IOGEAR
Multi-Function Print Server (GMFPSU01): $79.99
www.iogear.com

Any home or office with more than a couple of PCs is likely to find itself in the unenviable position of having to share printers. When all users converge on a sole system for their printing needs, things can get ugly, both in printing errors as well as system resource use on the host computer. That's why the world needs print servers. In most SOHO and small business cases, the server doesn't need to be particularly complex or expensive, only dependable and easy to use.

That's why we like IOGEAR's design. Users still skirting death with parallel-based printers will need a different product; this unit is USB 1.1-only with a 10/100 port for connecting to the local router. The USB flexibility pays extra dividends because this server also aggregates commands for multi-function printers (MFPs), meaning its handles faxing and scanning in addition to printing. The unit is also firmware upgradeable via a simple browser UI.

The caveat here is that this IOGEAR part doesn't support wireless connectivity back to the router. Honestly, though, we'd take a longer CAT5 cable over the headaches of wireless any day. This is a simple device for relatively simple LANs, and it works beautifully. Why muck things up with extra configuration complexity? Bill for the installation time, leave something dependable with your customer, and be happy.

M-Audio
Podcast Factory: $179.95
www.m-audio.com

Podcast, Zencast, online radio—call it what you will. An ever-increasing number of users want to test their vocal skills on the Internet, beaming out self-produced audio content to espouse opinions, entertainment, and even corporate messaging. Naturally, you can pursue recording quality from cheap headsets to a $20,000 studio recording rig, but for audiocasting newbies who want good quality on a budget, Podcast Factory is a respectable solution. After all, the object is to create, edit, and post voice-quality MP3 files for streaming from a remote server (such as podOmatic), not master 5.1 DVD-Audio.

The package includes a desktop microphone and stand, 24-bit/48kHz preamp with a bevy of input and output jacks, and two applications, Audacity and Podifier 2. Audacity is a waveform editing tool with MP3 or WAV export capabilities, and Podifier assists with MP3 publishing and RSS feed generation. Both titles are open-source and available from Sourceforge. M-Audio also throws in a copy of Ableton Live Lite 5, a scaled-down version of the legendary title for performance musicians.

At this price point, buyers can expect to go through a slight learning curve. M-Audio doesn't do much in the way of uniting the software UIs, much less making the audiocasting process wizard-based. Tools for fine-tuning audio levels are also more manual than automated, so upselling a decent set of speakers or headphones along with Podcast Factory is advisable as creators will need to listen closely for faintness, background noise, and other factors. Overall, though, this is a solid audio package that's quick to set up and easy to swing into use. After a few months, serious broadcasters may wish to step into a higher-end mic and a more powerful editing package, such as Adobe's Audition. So be aware of your upsell options, and stop leaving all those audio creation sales to the music shops.

OCZ
2GB Secure Digital Flash Memory Card: $89
www.ocztechnology.com

Gone are the days of loading a 24-exposure roll of film into a 35mm camera, worrying about wasting shots, hitting the end, and then having to listen to the roll wind itself back up. A digital camera lets you buy the right amount of memory for your job, transfer easily to a computer for editing, and selectively choose the images to print. Of course, it helps that digital quality is better than ever. And unlike 35mm film, which is pretty much good for a single purpose, memory cards can hold any sort of digital information from movies to documents to pictures and music.

SD memory cards are among the most widely used right now. We have PDAs that take them, cell phones, MP3 players, and of course, cameras. It's only fitting that OCZ, widely known for its enthusiast memory products, is now entering the market with high-speed SD cards as well. They're specifically optimized for performance (a 133x rating translates to read speeds in excess of 20 MBps and write speeds around 15 MBps), though OCZ's Alex Mei also points out that the 133x cards are priced to compete against other vendors' 60x models.

As you move up the capacity food chain, it becomes easier to see the benefits of OCZ's offerings. A 2GB SD card, with space for more than 600 images when used with a mainstream point-and-shoot 6MP camera, retails for just $66. It's covered by a lifetime warranty from OCZ and features a write-protect switch to keep important files protected.

LG
GSA-4166B LightScribe
DVD Burner: $89.99
us.lge.com

Optical burners are a dime a dozen these days...unless you can find some way to set yours apart from the herd. If you think we're just talking about LightScribe, wait—there's more. LightScribe, of course, is a killer value-add. Once customers finish burning their data, they can flip the disc over and burn their label patterns, whether text, graphics, or both, as created in the bundled editor software. The results aren't as colorful as labels done on a photo printer, but LightScribe looks far cooler.

Our star is the LightScribe-enabled 4166B drive, a zippy unit that supports all three major DVD formats: DVD-R, DVD+R, and DVD-RAM (16X, 16X, and 5X maximum speeds respectively). The 2MB cache and buffer underrun protection are fairly standard issue, but support for double- and dual-layer discs (8.5GB/side) set this drive among the latest breed of performers. No product is perfect, and if the 4166B has one weakness, it might be the integration of an ATAPI interface rather than SATA. But with cabling and burning software included, we're sure few customers will have anything but glowing praise for this all-purpose and surprisingly affordable drive.