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Digital nomad, part deux. Too far ahead of its time when it was introduced in 1993, Apple's handheld computer known as the Newton might finally live up to its marketing hype now that it's been blessed with a more powerful operating system. Newton 2.0 improves on the original's fickle handwriting recognition and reworks the built-in applications that keep track of appointments and organize names, phone numbers, and the like. The Newton now receives as well as sends faxes, using either an external or a slide-in PC Card faxmodem, and allows users to reorient the screen in landscape mode -- a boon when connecting to on-line services. Direct Internet connectivity and Web-browsing capabilities are slated to appear later in 1996. With add-on software from Sunburst Communications (800-321-7511), teachers can use a Newton to keep track of grades, take attendance, record observations of students' progress, and quickly prepare printed reports. The Newton Solution Bundle for educators includes a Newton MessagePad 120 with 2 MB RAM (expandable to 10 MB with a Flash RAM PC Card), a PC or Mac connection kit, and additional software for $649. You can get more information by calling Apple at (800) 800-APPL.

Web processor. Did you ever wonder why people who create content for the World Wide Web go by the "Webmaster" moniker? Maybe it's because the Web's HyperText Markup Language (HTML) is such a pain to master. Well, who needs it? Toronto-based SoftQuad Inc. makes HoTMetaL PRO, a word processor for the Web that you can use to create home pages for your school or for yourself -- even if you can't spell HTML, let alone use it. HoTMetaL PRO includes standard word-processing features, including a spell-checker, thesaurus, and dictionary, and allows you to import and convert documents from Microsoft Word, WordPerfect, and other programs. A point-and-click toolbar lets you easily format your documents for the Web and create hyperlinks to other sites, while the software silently takes care of inserting the proper HTML codes. Now in version 2.0, HoTMetaL PRO is available for Windows, Macintosh, and Unix platforms for $195, but you can download a less-capable version for free. Call (800) 360-8454 for more information.

It's a Zip. You can hardly fit anything on a floppy disk anymore. Just try cramming a multimedia student project onto a standard 1.44 MB floppy, and you'll soon be yearning for Iomega Corp.'s handy and economical Zip drive, which reads and writes special 25 MB and 100 MB Zip disks. The external drive, which connects to both PCs and Macs, is the perfect portable storage medium for byte-intensive application files. Students even can password-protect their personal Zip disks to keep their work safe. The 100 MB blank disks sell for $19.95, and 25 MB disks go for just $9.95; the Zip drive itself sells for $199.95. You can reach Iomega Corp. at (800) MY-STUFF.

Better than before. That's what Microsoft is hoping you'll think of Encarta 96, the latest version of its top-selling electronic encyclopedia, which now includes a monthly on-line update service called Yearbook Builder. Licensed users of the encyclopedia get a free trial subscription to the $29.95-a-year updating service. Encarta's street price is $54.95, but users of previous versions get a $10 rebate. A teacher's activity guide is included.