NBC Today: Hot Picks for Back to School

Beststuff.com's Corey Greenberg is on NBC's TODAY SHOW with the best picks for the back to school season. Here's a hot list of the products appearing on TODAY.



Meet NIC
Three years ago, it was to be called the Oracle Network Computer (NC). AT $500, it was supposed to change the PC world. It was supposed to arm every consumer with a computer and put Microsoft out of business to boot. Neither happened.

Now the NC is back. It's called the New Internet Computer (NIC). The $200 NIC appliance($329 with monitor) is designed for families (grandpa's and grandma's) who want to enjoy the benefits of email and the Internet without the hassle PC ownership. NIC is a black box with a CD Drive inside that runs its LINUX operating system only when connected to the Internet. You can not add software or run multimedia CD-ROMS as the operating system disc must be running inside the CD ROM drive for NIC to work. NIC does come with free Internet/email service (www.netzero.com) or you can use any existing provider (except AOL).

NIC is ambitious and cost friendly but we don't recommend it for everybody. At $329 with monitor students especially are better served forking over a few hundred dollars more and getting a fully equipped machine.

NIC has a 266Mhz Cyrix processor, 64 MB RAM, 4MB flash memory, a built-in 56Kbps modem, Ethernet capabilities and a CD-ROM drive.

The good news: Unlike WebTV, Netpliance, Compaq's Ipaq, and the upcoming AOLTV boxes which force users to sign up with predetermined Internet Service Providers (ISP), NIC offers ISP liberty --choose who you wish, except AOL of course.

The bad news: The $500 NC died because you could buy a $500 PC. Today's $339 (w/monitor) NIC faces similar hurdles at retail. Begging the question: Do I want half a computer or the whole thing for a few bucks more? www.thinknic.com



Miracle Highlighter Goes on/Comes off: Duck Brand Dry-Lighter
At some colleges and universities, textbooks cost more than tuition. That's why Duck Brand's dry highlighter makes sense. Unlike traditional highlighters that devalue pricey textbooks by leaving permanent marks, the dry highlighter is completely erasable, non -liquid and non-toxic . It goes on and comes off. Simply erase it with your fingers. Best of all, it sells for only $2.50. www.duckproducts.com. Or call Duck Products toll-free at 800-321-0253.



$50 Software That Can Save Your Life
One virus can ruin a semester's worth of work. So run, don't walk to the store to get a box of Norton's AntiVirus software. Starting in price at $30, anti-virus software is a must have for students and families alike. Plus, we have it on good authority professors no longer accept the "A Virus Ate My Term Paper" excuse. www.norton.com



Apple G4 CUBE
For the 90210 back to school offspring (read: If money is no object) without a doubt the hottest computer on the planet today is Apple's G4 cube.

The tiny 8-inch white cube is a full function Mac computer with a DVD player and a G4 Processor. Two models are now available. They sell for $1,800 and $2200 respectively. Three fashionable flat panel monitors complete the ensemble. www.apple.com



Best Budget Printer: Epson Stylus Color 670
Putting the "bang" in bang for the buck this back to school season is Epson's $90 ink jet printer. Despite its low, low price, the Epson is not a low end printer . In fact it has the same 1440 by 720 dpi resolution of some $200 printers. Great for the family or for the returning college student, the 670 prints crisp black text at a speedy 5 pages per minute(PPM) and better than average photo quality color prints at 3.5 PPM. But that's not all, the printer is also USB compatible and comes with a software suite that allows you to print cards, projects and photos.www.epson.com



Best Value Scanner: Canon CanoScan N656U
Scanners make great PC companions, especially for students. They offer an easy way to scan text from books and magazines for research projects, and they are an affordable way to get photographs from film cameras into the PC for emailing and printing. Our pick for best value scanner is Canon's new CanoScan N656U. This sleek, metallic -finish scanner is easy on the eyes and at only $130, the purse too. What separates it from other low cost scanners is its Z-expansion top, a specially designed hinge which accommodates bulky textbooks and magazines and its easy one wire USB connectivity which also doubles as its power supply --eliminating the need for an AC adapter. www.ccsi.canon.com



Best Value Laptop: IBM ThinkPad I Series (Model No. 1210)
A ThinkPad for $1,100 may seem like a misnomer bit it's true. IBM's virtually bullet proof ThinkPad product line, with this new super low price, is our pick for best value notebook for the BTS crowd. The laptop features a built-in floppy and CD ROM dive, a 500 MHz Intel Celeron processor and has a huge 6 GB hard drive. The screen is a bit small at 12.1 inches and it weighs a hefty 6-pounds but like the man says, "the price is right." www.ibm.com

View the streaming video of the IBM ThinkPad iSeries



Best Bargain Back to School PC: HP Pavilion 674OC
While it's not the least expensive BTS PC offering, HP's $950 Pavilion comes equipped with a built-in recordable CD drive, a must have for any music loving college student. CDRW drives allow you to record music, movies and data to blank CDs for playback. Students can not only record music CDs, but burn projects and back up data on a CD as well. The Pavilion includes a Intel Celeron 667 MHz processor, 2 USB ports, a networking card for high speed modems and a 17-inch matching monitor. www.hp.com



Best Value Dell: Dimension L Series
Dell busts the $1,000 price point barrier with its new Dimension L series which start in price at only $930 (with 15-inch monitor). Its entry level "L" Series PC includes a P III 733MHZ processor and all the fixing's. The new Dell mini tower design touts a button that splits the casing in two for easy no screws required access to the inside of the unit for upgrades. Through September 5th, with the purchase of a Dimension L you will receive a free printer or scanner and 1 year of free AOL service. www.dell.com

View the streaming video of the Dell Dimension L



Best BTS Pager: Motorola T900
While many consider cell phones as pager killers, Motorola's new T900 two way pager is an exception . This tiny keyboard equipped clamshell pager, dressed to the "nines" in a host of translucent designs, allows users to send and receive pages via the internet or phone. Anyone can email the pager and two T900's can communicate directly. Other features include a 4-line 80 character display and a contact database that holds 250 names. What's best about T900 is it's under $200 retail and cell phone rate zapper $15 month service charge. www.motorola.com



Best Microwave: Sharp Half Pint
Sharp takes a page out of Apple's success introducing its own iMac inspired microwave oven. Unlike other miniature microwaves, the Sharp unit can hold a full sized dinner plate on its rotating tray. Best of all, it sells for under $100. Great for the dorm room, it comes in a number of translucent colors including blueberry and orange. www.sharp-usa.com

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