Small Business Computing Staff

by Jamie McAfee Accessorize!Today it seems everyone lugs around a personal digital assistant (PDA). Here are alternatives to those heavy devices. These units are unique because they can fit in a pocket, a wallet, or right on the wrist. They feature contact management software and synchronization capabilities with PCs and notebooks, as well as sporting […]

by Miles Coverdale When office managers discuss crumbling employee infrastructures, they are often referring to Windows 95 or 98. Microsoft’s consumer-oriented versions of Windows, with wobbly DOS underpinnings and “blue screen of death” crashes, are not always ideal for business productivity. But choosing from the alternatives can be scary. Since most business PCs use x86- […]

by Jennifer Doran U-Match MouseRating 89 It’s a rare company that doesn’t worry about desktop file security. Restricting access to documents and spreadsheets is a difficult task, especially if one or two people share a computer. The U-Match mouse uses proprietary BioLink Authentication System (BAS) 3.0 to limit file and application intrusions. Encased in a […]

by Rebecca Rohan Secure Cable/DSL Router NBG800Rating 98 Don’t let the word “router” scare you — it’s a neat little box that does wonders for your connectivity budget, as everyone in the office shares a single Cable modem or DSL account. With enough ports, up to 253 users can share the bandwidth, but you’ll want […]

by Steve Bennett Merlin Wireless PC Card For RicochetRating 89 Sick of intolerably slow wireless connections when you travel? If so, Merlin’s new Ricochet PC card modem might be your salvation. Just pop this little gem into the Type II slot of a laptop or CE device, and enjoy high-speed wireless data access — provided […]

by Jamie McAfee Ericsson R380Rating 95 The latest rage among techies is the smartphone, which combines the PDA with a mobile phone. A recent offering from Ericsson is the R380, a small, dual-band phone which combines the functions of a mobile phone with features such as WAP, SMS, and e-mail. It has a complete range […]

by Steve Bennett Norton SystemworksRating 90 Integrated utility suites have long been popular on the PC side of the fence. Now Symantec Corporation offers a soup-to-nuts utility package for Mac shops: Norton SystemWorks for Macintosh. At the core of SystemWorks, you’ll find Norton Utilities for Macintosh (version 6.0) and Norton AntiVirus for Macintosh (version 7.0), […]

by Wayne Kawamoto Samsung ML-4600Rating 87 Sharp, laser-quality output should be a given in printers for any modern-day office. In this regard, Samsung’s ML-4600 is a competent, reasonably priced laser printer that can adequately serve low-capacity business needs. In our evaluation, we found text output to be sharp and clear. As expected, text printed at […]

by Steve Bennett Norton Internet Security 2001Rating 90 Malicious codes and viruses are equal opportunity show stoppers, threatening PCs and Macs alike. If your business runs on a Mac platform, there’s a new ally in the ongoing fight against hackers and other Internet miscreants — Norton Internet Security for Macintosh. This product provides three components […]

by Tom DiNome Paying bills is right up there with death and taxes as far as certainties go. While the Internet can’t make bills go away, it can make paying them a little less painful. Online bill payment automates the entire excruciating process and eliminates the need for writing and mailing checks. It is becoming […]

by Bob Wagman Business owners worried that the Occupational Safety and Health Administration’s new ergonomics standards program will significantly impact their operations can relax (see “Guerrilla Ergonomics,” March 2001). Although the effective date of the standard has come and gone, Congress got involved before the rule started to effect most workplaces. The final standard was […]

by Michael Warshaw, Edtor in Chief In the journalism field, going into business for yourself tends to mean becoming a freelancer — selling your own sweat and toil for an hourly or per-project rate, what an old editor of mine called being a self-exploiter. By contrast, true entrepreneurs, at least to my mind, are those […]