In our on-going series looking at classic computing devices birthed at HP, we see not only what they did, but also get a better sense of what was happening at the time each product came to market. (For a full explanation of why we’re calling this “Tales from the Next Bench,” read here).
    在 “惠普档案馆”系列文章中，我们介绍了各种惠普公司创造的神奇产品。我们不仅会介绍惠普曾经发明过什么，也将介绍这些产品上市时都发生了什么。

    This Installment: The PhotoSmart Photo System (1997)
    PhotoSmart照片处理系统（1997）
 
    It doesn’t seem that long, but 14 years ago, digital cameras weren’t exactly household items. And they certainly weren’t high-quality enough for serious print work. But many folks saw the direction digital photography was taking.
    听起来似乎并不久远，那是在14年前，那时的数码相机还没有成为家家必备的产品，因为其照片品质无法满足高质量印刷的需要。不过很多人都已经看到了数码照相的发展前景。
 

    In 1997, the “PhotoSmart” name was first used. Back then, it was a big deal – this notion of being able to get high-quality prints at home. But more than that the HP PhotoSmart system was a series of products meant to work together. It was meant to work with a Windows 95 computer (a Pavilion, of course) and Microsoft’s Picture-It! 2.0 software.
    1997年，PhotoSmart的名字第一次被使用。当时，在家中进行高质量的照片打印，可以算是一件轰动的大事件。更重要的是，HP PhotoSmart照片处理系统是一套可以共同工作，完整处理照片的系统。它与当时先进的Windows 95计算机（当然是Pavilion），以及微软的Picture-It! 2.0软件一起工作。

The product line included…
该产品线包括：
    

     The Photo Printer ($499). It could create an 8 by 10-inch photo in 5 minutes (!!) and a 4 by 6-inch photo in 2.5 minutes.
     照片打印机(499美元)。它可以在5分钟（！！）内打印一张8x10英寸的照片和在2分半内打印一张4x6英寸的照片。
  

     The Photo Scanner ($499). In 10 seconds, it could scan and give you a preview…and a full scan in a minute.
     照片扫描仪(499美元)。在10秒钟内，它可以扫描并提供预览，然后在一分钟内进行一次完整扫描。

     The Digital Camera ($399). Using removable HP Photo Memory Cards, which were available in 2MB or 4MB configurations, the PhotoSmart digital camera could store up to about 40 photos.
     数码相机(399美元)。采用可移动的HP Photo Memory Card，有2MB或4MB等配置，PhotoSmart可以存储最多40张照片。

    This is my favorite line from the press release: “The PhotoSmart digital camera eliminates the need to wait for photos to come back from a processing lab by enabling users to download their pictures to a PC instantly.” Raise your hand if you still use a photo processing lab. (I found the full press release right here, by the way.)
    这是新闻稿里我最喜欢的一段：“使用PhotoSmart数码相机，用户可以把照片立刻传输到电脑中，并打印出来，完全去除了跑到照片冲印店这个步骤，节省了时间。”还有谁要跑照片冲印店的请举手。
 

    What else happened in 1997?
    1997年还发生了什么？
 

    This is the year that Hong Kong was returned to Chinese control, which to some degree, signaled the next gear shift for current Chinese economic progress. And speaking of which, there was a global economic scare later in the year when stocks fell 554.26 points on October 27. On the technology front, we said hello to Dolly, the cloned sheep (yikes!). Microsoft launched Internet Explorer 4, was valued at about $261 billion and invested in Apple. All this while the Pathfinder mission landed on Mars.
    在这一年，香港回归了中国，这在某种程度上标志着中国的经济发展进入了下一个阶段。在当年下半年的10月27日，美国股市下挫达554.26点，带来了全球经济恐慌。在技术方面，克隆羊多莉诞生。微软发布了IE4，其市值达到2610亿美元，并投资于苹果电脑公司。与此同时，探索者号在火星降落。
 

    It’s funny to think about how far we’ve come: The ability to take – and edit – high-resolution photos straight from your phone. HP printers that you can send your pictures to via email, from anywhere. Imagine where it’ll go from here. What are some of your favorite digital photography-related memories? And what are you hoping to do with your shots in the future? Let me know in the comments below!
    想想我们如今能做的事情，真让人感到很有趣：你可以直接用手机拍摄并编辑高分辨率照片。你还可以从任何地方通过电子邮件把你的照片发送到惠普打印机上打印。想象一下，未来的发展将会怎样？你最喜爱的有关数码摄影的记忆是什么？你希望在未来用数码相机做怎样的事情？请写评论给我们。