Centre Your Home Office - Hardware Review - Evaluation

Home Office Computing, Sept, 2000 by Bonny L. Georgia

Xerox WorkCentre 390 HOC RATING: 6

Requirements: Win 95/98/NT/2000, 24MB RAM, 1OMB hard disk space List Price: $450 Manufacturer: Xerox Corp., 800-832-6979, www.xerox.com

The major benefit to multifunction peripherals (MFPs) is regaining desk space hogged by a separate printer, scanner, and fax machine. The Xerox WorkCentre 390 does this and provides quality in all modes. Too bad setup was such a pain.

The laser-based WorkCentre 390 handles faxes at 6 seconds per page and copies 10 pages per minute (ppm) in standalone mode. Hook it to your Windows PC and it's a high-quality monochrome printer rated at 10ppm. Penny-pinchers will appreciate the built-in 24-bit color page scanner, although like most MFPs, the Xerox is more appropriate for document scanning and optical character recognition (Pagis Pro 2.0 and TextBridge Pro 98 are included) than graphics studio work.

Getting the WorkCentre to work proved a challenge. Our Windows 98 Pentium III test system's USB port refused to recognize the unit (which, oddly enough, worked fine on a Pentium II running a beta version of Windows Me). When we tried to scan, an error said we needed to use a parallel cable. When we switched to the included cable, we got warnings stating the cable was working improperly. Uninstalling and reinstalling the drivers using the parallel connection did the trick, but so much for USB plug-and-play.

Setup hurdles behind us, we found the WorkCentre's print quality crisp and fast at 600 dots per inch (dpi). Average output was close to the rated speed at 9ppm. Even at the highest settings, the sheet-fed scanner's images won't challenge a 30-bit flatbed, but they're fine for use in newsletters or Web sites. The unit also produced crisp copies.

If you overcome the setup woes, you'll find the WorkCentre a worthy home office machine.

[up arrow] Quality output and speed; small desktop footprint

[up arrow] USB versus parallel headaches

A Long-Distance Mouser

Logitech HouseMan Wheel Optical HOC RATING: 8

If you dislike polo shirts with designer Logos, steer clear of Logitech's MouseMan Wheel Optical--the company's newest PC- and Mac-compatible mouse tweaks the glowing taillight of Microsoft's IntelliMouse Explorer with a glowing Logitech logo. But though the curvy purple pointing device will clash with almost any desktop decor, it'll also deliver a smooth, ergonomic experience, with the same no-mousepad-required, never-needs-cleaning optical technology as its Microsoft rival, for a one-third-lower price ($50; 800-732-3039, www.logitech.com).

The bulky MouseMan is uncomfortable for small or left hands, but fits good-size righties like a glove. Logitech's software lets you customize its buttons, including the scroll wheel and convenient thumb button, to a fare-thee-well, while a rubberized grip keeps you on track and the logo, well, looks cool in dark rooms. --Eric Grevstad

The Suite of a Different Drummer

Star0ffice 5.2 HOC RATING: 7

It still looks a bit quirky and complex next to microsoft's and Corel's suites, but you still can't beat the price--and now Sun has knocked a few rough edges off its robust Windows and Linux (a Mac version is promised) application bundle. StarOffice 5.2 (free download, $40 boxed; www.sun.com/staroffice) boasts better compatibility with Microsoft Office documents, friendlier font- and file-handling dialog boxes, and improved Web and disk-handout export for presentations. The word processor gains new formatting options for business cards at one extreme and indexed books at the other, while a new database engine (a separate 12MB download from the 79MB main file) offers enterprise capacity instead of FileMaker Pro-style simplicity. Try it; you're likely to like it. --E. G.

One Computer Desk, Coming Up

Sauder Computer Cart HOC RATING: 8

Whether it's because you're short on time, space, or cash, you can't always treat yourself to solid wood furniture--which is why companies like Sauder Woodworking prosper. Its Bayshore Collection rolling computer cart Model 4199-267 in an Anderson Oak finish ($90; 800-523-3987, www.sauder.com) is an easy-to-assemble and surprisingly sturdy piece of furniture with professional appeal.

Assembly required nothing more than a hammer and Phillips screwdriver, and the finished product--though rough-edged in spots--holds a PC, printer, scanner, and uninterruptible power supply (UPS) without looking cheap. For those who need a second workstation fast, this cart is a bargain. --Marshall F. Lager