IBM UPDATES NOTEBOOKS AND VOICE RECOGNITION SOFTWARE
By Adnews Staff
U.S.-based International Business Machines Corp. has enhanced selected models of its ThinkPad line of notebook computers. Available in North America beginning this week, the ThinkPad 560 and 560E are now available featuring Intel Pentium processors with MMX technology. In addition, they weigh just over four pounds and are just over an inch thick. The ThinkPad 760 and 765 now have 13.3 inch active-matrix displays, providing a 21% larger viewing area. Canadian advertising plans for the machines have not been finalized, but it will probably be incorporated with other product ads. Ogilvy & Mather of Toronto handles advertising for IBM in Canada. Separately, IBM expanded its voice recognition software line-up in North America this week. Called Simply Speaking Gold, the software adds text to the speech capability, and offers command and control functions so users can tell their computer what to do. Simply Speaking Gold also comes with bonus software so users can "voice surf" the Internet. Currently, advertising for the software is limited to a print ad created by O&M. Public relations for IBM in Canada is done by Goodman Communications of Toronto. Other voice recognition software available from IBM is called VoiceType Simply Speaking. It was just able to dictate letters.