New desktop, laptop and MP3 device make learning faster and easier. (new products).

New desktop, laptop and MP3 device make learning faster and easier. (new products). Apple, www.apple.com, hardware, iMac and iBook: $1,299 and up, iPod: $399 The more schools use computers, the more educators need and expect from those machines. Apple has several new products aimed to meet these needs. "Schools are asking for it," says Stephanie Hamilton, Apple's manager of K-12 marketing. "They want to have more power. They're doing more digital media that requires faster and more hard drive space." The most recent debut is the new iMac, a desktop computer with a 15-inch LCD (Liquid Crystal Display) A display technology that uses rod-shaped molecules (liquid crystals) that flow like liquid and bend light. Unenergized, the crystals direct light through two polarizing filters, allowing a natural background color to show. flat screen that's brighter, sharper and easier on the eyes than traditional CRT (1) (C RunTime) See runtime library.(2) (Cathode Ray Tube) A vacuum tube used as a display screen in a computer monitor or TV. The viewing end of the tube is coated with phosphors, which emit light when struck by electrons. displays. Ideal for computer labs, which serve different classes all day, the iMac's display can be easily adjusted by height or angle. The three new iMac models are also faster--with a 700 to 800 MHz (MegaHertZ) One million cycles per second. It is used to measure the transmission speed of electronic devices, including channels, buses and the computer's internal clock. A one-megahertz clock (1 MHz) means some number of bits (16, 32, 64, etc. PowerPC G4 processor; a SuperDrive for CDs and DVDs is available. The iMac also offers students multimedia authoring. Using a FireWire-equipped digital video camcorder and the included iMovie software, assignments can include DV footage from field trips, video reports, virtual tours Virtual ToursThe phrases panoramic tour and virtual tour are often used to describe a variety of video and photographic based media. The word panorama indicates an unbroken view, so essentially, a panorama in that respect could be either a series of photographs or panning video and class presentations with narration. For students and educators on-the-go, Apple has enhanced its iBook line of notebook computers 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. with faster PowerPC G3 processors up to 600 MHz, a new system bus running up to 100 MHz, larger hard drives up to 20GB and 128MB of RAM. The most advanced model, featuring a DVD-ROM/CD-RW "combo" drive, is now priced $100 lower at $1,699. Mac OS X version and Mac OS 9.2.1 come pre-installed. As with previous iBooks, the new notebooks weigh 4.9 pounds and measure 11.2 inches wide, 9.1 inches deep and 1.325 inches thick to fit in a backpack or briefcase In Windows 95/98, a system folder used for synchronizing files between two computers, typically a desktop and laptop computer. Files to be worked on are placed into a Briefcase, which is then transferred to the second machine via floppy, cable or network. . Besides the ability to pack up to 1,000 songs into its portable, 6.5-ounce design, Apple's new iPod device has a number of educational uses. Hamilton says some school districts are collecting teachers' reflections on classroom techniques with MP3 files for take-anywhere professional development. "The iPod offers the same capability and much more than tapes," Hamilton says. "We also have teachers talking about using it for foreign language--as a language lab-to-go." School administrators are using the iPod to store presentations when traveling, preventing the need to bring along a laptop Same as laptop computer. laptop - portable computer . The bonus? The iPod also provides a source of entertainment--a traveler can download To receive a file transmitted over a network. In any communications session, "download" means receive, and "upload" means send. The download/upload often implies a big/little scenario, in which data is being downloaded from the "big" server into the "little" user's computer. an entire music collection onto the device, which fits into even the smallest carry-on bags. CIRCLE #525 FOR INFORMATION [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED]