Editors' picks: our choices for the best products for your business - Cover Story

Home Office Computing, Jan, 1994

WHAT BETTER WAY TO START THE NEW YEAR THAN BY GETTING YOUR BUSINESS IN SHAPE FOR THE 12 MONTHS AHEAD?

* WHETHER YOUR NEW YEAR'S RESOLUTION IS TO MAKE YOURSELF MORE ACCESSIBLE TO YOUR CLIENTS, LAUNCH A NEWSLETTER TO BRING IN MORE ACCOUNTS, OR PREPARE FOR MARATHON ON-THE-ROAD SESSIONS, YOU'LL FIND THE TOOLS TO MAKE IT HAPPEN HERE. HOME OFFICE COMPUTING'S ANNUAL EDITORS' PICKS REPRESENT THE PRODUCTS WE THINK ARE BEST SUITED TO YOUR NEEDS--FEATURE RICH AND WELL DESIGNED, THEY PROMISE MAXIMUM PRODUCTIVITY FOR YOUR DOLLAR. WE SELECTED OUR WINNERS PRIMARILY FROM THE GLUT OF HARDWARE, SOFTWARE, AND OFFICE EQUIPMENT INTRODUCED IN 1993. SOME OF THE PRODUCTS, LIKE THE WINDOWS VERSION OF PC TOOLS, ARE NEWCOMERS TO THE FRAY; OTHERS, LIKE WORDPERFECT FOR DOS V6.0, ARE REVAMPED VERSIONS OF OLD FRIENDS. ALL OF THEM ARE CHAMPS IN THEIR OWN RIGHT.

* WE LIST OUR EDITORS' PICKS BY CATEGORY--COMPUTERS, CORE APPLICATIONS, COMMUNICATIONS, MONEY, PERIPHERALS/OFFICE EQUIPMENT, AND DESKTOP PUBLISHING/GRAPHICS.

COMPUTERS DESKTOPS GATEWAY 2000 4DX2-66V For Windows, DOS

If you have Pentium taste on a 486 budget, we have the system for you. Gateway's 4DX2-66V is both a bargain and a screamer, sporting such performance optimizers as two VESA local bus slots, a fast video card, and a healthy dose of cache. The system also ships with a 15-inch SVGA monitor, a 424MB hard-disk drive, 16MB RAM, and a double-speed CD-ROM drive. We could ramble on and on about all this system has to offer, but suffice it to say that in terms of price and power, this is as close as it gets to the perfect PC. $2,995, Gateway 2000, (605) 232-2000, (800) 846-2000.

APPLE QUADRA 660AV For Mac

Are you ready for the new era of personal computing? Apple wins accolades for delivering a multimedia computer that goes beyond the CD-ROM drive and sound card variety. With its speedy 68040 CPU and built-in digital signal processor (DSP), the Apple Quadra 660AV (formerly dubbed a Centris) stitches together telephone and video capabilities, 16-bit stereo audio, and an optional 9600 bps fax/modem in one sleek box. You can use this versatile Mac as a speakerphone, automate menu commands through speech recognition, and output presentations to videotape using your VCR. The best part is yet to come, as software developers create innovative business applications to meet the possibilities provided in this forward-thinking hardware. $2,579 to $3,169, Apple Computer, (408) 996-1010, (800) 538-9696.

NOTEBOOKS NEC ULTRALITE VERSA For Windows, DOS

In a world of rapid technological advances, you can't buy a piece of equipment without questioning its potential life span. The UltraLite Versa, however, may never become a dinosaur--as long as NEC continues to offer faster processors and better displays for you to snap into place, including a replacement LCD screen that will convert the Versa to a pen-based system. Released late last year, the new Versa E series improves on the original design with an integrated trackball and shrunken AC adapter. Almost any portable is a prize by the convenience it affords. Throw in this kind of flexibility with a three-year warranty, and the UltraLite Versa is a hands-down winner. $3,059 to $5,079, NEC Technologies, (508) 264-8000, (800) 388-8888.

MACINTOSH POWERBOOK 180 For Mac

At first, the HOC staff leaned toward awarding the Editors' Pick to the PowerBook 165c, for its suprb blend of speed, screen, and cost. But the more we gazed at the rock-solid active-matrix screen on the PowerBook 180, we though the heck with the extra cost--it's worth it. With essentially the same speedy innards as the 165c (powered in both cases by a 33-MHz 68030 microprocessor), the screen's the thing on the 180. Its 16-level grayscale can be read easily fromn any angle, and even after hours of work, our eyes remained rested. $2,479, Apple Computer, (408) 996-1010, (800) 538-9696.

PALMTOPS HP 100LX For DOS

When you don't need a full-size computer but do need a fully featured electronic companion, the 100LX may be your best bet. Equipped with a PCMCIA Type II expansion slot for a memory card or modem, this 11-ounce wonder ships with Lotus 1-2-3, cc:Mail, a file-management program, notepad, database-management system, telephone and address book, calendar, and financial calculator. The 100LX runs DOS, so you can load any DOS application that fits into memory. The 100LX is not designed for tough-typing, but it provides a great way to keep organized and abreast of your e-mail and files while you're on the road. $749, Hewlett-Packard, (208)323-2551, (800) 443-1254.

CORE APPLICATIONS DATABASES APPROACH FOR WINDOWS V2.1 FOR WINDOWS

We're not the only ones who love this attractive and easy-to-use database from Approach Software; the folks at Lotyus loved it so much--they bought the company! Approach for Windows is truly a database for the masses because it requires no knowledge of programming but offers true relational database power. Used as either a frond end for existing dBase, ForPro, and Paradox files and indexes or as a standalone application, Approach will have you up and running in record time. $395, Lotus Development, (617) 577-8500, (800) 343-5414.