BUSINESSWEEK ONLINE : NOVEMBER 13, 2000 ISSUE
TECHNOLOGY & YOU Audrey: Cute, but No Raving Beauty 3Com's Ergo Audrey, a Net appliance for those who already own a PC, is a work in progress The Ergo Audrey's name makes me think of the blood-sucking plant in Little Shop of Horrors. And its 1950s retro-futuristic design makes it look like something left behind by the Jetsons. But once you get past these odd popular-culture associations, Audrey turns out to be an interesting entry in the burgeoning market for consumer Internet appliances. Audrey is the first in a new line of products from 3Com Corp. ( COMS), a networking company moving into consumer markets. Previous Netpliances, such as the Compaq iPAQ Home Internet Appliance or the Netpliance iOpener, are meant for people without home computers. And they have wireless-phone business models, where Internet service providers (ISPs) subsidize the cost of the hardware. For example, the Compaq device, which works only on Microsoft Network, lists for $499, but a $400 rebate comes with a three-year, $21.95 per month MSN subscription. By contrast, Audrey can be used with any ISP (although it doesn't currently work with America Online). Its intended market is people who already have a PC and want an additional terminal in the kitchen or bedroom. But with no ISP subsidies, Audrey costs $499 ($50 more in one of four colors). Audrey is certainly eye-catching, from its flowerpot shape to the transparent stylus that sticks out of the top and flashes green when you have new mail. 3Com owned Palm ( PALM) until it was spun off last year, and there is a lot of Palm in Audrey. First is the ability to synchronize calendar and address book with a Palm, Handspring Visor, or other Palm OS device, using either a USB or standard serial port. Second, Audrey uses a touch screen and a stylus instead of a mouse or other pointing device to navigate around the screen. I found the use of the stylus on the near-vertical screen a bit clumsy at first, but considering the poor quality of the pointing devices on other appliances, it's not a bad solution. The 3Com appliance gives you two ways to browse the Web. First is up to 13 channels that you select by turning the large ''tuner'' dial just below the screen. The channels, which include such Web standards as ESPN.com, AccuWeather, and CBS MarketWatch ( MKTW), are updated on a regular schedule and give you instant access to content that has been specially formatted for Audrey's 7.6-inch-diagonal screen. You can also browse to any Web site by typing in an address. Unfortunately, cost constraints led 3Com to use a 640-by-480-pixel display, meaning that you have to scroll horizontally to see all of a standard 800-pixel-wide Web page. Audrey was supposed to use a new browser from Netscape Communications, but it wasn't finished in time, and 3Com went with a less capable version from Spyglass Inc. ( SPYG) Fortunately, Audrey's software can be remotely upgraded, so a new browser will be installed automatically when it is ready. The basic mail program is adequate for simple needs, but it lacks the ability to handle most common types of attachments. 3Com officials say this isn't really a problem because they assume that buyers will always have a PC available to handle complex mail needs. One interesting touch is the ability to use the stylus for handwritten ''scribble mail'' that can be viewed on any mail system. Alone among current appliances, Audrey is network-ready with the addition of a $59 USB adapter. This allows you to share an Internet connection with a PC--but only if you have standard Ethernet cabling, which is rare in homes. A wireless or phone-line network adapter would be a welcome addition. So would the ability to exchange calendar, address book, and Web bookmarks between Audrey and a PC. Audrey has some interesting but unused expansion possibilities, including two USB ports and a CompactFlash memory slot. Like all the appliances I have seen, Audrey is a work in progress. These products are moving away from their origins as cheap, stripped-down PCs and coming into their own as simple tools to get on the Internet. If the individual appliances still leave something to be desired, the idea remains a winner. Questions? Comments? E-mail tech&you@businessweek.com or fax (202) 383-2125 Want to express your own views on a tech&you column or other technology topic? Join the Technology & You online forum. BY STEPHEN H. WILDSTROM _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ BACK TO TOP					RELATED ITEMS Audrey: Cute, but No Raving Beauty TABLE: Hello, Audrey Katherine Lambert PHOTO: 3Com Ergo Audrey INTERACT E-Mail to Business Week Online

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