Eric Grevstad

We’ve remarked more than once that hardware shoppers can often get good values by buying last year’s model instead of a new, mildly freshened version of a product, because the manufacturer is sure to have lowered the older version’s price to make room for its successor. Xerox is the exception that proves the rule. Last […]

Butterfingers? If you’re like us, the word makes you think of a candy bar, but of course it really refers to a clumsy person, one prone to accidentally dropping things. Like you. Don’t bother to deny it; we’ve all fumbled our car keys or groceries — or, worst of all, our notebook PCs. Systemax, the […]

Excuse us for a sec, OK? We’ll start the review momentarily but we just need to switch into our Professional PC Critic Veteran Reviewer Voice: Omigod! That is like the cutest thing EVER! Lemme see, lemme see! Oh, I so have to get one of these RIGHT NOW! Only two pounds? Could you DIE? $400? […]

Of course the whole “zero footprint” thing is an exaggeration. True, the HP Compaq dc7800 Ultra-Slim Desktop doesn’t touch your desktop when it’s riding piggyback on the company’s L1906i 19-inch LCD monitor. But the monitor takes some desk space, as do the keyboard and mouse — although when the system’s idle, you can stash the […]

The science of ergonomics, as you know, was invented by Goldilocks, whose pioneering research into beds that were too hard, too soft, or just right blazed the way for countless studies of comfort and complaint in humans’ interaction with their environment. Now Logitech is applying the porridge-eater’s methodology to PC interface design: The keyboard half […]

As you know, convertible Tablet PCs open up in normal notebook fashion, with the screen facing you above the keyboard. When you’re in the mood for pen input, the display rotates so it’s facing away from you, then folds back down to cover the keyboard and give you a clipboard-style slate. With most systems, you […]

HP is one of the foremost vendors of color laser printer/ multi-function printers such as its $699 Color LaserJet CM1017. On the other hand, HP also makes the color inkjet Officejet Pro L7680. It’s the $399 device at your local retailer with a big advertising sticker on top, bragging, “World’s fastest desktop all-in-one for business […]

Microsoft Adds Wireless Bundle To Ergonomic Desktop LineMicrosoft puts its best ergonomic input hardware into a wireless mouse-and-keyboard combo designed to help you keep your arms and wrists aligned while giving a more comfortable, baseball-style grip on the mouse, Calling it “the pinnacle of comfort” for typists with sore wrists and tired fingers, Microsoft Corp. […]

It’s getting harder and harder to justify buying a printer these days. That’s not because you don’t need to print stuff anymore; of course you do. But single-purpose inkjet printers are looking like Model T’s compared to multifunction peripherals that offer flatbed scanning and copying as well as both office document and borderless photo printing […]

You don’t have to lean to the left to appreciate a computer that runs cooler and uses less energy; you just have to pay your electric bill. HP says that replacing an older PC with one that meets the Environmental Protection Agency’s new Energy Star 4.0 specification — a voluntary standard set to take effect […]

Almost exactly a year ago, we reviewed a Xerox color laser printer priced at $499. The Phaser 6120’s standard Ethernet and USB 2.0 interfaces made it suitable for a small business, while its print shop- or graphics studio-worthy PostScript 3 and Pantone color and PCL support put it a cut above basic office models. Today, […]

Gateway’s Thin-and-Light Convertible Hits the Road Whether you take advantage of its digital pen for handwriting recognition, launch applications and pull down menus with a tap with your finger or type on its 83-key keyboard, Gateway’s Tablet PC convertible is ready for on-the-go productivity. The Gateway E-155C, is a slim-line laptop that swivels between keyboard […]