In the notebook range, the new design concentrated on portability. In the previous range the in-built mouse or tracker was virtually unusable. It required two hands: thumb of the left to direct the pointer and finger of the right to click.
The new range and a neat button between the G and H keys to control the pointer with two click buttons at the base of the keyboard.
The new range is about one kilogram light. Part of this is achieved by making the floppy drive detachable. Of greater importance for the traveller, is that the floppy drive can be replaced with a second battery pack (with smooth transition between the two) for great battery time.
When, Oh Lord, will a portable come with a connector to standard AA batteries?
The ultimate in portability though, is the new connection to cellular phone. You can connect up anywhere within the mobile net area through a portable phone. NEC has naturally done the connection with its own phone range first. It is done with a PCMCIA card, similar to the new range of fax modems.
Given that you can never get a modem to work through a public phone and often have great hassles connecting through hotel phones, the mobile-phone connection will be a gem for the travelling worker — such as journalists.
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Neville Roach is to be the new chairman of the Australian Information Industry Association, replacing Dick Simpson who resigned in June.
Roach joined IBM Australia in 1980 and went to Fujitsu in 1989 where he became general manager.
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Canberra company ComputerQuest has won Toshiba Australia’s “”Reseller of the Year Award” it was announced last week.
Toshiba tops the mobile market in Australia.
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Both Digital and Compaq announced heavy price reductions in the past week — for different reasons: the former after large losses and a worldwide organisational shake-up; the latter after a boom in sales and a desire to take advantage of increased market share.
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Microsoft has announced two additions to its CD-ROM range. The first is Ancient Lands ($115) an educational CD on Egypt, Greece, Rome and other ancient civilisation. The second is Complete Baseball ($115), details of which I am suppressing on the grounds of cultural imperialism until Microsoft produces Complete Australian Rules. But you can get the idea, video clips of Babe Ruth and manic detail of home run averages etc.
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Upgrades for Mac users: Aldus has announced Persuasion 3.0 for the Power Macintosh and Microsoft has announced Microsoft Works 4.0 for the Macintosh.
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David Ives is back from long-service leave. This is my last week of cobbling together the computer pages, though I shall contribute occasionally on various hobby horses such as environmentally sound electronic publishing and copyright.