As we head toward the end of the year, thoughts may turn to purchases or gifts for your favourite techie. If your firm had a good year, your tax preparer may advise you to make some equipment purchases. If your holiday gift list includes a lawyer who lusts after the latest gadget, there are some products worth considering.

Despite all the technological progress, basic office tools have barely changed over the past decade. While most have moved from DOS to Windows, we still rely on word processors to create documents, billing programs to prepare bills and monitor accounts receivable, and e-mail to communicate with colleagues, clients and adversaries.

Firms looking to make year-end purchases should first make sure they have all the requisite fundamentals. Computers should be reasonably up-to-date. Those still running Windows 95 are due for a replacement. Those running Windows 98 may want to add more memory or, if the budget allows, replace them. Computer prices have dropped enough that it is generally more cost-effective to replace computers than purchasing an operating system upgrade and memory, and hiring someone to install and configure them. Whether we like it or not, Microsoft operates a three-year cycle for its software. That means it terminates support service, and users can no longer purchase additional copies of older systems. In turn, each new Windows version requires other software manufacturers to limit support on their older versions since they often do not run reliably on the latest version of Windows.

For firms that don’t yet have their computers linked in a network, another good idea for a year-end purchase is a dedicated server. Connecting all office computers through a router to a computer intended to be a server will allow employees to more effectively and reliably share information. This is a necessity if you want to encourage lawyers to enter their own time or plan to implement a practice-management program. Such programs, by design, work best when information can be shared.

High-speed Internet access is an-other way to spend money burning a hole in your firm’s proverbial pocket. The difference between dial-up and a DSL or cable connection is dramatic. It instantly changes how e-mail and the Internet are used. Instead of looking up information in the firm’s library or a phone book, you’ll find it faster and easier to search one of the many telephone directory sites.

If employees are using 15-inch monitors, you also might consider re-placing them with 17-inch versions. More and more software manufacturers are assuming customers have larger monitors and are designing products to take advantage of the additional space.

Security

Firms that added high-speed Inter-net access also should consider net-work security. Without a hardware-based firewall, a network could be vulnerable from outsiders. Also, relying on individual computer users to update their virus software definitions could be leaving the firm’s data open to attack.

One easy solution is the corporate edition of Norton Anti-Virus or McAfee’s Small Business Anti-Virus Suite, which is set up so the server gets the updated definitions and regularly pushes them to each workstation on the network. This eliminates the head-aches of updating even a few machines every month and ensures as much protection as possible.

Year-end also is a good time to re-view a firm’s software and how it is utilized. Does your firm copy old documents to create new versions or are your standard documents set up as merges? Are you preparing final bills through your billing program? Are you collecting the money owed to the firm? Do you have a program that includes a firm-wide calendar and contact list? In short, are you maximizing the software tools available? If not, you may want to consider enlisting a technology consultant to review your firm’s current technology use and plan for future use. Sometimes, an outsider can see things differently from those immersed in the firm’s day-to-day functions.

Small items

Yours may be one of many firms that didn’t have a great year. Maybe you’re looking for smaller tools or less-expensive options to improve office function. Maybe you’re looking for holiday gifts. Some of the recent PDAs (personal digital assistants) from Palm and Handspring are priced under $100. These incredibly useful tools can be synchronized to many office pro-grams so you can carry your updated schedule, to-do list and the firm’s contacts with you. The latest models cost between $400 and $600 and combine the Palm functions with a reasonably good cell phone. That combination saves space and introduces new efficiencies since you can use the contact list from the Palm to autodial with the cell phone.

If you already have a Palm Pilot or Handspring Visor, you might take a look at the new keyboards that can be attached. These prices have shrunk and so have their sizes. Cell phone accessories such as headsets also are good stocking stuffers. For someone without a cell phone, consider a headset for the office phone, which provides a clearer connection while enabling the listener to take notes directly into the case management program.

I recently bought a USB (universal serial bus) storage device, which is a rectangular connector now found on the front or back of most computers. The USB port can connect to a printer, mouse and digital camera. In addition, the USB port can attach to an external hard drive. The unit I bought, USBDrive from www.usbdrive.com, costs less than $140 and is available through a variety of sources. It holds 256 MB of data and is about 2 inches long, a half-inch wide and a half-inch thick. It attaches to my key chain! On computers using Windows 2000 or Windows XP, you merely plug the USB port into the USB slot and it’s in-stantly available to copy files to or from the computer using Windows Explorer. Older computers require installation of a special driver from the CD packaged with the device.

I’ve found many uses for it. If I need a few files to bring to a client, I can copy them to the USBDrive, then copy them to my client’s computer through a USB port there. If I’ve pre-pared a custom document or design in my office that may need additional work, I don’t have to worry about whether it will make it through e-mail; I can take it with me. This device could serve as an extra backup of critical files. Since you can’t have too many backups, an extra one that is al-ways with you should provide additional comfort.

Stocking stuffers

There are many other purchases your firm might consider. If you’re still hand writing checks, consider software to manage your accounting functions such as Quickbooks or Peachtree or the accounting link for your firm’s timekeeping and billing program.

If you’re one of the 75 percent of firms not yet using a practice-management program, take a look at Time Matters, Amicus Attorney, ProLaw, Abacus Law or Practice Master. Not using a scanner to insert documents from outside the firm into your system? Consider buying a scanner with a document feeder and Adobe Acrobat software.

While it may be difficult to decide what to buy a spouse, year-end purchases for your law firm should be easier.

Clarifications: In last month’s column about the PC version of the Lawyer’s Diary, I neglected to include in-formation about where to purchase the CD. Contact Dominick Esposito, 800-444-4041, ext. 170. There are discounts for new lawyers and members of the Association of Trial Lawyers of America.

The publishers of the CD informed me there are more-flexible options within the program for copying and pasting names and addresses. You also can copy an attorney or judge’s name and address. Using the Copy function from the menu, you can choose to copy as much or as little of an address to your word processor or other application. You also can bookmark parts of the CD you use frequently such as court rules or the New Jersey Legislative Manual. Finally, the product has a great wildcard search feature to find anything quickly if you have only one piece of information.

Carol L. Schlein is president of Law Office Systems in Montclair, a training and consulting firm specializing in law firm automation. Copies of previous columns are on her company website, www.losinc.com. For information about her quarterly meetings for Time Matters users, check the website or e-mail info@losinc.com. Schlein formerly chaired the Computer and Technology Division of the ABA Law Practice Management Section.

Questions for Carol L. Schlein on law office technology may be faxed to New Jersey Lawyer at (732) 650-7010, e-mailed to news@njlnews.com or mailed to “Law Technology Questions,” New Jersey Lawyer, Edison Square, 2035 Lincoln Highway, Suite 3005, Edison, N.J. 08817.