If, at the end of the month, you have some spare cash lying around and do not feel like wasting it on the lottery, you might want to look at investing some of it in a couple of these products.
Vodacom 3G
Finally South Africans can surf the "Net, download and send e-mail, and watch streaming video, all through their cellphones. Vodacom"s 3G offering is said to allow users to surf at speeds of up to 348kbps, and, when the 3G network is not accessible, the user"s phone will automatically revert to GPRS. Availability: Visit http://www.vodacom.co.za for a retail outlet closest to you.
LG RH4920W DVD/HDD recorder
At long last there is an affordable alternative to that annoying VHS. The LG DVD/HDD recorder comes with a 80GB hard drive, letting users record up to 70 hours of video. It also features a timeshift option, meaning that you will not miss even a second of that rugby or cricket game. Availability: Visit http://www.lge.co.za for an LG dealer in your area.
QuickBooks SimpleStart
Managing your money will never be easier. The QuickBooks interface is dead easy to navigate, and, with options such as Money In and Money Out, you really do not need to be an accountant to understand what is potting. Managing finances is a crucial aspect of any company, and QuickBooks offers a solution to suit any of these companies. Availability: Contact Softline House on
(011) 291-7300.
LG 2320A plasma display
What makes this plasma display so different is its media station. Basically it is a huge box that sports inputs for just about any type of device. The plasma display supports a "picture in picture" mode, so you can watch television in the top corner of your monitor whilst working on the company"s annual budget. Availability: Visit http://www.lge.co.za for an LG dealer in your area.
Logitech MediaPlay Mouse
This cordless USB mouse is something every music lover should have. Besides the standard scroll wheel and two mouse buttons, the MediaPlay mouse has a volume button, a skip button and a play button. It works hand in hand with Microsoft"s Media Player. Availability: Contact Dax Data on 0861 101 604.
Microsoft AntiSpyware
With all the bugs, spyware, Trojans and adware out there it is about time that Microsoft brought out its own spyware package. It is still in its beta version, but it is available for download, and will stop most of the spyware and adware out on the wild-wild-Web. Availability: Download from http://www.microsoft.com.
Apple Mac Mini
Said to be one of the cheapest machines available from Apple yet, the Mac Mini features a G4 processor, an 80GB hard drive and a slot-load DVD combo drive. Also featured on the unit is a FireWire port, two USB 2.0 ports and a DVI interface that supports an LCD or CRT display, Apple says. Rumour has it that some car manufacturers are even planning to implement them as onboard computers. Availability: Contact The Core Group on (011) 719-9000.
Sony PCS-TL50P video conferencing system
This is Sony"s first attempt at desktop video conferencing. The PCS-TL50P features a 20" LCD that aims to double as an LCD, a built-in microphone, and there is even a remote control. The unit comes with IP and ISDN connection capabilities and is designed to support the ITU-T standard H.264 to achieve television-like quality on a limited bandwidth. Availability: Log on to http://www.sony.co.za to find a dealer in your area.
Asus SCB-2424V-U 4-in-1 external hard drive
Weighing only 250g, this drive is designed to fit into just about any notebook bag, and is perfect for business travellers whose notebooks are not equipped with a CD-ROM or DVD-ROM drive. The SCB-2424V provides data storage at 24X CD-Write and 24X CD-ReWrite, not to mention data access at 24X CD-ROM and 8X DVD-ROM. Availability: Contact Corex on (011) 707-5000.
Iomega external hard drive
A 40GB hard drive weighing no more than 100g and small enough to fit in your shirt pocket - myth or reality? Reality, as Iomega recently launched its external hard drive. It connects via the USB 2.0 interface, and the best part is that there is no additional power cable - all the power is drawn through the USB interface. Availability: Log on to
http://www.iomega.com to order online.
Computing SA"s top ten products is a monthly feature.