COMPUTER MANUFACTURERS and software publishers make such a song and dance about the exciting multimedia aspects of their products that it's quite easy to overlook one of the main reasons for buying a computer: creating and sharing documents.Atek, Inc., a manufacturer of consumer technology products has tied up with lS.Equipments to distribute its Atek Logio Secure Password organizer. The battery-powered electronic device with an LCD display enables password-weary computer users to store private login and other information, protect it with a single master passcode, and carry it with them wherever they go.

According to Atek's president, Dan Rothman, password management is a nearly universal problem. "If you ask ten people how they manage their passwords, the first thing you'll hear from at least nine of them is a sigh or a groan. Very few people have password management under control- it's an unresolved irritant and concern. They typically say they either use the same passwords for many websites, write down passwords on paper, store them in an lmprotected computer file, or use hard-to-guess passwords that they constantly forget. People are well aware that none of those methods is both secure and convenient, but they don't feel they have good altematives."

The innovative Logio, which is about 1/8 inch thick and can be carried in a purse, pocket, or wallet, features a three-line display for website name or address, user ID, and password. Quick-entry buttons on the flat membrane keypad are optimized for Web-related use and include such entries as and Users can also store up to three favored user IDs for quick-entry when inputting new website logins on their Logio.