IBM Unveils Powerful Options for ThinkPad Notebook Computers.RESEARCH TRIANGLE PARK Research Triangle Park, research, business, medical, and educational complex situated in central North Carolina. It has an area of 6,900 acres (2,795 hectares) and is 8 × 2 mi (13 × 3 km) in size. Named for the triangle formed by Duke Univ. , N.C.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--April 29, 1998--As part of today's ThinkPad notebook computer A laptop computer that weighs in a range from five to seven pounds. The term originated when laptops were routinely more than 10 pounds, and those that became lighter were placed in a special "notebook" category. In practice, notebook computer and laptop computer are synonymous. announcement, IBM (International Business Machines Corporation, Armonk, NY, www.ibm.com) The world's largest computer company. IBM's product lines include the S/390 mainframes (zSeries), AS/400 midrange business systems (iSeries), RS/6000 workstations and servers (pSeries), Intel-based servers (xSeries) today also introduced powerful new mobile computing Using a computing device while in transit. Mobile computing implies wireless transmission, but wireless transmission does not necessarily imply mobile computing. Fixed wireless applications use satellites, radio systems and lasers to transmit between permanent objects such as buildings options that provide increased flexibility and expandability for IBM's new ThinkPad 600 and other compatible notebook computers. The new products include the IBM 10/100 EtherJet PC CardBus Adapter A network or communications controller that plugs into a PC Card slot on a laptop computer. It often refers to a wired or wireless Ethernet network adapter on a Type II card. See CardBus and PC Card. , the SelectaBase 600, the ThinkPad 600 24X-10X Internal IDE CD-ROM Drive A device that holds and reads CD-ROM discs. CD-ROM drives generally also play audio CD discs by sending analog sound to the sound card via a 4-pin cable. For specifications of 10x, 20x, etc. drives, see CD-ROM drives. See CD-ROM, CD-ROM changer, CD-ROM server and CD-ROM audio cable. (1), the ThinkPad 600 LI-ION Battery and ThinkPad External Battery Charger. To enhance the performance of the ThinkPad 600, IBM offers customers new options to expand their networking capabilities and increase productivity. The new IBM ThinkPad 600 is an ideal solution for mobile professionals who need powerful desktop capabilities in a lightweight, portable package. "IBM offers ThinkPad customers the most robust and advanced peripherals to help maximize their notebook computer's performance while protecting their personal computing Refers to users working on their own computers rather than a terminal to a mainframe. Sometimes, the term refers to using computers at home for work and/or entertainment in contrast to business use only. See personal computer. investment," said Kevin R. Barry, general manager, Options by IBM, Personal Systems Group. "The new mobile computing options allow users to expand their network capabilities with increased performance and connectivity," he added. Easy Connectivity To Multiple Peripherals To enhance the value of the ThinkPad 600, IBM now offers the IBM SelectaBase 600 for flexible desktop expansion capabilities. This new product provides connectivity to key peripherals, allowing users to maintain their mobility and gain the strengths of a desktop computer. The SelectaBase 600 incorporates a USB USB in full Universal Serial Bus Type of serial bus that allows peripheral devices (disks, modems, printers, digitizers, data gloves, etc.) to be easily connected to a computer. pass-through connection from the ThinkPad, and allows warm docking to virtually eliminate the user's need to power-down the notebook to connect to the network or swap system devices. Additionally, it offers audio in/out, CardBus, diskette The official name for the floppy disk. See floppy disk. diskette - floppy disk drive, keyboard, MIDI/joystick, monitor, mouse, parallel and serial ports. The SelectaBase 600 also is designed to be compatible with the same PC Card Enabler and SelectaDock III docking station (1) A cradle for a portable device that serves to charge the unit and connect it to other sources or destinations. For example, an iPod docking station charges the iPod and connects it to a computer, speakers or TV set. that is used by the ThinkPad 770 to provide important cost-savings for business environments where professionals share desktop expansion hardware for their high-end notebooks. In addition, IBM now offers the ThinkPad 600 24X-10X Internal IDE CD-ROM Drive to provide high-speed access to the growing list of software and databases now available on CDs and super-fast data-transfer rates of 1.5 MBps to 3.6 MBps(2). The new drive offers high-quality sound during multimedia presentations, MPC-2 compliance, CD-DA (Compact Disc-Digital Audio) The original compact disc format developed by Sony and Philips in the 1980s, which was designed for audio only. Since "CD" is used loosely for all Compact Disc formats, the CD-DA designation differentiates a music disc or player audio playback and digital audio transfer. Lastly, for those long days away from the office, ThinkPad 600 users can bring along the new ThinkPad 600 LI-ION battery as a backup. The battery weighs only .71lbs. and can be easily restored to maximum life of up to three hours(3) with the new IBM ThinkPad External Battery Charger. High-Performance Networking Made Easy Being prepared to grow your network while protecting your investment is key to any successful business. The new IBM 10/100 EtherJet PC CardBus Adapter supports both 10Mbps and 100Mbps connectivity for high-speed connection to the user's network enterprise for ThinkPad or any CardBus-equipped portable computer. Its auto-negotiating feature enables easy connection to shared or switched Ethernet An Ethernet network that is controlled by a switch instead of a shared hub. The switch cross connects all clients, servers and network devices, giving each sending-receiving pair the full rated transmission speed. running in either half-duplex or full-duplex mode at 10Mbps or 100Mbps through a single RJ-45 connector. The 32-bit busmaster architecture helps increase networking bandwidth performance by using the system bus to handle data transfers between users and their network, freeing up the processor to perform other functions. The new 10/100 EtherJet CardBus Adapater enables fast and easy migration from 10Mbps to Fast Ethernet to provide a path for users to increase networking capabilities as their network expands. The 10/100 EtherJet CardBus Adapter is designed for very low power consumption, minimizing the use of the computer's battery, and no power is consumed when the LAN (Local Area Network) A communications network that serves users within a confined geographical area. The "clients" are the user's workstations typically running Windows, although Mac and Linux clients are also used. cable is disconnected. Installing the adapter is simple with its Plug and Play support in Windows 95 and easy-to-use installation utility in other environments. Additionally, it allows the portable PC to be managed with its support for SNMP (Simple Network Management Protocol) A widely used network monitoring and control protocol. Data are passed from SNMP agents, which are hardware and/or software processes reporting activity in each network device (hub, router, bridge, etc. and DMI (Desktop Management Interface) The first desktop management standard from the DMTF. Enabling PCs to be monitored from a central console, it was superseded by the DMTF's Common Information Model (see CIM). 2.0 network management. It is PC 97 compliant and ships with device drivers for leading operating and network operating systems such as Microsoft Windows 95, Windows NT 3.51 or later, LAN Manager, Windows for Workgroups A version of Windows 3.1 introduced in 1992 that added peer-to-peer networking. See Windows. (operating system) Windows for Workgroups - (WFW, WFWG) A version of Windows 3.1 which works with a network. Although stand-alone 3. Version 3.11; Novell Netware 3.12 or later; OS/2 Warp, OS/2 Warp Connect The first version of OS/2 Warp to provide peer-to-peer networking to OS/2 and Windows machines. These networking functions were later added into the regular product line. See OS/2. , OS/2 Version 2.11 or later, and others. Pricing (4) and Availability IBM's new mobile computing options are currently available. Pricing of each of the options follow: SelectaBase 600 - $199 ThinkPad 600 24X-10X Internal IDE CD-ROM Drive - $289 ThinkPad 600 LI-ION Battery - $229 ThinkPad External Battery Charger - $149 10/100 EtherJet CardBus Adapter - $179 All products feature IBM's outstanding service and support available to customers 24 hours per day, seven days per week(5). These new options complement existing ThinkPad options such as the Cordless Computer Connection, memory and hard disk drives among others that are available for future expansion and upgrades. For more information about Options by IBM, visit http: www.ibm.com/pc/us/accessories. The Options by IBM Commitment Options by IBM, a brand within the IBM Personal Systems Group, is committed to providing tested, quality and affordable PC solutions that enhance and protect its customers' computing investment. The Options by IBM portfolio includes storage, communications/networking, memory, multimedia, and accessory products for desktop, workstation, server and mobile IBM and non-IBM systems. The Options by IBM Group distributes its products to channel customers including resellers, value-added resellers and retail superstores. IBM is a registered trademark of the International Business Machines Corp. All other company product names may be trademarks or registered trademarks of their respective holders. (1) Variable speed rate. Actual playback speed will vary and is often less than the maximum possible. (2) Actual speeds may vary. (3) Results based on BAPCo's (Business Applications Performance Corporation) SYSmark benchmark test. Battery life will vary based on many factors including screen brightness, applications, features, battery conditioning, power management and other customer preferences. (4) Estimated reseller prices only. Actual price to end-users may vary. (5) Response times may vary depending on call loads. May exclude certain holidays. IBM news releases are available on the Internet, via the IBM Home Page at http://www.pc.ibm.com. For more information about Options by IBM, visit our Web site at http://www.ibm.com/pc/us/accessories. The IBM Fax Information Service allows you to receive facsimiles of prior IBM product releases. Simply dial 1-800-IBM-4FAX. For general information about IBM and these or other Options by IBM products, dial the IBM Personal Systems Group HelpCenter at 1-800-772-2227. CONTACT: IBM Corp. Brynett Gamba, Ph: 919-254-8618 brynett@us.ibm.com |
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