New Products for the SOHO Law Office

New technology is fun, and boosts productivity. This page will feature something different every month or so. Basically, it's just me lusting after a new toy, or enjoying one.

Segway.

OK, so what would a "New Products" page be worth if it didn't include the one and only world famous Segway Human Transporter ? Yep, we got Segway here. In fact, you can buy one here. Just click the link. Yep, we got Segway. Here's some skinny:

World's first dynamically stabilized, self-balancing Human Transporter
Forward and backward maneuvering is guided by rider's natural motions
Easily navigates most walkable areas, including paved surfaces, dirt roads, grass, and inclines
Emissions free, powered by rechargeable NiMH battery packs
Fun to ride--a unique experience

No, I don't have one, haven't tried one. Here at the Williams SOHO Law Empire, we have gravel roads and rain forest mud. This is not Segway country. But you should get one. Get it here. We need the business.

MultiFunction Machines.

I always thought multifunction printers were a joke. I'd seen a couple bad ones years ago. Then I read some reviews. Then I started thinking. . .

SOHO lawyers don't have a bunch of helpers running around working the fax machine, the scanner, the copier. What if these things really work?

I got a Hewlett Packard OfficeJet D135. It not only works, it works wonders. Now I can reach everything -- printer, scanner, fax machine -- with no effort. It is also a color copier, color faxer, and probably something I forgot. The inkjet print quality is just fine. It comes with software for all the various functions. I really like it. It sits next to my digital lazer copier/printer; everything is right where I need it.

Don't consider one of these, or any inkjet, as your sole copier. Inkjet is just too expensive to use regularly. This is for color copies, and occasional black and white when I need to run two copiers at once. These go for about $400.

Flat Panel Monitors

I got obsessed with the new flat panel monitors.

Everybody thinks flat panel to save desk space, but they do much more. The picture is beautiful, bright, and free of flicker. It's much easier on the eyes, and avoids user fatigue. For any budget, try a 15" model, which has about as much usable screen as a 17" CRT monitor. .

I wanted a bigger one, so that's the focus of this New Products rant. We'll look at models from Viewsonic, Dell, and some others.

Viewsonic makes great monitors. For top of the line, see the Viewsonic VP181 . Its 18.1" screen will equal a 20" CRT monitor, yet it takes up only a few inches on the desktop. You can also hang it on the wall. Look at the features:

Full 18.1-inch viewable screen with TFT active-matrix display.
1,600 x 1,200 dpi resolution with wide viewing angles. Allows more open windows at the same time.
OptiSync technology accepts analog computer, digital computer, and composite-video formats. Use your regular analog video card, or update later to full digital.
Dual USB inputs. Hook up more cool toys.
Dual built-in 2-watt speakers. Save more desk space.

This baby is not cheap. At about $1500, it costs more than most computers. The advantages, however, are substantial. The picture is beautiful, and the size of the viewing area enables the user to see several open windows, and move between open programs easily. Big monitors increase productivity. Check the current price at Amazon.

For those of us who don't want to spend a fortune, prices are coming down fast. Remember, a 15" flat panel equals a 17" CRT monitor; a 17" flat panel provides viewing space equal to a 19" CRT.

More later. I'm about to spring for one of those satellite internet connections.

Ever think about what fun it would be to get a really hot, fast computer? Check out the Alienware website below.