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APPLE TITANIUM G4 TO DIE FOR

Recently unveiled at Apple MacWorld, the Titanium PowerBook G4 has got to be Apple's sexiest notebook yet. Unfortunately, just because a computer is sexy doesn't mean it will sell well, especially if it's too expensive. Apple's track record with sexy but expensive hardware such as its now defunct Anniversary Mac and the so far sluggish sales of the G4 Cube, has been lackluster at best. I think the main problems with Apple's specialty computers are that their owners have to give up power and certain features that are available on other current models. For example, Cube owners lack the expansion PCI slots found on every other G4 model. But it looks like the Titanium G4 breaks these patterns.

The Titanium G4 offers everything found on current PowerBook models and lots more. There's nothing to give up here. For starters, it's only one inch thick and thanks in part to its lighter 99.5 percent commercially pure grade titanium case, it weighs just 5.3 pounds. It's breathtaking 15.2 inch screen can display two pages side by side and is larger than any of the other PowerBook models. As to the power issue and depending on how you configure your model, the Titanium G4 is available with up to a 500 Mhz G4 processor, has a built in DVD player, up to a 30 gigabyte hard drive, 5 hour battery life, infrared, AirPort and Ethernet communications and lots more. So there's nothing to envy on other PowerBook models.

As far as price goes and in a feature comparison on Apple's Web site, a similarly configured Sony Vaio Z505 Windows notebook is compared to the Titanium G4 and costs about $50 more. Of course you'll find less expensive Windows machines but Apple's comparison was made to the 1.15 inch thick Vaio because it's one of the thinnest and sexist Windows notebooks out there.

So far sales look good for the Titanium G4. Perhaps this is the pretty one that will make it after all.

www.apple.com

World's smallest PDA gets touchy

Known as the world's smallest PDA, the Rex just got a touch sensitive screen. The Rex 6000 now competes with the bigger PDAs that have touch sensitive screens that input data via a stylus. About the size of a credit card and only a quarter of an inch thick, the Rex 6000 has 2 megabytes of memory to store thousands of contacts, tasks and calendar items. Using the PCMCIA format, the Rex can plug directly into any PCMCIA slot to transfer its data to and from your computer or via an optional docking station. Other built in applications include Internet functionality that can download small items from the Rex web site, and the ability to sync to Microsoft Outlook. The Rex 6000 is ideal if you're looking for a PDA that won't make your pocket bulge or your wallet too thin. Unit alone sells for $149, $179 with serial cradle, $189 with USB cradle.

Xircom www.xircom.com (800) 438-4526 or (805) 376-9300

SnakeBITE lets you play better

If you're the owner of a Nokia cell phone, chances are you're addicted to one of its built in games like Snake and Snake II. This insidious little game asks you to guide a crawling snake to eat little dots. Trouble is your snake gets longer and faster as time passes, both making it harder to eat those little dots. To move the snake, you press one of four buttons on the phone. It's awkward at best so ISMO has come up with a clever little gizmo called the SnakeBITE Universal Joystick that clips over the front of the phone and provides a tiny joystick. Now you can snake with the best of them! Check the web site for models with which it is compatible, colors and more. $11.81

/www.ismo.co.uk/pages/about_snakebite.htm