A LITTLE HELP FROM YOUR FRIENDS

WELCOME TO THE FOURTH ISSUE OF ULTIMATE PRODUCTS, a report on the user rankings of the best of the new products introduced in Q4, 2004. Our objective, as always, is to provide you access to the collective expertise of your engineering peers as you consider the latest products for use in your designs.

I also want to point out that in a few weeks, at the Embedded Systems Conference, we will report on the Products of the Year 2004, in each of seven product categories. I canıt tell you what they are yet, but I can tell you that the Products of the Year were chosen by you, our engineering readers. We took the top two productsıas selected by youıin each of the last three issues of ULTIMATE PRODUCTS and, using our electronic ballot, submitted them to the Product Council for vote.

Which reminds me: Please sign up for the Product Council when you get your next ULTIMATE PRODUCTS ballot. Or write to me at mgold@cmp.com. If you qualify, you become part of our "inner circle" of friends and advisors. Meanwhile, read what your peers had to say about the current crop of products.

Marty Gold
Executive Editor, eeProductCenter

TABLE OF CONTENTS

Analog ICs

Processors & Memory

IP&E

Logic & Programmable Logic

Power

RF & Microwave

Test & Measurement

THE RANKINGS

Readers ranked products for technical significance and usability on a scale of 1 through 5 (with 5 as the highest score). However, the product rankings reported in this issue are relative to other products within the category-not absolute scores. The product ranked 1 in each category was judged as most technically significant for that category. Relative usability rankings and selected reader comments are also reported.