How To Satisfy An Audience - Every Time

By: John R. QuainTue Dec 18, 2007 at 5:36 PM

Put together the hardware and software kit you'll need to guarantee knock-their-socks-off presentations.

Assignment: Deliver hip, offbeat presentations to clients who want a different point of view.

Powertool: Apple PowerBook 5300ce/117

Features: Wields a 117 MHz PowerPC 603e processor and comes with a 10.4-inch color Super VGA display. Boasts silky stereo sound so you can record narration or blast out new jingles. But there are no options for directly recording video clips on the machine. It also doesn't accept a CD-ROM drive -- even when the floppy drive is removed.

One recommendation: get new software. Older Mac applications slow the system; using older software is akin to attaching $200 speakers to a $10,000 stereo system.

Vital Stats: With a 1.1 GB hard drive, there's plenty of storage room. And with 32 MB of RAM, even the most artistically rendered graphics won't bog down. Weighing in at just over 6 pounds, this PowerBook has an internal floppy drive that can be swapped out for an additional hard drive or an optical storage device.

Apple's new PowerBook offers two industry standard Type II PC Card slots, which will open up more cost-effective options for users. One slot will go for a fax/modem. For cordless use, the notebook now uses older nickel-hydride battery technology, which gives you two to four hours of working time. Apple hopes to move up to longer lasting lithium-ion battery technology soon.

Geek Factor: It's hipper than cool -- it doesn't use Windows 95!

Weak Factor: Darn expensive for a notebook that doesn't even include a fax/modem or a CD-ROM drive.

Coordinates: $6,500-6,800. Apple Computer Inc., (800) 776-2333; http://www.apple.com

John R. Quain (jquain@mcimail.com) is a contributing editor at Fast Company and appears regularly on the CBS News program "Up to the Minute."