Stories by: Mel Beckman

Your neighbors have done it. Your friends have done it. Even your grandfather has done it -- they've killed their modems for a zippy, high-speed, always-on Internet connection. With his newfound bandwidth, Grandpa is suddenly a world-class netizen -- downloading MP3s, checking stock quotes in real time, bidding on Lionel trains on EBay Inc., and serving up his own Web site, all from his home iMac.

PowerPrint USB 5.0

The days of galley proofs and last-minute changes at the printer are gone forever in modern print publishing: the name of the game today is direct-to-press, which requires near perfect preparation of documents to ensure the printer won't have trouble generating output from your electronic files. Serious problems, such as a missing font, can render printed results unusable; even subtle errors, such as trap misregistration, can dramatically reduce final print quality. Adobe Systems Inc.'s InProduction 1.0 aims to give your prepress files a good once-over before you launch them to the Heidelberg.

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Dreamweaver UltraDev

Neon Software Inc.'s CyberGauge has long been the best entry-level Simple Network Management Protocol (SNMP) tool for monitoring networks. And until now it was affordable, even for small-network users who needed to monitor their Internet routers' traffic statistics. With version 3.0, Neon repositions CyberGauge as a professional network administrator's tool, with high-level features and a price to match.

Almost nobody simply transfers files between computers in the same building anymore-today's users move files over the Internet, between computers that may not even be located in the same country. File Transfer Protocol is a platform-independent method for copying files around the world, but its quirky behavior makes it tedious for such routine chores as uploading Web-site content or updating files. The latest release of Vicom Technology Ltd. (Vicomsoft)'s FTP Client Pro, which has always had an elegant interface, adds features such as file synchronization to make these chores painless.

Diagnosing network problems was hard enough when a network stayed in one place. Today, with users dragging their iBooks and iMacs about with abandon, connecting at random Ethernet ports or via entirely too mobile wireless links, network-troubleshooting tools need to grow legs to keep up. That's exactly what Neon Software Inc.'s multifunction diagnostic tool, NetMinder Ethernet 4.1, has done, in the form of support for AirPort wireless-networking cards and modern PowerBooks' built-in 100BaseT Ethernet. Neon has also added a sprinkling of feature enhancements, helping the product keep up with breakneck-speed networks.

The U.S. Federal Bureau of Investigation recently warned of a new virus that wipes out the victim machine's hard drive, then uses its modem to dial 911. The virus attacks only Windows systems, fortunately, but the Mac has its share of viruses, and the severity of computer security attacks of all kinds is on the rise. More than ever, users must arm their systems with the latest virus-detection and disinfection software. Network Associates Inc.'s Virex 6.1 helps keep your electronic vaccinations current-by downloading new virus definitions, scheduling regular checkups, and maintaining a "patient chart" tracking your system's health-to catch infections early.

The surge in DSL and cable-modem Internet connectivity brings a new security problem for individual users: home Internet invasions. Because these technologies connect your computer to the Internet around the clock, the probability of a hacker discovering and attacking your little Net outpost greatly increases. The solution to this problem is firewall protection for every Internet-connected computer. Open Door Networks Inc.'s DoorStop Personal 1.1 fills the bill by providing inexpensive individual protection that's easy to configure and relatively unobtrusive.

The resurgence of the Mac as a desktop appliance makes it an attractive alternative to dumb terminals for "big iron" enterprises running IBM Corp. mainframe and AS/400 systems. When combined with Mac OS X's Netboot, for example, an iMac is a compact, elegant, easily managed mainframe terminal. Cel Corp.'s Celview is the premier terminal-emulation tool for users who need access to these systems, providing SNA (Systems Network Architecture) gateway, file-transfer, keyboard-mapping, and macro-programming capabilities. The 2.0 incarnation adds to this list Netboot and OS 9 multiuser support, TCP/IP printing, PCI Token Ring compatibility, and a host of other refinements.