It used to be that computer-makers could count on selling you a new PC every year or two just by adding horsepower. They would drop in a lightning-fast new chip, add a sexy graphics card and beef up the memory, and millions of people would race to buy the bigger-faster-better system.
But horsepower is no longer enough to close the sale: Computers have become more powerful than most people really need; there are few reasons to buy the latest machine when the old one is plenty fast.
To keep the cash registers clicking, manufacturers have been paying more attention to the stuff around the PC–the music, imaging, communications and networking capabilities of the computer. The new concept is the PC as a digital hub: The most exciting new technology is going into the gadgets that plug into the computer.
And this year cell phones are getting in on the computer act in a big way, too.
While early adopters have played with versions of these gizmos before, computer companies have gotten their acts together and made a lot of them easier to use and widely available for the first time.
For example, setting up a home or small office computer network used to be a job for a pro, but Microsoft’s new Windows XP operating system is designed to automatically find wireless networks in your area and, if you’ve got a wireless device and service, automatically log on. And Apple has built wireless antennas and software right into all its new computers.
And with powerful new software and advanced connections such as USB ports and FireWire, home computer users with a digital camera now have the tools to do things, including moviemaking, that were once limited to high-end systems.
Sony DSC-F707
This new Sony digital camera features a powerful 5 megapixel sensor and can produce larger prints than previously possible without losing resolution. It also comes with a zoom lens, offers a maximum resolution of 2,560 x 1,920, and includes a laser sensor that makes it easier to shoot in low light.
Price: $1,000
Canon CanoScan 676U
Only a few years ago the flatbed scanner was a bulky, fragile thing, one of the few computer peripherals you couldn’t carry with you. Now, with inexpensive portables like the Canon CanoScan 676U, you can drag a high-resolution scanner anywhere. Most significantly, you don’t need to worry about batteries or a power cable. Just plug it into a USB port on any computer and the scanner draws power from the computer. This 3-pound model offers resolution of 600 x 1200 dots per inch in a case just over 1 inch high.
Price: $99
(Apple iPod)
with the new iPod digital music player, Macintosh users now have some killer hardware too. The iPod is a portable 5 gigabyte hard drive with headphones that can hold up 50 hours of music. It is a mere 2.4-by-4 inches, runs for at least 10 hours on a single charge and plays high-quality MP3 music files. The iPod is designed to work with Apple’s iTunes software, and songs can be downloaded from the computer via a FireWire cable, which the company says can transfer a whole song in about 2 seconds.
Price: $399
Logitech keyboard and mouse
It’s hard to turn a keyboard and mouse into a hot gift item, but Logitech has eliminated the cords from the computer mouse and keyboard, which frees computer users from confining desk spaces. The various models of keyboards and mice work within a range of anywhere from 6 to 30 feet.
Cordless Freedom keyboard and optical mouse: $99
Sprint PCS Wireless Web Digital Link
Sprint’s new gadget is a cell phone module that attaches to any Handspring Visor personal digital assistant. The combination is wider than a typical phone, but weighs about the same and adds all the capabilities and software found in the Visor organizer. You can dial directly from your Visor address book, and store multiple numbers for any file. The battery is good for 7 hours of talk time.
Price: $249 (Visor not included)
Nextel i90c with iBoard
While Sprint and Nokia have added software to their phones, Nextel and Motorola threw in a full-size, detachable keypad that plugs into the phone. That way it is possible to go online to check and send e-mail on the phone without mashing the tiny cell phone keys. When not in use, the keyboard folds up into a pocket-size carrying case.
Price: $299
Compaq iPaq H3870
This hand-held is among the first to use a new wireless technology called Bluetooth, a standard that allows PDAs, cell phones, computers and other devices talk to each other on a wireless connection. While it’s not clear if Bluetooth will take off, this PDA is a compelling buy for new-technology buffs. The big color screen, fast processor and large memory and storage capacity all make this a compelling choice too.
Price: $650
Linksys Wireless Network Access Point
Hook up this wireless access point to your DSL or cable Internet connection, and you can get high-speed wireless connections to computers anywhere in your house. The device links to any computer with a compatible PC Card within 800 feet.
Access point: $179
PC Card: $79
Apple AirPort
All you need to set up a wireless home network is a compatible Macintosh (any of the new iBooks, iMac, PowerBook G4 or Power Mac G4) the AirPort Base Station and an AirPort card, which is already installed in most new Macs. Once it’s up and running, you can be wirelessly connected to the Internet and other computers on the network anywhere within roughly half the length of a football field. PCs can be made compatible with the AirPort, though a Macintosh is required to run the software and complete the initial setup. Apple says this is the first wireless system that works with AOL’s popular Internet service.
Price: $299
Nokia 9290
This cell phone opens up to reveal a personal digital assistant and lots of Windows software, too. The phone lets you talk, e-mail, fax, and organize your contacts in one machine that’s only a bit larger than a typical cell phone. It has up to 10 hours of talk time and can surf the Internet, synchronize data with your PC, and run Windows programs like Word, Excel, and PowerPoint.
Price: $700-$1,000
HP Jornada
Microsoft and the big computer manufacturers have long been trying to muscle in on the market for personal digital assistants, which Palm has dominated for years. The latest models running Microsoft software, from companies such as Compaq and Hewlett-Packard, have finally begun to match the convenience and capabilities of Palm. The Jornada 568 Pocket PC is a hand-held with color screen and 64 mb of memory, which makes it possible to store large files, graphics, and music along with the usual organizer software. The bigger Jornada 720 is still a hand-held, but it is as powerful as many PCs were just a few years ago. It has a tiny keyboard and a 206 megahertz processor, a graphics accelerator, and 32 mb of memory and lets you run pocket versions of Microsoft Office programs. Camera attachments and wireless modems are available.
Jornada 568: $649
Jornada 720: $999
Dell Latitude laptop with wireless hub
By matching Dell’s high-end Latitude notebooks with the company’s TrueMobile wireless hub, notebook users can get to information without the restrictions and inconvenience of cables. With a TrueMobile base station and PC Card, the laptops can log onto a wireless network anywhere within 1,500 feet. The Latitude series notebook computers come with screens up to 15 inches and hard drives up to 48 gigabytes, and the latest Intel Pentium processors.
Dell TrueMobile 1170 Base Station: $244
Dell TrueMobile Wireless PC Card: $134
Dell Latitude Price: $1,749 to $1,199
