Price, performance and style - computing is EasyNow!
A stylish, colourful, but well-equipped new computer is set to provide New Zealanders with a low-cost alternative to the
traditional (and boring) beige computer.
The EasyNow computer has been released from a suggested retail price of $2,250 including GST.
Despite its fashion-conscious appearance - it comes in three bright colour combinations and is built from translucent
materials - EasyNow is equipped with a 15-inch monitor, 64 Megabytes of memory, a 10 Gigabyte hard drive, a 56k built-in
modem, a CD-Rom player, networking capability, a Microsoft Windows Millennium operating system and a bundle of
pre-installed software.
Because it is built in New Zealand by Auckland distributor, JDI Limited - a member of the Computer Manufacturers'
Association of New Zealand or CMANZ - EasyNow also comes with a special CMANZ warranty assurance logo. JDI Limited's
sales manager, Garry Marriott, says EasyNow already sells in the United States, Europe and China, but the specifications
of the computer have been fine-tuned to suit buyer preferences on the New Zealand market.
He says the initial response to EasyNow by computer dealers has been extremely positive.
"They love it," he says, adding that everyone who has seen the computer 'in the flesh' has been enthusiastic about its
appearance and the quality of the system. "They have also been pleasantly surprised by its price, given the
specification levels built in, and the software that comes with it," he says.
Mr Marriott says a strong feature of the new computer is the fact that buyers will have it up and running in minutes,
irrespective of how much or how little they know about computers.
"It's literally an out-of-the-box computing experience. The software is pre-installed. Getting the machine working is
just a matter of sticking three colour-keyed plugs into the back of it and then plugging the whole thing into the wall
socket. It's easy for anyone to do," he says.
But for many buyers, EasyNow's cheekily-styled appearance will be the most exciting aspect of the computer.
EasyNow is being sold in three separate colour combinations: yellow/orange, blue on blue, and green/silver. And the
colour treatment doesn't stop at the translucent cases for the CPU and monitor.
The keyboard base, the mouse and a set of modular speakers share the bright colour schemes - making the computer
irresistable to a wide range of buyers from children and teens, through to 'edgy' retail environments and office
environments in which fun styling is an important aspect of computer buying.
Garry Marriott says it is already clear that the computer will appeal to children and young people - and young-at-heart
people of all ages - but he says the technical specification of EasyNow means it is by no means a 'toy' computer.
Its operating system is Microsoft Windows Millennium, and EasyNow comes with pre-installed software packages including
Sun StarOffice, Home Cashbook and a selection of 'shareware' software.
Buyers can choose to upgrade the memory to a maximum of 256Mb, and upgrade the hard drive capacity to 20Mb, while an
external floppy disk drive can be added at a cost of approximately $165.00.
EasyNow is future-proofed in terms of its networking ability. It has two built-in networking systems - the first an
industry standard 10/100Base-TX Ethernet with RJ-45 connector, and the second a HomePNA set up (Home Phone Networking
Alliance) which opens a path to home networking via a system which uses existing phone wiring.
At the back of the EasyNow is a range of USB ports which will accommodate a scanner, colour printers, a digital camera
and a hub, making it suitable for a wide range of applications.
"That sort of specification means it can be a business computer as well as a home computer," he says.
"It is fully internet-capable, it can be networked and it has excellent memory and storage capacity. Based on the
suggested retail price of $2,250, businesses and the self-employed who can claim back the GST will be able to buy
EasyNow for under $2000. That makes it an attractive option for business use," says Mr Marriott.
JDI is about to ship EasyNow to its dealers around the country and will be staging 'roadshow' promotions at dealerships
in the top half of the North Island during November and December.
Each machine built by JDI in Auckland is comprehensively tested at the company's plant before being sent out to
retailers. JDI Limited's membership of the Computer Manufacturers' Association of New Zealand (CMANZ) means all the
EasyNow machines will carry a special CMANZ logo, indicating they are covered by a special warranty assurance program
administered by the association. The logo also testifies that the EasyNow computer has been built in line with a CMANZ
Code of Practice, which covers numerous quality and technical specification issues.
(JDI Limited is a 100% New Zealand owned and operated PC component company, and is a founding member of CMANZ, the
Computer Manufacturers' Association of New Zealand). Further information: Garry Marriott, sales manager, JDI Limited,
tel 0-9-377 9364, fax 0-9-377 9365, email: sales@jdi.co.nz
Colour computing - like never before!
One of the first mainstream Personal Computers - the Apple Mac - became affectionately known to its fans and critics
alike as the 'beige toaster'.
Like it or not, that nondescript beige colour went on to become the rule rather than exception amongst most computer
manufacturers around the world.
Lately though, there's been something of a rebellion against bland-looking computers, and of course Apple is now one of
the companies helping to set a new trend towards bright, striking hues on the outside of a computer.
But now there's a machine on the market which goes still further down the path of 'colour' computing - EasyNow.
Released in New Zealand by Auckland distributor, JDI Limited, EasyNow is being sold in three separate colour
combinations, yellow/orange, blue on blue, and green/silver. And the colour treatment doesn't stop at the
cheekily-styled case and the monitor.
The keyboard base, the mouse and a set of modular speakers share the bright colour schemes - making the computer
irresistable to a wide range of buyers from children and teens, through to 'edgy' retail environments and office
environments in which style and making a fashion statement are important aspects of computer buying.
Beneath the bright colours is a compact, easy-to-assemble Windows-based computer which will astound many buyers with its
low price, but also with its high level of specification and performance.
To be sold from a suggested retail price of $2,250 including GST, EasyNow is powered by an AMD K6-2/500 CPU with 3DNow!
technology and an SiS530/960 chipset. It comes standard with a 64Mb memory, a 10Gb hard drive, a vertical, 24x CD Rom
player, a 56K modem and a 15-inch monitor.
Its operating system is Microsoft Windows Millennium, and EasyNow comes with pre-installed software packages including
Sun StarOffice, Home Cashbook and a selection of 'shareware' software.
Buyers can choose to upgrade the memory to a maximum of 256Mb, and boost the hard drive to 20Mb, while an external USB
floppy disk drive can be added at a cost of approximately $165.00.
EasyNow is future-proofed in terms of its networking ability. It has two built-in networking systems - the first an
industry standard 10/100Base-TX Ethernet with RJ-45 connector. The second is a HomePNA set up (Home Phone Networking
Alliance) that opens a path to home networking via a system using existing phone wiring.
EasyNow already sells in a number of countries around the world, including in the USA, Europe and Asia, but is being
built and distributed in New Zealand by JDI Limited, an Auckland company which has secured the Australasian rights to
the machine.
The specifications of the computer have been fine-tuned to suit buyer preferences for the local market, and each machine
built by JDI is comprehensively tested at its plant before being sent out to retailers around the country.
Because JDI Limited is a member of the Computer Manufacturers' Association of New Zealand (CMANZ) all the EasyNow
machines will carry a special CMANZ logo, which means they are covered by a special warranty assurance program
administered by the association.
The logo also testifies that the EasyNow computer has been built in line with a CMANZ Code of Practice, which covers
numerous quality and technical specification issues.
(JDI Limited is a 100% New Zealand owned and operated PC component company, and is a founding member of CMANZ, the
Computer Manufacturers' Association of New Zealand).
Further information: Garry Marriott, sales manager, JDI Limited, tel 0-9-377 9364, fax 0-9-377 9365, email:
sales@jdi.co.nz
Easy Now Specifications
CPU AMD K6-2/500 with 3DNow! Technology
Chipset SiS530/960
Memory 64Mb (Upgradable to 256Mb)
Network Integrated 10/100 LAN, HomePNA
Graphics Embedded 3D/2D VGA - 4Mb to 8Mb Graphics
Audio SB16 Compatible Sound Chip
Hard Drive Options 10Gb
CD Rom Vertical 24x Speed
I/O Ports USB x 5, MIC x 1, Line-Out x 1, Line-In x 1
Modem Embedded 56K Mobile Daughter Card (MDC)
Keyboard, Mouse USB Enhanced Multimedia Keyboard, PS/2 2 Button Mouse
Monitor 0.28mm 15-in Monitor in Transparent Colour
Operating System MS Windows ME
Software Sun StarOffice, Home Cashbook, Selection of Shareware
Warranty 1 Year RTB - Parts and Labour
Suggested Retail Price from $2,250 inc GST
ends