polish image of the big boys with MyAdvancedBrochures 95. The program lets you create professional-looking business publications that cost a lot less than a trip to the printer.
This 32-bit version of MyAdvancedBrochures has been tuned to take advantage of Windows 95, including features like long filenames, right mouse-button menus, and OLE drag-and-drop. The program, which I tested in beta, also runs under Windows NT.
Other new features simplify printing and mailing. A Mail Merge Wizard walks you through creating mailing labels from a dBASE IV, MyMailList or delimited ASCII file. In a few easy steps, the mail merge is done, including any filtering.
The program also supports an increased number of preprinted papers from a variety of vendors, including Beaver Prints, Image Plus, Image Street, Paper Direct and InstaColor. In all, this CD-ROM version supports 650 paper designs, from dual- and trifold brochures, flyers, and letterhead to business cards and newsletters. In many cases, MyAdvancedBrochures supports paper designs across several formats (brochures, letterhead, business cards and so forth) so all your documents can have a consistent look and feel. There are also 14 designs that you can print yourself and an option for plain paper for creating your own designs. The CD supports about 1,000 clip-art images, or you can import art in 13 graphics formats.
The newsletter design templates now include about 40 different dualfold brochure options as well as 28 designs for fourfold brochures that print on legal-sized paper. The previous version supported only trifold designs. You still have the option of adding reply or rotary cards, as well as space for a "send to" or return address label.
MyAdvancedBrochures has maintained its easy-to-use interface and clear toolbars, while adding more design choices. This modestly priced program will more than pay for itself even if you only use it a few times a year for promotional mailers.
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MyAdvanced-Brochures 95
Price: $79.95
Platforms: Windows 95,3.1, NT
MySoftware Co.
800-325-3508, 415-473-3600
by: James E. Powell
Having worked with Logitech wireless mice for a number of years, I appreciate the way these peripherals keep my desktop free of wires. Now Sejin offers a compact wireless keyboard that can remove yet another cord from my desk.
The unit's infrared receiver plugs into your computer just like any keyboard (there's an adapter for both PS/AT- and PS/2-sized plugs). There are no special drivers to load: Windows 95--and, presumably, Windows 3.x--recognizes the unit as just another keyboard.
The keyboard itself is powered by two AAA batteries and can be used within 16 feet of the receiver. The keyboard doesn't have to be in exact line of sight, either; the unit works within a45-degree range.
Though all the letter and number keys are full-size, the function and navigation keys are tiny by comparison. There's a numeric keypad layout, available on several letter keys, that's accessible by pressing the Fn key, just as on most laptops.
I like the feel of this quiet, 86-key keyboard. The product's size (1 by 11.5 by 5.5 inches) is ideal. It's incredibly lightweight, and it has adjustable tilt legs and nonskid rubber feet for desktop use. But its best feature is what it doesn't have: a wire.
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Sejin WirelessKeyboard ModelSPR-8630WP
Price: $99.95
Sejin America
408-980-7550,fax 408-980-7562
by: James E. Powell
When all's not well with your Windows system, there is a doctor in the house if you have a copy of First Aid 95. The utility diagnoses problems and suggests remedies and, despite having "95" as its surname, First Aid works for Windows 3.1, too.
If your multimedia system is in trouble, for example, First Aid's diagnostics may suggest fixes such as replacing missing drivers. If the necessary driver is tucked in the wrong folder, you can move it with just a click on the AutoFix button. If the driver can't be located, First Aid opens the appropriate Control Panel Wizard.
First Aid examines the error your application returns and describes the hitch in plain English. Then the program checks to see if the condition is among the 10,000 in its knowledge base. If it is, it sets out to look for the file the application requires.
Running under Windows 95, 16-bit applications can still crash. But if First Aid's Crash Guard is running in the background, it can monitor the app and intercede to save your data if it detects a GPF.
First Aid's Trim feature is like a selective uninstall. It removes files related to an application's features you no longer use. On the flip side, it can check to ensure that all the files needed for a particular feature are in place.
But First Aid can be confusing. The manual refers to Crash Guard by another name (Problem Monitor). And when Crash Guard starts, it's not represented by a taskbar icon as are the other background utilities. The manual also mentions a feature called Windows Guardian, but there is no such screen.
Most disappointing, though, is First Aid's limited list of supported applications. Not supporting the very latest version of a program is reasonable, but not including support for mature programs isn't. For example, First Aid can check Access 1.0 and 1.1, but not version 2.0, which is more than a year old. However, you can use the programs' Support Exchange to get updates from the company's BBS, the Internet, CompuServe, Prodigy, MSN or AOL.
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First Aid 95
Price: $49.95 (street)
Platforms: Windows 95, 3.1
Disk Space: 7MB
RAM: 4MB
CyberMedia
800-PC-1ST-AID, 310-843-0800
by: Hailey Lynne McKeefry
Five thousand dollars may seem like a lot to pay for a laser printer. However, the HP LaserJet 5Si MX packs in paper-handling, output and networking features that make it worth the price.
This network powerhouse is built to handle the demands of a large workgroup with ease and style. It is decked out with two 500-sheet input paper trays and a 100-sheet multipurpose tray that can handle 10 different sizes of printable media, to make restocking paper a once-in-a-while job. You can also add a whopping 2,000-sheet input tray (for $1,299) to bring the total capacity to 3,100 sheets.
This speed demon whips out letter- and A4-sized documents at 24 pages per minute with a resolution of 600x600 dots per inch. The unit weighs in at 99 pounds and measures 21.3 by 31.3 by 20.5 inches. It comes standard with 12MB of RAM, expandable to 76MB. The LaserJet 5Si is rated for a duty cycle of 100,000 pages per month.
The printer's networking options are legion: They include 10Base2 and 10BaseT Ethernet and DIN-8 LocalTalk bi-directional interfaces, as well as an HP MIO expansion slot. The unit supports just about any network OS right out of the box. The included JetAdmin software gives network managers real-time remote printer status and diagnostic alerts. This is one printer you can share with a large office and still not keep anyone waiting.
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Hewlett-Packard LaserJet 5Si MX
Price: $4,899
Hewlett-Packard Co.
800-752-0900
by: Joel T. Patz
I'm always looking for ways to make my work easier, so PowerDesk is my kind of utility. It organizes my work tools and puts them on my desktop within easy reach of a mouse click.
You can integrate the PowerDesk toolbar with Windows 95's taskbar or use it as a separate window on your desktop. You place launch buttons for specific files, folders or applications on the toolbar, or use the DOS command box if you like to do things the old-fashioned way. System monitors watch CPU usage, threads, available memory, available disk space, and system, user and GDI resources. You can specify how often you want the monitors updated and display them as bars or moving graphs.
PowerDesk's multiview feature lets you switch among up to 16 virtual screens, which you customize by adjusting their color and size, hotkeys and applications. System shortcuts to shut down or restart your computer, restart Windows, log on as another user or change screen resolution can also be added to the toolbar. It's even possible to display up to seven clocks set for different time zones.
Installed printers can be represented by icons on the toolbar which can be used as shortcuts. Any item in your Start/Programs list will be identified by a start button by PowerDesk and, like everything else in the program, can be modified.
PowerDesk provides one-click access to drives, files and folders. Menu choices make managing zip files quick and simple. The customizable toolbar's buttons make it easy to rename files, change icon sizes, call up a detail view of the file list, and arrange file lists by name, extension, size, date and type. Other file operations, such as cut, copy, paste, undo and delete, are just as straightforward. The DOS command line at the bottom of the ExplorerPlus screen is a real timesaver.
PowerDesk's intuitive interface, seamless integration with Windows 95 and easy customization make it a timely addition to a busy user's toolkit.
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PowerDesk 1.0
Price: $79.95
Platforms: Windows 95
MicroHelp
800-777-3322, 770-516-0899
by: Rich Castagna
There is a doctor in the house, and he has his finger on your PC's pulse. Dr. Solomon's Anti-Virus Toolkit is a healthy dose of preventive medicine that will help keep your Windows 95 system free of crippling--or even just plain annoying--viruses.
I tested the beta version of this cure-all kit. It has several components, including WinGuard, which you can set to run at Win95's start-up. WinGuard lurks in the background and checks the health of files as you access them. You can also manually run a virus check from Dr. Solomon's dialog box and scan any drive--including your floppy--for over 7,000 known malicious critters.
The good doctor also provides an online encyclopedia of about 300 common viruses. It's interesting reading in itself, and when Dr. Solomon nabs a nasty before it can put the hurt on your hard disk, you can look it up and see what peril you just escaped. Besides a description of each bug's evil intent, the encyclopedia explains how it works and if there are any known variations.
A Scheduler lets you set up regular scans that will kick off without your intervention. And if your reading preferences tend toward hexadecimal, you can select Inspect from the Advanced menu and peer into the darkest recesses of a file or disk.
Dr. Solomon's past releases have been effective vaccinations against destructive viruses. With the amount of downloading and file swapping we do these days, the need for effective detection is greater than ever.
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Dr. Solomon'sAnti-Virus Toolkit for Windows 95
Price: $125
Platforms: Windows 95, 3.x
S&S Software International
800-701-9648, 617-273-7400
by: Julie R. Blumenfield
Neophyte Netters, take note: Mosaic in a Box for Windows 95 is the perfect Internet browser for beginners.
Installing Mosaic in a Box creates a program group on the Start menu with a dialer app, 32-bit browser, mail client, graphic viewer, the program's help system and an account-creation utility. Newcomers will also appreciate the World Wide Web 95 Tour, an Internet introduction. CompuServe Wallet (an Internet payment service that uses CheckFree) and an access-number phone book round out the offerings.
This 32-bit version of Mosaic is considerably faster than its predecessor. The browser is supposed to conform to the HTML 3.0 standard, but some 3.0 enhancements like tables and text wraps around graphics weren't supported. It does, however, support Win95 conventions such as context menus, and also provides a configurable hotlist and viewing options such as the ability to change the hyperlink display color.
Mosaic's newsgroup feature is anemic. Your only option is to enter the name of a newsgroup--there's no master list or search capability.
The mail function, on the other hand, is intuitive and quick. And the file-viewer utility is so good that it alone might be worth the price.
Mosaic's easy operation and detailed help screens make it perfect for Internet newcomers.
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Mosaic in a Box for Windows 95
Price: $9.95 (street)
Platforms: Windows 95, 3.x
Disk Space: 9KB
RAM: 4MB
CompuServe Internet Division
800-557-9614
by: Lynn Ginsberg
As you travel about the virtual worlds in the Web's cyberspace, you might begin to believe that Columbus was wrong: This world is flat. But the Web is becoming a more inhabitable space, thanks to programs such as Virtus WalkThrough, which supports the latest Internet protocol of 3-D VRML modeling. VRML (virtual reality modeling language) lets developers create 3-D models for the Internet. These models can be navigated by multiple participants and hyperlinked to other 3-D worlds or HTML documents.
Virtus WalkThrough is a natural for VRML development, with its innovative approach to implementing navigable 3-D scenes and environments. WalkThrough's strength is its straightforward set of tools, which you use to create complex 3-D worlds for the Internet using a relatively humble PC rather than a high-powered workstation.
The process for creating WalkThrough's VRML environments is simple. First, you use the program to create your 3-D scene. Next, you map out which objects within the scene will be "hot spots" for linking to other HTML Web pages or another VRML document. Once you've chosen these hot spots, you fill in a dialog box to attach a VRML anchor to the object, which designates the URL link. After assigning all of the anchors to objects, you export your 3-D model to VRML using a File menu option.
That's all there is to it.
I found the hot-spot and linking process extremely easy to follow--considerably less challenging than creating the 3-D scene itself. This WalkThrough version also supports stereoscopic viewing hardware which, if you have virtual reality equipment, lets you interact even more realistically within a 3-D scene.
While it's easy to convert 3-D environments to VRML with WalkThrough, navigating a 3-D environment online is still a far cry from reality given current modem, line and hardware limitations. Unless, of course, that reality is really, really slow. Until the supporting hardware and communications infrastructure is in place, the worlds created in Virtus will demand as much patience as vision from the virtual traveler.
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Virtus WalkThrough 2.5
Price: $495 (direct)
Platforms: Windows 95Virtus Corp.
800-VIRTUS-1, 919-467-9700
by: Jim Forbes
It's easy to be image-conscious with EasyPhoto 2.0, a graphics and scanning application that makes it a snap to add photos or pictures to reports, proposals and other documents.
EasyPhoto is available on a CD-ROM or bundled with a scanner ($249). This release incorporates features that improve its versatility. It supports photos with enhanced resolutions of up to 1200dpi. In addition, its ClearPrint technology has been enhanced to optimize output for specific printers. The program works with new color ink jet printers from such vendors as Hewlett-Packard, Epson and Canon, and it supports OLE 2.0.
EasyPhoto is easier to use than its predecessor, and the photo scanner is faster. These improvements help non-graphics professionals create great-looking documents with text that wraps around color photos. Another key benefit of EasyPhoto is the ability to print the graphics-enhanced documents using a relatively inexpensive color ink jet printer.
Other programs provide similar features, but EasyPhoto is--right now--the best solution available for dressing up documents with eye-catching graphics.
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EasyPhoto 2.0
Price: $69; with scanner, $249
Platforms: Windows 3.x, 95
Disk Space: 12MB
RAM: 8MB
Storm Software
800-275-5734, 415-691-6600
by: Joel T. Patz
Perfection is rarely encountered in life, but two new monitors from ArtMedia, the TC1864 and the TG1882, come close. They're also competitively priced, considering their performance.
Both these Trinitron CRT monitors provide an approximate 16-inch diagonal, conductive silica-coated viewing area. The 42-pound TC1864 offers 1280x1024 maximum resolution, with an optimal resolution of 1024x768 at 75Hz and 0.25mm grill pitch (Trinitron's quasi-equivalent to dot pitch). Its horizontal scan
frequency falls within a 31kHz to 64kHz range, and the vertical scan frequency lies between 50Hz and 120Hz. Hidden behind a flip-down panel on the monitor's front, the digital control buttons for the TC1864 allow you to adjust brightness and contrast, horizontal and vertical centering and size, and color temperature. You can also correct for pincushioning and rotation.
The maximum resolution for the TG1882 is 1600x1280, the optimal being 1280x1024 at 75Hz. It supports horizontal and vertical scanning frequencies between 29kHz and 82kHz and 50Hz and150Hz, respectively. Located on the monitor's lower edge, the TG1882's controls include plus and minus contrast and brightness buttons, and a Select button joined to a series of tiny indicators. You can adjust centering, picture size, tilt and horizontal pincushion, convergence and color temperature. The TG1882 weighs in at 49 pounds and uses a BNC connector cable.
Both monitors, which measure no more than a space-saving 18 inches in height. width or depth, are automatically degaussed on start-up and comply with MPR II standards. In compliance with power-saving guidelines, each supports three levels of operation with the appropriate video card.
I ran each monitor through its paces using DisplayMate for Windows (Sonera Technologies, 800-932-6323) to check for focus, convergence, color, resolution and other characteristics. The results were excellent. I found no evidence of moiré patterns and a complete absence of distortion on both test screens, although the TG1882 did have a sharper picture. They were both, quite nearly, perfect.
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ArtMedia Monitors TC1864 and TG1882
Price: TC1864, $899; TG1882, $1,099
ArtMedia
800-278-6334, 408-980-8988
By Jim Forbes
Value-class machines provide the basic functionality most of us need for mobile computing. I recently saw a preproduction version of one such machine, the AcerNote Light model 352. It ships with a 10.4-inch dual-scan passive-matrix display, a 75MHz 80486 DX4 processor, a 420MB hard disk, an internal 3.5-inch floppy disk drive, a single Type II PCMCIA socket, one serial port, one parallel port, a self-contained infrared transceiver and a touchpad pointing device.
The internal battery consistently powered the machine for 2.25 to 2.75 hours. Recharging the batteries takes about 3 hours with the power off. Optional lithium ion batteries should be available by the time you read this.
The notebook's dual-scan passive-matrix screen is bright, with a diagonal width of 10.4 inches, but it has a narrow viewing angle. The AcerNote Light is smaller than most notebooks. It's 1.7 by 11.7 by 8.2 inches and has a travel weight (including its small recharger) of 5.6 pounds. Windows 95 is standard, as is a card game, a personal organizer and software utilities.
The AcerNote Light's Wintune 95 benchmark results were good for a 75MHz 486: CPU, 44.6MIPS; FPU, 15.5MFLOPS; video, 2.07Mpixels per second; and 4.34MB per second data-transfer rate for the hard disk.
I wouldn't hesitate to send one away with a college student, or to carry it day in and day out in my book bag.
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AcerNote Light
Price: As configured, $2,199
Acer America Corp.
800-733-2237, 408-432-6200
by: Rich Castagna
Imagine a machine that sucks stacks of paper off your desk and tucks them onto your hard disk. And imagine a program that lets you do just about anything you want with those digitized documents. Now turn off your imagination and turn on the PaperPort Vx.
The new scanner/document manager combo offers a slightly revised look and a slew of small but useful enhancements. On the outside, the 3.75- by 12- by 2.5-inch scanner is a little sleeker than its predecessor, but its beauty isn't only skin deep. A new chip provides 8-bit scanning for up to 256 shades of gray. And it's still quick--taking only a lickety-split 5 or 6 seconds to scan a full page.
Depending on the material you plan to scan, you can switch among PaperPort's six modes for scanning text or images. For each setting, there's a description of the level of quality to expect and the resulting file's relative size.
PaperPort wakes up when you slip a document into the scanner. Once the scan is complete, the Page screen pops up, where you can adjust the image or add annotations in the form of sticky notes, arrows or freehand lines. For skewed images, you use a new alignment tool to turn the image until it lines up.
The Desktop screen shows the scanned pages and lets you drop them into folders or shuffle them into stacks. A slider bar makes it easy to flip through the stack, and the Browse button lists the items in the selected folder. You can also add a descriptive header record to a scan, which--like the sticky notes--is searchable.
PaperPort searches your disk for installed apps and for each one it recognizes, it creates a link and a big button at the bottom of the Desktop screen. You can drag scanned pages to the buttons to launch the applications. When applicable, PaperPort first runs the page through OmniPage Lite's OCR software before starting the program.
There's no easier way to get from paper to pixels.
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Visioneer PaperPort Vx
Price: $369 (street)
Platforms: Windows 95, 3.1
Disk Space: 8MB
RAM: 8MB
Visioneer
800-787-7007, 415-493-9599
by: Michelle A. Tyrrell
With Pentiums now ubiquitous, great deals abound on systems with slower processors. The Sharp PC-8800 notebook computer, with its 486DX4/75 processor, is one example.
The PC-8800 ships with 8MB of RAM (expandable to 32MB) and a 320MB hard disk (upgradable to 500MB). It has 1MB of video memory, 32-bit VESA local-bus video, and 16-bit sound with built-in stereo speakers and microphone. The keyboard is comfortable, and the 10.4-inch, 800x600 resolution dual-scan SVGA screen is easy on the eyes. A GlidePoint Trackpad makes all the difference for comfort and accuracy.
The PC-8800 comes with an infrared port, allowing the user to communicate wirelessly with infrared-equipped systems, PDAs and printers. It has a nickel metal hydride "Smart" battery and dual-battery capability for extended travel.
The floppy disk drive is on the front of the unit, while the back houses the usual complement of ports. The PCMCIA slot holds two Type II cards or one Type III card.
The model I tested was running Windows 3.1. The Word 6.0 macro executed in 110 seconds, while the Excel 5.0 macro finished in 56 seconds. The CPU scored 39.5MIPS and 8.2MFLOPS, hard disk access was 1.826MB per second, and the video system racked up 3.068Mpixels per second. The battery delivered 2 hours usage.
The PC-8800 measures 2 by 11.6 by 8.8 inches and weighs 6.2 pounds. MS-DOS, Windows 3.1, America Online, CompuServe and CheckFree were preinstalled.
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Sharp PC-8800
Price: $2,399
Sharp Electronics Corp.
800-237-4277, 201-529-8200
by: Jim Forbes
Texas Instruments has been known more for high-end notebook computers than for value-class machines. The TI Extensa 455T may change all that. It's a new 75MHz DX4 486-based notebook that muscles into the notebook market's action area--systems that cost less than $2,400.
The Extensa is manufactured for TI by Acer and is almost identical to the AcerNote Light, also reviewed in First Impressions this month. Standard equipment includes a single Type II PCMCIA (PC Card) slot, one parallel, one serial and two PS/2 ports, 14MB of RAM expandable to 32MB, a 3.5-inch (removable) floppy disk drive, accelerated graphics and a full-sized palm rest with an integrated GlidePoint pointing device.
The Extensa allows you to plug optional lithium ion batteries or an optional Type III PC Card socket into a module that normally holds the floppy disk drive. The unit includes a small, easily connected port replicator, weighs under 6 pounds and measures 1.7 by 11.7 by 8.2 inches. Duracell makes the primary power cell. I was able to get up to three hours' use between charges with only moderate power conservation. The power supply is small, measuring approximately 1 by 4 by 2 inches.
The 9.5-inch active-matrix color screen should be adequate for most users' needs, although I wouldn't recommend the Extensa 455T for presentation graphics.
The Extensa 455T ships with Windows 95, Microsoft Works, Lotus Organizer and other software. My test unit had less than 102MB free on its 340MB hard disk.
The TI Extensa 455T's Win95 Wintune benchmark results were 45MIPS, 15MFLOPS, 1.56Mpixels per second for the video, and 4.36MB per second data-transfer rate for the hard disk. These results are slightly better than those of other 75MHz DX4 machines I've tested, although the Cirrus Logic-based video is slow. This machine took 72 seconds to complete our 32-bit Excel macro and 154 seconds to run our 32-bit Word macro.
Texas Instruments has stuffed a lot of value in a small case with the Extensa 455T. With the optional lithium ion battery, it should compete well with much more expensive models.
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Texas Instruments Extensa 455T
Price: $2,099 (street)
Texas Instruments
800-848-3927, 817-771-5856
by: Hailey Lynne McKeefry
Apple has long been a desktop publishing leader, so it's no surprise that the company's newest color laser printer is a technological tour de force. What's surprising is how nicely this Apple unit fit into my Windows setup.
The Apple Color LaserWriter 12/600 PS is for workgroups with any combination of Macintosh, Power Macintosh, Windows and UNIX computers. It comes standard with support for most network protocols.
Setup was simple, although I did have to install a number of pieces including four toner cartridges (cyan, magenta, yellow and black), a photoconductor drum, an oil canister and an empty toner collection box. The printer's control panel indicates which toner cartridge is low, and which portions of the unit need maintenance.
The LaserWriter 12/600 outputs at 600x600-dot-per-inch resolution. It ships with 39 PostScript fonts, 64 TrueType fonts and 12MB of RAM. The colors produced are bright and vibrant even on plain, uncoated paper. It prints at 12 pages per minute in black and white and 3ppm in color. You can also print color transparencies at 1ppm.
The printer ships with one 250-sheet cassette, a 100-sheet multipurpose tray; an additional 250-sheet tray is also available.
Toner cartridges for the unit cost $119 for black and $139 for cyan, magenta and yellow. Apple estimates that the cost is 3 cents per page at 5 percent black coverage and 13 cents per page at 20 percent color coverage.
--Info File--
Apple Color LaserWriter 12/600 PS
Price: $6,989
Apple Computer
800-538-9696, 408-996-1010