Lenovo on Thursday announced ThinkPad laptops with cutting-edge technologies including Intel's upcoming third-generation Core processors and the Thunderbolt interconnect, which is currently found only on Apple laptops.
The laptops include the ThinkPad X1 Hybrid, which Lenovo said is its thinnest ThinkPad yet. Another new laptop, the ThinkPad S430, will be Lenovo's first laptop to include Thunderbolt, an interconnect technology that rivals USB 3.0.
The new ThinkPads are also among the first laptops introduced with Intel's upcoming third-generation Core processors, which have not yet been officially announced. Intel has said laptops with processors based on a microarchitecture code-named Ivy Bridge would be available in the first half of this year. The chips will succeed current Core processors code-named Sandy Bridge, and should bring longer battery life and better graphics to laptops.
The X1 Hybrid, targeted at business users, is priced at US$1,599 and will become available in some countries during the second quarter of this year. The laptop, which weighs less than 4 pounds (1.8 kilograms), will be shown at the Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas from Jan. 10 to Jan. 13.
A new feature in the X1 Hybrid is the Instant Media Mode in which the laptop can switch from Windows to a low-power mode used in tablets to extend battery life. The laptop battery can run for up to 10 hours on a single charge. The Instant Media Mode is enabled by an open-source OS and a Qualcomm co-processor sitting alongside the Intel processor. The mode is somewhat similar to what Dell has offered in the past, a quick-boot feature in laptops based on the Linux OS and an ARM co-processor.
"You can switch between the Instant Media Mode and the Windows environment and during Instant Media Mode you can watch videos, pictures, listen to music, browse the Web in this low power mode," said Dilip Bhatia, vice president of the ThinkPad business unit.
The Thunderbolt-equipped ThinkPad Edge S430 comes with a 14-inch screen and will be available in June starting at $749. The laptop will be available in select markets, but not in the U.S., a company spokesperson said.
Intel last year said that Thunderbolt would reach PCs this year, starting with Acer and Asus. Sony also is a known backer of Thunderbolt.
Lenovo also announced the first ThinkPad T430U ultrabook, which will be priced starting at $849. The thin light laptop weighs less than 4 pounds, and will be available in June with up to third-generation Core i7 processors, 1TB of storage and optional Nvidia graphics.
Intel is trying to promote ultrabooks as a way to regenerate interest in laptops, shipments of which are falling due to the rise of tablets. Companies like Hewlett-Packard and Asus have already shipped ultrabooks based on current Core processors.
Other laptops announced include the ThinkPad E430 and E530, which have 14-inch and 15.6-inch screens respectively, and will come with Intel third-generation Core processors or Advanced Micro Devices processors. These laptops, which begin at $549, do not include Thunderbolt ports.
(pcworld.com)
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Rabu, 04 Januari 2012
Senin, 12 Desember 2011
iPad 3 to Launch Within Months
iPad 2 successor possibly to hit stores as early as February
While this can be lumped squarely in the "unconfirmed" column, rumors have begun swirling about the possibility of Apple's next-generation tablet, the iPad 3, launching within the next "three to four months."
Anonymous sources in the supply chain are cited by DigiTimes saying that the parts and components for the iPad 3 are being delivered to OEM contractors while reducing deliveries for the iPad 2.
"OEM production of iPad 2 will remain high at 14-15 million units in the fourth quarter of 2011 but decline to 4-5 million units in the first quarter of 2012, paving the way for the launch of the new iPads," DigiTimes writes.
The rumors are bolstered by further reports from a Chinese Commercial Times report that says Foxconn will begin production on the new models in January, and increasing production by February.
The aforementioned anonymous supply-chain sources say that anywhere from 9.5 to 9.8 million units of the iPad 3 will be produced in Q1 of 2012.
Another report from last week, this one from the L.A. Times, cited February as the target launch date, so the new timeframe isn't too far off.
According to the Times, the iPad 3 will be similar to its predecessor, but will include Apple's retina display, doubling the resolution found on the current model.
The original iPad launched in April 2010. The iPad 2 launched in March 2011. If Apple's 11-month trend for next generation of its popular tablet continues, February 2012 would be the target.
With increased competition in the tablet market from the likes of Microsoft and additional Android offerings, Apple might be feeling a sense of urgency to stay ahead of the curve if it wants to hold on to its tablet.
(dailytech.com)
While this can be lumped squarely in the "unconfirmed" column, rumors have begun swirling about the possibility of Apple's next-generation tablet, the iPad 3, launching within the next "three to four months."
Anonymous sources in the supply chain are cited by DigiTimes saying that the parts and components for the iPad 3 are being delivered to OEM contractors while reducing deliveries for the iPad 2.
"OEM production of iPad 2 will remain high at 14-15 million units in the fourth quarter of 2011 but decline to 4-5 million units in the first quarter of 2012, paving the way for the launch of the new iPads," DigiTimes writes.
The rumors are bolstered by further reports from a Chinese Commercial Times report that says Foxconn will begin production on the new models in January, and increasing production by February.
The aforementioned anonymous supply-chain sources say that anywhere from 9.5 to 9.8 million units of the iPad 3 will be produced in Q1 of 2012.
Another report from last week, this one from the L.A. Times, cited February as the target launch date, so the new timeframe isn't too far off.
According to the Times, the iPad 3 will be similar to its predecessor, but will include Apple's retina display, doubling the resolution found on the current model.
The original iPad launched in April 2010. The iPad 2 launched in March 2011. If Apple's 11-month trend for next generation of its popular tablet continues, February 2012 would be the target.
With increased competition in the tablet market from the likes of Microsoft and additional Android offerings, Apple might be feeling a sense of urgency to stay ahead of the curve if it wants to hold on to its tablet.
(dailytech.com)
Minggu, 11 Desember 2011
Ever since Modern Warfare, Call of Duty has grown from a great series to a multi-billion franchise that's core to the publisher's survival. Key to that success has been Infinity Ward, the studio that recently saw its founders bail out and leave to start up a new studio which works with Activision's main competitor: Electronic Arts. Also several key members from the studio decided to leave, making everyone wonder: does Infinity Ward still have what it takes to deliver a top product that is capable of holding the crown in the first person shooter genre?
Activision didn't want to gamble so they had the experienced people at Raven Soft and Sledgehammer help out on the making of Modern Warfare 3 to guarantee success. And seeing at the sales numbers, it worked.
The singleplayer starts where Modern Warfare 2 ended and just as we're used from Call of Duty, you get thrown in the middle of the action, put on a freight train of action with adrenaline pumping from the first minute until the last second. The campaign has a coherent structure split over a couple of different characters that have to complete missions all over the world, and it all just feels like you're going from one blockbuster action movie scene to the next.
The Eiffel tower getting blown to pieces, a hi-speed chase in the subway, entering a nuclear submarine from under water, clearing a parking garage with a tank to end up with your tank falling through a couple of stages, ... it's all breathtaking to watch. However, a great movie doesn't depend on its special effects alone (although they do help) and the same goes for videogames.
Just like a Michael Bay movie, Modern Warfare 3 blows you away with scenes that loudly shout "holy f*ck!" and the technical expertise with which everything is made is impeccable. This latest Call of Duty refines the well-known setup to become a perfectly cut diamond. Unfortunately, that's also where the main problem is located.
Modern Warfare 3's singleplayer refines but doesn't innovate. Yes, technically everything looks amazing, but you're constantly running in a preset path and never ever get any feeling of freedom. And that takes away a lot of the excitement. After all, if you don't have a feeling of freedom then you don't get the feeling your actions truly matter. And that's exactly what happens here. Unless of course your AI partners decide that you haven't crossed some invisible line yet, which will make them stop until you've performed action "x" or "y". Or shot down that one annoying opponent they for some unknown reason can't seem to take out themselves.
This actually ruins the experience a bit and takes out the soul of the game. You want to continue to find out what the devs have in store for you next when it comes to spectacle, but just like a Transformers movie, you don't really feel immersed or care much about what's going on.
The multiplayer is a different matter. Many people will compare with Battlefield 3, but in all honesty: they can hardly be compared.
Where EA's shooter focuses on large-scale battles with up to 64 players, Modern Warfare 3 has 16 maps that are focused on frantic hi-speed action with a smaller number of players. This of course also means you're running down narrow streets with hostiles lurking around just about every corner, unlike for instance Battlefield's Caspian Border where you can run for almost a minute at times without even coming close to a hostile.
It's quite the difference but it works nicely as well. There's a ton of different modes available, most making only small changes to the standard versions we all know for years, but the changes do give some additional spice to the game. Most notable is without a doubt Kill Confirmed which is pretty much like standard Deathmatch but with the added twist that you have to "capture" the dogtags of the enemy you just killed in order to complete the kill. This also means, of course, that your opponent's team can capture those tags as well and in effect deny you your kill. Yes, it's as fun as well as frustrating as it sounds :)
So regarding that comparison between BF3 and MW3 qua multiplayer: it depends a lot on your personal taste. If you like hectic and rather short games that aim for quick kills, then Modern Warfare 3 is without a doubt the game for you. If you prefer longer-running games with open areas and a more realistic approach, then go for Battlefield.
Next to the multiplayer, MW3 also provides an extensive co-op possibility. In Spec Ops you can replay campaign missions with friends and complete certain objectives, while in Survival you and your friends face off waves of ever-increasingly strong hostiles in some of the multiplayer maps. And with sixteen maps available in each mode, you can be sure you'll be busy for quite some time!
All in all, Modern Warfare 3 polishes, refines and perfects Call of Duty in just about every area. Unfortunately, it also loses its soul in that process. The singleplayer is spectacular like a Michael Bay movie, but makes you wonder if you actually have to do anything else but watch the spectacle pass by. Hopefully, Infinity Ward's next Call of Duty will innovate again as it's clear we've come to an end when it comes to possibilities of refinement.
The multiplayer and co-op provide an overload of stats and perks as well as plenty of modes and maps to keep you going for quite some time. The hectic action is perfect for short rounds of headshot hunting and stats collecting.
We started with the question if Infinity Ward was capable of holding the crown in the first person shooter genre. The answer to that is a clear "yes". But just barely. Modern Warfare 3 is a more complete and coherent product than Battlefield 3 and as such earns to be the better seller in stores. But I prefer Battlefield 3's multiplayer any day.
(fragland.net)
Activision didn't want to gamble so they had the experienced people at Raven Soft and Sledgehammer help out on the making of Modern Warfare 3 to guarantee success. And seeing at the sales numbers, it worked.
The singleplayer starts where Modern Warfare 2 ended and just as we're used from Call of Duty, you get thrown in the middle of the action, put on a freight train of action with adrenaline pumping from the first minute until the last second. The campaign has a coherent structure split over a couple of different characters that have to complete missions all over the world, and it all just feels like you're going from one blockbuster action movie scene to the next.
The Eiffel tower getting blown to pieces, a hi-speed chase in the subway, entering a nuclear submarine from under water, clearing a parking garage with a tank to end up with your tank falling through a couple of stages, ... it's all breathtaking to watch. However, a great movie doesn't depend on its special effects alone (although they do help) and the same goes for videogames.
Just like a Michael Bay movie, Modern Warfare 3 blows you away with scenes that loudly shout "holy f*ck!" and the technical expertise with which everything is made is impeccable. This latest Call of Duty refines the well-known setup to become a perfectly cut diamond. Unfortunately, that's also where the main problem is located.
Modern Warfare 3's singleplayer refines but doesn't innovate. Yes, technically everything looks amazing, but you're constantly running in a preset path and never ever get any feeling of freedom. And that takes away a lot of the excitement. After all, if you don't have a feeling of freedom then you don't get the feeling your actions truly matter. And that's exactly what happens here. Unless of course your AI partners decide that you haven't crossed some invisible line yet, which will make them stop until you've performed action "x" or "y". Or shot down that one annoying opponent they for some unknown reason can't seem to take out themselves.
This actually ruins the experience a bit and takes out the soul of the game. You want to continue to find out what the devs have in store for you next when it comes to spectacle, but just like a Transformers movie, you don't really feel immersed or care much about what's going on.
The multiplayer is a different matter. Many people will compare with Battlefield 3, but in all honesty: they can hardly be compared.
Where EA's shooter focuses on large-scale battles with up to 64 players, Modern Warfare 3 has 16 maps that are focused on frantic hi-speed action with a smaller number of players. This of course also means you're running down narrow streets with hostiles lurking around just about every corner, unlike for instance Battlefield's Caspian Border where you can run for almost a minute at times without even coming close to a hostile.
It's quite the difference but it works nicely as well. There's a ton of different modes available, most making only small changes to the standard versions we all know for years, but the changes do give some additional spice to the game. Most notable is without a doubt Kill Confirmed which is pretty much like standard Deathmatch but with the added twist that you have to "capture" the dogtags of the enemy you just killed in order to complete the kill. This also means, of course, that your opponent's team can capture those tags as well and in effect deny you your kill. Yes, it's as fun as well as frustrating as it sounds :)
So regarding that comparison between BF3 and MW3 qua multiplayer: it depends a lot on your personal taste. If you like hectic and rather short games that aim for quick kills, then Modern Warfare 3 is without a doubt the game for you. If you prefer longer-running games with open areas and a more realistic approach, then go for Battlefield.
Next to the multiplayer, MW3 also provides an extensive co-op possibility. In Spec Ops you can replay campaign missions with friends and complete certain objectives, while in Survival you and your friends face off waves of ever-increasingly strong hostiles in some of the multiplayer maps. And with sixteen maps available in each mode, you can be sure you'll be busy for quite some time!
All in all, Modern Warfare 3 polishes, refines and perfects Call of Duty in just about every area. Unfortunately, it also loses its soul in that process. The singleplayer is spectacular like a Michael Bay movie, but makes you wonder if you actually have to do anything else but watch the spectacle pass by. Hopefully, Infinity Ward's next Call of Duty will innovate again as it's clear we've come to an end when it comes to possibilities of refinement.
The multiplayer and co-op provide an overload of stats and perks as well as plenty of modes and maps to keep you going for quite some time. The hectic action is perfect for short rounds of headshot hunting and stats collecting.
We started with the question if Infinity Ward was capable of holding the crown in the first person shooter genre. The answer to that is a clear "yes". But just barely. Modern Warfare 3 is a more complete and coherent product than Battlefield 3 and as such earns to be the better seller in stores. But I prefer Battlefield 3's multiplayer any day.
(fragland.net)
Samsung Series 7 Slate PC – First look
We’ve seen a lot of tablets hit the market over the last year or two. Most run Google Android, iOS, or other operating systems designed for mobile devices. The Samsung Series 7 Slate is something different. It’s a Windows 7 tablet that takes full advantage of the touch-based features in the operating system, and which has hardware powerful enough to provide a pretty good Windows experience.
Those extra features come at a price. Tehe Series 7 Slate sells for $1149 and up .
Samsung loaned me a demo unit of to test, and while I’ve only spent a few days with the tablet so far I wanted to share a few initial thoughts. We’ll have a full review coming soon.
It’s not just the operating system that sets the Series 7 apart from the Android tablets I’ve reviewed recently. It’s what you can do with the tablet. Since it runs a full version of Windows 7 you can run full desktop apps including Microsoft Office, Photoshop, Internet Explorer, Firefox, and more. But Samsung also includes a finger-friendly app launcher and a handful of apps that run in full screen mode, much as they would on an Android, iOS, BlackBerry, or webOS tablet.
So at times, it’s actually a little tough to really tell the difference between the Series 7 and a much cheaper tablet. For instance, you can use the web browser to scroll through pages with your fingers or pinch-to-zoom. The browser feels a little faster than the one you’d get on a cheaper tablet, but the experience isn’t that different.
Where things do start to get different is when you exist the finger-friendly UI and start using a stylus to navigate the Windows 7 desktop experience. The tablet has a capacitive touchscreen display for finger input, but it also has an active digitizer that works with a digital pen.
This allows you to tap the screen with more precision, draw pictures with pressure-sensitive input, click or right-click, and generally use the Series 7 almost as easily as you could if you were using a computer with a keyboard and mouse.
Samsung also bundles a version of the Swype digital keyboard with the tablet. So if you don’t want to use the built-in Windows keyboard or handwriting recognition function you can pull up Swype and enter words by swiping your finger from letter to letter without lifting your finger from the screen.
Up until recently Swype was only available as an Android app, but I find it much easier to use than the default Windows keyboard. Unfortunately it has a way of taking over the input panel and popping up when you don’t need it, or when you’d rather use the Windows handwriting feature.
Samsung also loaned me the optional docking station and wireless keyboard which really does make the Series 7 into a sort of desktop computer. The 11.6 inch, 1366 x 768 pixel display is about the same size as the screen on my laptop, and I can imagine getting some serious work done with this setup. There’s also a full-sized USB port so I could plug in a mouse as well.
At nearly 2 pounds the Series 7 is a lot heavier than most Android or iOS tablets. The widescreen display is also wide enough that the device feels a bit odd when held in portrait mode. But at 0.5 inches thick, the Series 7 Slate is pretty svelte, even by modern tablet standards. It also feels very sturdy.
The unit I’m reviewing has a 64GB solid state disk, 4GB of memory, and a 1.6 GHz Intel Core i5-2467M processor. It runs Windows 7 Home Premium and has a Windows Experience Index f 4.6.
I’ve found that at times the back of the tablet can get a little warm to the touch and the fan can be a little noisy when it kicks in to try and cool the computer down.
But so far the Samsung Series 7 is the fastest, most responsive Windows 7 tablet I’ve spent any appreciable time with — although to be fair, I’ve mostly spent my time with low-end computers with Intel Atom processors.
Is the Samsung Series 7 Slate worth more than twice as much as those devices thanks to the faster processor, higher quality screen, active digitizer and other features? It’s hard to say.
It’s definitely easy to justify spending more money to get those features. But $1149 is a lot of money to spend on a computer when you can pick up an iPad for $499, an Amazon Kindle Fire for $200, or a netbook for under $300.
I have a hard time imagining the Series 7 Slate unseating any of those devices. But it feels like a solid niche product that’s going to appeal to customers that really need to be able to draw on a tablet or use a stylus for other reasons, as well as customers that need to run Windows software rather than mobile apps on their portable tablet-style devices.
(liliputing.com)
Those extra features come at a price. Tehe Series 7 Slate sells for $1149 and up .
Samsung loaned me a demo unit of to test, and while I’ve only spent a few days with the tablet so far I wanted to share a few initial thoughts. We’ll have a full review coming soon.
It’s not just the operating system that sets the Series 7 apart from the Android tablets I’ve reviewed recently. It’s what you can do with the tablet. Since it runs a full version of Windows 7 you can run full desktop apps including Microsoft Office, Photoshop, Internet Explorer, Firefox, and more. But Samsung also includes a finger-friendly app launcher and a handful of apps that run in full screen mode, much as they would on an Android, iOS, BlackBerry, or webOS tablet.
So at times, it’s actually a little tough to really tell the difference between the Series 7 and a much cheaper tablet. For instance, you can use the web browser to scroll through pages with your fingers or pinch-to-zoom. The browser feels a little faster than the one you’d get on a cheaper tablet, but the experience isn’t that different.
Where things do start to get different is when you exist the finger-friendly UI and start using a stylus to navigate the Windows 7 desktop experience. The tablet has a capacitive touchscreen display for finger input, but it also has an active digitizer that works with a digital pen.
This allows you to tap the screen with more precision, draw pictures with pressure-sensitive input, click or right-click, and generally use the Series 7 almost as easily as you could if you were using a computer with a keyboard and mouse.
Samsung also bundles a version of the Swype digital keyboard with the tablet. So if you don’t want to use the built-in Windows keyboard or handwriting recognition function you can pull up Swype and enter words by swiping your finger from letter to letter without lifting your finger from the screen.
Up until recently Swype was only available as an Android app, but I find it much easier to use than the default Windows keyboard. Unfortunately it has a way of taking over the input panel and popping up when you don’t need it, or when you’d rather use the Windows handwriting feature.
Samsung also loaned me the optional docking station and wireless keyboard which really does make the Series 7 into a sort of desktop computer. The 11.6 inch, 1366 x 768 pixel display is about the same size as the screen on my laptop, and I can imagine getting some serious work done with this setup. There’s also a full-sized USB port so I could plug in a mouse as well.
At nearly 2 pounds the Series 7 is a lot heavier than most Android or iOS tablets. The widescreen display is also wide enough that the device feels a bit odd when held in portrait mode. But at 0.5 inches thick, the Series 7 Slate is pretty svelte, even by modern tablet standards. It also feels very sturdy.
The unit I’m reviewing has a 64GB solid state disk, 4GB of memory, and a 1.6 GHz Intel Core i5-2467M processor. It runs Windows 7 Home Premium and has a Windows Experience Index f 4.6.
I’ve found that at times the back of the tablet can get a little warm to the touch and the fan can be a little noisy when it kicks in to try and cool the computer down.
But so far the Samsung Series 7 is the fastest, most responsive Windows 7 tablet I’ve spent any appreciable time with — although to be fair, I’ve mostly spent my time with low-end computers with Intel Atom processors.
Is the Samsung Series 7 Slate worth more than twice as much as those devices thanks to the faster processor, higher quality screen, active digitizer and other features? It’s hard to say.
It’s definitely easy to justify spending more money to get those features. But $1149 is a lot of money to spend on a computer when you can pick up an iPad for $499, an Amazon Kindle Fire for $200, or a netbook for under $300.
I have a hard time imagining the Series 7 Slate unseating any of those devices. But it feels like a solid niche product that’s going to appeal to customers that really need to be able to draw on a tablet or use a stylus for other reasons, as well as customers that need to run Windows software rather than mobile apps on their portable tablet-style devices.
(liliputing.com)
Sabtu, 10 Desember 2011
HP has new plans for WebOS
PALO ALTO, Calif., Dec. 10 -- U.S. technology giant Hewlett-Packard is planning and developing WebOS devices, Chief Executive Officer Meg Whitman said.
HP, which purchased Palm Inc. in 2010, is also planning to make Palm's WebOS software available as an open-source program, the Los Angeles Times reported Saturday.
Whitman, a former gubernatorial candidate in California, disclosed in two separate interviews that HP would continue to develop hardware, including tablets, for the WebOS platform, the Times said.
HP has had a rocky history with its TouchPad devices. Whitman's predecessor, Leo Apotheker, said in August that HP was backing out of smartphone and TouchPad development, and was studying the option of backing out of computer production.
Soon after he made the announcement, the board elected to send him packing and replaced him with Whitman, a high-profile CEO who made an unsuccessful run for governor in 2010.
Sales of the TouchPad were still disappointing, however, until HP dropped its price to $99, the Times said.(UPI.com)
HP, which purchased Palm Inc. in 2010, is also planning to make Palm's WebOS software available as an open-source program, the Los Angeles Times reported Saturday.
Whitman, a former gubernatorial candidate in California, disclosed in two separate interviews that HP would continue to develop hardware, including tablets, for the WebOS platform, the Times said.
HP has had a rocky history with its TouchPad devices. Whitman's predecessor, Leo Apotheker, said in August that HP was backing out of smartphone and TouchPad development, and was studying the option of backing out of computer production.
Soon after he made the announcement, the board elected to send him packing and replaced him with Whitman, a high-profile CEO who made an unsuccessful run for governor in 2010.
Sales of the TouchPad were still disappointing, however, until HP dropped its price to $99, the Times said.(UPI.com)
Jumat, 09 Desember 2011
HP webOS made public
Hewlett-Packard said Friday it is making its webOS mobile operating system available to the open source community and changed course on plans to abandon making tablets based on the platform.
HP will take another shot at making webOS tablets, most likely in 2013, Meg Whitman, the chief executive of the world’s number one computer maker, said in an interview with technology blog TechCrunch.
HP said it will continue to work on and support webOS, but the software platform will become open source, meaning that developers anywhere can tinker with it as they wish and it will be available for anyone to use free of charge.
“WebOS is the only platform designed from the ground up to be mobile, cloud-connected and scalable,” Whitman said in a statement.
“By contributing this innovation, HP unleashes the creativity of the open source community to advance a new generation of applications and devices.”
Palo Alto, California-based HP announced in August it would stop making smartphones and tablet computers using the webOS software acquired from Palm in a $1.2 billion deal last year.
Citing disappointing sales, HP announced on August 18 it was discontinuing the TouchPad, a tablet computer powered by webOS, just seven weeks after it hit the market.
Two weeks later, HP said it planned one last production run of the TouchPad, which became a hot seller following a price cut from $499 to just $99 and the announcement that it was being abandoned.
TouchPad was the top-selling tablet computer in the United States after Apple’s iPad in the first 10 months of the year, market research company NPD Group reported last month.
Whitman, who replaced Leo Apotheker as HP’s chief executive in September, told TechCrunch that HP will likely develop webOS-powered tablets in 2013 and will “bet heavily” on tablets running Microsoft’s Windows operating system.
Making webOS open source naturally leads to HP making devices for the platform and operating an online shop selling third-party applications for webOS, according to Silicon Valley analyst Rob Enderle of the Enderle Group.
“The two fastest growing areas for personal technology are smartphones and tablets,” Enderle said. “To make this viable, HP is going to have to play in those spaces.”
The analyst said he believed the webOS move held promise since the mobile operating system is well protected by HP’s patent portfolio and licensing deals the company has with Microsoft.
Google’s open source Android operating system has been pounded with patent lawsuits from Apple and Microsoft, eating into its appeal for device makers despite the popularity of the platform.
WebOS security also promised to stem the kinds of problems Android has had with computer viruses being hidden in third-party applications tailored for devices, Enderle said.
“This is probably going to be a major portion of what defines her presidency at HP,” Enderle said of webOS. “It has the makings of a signature project for Whitman.”(mybroadband.co.za)
HP will take another shot at making webOS tablets, most likely in 2013, Meg Whitman, the chief executive of the world’s number one computer maker, said in an interview with technology blog TechCrunch.
HP said it will continue to work on and support webOS, but the software platform will become open source, meaning that developers anywhere can tinker with it as they wish and it will be available for anyone to use free of charge.
“WebOS is the only platform designed from the ground up to be mobile, cloud-connected and scalable,” Whitman said in a statement.
“By contributing this innovation, HP unleashes the creativity of the open source community to advance a new generation of applications and devices.”
Palo Alto, California-based HP announced in August it would stop making smartphones and tablet computers using the webOS software acquired from Palm in a $1.2 billion deal last year.
Citing disappointing sales, HP announced on August 18 it was discontinuing the TouchPad, a tablet computer powered by webOS, just seven weeks after it hit the market.
Two weeks later, HP said it planned one last production run of the TouchPad, which became a hot seller following a price cut from $499 to just $99 and the announcement that it was being abandoned.
TouchPad was the top-selling tablet computer in the United States after Apple’s iPad in the first 10 months of the year, market research company NPD Group reported last month.
Whitman, who replaced Leo Apotheker as HP’s chief executive in September, told TechCrunch that HP will likely develop webOS-powered tablets in 2013 and will “bet heavily” on tablets running Microsoft’s Windows operating system.
Making webOS open source naturally leads to HP making devices for the platform and operating an online shop selling third-party applications for webOS, according to Silicon Valley analyst Rob Enderle of the Enderle Group.
“The two fastest growing areas for personal technology are smartphones and tablets,” Enderle said. “To make this viable, HP is going to have to play in those spaces.”
The analyst said he believed the webOS move held promise since the mobile operating system is well protected by HP’s patent portfolio and licensing deals the company has with Microsoft.
Google’s open source Android operating system has been pounded with patent lawsuits from Apple and Microsoft, eating into its appeal for device makers despite the popularity of the platform.
WebOS security also promised to stem the kinds of problems Android has had with computer viruses being hidden in third-party applications tailored for devices, Enderle said.
“This is probably going to be a major portion of what defines her presidency at HP,” Enderle said of webOS. “It has the makings of a signature project for Whitman.”(mybroadband.co.za)
PC Shortfall in 2012 Caused by HDD Shortages: IHS iSuppli
The flooding in Thailand, which is causing shortages in HDD supplies, will mean 3.8 million fewer PCs shipping in the first quarter 2012, IHS iSuppli analysts say.
The shortage of hard disk drives caused by the recent flooding in Thailand will limit the number of PCs that will ship in the first quarter of 2012, according to market research firm IHS iSuppli.
IHS iSuppli analysts are cutting their first-quarter PC forecast by 3.8 million units— to 84.2 million—and reducing their full-year growth numbers for 2012, saying worldwide PC shipments for the entire year will rise 6.8 percent over 2011, down from the 9.5 percent growth the firm forecasted in August.
Getting hit the hardest will be notebooks, which are the systems most impacted by the HDD shortages, the IHS iSuppli analysts said in a report Dec. 8. They are now predicting that notebook shipments will grow 10.1 percent year-over-year in the first quarter 2012, down from the 13.8 percent they initially forecasted.
“The PC supply chain says it has sufficient HDD inventory for the fourth quarter of 2011,” Matthew Wilkins, senior principal analyst of compute platforms for IHS iSuppli, said in a statement. “However, those stockpiles will run out in the first quarter of 2012, impacting PC production during that period.”
The monsoon season hit Thailand early and hard this year, causing flooding that started in October and lasted weeks. The floods impacted the HDD industry the hardest—Thailand assembles about 70 percent of the world’s hard disk drives.
The HDD shortages are not the only challenge facing the PC industry, IHS iSuppli analysts said. Continued weakening in demand for PCs—thanks in part to the rise in popularity of tablets—and the difficult global economic situation also are contributing. However, the flooding is having a particularly strong impact. Total unit PC shipments in 2012 are now expected to be 376 million, down from the firm’s previous forecast of 399 million.
The analysts expect the HDD supply issues to improve in the first quarter, with major suppliers already moving production to locations outside of Thailand. However, shortfalls will continue, with supply not beginning to meet demand until the end of the third quarter in 2012, they said. Meanwhile, PC shipments should rebound in the second half of the year, though not enough to keep the analysts from reducing their year-long forecast.
However, the HDD supplies do rebound, they will swing back hard, the IHS iSuppli analysts said. Once the Thailand production facilities get back up to full speed, the output from those combined with the supplies from the facilities outside of the country could result in an excess of supply, they said.(eweek.com)
The shortage of hard disk drives caused by the recent flooding in Thailand will limit the number of PCs that will ship in the first quarter of 2012, according to market research firm IHS iSuppli.
IHS iSuppli analysts are cutting their first-quarter PC forecast by 3.8 million units— to 84.2 million—and reducing their full-year growth numbers for 2012, saying worldwide PC shipments for the entire year will rise 6.8 percent over 2011, down from the 9.5 percent growth the firm forecasted in August.
Getting hit the hardest will be notebooks, which are the systems most impacted by the HDD shortages, the IHS iSuppli analysts said in a report Dec. 8. They are now predicting that notebook shipments will grow 10.1 percent year-over-year in the first quarter 2012, down from the 13.8 percent they initially forecasted.
“The PC supply chain says it has sufficient HDD inventory for the fourth quarter of 2011,” Matthew Wilkins, senior principal analyst of compute platforms for IHS iSuppli, said in a statement. “However, those stockpiles will run out in the first quarter of 2012, impacting PC production during that period.”
The monsoon season hit Thailand early and hard this year, causing flooding that started in October and lasted weeks. The floods impacted the HDD industry the hardest—Thailand assembles about 70 percent of the world’s hard disk drives.
The HDD shortages are not the only challenge facing the PC industry, IHS iSuppli analysts said. Continued weakening in demand for PCs—thanks in part to the rise in popularity of tablets—and the difficult global economic situation also are contributing. However, the flooding is having a particularly strong impact. Total unit PC shipments in 2012 are now expected to be 376 million, down from the firm’s previous forecast of 399 million.
The analysts expect the HDD supply issues to improve in the first quarter, with major suppliers already moving production to locations outside of Thailand. However, shortfalls will continue, with supply not beginning to meet demand until the end of the third quarter in 2012, they said. Meanwhile, PC shipments should rebound in the second half of the year, though not enough to keep the analysts from reducing their year-long forecast.
However, the HDD supplies do rebound, they will swing back hard, the IHS iSuppli analysts said. Once the Thailand production facilities get back up to full speed, the output from those combined with the supplies from the facilities outside of the country could result in an excess of supply, they said.(eweek.com)
Rabu, 07 Desember 2011
OCZ Octane SSD (128GB)
Powered by the new Indilinx Everest controller, the OCZ Octane SSD is supposed to be different from other recent solid-state drives that use the well-established SandForce controller. However, chances are you'll find it exactly the same as any other standard SATA 2.5-inch internal drive, though with time and scrutiny it does turn out to be slightly slower in terms of data copy speed than other enthusiast-class SSDs.
More than making up for this, the new Octane comes with much friendlier price tag, with the 256GB version only costing around $370. While this is still very expensive, it's much more affordable than the $500 or so that you'd have to pay for other SSDs of the same capacity, such as the Samsung 830 series, or the Patriot Wildfire. Big spenders can also opt for the 1TB version of the drive, which is the largest capacity option among consumer-grade SSDs. If you're looking to replace your laptop's or desktop's main internal drive to significantly improve the system's overall performance, the OCZ Octane would make an excellent investment.
OCZ Technology Group introduced its Indilinx Everest controller in July and the Octane is the first drive from the company to incorporate it. The design of the controller is one of the most important factors in an SSD, since it determines how the drive performs as well as its durability.
On the outside, however, the new Octane looks exactly the same as other SSDs and 2.5-inch SATA hard drives. It comes in the most common 9mm thickness, so it would fit in basically all storage application that uses a 2.5-inch hard drive. The drive's housing is made of plastic on top and aluminum on the bottom. It's very light and feels hollow, since on the inside there are no moving parts, just flash memory circuitry.
According to OCZ, like most SSDs, the drive supports RAID and TRIM and has an MTBF rating of 1.3 million hours. Like all SSDs, it can handle shocks and uses much less energy than a traditional hard drive. In my trials, it worked with all popular platforms, including Windows, Mac OS, and Linux.
Like all new SSDs, the OCZ Octane supports the latest SATA 3 standard that offers a ceiling speed of 6Gbps. It's one of a very few drives on the market that come with a top capacity of 1TB (if not the only one), making it as large as top-capacity high-end hard drives of the same standard. The drive's lowest available capacity is 128GB, forgoing the 64GB tier found in other SSDs.
Cost per gigabyte
The OCZ Octane is noticeably more affordable than other SATA 3-based SSDs. At the time of this review, it was unclear how much the 1TB version would cost, but the 512GB version costs around $850, noticeably lower than the $1,100 of the Samsung 830 series, for example. Its 256GB version is also cheaper at around $370 compared with $440 for the Samsung. Overall, the OCZ Octane costs around $1.5 per gigabyte, making it about the most affordable among current SATA3 SSDs. Compared with 2.5-inch SATA 3 hard drives, including the Seagate Momentus XT hybrid drive, which costs just $245 for 750GB, however, it's still much more expensive.
Performance
OCZ says that the Indilinx Everest controller is optimized mostly for boot time improvement, and that showed in my testing. The OCZ Octane does significantly reduce the boot time of the host computer. In fact its boot time was the shortest I've seen, though not by much when compared with other SSDs. The drive averaged just 12 seconds for booting, while most others average about 12.5 seconds.
The drive also improved overall performance. The test computer would wake up instantly from standby mode, and large applications, such as games, would take much less time to load. StarCraft II, for example, needed just under 10 seconds to launch, compared with almost a minute when a hard drive was used.
When it comes to data transfer, the Octane didn't impress me much. When used as a secondary drive, where it could show its top performance, it registered 183.41MBps, which was very fast, but significantly slower than other SATA3 SSDs. The Samsung 830 series, for example scored 261.63MBps in this test. Another SSD from OCZ, the Vertex 3, did much better at 260.73MBps.
A similar thing happened when the drive was used as the main drive of the computer, which is the most common use for an SSD. In the copy test, in which the drive was set to both write and read at the same time, it averaged 135.43MBps, faster than some other SSDS but, again, slower than the Samsung 830 series and the Vertex 3.
Overall, however, I was happy with the OCZ Octane's performance. It would definitely be the single component that most significantly improves the performance of a computer that was originally equipped with a hard drive. My only concern is the durability of the Indilinx Everest controller, but only time will tell.(cnet.com)
More than making up for this, the new Octane comes with much friendlier price tag, with the 256GB version only costing around $370. While this is still very expensive, it's much more affordable than the $500 or so that you'd have to pay for other SSDs of the same capacity, such as the Samsung 830 series, or the Patriot Wildfire. Big spenders can also opt for the 1TB version of the drive, which is the largest capacity option among consumer-grade SSDs. If you're looking to replace your laptop's or desktop's main internal drive to significantly improve the system's overall performance, the OCZ Octane would make an excellent investment.
OCZ Technology Group introduced its Indilinx Everest controller in July and the Octane is the first drive from the company to incorporate it. The design of the controller is one of the most important factors in an SSD, since it determines how the drive performs as well as its durability.
On the outside, however, the new Octane looks exactly the same as other SSDs and 2.5-inch SATA hard drives. It comes in the most common 9mm thickness, so it would fit in basically all storage application that uses a 2.5-inch hard drive. The drive's housing is made of plastic on top and aluminum on the bottom. It's very light and feels hollow, since on the inside there are no moving parts, just flash memory circuitry.
According to OCZ, like most SSDs, the drive supports RAID and TRIM and has an MTBF rating of 1.3 million hours. Like all SSDs, it can handle shocks and uses much less energy than a traditional hard drive. In my trials, it worked with all popular platforms, including Windows, Mac OS, and Linux.
Like all new SSDs, the OCZ Octane supports the latest SATA 3 standard that offers a ceiling speed of 6Gbps. It's one of a very few drives on the market that come with a top capacity of 1TB (if not the only one), making it as large as top-capacity high-end hard drives of the same standard. The drive's lowest available capacity is 128GB, forgoing the 64GB tier found in other SSDs.
Cost per gigabyte
The OCZ Octane is noticeably more affordable than other SATA 3-based SSDs. At the time of this review, it was unclear how much the 1TB version would cost, but the 512GB version costs around $850, noticeably lower than the $1,100 of the Samsung 830 series, for example. Its 256GB version is also cheaper at around $370 compared with $440 for the Samsung. Overall, the OCZ Octane costs around $1.5 per gigabyte, making it about the most affordable among current SATA3 SSDs. Compared with 2.5-inch SATA 3 hard drives, including the Seagate Momentus XT hybrid drive, which costs just $245 for 750GB, however, it's still much more expensive.
Performance
OCZ says that the Indilinx Everest controller is optimized mostly for boot time improvement, and that showed in my testing. The OCZ Octane does significantly reduce the boot time of the host computer. In fact its boot time was the shortest I've seen, though not by much when compared with other SSDs. The drive averaged just 12 seconds for booting, while most others average about 12.5 seconds.
The drive also improved overall performance. The test computer would wake up instantly from standby mode, and large applications, such as games, would take much less time to load. StarCraft II, for example, needed just under 10 seconds to launch, compared with almost a minute when a hard drive was used.
When it comes to data transfer, the Octane didn't impress me much. When used as a secondary drive, where it could show its top performance, it registered 183.41MBps, which was very fast, but significantly slower than other SATA3 SSDs. The Samsung 830 series, for example scored 261.63MBps in this test. Another SSD from OCZ, the Vertex 3, did much better at 260.73MBps.
A similar thing happened when the drive was used as the main drive of the computer, which is the most common use for an SSD. In the copy test, in which the drive was set to both write and read at the same time, it averaged 135.43MBps, faster than some other SSDS but, again, slower than the Samsung 830 series and the Vertex 3.
Overall, however, I was happy with the OCZ Octane's performance. It would definitely be the single component that most significantly improves the performance of a computer that was originally equipped with a hard drive. My only concern is the durability of the Indilinx Everest controller, but only time will tell.(cnet.com)
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