Frank Ohlhorst

When a small PC demands a big price, something interesting must be going on. In Toshiba’s case, the small notebook is the Portege R500-S5007V, and the price is $3,000. At just 2.4 pounds, the R500 is one of the lightest machines to grace the market, especially when one considers that the Portege is a two-spindle […]

Selecting a portable device is becoming like something out of The Three Bears: this one is too small, this one is too big and this one is just right! Asus is hoping that the “just right” selection takes the form of their latest netbook, the$599 Eee PC 901. The Eee PC 901 is a little […]

The notebook computer market has become an experiment in extremes. On one side of the equation, you have tiny Intel Atom powered “netbooks,” which are becoming the darlings of traveling workers, while on the other side, notebook behemoths like the Lenovo W700 aim to make high-performance workstations portable. But, the question begs to be asked, […]

Mini notebook computers have been on the market for some time, but most users have found those diminutive systems a collection of compromises. For example, when portability reigns supreme, users would expect to give up battery life, comfortable keyboards, big screens and so on. Manufacturers had created what amounted to a Catch-22 situation with their […]

SMC Networks is looking to make hotspot deployment a no-brainer for businesses with the EliteConnect Wireless Hotspot Gateway, model # SMCWHSG14-G. The $899 device comes in kit form, which includes a receipt printer and a combo Ethernet switch/wireless access point that incorporates all of the firmware to build a hot spot. Released on Sept. 2, […]

Remote support is nothing new—most computer manufacturers have been offering some form of remote support for years now. However, vendor-provided support is typically limited to supporting the system "as delivered." While this is great for warranty purposes, most users need more than as-delivered support. After all, PCs don’t start to have any real problems until […]

The word "firewall" conjures up all sorts of images, and therein lies the problem. That word has become a catchall for an abundance of security products, both software- and hardware-based, which can share very little in common. While the industry continues to struggle with the question of what exactly a firewall is, networking vendor Zyxel […]

For most system builders, motherboards come in two flavors—Intel or AMD. Otherwise they are pretty much considered a commodity item. Sure, some system builders will pick one vendor over another or show some loyalty to a particular brand, but for the most part, price and availability are the two major factors used when selecting a […]

Let’s face it, IP-based storage has never been cheap or easy. But that’s about to change, thanks to Open-E’s Data Storage Server line of products. The company offers four products that are aimed at combining the flexibility of IP with the commonality of storage, allowing integrators to build custom network storage solutions that are both […]

Take a step back and think about how most administrators are “managing” their VMware virtual environments, and you will find that the word “management” does not really apply. When it comes to virtual systems, most administrators are focused on the reactive and not the proactive form of management. What’s more, most of those same administrators […]

With a retail price starting at $1,479, Fujitsu’s LifeBook S6520 may not be the cheapest, fastest, thinnest and lightest notebook on the market, but it does certainly deliver a lot of value at that price point. The 4.1-pound unit is equipped with a 14.1-inch WXGA display, an Intel Core 2 Duo P8400 processor running at […]

IT professionals know that supporting Windows XP can be a tricky and time-consuming process. After all, the number of malware infections, spyware incidents and user mistakes is growing at an alarming rate! And, invariably, even the most cautious of users will encounter undesired behavior from a Windows XP PC. That undesired behavior can manifest itself […]