### Product Snapshots

When I am looking for the latest computer games, I often find new and interesting products. Product Snapshots gives you a quick overview of the most useful products I have found during the last month. (Please note that these are first-look reviews; I have not conducted exhaustive testing.)

INDIGITA IDT 2500

iDT 2500 from Indigita Corp. is a fast tape drive designed for storing multimedia data, such as audio and video clips. iDT 2500, which supports Windows 95, uses a multimedia-storage format called digital video data storage (DVDS). Using this format, iDT 2500 can store more than two hours of MPEG-2 video or more than three hours of DVD-encoded video on one 4mm digital audio tape (DAT) cartridge. In addition to supporting 4mm DAT cartridges that use the DVDS format, iDT 2500 supports 4mm DAT cartridges that use one of the following digital data storage (DDS) specifications: DDS-1 or DDS-2.

Because iDT 2500 uses special MPEG-compliant SCSI commands to store and retrieve multimedia data, iDT 2500 functions much like a digital VCR. These SCSI commands enable iDT 2500 to synchronize the recording process and the playback process of both audio and video streams.

iDT 2500 ships with Indigita's TapeTrax FS software for Windows 95. With TapeTrax FS, you can mount a tape drive such as iDT 2500, assign a drive letter to the tape drive, and access this tape drive in the same way that you would access a local hard drive.

You can purchase iDT 2500 through retail channels at the suggested retail price of U.S. $699. For more information about iDT 2500, visit Indigita's World-Wide Web site (http://www.indigita.com). You can also call 1-888-299-DVDS or 1-714-851-6123.

TRANSEND SIXTY-SEVEN

Transend Sixty-Seven from Transend Corp. is a 67,200-baud modem. Because Transend Sixty-Seven uses a proprietary compression algorithm that provides faster data transmission than other modems, such as 56,000-baud modems, Transend Sixty-Seven is an ideal solution if you are always looking for optimal modem speed. However, both sides of a connection must be using Transend Sixty-Seven to transmit data at speeds of 67,200 baud. When connecting to a different modem, Transend Sixty-Seven transmits data at the same rate as a 33,600-baud modem.

Transend Sixty-Seven is also an ideal solution if you live in an area that does not offer digital connections. Whereas 56,000-baud modems cannot take full advantage of 56-KB technology unless one side of a call travels through a digital switch, Transend Sixty-Seven can transmit data over either digital or analog lines.

You can purchase Transend Sixty-Seven through retail channels at the suggested retail price of U.S. $399. For more information about Transend Sixty-Seven, visit Transend's web site (http://www.transendmodems.com). You can also call 1-800-357-2671 or 1-407-638-4400.