Technology for business: the small office of your dreams.

Keeping abreast of the latest technology is important for a SOHO (small office/home office). The right tools for the job can maximize productivity, as well as save space, time and money. Here are a few tech tools to help your business compete:

COMPUTERS

The central hub of any SOHO is a personal computer, so if you still have a unit that uses punch cards and vacuum tubes -- it's definitely time to upgrade.

The Gateway GP6-400 ($2,435) is built for small-office computing, with a 400 Mhz Pentium II processor, 512K cache and 128 megabytes of SDRAM that's expandable to 384 megabytes. The GP6-400 includes ethernet capability, stereo sound and a 19-inch monitor. The system comes equipped with Microsoft Windows 98, Bookshelf 98 and Office 97 Small Business Edition, as well as a McAfee anti-virus package. Visit Gateway at www.gateway.com or call 800-846-4208.

Apple's 300 Mhz Power Macintosh G3 ($2,329) is one of the latest in the company's line of G3 machines that boasts revamped internal architecture featuring one megabyte of L2 memory cache. The new G3 chip in the PowerPC can clock in up to twice as fast as a computer with a 266 Mhz Pentium chip, with certain programs. Build-to-order options include various memory and RAM configurations, 24x CD-ROM drive and an optional DVD-ROM drive. Visit the Apple Store at www.apple.com or call 800-795-1000.

ALL-IN-ONE PRINTERS

Xerox's WorkCentre 450c ($299) combines printer, fax machine, copier and scanner. The plain-paper printer is full color, prints one color or six black and white pages per minute at 600 dpi and can handle card stock, transparencies, labels and iron-ons. The fax sends eight pages per minute, will hold 23 pages in memory and has a touch pad that remembers 94 numbers. The modem transmits information at 14.4 Kbps, the copier puts out three copies per minute and the scanner zips pages to your desktop in 10 seconds. Visit Xerox at www.xerox.com or call 800-832-6979.

Hewlett-Packard's OfficeJet Pro 1175Cse ($999) can fax, scan, print and copy as well. The OfficeJet Pro gives you the standard functions of these devices and combines them, with the help of included software packages, to make a digital copier. And the IEEE-1284 parallel port makes it simple to connect to your computer and needs no extra cards. Visit Hewlett-Packard at www.hp.com/go/officejet-pro or call 800-552-8500.

SYSTEMS ON THE GO

If you need heavy tools to work with while you're on the road, consider the Gateway 9100 LS ($3,599), a heavy-duty notebook for executives who need desktop power in a portable package. The 9100 LS also has exchangeable floppy/DVD-ROM drives, Dolby Stereo Surround sound and a 56K fax/modem card. Particularly attractive is the addition of Microsoft Bookshelf 98 and Microsoft Office 97 Small Business Edition.

Macintosh users should consider the new line of G3 PowerBooks ($2,299), which provide the power and function of a desktop. Aside from wide screens and a 56K modem/fax, the G3 PowerBooks have hot swappable modules, including a floppy disk drive, a 20x CD-ROM drive and a DVD-ROM drive.

For the traveling executive who only needs help keeping in touch with the office and remembering appointments, consider 3Com's Palm III ($399), the newest Palm Pilot PDA (personal digital assistant). The 4.7-inch Palm Ill stores up to 6,000 addresses, 5 years of appointments, 1,500 to-do items, 1,500 memos and 200 e-mail messages. "HotSync" technology allows the Palm III to connect to your PC or Mac computer to exchange and update information, and an infrared port transmits information to other Palm III users. An optional modem is available if you want to send and receive e-mail. Visit 3Com at www.3Com.com or call 800-881-7256.