desktop
Latest
Microsoft unveils unified communications platform
Microsoft has just announced a series of new products and upgrades to existing software which together will form a platform that promises to deliver unprecedented convergence among disparate communications technologies. Part of the "Office system 2007 wave of products," this combination of hardware and software will allow users to perform such tasks as checking their voicemail directly from Outlook or calling up an Exchange Server to have it email other participants of an impending meeting that they're going to be late. The move also sees Redmond making an even bigger push into Internet telephony in the form of the Office Communications Server 2007 package, which is a SIP-based platform that will allow seamless VoIP calling, videoconferencing, and instant messaging across a broad range of existing applications, services and devices, including the all-in-one Office Communicator 2007 -- available in desktop, web-based, and mobile flavors -- which just so happens to support voice, video, and chat as well. Finally, we'll see remote conferencing get a boost in the form of enhanced A/V capabilities and Office integration for Live Meeting, along with a new tool called RoundTable that employs a 360-degree camera for letting group web-conference participants view the entire remote team simultaneously. On the hardware side of things, Microsoft has partnered with HP and Motorola to provide support for the new platform, with HP delivering systems integration services and unspecified "enhanced products" and Moto throwing down compatible mobile devices and network equipment. While new versions of Exchange Server and Speech Server are on their way by the end of the year, the majority of the platform -- including IP desktop phones from Polycom, LG-Nortel, and Thomson to support the Office Communicator phone experience -- is not scheduled to roll out until sometime during Q2 of next year.[Via The New York Times]
Apple's Windows site mentions Parallels Desktop instead of Boot Camp
"If you've ever wished you could enjoy the best of both worlds, now you can" is a phrase at the bottom of Apple's Windows section of their Get a Mac site, and I think they mean that phrase now more than ever. I can't even find Apple's own Boot Camp mentioned on the 'you can even run Windows' page of Apple's Get a Mac site - surprisingly, it's Parallels Desktop that has the spotlight now. Could Apple be giving Boot Camp the back seat in favor of the no-rebooting convenience of Parallels Desktop? Or might Parallels be working with Apple on virtualization (or a buyout) for the upcoming Mac OS X 10.5 Leopard? Is it possible for us to come up with any more wild speculation? Time will only tell.[thanks blackout!]
Parallels Desktop official release, discount pricing ends July 15th
After months of betas and release candidates, Parallels has brought their fantastic Desktop OS virtualization software to an official release. As you might remember from their last release candidate, they have also listened to user feedback and bundled their Compressor Server tool for optimizing virtual disks and streamlining the amount of disk space they take up, which also brought the final price up to $79.99. However, until July 15th, Parallels is still offering a discount price of $49.99, so get those credit cards out if Boot Camp doesn't quite cut it.[thanks for the tip, Mark!]
Analyst "confirms" AMD desktops for Dell in September
We wear a little thin with analysts always doing their analyst thing and telling us what companies are up to with no proof whatsoever, but it sure seems Citigroup Investment Research is pretty confident this time about Dell going AMD in September. They're claiming to have "confirmed from industry sources that Dell will offer an AMD based desktop in September of this year." Dell just added AMD chips to their server line after holding out for years, and also recently bought the AMD-friendly Alienware, both of which has helped continue the constant rumors of Dell using AMD across the line. As for this rumor, there aren't any deets on the actual desktop model, but Citigroup's Glen Yeung is saying that AMD's smarminess about market share expansion this year stems from a deal cut with Dell. Alright, Glen Yeung of Citigroup, we're holding you to this one!
Blueado's m5e "Sport Edition" HTPC
If you liked the Mac mini-inspired Blueado m5e home theater PC, then you're gonna love a recently-released, improved version of the machine that the company is touting as a "Sport Edition" (because, you know, nothing invokes athleticism like sitting around watching TV and movies all day), which adds several compelling features (and $500) to its $1,500 sibling. Packing in the same 2.0GHz Pentium M processor and integrated graphics as the m5e, this new edition doubles both RAM and HDD capacity to 2GB and 400GB, respectively, and also throws in both analog and digital tuners for keeping you entertained. You get a fairly wide variety of connectivity options with this one -- USB 2.0, FireWire, DVI, VGA, S-video, and digital coax -- along with Dolby Digital and DTS support for hooking up your surround sound speakers to the included RCA outputs. Of course, no HTPC would be complete without a DVD burner, remote control, and million-in-one card reader, so the Sport Edition -- rolling into dealerships now -- mixes in those ingredients as well.
Parallels Desktop Release Candidate 2, uh, released
Get your mice clicking ladies and gentlemen, as Parallels has offered up the final test version of Parallels Desktop for Mac, their virtualization software that allows you to run almost any OS right within Mac OS X. With this version, however, Parallels has increased the app's final price to $79.99, as they have incorporated their Compressor Server tool (due to user feedback) into the software package for streamlining and optimizing your virtual machines and the amount of disk space they occupy. The beta testing pre-order price of $39.99 is still in place, and probably more appetizing than ever. Other new features and improvements in the Release Candidate 2 include: Significantly improved performance Improved USB performance and broader device support Improved Host-guest networking Automatic network adapters now switch on-the-fly Guest OS no longer steals host IP address in some DHCP servers Fullscreen mode is now customizable Integration with Virtue is now bug-free Customizable Ctrl + Click mapping Guest 32bit color is supported when Parallels Tools is installed Improved Shared folders performance Resolved shared folders/MS Office incompatibility issues Windows 98 no longer consumes 99% host CPU even when idle (in VT-x mode) Also note that if you download this newest release, you must re-install the Parallels Tools for guest Windows installations (NT/2000/XP/2003). As with previous beta releases, this download is free before the software package goes official.
Epson's budget slim-line tower, the Endeavor AT960
Japanese consumers looking for a slim-line tower PC on the cheap could probably do worse than Epson's latest Endeavor desktop, the AT960, which features a 2.53GHz Celeron D processor and 256MB of DDR2 RAM for $420. More yen lets you step up to a Pentium 4 chip as fast as 3.8GHz, up to 2GB of RAM and 250GB of hard drive space (compared to the sparse 40GB in the base configuration), WiFi, and a DVD burner -- but no amount of money can improve upon the ATI Radeon Xpress 200 integrated graphics. Likewise, there's not much you can do about the dearth of input options, so the four USB 2.0 hookups and serial and parallel ports are gonna have to stand in for the missing FireWire.
MCJ's MDV-EXTREME 7530GX: the "budget" Blu-ray PC
Yeah, we know it hurts to read about those mega-spec'd and monster priced, Blu-ray Disc recording desktops when you're lean on the mean, mean, green. That's why we present you with the Mouse Computer Japan (MCJ) MDV-EXTREME 7530GX. For about $2,780, you get that BD recorder (which on its own will fetch about $1000), a 2.2GHz Athlon 64 X2 4400 CPU, 2GB of DDR2 RAM, 500GB of disk, and NVIDIA GeForce 7900GTX with 512MB of dedicated video RAM. Not bad. Oh, did we tell you these are shipping in Japan-only starting 29 May? Still kinda hurts, huh?[Via Akihabara News]
Widget Watch: iPhoto mini 1.3 gains a new UI, more
We blogged the iPhoto mini widget back in December, and since then it has received quite the feature update and face lift. The widget is now resize-able and just plain sexier. In addition to being able to browse all your iPhoto albums complete with image counts, you can now set the current image as your desktop wallpaper with a single click. The little gear icon you see offers the ability to open the current image in four apps: Preview, Mail, Safari and a custom app you can define on the back of the widget.The iPhoto mini widget is free and available from DashboardWidgets.
Joystiq checks out prototype XPS desktop
Question: How can you tell that a Dell XPS desktop is still in the prototype phase? Answer: You'd be willing to put it in plain-sight on top of your desk. Excessive paint jobs aside, there isn't a gamer alive who doesn't get a little excited when reading an XPS spec sheet featuring such terms as "Quad-SLI," "4.xxGHz," and "free 30-inch display," so we're sure there will be some interest in this backroom shot that Joystiq captured of an XPS work-in-progress. As you can tell by the photo, the protoype that Dell was seeking feedback on is nowhere near ready to be adorned with a $10,000 price tag, and the journalists on hand got absolutely nothing from the suits in terms of specs or features. Still, we are able to speculate that the open grating in the front will lead to better airflow -- and thus cooler components -- which a good sign for whatever insanely overclocked processor gets stuffed inside.[Thanks, Einhanderkiller]
Fan-made Wii logos
IGN Board member _SER_ recently posted some cool desktops he made of mockup Wii logos. In the spirit of making up, we present these cool logos to our readers and Nintendo, asking that they forgive us. We'll call it the Wii, we'll do whatever you want us to do to make it all better, baby. We just want to make you feel special. Can we have our mix tapes back? [Via New Generation]
JVC's EX-A10 with "sake-soaked" wood cone speakers
Mmmm sake, nectar of the gods; if it wasn't for our interns being constantly embalmed in the stuff we might have seen the merits of slathering it onto our speaker cones -- no, really. In an apparent moment of clarity, JVC has seen fit to do just that with their new compact EX-A10 "home theater" system with unique "sake-soaked" wood cone speakers. It seems that after 20 years of trying, it was a deep tub of sake which finally enabled JVC to press acoustically-rich birch into speaker cones without splitting the wood. Besides the organic goodness, this desktop mini-system features JVC's K2 and CC Convertor technologies found in their top-end AC receivers which are said to improve sound quality for both CDs and compressed MP3 and WMA files and of course, an AM/FM tuner and alarm clock like any self-respecting shelf-system should. Now, don't get too hung up with all that "home theater" talk. Sure, it plays DVD video (and audio) discs, but the EX-A10 only manages two-channel decoding of Dolby Digital and DTS surround sound signals. It does, however, offer analog and optical audio inputs and component, S-Video, and composite outs for TV hook-up. Available now for a gimmicky-rich $1000 bills.
Lenovo 3000 J105 small business minitower reviewed
With a street price of under $500 you certainly can't expect to get the company's high-end jet pack and armor-plating features, but according to PC Mag's review, Lenovo still manages to pack some solid performance into their 3000 J105 small business-oriented desktop. The 3000 J105 is most noteworthy, however, for being Lenovo's first non-IBM branded minitower, although business-types will be pleased to learn that it retains a popular feature of the ThinkCentre line, the ThinkVantage help and recovery utility. Keeping in mind that this model is meant for crunching numbers and not fragging enemies, the 2.2GHz AMD Athlon 64 3200 , 80GB hard drive, and 512MB of RAM serve their purpose well, and there's enough software in the box to get some work done without shelling out too much more cash. Other nice touches include both PCI (but no PCIe) and AGP card slots for super-cheap graphics upgrades, a not-hideous-looking case, and the always-appreciated lack of Chinese spyware. Overall the J105 earns a three-and-a-half star "Good" rating, which is probably due mostly to its value, considering that it's able to throw down decent benchmark results that are within a stone's throw of machines twice the price.
HP Pavilion m7360y, Viiv reviewed, called jive
Here we are, four months since Intel promised a new home entertainment computing revolution the likes of which we'd never seen in the form of Viiv. Sure, no one -- including Intel -- could really figure out what the hell Viiv was, but they successfully convinced a lot of people that it's a brand they needed to see represented in their next PC. Well, according to the Washington Post, who recently spent some serious time with as mature a Viiv product as exists in the form of an HP Pavilion m7360y, the platform "amounts to a smattering of free Web video clips and discounts on online music, movie and game rentals -- plus a nifty rainbow-hued Viiv sticker on the front of the computer." They too couldn't define Viiv, and even called the Intel's much lauded Quick Resume feature as being akin to switching off your display and speakers -- nothing more. Not that we're really surprised, but it's pretty harsh when people start accusing your seemingly directionless platform initiatives as "embarrassing [your]self."
Details on YellowSheepRiver's $150 Municator
We first heard about the Municator / YSR-639 from our Chinese bureau a couple weeks ago; now it looks like we've got somemore solid info on the $146 Linux PC by Chinese firm YellowSheepRiver. It's not exactly a device we imagine is going to run amok in the state-driven market before the impending worldwide release of the OLPC (or to a lesser extent, the Edu-wise), but the BYOKVM angle will definitely put the hurt on Intel's Community PC. The specs ain't too shabby either: the Municator features a 400 or 800mhz 64-bit Godson-2 CPU, 40GB drive, 256MB of RAM, four USB 2.0 ports, IrDA, S-video, VGA, Ethernet, PS/2, and runs a Linux variant called Thinix OS. YellowSheepRiver also supposedly has a lithium-ion battery, WiFi, and modem options lined up; we'll definitely be keeping an eye on this one.[Via LinuxDevices, thanks Kim L]
The rest from Sony: updates to F, F-TV, H, V, S lines
Now that we've got Sony's brand spankin' new Vaios out of the way, we can move on to the rest of the 40-odd models the company announced in Japan today, most of which represent spec bumps to existing boxes. Most of the Vaio laptop lines, including the multi-hued F, F-TV and S series get Core Duo processors (or Core Solo for the lower-priced models). Most also get that coveted "Windows Vista Capable" sticker, which you can proudly display until you can actually run Vista. The F-TV model also gets a new display with improved brightness and darker blacks, along with an enhanced sound system. Meanwhile, the desktop V and H (shown above) lines get processor bumps (up to a P4 641 at 3.2GHz on one model) , analog and terrestrial digital tuners, and new LCDs with resolutions up to 1366 x 768. The 20-inch version of the LCD also includes DVI-D for HD input. So, how does this add up to over 40 new and updated models? Well, if you add up all the display and processor permutations (and, of course, the different colored cases on the F series and V displays), you'll hit a number up around there. But unless you're a Japanese retailer or hate your job so much that you'll do almost anything else to avoid it, we suggest skipping that exercise.Read - V/H SeriesRead - F/F-TV/S Series
Sony's VAIO RC300 series with Blu-ray Disc get official
We already peeped Sony’s Blu-ray packin’ Vaio at the Tokyo Anime Fair last month. Now, Sony comes clean with some general specs around their new Vaio RC300 series machines. The line-up will feature Pentium D dual-core CPUs, S-ATA drives supporting RAID for mirroring that 2TB of supported storage, PCI Express x16 graphics, and advanced DDR memory. Yeah, these are positioned rightfully, as high-end Media Center Edition 2005 PCs sporting Sony's Giga Pocket and RC Digital Studio apps to view, schedule, and manage your recordings. No doubt, it’ll be a few months before these drop, but after yesterday’s Fujitsu Blu-ray Deskpower TX95 announcement, we guess Sony had to get official right quick like. [Thanks, Himanshu]
NEC Japan's twenty-six new laptops and all-in-one desktops
If there were ever any doubts as to our complete and total dedication to you, dear reader, let them be dispelled here and now, as we've just trudged through page upon page of horrible machine translation to bring you the relevant deets and specs on no less than 26 new computers from NEC -- for the Japanese market! This cornucopia of hardware comes in both laptop and all-in-one, media-centric desktop flavors, and can be further divided into their respective series: the LaVie 15.4-inch L, T, and 12.1-inch A laptops, and Valuestar W/X, L, and R desktops. More specifically, the W lineup come in four different configurations (VW970/FG, VW900/FH, VW770/FG, VW700/FG), with displays ranging from to 20 to 32-inches, either a 2.8GHz Pentium D or 3.06GHz Celeron D processor, and RAM and hard drive capacity ranging from 512MB to 1GB, and 400GB to 800GB, respectively, while the only X model, the 20-inch, 2.80GHz VX780/FD, seems to differ from the W's in that it utilizes a tower configuration and sports a nVidia GeForce video card (all the rest of the desktops feature integrated graphics). For pics and details on the rest of the desktops and all of the notebooks, keep on reading after the jump...
The QBOX Q600 all-in-one PC from China
If those Sony and Apple all-in-one desktop offerings are just too, um, svelte for you -- not to mention pricey -- you might do well with a QBOX Q600: the Chinese "Media PC." Nothing too exciting under the hood, just an ol' 3GHz Pentium 4, 512MB of DDR RAM, 80GB HDD, DVD/CD-RW drive, and a S-Video port (ooh, S-Video), but it's not like they're selling this in the states anyways, so we really can't complain.
Gateway launches four new sub $530 eMachines: T6532, T6528, T3418, T3120
Today Gateway announces four new low-end, eMachine PCs. All four models feature the NVIDIA GeForce 6100 graphics card while three of the four sport a 16X multi-format dual-layer DVD burner. At the top-end of this bottom-feeder line-up is the T6532 (pictured) Media Center PC which features an AMD Athlon 3500, 1GB DDR RAM (expandable to 4GB), a 200GB 7200RPM disk, 9-in-1 media card reader, 5 x USB 2.0, 5.1-channel audio, and of course, Microsoft XP Media Center Edition 2005. Next come the XP Home loaded T6528 and T3418 eMachines with most of the features of the T6532 but with 512MB DDR RAM, and 160GB 7200RPM HDDs with the T3418 taking a dip in performance with an AMD Sempron 3400 CPU. The value-focused T3120 then, rounds out the lot with an AMD Sempron 3100, 512MB DDR RAM, a 100GB 7200RPM spinner, and CD-RW/DVD Combo drive. Prices range from $530 to $350 beans (after rebates, no monitor)... just don't expect that T3120 to run Vista mkay big spender?
