Our tribute to the year's finest examples of software and hardware engineering.
BYTE Editors
In the past year, we've looked at more than 1000 products -- everything from mice to monitors, disks to databases. We've reviewed them, used them, lived with them. In some cases, we've even broken them. Throughout this year-long process, a few products have stood out. These are the products that we feel deserve accolades for a job well done. The
Awards of Excellence
go to products that truly set new standards in their respective categories. The
Awards of Distinction
denote products that have raised the bar with innovative technology or features or a remarkable price.
Awards of Merit
go to products that are worth noting for an interesting feature or for their price.
As always, we have winners in many categories -- development tools, video editing tools, browsers, systems, and operating systems. But regardless of their category,
these are best-of-breed products -- the products that make computing interesting.
Awards of Excellence
Dragon NaturallySpeaking
Dr. Doolittle might be able to talk to the animals, but with NaturallySpeaking, you can talk to your computer -- without all those awkward pauses. After a period of training, NaturallySpeaking will take down what you say with accuracy that, for the first time, really
is nearly 100 percent. PC-aided dictation is finally here. Dragon Systems, Newton, MA; 617-965-5200.
http://www.dragonsystems.com
Microsoft Internet Explorer 4
Setting any legal disputes aside for the moment,
Internet Explorer
is poised to be so seamlessly integrated with the Windows UI that you're never sure where the line between your system, the intranet, and the Internet lies. In the features war, IE 4.0 fares well, particularly in how Microsoft has applied eXtensible Markup Language (XML) to its push technology. It's also an early adopter of cascading style sheets and data-bound Web page controls. Microsoft, Redmond, WA; 206-882-8080.
http://www.microsoft.com
Netscape Communicator 4
This browser may be poised to become your new user interface. Thanks to Netscape, you can now have
the same UI
on 17 different operating systems, with information being pushed into your desktop from corporate intranets and the public Internet alike using Netscape's standards-based Netcaster push technology. And the Collabra Client dramatically resets what we expect of Internet groupware. Netscape Communications, Mountain View, CA; 650-937-2555.
http://home.netscape.com
Play Trinity
If you do anything with video, you'll be amazed at what $4995 can buy you. This live production editor can mix as many as eight video sources, two still stores, and a matte gene
rator in real time at full D1 resolution. This is the future of TV. Play, Rancho Cordova, CA; 916-851-0800.
http://www.play.com
Awards of Distinction
Acme Laboratories Acme.Serve
Like the JavaSoft Java Web Server, Acme.Serve is another Java-extensible HTTP server. Except this one is about 1500 lines of code -- just enough to deliver a .class file and start up a servlet-applet conversation. Acme Laboratories, Berkeley, CA; no phone number.
http://www.acme.com/java/software/Acme.Serve.Serve.html
Apple Mac OS 8
The Mac OS just got easier to use: Pop-up tabs for frequently used folders help organize your work, context-sensitive menus help guide you through complex operations, to name a few improvements. And the multithreaded Finder enables you to be copying several files in the background while you launch other apps. Apple Computer, Cupertino, CA; 408-996-1010.
http://www.apple.com
Apple PowerBook 3400/240
No, it's not the lightest notebook, nor does it have the biggest screen, but it has a huge hard drive (2 GB, soon to be 4 GB) and long battery life (3 hours of heavy-duty use, according to BYTE's own testing), plus built-in 10Base-T Ethernet and a 33.6-Kbps modem. What these models lack in weight, they make up in brawn: They're the fastest, most powerful notebooks on the planet, with PowerPC chips running
at up to 240 MHz. Apple Computer, Cupertino, CA; 408-996-1010.
http://www
.apple.com
Borland
JBuilder
Database integration, code obfuscation (to make it harder for people to download your code and disassemble it), and a slick, automated user interface make JBuilder a must-have for any serious Java developer. Borland, Scotts Valley, CA; 800-233-2444, 408-431-1000.
http://www.borland.com
Caldera OpenLinux 1.1
It's no mean feat to run a public Web server with hundreds of users each day and never crash. Add the integrated Netscape FastTrack Server, StarOffice Productivity Suite of desktop
apps, and integrated NetWare connectivity, and you get a powerful desktop or server. Caldera, Provo, UT; 801-377-7687.
http://www.caldera.com
Citrix WinFrame 1.7
WinFrame
was cool before it was cool to be a thin client. Version 2.0 made it cooler by adding dynamic load balancing between CPUs. Citrix Systems, Fort Lauderdale, FL; 954-267-3000.
http://www.citrix.com
Connectix Virtual PC
Who else but Connectix could whip out a Pentium emulator for the Mac, complete with MMX instructions, PCI bus, and IDE drive emulation? Connectix, San Mateo, CA; 650-571-5100.
http://www.connectix.com
IBM ThinkPad 770
The
ThinkPad 770
gives you more of everything: a 14.1-inch screen, 20X CD-ROM, full MPEG-2, Pentium CPU running as fast as 233 MHz, and up to a 5.1-GB disk drive. But would you expect anything less from IBM? IBM Personal Computer Company, Somers, NY; 800-426-2968.
http://www.us.pc.ibm.com/thinkpad
JavaSoft Java Web Server
You can extend the capabilities of this Java-based HTTP server by writing servlets -- Java applets that execute on the server, not on the client. This kind of server application development is going to be a major part
of the future of application building. Sun Microsystems, Palo Alto, CA; 415-842-7500.
http://www.javasoft.com
Marimba Bongo 1.0
As a professional Java development tool,
Bongo
may lack some of the features of Symantec's Visual Café Pro. But as a Java development tool for the rest of us, it goes a long way toward applying Visual Basic-like ease to Java programming. Marimba, Palo Alto, CA; 415-328-5282.
http://www.marimba.com
Metrowerks CodeWarrior 11
One of the all-time great development tools for the Mac, but it targets just about any platform you can imagine. The l
atest release, CodeWarrior 11, tackles C, C++, Object Pascal, and Java. Platform-wise, it supports just about everything from the Palm Pilot to MIPS processors to the BeOS. Metrowerks, Austin, TX; 800-377-5416, 512-305-0400.
http://www.metrowerks.com
Microsoft IIS 3.0
Microsoft's Internet Information Server wasn't the first Windows NT Web server, but its high performance, ease of use, key management features, client authentication, Active Server Pages, and efficient thread-pool architecture make it one of our most relied upon. Microsoft, Redmond, WA; 206-882-8080.
http://www.microsoft.com
Microsoft
Transaction Server
Server-side components are hot stuff, but how do you get them working together? Microsoft's answer is Transaction Server. Integrated with Windows NT and Internet Information Server, MTS provides an environment for ActiveX components to work together. Microsoft, Redmond, WA; 206-882-8080.
http://www.microsoft.com
Netscape SuiteSpot Professional Edition 3.1
SuiteSpot, a combination of Enterprise Server, Media Server, Catalog Server, Collabra Server, Messaging Server, Calendar Server, Directory Server, Proxy Server, Certificate Server, and LiveWire Pro, is one of the most complete suites of intranet/Internet/extranet development tools we've seen. Netscape Communications, Mountain View, CA; 650-937-2555.
http://home.netscape.com
Number Nine Revolution 3D
For video and 2-D graphics, this card is a scorcher. Add good 3-D and you have an excellent all-around card for multimedia production. Number Nine, Lexington, MA; 800-GET-NINE, 781-674-0009.
http://www.nine.com
Psion Series 5
Amidst all the razzle dazzle about Windows CE devices, Psion released an impressive alternative; the
Series 5
boasts a keyboard that's well thought out and EPOC, its slick operating system software. Psion Computers, London, U.K.; +44 (0) 171 3174100.
http://www.psion.com
Sun Java Workshop 2.0
You'd expect a Sun product to support the latest Java Development Kit. And a code profiler wouldn't be too unexpected. But would you also expect it to have an easy-to-use UI? Support for multiple OSes, including Windows 95? It does, plus more. Sun Microsystems, Palo Alto, CA; 800-786-7638, 415-842-7500.
http://www.sun.com/workshop/java
Sun Microsystems JDK 1.1
With version 1.1, JavaSoft attacked some of the deficiencies critics have cited about previous versions of the Java Development Kit (JDK). This edition brings improved performance and support for printing, digital signatures, and remote method invocation. Sun Microsystems, Palo Alto, CA; 415-842-7500.
http://www.javasoft.com
Symantec Visual Café for Java
An excellent visual integrated development environment (IDE) and native database support for Informix, Oracle, and Sybase databases make Visual Café Pro one of our top choices for Java development. Symantec, Cupertino, CA; 408-253-9600.
http://www.symantec.com
Toshiba
Libretto 50 CT
Windows CE and the hand-held PC made big splashes recently, but many users realized that CE was maybe a little too Spartan for their needs. At just over a pound and a half and measuring 8.3x4.5x1.3 inches, the Libretto looks like a heavy
Windows CE device. But when you get up close, you see it's running a full version of Windows 95, has a 772-MB disk, and a 75-MHz Pentium. Dock it and you've got a reasonable desktop. Toshiba America, New York, NY; 212-596-0600.
http://www.toshiba.com
Awards of Merit
Apple PowerBook 2400
Apple's going in the right direction with this one: a 4.4-pound notebook with a nice 800- by 600-pixel screen. It has the PC Card slots pointed to the rear for handily hooking up Ethernet or modem cards to wall sockets, and there's a SCSI port for plugging this road machine into office peripherals. Apple Computer, Cupertino, CA; 408-996-1010.
http://www.apple.com
Caligari trueSpace 3
If you want to learn how to do 3-D graphics, here's the ticket. Caligari's trueSpace has always been a program that's easy to learn, but with its metaball modeler, inverse kinematics, behaviors, and other professional-level features, it packs a serious wallop as well. With a $795 list price, it's hard to beat this package. Caligari, Mountain View, CA; 415-390-9600.
http://www.caligari.com
Chorus Systems Chorus/Cool ORB
You need Common Object Request Broker Architecture (CORBA) but don't have a lot of space? This mini-ORB will fit for most embedded applications, and it runs under Windows NT and 95, Linux, Solaris, and HP/UX. It's important enough that Sun bought Chorus lat
e this year. Chorus Systems, Campbell, CA; 408-879-4100.
http://www.chorus.com
Chorus Systems Chorus/Jazz r1
This is a Java-enabled real-time operating system with all the standard Java containers and classes. Chorus Systems, Campbell, CA; 408-879- 4100.
http://www.chorus.com
Dynamic Pictures Oxygen 402
High-end graphics previsualization gets real with this board's real-time texturing, modeling, and lighting. Four processors on the board and a scheme to off-load geometry to the main CPU are what make it happen. Dynamic Pictures, Santa Clara, CA; 408-327-9000.
http://www.dypic.com
Epson Stylus Color 800
At first glance, the Epson Stylus Color 800 seems like just another midpriced color ink-jet printer in a highly competitive market. What sets it apart is its amazing output resolution: 1440 by 720 dots per inch in color. This produces high-quality images that clearly surpass most color lasers. Epson, Torrance, CA; 310-782-0770.
http://www.epson.com
Intergraph
TDZ 2000
The best unified solution for 3-D on the PC. Challenges SGI on the high end with dual 300-MHz Pentium IIs, super-fast proprietary graphics boards, lots of expandability, and the best driver integration we've
seen yet for the major 3-D apps. And with its deep blue case, it's the first Intergraph product that looks good on the outside, too. Intergraph, Huntsville, AL; 515-296-0897.
http://www.intergraph.com
.
Iona OrbixWeb
OrbixWeb brings the combination of Java, Web programming, and CORBA into the realm of standard application programming, through both innovative technology and the relatively low price of $799. Iona Technologies, Dublin, Ireland; U.S.: 1-800-672-4948; Europe: +353-1 662-5255; Asia Pacific: + 61-8-9288-4000.
http://www.iona.com
JASC PaintShop Pro 4
The little shareware app that could
-- do anything with graphics, that is. Version 4 added support for new graphics types and also improved the user interface substantially. JASC, Minnetonka, MN; 612-930-9800.
http://www.jasc.com
Kinetix 3D Studio Max 2
This may be the biggest 3-D news this year. With literally a thousand new features, this already powerful 3-D application brings NURBS modeling, dynamics, selective ray tracing, extensive material controls, and much more to the table for $3495. Kinetix, San Francisco, CA; 415-547-2000.
http://www.ktx.com
Macromedia Director 6
The leading multimedia authoring program continues to get bette
r. Version 6 adds capability (it manages more elements better) and usability (like drag-and-drop behaviors). Macromedia, San Francisco, CA; 415-252-2000.
http://www.macromedia.com
Microsoft NetMeeting 2.0
Talk to me. Share your innermost data and applications. Do it for free. BYTE editors have used NetMeeting to "talk" to each other out-of-band during conference calls, sharing pictures, applications, and off-line comments. Microsoft, Redmond, WA; 206-882-8080.
http://www.microsoft.com
Newmonics PERC
Real-time Java? Are you crazy? Maybe, but Newmonics has done a lot of down-and-dirty researc
h into garbage collection and the headaches of trying to apply Java to real-time systems. Newmonics, Ames, IA; 515-296-0897.
http://www.newmonics.com
Seagate Cheetah ST34501
10,000 rpm. Speed like that will get you down to seek times of about 7.5 ms. It'll also boost the heat something fierce. But not with the Cheetah: Seagate engineered it to dissipate the heat of the more powerful hard disk assembly. 9.1 GB of Fibre Channel storage never looked better. Seagate Technology, Scotts Valley, CA; 408-438-8111.
http://www.seagate.com
Sonic Foundry Sound Forge 4
Finally, decent affordable (about $30
0) audio manipulation on the PC platform. Tons of power and laid out very well. Sonic Foundry, Madison, WI; 608-256-3133.
http://www.sfoundry.com
Wall Data Salsa 2.2
Semantic object modeling. It sounds like something you'd write about for a Ph.D thesis. Actually, it is, but it's also a superior way to build database applications quickly. Version 2.2 of Salsa improves previous versions' database access. Wall Data, Kirkland, WA; 206-814-9255.
http://www.walldata.com/
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1997 Editors' Choice Awards
