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WoW + Vista = ????
So Microsoft had a little launch of its own yesterday (why can't they do these things at midnight like normal people?), and reader Scott Harris wrote in with a relevant question: "Has anyone tried to see how compatible WoW is with Windows Vista?" If the above banner snagged at CES is any indication, the fun is only beginning -- then again, something tells me they weren't thinking about Warcraft. I'm not gonna lie -- I have zero plans to upgrade my XP box to Vista anytime soon, mostly because I'm primarily a Mac person (yes, flame on, people, flame on) and the thought of doing the upgrade to the only Windows box in the house sounds about as fun as major surgery to me. However, the trusty intertubes contain some accounts of compatibility, and so far the reports are mixed: WoW + Vista = poor frame rates. No way n00b, it's totally faster! l2computerz people, Vista really has no effect on WoW performance. Since the jury appears to still be out, we're leaving it up to you, dear readers -- has anyone had experience getting Vista and World of Warcraft to play nice? Any experiences to report? P.S. If you want to snag a free copy, get your Need Roll in over at Download Squad.
Nimbuzz lets you call your IM buddies
We've all been there -- you need to get in contact with your friends; they're not answering their phones. You know they're online, but you need to have an actual voice conversation. Well, rejoice, our frustrated friends -- for Nimbuzz plans to bridge the gap between instant messaging and cellphones. Its currently-in-beta (no surprise there), free-to-download app supports "more than 500 [Java-enabled] mobile devices" and allows you to call and initiate voice chats with your buddies on Google Talk and MSN / Windows Live Messenger. In addition to keeping you on top of your online friends, it lets you make international calls to other cellphones at local rates, so long as whomever you are calling also has Nimbuzz installed on their device. Besides that, you also get free text messaging and the ability to have Group Calls with up to five buddies on your contact list regardless of how they are connected, and Nimbuzz says it is currently working on getting your AIM, ICQ, Yahoo! and Skype friends into the mix. Now that you know, we hope you don't mind as we run and make a few overdue calls to our pals across the pond and in the far East.
Microsoft extends support for Windows XP Home / MCE
If you thought Microsoft was just going to bail out on all the Windows XP Home and Media Center Edition users now that copies of Vista are flying off online shelves worldwide, here comes that assurance you've been yearning for. Although most of the folks in Redmond seem to be preoccupied with ironing out the forecasted Fiji service pack, the firm has announced that as of today, it will be extending the support phase for Windows XP Home / MCE users to match that already given to XP Professional owners. With the addition of the "Extended Support," the aid life cycle for the two operating systems will include "a total of five years of mainstream support (until April 2009), as well as five years of extended support." Of course, we highly doubt you're seriously planning on using an old-news OS for another couple years, but hey, Gates' crew is there if you need 'em.
Take picture, win custom Xbox 360 arcade stick
Since when did teal become part of the Xbox 360 color canon? Admittedly, there are some aesthetic faux pas readily apparent in Arcade-in-a-Box's custom 360 stick (the button placement has been jumbled, black is so Xbox (1), etc.); but hey, it looks sturdy and is being offered for free, in the name of Child's Play. We should also note that the arcade stick has a standard 2.5 mm headset jack and is compatible with Windows XP -- and it's got a button mapped to the Xbox 360 Guide.To enter the giveaway contest just snap a picture of your "console lair," paste it into an email with some identification info, and send it off to RetroBlast -- you have to be a RetroBlast or COIN-OP.TV newsletter subscriber to be eligible to win. Entries will be accepted through Sunday, until 12:00 am (EST) Monday. And don't forget to consider a donation to the Child's Play charity drive!
Microsoft attempting to stuff Windows onto the OLPC
Ever since it got the cold shoulder from those open source junkies over at the OLPC project, Microsoft has been sort of sour grapesey about the whole thing. Now it looks like they've changed tacts: instead of offering up Windows CE to power the fledgling Children's Machine CM1 2B1 B1 XO WhateverTheHeckItsCalled, Microsoft is trying to stuff the entirety of Windows XP into the little box. According to NickNeg, the OLPC has an SD card slot specifically at Bill Gates' behest, since Windows XP requires a minimum of 1.5GB of memory for installation, while the OLPC only packs 512MB of storage. Microsoft has apparently been provided a number of OLPCs to this end, but still hasn't managed to get the thing working. In a perfect world, Microsoft would realise the error of its bloatware ways and prep a stripped down version of the OS to delight enthusiasts the world over with speed and minimalism, but somehow we're thinking that's just a bit unlikely.[Via Slashdot; thanks simosx for the pic]
How-To: Transcode & stream videos on Xbox 360
Last week's Xbox 360 Fall Dashboard update added support for the Windows Media Video (WMV) video codec. The feature was a welcomed gain for non-Media Center users who have been limited to photo and music sharing between their Windows PCs and Xbox 360s -- and to anyone who's longed to watch video files on 360 via a thumb drive or CD/DVD.Unfortunately, licensing fees and digital rights concerns have limited the patch to WMV-support only. Being Microsoft's proprietary format, WMV is neither popular or oft-used, taking a backseat to preferred codecs like DivX and XviD. And so, we're still left scrambling for a solution to getting our video content onto Xbox 360.
SwitchBack ruggedized UMPC can rock multiple OSes simultaneously
While we're not buying Black Diamond Advanced Technology's claim that its SwitchBack UMPC (no relation to the Kyocera Switchback) is the world's first such ruggedized device -- either the P630 Spartan or Catcher holds that honor -- it is by far the most versatile. This three-pound jack-of-all-trades comes equipped with a 1.0GHz Celeron M processor that not only runs Windows XP or Linux, but Windows CE and Windows Mobile to boot -- and not just one at time, but simultaneously as well, meaning that you can effortlessly switch between Internet Explorer and Pocket Internet Explorer (even though you wouldn't really want to). Also packed into the magnesium and rubber housing are a 5.6-inch, WSVGA (1,024 x 600) display, 802.11b/g, Bluetooth 2.0, 40GB removable hard drive, 1GB of 400MHz DDR2 RAM, and even a weird little QWERTY thumb board underneath the screen. Perhaps the best part of the SwitchBack, though, is its Handspring-like upgradability, meaning that separate back modules can be attached to endow it with added functionality such as GPS, fingerprint scanning, additional processing power, digital camera, and even a breathalyzer to make sure your fellow troops aren't too drunk to shoot straight. The initial units -- price unknown, meaning they probably cost a grip -- will ship sometime in Q4 as XP-only machines, with the multi-OS upgrade coming in Q2 2007, hopefully in time to help out our armed forces before they get involved in yet another major conflict.[Via PR Newswire]
Mac Pro EFI Firmware Update 1.0
Apple has issued an EFI Firmware Update 1.0 which "fixes several Boot Camp and start up issues on Mac Pro computers." We've been hearing about these problems for a little while now, so here's hoping this 1.8MB update can let Mac Pro + XP owners sleep a little better at night. The updater requires Mac OS X 10.4.7 and is available here.Thanks Robert
Boot Camp updated for Core 2 Duo Macs
Boot Camp, Apple's software that allows Mac users to run Windows XP on a separate partition, has been updated to version 1.1.1. Specific in this release is support for Core 2 Duo Macs (Mac Pro and new iMac), though the Boot Camp page lists other updates, such as support for built-in iSight cameras and improved Apple keyboard support, that actually appeared in Boot Camp 1.1.This release weighs in at 186MB, and is available from Apple's Boot Camp page.Thanks Randy
A look at Windows Vista's casual games [update 1]
GameSpot recently ran a feature showing off the new casual games that will be coming with Windows Vista. The graphical update are, naturally, noticeable and appreciated. Now we can get fired from work for playing Solitaire ... in style! None of the titles were too surprising, as we had seen most of them at E3, but here is what GameSpot highlights: Solitaire FreeCell (now with an undo option!) Spider Solitaire Hearts Minesweeper Purble Place (new title) Premium titles (not available in Home Basic version of Windows Vista): Mahjong Titans Chess Titans InkBall (only in Vista versions that have tablet support) Why the Titans titles are exclusive to non-Home Basic consumers is a bit perplexing -- no one is going to buy a more deluxe version because, on top of whatever else makes it better, it has Chess and Mahjong (yay!). Also conspicuously absent from the list are favorites such as Reversi, Spades, and Space Cadet Pinball. We will let you know the fate of these titles as soon as we find out.[update 1: glaring typo -- better "late" than never]
Samsung unveils commercial LCDs with built-in XP
If you though that Apple's 20-inch iMac was an impressive all-in-one computer, just wait till you hear about Samsung's new 40-inch 400PXn and 46-inch 460PXn LCD displays, both of which feature embedded versions of Windows XP. Designed for use in commercial applications such as signage, the two monitors sport an updated version of Samsung's MagicNet technology, which allows them to run slideshows or video without the need for an external server; if a server is being used to stream data, it can control up to four of the displays at once, feeding them either separate images or one tiled picture (arrays of 4 x 4 units are possible). Specs-wise, both products are pretty run-of-the-mill: you get a 1,366 x 768 resolution, 8-millisecond response time, 800:1 contrast ratio, and 500cd/m² maximum brightness. Although they're available immediately, Sammy hasn't released any pricing info for these models, but TG Daily points out that the previous, non-XP versions cost $8,950 (460Pn, pictured) and $6,750 (400Pn), respectively -- so we can be sure the upgraded editions won't come cheap.[Via TG Daily]
Switching causes Argh
Apple would have you believe that switching from Windows to OS X is like changing socks. It isn't rocket science, but there are bound to be stumbling blocks, though since I have been using both Windows and OS X on a daily basis for years I tend to forget this little fact.Robyn Peterson writes about his five 'argh' moments as he switches from Windows XP to OS X. Most of them are slight annoyances, but I do agree with him about OS X's lackluster support for auto-mounting network resources without using a work around (unless I am missing a setting somewhere).[via Paul Thurrott](The picture accompanying this post is from here, in case you were wondering).
DualCor cPC in the wild
We're not nearly as into DualCor's cPC Windows convergence device now that we found out it doesn't come with any built-in wireless radios, but we've still been looking forward to catching it in the wild just the same, because any pocket-sized machine that sports both XP and WM5 is more than a little bit noteworthy in our book. And luckily for us, our partners-in-crime over at Engadget Chinese have just captured some nice photos of this two-processor machine as part of their extensive Computex 2006 coverage, although our contribution of copying and pasting the pics for you to peep should not be overlooked. More cPC snaps are available after the break, and more VIA-powered products from the CPU manufacturer's booth tour can be found by following the Read link...
DualCor cPC gets specs, launch date -- but no radios
DualCor Technologies has just released the final specs for their cPC "ultimate convergence device," and those who were looking forward to this model are bound to be horribly disappointed: not only will the production version lack cellphone capabilities out of the box as first promised, but the device contains no radios whatsover. That's right, if you want to get your WiFi, Bluetooth, or 3G on with the cPC, you'll need to bring your your own CF cards or USB dongles to get connected, which takes an awful lot of convenience out of a product designed to lighten your load. Besides the crushing lack of wireless, the rest of the specs seem decent enough, with the XP side of the device powered by a 1.5GHz Via processor that's backed by a full gig of DDR2 RAM. Both OSes can store data on the 30GB hard drive (and not 40GB as we previously reported) or the 1GB of NAND flash memory, with the Windows Mobile 5.0 side is supported by a 400MHz Intel PXA263 chip and 128MB of DRAM. GottaBeMobile is reporting that the cPC will be shipping within the next 90 days, though now that the product is devoid of any wireless capabilities, we're curious to see what type of customer actually picks one up. [Warning: PDF link][Via jkOnTheRun]
Buy a MacBook Pro with pre-loaded Windows XP
I am writing this at midnight, dear readers, and I can only pray that what I'm looking at is a fever-induced hallucination and I'm trapped in some sort of cruel nightmare triggered by Microsoft's secret Terror Ray XP Premium Edition (originally designed to torment Mossberg and Pogue every time they write a pro-Apple article, and also used to bend Dvorak, Thurrott, and Enderle to the company's uncompromising will).It seems a company called ExperCom is selling standard-specced MacBook Pros...pre-loaded with Windows XP. This is for those folks who want the beautiful Apple hardware and the ubiquitous Windows software without having to deal with Boot Camp themselves, I guess.We all knew this was inevitable, and fighting it is pointless. Still...just looking at that page sends shivers up my spine. At least they're happy to note, "We don't support Windows XP - and neither does Apple. We'll install it for you, but, hey, we're Mac people, so we can't help answer Windows questions."[Thanks, Dan K. Kinda.]
OS X vs XP on a MacBook Pro
The good folks at Bare Feats love them some benchmarking, so I am surprised it took them so long to compare the performance of Windows XP versus OS X on a MacBook Pro. They took a look at how applications that are available on both OSs (and are Universal) ran on the MacBook Pro.The results? XP wins when running games (for the most part) while everything else goes to OS X. They did compare some apps running in Rosetta to the same apps running natively on XP, and XP blew OS X out of the water, as shown by the graph above (of course OS X running on a PowerPC would also blow Rosetta out of the water).[via Paul Thurrot's Internet Nexus]
Parallels Windows virtualization beta
Hot on the heels of Apple's Boot Camp announcement, Parallels has announced Parallels Workstation 2.1 Beta for Mac OS X, a beta of their virtualization software for Intel Macs. Their software allows you to run Windows in OS X, much like Virtual PC, without the need to actually boot into Windows.Using their software you can run lots of version of Windows (3.1, 3.11, 95, 98, Me, 2000, NT, XP, 2003), any Linux distribution, FreeBSD, Solaris, OS/2, eComStation, or MS-DOS and for the moment the software is free (and in beta). When it is out of beta the software is expected to cost $49.99Thanks to everyone who sent this in.
Video of a Boot Camp install
We have heard the pleas, dear readers. More Boot Camp news you scream! Fine, just a little more for you.UNEASYsilence has updated their video tutorial about installing Windows XP on Intel Macs to use Boot Camp.Check it out, if you want to see how easy it now is to install Windows XP on your Intel Mac (it looks really easy).
Apple validates and dismisses Windows on Mac at the same time
Apple is seemingly telling us that it is OK to install Windows XP on our Macs with the release of Boot Camp. Does this mean that the years of Apple mocking Windows have come to an end and there will finally be peace on earth?Not a chance.You may not have noticed the following blurbs on the right hand column of the Boot Camp site:'Macs use an ultra-modern industry standard technology called EFI to handle booting. Sadly, Windows XP, and even the upcoming Vista, are stuck in the 1980s with old-fashioned BIOS. But with Boot Camp, the Mac can operate smoothly in both centuries.'And under the heading 'Word to the Wise':'Windows running on a Mac is like Windows running on a PC. That means it’ll be subject to the same attacks that plague the Windows world. So be sure to keep it updated with the latest Microsoft Windows security fixes.'Oh, Apple, you clever minx. You openly mock Window while at the same time enable it to run on Macs. This is why I am such a big fan of Apple.Thanks to those who pointed this out.
Apple's official Mac gaming solution: Windows
Tired of the long wait for the few games that do get ported to Mac OS X? Tired of waiting for that one favorite game to get upgraded to Universal so you can play it on your Intel Mac? Tired of playing an unaccelerated Half-Life 2 on the hacked together, unsupported version of Windows XP you managed to get running on your Mac? This morning, Apple announced an official solution: use Windows, with (almost) full hardware support. "Boot Camp lets you install Windows XP without moving your Mac data, though you will need to bring your own copy to the table, as Apple Computer does not sell or support Microsoft Windows." The download includes a driver CD with Windows XP compatible drivers for the ATi graphics chips, Intel's integrated graphics chips, ethernet, audio, WiFi, Bluetooth, and more. The only unsupported items are iSight, the Apple remote, Apple's USB modem, and the MacBook Pro's backlit keyboard. While this is great news for would be hardcore Mac gamers, whose choices have been limited by market pressures for years, it also raises doubts about the continued economic viability of porting games from Windows to Mac OS. Will companies continue to invest the resources in providing a seamless Mac experience for gamers, or expect them to pony up for XP and dual boot their boxes?[Via TUAW]
