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Organization for your organization
The new OrgPlus 6 Professional from HumanConcepts is an application that offers a variety of organizational charting and workforce modeling capabilities in an easy-to-use interface. And although workforce modeling could be considered less than glamorous, with a tool as powerful as this one an agency can gain fresh insight into its human resources needs and capabilities.
Just missed the trifecta
You know the old workplace adage: You can have something fast, cheap or good'pick two. Trying to find a workgroup printer that delivers on all three counts is next to impossible. Generally, as the color quality gets better, the price goes up and vice versa. Oki Data's C6100n almost achieves the Triple Crown.
Ask the lab
The GCN Lab tests hundreds of products each year. The staff has scoured more help files, user manuals and FAQs than many users will read in a lifetime. And they're happy to answer almost any technical question that's thrown their way.
When you can't avoid the crash
Recover Pro 6 from Phoenix Technologies stores recovery information right on the hard drive that needs recovering. It's different from other recovery solutions because it lets you boot the computer even if Windows is damaged and won't launch. And it will restore everything back to the way it was before the disaster occurred.<br><b><font color="CC0000">|GCN Lab</font> Reviewer's Choice|</font></b>
Gateway E-6500D
The E-6500D we tested is a middle-of-the-road system, not really shining in any of our tests but not failing any of them either.
Lenovo ThinkCentre A52
Not willing to part with $1,400-plus for the Dell OptiPlex we like so much? Then take a look at the ThinkCentre A52, which has a government price tag of only $1,072.
Alienware MJ-12 7550a
If biggest were best, the MJ-12 7550a would win hands down. Sitting on the test bench with the other systems, it towered over them.
Sony Vaio VGC-RC210G
The Vaio VGC-RC10G has the two hallmarks we've come to expect from the Vaio line: loads of multimedia features and a higher-than-average price tag.
Can't stand the heat? Get the right desktops
Today's dual-core desktop processors are designed to be energy-efficient. It's a claim the GCN Lab has often wondered about.
GCN Lab Review | Tape drives, meet disks
It seems network administrators and computer users alike are constantly in need of more storage. And while most users are encouraged to save to the network in order to take advantage of the LAN's backup system, it is not always feasible or efficient to do so, much as administrators may wish otherwise.
Ask the lab
No question is too big or too small for the GCN Lab.
GCN Lab Review | Almost had the cake and ate it
When looking for an ultraportable notebook, every buyer has to negotiate a thin line between 'too heavy' and 'not enough features.' The Fujitsu LifeBook P7120 does a pretty good job of walking the line.
GCN Lab Review | Get those desktops off those desktops
The GCN Lab recently tested the latest ClearCube Series R PC Blade system to see if it delivers on the PC blade system technology's promise. In short, we were as impressed as some agencies have been with blade PCs.
GCN Lab Review: Lenovo ThinkPad T60 2523-D2U
The ThinkPad T60 is a finely tuned machine'and the best evidence in this review that raw performance comes down to more than just gigahertz. Despite one of the slowest CPU clocks in the review (1.66-GHz) and just 512 MB of RAM (as opposed to 1GB), it managed to post the best performance marks of our roundup.
GCN Lab Review: Toshiba Tecra A7-S712
Toshiba's Tecra A7-S712 comes with decent features at an affordable price, but we weren't floored by this notebook. Its S-Video, FireWire and extra PC Card slot give users a fair set of options. There's also a fingerprint reader and requisite WiFi adapter. But on performance, the system doesn't stand out.
GCN Lab Review: HP Compaq nc6320
The HP Compaq nc6320 has a lot to offer in its roughly 6-pound package. With EvDO cellular and 802.11 wireless radios, Bluetooth, seven-in-one media card reader, S-Video, FireWire, extra PC-Card slot, etc., it packs more interfaces and ports than any other notebook in the review.<br><b><font color="CC0000">|GCN Lab</font> Reviewer's Choice|</b>
GCN Lab Review: Sony Vaio VGN-SZ180PC
Why on earth does the Vaio VGN-SZ180PC cost $2,499? Aside from the fact that Vaios, like ThinkPads, always cost more money, the VGN-SZ180PC, among other features, also has two graphics controllers.
GCN Lab Review: Gateway M465-E
If only gas stations were like Gateway. The company seemingly discounts energy throughout its notebook line. The M465-E's $1,674 price tag is fairly reasonable for this caliber of mainstream notebook. <br><b><font color="CC0000">|GCN Lab</font> Reviewer's Choice|</b>
GCN Lab Review: Dell Latitude D620
Despite sporting high-performance components including a 2-GHz processor and Nvidia Quadro video controller, Dell's Latitude D620 proved an average performer in the GCN Lab. Its benchmark score of 7,414 was solidly middle-of-the-pack.
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