IT-Code-News: IT News HeadLines (HotHardware) 16/04/2010

SteelSeries Debuts R.U.S.E. Edition Xai Laser Mouse & Gaming Surface
SteelSeries is up there with Razer in the world of input peripherals, offing gamer-centric devices that serve a small but important niche. Today, the company has introduced the new R.U.S.E. Edition Xai Laser Mouse and QcK gaming surface, both of which are aimed directly at RTS fans.The devices are being made through a partnership with Ubisoft, with the mouse having a preconfigured profile setting that optimizes game-play. This preloaded R.U.S.E. profile, created with input from Ubisoft, allows quick access to
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Library of Congress To Archive Every. Public. Tweet. Ever.
Oh, great. Do you remember that night where you were just a bit tipsy, and you let out a string of Tweets that you've now lived to regret? Starting soon, you can sleep knowing your great-grandchildren will be able to read every single one of them, and any attempt you make to assure them that you were never a wild child in your younger days will be in vain.It's a world-changing thing to happen, but the Library of Congress has just announced that Twitter will enable them to archive every single public tweet ever
Read More ...

Toshiba Intros 200GB Automotive-Grade Hard Drive
Notebooks need hard drives, desktops need hard drives, but modern day vehicles need hard drives as well. Toshiba knows this better than anyone, and it knows that those paltry 32GB drives of yesteryear are no longer cutting it. In order to provide more storage space, more complex maps and more multi-media in new vehicles, the company has revealed a new automotive-grade HDD with 200GB of capacity. The 4,200 RPM SATA MK2060GSC is the highest-capacity automotive-grade HDD available, and these drives are built to
Read More ...

Apple iPad Launch Delayed Overseas By One Month
During Apple's recent iPhone OS 4.0 event, the company's CEO (Steve Jobs) stated that around 450,000 iPad units had been sold in around a week in the United States. Now, that number is hovering around half a million. Basically, Apple never expected that many iPads to fly off of store shelves, and while Apple will certainly take the demand, it's putting them in a bind when it comes to distribution.The company recently came forward with some rather annoying news if you're not living in America: there aren't enough
Read More ...

Intel Posts Another Record-Breaking Quarter, But Atom Sales Slump
Intel reported its sales figures for the first quarter of 2010 yesterday, and the company's market position could scarcely be better. Revenue in Q1 was $10.3 billionâ€”a record for the quarterâ€”while sales declined just three percent between Q4 2009 and Q1 2010. Processor shipments typically fall about nine percent during this period; Intel didn't just beat the odds, it trounced them. "The investments we're making in leading edge technology are delivering the most compelling product line-up in our history," said
Read More ...

Rightmark Introduces New Web Browser Benchmarking Tool: BrowserMark
Here's a confession: we have a soft spot in our hearts for Futuremark. We used their benchmarking tools religiously to test out new products, and overall, it all works great. Rightware was recently spun off from Futuremark, and today they're launching a much-needed new benchmarking service for mobile and embedded device browsing performance. Ever wanted to compare browsing performance between the iPhone, Nexus One, Wii, iPad and/or PS3? Now you can.The new tool is called BrowserMark, and it's available in two
Read More ...

Universal To Ship Blu-ray/DVD Dual-Side "Flipper" Discs
These have been on the table for months now, and while the so-called "Flipper" was noted as "coming soon" during December of 2009, Universal Studios Home Entertainment has finally decided to roll out the two-sided discs for consumers to enjoy.We will say--the first three films to ship on this twin-sided Blu-ray/DVD disc aren't the classics that you might expect. Out of Africa 25th Anniversary Edition, Traffic and The Jackal are all expected to hit the streets on April 27, and in a single package, users will
Read More ...

Asus Adds SATA 6G And USB 3.0 Support On New RoG Motherboards
Asus promised that they were going to make USB 3.0 a priority going forward, and sure enough, that protocol is supported in the latest range of motherboards. The latest series is yet another in the Republic of Gamers line, offering up extreme overclocking abilities, sweet designs and support for the latest chips and technologies.The Rampage III Extreme and Maximus III Extreme are being launched today, the former of which is X58-based and the latter of which is P55-based. They're available starting today for
Read More ...

Samsung's AMOLED Beam SPH-W9600: It's A Smartphone And Pico Projector In One
Cellphones and smartphones with projectors haven't really taken off in America, but they're generating a lot of attention overseas. And we all know what happens to trends in the U.S. a few months after something goes big in Asia. Samsung has been at the forefront of projector phone development, and today they are introducing the latest one in the line: the SPH-W9600.Called the AMOLED Beam, this is the followup to the Haptic Beam, and it's initially being introduced to Korea. Aside from having a large 3.3" WVGA
Read More ...

iPad versus Netbook-Tablet Hybrid Head to Head
Apple's iPad has left an indelible mark on the Tablet PC universe. It wasn't that long ago when just about everyone gave up on the tablet. Just about every notebook manufacturer in existence tried their hand at making a tablet at one point or another, and just about everyone hung it up by 2005. For whatever reasons, tablets never managed to catch on in the consumer industry, but now, things are different.Consumers have shown a willingness to adapt somewhat and try new things. Some thought ultraportables would
Read More ...

Cisco Launches First Flip Video Camcorder With Internal LCD: Flip SlideHD
It still seems kind of unusual to think that Cisco now owns a camcorder company, but this week the company introduced the newest in the Flip Video line, the Flip SlideHD. It's certainly an all-new take on the pocket camcorder form factor, as it looks more like a Motorola Backflip than a typical pistol-grip camera.This new camcorder allows for up to 4 hours of HD video to be captured (or 12 hours of SD content), and rather than making users offload it to a PC before viewing, the SlideHD has an internal 3" LCD
Read More ...

Twitter Infiltrates Bing, Serves Up Real Time Results
Social networking is here to stay, and so is Twitter for that matter. In fact, you'll be seeing even more of the microblogging service as it continues to strike deals, like the one it inked with Microsoft to have Bing display the latest tweets on your searches."Have you ever searched for information on something that is happening right now, only to find out that thereâ€™s nothing matching what youâ€™re looking for? News on an earthquake that just happened or information on a hot new product announcement may not
Read More ...

Toshiba Intros 200GB Automotive-Grade Hard Drive

Notebooks need hard drives, desktops need hard drives, but modern day vehicles need hard drives as well. Toshiba knows this better than anyone, and it knows that those paltry 32GB drives of yesteryear are no longer cutting it. In order to provide more storage space, more complex maps and more multi-media in new vehicles, the company has revealed a new automotive-grade HDD with 200GB of capacity.

The 4,200 RPM SATA MK2060GSC is the highest-capacity automotive-grade HDD available, and these drives are built to withstand intense bumps, intense heat and more abuse than a standard notebook drive. The company claims that technical benefits to systems manufacturers include a 78 percent improvement in internal transfer rates compared to equivalent products on the market, as well as a faster seek time of 12 milliseconds and extremely quiet "silent seek" operation of 23dB. It's also extremely reliable: it can withstand altitude variations of -300 to 12,000 meters during non-operating and -300 to 5,650 meters while operating, as well as operating temperatures of -30 to +85Â°C.Â The new HDD also delivers high levels of operating shock resistance and enhanced vibration resistance.

Currently, the drive is being sampled, with commercial availability on track for Q3 2010. There will also be a 100GB unit for lower-end vehicles.

Library of Congress To Archive Every. Public. Tweet. Ever.

Oh, great. Do you remember that night where you were just a bit tipsy, and you let out a string of Tweets that you've now lived to regret? Starting soon, you can sleep knowing your great-grandchildren will be able to read every single one of them, and any attempt you make to assure them that you were never a wild child in your younger days will be in vain.

It's a world-changing thing to happen, but the Library of Congress has just announced that Twitter will enable them to archive every single public tweet ever made. Yes, every single one since the service launched in 2006. If you have your account protected, you shouldn't worry. No private tweets will be saved, but if you have your account open to the public, you can bet that anything you say will be logged for viewing in the history books.

The main purpose of this is to allow researchers to study trends and topics during major events, which is something that hasn't really been possible before Twitter gave the world an outlet to express instant views in one single place. So, you might as well go ahead and tweet your thoughts about this; it'll be read in some history book 20 years from now.

Twitter + US Library of Congress = WHAT?!

So my wife tells me yesterday that Twitter will be turning over all non-private account posts to the US Library of Congress so that they can be analyzed and properly preserved....sounds like a gimmack to me!

http://www.cnn.com/2010/TECH/04/14/library.congress.twitter/index.html?hpt=C2

Thoughts on this? I personally think its a stupid excuse. To make sure they are properly preserved...have you seen some of the stupid crap people post on Twitter? Just another way for the govt to monitor us IMO.

**EDIT** Also, if posting a reply to someones views...keep it civil! I do not want this to turn into a flamewar on anyones beliefs or views. :]

Apple iPad Launch Delayed Overseas By One Month

During Apple's recent iPhone OS 4.0 event, the company's CEO (Steve Jobs) stated that around 450,000 iPad units had been sold in around a week in the United States. Now, that number is hovering around half a million. Basically, Apple never expected that many iPads to fly off of store shelves, and while Apple will certainly take the demand, it's putting them in a bind when it comes to distribution.

The company recently came forward with some rather annoying news if you're not living in America: there aren't enough iPad units to go around, and now the international launch is being delayed because of it. Basically, America is eating up every iPad that Apple can produce, and the company even admits that "demand is far higher than [they] predicted and will likely continue to exceed our supply over the next several weeks as more people see and touch an iPad."

This "surprisingly strong U.S. demand" has led to Apple delaying the international iPad launch by a month, until the end of May. Apple knows that the international community will be upset, but there's little they can do at this point. So, time to import, or just wait patiently?

Asus Adds SATA 6G And USB 3.0 Support On New RoG Motherboards

Asus promised that they were going to make USB 3.0 a priority going forward, and sure enough, that protocol is supported in the latest range of motherboards. The latest series is yet another in the Republic of Gamers line, offering up extreme overclocking abilities, sweet designs and support for the latest chips and technologies.

The Rampage III Extreme and Maximus III Extreme are being launched today, the former of which is X58-based and the latter of which is P55-based. They're available starting today for $399 and $349, respectively, and there's full support for SATA 6G and USB 3.0 on both. Looks like an upgrade might be in your future!

ASUS Launches the Rampage III Extreme and Maximus III Extreme Motherboards
Â Â Â
-- The latest Republic of Gamers extreme series of motherboards are garnering
praise in the gaming and overclocking communities with world class
performance, features and stability. --
Â Â Â
Fremont, CA (April 14th, 2010) - ASUS, the leading provider of high performance motherboards, launches the highly anticipated Republic of Gamers (ROG) Rampage III Extreme and Maximus III Extreme motherboards in North America today. Featuring class leading designs and innovative features, the ROG Rampage III Extreme and Maximus III Extreme set a new standard for world class enthusiast motherboards. Rigorously tested and approved by leading enthusiasts, the Extreme series is engineered from the ground up for exceptional performance, stability, overclocking prowess, and most of all, reliability under extreme conditions.
Welcome To a New Age of Board Design
Computer enthusiasts and gamers alike have been clamoring for new and improved board designs along with expanded feature sets. How did ASUS meet these requests by offering the best balance between gaming and overclocking capabilities in an enthusiast level product?

It is simple; ASUS personnel across the company listened to, discussed with, and then implemented ideas from a variety of users in the gaming, enthusiast, and extreme overclocking communities.Â The world record breaking overclocking abilities of each board is attributable to superb hardware and BIOS designs that came about as the ROG team worked closely with key overclockers worldwide to ensure exceptional performance under extreme cooling along with comprehensive feedback on BIOS tuning.

While the new ROG Extreme series offers cutting edge overclocking capabilities it also provides an extremely stable and fast platform for gaming.Â It is this special balance between performance and stability that makes the new Rampage III Extreme and Maximus III Extreme boards so unique.

Innovation Design and Features in the Next Generation of ROG Extreme Motherboards
Solid and efficient power management is something every overclocker and enthusiast knows is critical in board design. ASUSâ€™ new Extreme Engine Digi+, included on the Intel X58 based Rampage III Extreme and Intel P55 equipped Maximus III Extreme, allows new levels of control and performance by combining the best in digital and analog PWM designs.

New features help differentiate the ROG Extreme series from other motherboards when it comes to overclocking.Â These features include new LN2 mode and Q-Reset options that minimize cold boot problems during extreme overclocking along with dual 8-pin ATX power connectors and dual 4-pin Molex plugs to ensure proper is available to the CPU and Video cards respectively.Â In addition, the boards offer the ability to disable or enable the individual PCI Express x16 lanes so users can optimize the location of their video cards if custom cooling solutions are utilized or for debugging various setups.

ASUS implemented a new USB based BIOS flashing system that does not require a CPU, Memory or Video Card to update the BIOS.Â All the user needs is a working power supply to quickly update either onboard BIOS chip.Â The new ROG Connect software offers class leading overclocking and monitoring tools that can be controlled with a smart phone or a separate computer via quick connect technology to ensure the best possible overclocking experience.

The Rampage III Extreme and Maximus III Extreme also incorporate the latest in I/O technologies with full support for true SATA 6G and USB 3 to ensure the highest levels of performance for internal and external storage devices. The Rampage III Extreme introduces a class leading Intel based Gigabit network controller to ensure the userâ€™s online experience is exceptional whether they are playing the latest game or viewing HD media content.

The Rampage III Extreme and Maximus III Extreme are available now at authorized ASUS retailers for an MSRP of $399 and $349 respectively.

For more information on the new Extreme Series, please log on to http://rog.asus.com .
Specifications and Features are subject to change without notice.

About ASUS
ASUS is a leading company in the new digital era, with an extensive product portfolio that includes notebooks, netbooks, motherboards, graphics cards, displays, optical drives, desktop PCs, servers, wireless solutions, mobile phones and networking devices. Driven by innovation and committed to quality, ASUS designs and manufactures products that perfectly meet the needs of today's digital home, office and person. ASUS won 3,268 awards in 2009, and is widely credited with revolutionizing the PC industry with the Eee PCâ„¢. With a global staff of more than ten thousand and a world-class R&D design team, the company's revenue for 2008 was 8.1 billion U.S. dollars. ASUS ranks among BusinessWeek's InfoTech 100, and has been on the listing for 12 consecutive years.

Samsung's AMOLED Beam SPH-W9600: It's A Smartphone And Pico Projector In One

Cellphones and smartphones with projectors haven't really taken off in America, but they're generating a lot of attention overseas. And we all know what happens to trends in the U.S. a few months after something goes big in Asia. Samsung has been at the forefront of projector phone development, and today they are introducing the latest one in the line: the SPH-W9600.

Called the AMOLED Beam, this is the followup to the Haptic Beam, and it's initially being introduced to Korea. Aside from having a large 3.3" WVGA touch panel, there's also a 5MP camera, T-DMB TV support, and an improved DLP projector.

Further details about the phone are scant, but it's safe to say that something like this could definitely show up on U.S. shelves before too long. Pico projectors have managed to sell well here, so having that kind of product tucked within a smartphone seems like a no-brainer purchase for the traveling salesperson (or most anyone else, really).

Twitter Infiltrates Bing, Serves Up Real Time Results

Social networking is here to stay, and so is Twitter for that matter. In fact, you'll be seeing even more of the microblogging service as it continues to strike deals, like the one it inked with Microsoft to have Bing display the latest tweets on your searches.

"Have you ever searched for information on something that is happening right now, only to find out that thereâ€™s nothing matching what youâ€™re looking for? News on an earthquake that just happened or information on a hot new product announcement may not show up until hours after the event actually occurred. One of the cool features that we have recently released will give you better relevance with real-time social results from the Twitter community," Microsoft wrote in a recent blog post.

The feature is called Social Search and it promises to deliver relevant tweets within seconds of a breaking news event. This means as product announcements or other stories of interest hit the web, you'll have access to current info from fellow tweeters as it comes in.

If you're not seeing the Twitter feed in your search results, then you're not among the "small subset" of users this is being tested on. However, Microsoft promises to make it available to everyone in the US "within a short time."

Cisco Launches First Flip Video Camcorder With Internal LCD: Flip SlideHD

It still seems kind of unusual to think that Cisco now owns a camcorder company, but this week the company introduced the newest in the Flip Video line, the Flip SlideHD. It's certainly an all-new take on the pocket camcorder form factor, as it looks more like a Motorola Backflip than a typical pistol-grip camera.

This new camcorder allows for up to 4 hours of HD video to be captured (or 12 hours of SD content), and rather than making users offload it to a PC before viewing, the SlideHD has an internal 3" LCD that allows for instant playback. It's also a touch panel, so navigating through menus should be easy as well. Also, it's loaded with the same FlipShare software that comes on the other Flip devices, which makes uploading videos to social networks and the like quite simple.

It's available right now for $279.99, which is definitely approaching "real camcorder" territory. Will the added screen convince you to buy in, or is this still too rich for your blood?

Flip SlideHD Product Specifications:
Color: White/Silver and Personalized
Recording Time: Â Up to four hours
Storage Time: Up to 12 Hours
Memory: 16GB
Screen: 3-inch wide transflective touch screen
Video Resolution: High Definition; 1280x720 (30fps)
Video Format: H.264, MP4
Battery: Internal Li-ion rechargeable
Battery Life: Up to two hours
TV Output: HDMI Widescreen
Zoom: Â 2x digital
Audio: Stereo speakers, headset jack

Universal To Ship Blu-ray/DVD Dual-Side "Flipper" Discs

These have been on the table for months now, and while the so-called "Flipper" was noted as "coming soon" during December of 2009, Universal Studios Home Entertainment has finally decided to roll out the two-sided discs for consumers to enjoy.

We will say--the first three films to ship on this twin-sided Blu-ray/DVD disc aren't the classics that you might expect. Out of Africa 25th Anniversary Edition, Traffic and The Jackal are all expected to hit the streets on April 27, and in a single package, users will get a Blu-ray copy of the film as well as a DVD copy on a single disc. Better still, bonus features won't be going away to make room, as all three will have BD-Live, added scenes and all of the additional bonus content you'd expect.

We suspect that this is just the beginning for these Flipper discs, and that a ton of future Universal releases will be shipped in this format. The real question is why did it take so long to get here? There's a fair chance that many consumers would've bought into BD earlier had these Flipper discs been readily available; going from one standard to another is made all that much easier with something like this on the shelves. Who knows, maybe this will spark the next wave of converts, or maybe those $79.99 Blu-ray players will be the cause. Anyone placing bets?

Asus VH202T-P

I'm looking for a LCD.

How about Asus VH202T-P?

Link

Rightmark Introduces New Web Browser Benchmarking Tool: BrowserMark

Here's a confession: we have a soft spot in our hearts for Futuremark. We used their benchmarking tools religiously to test out new products, and overall, it all works great. Rightware was recently spun off from Futuremark, and today they're launching a much-needed new benchmarking service for mobile and embedded device browsing performance. Ever wanted to compare browsing performance between the iPhone, Nexus One, Wii, iPad and/or PS3? Now you can.

The new tool is called BrowserMark, and it's available in two versions. The free version does enough for most consumers who are just curious, while the corporate version enables device manufacturers to evaluate and choose better performing browsers for their products. And if you want to try it out today, you can. Just head to the download link noted in the full press announcement below and run a few tests of your own. You may be surprised at what you find out.

Rightware Debuts BrowserMark

Consumers will benefit from new information revealing substantial
performance differences between different browsers

Espoo, Finland - April 14, 2010. Rightware extends its benchmarking software
coverage to mobile and embedded device web browsers by today's launch of
BrowserMarkT. Rightware offers two versions of the product. Consumers can
check which browser is the best for them with the free version of the
benchmark, whereas the corporate version enables device manufacturers to
evaluate and choose better performing browsers for their products.

Consumers, as well as independent media and analysts, can immediately run
the test and see which browser performs the best with various devices. In
its internal testing, Rightware has determined that substantial performance
differences exist between different browsers for one and same device.
Consumers are advised to consider switching to faster performing browsers as
they can gain significant power saving benefits and obtain a better usage
experience. Rightware's BrowserMarkT is an independent and trustworthy guide
for them in this task.

"Given the exponentially increasing usage of internet via cell phones and
other handheld devices, we knew that the world needed an objective
performance comparison tool" says Tero Sarkkinen, CEO of Rightware. "With
BrowserMark, we're helping the industry develop better performing browsers
for their devices. Consumers reap the benefits in the form of more efficient
browsers that provide faster browsing experience."

Availability

BrowserMarkT is available immediately. To try the free version, simply visit
http://bit.ly/brmark with your device.

Companies interested in licensing the corporate version for advanced test
results, as well as private benchmark results database, are asked to send an
email to sales@rightware.com for detailed pricing and licensing information.

For more information about BrowserMarkT, go to
http://www.rightware.com/browsermark.

About RightwareT

RightwareT serves the mobile and automotive industries with KanziT solution
for rapid user interface design and deployment. Rightware also develops
industry leading system performance analysis tools. The world renowned
product portfolio includes 3DMarkRMobile for OpenGL ES 1.x and OpenGL ES
2.0, VGMarkR for OpenVG 1.x, and SPMarkR platform benchmark for Symbian,
Android, Windows Mobile, Linux and mobile Java. Rightware is headquartered
in Espoo, Finland and has office in Shanghai.

Windows 7 Genuine Issue

Hey guys. It's been awhile haha. But, anyway, I have a question.

I'm having the issue that my current windows 7 ult. key isn't genuine. Well, I know that I can obtain the windows 7 prof. and ult. upgrade keys from school at a good price. If I were to buy a new upgrade license, could I just enter in the new key in my current OS? I mean.. that's what microsoft wants me to do.. enter a new, valid key. Because I don't really feel like going through and paying more than $150 for a new key.. or paying for an upgrade if everytime I want to reinstall windows, I have to install xp first.. then plop in the upgrade disc.. : /

What's your guys' views on this?

Thanks! Have a good one.

Intel Posts Another Record-Breaking Quarter, But Atom Sales Slump

Intel reported its sales figures for the first quarter of 2010 yesterday, and the company's market position could scarcely be better. Revenue in Q1 was $10.3 billionâ€”a record for the quarterâ€”while sales declined just three percent between Q4 2009 and Q1 2010. Processor shipments typically fall about nine percent during this period; Intel didn't just beat the odds, it trounced them.

"The investments we're making in leading edge technology are delivering the most compelling product line-up in our history," said Paul Otellini, Intel president and CEO. "These leadership products combined with growing worldwide demand and continued outstanding execution resulted in Intel's best first quarter ever. Looking forward, we're optimistic about our business as Intel products are designed into a variety of new and exciting segments."

Intel isn't just designing products for new and exciting segments, it's ramping production more quickly than it originally planned. The company currently has two 32nm fabs and is ramping capacity more quickly than it originally intended in order to meet increased demand. By early Q4, Santa Clara expects to have a total of four facilities converted for 32nm production. Sandy Bridgeâ€”the 'tock' in Intel's tick-tock designâ€”is already sampling and will enter production later this year.

Revenue for the first quarter was up 44 percent compared to Q1 2009, while the company's net income of $2.4 billion was up 244 percent for the same period. According to Intel executives, strong mobile demand drove revenue and ASPs to higher-than-expected levels; a trend they expect to continue throughout the year. The company implied that it's beginning to see signs of a burgeoning corporate replacement cycle, but ducked questions on whether consumer or corporate spending would drive revenue in 2010.

When it does arrive, said corporate refresh could be enormous. We discussed the vastly superior economics and performance-per-watt of new server ships from both AMD and Intel a few weeks back, particularly when compared to servers that are 4-5 years old. According to Intel, it's not just server rooms that are getting on in years, the average desktop is five years old and the average laptop, four. If the economic recovery continues, corporate purchases could surge in the next 6-12 months.

Atom Decline Mars A Nearly Perfect Quarter

The only bit of bad news in Intel's financial results was a 19 percent decline in Atom processor/chipset revenues in Q1. Intel's chief financial officer (CFO), Stacy Smith, dismissed the surprising falloff as caused by "inventory reductions after a strong consumer-driven fourth quarter."

This seems unlikely, or at least incomplete; Intel gave no sign in January that it expected Atom sales to decline in Q1 even as mobile unit shipments and revenue both grew. One of the points Intel has hammered home in its last three earnings calls is how closely it's monitoring channel inventory and supply. Investors were initially dubious when Intel released its Q3 2009 earnings and Q4 projections, but the CPU manufacturer held firm and turned out to be right. It's similarly dubious that the company took its eye off the ballâ€”Atom/netbook sales were one of the only bright points of 2009 and a huge OEM focus.

It's possible that the beginning of the economic recovery and the launch of Intel's new mobile Core i3/Core i5 processors combined to knock AtomÂ demand down a peg or three. Consumers who might have opted for an Atom 12 months ago could have stepped up for one of the newer chips (there are some very nice deals on low-end Core i3's available), or might have snagged Core 2 Duo systems that were cut to clear them out and make room for the new SKUs.

Another potential factor is that Atom, in its current incarnation, could simply be running out of juice. Atom is nearly two years oldâ€”it's practically ancient in Intel yearsâ€”but the platform's performance has scarcely budged since its initial incarnation. The various netbooks built around the platform have gotten nicer, RAM loadouts have increased, and SSDs have become more affordable, but Intel has focused on lowering power consumption rather than increasing performance.

The majority of people who buy netbooks already have primary systems and fierce OEM competition have driven netbook prices through the $250 price point. After two years of meteoric growth, it's plausible to think that most of the consumers who wanted a netbook have already bought one. Intel finally thinks a performance boost is in order, as company CEO Paul Otellini noted:

"I think there will still be significant growth in the netbook business year-over-year. I think that there are rather than pricing, I think, we would look to features and integration as a technical novelty or twist here. The next innovation coming out on Atom is dual-core, which comes out in the second quarter, so that it will ramp for the holiday season this year and I think that will be a very attractive product."

We'll be looking forward to it; a dual-core Atom netbook CPU shouldn't actually be too difficult. Moving to the integrated Pineville SoC reduced total platform TDP from 11.8W to 7W, giving Intel a margin to work with while keeping power consumption low. It's also likely that we'll see dual-core SKUs running at 1.2-1.4GHz. The benefits of a second core are substantial enough that Intel could significantly cut the clockspeed of each chip while improving performance.

iPad versus Netbook-Tablet Hybrid Head to Head

Apple's iPad has left an indelible mark on the Tablet PC universe. It wasn't that long ago when just about everyone gave up on the tablet. Just about every notebook manufacturer in existence tried their hand at making a tablet at one point or another, and just about everyone hung it up by 2005. For whatever reasons, tablets never managed to catch on in the consumer industry, but now, things are different.

Consumers have shown a willingness to adapt somewhat and try new things. Some thought ultraportables would never catch on; their steep price tag and small screens didn't make sense to some, but road warriors have proven that these diminutive machines do actually have a place in society. Netbooks have a similar story. Many credit Asus' Eee PC line with really kickstarting the netbook craze, and even today, these tiny, inexpensive laptops are selling like hotcakes to individuals who just need a simple machine for web browsing and e-mail to take on the go. No bells and whistles leads to lower costs, and lower costs lead to increased attention and sales.

The iPad has arrived during an interesting time. It's a time in which many consumers are re-evaluating their computing needs, and they're striving to decide whether a full-sized notebook, a netbook, a tablet or something in between is best for them. The iPad has definitely driven more people than would traditionally consider a tablet, to investigate the iPad's usage model. That said, does it really make sense to buy this device over a netbook, or better still, a netbook / tablet hybrid? We covered the ins and outs of Apple's first tablet in our full review, but this article is intended to dig deeper and investigate whether an iPad or netbook / tablet hybrid is best suited for you. These two are the most similar of the machines currently available in terms of price, form factor and usability.

iPad versus Netbook-Tablet Hybrid Head to Head

Friday, April 16, 2010

IT News HeadLines (HotHardware) 16/04/2010

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