December 6, 2004
(Computerworld)
Price: Starts at $130
Kanguru Solutions
www.kanguru.com
A slightly different take on small removable storage, the Kanguru Zipper HD uses a 1-in. hard drive instead of flash memory to store gigabytes of data. It's just a bit larger than a typical USB flash drive, but at $170 for 2.2GB and $200 for 4GB, it's only half the price of the DiskOnKey and similar competitors.
Price: $470 (2GB)
M-Systems Flash Disk Pioneers Ltd.
www.m-sys.com
Removable Universal Serial Bus (USB) flash drives are faster and smaller than floppies. One of the nicest is this DiskOnKey unit, but the price really jumps from 1GB ($330) to 2GB! The redesigned device incorporates LEDs to signal I/O activity plus an onboard application-specific integrated circuit to speed transfer. The 2GB capacity is impressive.
Price: $900
DoubleSight Displays LLC
www.doublesight.com
For those who want a big, flat-panel LCD monitor but don't like the price, DoubleSight has an interesting answer. It takes two 15-in. LCD panels and mounts them in a single housing, giving a total viewing area of 2,048 by 768 pixels. Of course, there's a black bar running down the middle of that picture, so it may not be quite as helpful as you need. But for those who have to display a lot of information or have to deal with numerous tool bars, menus and windows, this could be just the ticket.
Price: $80
Logitech
www.logitech.com
Nearly all the cordless optical mice I've used exhibit a certain level of sluggishness -- they always seem to lag slightly behind where you think they are. Even Logitech's previously top-of-the-line MX900 Bluetooth mouse suffers from this, but the company has found a way to speed things up with its newest model. It has replaced the LED light source with a laser, and this highest-tech mouse is the most responsive little desktop rodent I've used in years. It costs more than I'd normally want to spend on a mouse, but it's worth it.
Price: $15-$20
Microsoft Corp.
www.microsoft.com
Taking a page from Apple's playbook, Microsoft brings its first designer mouse to market. Created by noted designer Philippe Starck, the mouse has two full-length buttons, a distinct lighted strip down the middle and a scroll wheel. It's a good-looking mouse and a nice stocking stuffer.
Price: $70 (Pro edition)
Iolo Technologies LLC
www.iolo.com
In the age of Windows and complex PCs on every desk, diagnostic and repair tools are more useful than ever, but the available supply has dwindled. The latest suite from Iolo Technologies adds better controls over registry settings and disk maintenance. A home version is available for $50, but you're better off with the more capable $70 Pro edition. I especially liked the Startup Guard -- which lets me easily control which programs are configured to start automatically at boot time -- and the ability to uninstall any program, even those Windows control panels that are usually hard to get rid of.
Price: $159
FingerWorks Inc.
www.fingerworks.com
This device looks like an oversized laptop touch pad that has grown up into a full-size mouse pad, but it lets you do a lot of navigation and control with just your bare hand. The MultiTouch technology embedded in the iGesture Pad can sense, track and interpret the motion of multiple hands and fingers on a touch-imaging surface. The relatively high price means it's not for everyone, but it's a unique product that will delight many. It works with Windows, Macintosh and Unix machines.
Price: $70 (256MB)
Lexar Media Inc.
www.lexar.com
This USB flash drive is cheaper (and smaller) than DiskOnKey, but it comes with two added wrinkles. First, the cap that protects the USB connector is permanently fastened to the unit so it won't get lost. Second, there's an integrated biometric fingerprint sensor that will authenticate a user's identity and provide easy access and automatic log-in to secured files and password-protected Web sites. The device will store and recognize up to 10 fingerprints. Information on the drive is secured via 256-bit encryption.
Price: $395
Oakley Inc.
www.oakley.com
Sure, it's a cool pair of Oakley sunglasses. But it's also an MP3 and WMA music player with 128MB capacity (with the $495 256MB glasses, you also get polarization), flip-up lenses and ear buds, all available in seven color combinations. I particularly liked the eye-catching red camo/black iridium combo that draws considerable attention to itself. At $400 to $500, you want it to look special!
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Kay is a Computerworld contributing writer in Worcester, Mass. Contact him at russkay@charter.net.