Six cool gadgets IT should give to users

[Mercury]

Six cool gadgets IT should give to users
Fun for employees, more productivity for the enterprise
January 05, 2007 (Computerworld)

One person's glitzy gadget is another person's productivity enhancer. For instance, some might think Mike Chaput's tablet PC is just another expensive electronic toy. But Chaput will tell you it has made him a more efficient and productive worker.

Devices such as Chaput's combine the standard laptop form factor with the Windows Tablet PC variant. These devices typically have a swiveling screen so that users can either use them like a standard laptop or swivel the screen so they can write longhand on-screen as they would with a paper tablet. Handwritten notes can then be translated into digital format. These devices are expensive, but Chaput said his is well worth it.

Endsight CEO Mike Chaput ditched his legal pads for a tablet PC."I attend six to eight meetings a week with customers and staff," said Chaput, who is CEO of Endsight, a provider of outsourced network management. "The tablet lets me organize and file all my [written] notes digitally and recall them with ease, especially compared to flipping around on legal pads. I've completely removed legal pads and other written documentation from my life."

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