By Issie Rabinovitch
Tech products seem to be appearing on the market faster than a 2.2-GHz Pentium 4 can compute data. Some are more for entertainment than for work, but many have features you might find useful. CAmagazine has asked technology writer Issie Rabinovitch to test new products and write regular assessments for this column. Issie has been working with CAs in the technology field for years and, in choosing the products, he has your needs in mind. Issie rates each on a scale of one to three stars.
 good product strong product exceptional product
 IBM ThinkPad T42
IBM has long been security conscious. Two years ago, it introduced an embedded security chip with authentication software in its ThinkPads. Now it’s taking security to the next level in the T42 model, which has an integrated fingerprint reader to authenticate users.
This device offers relief to those struggling with dozens of passwords and makes the T42 the most secure mainstream notebook you can buy. IBM has chosen a fingerprint reader that’s difficult to hack and can be used alone or with passwords.
The fingerprint scanner is tiny, unobtrusive and easy to use. It adds nothing to the T42’s size or weight and increases the cost by just $50. I expect it to appear in more ThinkPad models before long.
Biometric features aside, this is a very capable computer. All T42 models come standard with a modem, Gigabit Ethernet and Infrared port. I tried a low-end model with a Pentium M 1.5 GHz processor, 512 MB, 30 GB hard disk, CD/DVD combo, standard battery and a 14-inch display. It had audio and video appro-priate for business computing. It performed very well, and that includes battery life. With a slim profile and a weight less than 5 lb., the T42 is an effective compromise between cost, size and power.
Price: $2,361 for model tested, and range from $2,100 to more than $3,000.
 Targus Wireless Optical Mouse/Pointer/Presenter
As the name suggests, this tiny multi-function wheel mouse serves several purposes. And at 1.5 oz., it is small and light enough to be taken along anywhere you might need it.
It is certainly an improvement over the built-in pointing device on any notebook I have used and it is useful when giving presentations with software such as PowerPoint. In presenter mode, you can advance to the next slide or go back to the previous one without needing to be close to the notebook or even facing it. If you want to draw attention to a chart or other slide element, you can use the mouse as a laser pointer.
The package includes a USB receiver/charger base, two AAA rechargeable batteries, a carrying pouch and a user’s guide. Its features include built-in hot keys for launching an Internet browser, as well as ESC and ALT-TAB controls. A lever on the bottom of the mouse lets you switch it between mouse and presenter mode. You can also turn it off to save battery power.
This is an excellent mobile mouse but it isn’t recommended in a desktop situation, where a full-sized mouse will do a better job at a lower price.
Price: $119.99 .
 Xerox Phaser 8400B Colour Printer
The 8400B is not Xerox’s top Phaser model but it is definitely the best value. More expensive than an entry-level colour laser, the 8400B is faster, more robust and has more features.
This printer is a solid ink model, which is based on a different technology than lasers. Ink sticks are added, not replaced like toner cartridges. The procedure takes seconds and doesn’t require the printer to go offline. The printer has an impressive duty cycle of 85,000 pages per month. The cost for consumables is lower than for a colour laser; that means a lower cost per page. The 8400B is forgiving of the paper used, producing good results on inexpensive paper.
Equally impressive is the printer’s speed. It isn’t as fast as its rated speed of 24 ppm but it’s still faster than entry-level colour lasers, especially on colour graphics. The first page prints in six seconds. The quality is high, but there’s a small but vocal minority that disagrees, preferring laser output. Try before you buy.
The 8400B’s base configuration comes with two input trays for a total of 625 pages. Support for PostScript 3 and PCL5c is standard. Useful upgrades include duplexing and a networking kit.
Price: $1,399 .
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