Brand: MacNews

AppMac Software has released a preview version of cObserver 1.0, a collection of three applications that can pull System Profiler reports from up to 250 computers over TCP/IP. cObserver consists of a client, installed on each computer, a server that pulls the information, and an admin application that can access the information. The final version will be demonstrated at AppleExpo later this month.

HP has announced three new color inkjet printers targeted at professionals. The HP Designjet 10ps, 20ps and 50ps feature a 2400×1200 dpi print resolution, superior color accuracy, Postscript 3 RIP support, and support for paper sizes up to 13″x19″. The 20ps features additional paper handling and server processing capabilities over the 10ps, while the 50ps includes software licensed from Heidelberg to provide a complete pre-press solution.

Microsoft today will introduce Pocket PC 2002, a new version of its operating system for handhelds. Among the new features is support for 802.11b and Bluetooth wireless networking, an updated media player, and a fully-functional Outlook client.

Xerox today introduced the Phaser 7700 Color Laser Printer, a tabloid laser printer that boasts print speeds of up to 22 pages per minute. The Phaser 7700 supports media sizes from 4″x6″ to 12x”18″, and supports Xerox’s PhaserMatch color management software. The Phaser 7700 is available now for US$6,999 with a 10/100 Base-T Ethernet interface and 128MB of RAM.

Apple, Hewlett-Packard, Compaq, 3Com, Nortel and Xerox have banded together to form what they are calling “The Anti-Gray Market Alliance,” Bloomberg reports. The Alliance — based in Arlington, Virginia — will strive to educate consumers about the dangers of purchasing their products from unauthorized resellers and map out guidelines companies may use to stop the practice (a market estimated at US$20 billion in 2000).