32-bit
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Windows still in 32-bit post-Vista
Calm down, first-gen Core Duo owners -- the rumors aren't true. Microsoft made some waves earlier today when Bill Laing, one of the general managers of the Windows Server division, was quoted at WinHEC saying that "Windows Server 2008 is the last 32-bit operating system (for desktops and servers) that we'll produce." While many took that "desktops and servers" part to include non-server OSes and assumed Vista was Microsoft's last 32-bit OS, Microsoft has since clarified the announcement, saying that while the future of Windows Server is indeed 64-bit only after 2008, no decision has been made about client versions of Windows, which is what most of us run. Whew. Although we've got to say we didn't really understand all the fuss -- if the next version of Windows takes as long to ship as Vista did, there aren't going to be too many 32-bit machines left anyway.[Via Slashdot]
Microsoft clarifies HD DVD and Blu-ray playback in 32-bit Vista, blames someone else
It must have been a restless night for Microsoft's Steve Riley who mistakenly told a crowd in Australia yesterday that Windows Vista would not support commercial Blu-ray and HD DVD playback on machines sporting 32-bit processors -- the vast majority of PCs in homes today. Not true says a scrambling Microsoft, "playback is possible with Windows Vista in 32-bit" but support will be determined by independent software vendors like CyberLink and InterVideo, not Microsoft. This because Windows Media Player 11 won't be able to play commercial, high-def films when Vista ships. However, as Riley let slip said yesterday, "this is a decision that the media player folks made" (now read: the ISVs) since the studios don't want their high definition content to play in x32 due to the ability of unsigned code to compromise their content protection schemes. So while Microsoft has shifted the blame, the position of the studios certainly hasn't changed. Now who do you think is going to cave, the studios or the ISVs, once Vista is launched?
Sega claimed 32-bit graphics would require HD way back in '90
Do you remember gaming in 1990? Talk about the good 'ol days, this was the time that the games had to have a great story line and not rely on graphics. RacketBOY.com dug up the June/July 1990 premier issue of Sega Vision. (Remember who Sega is don't you? They were the forerunner on everything gaming till a couple of notorious bad console (Saturn & Dreamcast) launches knocked 'em down to just a game maker.) On page 7 of this premier issue, a reader asked about when they are going to see 32-bit gaming and what did the editor respond? "You are going to have to wait for a HDTV and that is a ways off." Keep in mind this isn't the mid-nineties but rather 1990. Now we don't know if the editor believed what he wrote or if he was just trying to prevent people from waiting till the next generation; we're thinking it is the later of the two. Don't forget that Sega did come out with the 32x just four years later. Check out the link for the ability to download scans of the entire magazine.
eCinema's new LCD tech outperforms CRTs
The major downfall to LCDs is not the cost but rather the picture quality. They just don't give you the same quality of a CRT. Part of that comes from the different resolutions a CRT can do natively and the other is a byproduct of the backlight. You see, LCDs have a backlight that is always providing the whole screen with a bright light. Because of this LCDs just can't produce a good black - till now.eCinema has hopefully worked past that and has an LCD technology with a 30,000:1 contrast ratio matched with 32-bit color. This system can produce 1000 to 4000 steps of gray rather then the current max of 256 shades. The CEO is even claiming that it can produce deeper blacks then CRTs and therefore can take over jobs that are usually reserved for just them - like studio monitors or post-production work. No word on price yet but don't expect it to be any cheaper then that 100-inch in-wall HDTV we showed you earlier.
