Monthly Archives: April 2003
Creative – MuVo 128MB
We had to think for a minute about the right word to describe the Creative MuVo. It’s small – exceedingly small, in fact – and it’s undeniably clever, useful, wearable, losable, nickable and desirable. But most of all, it’s refreshing. Yup, refreshing. What makes this nifty little MP3/WMA player-cum-USB flash drive refreshing is its utter,…
Asus – P4PE Black Pearl
Some time ago Asus launched a black PCB version of its well-liked Pentium 3 board, the CUSL2. Now comes the new, very limited edition Black Pearl, based on another of the company’s popular boards, the P4PE. Asus’s P4PE was and still is one of the better high-end, Intel 845, Pentium 4 boards, offering good performance…
Jadetec – Sumicom S600 Max
Just how small do you want your PC to be? How about 148mm wide by 254mm deep and just 71mm high – or in other words, just slighter smaller than a shoe box and weighing a mere 2.5kg. Sounds good? Then let’s take a look at the Sumicom S600 Max from Jadetec. In its black,…
Ability Plus Software – Ability Office
It’s hard to justify the installation of hundreds of megabytes of office software when all you really want to do is run off a few letters, keep track of the accounts with a spreadsheet and maybe manipulate an image or two. It’s even harder for small businesses and home users to justify the price tag…
Frontrange Solutions – Goldmine Business Contact Manager 6
For the average business user, keeping in touch with contacts, organising meetings, sharing information and generally maintaining details of work-related activities is fundamental to the smooth and successful running of your company. Frontline Solutions has just released the latest version of its Goldmine business contact manager (previous version reviewed here). This is a mature product…
Philips – J32RWDV Jackrabbit
Here’s an odd thing. Philips has released an external USB 2.0 combo drive called the Jackrabbit. Its official model code is the J32RWDV but both the box and the drive itself carry the word ‘Jackrabbit’ and a cartoon of a goofy rabbit. Hey, those crazy Dutch. A combo drive can be very useful as it…
TAS Software – TAS Books 3
The plethora of accounting packages available for the small business user can seem quite daunting and choosing the correct type for your business is not always easy. TAS Software has recognised this and produces a range of four accounting solutions plus a payroll package. Its ‘Bookkeeper’ software is an entry-level application for the small business,…
LaCie – PocketDrive CD-RW
The PocketDrive CD-RW is, as the name suggests, a small, external CD-RW drive. The drive module itself is a notebook-style unit rather than a full-sized ATAPI model, and it is just about pocketable as long as you have big pockets; say in an overcoat. It has the advantage that it can be used on both…
Carrera SSC – Area 51
While this little box may not attract the attention of the Men in Black, its make up and design do give it a hint of being out of this world, especially compared with the usual beige PC boxes. It’s built into a small-format case, looking spookily like a Shuttle SpaceCube, but actually a similar design…
Midway – Mortal Kombat: Deadly Alliance
If you find Kung Fu fighting a “little bit frightening”, then best get ready to hide behind the sofa when you fire up your X-Box and insert the Deadly Alliance disc. It’s seriously gory with an 18 certificate to prove it. As you hack, slash, punch and splinter your way through multiple opponents, the fighting…