TechWatch: QoS Routers; Wireless Laptops, LCD Monitors

This month, we combed through our labs and came up with the pick of the product litter. Got any gems of your own? Send them to [email protected].

CAN-DO ROUTER

Looking for a flexible networking appliance that'll handle a variety of tasks for your SMB customers? Then maybe you should take a look at the Q2400 QoS Access Router from networking vendor Kentrox. The device integrates six networking solutions into one box: a high-performance IP router, Quality of Service (QoS) appliance, Virtual Private Network appliance, firewall, WAN access device and Ethernet switch. The unit is fitted with dual T-1 and Ethernet WAN ports to provide flexibility for businesses expanding their networks and transitioning to VoIP. The QoS feature protects the VoIP call quality, and a Web-based interface makes setups easy to configure and maintain.

Q2400 QOS ACCESS ROUTER, www.kentrox.com Price: $1,495

CONNECTED LAPTOP

Improved wireless performance at an affordable price is the raison d'être behind Toshiba's new Tecra A3 notebook. The unit incorporates the recently released next-generation implementation of Intel's Centrino mobile platform. The A3 is powered by a 1.6-GHz Pentium M mobile processor and the mobile 915 express chipset. Microsoft's Windows XP Pro handles the software duties. Add to all of this a 15-inch display, 40-GB hard drive, 256 MB (expandable to 2 GB) of memory, three USB 2.0 slots and 802.11b/g wireless capability, and you've got the kind of mass-market laptop that Toshiba has long been known for.

TECRA A3, www.toshiba.com Price: $1,099 (est. street price)

LITHE LCD

NEC-Mitsubishi has updated its flagship line of enterprise MultiSync monitors. The company's new LCD 70 Series offers lower power consumption and features Rapid Response, which is designed to support streaming video without causing a ghosting or blurring effect, while supporting up to 40 frames per second. The units come with both digital and analog connectors and, for VARs, a new version of its NaviSet Administrator software that supports the Windows Management Instrumentation spec for remote diagnostics. The MultiSync LCD1570NX 15-inch and LCD2070NX 20-inch models are based on thin RGB-based, high-resolution panels and are designed for both vertical and horizontal viewing angles of 176 degrees and a minimum response time of 25 ms.

--Jeffrey Schwartz

MULTISYNC LCD 70 SERIES, www.nec.com Price: $295 (street price, 15-inch); $825 (20-inch)