Consumer's Buying Guide (1999)

Our annual round-up of the latest and greatest software, hardware, websites, and gadgets, reviewed by a panel of journalists and analysts. Just in time for holiday buying ideas for your favorite techie... or yourself. [Episode #1710, First broadcast: 11/23/1999] Paul E. Schindler Jr. Senior Editor, Winmag.com and BYTE.com with CMP Media. Paul's Picks: The new Compaq Aero 1500 Ultra-thin Palm-size PC is the thinnest Palm-size PC running Windows CE currently available. The Lexmark Z51 Color Jetprinter claims to have the highest inkjet resolution on the planet! X10's DVD Anywhere wireless remote lets you control everything on your PC including it's DVD Player. Tim Bajarin President of Creative Strategies. Tim's Picks: Handspring's Visor Handheld is a palmtop that has small add-on hardware products that expand the functionality of the Visor via the product's "Springboard" expansion slot. Polaroid PhotoMAX PDC 640 Digital Camera makes digital photography easy and affordable while delivering outstanding image quality. With the simple-to-use iMovie digital video editing software, Apple's iMac DV lets you create home movies, along with easy connection to the Internet. Possibly the iMac of PCs, the AMD Internet PC focuses on making PCs easier to set up, easier to use, and easier to upgrade. The IBM ThinkPad 240Z is ultra-thin, lightweight, and has loads of processing power and storage space. The lowest cost Armada solution, the Compaq Armada V300 Ultra Sub-Notebook, comes with an Intel Mobile Celeron processor, a mainstream hard drive capacity, and graphics/multimedia capability. The Psion Revo PDA offers agenda, contacts manager, email on the move, jotter, PC sync and lots more, all made to fit in your pocket. The PocketMail Backflip offers an integrated mobile e-mail solution for Palm connected organizers. Plus some hot products: With a 56K modem, an ethernet port, Mac OS 8.6 and all the right software already installed Apple's iBook is as Int