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
 Fujitsu Stylistic ST5020/D Tablet PC
No single portable computer meets all needs, but the Fujitsu Stylistic Tablet PC comes close. Weighing just 3.5 lb., it’s a slate model that excels in mobile situations, especially when you need to use your computer standing up with no surface to rest it on. And when a stylus isn’t enough, it can be used with an optional infrared keyboard or any USB keyboard.
The operating system is Windows XP Tablet PC Edition 2005, which has better stylus and input support, as well as better integration with MS Office System, than the previous version. The Stylistic’s Pentium M 1.1 GHz processor offers good performance and the bright 12.1-in. display is far better than first generation Tablet PC monitors. It also has excellent battery life — about five hours in my tests. The unit I tested also had Ethernet, Wi-Fi, a modem and card slots and ports aplenty.
Used with the optional docking station, the Stylistic can also meet your desktop computing needs and lets you use whatever peripherals you want. Pivoting the Tablet PC by 90 degrees toggles the display between portrait and landscape modes.
The Stylistic has outstanding security features including an advanced fingerprint scanner. For some users, this may be the best feature of all.
Price: $2,849; Tablet Dock $359 to $719 (depending on the type of optical drive). 
 Toshiba Qosmio G10-GP2 Notebook
At nearly 10 lb. and with battery life well under two hours, the Qosmio G10 isn’t the computer you want with you on your next flight. Having said that, there are many notebook users who rarely transport their computers or depend on battery power, and for them the G10 works both as a desktop replacement and as the centre of a home entertainment system.
In the office, the G10’s 17-in. widescreen display is good for complex spreadsheets or editing two documents side by side. It’s a powerful computer: Pentium-M 1.8 GHz, 1 GB of memory, 100 GB hard drive, Ethernet, wireless Ethernet and 56k modem. It includes a TV tuner, advanced graphics processor and DVD player and burner.
At home, the G10’s entertainment capabilities and the included remote control come to the fore. You can play and record TV programs to its hard disk or a DVD, or play digital music without leaving the couch. You can use Windows XP Media Center Edition 2005, but for some tasks Toshiba’s Qosmio Player is more convenient since it bypasses Windows and its boot process to give instant-on access to TV, DVDs and CDs.
Price: $3,499.
 PalmOne Tungsten T5 handheld
Handhelds that incorporate phones and Wi-Fi may be im-pressive but most people would just as soon use a separate phone and access the Internet via a computer. The Tungsten T5, with Bluetooth as its only built-in wireless communications, is for them. The Bluetooth capability is a good way to synchronize data on the T5 with a compatible computer or phone. Plus, it enables the T5 to use a Bluetooth phone as a modem to access the Internet.
The T5 has a slot for adding memory, a Wi-Fi card or other peripherals. With 256 MB of flash memory, which protects data in the event of a loss of battery power, you probably won’t need a memory card. The 160 MB internal flash drive makes the T5 a very good way to transport files. The T5 plugs into modern computers without additional software.
The T5 handles photos, movies and MP3 audio files. The integrated Documents to Go supports Microsoft Office files. Word and Excel files can be created, edited and viewed while PowerPoint presentations can be viewed only.
All important aspects of the T5, including the performance, battery life, screen and size, were more than satisfactory.
Price: $450.
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