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Sony HDTVs found most reliable in PC World study
Yep, it's already that time of year again folks. That time when you begin to "see" your breath, the air has that "certain chill," shoppers go berserk and PC World readers toss in their votes for the most reliable HDTVs. The latest annual Reliability and Service survey received inputs not from independent researchers, but from 16,000 actual owners who can speak best for the quality of the wares they own. The happy winner was Sony, which notched above-average ratings in seven of nine measures, though LG, Panasonic, Samsung, Sharp and Vizio didn't fare too bad, either. The biggest loser was Mitsubishi, which showed four below-average scores and a "higher-than-average incidence of severe problems." The four-page writeup can be viewed in full by clicking the read link, but our main question is this: are you in agreement with the findings?
Expanding choices in social gaming and Flash MMOs
There seems be an endless tide of online games and virtual worlds being made available to us, with more always on the way. Some of them are well-known and need little introduction, such as Second Life, Playstation Home, and Facebook games, to name just a few. But there's plenty more out there, some of which falls into the standard 'MMO' category, although it's a label that we find is steadily blurring as time goes on. Darren Gladstone, Senior Writer at PC World, has put together "The Social Gaming Guide" for his Casual Friday column. In it he explores some of the mainstays of social gaming like the options found within Second Life and Facebook, but also sheds light on some lesser known alternatives. Gladstone discusses some of the choices gamers have with The Casual Collective, which he describes as "a cool casual-gaming waterhole created by the minds behind DTD," or Desktop Tower Defense. He looks at Whirled, an open-source gaming community which is home to Flash MMOs. "For players, Whirled is an awesome collection of hundreds of games, broken out by category and just waiting for you to jump in," Gladstone writes. Forthcoming Facebook integration will also add more dimensions to gameplay at Whirled.
Advent Eco PC dials down your power meter
PC World has branched out its Advent brand, offering the Eco PC through its UK online store, aiming to best the average desktop power consumption by 78 percent. The system is priced at just under what you might expect to pay for a slightly dusty super computer -- £599.99 (or about $1100) -- but the specs don't quite match up: 1.5GHz Core 2 Duo T5250 CPU, 2GB RAM, 160GB hard drive, 802.11b/g, and Vista Home Premium onboard. The environmentally-friendly PC is made from recycled materials, so don't be surprised if it starts to reek of old banana peels after a while.
Advent 4123 netbook boasts built-in SIM card slot, can't escape UK
PC World (the store) already netted itself an MSI Wind rebadge for its Advent brand, and it's now plundered the netbook depths yet again for another model, with its new Advent 4123 adding a built-in SIM card slot to the mix. While it's getting increasingly tough to distinguish the rebadges from the rip-offs, this one appears to be based on ECS' G10IL netbook, with it boasting all the same design cues (minus the LED-adorned trackpad button) and identical specs, including a 10.2-inch display, a 1.6GHz Atom processor, 1GB of RAM, a 160GB hard drive, and Window XP as standard. You'll also apparently be able to get this one in both black and silver versions, but only in the UK, it seems, where it'll set you back a hefty £349 (or just over $600 if you're thinking about trying to import one).[Via Pocket-lint]
PC World runs misleading PS3 ad, subsequently banned
Oops! PC World ran an advertisement about the PlayStation 3 recently that underwent court rulings to be removed and banished from our dimension because of its content. What did the UK retailer say to warrant such complete marketing annihilation? Well, they claimed that their PS3's played all PS2 titles, which simply isn't true anymore. They tried to defend this advertisement by saying 80% of PS2 games are playable and more will be added via patches to the system, but the Advertising Standards Authority would have none of it. We're glad -- the last thing we need are people hating the PS3 not because of what it can do, but because what some retailer claimed it could do. Although our 60GB launch systems are running those PS2 games just fine!
Currys, Dixons to stop selling analog TVs in Europe
DSG International, the parent company to Currys, Dixons and PC World stores across Europe, has announced that it will no longer be stocking analog sets (sound familiar?). Granted, only 10-percent of the remaining TVs it sold were of the analog flavor, but it looks as if even those units will soon be gone. Reportedly, the chains are looking to further promote units with integrated digital Freeview tuners, and considering that some parts of Europe have already begun the analog-to-digital switchover, we suppose that follows logic precisely. Also of note, these same retailers will halt sales of DVD recorders with only analog tuners within, but on the real, we can't say we'll miss 'em.[Image courtesy of Waltondale, thanks CMC]
Vista named #1 biggest tech disappointment of 2007 -- by PC World
First PC World gets all up on the soapbox that (until a certain date) the MacBook Pro is the fastest PC the mag had tested, but consider the next step taken: PC World has boldly declared Vista #1 with a bullet in their Biggest Tech Disappointments of 2007. Ok, sure, we get that it's "disappointments" and not "crappy products" -- the two imply very different things, and it's hard not to be somewhat disappointed by any product that took the better part of a decade to come out -- but if PC World harshing on Vista this bad doesn't smack at all of linkbait, well, we don't know what does. Oh, and here's that link.P.S. -Seriously though, can Vista get a break here? We mean, honestly, it ain't all THAT bad.
MacBook Pro really was PC World's fastest tested laptop... until the Phantom-X
So there's a bit of grumbling on the internets that PC World, like, totally sold out and lied about the MacBook Pro being the fastest Vista laptop they ever tested (presumably just so they could get mentioned in that new Apple commercial, right?) shortly before the staff went cow tipping and passed out drunk in a public park. The reality is PC World apparently hadn't tested a laptop faster than the MacBook Pro at the time, and it wasn't until weeks later they tested the Eurocom D900C Phantom-X, which handily bested Apple's lappie by a broad margin. At least that's what PC World's editor Harry McCracken told us, but then again we did hear he recently got an Apple tat and is planning a hostile takeover of Macworld magazine in '08.Read - PC World's statement about the MBPRead - ... and their review of the EurocomRead - The punter doing the grumblingWatch - The Apple ad
UK Deal of the Day: Ridge Racer 2 less than 1
Ridge Racer 2 is essentially the PSP launch title, Ridge Racer, with only ten new tracks (we're really not kidding about this folks). That doesn't mean it's a bad game ... it just means it's a bad deal.That is, until now. UK PC World stores will give you the title for a mere £0.97. You're getting a full game for almost the same cost as the free downloadable demo. We say: deal.[Thanks, Monkston!]
McCracken returns as PC World editor in chief
Last week we mentioned the resignation of PC World editor in chief, Harry McCracken who seemed to have quit because PC World (and former Macworld) CEO Colin Crawford canned a story on "10 Things We Hate About Apple." In the brouhaha that followed the canned story finally came out (revealing not much substance to speak of), and now finally the other shoe has dropped. PC World is itself reporting that McCracken is returning to PC World as "vice-president, editor in chief" and Crawford will leave as PC World CEO to rejoin parent company IDG "as executive vice president, online." IDG is presently undertaking a search for a new CEO to lead PC World and Macworld.So the story has a happy ending for McCracken and probably the right thing was done in the end. I'm sure everyone at IDG, PC World, and Macworld is just glad this thing is over.
10 things that Sort of Mildly Displease PC World about Apple (and why PC World thinks Apple is Doing Well)
In the beginning there was 'hate', or more specifically "10 Things We Hate About Apple". And PC World's Harry Mccracken resigned from his position when former Macworld CEO Colin Crawford supposedly put the kibosh on the article. Questions raged throughout the blogosphere as to whether Apple was exercising undue editorial pressure as an advertiser--questions, which as far as I can tell, did not raise a definitive answer one way or another. Today PC World lays everything out on the table--well almost everything; they never mention whether Apple played a role or not and don't discuss the resignation directly--posting about the controversy which involved short pieces written by staffers Alan Stafford and Narasu Rebbapragada. The articles, they write, were meant to be light-hearted conversation starters, not "weighty journalism". You can read both articles today at PC World's online site, both the ten things they hate about Apple and the ten things they love. The "hate" list includes many on-target items including that Apple is "more secretive than Homeland Security" (hah!), that they blame others for the worm that shipped with iPods last year, and that the Mac is crap at gaming. The less focused "love" list includes "sublime designs", Jobs calling for the end of DRM, and that Macs run Windows. In the end, now that we've gotten a chance to check both lists out, it seems like a whole lot of fuss was made over not very much. And if I had to spike one of the two lists? I'd kill the "love" list first.Thanks, Chris Tutor.
PC World editor quits over Apple story
This story on Wired blog is interesting. About a month ago the former CEO of Macworld Magazine, Colin Crawford, took over sister magazine PC World and just recently put the kibosh on a story idea for the latter: "Ten Things We Hate about Apple." According to Wired's anonymous source: "It was supposed to be light fare, just really innocuous stuff. The same kinds of things people have said about Apple before -- things that teased Steve Jobs." This prompted the editor-in-chief of PC World, Harry McCracken, to resign in protest. The Wired story continues: "Crawford also told editors that product reviews in the magazine were too critical of vendors, especially ones who advertise in the magazine, and that they had to start being nicer to advertisers." Supposedly when Crawford was still at Macworld, "Steve Jobs would call him up any time he had a problem with a story the magazine was running about Apple."So clearly the implication is that Macworld is a sort of Pravda of Apple, Inc., and kept in line by upper management who kowtow to Cupertino. So what do you think? Does this make you suspect the objectivity of Macworld Magazine?[via Daring Fireball]
Apple leads PC World's 50 Best Tech Products of All Time
Everybody likes lists and rankings; there's just something that fascinates people about them, and they're always good for an argument or, as the case may be, selling magazines. Squarely in this latter camp is PC World's list of the Best 50 Tech Products of All Time, which editor Harry McCracken writes in to tell us features seven Apple products, more than any other singe company. These are: #2 - Apple II (1977) #6 - iPod (2001) #14 - Mac Plus (1986) #21 - iTunes 4 (2003) #30 - OS X (2001) #34 - Original Airport Base Station (1999) #41 - Hypercard (1987) One thing that jumps out of this list to me is that only one of them, Hypercard, came out of Cupertino during the period that Jobs was gone from Apple (well maybe the Mac Plus, too). In any case, it clearly shows how much Apple has been on a roll since Jobs' return. I also think that at least one more product should be there: the original Powerbook 100, which more or less established the notebook computer form factor we have to this day. So let the debates begin, dear TUAW readers, what did the PC World editors screw up?
YouTube history of Stevenotes
Harry McCracken, over at PC World, has gathered an incredible collection of YouTube videos chronicling Steve Jobs introducing things. All your favorite Stevenotes are there, and you can relive everything from the launch of NeXTStep 3 to the introduction of Airport.My favorite, though, is this video in which Steve introduces OS 9. Ah, the Keychain, one of my favorite features of the Mac OS, gets its share of the limelight.
PC World votes PS3 a "screwup"... subscribers cancel
Okay, subscribers probably didn't cancel when they read this. Most of them, being PC-fanatics, probably shrugged and agreed. People have made the argument many times on this site how comparing a console to the PC isn't a fair comparison, but that's besides the point. Let's just copy and paste what PC World said about the PS3:"When it was announced in spring 2005, the Sony PlayStation 3 was going to be the greatest thing to hit home gaming since a hedgehog named Sonic. Then came the delays. By the time the PS3 arrived, it was six months late, and Nintendo's cheaper and more innovative Wii had stolen much of its thunder. At $599 for the 60GB model, the PS3 is twice the price of the original PlayStation 2, yet research firm iSupply--which describes the PS3 as having supercomputer qualities--estimates that Sony still loses more than $200 per unit. Thanks to manufacturing delays, Sony shipped an estimated 150,000 units for the North American launch, or less than half the number it had originally planned. And the PS3 was incompatible with more than 200 PlayStation and PS2 games, though Sony is addressing that problem through online updates. The good news? Game-crazed youth are buying up PS3s and reselling them on eBay for double the asking price. And unlike, say, Sony batteries, they don't catch fire--at least, not yet." Oh, har, har, har. Since Sonic? That was the pinnacle of gaming they chose to compare it to? Sigh. The "big mistake" was trying to turn a supercomputer into a gaming device and the "bigger" mistake was failing to destroy Nintendo when they had the chance. What do you guys think? Is PC World on the money, or are they jumping to conclusions?
PC World adds another log to PS3 hate fire
Following in the footsteps of Time, New York Times, Washington Post and a string of other publications, PC World places another log on the hate fire calling the PS3 a "tech screw-up" of 2006. Saying the PS3 was supposed to be the greatest thing to home gaming since a hedgehog named Sonic, which we can only guess was a passive-aggressive dig at that series as well, PC World says the PS3 arrived too late and the Wii stole its thunder.The parting shots by PC World were that it was a mistake to turn a supercomputer into a gaming system and that Sony failed to "drive a stake through the heart of Nintendo when the opportunity offered." Hopefully Sony and the PS3 correct themselves in 2007, 'cause seriously, 2006 was a never-ending pit of bad press for Sony.
Toshiba builds 100GB iPod-sized Disk Drive
PC World reports that Toshiba has developed a 1.8-inch 100GB hard drive, suitable for use in portable music devices. Adding a 25% jump over current storage, the new drive is sized perfectly to fit into iPods. Production should begin next month and the drive itself will be shown at the January Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas. The first 1.8" drive developed in 2000 could hold 2GB and cost $740. Today, you can buy an 80GB iPod for about $350.
Wii tops PC World's holiday list
Check it out -- the Wii is once again tops on a retail predictions list. Since PC World is a European retailer, it may not be much of a surprise that they've anointed Nintendo in the console wars for this holiday season (as there's no PS3 in store), but they've also picked the console as the hottest must-have when it comes to electronics.The Wii took the top spot of their ten predictions for the hottest movers and shakers of the season. Unlike many other lists, however, the Wii is nowhere near the most expensive item on this wishlist. Check after the jump for the full rundown. PC World was one of the early outlets to offer preorders for the Wii in the UK ... looks like they've taken off!
Apple II tops PC World's top 25 all-time computers
The IBM PC turned 25 last Friday, so to commemorate the history of the personal computer, PC World put together a list of the Top 25 PCs of All Time - with the Apple II (1997) topping the list at #1. It's quite an interesting list comprised of machines both old and new, with Apple computers also taking the #4, 10, 19, and 23 spots as well. If you've never taken a trip through computing history, this list is a good set of cliff notes to take a moment to brush up on. Just try to keep the "I can't believe X computer didn't even make the list!" fighting civilized.Thanks to everyone who sent this in
Microsoft unleashes the robots.
Now that Microsoft has conquered entered the world of video games, there is only one logical next step. Robots, of course! According to PC World, Microsoft has decided to develop a software tool kit just for robotics. The software will allow robots to interface with Windows PCs, effectively giving Microsoft control of the impending Robot Apocalypse®. Of particular interest is the following excerpt: "Microsoft's entry to the field is a vote of confidence that could accelerate the development of robots for industrial, service, and entertainment use." Entertainment use? Could we finally see the next gen equivalent of R.O.B. the robot? Perhaps a robot to fetch beer refreshments when you're too busy killing other robots? The possibilities are endless. A preview of the software is available now for the robot enthusiasts out there. [Via Evil Avatar]
