Engadget

Packard Bell debuts updated ixtreme desktop PC

Donald Melanson — Sat, 11 Jul 2009 04:11:00 EST

Packard Bell already rolled out its updated line of imedia desktop PCs earlier this month, and it's now done the same with its higher-end "ixtreme" desktop, which gets some upgraded specs and a sleek new look. While that exterior is certainly a step up for Packard Bell, it's not quite as eye-catching as the specs, which include your choice of Core i7, Core 2 Quad, or AMD Phenom II X4 processors, up to 12GB of DDR3 memory, a max 3TB of storage space, your choice of a few NVIDIA graphics options (including the 1GB GeForce GTS 250), an optional Blu-ray combo drive, and ten USB ports for anything that won't fit inside. No word on a release 'round here, of course, but folks in the UK will be able to pick this one up this month with a starting price of £599 (or just under $1,000).

[Via Randomly Accessed, thanks Steve]

Filed under: Desktops

Packard Bell debuts updated ixtreme desktop PC originally appeared on Engadget on Sat, 11 Jul 2009 04:11:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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No surprise: Intel has known about Chrome OS, worked with Google on 'elements' of project

Ross Miller — Fri, 10 Jul 2009 18:41:00 EST

So as it turns out, Intel isn't just casually accepting of Google's new OS initiative, it's actually been privy to the project for some time now, according to a spokesperson for the chipmaker. The two have apparently also worked together (and are potentially still working together) on portions of Chrome OS, he says, which really makes it all the more curious that the company isn't mentioned among Google's first partners while Qualcomm, Freescale, and Texas Instruments are. Then again, said inclusion might make the Moblin team more than a little bit upset, and either way, let's not forget that Atom chips will be sold regardless of which OS is on the system -- it's really kind of a win-win situation that we reckon the hardware division isn't complaining about.

Filed under: Desktops, Laptops, Software

No surprise: Intel has known about Chrome OS, worked with Google on 'elements' of project originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 10 Jul 2009 18:41:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Google's Schmidt initially opposed to Chrome, says Microsoft is welcome to port Internet Explorer on over

Paul Miller — Fri, 10 Jul 2009 09:48:00 EST

While Chrome OS is still a pretty rough sketch in our mind's eye, the Google boys have hosted a press conference to answer a few burning questions. Among the myriad revelations, it turns out Eric Schmidt wasn't stoked on building a browser when Sergey Brin and Larry Page brought it up about six years ago, given the fact that Google was still relatively small, and the browser wars were still fresh in everyone's minds. After he saw an early build of Chrome, however, he changed his tune. He says Chrome and Chrome OS are "game-changers," and Larry describes Chrome OS as the "anti-operating system" and indistinguishable from a browser.

Luckily, they also hinted at some native development possibility (hopefully) outside of the browser, stating that Microsoft is free to build a version of Internet Explorer for Chrome OS if they'd like, and that it's an open source project. According to Eric: "Even if we had an evil moment, we would be unsuccessful." He also mentioned there were plenty of "commonalities" between Chrome OS and Android, and that the two might grow even closer over time. Interesting. As for his role on Apple board, Eric will be working out with those folks as to when he needs to recuse himself from OS talk like he already does with iPhone talk. Most of the rest of the talk was spent making old person digs at Schmidt, Mr. BlackBerry himself.

Filed under: Desktops, Laptops, Software

Google's Schmidt initially opposed to Chrome, says Microsoft is welcome to port Internet Explorer on over originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 10 Jul 2009 09:48:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Google names Chrome OS compatriots, Dell noticeably absent

Ross Miller — Wed, 08 Jul 2009 20:06:00 EST

Acer, Adobe, ASUS, Freescale, Hewlett-Packard, Lenovo, Qualcomm, and Texas Instruments -- according to the latest Chrome OS update from Google, you're looking at the company's initial ragtag team of co-conspirators for its entry into the operating system business. With Adobe's involvement, we can assume Flash support is a given, and the others unsurprisingly run the gamut of netbook and smartbook players. We can't help but notice a couple of conspicuous absences on that list, including Intel and Dell. With Intel, you don't need to partner to work on its chips, but we gotta imagine it'd help by offering more support, and as for Dell, we don't know about that one, but there's still plenty of time for the Big G to enlist more companies in the lead up to its second half 2010 debut.

Update: Google updated the list to include Toshiba.

Filed under: Desktops, Laptops, Software

Google names Chrome OS compatriots, Dell noticeably absent originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 08 Jul 2009 20:06:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Steven Sinofsky promoted to president of Windows

Darren Murph — Wed, 08 Jul 2009 17:17:00 EST

With Windows 7 just months away from release, Microsoft is putting a new individual in charge of the whole Windows division. Steven Sinofsky -- who was previously responsible for squashing thousands upon thousands of early Win7 bugs as the senior vice president for the Windows and Windows Live Engineering Group -- now has a shiny new title. We're told that as president, Mr. Sinofsky "assumes responsibility for the Windows business including both the engineering and marketing functions for Windows, Windows Live and Internet Explorer." Yeah, pretty broad. Oh, and it's not clear if the former prez's decision to green light that patently disgusting "vomit" spot for IE8 was the straw that broke the camel's back, but whatever the case, there's a new brain behind the future of Windows. No pressure, Steve-o.

[Thank, Neal]

Filed under: Desktops, Laptops, Software

Steven Sinofsky promoted to president of Windows originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 08 Jul 2009 17:17:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Video: ASUS Eee Keyboard gutted, soldering secrets revealed

Thomas Ricker — Wed, 08 Jul 2009 07:25:00 EST

Oh the carnage! A prototype ASUS Eee Keyboard made a wrong turn at Albuquerque only to end up gutted in a French orgy of gadget terrorism. Nine screw removals later and we see the stand-alone PC with its 5-inch, 800 x 480 pixel touchscreen splayed, 1.66GHz Atom N280 processor and all. Unfortunately, easy access does not mean easy upgrades as the RAM is soldered to the motherboard. Other notables are the Silicon Image HDMI transmitter that allows 1080p playback over HDMI and 1880mAh battery that should provide an estimated 1 hour and 40 minutes of use before hitting the mains. Blogeenet also has a pretty thorough video overview of ASUS' customized UI running on XP; after the break, son.

Continue reading Video: ASUS Eee Keyboard gutted, soldering secrets revealed

Filed under: Desktops

Video: ASUS Eee Keyboard gutted, soldering secrets revealed originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 08 Jul 2009 07:25:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Google announces Chrome OS, coming to netbooks second half of 2010

Ross Miller — Wed, 08 Jul 2009 00:59:00 EST

We can't believe it's actually here, but after hearing whispers of a Google OS for what seems like ages now, the company's now gone official with its plans. According to the official developer blog, it'll be an open source, lightweight platform that can "power computers ranging from small netbooks to full-size desktop systems," and will be capable of running on x86 (that includes Intel Atom) and ARM chips. Addressing potential overlap with Android-based netbooks, the official line is that "choice will drive innovation for the benefit of everyone, including Google" -- a pretty wild statement to make, but hey, it's still all Google. A large portion of its fresh out of beta Google Apps suite already supports an offline mode, so we guess the groundwork's laid out. The company says it's currently working with a number of OEM manufacturers and that it'll initially appear on a number of netbooks coming to market sometime in the second half of 2010. Excited? We are.

Filed under: Desktops, Laptops, Software

Google announces Chrome OS, coming to netbooks second half of 2010 originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 08 Jul 2009 00:59:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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CE-Oh no he didn't! Part LXI: Acer chief says Japanese PC companies "the weakest today"

Nilay Patel — Tue, 07 Jul 2009 20:39:00 EST

We're pretty sure we've heard Acer CEO Gianfranco Lanci say PC industry consolidation resulting in fewer players and lower component prices would be a good thing before, but he dressed it with a side of smackdown today: speaking to the New York Times, he said that Toshiba and Sony's PC businesses would be the first targets, since "the Japanese for sure are the weakest today." Ouch. It's especially harsh since Sony just broke down and released its first netbook this morning after claiming that the low-cost machines were a downward spiral, but that wasn't enough blood for Gianfranco: he also said that ASUS and Lenovo need to "think long and hard" about remaining independent companies. Yow -- sounds like someone's planning to do a little shopping, don't you think?

Filed under: Desktops, Laptops

CE-Oh no he didn't! Part LXI: Acer chief says Japanese PC companies "the weakest today" originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 07 Jul 2009 20:39:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Eurotech introduces Atom-powered in-wall Panel Computers

Darren Murph — Mon, 06 Jul 2009 08:59:00 EST

Why leave all the new computer fun to your desk or lap, right? In an effort to give that barren wall of yours something to cheer about, Eurotech has recently introduced a new trio of Panel Computers, all of which are powered by Intel's less-than-amazing Atom CPU. The Vx-120F-N270 and Vx-150F-N270 are practically identical save for the 12.1- and 15-inch touchscreens (respectively), with each possessing an Atom N270 processor, a fanless design, high-brightness LCD, twin gigabit Ethernet jacks, a front-mounted USB port and an expansion slot for add-on boards. The outfit also debuted the rugged Bx-400F-N270, which should withstand abuse not seen on typical in-wall PCs. Prices have yet to be made public, but you can pretty much bank on your local home automation dealer charging a boatload come mid-September.

Filed under: Desktops

Eurotech introduces Atom-powered in-wall Panel Computers originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 06 Jul 2009 08:59:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Bristol's ViewSurfer TVs let you use XP from 10 feet away

Thomas Ricker — Mon, 06 Jul 2009 03:58:00 EST

Face it, we're not normal. Most consumers don't want to convert their home PCs into media centers. That doesn't stop them from wanting a single device serving as both their TV and PC, however. That's where the 22- and 32-inch Bristol ViewSurfer PC/TVs carve out their niche. Each set features a FreeView tuner and an integrated, netbook-like, Atom-based Windows XP computer with 160GB of storage, 1GB of memory, 4x USB, and Ethernet. The PC lacks integrated WiFi, oddly enough, and the TV seems to function in complete isolation from the computer processing -- so no integrated DVR, for example. The £500 (about $814) 22-inch model does feature a 1680 x 1050 pixel resolution, well above the 1024 x 600 display found in most netbooks. Not that you'll be pushing Flash-based video from YouTube or BBC's iPlayer full-screen as these ViewSurfers are undoubtedly saddled with Intel's integrated 945GSE netbook graphics. Bristol remains mum about the specs on the 32 incher. Available in October if you're still game.

Filed under: Desktops, Home Entertainment, Media PCs

Bristol's ViewSurfer TVs let you use XP from 10 feet away originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 06 Jul 2009 03:58:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Windows 7 release to manufacturing reportedly on track for July 13th

Donald Melanson — Fri, 03 Jul 2009 16:04:00 EST

Get out your Bill Gates commemorative calendars folks, 'cause it looks like we now have a few more dates to mark off on the road to Windows 7 availability. While Microsoft still isn't saying anything official itself just yet, a number of different sources are reporting that the company has set July 10th as the date for the final gold build of Windows 7, while the big release to manufacturing date is apparently on track for July 13th. Of course, things could still change if there's a major bug or other problem encountered, but barring any disasters, that'll likely be the same build that finds its way onto your PC this fall.

Filed under: Desktops, Laptops

Windows 7 release to manufacturing reportedly on track for July 13th originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 03 Jul 2009 16:04:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Packard Bell imedia lineup gets an Acer-inspired refresh

Vladislav Savov — Fri, 03 Jul 2009 04:47:00 EST

Packard Bell recently overhauled its logo in an effort to keep up with the times, but are its offerings up to the same task? The new imedia lineup immediately recalls the recently announced M-series desktops from Acer, and that's no accident. The innards are remarkably similar too, with the top models sporting Core 2 Quad or AMD Phenom II X4 processors, a 1.5GB GeForce GT230, HDMI out, Blu-Ray combo drive and a maximum of 8GB DDR3 memory and 1TB of storage. While none of the specs are on the blistering edge of innovation, there's plenty of power there and keen pricing could make them an attractive proposition. The entry-level Celeron-based units start at £299 ($490) in the UK.

Filed under: Desktops

Packard Bell imedia lineup gets an Acer-inspired refresh originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 03 Jul 2009 04:47:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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EMTEC dips toes into nettop market with Ion-based G Box

Ross Miller — Fri, 03 Jul 2009 01:26:00 EST

We're used to seeing nettops from the likes of Asus and Acer, but EMTEC's the newcomer in this field and let's see what we're working with. At about one inch thick by TechDigest's estimates, the G Box (working title) certainly compact, and we definitely give points to it running NVIDIA's Ion platform, Windows XP, at least six USB ports, and a 160GB hard drive. Unfortunately, there's no HDMI port -- that's coming in a later model -- and at £179 ($293 US), we'd be hard pressed to pick this over the HDMI-equipped AspireRevo, but we'll await judgment until we can try this thing out for ourselves. In the meantime, hit up the read link for a brief video hands-on.

Continue reading EMTEC dips toes into nettop market with Ion-based G Box

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EMTEC dips toes into nettop market with Ion-based G Box originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 03 Jul 2009 01:26:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Psystar bounces back from Chapter 11, intros new high-end hardware

Paul Miller — Thu, 02 Jul 2009 11:16:00 EST

Everybody's favorite fuzzy little Apple clone maker is back from Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection (we're still waiting on that revelatory outing of creditors that Apple is so hungry for), and already has a new product in the offering. Psystar's new Open(7) hardware runs Intel Nehalem Xeon, which should provide a nice performance jolt to hackintosh land. Psystar is also going to start using a new bootloader called Darwin Universal Boot Loader, which will eventually be released to open source. Oh, and just in case you were wondering: a little bit of bankruptcy hasn't softened the company's confrontational spirit: Psystar says it's ready to "emerge and again battle Goliath," and that when "life gives you apples, make applesauce." It's kind of cute, really.

[Via TUAW]

Filed under: Desktops

Psystar bounces back from Chapter 11, intros new high-end hardware originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 02 Jul 2009 11:16:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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iBUYPOWER launches Core i7-packin' Paladin XLC desktops

Darren Murph — Wed, 01 Jul 2009 16:33:00 EST

Nearly a month to the day after iBUYPOWER launched its gamer-centric M865TU gaming laptop, the outfit has now given the desktop gamers in attendance something to consider. The liquid cooled Paladin XLC series is comprised of three well appointed models, the XLC V1, XLC V2 and XLC V3. All three of 'em are stored in the monstrous Coolermaster HAF 922 (the V3 gets a HAF 932), while even the lowest end model gets a Core i7-920 processor. Other specs include up to 12GB of DDR3 RAM, as many as three NVIDIA GeForce GTX 285 GPUs, upwards of 1TB of HDD space, optional Blu-ray support and Windows Vista Home Premium. The trifecta can be ordered now for $1,399, $2,159 or $4,299 in order of mention.

Gallery: iBUYPOWER launches Core i7-packin' Paladin XLC desktops

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iBUYPOWER launches Core i7-packin' Paladin XLC desktops originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 01 Jul 2009 16:33:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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NVIDIA said to be prepping Ion 2 for late 2009

Donald Melanson — Wed, 01 Jul 2009 15:38:00 EST

NVIDIA obviously isn't doing much talking about it itself just yet, but Fudzilla apparently has it on good authority that the company is indeed already hard at work on Ion 2, which promises to bring with it plenty of improvements over the already impressive Ion chipset. Chief among those is a decreased die size, "much faster graphics," and more than twice the shaders of the original Geforce 9400M /MCP79 chipset that the current Ion is based on (which uses 16 shaders). Not many more details than that, unfortunately, but NVIDIA is supposedly looking to launch Ion 2 by the end of this year -- although not before it sells plenty more Ion 1s, of course.

[Via SlashGear]

Filed under: Desktops, Laptops

NVIDIA said to be prepping Ion 2 for late 2009 originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 01 Jul 2009 15:38:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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eMachines intros ET1300-02, ET1810-01 and ET1810-03 desktop PCs

Darren Murph — Wed, 01 Jul 2009 10:47:00 EST

Just a few short weeks after eMachines outed its EL1300 line of SFF PCs, the company is hitting us up again with a new trio of full-size desktops. The ET1300-02, ET1810-01 and ET1810-03 are all encased within a luminous white mini-tower and ship with a matching LCD monitor, speakers and a keyboard. As for specs, the $449.99 ET1300-02 checks in with an AMD Athlon X2 4850e (2.5GHz) CPU, Vista Home Premium, NVIDIA's GeForce G100 (512MB), 3GB of DDR2 memory, a 160GB hard drive, 18x SuperMulti DVD burner, multicard reader, HDMI / DVI / VGA outputs and an 18-inch E182H display. The $369.99 ET1810-03 steps to a 2.2GHz Pentium E2210 CPU, GeForce 7500 integrated graphics and just a single VGA port, while the $299.99 ET1810-01 cranks it down to a 1.6GHz Celeron 420 and 2GB of DDR2 RAM. The trio should be filtering out to respected retailers as we speak.

Filed under: Desktops

eMachines intros ET1300-02, ET1810-01 and ET1810-03 desktop PCs originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 01 Jul 2009 10:47:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Windows 7 Beta automatic shutdowns begin today, RC users safe until March 1st

Thomas Ricker — Wed, 01 Jul 2009 03:49:00 EST

You're not still running Windows 7 Beta are you? Tsk tsk, better get your RC build before your system starts spontaneously shutting down every 2 hours. As Microsoft has warned repeatedly, Windows 7 Beta builds will begin bi-hourly shutdowns starting on July 1st in a bid to move you over to the latest release candidate. RC user will suffer the same treatment starting March 1st, 2010 on the way to a June 1st expiration -- well after the October 22nd launch date of Windows 7 to retail. This concludes this Engadget public service announcement, your regularly scheduled snarkiness will return in a moment.

[Thanks, Kyle]

Filed under: Desktops, Laptops, Tablet PCs

Windows 7 Beta automatic shutdowns begin today, RC users safe until March 1st originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 01 Jul 2009 03:49:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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China delays plan for mandatory "Green Dam" internet filter

Donald Melanson — Tue, 30 Jun 2009 18:46:00 EST

There's not exactly much more details than the headline on this one, but China's official Xinhua news agency is reporting that the country is delaying its plans that would require that the so-called "Green Dam Youth Escort" internet filtering software be installed on all PCs sold in China. That requirement was set to go into effect on Wednesday but, as we have seen, it's caused no shortage of controversy during the lead up -- both because of the general nature of the software, and because of some piracy and security issues that could leave PCs with the software vulnerable to an attack. No word on a new date just yet, but it seems unlikely that the delay will be an indefinite one.

[Thanks, James]

Filed under: Desktops, Laptops

China delays plan for mandatory "Green Dam" internet filter originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 30 Jun 2009 18:46:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Video: AMD's Phenom II X4 TWKR CPU for extreme overclocking lunatics

Joseph L. Flatley — Tue, 30 Jun 2009 15:14:00 EST

AMD has recently cooked up a little something they like to call the Phenom II X4 TWKR Black Edition, a hand-picked, limited edition processor that is designed to be overclocked "to the extreme." Currently labeled "Not for Sale," with no serial numbers and only one hundred of these bad boys in existence, just a few lucky folks have got their hands on one, so we've dug up some reviews (and previews) so you can see what the fuss is all about. According to the company, one of these guys could be pushed by 100MHz with air cooling, which doubles to about 200MHz with "extreme cooling." As far as impressions go, the reviewer at Neoseeker quickly decided that the units aren't meant to be overclocked on air only, and that dry ice isn't much better. Hot Hardware says pretty much the same thing. Though they weren't able to test with liquid nitrogen or liquid helium (the only way to get real speed) they did put a Koolance LN2 pot (and about 20lbs of dry ice) to the test for 4.73GHz. For best results, according to Tom's Hardware Guide, bench the processor at -190°C or cooler. But for the real overclocking experience you simply must check out the video of the "world renowned overclockers" K|ngp|n, chew*, and Gomeler as they run the gamut of "extreme overclocking techniques" after the break.

Read - AMD Phenom II TWKR Edition CPU Preview
Read - AMD's Phenom II X4 TWKR: We Give It The LN2 Treatment
Read - AMD Phenom II 42 TWKR Black Edition Processor
Read - AMD Phenom II TWKR Black Edition Processor

Continue reading Video: AMD's Phenom II X4 TWKR CPU for extreme overclocking lunatics

Filed under: Desktops

Video: AMD's Phenom II X4 TWKR CPU for extreme overclocking lunatics originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 30 Jun 2009 15:14:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Firefox 3.5 arrives

Paul Miller — Tue, 30 Jun 2009 11:45:00 EST

After some rather impressive RC builds, Firefox 3.5 is all packaged up and ready for public consumption. Mozilla is saying its new browser is more than two times faster than Firefox 3, but what has us more excited is the support for plugin-free "open codec" video and audio playback using Ogg Vorbis and Ogg Theora-- it's still in its infancy, but the subtle glimpse we've seen so far of a world without Flash video reducing our CPU to jelly is rather compelling.

Filed under: Desktops, Laptops

Firefox 3.5 arrives originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 30 Jun 2009 11:45:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Sony now including "Green Dam" filtering software on PCs sold in China

Donald Melanson — Mon, 29 Jun 2009 20:21:00 EST

Well, there was some evidence earlier this month that some piracy issues in China's mandated "Green Dam" content-filtering software could cause PC exports to the country to be stalled, but it looks like Sony has now gone ahead and included the software on its PCs regardless, albeit with a few major caveats. According to the document above (included with a VAIO PC sold in the country, and translated by RConversation's Rebecca MacKinnon), Sony says that it is including the software "in accordance with government requirements," but that it "cannot guarantee the authenticity, legality, or compatibility of the software's content, function, service or any other feature." It's also apparently only including the program on the hard drive and providing installation instructions, rather than providing it completely pre-installed itself. Still no word from any of the other major PC manufacturers, it seems, but you can be sure this won't be the last word on the matter.

[Via TG Daily]

Filed under: Desktops, Laptops

Sony now including "Green Dam" filtering software on PCs sold in China originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 29 Jun 2009 20:21:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Intel's 32nm Clarkdale CPUs moved up to Q4, a full year ahead of AMD?

Thomas Ricker — Mon, 29 Jun 2009 06:20:00 EST

It's just a rumor, but DigiTimes has pretty decent sources within Taiwan's motherboard industry. So what was a Q1 2010 mass production launch of Clarkdale CPUs is now rumored to be coming in Q4, notable as the first Intel CPU to use its new 32nm process technology with an integrated memory controller and graphics core built on a 45nm process. This jibes with what DailyTECH and others were reporting back in Feburary. DigiTimes adds that Intel expects Clarkdale CPUs to account for 10% of its total desktop CPU shipments in Q4 rising to 20% in Q1 2010. That means we should see the chips well before the holiday shopping season (near the October 22nd launch of Windows 7 makes sense) if true. As for AMD, well, last we heard they're still looking to "ramp up" production in the middle of 2010 with mass production capabilities arriving around Q4. Yeah, we know.

Read -- DigiTimes
Read -- DailyTECH

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Intel's 32nm Clarkdale CPUs moved up to Q4, a full year ahead of AMD? originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 29 Jun 2009 06:20:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Acer poised to beat Dell, become number two PC maker

Nilay Patel — Sun, 28 Jun 2009 23:03:00 EST

Interesting piece in the New York Times today about Acer -- the company is about to ride the tidal wave of netbooks and other el-cheapo computers straight to the number two spot on the PC sales chart. That's a big deal -- no non-US company has ever made it so high -- and it's interesting that the strategies Acer took to get there are the same things Dell's been trying to do lately: it's heavy on low-cost, stylish laptops and netbooks, it keeps inventory extremely lean, and it relies on an extensive set of retail partnerships in Europe. What's more, the Aspire One has been the best-selling netbook for a while now, and we'd say Acer's way out in front of the CULV thin-and-light race with the Timeline -- in fact, we'd say the only open question here is whether the company can take all this computing success and translate it to something worthwhile in the smartphone space. Based on what we've seen so far, we've got our doubts, but we'll see what those super-secret Android sets look like before we place our bets.

Filed under: Desktops, Laptops

Acer poised to beat Dell, become number two PC maker originally appeared on Engadget on Sun, 28 Jun 2009 23:03:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Acer introduces Aspire M5800 and M3800 desktops, H235H display

Nilay Patel — Sun, 28 Jun 2009 17:11:00 EST

Acer's been on a tear with the new gear lately, and while we're not going to say we're as hot for the new Aspire M5800 tower as we are for, say, the Timeline, it's still a pretty nice little machine -- you're looking at a 2.66GHz Core 2 Quad with 8GB of RAM, 1.5GB GeForce GT230 graphics, a 740GB drive and HDMI out for $800. Not bad at all. Little brothers Aspire M3800 and X3810 are far less interesting, with a 2.5GHz Pentium and integrated X4500 graphics for $450 in a tower or $529 in a low-profile case. Not exactly mindblowing, but you've still got HDMI out, so they could make for reasonably cheap HTPCs if you don't need much more than Flash support. Acer's also got a new display out, the 23-inch H235H, which offers 1080p resolution, 2ms response time, a 160-degree viewing angle, and 100,000:1 contrast ratio for $239.

Gallery: Acer Aspire M5800, M3800, X3810, H235H

Filed under: Desktops, Displays

Acer introduces Aspire M5800 and M3800 desktops, H235H display originally appeared on Engadget on Sun, 28 Jun 2009 17:11:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Edelweiss PC casemod goes above and beyond insanity

Laura June — Sat, 27 Jun 2009 13:15:00 EST

Sure, these days, it can be pretty hard to get super-stoked over a casemod... after all, they're basically a dime a dozen. We're always impressed with the crazy ones though, and this one over at Million Dollar PC -- the Edelweiss (possibly named after our least-favorite song and flower), really takes the crazy and turns it up to 11. We're not even sure what's going on, to be honest, but we can assure you of this much: we're really, really fond of it. Two more shots after the break.

[Via Case Mod Blog]

Continue reading Edelweiss PC casemod goes above and beyond insanity

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Edelweiss PC casemod goes above and beyond insanity originally appeared on Engadget on Sat, 27 Jun 2009 13:15:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Sugar Labs' "Sugar on a Stick" OS available for any and all

Joshua Topolsky — Fri, 26 Jun 2009 18:17:00 EST

The last time we heard from Sugar Labs, its "Sugar on a Stick" project (a tidied-up build of Sugar OS which can be run live from a CD or USB drive) was just entering beta. Apparently all the company needed to take that version to a release-ready state was a month (give or take). A full, free version of Sugar is now available in a 383MB ISO file for anyone to take advantage of -- though the company is obviously setting its sights firmly in the direction of the education market as usual. The OS -- previously designed for the OLPC XO, but now targeted to any PC or Mac schools have lying around -- is based on the newly released Fedora 11, and is in a "Strawberry" release meant for real world classroom testing. The feedback the company receives on this edition will apparently be incorporated into a future version destined for your hands and eyes at the end of the year. In the meantime, you can take SoaS for a spin... ASAP.

[Via Ars Technica]

Filed under: Desktops, Laptops

Sugar Labs' "Sugar on a Stick" OS available for any and all originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 26 Jun 2009 18:17:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Windows 7 could be sold on thumb drives, but probably not

Joseph L. Flatley — Fri, 26 Jun 2009 13:50:00 EST

As you know, Windows 7 pre-orders begin today (unless you're lucky enough to be in Europe, that is). This of course begs the question: what is a Win7-aspiring netbook owner to do? External optical drives are pretty kludgey, in our estimation, and trip to the Geek Squad? Out of the question. According to CNET, a "source" of some sort is goin' around saying that Microsoft is planning on making the OS available on USB thumb drives for the ultra-portable market, although we feel that such devices are best left to the college students who rely on campus computer labs -- or the occasional J.Lo album. As for Microsoft, they've said nothing about any of this, although we have noticed that its online store has all three upgrades (Home Premium, Professional, and Ultimate) available for pre-order download (at $49.99, $99.99, and $219.99 respectively). Problem solved, right?

Filed under: Desktops, Laptops

Windows 7 could be sold on thumb drives, but probably not originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 26 Jun 2009 13:50:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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ASUS Eee Keyboard now on track for August launch

Donald Melanson — Thu, 25 Jun 2009 16:29:00 EST

Last we had heard, ASUS' convention-busting Eee Keyboard was due to be released by the end of June but, as you may have noticed, it's now almost the end of June and there's still no Eee Keyboard in sight. ASUS has now finally come out and cleared up the situation, however, saying that the PC-in-a-keyboard / keyboard-in-a-PC is now due to be released sometime around the end of August. Unfortunately, it's not clear if that'll be the XP-based version we've been seeing all along, or the Moblin-based version that just cropped up earlier this month (or both), and there's still no word on a price either.

[Via Pocket-lint]

Filed under: Desktops

ASUS Eee Keyboard now on track for August launch originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 25 Jun 2009 16:29:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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HP outs healthy slew of new Pavilion / Compaq Presario desktops

Darren Murph — Thu, 25 Jun 2009 11:11:00 EST

Seems that HP got all the laptop love out of its system yesterday, as today were having a foursome of new desktops shoved down our throats. First up is the Pavilion Slimline s5000, which gets going at $289 and includes an AMD LE1600 CPU, 2GB of DDR2 RAM, a 320GB hard drive, 6-in-1 media card reader and a case that should be small enough for most dorm room corners. Next, there's the all-too-similar $269 Pavilion p6000, while the $599+ Pavilion Elite e9000 offers up a larger case along with an AMD Phenom II X2 545 CPU, 4GB of DDR3 memory, a 500GB HDD, 512MB NVIDIA GeForce G210 CPU and a 15-in-1 card reader. Finally, the $379 Compaq Presario CQ5000 ships with a 2.5GHz Athlon X2 7550 CPU, 3GB of DDR2 RAM, an NVIDIA GeForce 6150 SE GPU and a 320GB 7200RPM HDD. Tap the read link for all the nitty-gritty details, but only if you're really, really prepared for what's to come.

Gallery: HP outs healthy slew of new Pavilion / Compaq Presario desktops

Filed under: Desktops

HP outs healthy slew of new Pavilion / Compaq Presario desktops originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 25 Jun 2009 11:11:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Water-cooled Aquasar supercomputer does math, heats dorm rooms

Darren Murph — Thu, 25 Jun 2009 05:27:00 EST

Not that we haven't seen this trick pulled before, but there's still something magical about the forthcoming Aquasar. Said supercomputer, which will feature two IBM BladeCenter servers in each rack, should be completed by 2010 and reach a top speed of ten teraflops. Such a number pales in comparison to the likes of IBM's Roadrunner, but it's the energy factor here that makes it a star. If all goes well, this machine will suck down just 10KW of energy, while the average power consumption of a supercomputer in the top 500 list is 257KW. The secret lies in the new approach to chip-level water cooling, which will utilize a "fine network of capillaries" to bring the water dangerously close to the processors without actually frying any silicon. While it's crunching numbers, waste heat will also be channeled throughout the heating system at the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology, giving students and dorm room crashers a good feel for the usefulness of recycled warmth.

Filed under: Desktops

Water-cooled Aquasar supercomputer does math, heats dorm rooms originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 25 Jun 2009 05:27:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Microsoft rolls out Windows 7 packaging

Ross Miller — Wed, 24 Jun 2009 21:08:00 EST

We could swear we've seen this before, but nonetheless, Microsoft's Windows blog has unveiled what it's calling the official Windows 7's packaging -- as in, this it what we'll be seeing in stores when it launches this fall. It's apparently 37 percent lighter and has a 50 percent better econometrics score over the Vista box, which we can't help but draw mental parallels to the platform's overall performance and mindshare improvements. See it for yourself in the gallery below -- couldn't hurt to get a peek now at what you'll be picking up come October 22nd.

Gallery: Microsoft rolls out Windows 7 packaging

Filed under: Desktops, Laptops

Microsoft rolls out Windows 7 packaging originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 24 Jun 2009 21:08:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Gateway unveils DX mini-tower and SX small form factor PCs

Ross Miller — Wed, 24 Jun 2009 19:34:00 EST

Nettop? All-in-one? Sometimes you just want a good ole' fashioned desktop, and that's where Gateway's new DX and SX PCs come into play. The SX small form factor, pictured above, has packed in a 2.33GHz Intel Core 2 Quad with GMA X4500 integrated graphics, 4GB DDR3 SDRAM, 640GB HDD, a 18x DVD writer, multi-card reader, nine USB 2.0 ports, multi-card reader, firewire and eSATA, HDMI and VGA outputs, and Windows Vista Home Premium 64-bit. Asking price for that setup is $499, but if you're looking to game, we don't see much room for adding a hipper graphics card. On the slightly heftier side, the DX mini-tower boasts either an Intel Core 2 Quad or AMD Phenom X4 with NVIDIA GeForce G210 / ATI Radeon 4650 graphics cards, respectively, up to 8GB DDR3 and 1TB HDD, eight USB 2.0 ports, and all the other amenities of the SX for a starting price of $750. Both models are expected for release end of June, which means pretty much now-ish. To top it off, the company's also just released a new FHD display series in 21.5, 23, and 24-inch varieties, and it looks like there's been a spec refresh to its LX and FX desktop lines. Full press release after the break.

Gallery: Gateway unveils DX mini-tower and SX small form factor PCs

Continue reading Gateway unveils DX mini-tower and SX small form factor PCs

Filed under: Desktops

Gateway unveils DX mini-tower and SX small form factor PCs originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 24 Jun 2009 19:34:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Nanometer wars heat up, Toshiba and Intel enter unofficial race

Darren Murph — Mon, 22 Jun 2009 10:12:00 EST

Think the megapixel race is bad? Now we've another to worry about, with both Toshiba and Intel hastily approaching 0.01nm technology in order to make chips faster, more nimble and smaller. According to undisclosed sources at Digitimes, Intel has actually canned production plans for its 45nm Havendale processors, which were originally slated to slip into machines later this year. The cause? It's heading straight to 32nm, reportedly hoping to ship its Clarkdale line in Q1 2010 with entry-level prices ranging from $60 to $190. In related news, Toshiba is joining the likes of IBM, Samsung and Globalfoundries in an effort to dish out chips based on 28nm process technology. Needless to say, the move is being made in an effort to "stay relevant in an area dominated by the likes of Intel Corp and Texas Instruments." Now, if only we could get one of these potent, low-power chips inside of a netbook, we'd be pleased as punch.

Read - Intel cans Havendale in move to 32nm
Read - Toshiba speeds to 28nm

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Nanometer wars heat up, Toshiba and Intel enter unofficial race originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 22 Jun 2009 10:12:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Stealth's WPC-500F waterproof SFF PC makes a splash

Ross Miller — Sun, 21 Jun 2009 20:31:00 EST

Sure, we give you the usual list of specs for Stealth's newest small form factor PC, the WPC-500F -- which, frankly, isn't any different than your garden variety netbook -- but if you ask us, its most noteworthy feature is the ability to pour water on it all day without worrying about it fizzling out. Orders for the waterproof / water resistant machine are now being accepted, with prices starting at $1,995 and shipments going out in early July. If you really must know all the technical details, it's got a 1.6GHz Intel Atom 330, integrated graphics, 2GB RAM, 80GB HDD with options for SSD, no optical bay, no WiFi, and Windows XP. However, we think it'll more fun to just send you past the break and watch the borderline sadomasochistic video demonstration.

[Via Engadget Korea]

Read - Press Release
Read - Product page

Continue reading Stealth's WPC-500F waterproof SFF PC makes a splash

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Stealth's WPC-500F waterproof SFF PC makes a splash originally appeared on Engadget on Sun, 21 Jun 2009 20:31:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Microsoft extends XP downgrade availability to 2011. When will it end?

Donald Melanson — Fri, 19 Jun 2009 13:53:00 EST

Hold onto your hats folks, 'cause Microsoft has just done the unthinkable and extended availability of its Windows XP downgrade option, again. This latest move, of course, follows complaints that new licensing issues with Windows 7 could cause some serious headaches for businesses still hanging onto XP, and basically force them to either stock up on XP-ready systems before April 23rd, 2010 or face the possibility of Vista-only downgrades thereafter. The new deadline isn't quite as clear cut as past ones, however, with Microsoft saying only that the XP downgrade option will be available for 18 months after the release of Windows 7, "or until the release of a Windows 7 service pack, whichever is sooner." So, as ComputerWorld notes, if Microsoft pushes an SP1 update out the door six months after Windows 7 is released, folks could well be out of luck yet again -- at least until Microsoft sets a new deadline, that is.

[Via Electronista]

Filed under: Desktops, Laptops

Microsoft extends XP downgrade availability to 2011. When will it end? originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 19 Jun 2009 13:53:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Maingear's Axess HD Gamer PC looks to blow your mind, empty your wallet

Ross Miller — Fri, 19 Jun 2009 04:44:00 EST

Make no bones about, Maingear's new Axess HD Gamer (and by merit of its namesake, HTPC, too) is nothing if not a powerhouse for those wanting to pay an arm and a leg for a souped up gaming experience. You want specs? At its best, we're looking at an Intel Core i7 on a X58 chipset, dual NVIDIA GeForce 9800 GT in SLI, up to 12GB of DDR3 RAM, Blu-ray, Windows Vista / Media Center, and two 3.5-inch storage bays supporting 320GB SSD or 2TB HDD. If you need more nerd cred, ghost of vaporware past Phantom Lapboard serves as one of the bundled input devices, as does the NVIDIA GeForce 3D vision kit and a 22-inch Samsung LCD. Starting price is $1,799, but if you wanna go for broke -- and whether not you can, you probably want to -- top configurations can run you well over $5,000.

Filed under: Desktops, Gaming, Home Entertainment

Maingear's Axess HD Gamer PC looks to blow your mind, empty your wallet originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 19 Jun 2009 04:44:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Samsung debuts first 32GB DDR3 memory module

Donald Melanson — Thu, 18 Jun 2009 15:38:00 EST

Samsung has been making promises about a 32GB DDR3 memory module since it rolled out its first 50nm 4Gb DDR3 memory chip way back in January, but it looks like it's now finally delivered. While it won't be headed for regular desktops or laptops just yet, the company does have a new 1.35 volt 32GB module for servers which, in addition to packing that record-breaking capacity, also boasts a 20% better throughput compared to previous 1.5 volt modules and, of course, a lower power consumption to boot. As some math not performed by us will reveal, the module itself is made up of 72 of those 4Gb memory chips, which are lined up in rows of nine quad-die packaged 16Gb DDR3s mounted on each side of the circuit board. No word on pricing just yet, nor is there any word about Samsung's promised desktop and laptop memory, which are apparently still in the works -- in the form of 8GB DIMMs, at least.

Filed under: Desktops

Samsung debuts first 32GB DDR3 memory module originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 18 Jun 2009 15:38:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Windows 7 licensing situation a "disaster" for businesses?

Donald Melanson — Thu, 18 Jun 2009 02:35:00 EST

Doom and gloom warnings about a new Microsoft operating system from some corners sure aren't anything new, but it looks like a particular licensing issue with Windows 7 could well cause some serious headaches for businesses transitioning from Windows XP. As InfoWorld reports, as things stand now, businesses that buy PCs before April 23, 2010 with Windows 7 preinstalled will have the option to downgrade them to Windows XP, which will let them upgrade to Windows 7 whenever they're finally ready to make the transition. Businesses that buy Windows 7-loaded PCs on or after April 23rd, however, will only have the option to downgrade to Windows Vista which, as Gartner analyst Michael Silver notes, is obviously of little help to XP-based organizations. Of course, Windows 7 does have its much talked about XP Mode, but Silver says that won't help many businesses since their IT departments would still be faced with the added workload resulting from managing a whole new OS. There are, however, a few workarounds, like Microsoft's Software Assurance Program, but those all involve an added cost, added work, or both.

Filed under: Desktops

Windows 7 licensing situation a "disaster" for businesses? originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 18 Jun 2009 02:35:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Intel rebrands: Core i3, i5, i7 are in, Centrino on the outs

Ross Miller — Wed, 17 Jun 2009 20:09:00 EST

Intel's doing some spring cleaning on its branding structure, adding new Cores on the block. Joining the high-level Core i7 series will be the mid range Core i5 in the coming months and the lower-end Core i3's early next year. To be more specific, the Lynnfield chipsets will be either i5 or i7 depending on the feature set, Clarkfield mobile chips will be i7, and the 32nm Arrandale will at least at first fall under i3. Of course, with the new gang in town, some older monikers will be going wayside, and getting the slow fade out are Core 2 Duo, Core 2 Quad, and Centrino, the latter being eventually marginalized for WiMAX and WiFi products only. Making the cut are Celeron, Pentium, and the ever-resilient Atom names. We're a bit sad to know there will never be a Core 2 Dodeca, but hey, it's only a name, right?. Hit up the read link for more details, including a video interview with Intel's VP of Marketing Deborah Conrad.

[Via CNET]

Read - Intel's New Brand Structure Explained
Read - Fewer Brands, Greater Impact

Filed under: Desktops, Laptops

Intel rebrands: Core i3, i5, i7 are in, Centrino on the outs originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 17 Jun 2009 20:09:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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