Computer Shopper back issues from January 1999:
The Pick of The Pack.(recommended products )(Buyers Guide)
Jan 01, 1999 ... For the 13th year in a row, Computer Shopper readers have spoken. This year's Best Buy Awards reveal our readers' choices in 26 categories, including systems--from handhelds to desktop PCs to enterprise servers--as well as a melange of peripherals such as monitors, storage devices, and ...
Contact Us.(Editorial)
Jan 01, 1999 ... PRODUCTS Send press releases regarding new and updated computer products to "New Products" at the above address. AUTHOR QUERIES Send your ideas for articles to editor Janice Chen. No calls please. Include a writing sample and some information about your background. We are under ...
Feedback Forum.(Letter to the Editor)
Jan 01, 1999 ... Soft On Software Piracy Dear Editor: In response to Tami D. Peterson's October 1998 "Personal Shopper" column, "Software Prices Too Good to Be True" (p. 120), I'd like to point out that the so-called "gray market" for OEM software is just that--neither black nor ...
Inktomi Buys C2B Technologies' Shopping-Bot Engine.(Company Business and Marketing)
Jan 01, 1999; ... Will Offer Shopping Services to Site Vendors Hannah Kate Kinnersley Inktomi Corp., a developer of search-engine services, has signed an agreement to acquire C2B Technologies, a leading developer of comparison-shopping software. In the first quarter of ...
Sony Launches HiFD Media In Bid to Replace Floppy.(Product Announcement)
Jan 01, 1999; ... Iomega, Imation Still Struggle To Set a New Standard Eleven years after introducing the floppy disk drive, Sony Electronics is hoping to repeat the magic. With the release of Sony's high-capacity floppy disk drive and media, dubbed HiFD, there are now four floppy drive formats ...
Be Your Own Expert.(Editorial)
Jan 01, 1999; ... Don't Be Limited by Others' Opinions: Great Products Must Satisfy a Tougher Audience--you Each year, our readers vote for the top products and companies in the direct channel. Their choices become the annual Best Buy Awards--with the winners presented in this issue. Should these ...
Unified Digital Interface for Flat Panels in the Works Vendors to Combine DFP and P&D Standards.(Technology Information)
Jan 01, 1999; ... After months of debate, a collection of leading LCD vendors has teamed up with Video Electronics Standards Association (VESA) to unify two competing digital-interface specifications into a single universal standard. This is good news for consumers, according to Bill Lempesis, executive ...
What's Next: Free PCs? Every System Will Come With an ISP--and More.(Company Business and Marketing)
Jan 01, 1999; ... With razor-thin profit margins vexing vendors, there seems to be no end in sight to PC price erosion. How low can PC prices go? Would you believe they will be sold at the cost of components? You should, because this is practically happening now. How about $0? With the right corporate ...
Fresh From the Forum.
Jan 01, 1999; ... Vendors Announce 1999 Resolutions At the recent Microprocessor Forum, each supplier of x86 microprocessors laid out its processor plans for 1999. The resulting picture is one of shifting strategies, increasing competition for the low end, and a divergence in instruction-set ...
Linux OS Gains Mainstream Support: Can Reliable Freeware Unix System Challenge Commercial OSs?(Company Business and Marketing)
Jan 01, 1999; ... Since its creation in 1991, Linux, a freeware clone of the Unix OS, has garnered a fiercely loyal and growing worldwide band of supporters. Linux is viewed by many today as a more reliable, cost-effective alternative to high-priced commercial operating systems, such as Windows NT. ...
FCC Considers Status of Cable ISPs: Draws Fire Online From Regulation-Wary Netizens.(Government Activity)
Jan 01, 1999; ... In September, the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) released a working paper, "Internet Over Cable: Defining the Future in Terms of the Past." The report analyzes the issues of the delivery of Internet services over cable, with the implicit question being what governmental ...
Small Businesses Look Webward: The Net Is Cheaper and Easier to Use Than LANs.(Technology Information)
Jan 01, 1999; ... Though there is a huge amount of speculation regarding the Internet and what it means, one of the clearest indications of change is generally missed by all the pundits. It's the fundamental impact the Web is having on the LAN in small businesses. When you look at some of the ...
A Real Deal for a Real-Estate Agent: Closing on a Small-business PC and Peripherals.(Industry Trend or Event)
Jan 01, 1999; ... Mary Norrod sells homes in Basking Ridge, N.J., for Burgdorff Realty. Business is good--good enough to keep her and her two employees constantly moving--but her current PC is having trouble keeping pace. Norrod's business runs on an aging 66MHz 486 desktop with 16MB of RAM and a ...
Rebate News: Positively Printable.(Lexmark International 5700 and the 3200 Color JetPrinters)(Company Business and Marketing)(Brief Article)
Jan 01, 1999; ... Lexmark International is offering mail-in rebates on two of its most recent printers--the 5700 and the 3200 Color JetPrinters. The 5700 prints black ...
Rebate News: Smart Savings.(HP offers mail-in rebates on products )(Product Information)(Brief Article)
Jan 01, 1999; ... Through the end of January, Hewlett-Packard Co. is offering a $100 mail-in rebate when you buy its PhotoSmart Photo Printer or its PhotoSmart Photo Scanner. The $299 PhotoSmart printer ...
NECX.(undercover shopping experience on Web site)(Company Business and Marketing)
Jan 01, 1999 ... I found no sales reps or mundane on-hold music at NECX's Home & Office Computer Center (necxdirect.necx.com), one of my favorite Web-only shopping centers. There are just lots of products and lots of prices. In fact, NECX's inventory was the deepest of the bunch. When I ...
PC Connection.(undercover shopping experiences )(Company Business and Marketing)
Jan 01, 1999 ... The soft-spoken salesperson at PC Connection (800-800-0009, www.pcconnection.com) read between the lines of my opening explanation and headed right toward the lowest-price flat panel in her inventory. Although that inventory could not match NECX's--PC Connection listed 30 models ...
Picking the Perfect Panel.(flat-panel displays )(Company Business and Marketing)
Jan 01, 1999; ... Shopping for flat-panel displays is far different from buying CRT monitors They're petite. They're neat. They're light. They're bright. Clearly, flat-panel displays have their advantages. But you are going to need some new shopping skills if you plan to pick the perfect panel. ...
The PC Zone.(undercover mail order shopping experiende)(Company Business and Marketing)
Jan 01, 1999 ... The representative who answered the phone at mega mail-order seller The PC Zone (800-408-9663, www.zones.com) sure was polite, and his chit-chat banter was as good as any I've heard. But he didn't know much about flat-panel monitors and seemingly didn't know his inventory as well as I did ....
10 Tough Questions Flat-panel Shoppers Must Ask.(Company Business and Marketing)
Jan 01, 1999 ... Flat-panel prices are sliding, but they're still high compared with those of conventional CRTs. That's just one reason why it pays to ask the really tough questions when you shop for one of these awesome-looking but pricey displays. Here are the 10 we asked sales reps. What's ...
Feds Eye Computer Mail Order.(cases against Gateway, Dell being enforced by FTC action)(Government Activity)
Jan 01, 1999; ... For decades, direct sellers of computer products answered mainly to customers--that was then As Joan Rivers often asks, can we talk? There's something you don't hear much about in the national news or, surprisingly, even in the computer press: Monolithic manufacturers like Intel ...
McGlen Micro.(undercover shopping experiences )(Company Business and Marketing)
Jan 01, 1999 ... My time spent talking to the sales reps at McGlen Micro (800-899-8849, www.mcglen.com) was an ordeal of fits and starts, "the network's down" explanations, and in the end, recommendations of products that weren't in stock. Just getting through to a McGlen rep was difficult ....
Reader's Tip: Buy The Book.(Letter to the Editor)
Jan 01, 1999 ... Don't forget to consult your PC's manual before buying system-level components. You might want more RAM, for instance, but if you don't read your system's motherboard documentation before purchasing extra memory, you could easily get the wrong kind (for example, SIMMs with gold contacts ...
The Skinny.(undercover shopping for flat-panel displays )(Buyers Guide)
Jan 01, 1999 ... I found no price-tag surprises here. I knew that flat-panel desktop displays cost plenty, and this shopping expedition confirmed that. I got no pleasant surprises in the sales-service department, either. None of the salespeople I called had more information than what was on their computer ...
High-End Desktop: Dell Dimension XPS R400.(best product of year in reader poll)(Product Information)
Jan 01, 1999; ... Power users want speed, but they also demand high-quality components that will last and service and support to back it all up. Just as they did last year, Computer Shopper readers have voted Dell Computer Corp.'s Dimension as their preferred blazing desktop computer. This year, readers ...
Readers Pick Best Buys of 1998.(overview of reader survey)(Editorial)
Jan 01, 1999 ... For the 13th straight year, we've called upon our readers to determine the year's Best Buys, and a total of 7,191 respondents voiced their choices for 1998's winners. Of that number, 6,464 Computer Shopper readers cast their ballots from our Web site. We asked readers to name their ...
Value Desktop: Gateway G6-266.(one of best products of year in reader survey )(Product Information)
Jan 01, 1999; ... Buyers keep coming back to the direct channel because it offers value as well as selection and convenience. Likewise, Computer Shopper readers have once again recognized Gateway for delivering outstanding value, saluting the Gateway G6-266 as the Best Value Desktop PC of 1998. ...
High-End Notebook: IBM ThinkPad 770E.(one of best products of 1998 in reader survey)(Product Information)
Jan 01, 1999; ... For the fourth year in a row, Computer Shopper readers have hailed an IBM ThinkPad as the year's best road racer. This year's winner, IBM Corp.'s ThinkPad 770E, is a 266MHz Pentium II laptop that goes the distance in features and performance. The ThinkPad impressed our readers ...
Home PC: Gateway G6-400.(one of best products of 1998 in reader survey)(Product Information)
Jan 01, 1999; ... Average buyers shopping for a home PC typically plan to spend roughly $2,000, according to Gateway. The direct-channel giant sure knows its market because Computer Shopper readers have given a repeat nod in the direction of South Dakota, voting the Gateway G6-400 the Best Home PC for 1998 ....
Value Notebook: Toshiba Satellite 320CDS.(best products of 1998 in reader survey )(Product Information)
Jan 01, 1999; ... It's no mystery why Computer Shopper readers chose Toshiba America Information Systems' Satellite 320CDS as the Best Value Notebook PC: It costs a mere $1,499 yet delivers plenty of muscle and features for that low price. The 320CDS--also sold as the 325CDS, depending on the ...
Lightweight Notebook: Micron GoBook 266.(best products of 1998)(Product Information)
Jan 01, 1999; ... Computer Shopper readers who like to travel light packed Micron Electronics' GoBook 266 in 1998. Or at least they wished they did. The $2,299 base configuration for this ultraportable features a 266MHz MMX Mobile Pentium processor, 512K of L2 cache, 32MB of EDO DRAM, a 2.1GB ...
Network Server: Compaq Proliant 7000.(among top-rated products in 1998 reader poll)(Product Information)
Jan 01, 1999; ... Servers must meet the highest standards for power, fault tolerance, and security, and Compaq Computer Corp.'s top-of-the-line ProLiant 7000 performs like a champ in all three arenas. One of the most powerful Intel-based systems ever produced, the 7000 can be configured with up to four ...
Palmtop/Handheld PC: Palm III.(among best products of 1998 in reader poll)(Product Information)
Jan 01, 1999; ... Palm Computing, a 3Com Co., claims a 66 percent share of the worldwide handheld computing market, so it's not surprising that Computer Shopper readers gave a high five to the Palm III. In fact, its closest competition is its predecessor, the slightly less capable PalmPilot Professional. ...
Graphics Card: Diamond Viper V330.(among top-rated products in 1998 reader poll)(Product Information)
Jan 01, 1999; ... There's nothing like raw, searing speed to make a graphics card stand out from the crowd. So it's no surprise that our readers voted Diamond Multimedia Systems' blazingly fast Viper V330 as the Best Graphics Card of the year. The V330 sells for about $118 by mail and is based on ...
Monitor: ViewSonic P815.(reader poll for best products of 1998)(Product Information)
Jan 01, 1999; ... Computer Shopper readers voted with their eyes and saw ViewSonic Corp.'s 21-inch ViewSonic P815 as the year's Best Monitor. For those with executive-size desks--and budgets to match--this $1,295 behemoth offers a 0.25mm dot pitch, a flat-square tube, and a 76Hz refresh rate at 1,800x1,440 ....
Motherboard: Asus P2B.(reader poll: best products of 1998)(Product Information)
Jan 01, 1999; ... Keeping pace with technology can be a mighty expensive proposition if you buy a new PC every time a new round of processors is introduced. For those comfortable tinkering with their systems, one cost-effective approach is to replace the computer's motherboard and CPU. But how do you know ...
CD-R or CD-RW Drive: HP SureStore CD-Writer Plus 7200.(best products of 1998 in reader poll)(Product Information)
Jan 01, 1999; ... Riding the crest of 1998's CD-Rewritable (CD-RW) tsunami was Hewlett-Packard Co.'s spiffy HP SureStore CD-Writer Plus. Available in both an internal version and an external parallel-port version, priced at $367 and $462, respectively, the 7200 was recognized by our readers as an ...
DVD-ROM Drive: Creative Labs PC-DVD Encore Dxr2.(reader poll: best products of 1998)(Product Information)
Jan 01, 1999; ... When the first DVD-ROM upgrade kits came out, few people rushed out to buy them because they were difficult to install, cost more than $500, and delivered mediocre performance. All that changed when Creative Labs' $199 PC-DVD Encore Dxr2 came along. Both the hardware and the ...
Hard Drive: Western Digital Caviar Series.(reader poll: best products of 1998)(Product Information)
Jan 01, 1999; ... Western Digital Corp.'s Caviar line of EIDE hard disk drives is one of the most comprehensive and respected in the computer industry. The current lineup includes 13 5,200- and 5,400-rpm models with storage capacities that range from 2.1GB to 10.1GB and prices that range from $136 to $322 ...
Inkjet Printer: HP DeskJet 722C.(reader poll: best products of 1998)(Product Information)
Jan 01, 1999; ... Our readers voted Hewlett-Packard Co.'s $299 DeskJet 722C the Best Inkjet Printer for 1998, which is quite an achievement considering that many of the buyers of this hardy home-oriented product have computer-savvy kids. And that means the best inkjet must deliver output as bright as ...
Modem: 3Com U.S. Robotics 56K Faxmodem.(reader poll: best products of 1998)(Product Information)
Jan 01, 1999; ... For the second year running, our readers chose 3Com Corp.'s incredibly popular line of U.S. Robotics 56K Faxmodems as Best Modem. The current line, which ranges in price from $118 to $182, includes internal and external versions of both voice-enabled and data-only models, as ...
Removable/Backup Drive: Iomega Zip.(reader poll: best products of 1998)(Product Information)
Jan 01, 1999; ... In one of the industry's most remarkable success stories, Iomega Corp.'s 100MB Zip drives have quickly grown from an exotic niche product to become one of the most popular removable-storage solutions on the market. The current line now includes both SCSI and parallel-port external models, ...
Laser Printer: HP LaserJet 4000se.(reader poll: best products of 1998)(Product Information)
Jan 01, 1999; ... Computer Shopper readers have again saluted Hewlett-Packard Co.'s laser printers for their sophisticated capabilities, this year naming the HP LaserJet 4000se as 1998's best. Totally redesigned to improve usability, speed, and output quality, it represents a major advance over earlier ...
Scanner: HP ScanJet 5100C Series.(reader poll: best products of 1998)(Product Information)
Jan 01, 1999; ... This was the year that scanners finally became a mainstream commodity, with dozens of high-quality units appearing below the once-unimaginable price of $300. Choosing a favorite from a field this size couldn't have been easy, but our readers rose to the challenge by voting HP's innovative ...
Uninterruptible Power Supply: APC Smart-UPS.(top UPS of 1998)(Industry Trend or Event)
Jan 01, 1999; ... American Power Conversion (APC) Corp. once again won the confidence of Computer Shopper readers, who this year voted the APC Smart-UPS line as the best uninterruptible power supply (UPS). By adding a microprocessor to its UPS line, APC makes power protection interactive, enabling vital ...
Business and Personal Productivity Software: Microsoft Office 97.(Industry Trend or Event)
Jan 01, 1999; ... No surprise here: Microsoft Corp.'s Microsoft Office is the perennial fave when it comes to productivity suites. In fact, our readers voted it as the best software for both the Business and Personal Productivity categories. The software titan didn't take a one-size-fits-all approach when ...
Digital Camera: Sony MVC-FD7 Digital Mavica.(Industry Trend or Event)
Jan 01, 1999; ... This year's proliferation of sub-$1,000 megapixel cameras may make $643 seem a little pricey for a model limited to 640x480 resolution. But that didn't faze our readers, who voted Sony Electronics' feature-packed MVC-FD7 Digital Mavica the Best Digital Camera. Most impressive ...
Graphics/Design Software: Adobe Photoshop 5.0.(Industry Trend or Event)
Jan 01, 1999; ... Industrial-strength image editing calls for equally powerful software, and Adobe Systems' $602 Adobe Photoshop is still the top choice among Computer Shopper readers. In fact, the new version 5.0 made a great package even better by adding a host of features. Enhancements include ...
Best New Product of 1998: Microsoft Windows 98.(Industry Trend or Event)
Jan 01, 1999; ... With Microsoft Corp. entrenched in antitrust litigation, the Microsoft Windows 98 upgrade has received more press than any other computer program in recent memory, both positive and negative. Nevertheless, when we asked our readers what they thought was the Best New Product of ...
Games/Multimedia: StarCraft.(Blizzard Entertainment's StarCraft best multimedia game of 1998 )(Industry Trend or Event)
Jan 01, 1999; ... Spend a few sessions playing StarCraft, Blizzard Entertainment's epic sci-fi masterpiece that sells for $37, and you'll wonder how Computer Shopper readers ever disengaged themselves long enough to vote it the top game of 1998. A real-time strategy game of interstellar ...
Web-Authoring Software: Microsoft FrontPage 98.(Industry Trend or Event)
Jan 01, 1999; ... Whether you're creating a one-page Web site to show off your new pet iguana or a 300-page corporate site complete with Java applets and ad banners to showcase your new pet-food business, Microsoft Corp.'s Microsoft FrontPage 98 is the tool Shopper readers would recommend. Not only does ...
Desktop Computers: Dell Computer Corp.(Dell voted Best Place to Buy Desktop Computers in 1998)(Industry Trend or Event)
Jan 01, 1999; ... Considering that Dell Computer Corp. achieves a reported $5 million in daily sales from its Web site alone, not to mention the vendor's well-deserved reputation for quality systems and excellent support, it's not particularly surprising that our readers named Dell the Best Place to Buy ...
Motherboards: Treasure Chest Computers.(best source for computer upgrades in 1998)(Industry Trend or Event)
Jan 01, 1999; ... Take a deep selection of products, throw in a little New Orleans whimsy, and add 12 years of hard work, and what emerges is Treasure Chest (TC) Computers. This company bills itself as "the best place to buy computer upgrades," and Computer Shopper readers definitely agree. It's their ...
Notebook Computers: MicroWarehouse.(best place to buy notebooks)(Industry Trend or Event)
Jan 01, 1999; ... Sales of notebook computers are booming, and buyers often stick with well-known names when purchasing portables because finding spare parts and getting service can be more difficult than with desktop systems. Accordingly, a good selection of brand-name notebooks is one of the primary ...
Monitors: CDW Computer Centers.(best place to buy monitors)(Industry Trend or Event)
Jan 01, 1999; ... It's all about stock and selection. Those are the key reasons why Computer Shopper readers chose CDW Computer Centers as the best shopping spot for monitors. For starters, CDW offers more than 500 monitors from roughly 40 vendors, including such big players as Acer, Apple, ...
Multimedia Products: PC Mall.(Industry Trend or Event)
Jan 01, 1999; ... It's clear why Computer Shopper readers head for PC Mall when it's time to buy multimedia products. With a wide range of brands, online ordering, flexible shipping and payment options, and top-notch support, PC Mall brings variety, convenience, and value to the entire shopping experience. ...
Printers: CDW Computer Centers.(best place to buy computer printers)(Industry Trend or Event)
Jan 01, 1999; ... Looking for an expansive selection of printers? If so, follow our readers' advice and check out CDW Computer Centers, which currently offers roughly 300 models at prices that range from less than $200 to almost $16,000. The company offers printers in just about every printing technology ...
Storage Products: Megahaus.(best place to buy data storage products)(Industry Trend or Event)
Jan 01, 1999; ... It's no surprise that Computer Shopper readers have given the nod to MegaHaus, a repeat winner from last year, as 1998's Best Place to Buy Storage Products. The company has focused on storage peripherals for the past 10 years, providing a one-stop drive shop. If you need ...
Service and Support: Dell Computer Corp.(Industry Trend or Event)
Jan 01, 1999; ... Dell Computer Corp. won this year's nod for Best Service and Support from Computer Shopper readers because the vendor consistently recognizes that there's no substitute for showing a good attitude--both before and after the sale. Dell has standard support that is some other ...
Software: The PC Zone.(best online software site)(Industry Trend or Event)
Jan 01, 1999; ... You can't turn around these days without stumbling on a store or a Web site that sells PC software. But some sources rise above the pack because of their variety of titles, flexible ordering and shipping options, and friendly return policies. For these reasons, our readers like to call The ...
Upgrade Components And Accessories: CDW Computer Centers.(Industry Trend or Event)
Jan 01, 1999; ... When you're looking for upgrade components or accessories, try CDW Computer Centers, the winning choice among Computer Shopper readers. This mail-order vendor offers a wealth of products in such areas as CPU upgrades; memory upgrades for systems and printers; video cards; TV tuner cards; ...
Direct Channel Trendsetter: Gateway.(best direct PC marketing award winner)(Industry Trend or Event)
Jan 01, 1999; ... Imagine buying a computer and not having to worry about obsolescence. If a computer vendor could guarantee you this, you'd feel less angst about forking over two grand. Gateway did just that when it launched YourWare, a financing program with competitive rates and cutting-edge ...
Peripherals: MicroWarehouse.(best direct channel for peripherals)(Industry Trend or Event)
Jan 01, 1999; ... It's the Mall of America of computer-and-peripherals catalogers, a place where seen-it-all technology junkies still find surprising bargains. Via its three core print catalogs, a burgeoning network of Web sites, and well-organized ads in Computer Shopper, MicroWarehouse purveys constantly ...
Systems: CyberMax Computer.(best source for systems)(Industry Trend or Event)
Jan 01, 1999; ... After beginning life a decade ago as a small R&D house, CyberMax Computer has quietly built a name for itself as an aggressive direct marketer of value-oriented PCs. Today, the company sets itself apart from its higher-profile competitors by offering great deals on Intel-based systems--and ...
Value leaders.(overview of evaluation of six low-cost notebooks)(Hardware Review)(Evaluation)
Jan 01, 1999; ... These six affordable portables, ranging in cost from $1,495 to $1,799, are redefining the capabilities and features of the low-cost notebook By now the trend is obvious: The economic changes that have left dark clouds looming over hardware manufacturers have resulted in silver ...