InformationWeek

Desktop Agenda: Give Users Holiday Gifts

A low-risk way to use up the budget could bring big rewards--and smiles

By Cheryl Currid
Issue column appeared: Dec. 18, 1995

Ho! Ho! Ho! It's that time of year again. It's time for my annual pitch for technology and business managers to spend every last dime of their discretionary budgets on computing toys.

Information systems and other departments frequently have a few dollars left at year's end. I suggest that you spend those leftover dollars on technology gizmos and gadgets in search of a mission.

Here's my justification: Many CEOs see my suggestion as a low-cost, l ow-risk way to introduce innovative thinking to corporate citizens.

So, if you're game, here's my list of fun--but potentially useful--technologies to explore: If you have homebound telecommuters, consider giving them space-saving desktop printer-fax-copier combos--the office equivalent of a Veg-O-Matic. Hewlett-Packard's OfficeJet LX, Lexmark's Medley, and others provide an easy and flexible way to consolidate several appliances into one small device. At street prices of $500 to $900, you can't go wrong trying several of these units.

The same goes for Visioneer's new PaperPort, a scanner that has wonder-ful document management software, yet costs less than $350. Visioneer provides hope for people with paper-cluttered desks. You need only to scan in and file a document; then it's ready to be attached to E-mail messages, faxed, or printed. In my office, it's helping us become less paper-dependent and better organized.

Like many IS managers, you may already have users asking for recommendations fo r a home computer for junior (and junior's parents). If you haven't studied the home market, let me share my top recommendations. Compaq's Presario is a crowd-pleaser that comes with full-screen video capability and exquisite sound. It can be installed in about 12 minutes by a 12-year-old. (Parents may need a little longer.)

Acer's Aspire line wins my award for fashion and style. Available in deep emerald green or charcoal, the Aspire is attractive enough for a living room. And with a 100-MHz Pentium and 1-Gbyte hard drive, this computer's power matches its great looks. Another distinctive and very clever desktop design is Packard Bell's corner-fitting PC.

Holiday Cards
For laptop-toting road warriors, send out a few cards for Christmas--PC Cards, that is. My favorite cards this year come with portable CD-ROM devices attached. There are plenty to choose from, and most run on AA batteries (though not for long). Many manufacturers also bundle a power adapter. My favorites among these toys (er, important external expansion devices) come from EXP Memory Products, Panasonic, and Sony. The EXP unit is available in a quad-speed model, which is wonderful for multimedia on the road. Panasonic's and Sony's units are both small and sleek. All can double as an audio CD player so tight packers can save suitcase space.

When the day is done and people are stressed from stuffing their brains with information, encourage them to chill out. Brain-Storm Technologies makes a PersonAll Programmer headset designed to help people "reprogram" themselves. This patented technology uses glasses with tiny lights that create meaningless patterns. As the glasses strip away reality, earphones with music, tones, and voice instructions help people relax or change behavior patterns.

I may be out of space, but not ideas. You can visit my Web site for more product details. I'll be back with a peek at products for your new year's budget. Happy Holidays!

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