Tired of fumbling around behind your desktop system
for a serial port every time you have to transfer files to and from your desktop system and ultraportable?
The
Gateway 2000 Liberty DX4-100 Deluxe
, the
IBM ThinkPad 701C
, and the
Hewlett-Packard OmniBook 600CT
have infrared ports and accompanying software for wireless data transfer. You point the Irda-compliant ports on these advanced ultraportables to an infrared module connected to the desktop to exchange files, or to an infrared-capable printer to print documents.
The ThinkPad 701C comes with an expansion unit
(it attaches to the back of the system) called the MultiPort II, which has eight ports for a serial device, a parallel device, audio input an
d output devices, a keyboard, a mouse/numeric keypad, a power port, and an external display. The module weighs less than one-half pound, and you can leave it home if you don't anticipate attaching external devices during your jaunt.
Digital Equipment put a lot of thought into the trackball
on its HiNote Ultra CT475. The left-click mouse button wraps almost entirely around the trackball, while the seldom-used right-click button is just a sliver above the trackball.
BYTE Digest editors every month analyze and evaluate the best articles from Information Week, EE Times, Dr. Dobb's Journal, Network Computing, Sys Admin,
and dozens of other CMP publications—bringing
you critical news and information about wireless communication,
computer security, software development, embedded systems,
and more!
Honorable Mentions
