IBM has unveiled a range of new products that include a series of new home personal computers boasting voice activation technology, as well as powerful new Internet connection software deigned to improve overall network security.
The new Aptiva systems announced last week are the most powerful computers IBM has yet pitched at the home, offering the company's VoiceType and Control technology as standard with each system.
The company claims also to have significantly improved graphics output capability with each of the new Aptova systems based on two processors - the latest MPEG (Motion Pictures Experts Group) standard media processor, and a powerful Pentium processor to deliver full motion screen video and stereo quality sound. The new VoiceType and Control software allows users to enter simple voice activated commands such as Save File or Open Document or, under an extended version of the software VoiceType Dictation available on selected models, their computers will understand whole sentences for dictation.
The new Aptiva models are powered by Intel Pentiums of up to 133 MHz, 1.6 gigabytes of storage and a 28.8 kilobits per second modem standard with every machine.
The Aptivas also come bundled with Journalist software among various other titles which, when combined with a scheduler, can be used to automatically collate a personalised newspaper by searching on-line services for items on user-defined subject criteria.
Also unveiled last week were additions to IBM Internet Connection software series that the company said would enable companies to encrypt Internet transactions, and better protect internal networks with fire-wall software.
