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[ Go to January 1997 Table of Contents ]
WinLab Reviews
-- by Jonathan Blackwood
It's impossible to look at ADI's Duo Multimedia Pack without wanting to hum the theme song from the Jetsons. This interesting product consists of a stylized 17-inch monitor with built-in Surround Sound speakers and integrated microphone on a four-legged swivel base. There's also a matching keyboard and a mouse. The company calls the product "a cross between a cubist bird and a lunar landing module" and "a piece of sculpture for the desktop." The idea is that you hide your CPU on the floor or under your desk, so all that's left on the desktop are the color-coordinated pieces. The Pack comes with an accessory kit that includes interchangeable color front-panel trim (from lavender to dusty blue). In discussions with ADI, the company indicated its willingness to match a specific color for large orders-no word on how large those orders must be. The monitor itself is an Invar shadow mask model with a maximum vertical refresh rate of 100Hz, a 1280x1024 maximum noninterlaced resolution and on-screen controls. The image on the preproduction model I saw demonstrated was quite good. It's a competent monitor all right, but I suspect its sales will rise or fall on the strength of public acceptance of its unusual, "functional art" appearance. Copyright © 1997 CMP Media Inc.
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