MiKo
Many programs enable you to make music on the computer, but the MiKo, a portable media work center from Open Labs, is a computer designed to make music and a whole lot more. The MiKo -- a combination synthesizer, audio mixing station, video editing console and broadband Internet hub -- has a 64-bit AMD Athlon processor and Windows XP under its considerably multifaceted hood.
It comes with a QWERTY keyboard, a 38cm touch-screen monitor and plenty of ports to connect audio devices, digital camcorders and video players to record and edit multimedia projects. The unit's toolbox also includes a 37-note musical keyboard, DJ controls and cross-faders, and a library of 5,000 preset sounds and effects. The MiKo, which can work with third-party audio and video editing programs, includes its own suite of multimedia software.
After editing, audio and video projects can be burned to a CD or DVD, or uploaded directly to the Internet through the console's Ethernet or WiFi network connections.
Basic configurations of the MiKo work center start around US$2,000; it can be ordered from www.openlabs.com, where full specifications are available. For those who want even more bells and whistles, the MiKo can also be customized with processor, hard drive and memory upgrades.
IBM ThinkPad C100
When Lenovo, the upstart laptop maker, bought IBM's ThinkPad division last year, it promised to overhaul Big Blue's staid and expensive line of business computers. Its ThinkPad C100 is a first attempt to deliver on that promise.
The C100 is a low-cost laptop with a built-in optical drive and a 39cm screen. Designed as the workhorse of the new 3000 series, this laptop starts at US$599 for a model with an Intel Celeron M processor.
Lenovo has taken its design cues from IBM's traditional black ThinkPad line, with a few variations. For example, there is no pointing stick, the tiny red dot that once graced the center of most IBM keyboards. Instead, there is a two-button trackpad below the space bar.
The C100 has four USB 2.0 ports, one FireWire/IEEE 1394 port, and a 3-in-1 card reader. The laptop can last for about four hours on one charge and weighs 22.8kg.
The C100 is a budget entry for business computing, but a few of the features, including the large screen and card reader, can help take it out of the boardroom and into the family room.
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