IBM set to buy PwC
July 31, 2002
Big Blue deal worth $3.5bn in cash and shares
IBM is to acquire PricewaterhouseCoopers Consulting (PwC) for $3.5bn in cash and shares.
Big Blue will pay $2.7bn in cash and the rest in stock and convertible notes. Subject to regulatory approval, and the approval of PwC's local partners, the deal will expand IBM's services division. The PwC Consulting brand will disappear.
While IBM has done well in technology services, it has less presence in the business consulting arena where PwC is strong.
PwC had planned to float its consulting arm, although that plan is now likely to be dropped.
It wanted to spin off the business because auditing a firm's books and offering consultancy services has long been seen as a conflict of interest by critics. The need to resolve it has been accelerated by the recent accounting scandals in the US.
"This really is the culmination of our efforts to move out of businesses that we felt were a conflict," said Samuel A. DiPiazza Jr., chief executive at PwC.
Source: Vnunet.com
Full article: Click here.
Posted by Pablo Aguilar
MSI KT3 Ultra2-BR Mobo review @ Hexus.net
July 31, 2002
Today @ Hexus.net they have a new review of the MSI KT3 Ultra2-BR Mobo.
Snip:
"The MSI KT3 Ultra-BR can be thought of as a seasonal update rather than a radically new motherboard.It carries over much of what we've already seen in the MSI KT3 Ultra and adds a few worthwhile features. The Bluetooth module and key are great for those who require the need to interact with their PCs on a wireless level. The emergence of sophisticated PDAs, well-specified mobile phones and a growing number of other devices all have the capability to make the most out of this wireless feature."
Posted by Pablo Aguilar
AGP4X vs. AGP8X @ The Hardware Zone
July 31, 2002
With upcoming chipsets such as the SiS648 claiming support for the latest AGP8X standard, The Hardware Zone asked themselves if there were any performance benefits. They took the SiS648 and Xabre 400 reference boards, modified them and compared the results.
"At the chipset level, there are only a handful available today. If you're looking for an Intel-based solution, there's only the VIA P4X333, VIA P4X400 and SiS648. Intel does not yet have any announcement for chipsets supporting AGP8X but we have heard that the upcoming Granite Bay would support AGP8X. Over at the AMD camp, you should look out for VIA's KT400 or NVIDIA's nForce2 chipsets - both of which will support AGP8X and DDR400."
Click here to read the full article.
Posted by Pablo Aguilar
Kingwin KT-436BK Black Aluminum Alloy Case Review @ Tweaknews.net
July 31, 2002
Tweaknews.net has released yet another Hardware review onto the internet.
Snippit:
"Want a aluminum case? What to save a couple of bucks? Don't need a window? Well, I would have to say that this would be a safe and intelligent purchase. For approximately $30 dollars less than the equivalent competition, you get sturdy aluminum-alloy lightweight construction, 150cfm's of airflow, removable motherboard tray, all black finish, gold trim and completely toolless entry."
Click here to read the full review.
Posted by Pablo Aguilar
Intel owns Inside (true)
July 30, 2002
Intel's fearless intellectual property lawyers have wrested the word 'inside' from a rival US firm, after an epic battle.
The heroes in suits successfully completed a dawn raid on Town Graphics, a small mapmaker based in Woodinville, Washington state. No casualties are reported.
It's a different story at Town Graphics. The company printed a map and stuffed copies into envelopes carrying the legend "map inside". It sent these out in mailshot. So far, so ordinary. Then it tried to trademark the expression 'map inside'. Big mistake.
Intel sent the attack dogs in, offering 'just over £400", according to the Mail on Sunday (i.e c, $600) to Town Graphics to junk its trademark plans.
Larry Morris, owner of Town Graphics, is unhappy with the offer but doesn't fancy a fight with Intel, which says this is normal procedure to 'prevent dilution of our brand and trademarks'.
Source: Theregister.co.uk
Full article: Click here.
Posted by Pablo Aguilar
AKASA Rounded "Glow in the Dark" cables @ Viperlair
July 30, 2002
If you've seen one set of rounded cables, you've seen them all. How about a set that can be seen in the dark though? Viperlair.com turned off the lights and took a peek.
"What I actually saw was some very cool silver effect braided cables. Yep that's right, when there not glowing they look just as cool. The outer rubber casing is the luminous part and in clear daylight its translucent showing off all of the braiding inside. If you look at them in a shadowy area then there is a green tint to the translucent rubber, but I expected the green shade to be more prominent than it was. The next thing I noticed was at each end of the cables at the plugs was a "tag" notifying you of what the plug is."
Click here to read the full article.
Posted by Pablo Aguilar
APC Back-UPS ES 350 Review @ Tweakers Australia
July 30, 2002
Tweakers Australia has just posted a review on the new Back-UPS ES 350 from APC. It combines cost effective power backup and surge protection, great features and performance.
Here's a snip:
"The APC Back-UPS ES 350 overall is a fairly compact unit, and not as cumbersome as the much larger (and heavier) APC units like the Back-UPS Pro 650 I checked not too long ago. The ES 350 is actually rather light, weighing roughly just over 3kg with 45x11x8cm dimensions, and boasts a great looking charcoal finish. Now along the top you will see five AC outlets, with the three on the left being battery backed-up and surge protected, while the two on the right are just full-time surge protected."
Click here to read the full article.
Posted by Pablo Aguilar
Chaintech Apogee 7VJL Motherboard Review @ TweakTown
July 30, 2002
TweakTown has just posted a review of the Chaintech Apogee 7VJL Motherboard.
Here's a snip:
"With all the new KT333 based Athlon boards hitting the market, how can we know for sure what is hot... and what is not? Come join TweakTown as they take a look at the Chaintech Apogee 7VJL Motherboard. It has some very innovative features, but can it hang with the big boys? Let's find out!"
Posted by Pablo Aguilar
Review of the Asus V8460 Ultra Deluxe graphic card
July 30, 2002
At times, it seems that the various versions of the GeForce 4 Ti4600 floating around the market are essentially identical, but that isn't always the case. The Asus V8460 Ultra Deluxe, for example, has managed to set itself apart by offering the most complete package we've seen in a card of this class. Read the article...
Posted by Chris Verr
Low-cost laptops jump on P4 bandwagon
July 29, 2002
Gateway and Micron PC unveiled Monday low-priced notebooks that incorporate Pentium 4 desktop chips, becoming the latest companies to forgo portable processors in favor of more powerful but power-hungry chips.
The Gateway 400 notebook, priced at $1,499 before rebates, includes a 2GHz Pentium 4 desktop chip, a 14.1-inch screen, 256MB of RAM, a 20GB hard drive and a DVD drive. Micron's Transport V1000 comes with a 1.7GHz Celeron desktop processor, a 14.1-inch screen, 128MB of RAM, a 10GB hard drive and a CD-ROM drive for $1,199, the company said.
Although initially controversial, using desktop processors in notebooks has become more popular as PC makers keep an eye on costs. Desktop chips are less expensive; for example, the 2GHz desktop Pentium 4 costs $193, while the mobile 2GHz Pentium 4-M costs $637. Lower component prices means a lower overall selling price--and this has been good news for consumers.
Buyers who choose the lower-priced notebooks with desktop processors will, however, have to make a few trade-offs. These machines typically weigh more and offer much shorter battery life than their counterparts built with the Pentium 4-M.
Source: ZDNET News
Full article: Click here.
Posted by Pablo Aguilar
NickLock (Hard Drive Selector) Review @ AusPCWorld
July 29, 2002
AusPCWorld announce its review on the NickLock (Hard Disk Selector).
Here's a blurb:
"Have you ever bought a new PC and ever needed to switch back to some data you had on the old one? NickLock enables you to have two independent OS's running on two different Hard disks, with the easy of a lock and key, you can switch from one to the other. Keeping your data secure and detached from the other hard disk"
Click here to read the full review.
Posted by Pablo Aguilar
EPoX EP-4G4A review @ Hexus.net
July 29, 2002
Today @ Hexus.net they have a new review of the .
Snip:
"While Intel positions the i845G as a business oriented chipset, EPoX seem to be squarely aiming this board at the regular consumer and the enthusiast. While there might be a small chance of seeing this board in an OEM business system, based on the features and concessions towards the enthusiast, you are more likely to see this motherboard grace the system of an overclocker."
Posted by Pablo Aguilar
LITE-ON External USB 2.0 LX24101A CD Writer review @ The Hardware Zone
July 29, 2002
LITE-ON's name in the CD-RW industry is second to none. The Hardware Zone take a look at this LITE-ON external drive that uses the USB 1.1/2.0 connectivity, and compare its performance with some other drives tested.
"Going for only S$225, the LITE-ON External USB 2.0 CD-RW drive is an affordable and easy solution for people looking for a good, slim and light portable CD-RW drive. An ideal drive for mobile users who do not have built-in CD-RW drives in their notebooks, the LITE-ON drive comes complete with all that you need to get started."
Click here to read the full article.
Posted by Pablo Aguilar
NEC splits chips, screens
July 26, 2002
NEC will spin off its semiconductor division in November, the company confirmed yesterday. The chip business, worth some 680 billion Yen ($5.8 billion), will be called "NEC Electronics Corporation".
NEC will also spin off its displays division, under the slightly more exciting moniker NEC Electron Devices. In the dim and distant past, NEC was the Nippon Electric Company. Both the semiconductor and display divisions will remain owned by the parent.
Source: Theregister.co.uk
Full article: Click here.
Posted by Pablo Aguilar
Abit IT7 i845E Motherboard Review @ TweakTown
July 26, 2002
TweakTown has just posted a review of the Abit IT7 Motherboard.
Here's a snip:
"Abit has long been making quality motherboards that have been noticed by the enthusiast crowd. They have even gone so far as to remove legacy ports from some of their product line as well. Join TweakTown as they check out their latest offering; namely the Abit IT7. It combines support for the new 533MHz Pentium 4 processors, DDR266 memory and more RAID ports than you can shake a stick at. But can it live up to the reputation that it has garnered in the past? Let's find out!"
Posted by Pablo Aguilar
Gigabyte MAYA AP128DG-H 128MB review @ The Hardware Zone
July 26, 2002
Before the RADEON 9000 hit the streets, let's look at one of the final variation of the RADEON 8500. Gigabyte's new AP128DG-H is based on a 275MHz RADEON 8500 core with up to 128MB of DDR memory.
Click here to read the full article.
Posted by Pablo Aguilar
MSI KT3 Ultra2-BR Review with the new VIA VT8235 Southbridge @ Hard Tecs 4U
July 26, 2002
Hard Tecs 4U have reviewed the new MSI KT3 Ultra2-BR motherboard, based on the VIA KT333 chipset with the brand new VIA VT8235 southbridge (all other KT333 motherboards have the VT8233 southbrige). The new VT8235 southbridge bring 6 INTs to VIA´s chipsets - all other VIA southbridges have only 4 INTs + a better PCI/IDE performance than older VIA southbridges.
Click here to read the full review.
Posted by Pablo Aguilar
Review of the MSI 845E Max2 mainboard
July 26, 2002
The aptly named 845E Max2 is the first MSI motherboard to feature the i845E chipset that we've reviewed. As a result of its milestone birth, it has been gifted with just about every bit of functionality and connectivity its designers could think of: a 10/100Base-T controller, USB 2.0 ports, and even wireless Bluetooth communications technology. Read the article...
Posted by Chris Verr
Price cuts save Xbox from untimely death
July 25, 2002
Microsoft admits console was too expensive at launch
Microsoft has admitted that the Xbox was too expensive at launch and seems to have saved the future of the console by cutting its price.
Sales were so disappointing when the console was first released that many predicted that it would disappear without trace.
But sales jumped 131 per cent in the US following a $100 price cut in May, according to figures from market research group NPD.
John O'Rourke, director of worldwide Xbox marketing, said: "We've learnt a lot about the importance of good pricing and being competitive in the marketplace. We have every intention of being competitive."
The figures from NPD will come as a relief for the software giant. After a slow start, the Xbox is now starting to make some inroads into a market still dominated by Sony's PlayStation 2.
Source: Vnunet.com
Full article: Click here.
Posted by Pablo Aguilar
Logitech iFeel Mouse @ Viperlair
July 25, 2002
You need a mouse. You might even need force feedback. If you've answered yes to both, then this might be the mouse for you.
"On the front of the box, Logitech claims that this mouse will help the average user "Feel the web for easier navigation" and "Feel [his or her] desktop for improved accuracy." Now, despite how much I disagree with this, I must give Logitech some credit for how dynamic the range of "tactile sensations" are generated by this little thing. The vibrations range from short bursts to long shakes, it can even make musical notes when it vibrates."
Click here to read the full article.
Posted by Pablo Aguilar
Thermaltake GeForce 4 Highest Performance Cooler Review @ Extreme Overclocking
July 25, 2002
Extreme Overclocking has a posted up another review. This time it is the "Thermaltake GeForce 4 Highest Performance Cooler" This all-in-one package to cool your GeForce 4 includes an all-copper GPU cooler, RAMsinks, thermal compound & thermal tape, and a 3-to-4 pin adapter. How much higher can you overclock vs. stock cooling, how much cooler does the GPU run?
You will have to check out the review here to find out... :)
Posted by Pablo Aguilar
Soyo KT333 Dragon Ultra Platinum Edition Review @ Tweaktown
July 25, 2002
TweakTown has just posted a review of Soyo's KT333 Dragon Ultra Platinum Edition motherboard for the AMD Athlon platform.
Here's a snip:
"Soyo have been rising through the motherboard ranks like a thief in the night. One minute you've never heard of them, the next thing their name is everywhere and it's good things we are hearing about the Taiwanese company. Today TweakTown takes a look at the feature-packed, KT333 powered Dragon Ultra Platinum Edition motherboard from Soyo for the AMD Athlon platform."
Posted by Pablo Aguilar
Shader wars: NVidia goes open source
July 24, 2002
John Carmack has welcomed NVidia's decision to open its source compiler technology - but not the actual compiler - for its high-level Cg language.
With competition heating up in the shader wars, NVidia wants to build momentum for Cg, and just in case we miss the point, an accompanying press release tells us that "momentum is increasing in the Developer Community" for Cg.
There's a little more detail in a FAQ on NVidia's cgshaders website:
"NVIDIA will be releasing source code to the "front-end" of the compiler, and a simple back-end. This code will contain the parser and basic non-back-end-specific parts of the compiler, and the back-end we create will walk through the parsed program and print out some human-readable output. We will release it as soon as the code is ready, there have been some tweaks to the grammar to be more compatible with Microsoft's HLSL that we wanted to get in before releasing the source code."
NVidia is positioning Cg as the "C for graphics". Presumably they don't mean that language prone to pointer errors and memory allocation bugs, with a dodgy run-time library, that takes 15 years to clear an ANSI standard ... but instead is a rich, high level language that removes the need to target low-level hardware card-by-card. (That's what happens when you let marketing people loose on the metaphors).
Source: Theregister.co.uk
Full article: Click here.
Posted by Pablo Aguilar
Toshiba selects S3 Graphics' SuperSavage for Tecra 9000 notebooks
July 24, 2002
Toshiba selects S3 Graphics' SuperSavage/IXc–166™ graphics subsystem for their Top-of-the-line, Pentium® 4 Tecra 9000 enterprise corporate platform notebook.
Expanding on the previous two generations of Tecra design wins, the SuperSavage/IXc-166™ integrates low-power high-performance graphics in a 16MB MCM featuring Commercial Grade quality.
Fremont, California, July 24, 2002 – S3 Graphics, Inc. today announced that Toshiba Corporation has chosen the SuperSavage/IXc - 166™ mobile graphics processor for its top-of-the-line Tecra 9000 series notebook computers utilizing the mobile Intel® Pentium® 4 processor. The SuperSavage/IXc - 166™ hardware combined with ‘Commercial Grade’ software and support is an enabling solution for high performance, high reliability graphics and display implementations that Toshiba’s commercial clients demand.
The SuperSavage/IXc - 166™ graphics processor offers enhanced 2D/3D performance through advanced features including single cycle multi texturing, trilinear filtering, specular lighting, diffuse shading plus vertex and table fog. Smooth DVD playback is achieved using optimized hardware motion compensation. Industry defining Duoview+ capabilities allow various configurations of multiple displays supporting extended desktops, giving users greater flexibility and productivity boost in commercial applications.
To complement this rich feature set, the S3 Graphics SuperSavage/IXc - 166™ is designed to minimize power consumption without compromising performance, helping to maximize battery life and thus improve the user experience. Support for ACPI power management modes further enhances efficiency and low heat dissipation means active cooling is not required, making the SuperSavage™ perfect in light of the current trend towards long battery life for notebooks.
“The announcement of the Tecra 9000 P4 series notebooks from Toshiba further solidifies S3 Graphics as the leader in the high-end commercial notebook graphics arena. The incredibly low box-line defect levels for the SuperSavage™ product line is one of the key factors in customers such as Toshiba choosing S3G over our competitors in the mission critical, commercial notebook space. Our combination of performance, unbeatable quality and world class support is a compelling solution for our customers who need future-proof, enterprise corporate platforms. I’m confident that we will garner more design wins with this approach.” said Dr. Gerry Liu, vice president of marketing and chief financial officer, S3 Graphics, Inc.
Posted by Pablo Aguilar
AKASA Silver Mountain 2Q @ Viperlair
July 24, 2002
Although we all strive for great performance out of our heatsinks, the end result is usually an excessive amount of noise. AKASA tries to address the noise issue, while maintaining good performance.
"I'm not the only one out there who wants a quiet PC and some manufacturers are starting to realise this and cater for those with a desire for low noise whilst retaining good cooling. AKASA is one such company and have very kindly sent us for review the Silver Mountain 2Q Quiet cooler. AKASA believes that the properties of this cooler are good enough to allow proper cooling with a quiet fan. Well were about to find out for ourselves here at the lair."
Click here to read the entire article.
Posted by Pablo Aguilar
SOYO KT333 DRAGON Ultra - Platinum Edition @ The Hardware Zone
July 24, 2002
The SOYO KT333 DRAGON Ultra Platinum Edition is SOYO's highest-end motherboard based on the VIA KT333 chipset. Comes in a silver PCB, there's more to it than just looks.
"The performance of the SOYO KT333 DRAGON Ultra was good and ranked way on top among all the KT333 boards we've tested so far. Stability was excellent too but we can't say much about its overclockability though. We managed to reach a front side bus (FSB) frequency of 150MHz only and did not managed to get it running at 166MHz. You might be able to go higher but we recommend sticking with 150MHz if you want the system running rock stable."
Click here to read the full review.
Posted by Pablo Aguilar
V.L. System L.I.S LCD Indicator Review @ Tweaknews.net
July 24, 2002
Tweaknews.net has released yet another Hardware review onto the internet.
Snippit:
"It's a great looking gadget. And it has some extra value for taking it to LAN-party's. I thought it to be useful since I never actually see my desktop and I still want to know what goes on in my computer. So it doesn't just look great."
Click here to read the full article.
Posted by Pablo Aguilar
Intel chips away at 3.0GHz CPU
July 23, 2002
Company looking for a 3.0GHz stocking-filler.
Industry experts are expecting Intel to introduce its 3.0GHz Pentium 4 processor before the end of the year.
Jon Scott, director of Silicon Valley-based analyst company Scott and Partners, said it is likely that the chip will be ready for Christmas.
"Our sources indicate that the chip is largely ready to go, and Intel needs a big seller for this year," he said. A 2.8GHz chip is also touted for arrival this autumn, priced at about $640 when puchased wholesale in lots of thousands.
Source: Vnunet.com
Full article: Click here.
Posted by Pablo Aguilar
AOpen AX4G Pro Motherboard Review @ Tweakers Australia
July 23, 2002
Tweakers Australia has just posted a review on the AX4G Pro motherboard from AOpen, based on the Intel 845G chipset. A mid-range board with some good features, excellent performance, and great for overclocking.
Here's a snip:
"The 845G GMCH is cooled by a passive aluminium heatsink, which is large enough to dissipate heat with an additional fan, and is secured to the PCB with two short retention hooks. An AGP slot, six PCI slots, and one CNR slot are situated just below the cooler in their traditional positions. The AGP slot has a small card-lock mechanism on the end, which can help prevent a card from popping out unexpectedly. The ICH4 Southbridge is located across from the third PCI slot, and integrated support for up to six USB 2.0 channels."
Click here to read the full article.
Posted by Pablo Aguilar
Sunbeam Cold Cathode Fluorescent Lamp Review @ Tweaktown
July 23, 2002
TweakTown has just posted a review of the Sunbeam Cold Cathode Fluorescent Lamp.
Here's a snip:
"Sunbeam Technology are a relatively new competitor to the cold cathode lighting kit business starting manufacturing in 1998. The Taiwanese company sent us in a couple of their new lighting kits for testing. Does this new competitor have what it takes to compete with lighting products from the likes of PCMods and PC Case Gear? Read on as Cameron "Mr.Tweak" Wilmot gives us an answer regarding the CCFL kits from Taiwan based Sunbeam Technology!"
Posted by Pablo Aguilar
Antec PLUS1080B SOHO File Server Review @ Gamingin3d.com
July 23, 2002
Gamingin3d has posted their Antec PLUS1080B SOHO File Server Review.
"The Antec Performance series of cases was arguably one of the most successful enclosure lines among system builders and enthusiasts alike. And recently Antec took it's award winning line to new heights with a renamed and revamped line known as the Performance Plus Line. But can the Performance Plus 1080B SOHO File Server, successor to the SX1040, reach the acclaim of it predecessor; we'll find out as we put the case through its paces. Can it survive a 14 story plummet? We'll find out."
Posted by Pablo Aguilar
Review of the ECS AG400 Xabre 400 graphic card
July 23, 2002
The ECS AG400 is a graphics card that is based on the SiS Xabre 400 GPU -- the first GPU to support the AGP 8X standard. Not designed to be a GeForce 4 "Titanium" killer. the AG400 is a mid-level product designed to compete with such products as the ATI Radeon 7500, and the Nvidia Geforce 4 MX. Read the article...
Posted by Chris Verr
Win Tasks 4 Pro
July 23, 2002
Wintasks 4 Professional is a multipurpose application suite that allows users to manage and control their digital resources, such as memory and CPU priorities. WinTasks also permits users to tweak their system's security by hunting down and plugging common security holes. Read the article...
Posted by Chris Verr
Scientist step toward next-gen Internet
July 22, 2002
British scientists on Monday announced the completion of one of the building blocks for large-scale data sharing over the Grid--a proposed network of computers seen as the 21st century successor to the Internet.
The project was carried out by scientists from the U.K.'s E-Science Centres and was co-funded by IBM and Oracle. The companies, rival powers in the database market, contributed both funding and the efforts of their own researchers.
The specifications announced Monday pave the way for researchers to collaborate using quantities of data that are massive and growing exponentially each year, according to scientists.
The Grid is a nebulous project being carried out by companies and scientists around the world, aimed at addressing the shortcomings of today's Internet. Ultimately, Grid technologies will allow scientists to share not only large amounts of data, but also computing power itself. Private-sector companies are interested in the technology because it is expected to filter down ultimately to business and end-user applications, just as today's Internet technologies have done.
Source: ZDNET News
Full article: Click here.
Posted by Pablo Aguilar
Turtle Beach Santa Cruz @ Viperlair
July 22, 2002
When shopping for a sound card, usually the "generic" choice is Soundblaster. There are others out there though, and the Santa Cruz may just be the right choice for your hard earned cash.
"Turtle Beach, now Voyetra Turtle Beach, has been creating sound cards, including more professional sound cards for over 17 years. In fact to quote Turtle Beach they "pioneered PC-based hard-disk recording". Whether this is true or is just marketing babble is debatable, but TurtleBeach sound cards are of very high quality. They have produced such cards as the Montego series of sound cards and their most recent product, the Santa Cruz."
Click here to read the full article.
Posted by Pablo Aguilar
Kingmax DDR-400 DDR SDRAM Review @ Tweaktown.com
July 22, 2002
TweakTown has just posted a review of Kingmax's DDR-400 DDR SDRAM. This stuff is the real deal - It uses 5ns chips unlike some older modules floating around.
Here's a snip:
"Just recently there has been a great deal of talk about DDR-400 memory. Talk regarding supply for current and future chipsets including nVidia's nForce2 and the SiS 648. Kingmax were the first to bring DDR-333 memory to the market and again they have come out first with their DDR-400 SDRAM. There's been talk of poorly performing PC3200 memory from the Taiwanese company before now, Kingmax confirmed to us these were not modules with actual 5ns chips like the authentic DDR-400 memory from Kingmax which TweakTown bench tested today!"
Posted by Pablo Aguilar
MSI Geforce 4 Ti4200 Review @ Neoseeker.com
July 22, 2002
Neoseeker.com have posted Neumann's review of the MSI Geforce 4 Ti4200.
Here's piece:
"After massive price cuts by ATI on their Radeon line, nvidia is forced to come up with a low cost card to market. This is where the MSI GeForce 4 Ti4200 comes in, with an estimated retail price of $150 US or $260 Cdn, the Ti4200 comes with VIVO options, DVI to analog converter WinProducer, WinCoder, No One Lives Forever, Sacrifice and AquaNox."
Posted by Pablo Aguilar
Hitachi creates splash with water cooled P4 notebook
July 19, 2002
Hitachi has begun selling a wondrous-sounding water-cooled notebook computer in Japan, according to a report by IDG Tokyo correspondent Kuriko Miyake. The machine runs a 1.8GHz mobile Pentium 4, and has a flexible tube which carries water over the chips in order to dissipate heat.
And then (here comes the best bit) the heated water is run into a visible tank on the back of the LCD in order to cool down. A Hitachi spokesman tells Kuriko that the tank is simply visible in order to differentiate the machine, and that it could well be hidden. But nonsense, we say - if you made it more visible, iMac-ed the lot, maybe, you could have teensie tropical fish swimming round your notebook. Or a lava lamp-type affair.
Well OK, that's maybe a bit far-fetched, but if you were talking the larger real estate of a water-cooled desktop machine the mod people could surely fit a couple of fish in, and still keep them far enough away from the CPU to avoid turning them into breaded scampi.
Source: Theregister.co.uk
Full article: Click here.
Posted by Pablo Aguilar
MSI 845E Max2 BLR I845E Motherboard Review @ TweakTown
July 19, 2002
TweakTown has just posted a review of MSI's 845E Max2 BLR motherboard which is based on the Intel 845E chipset.
Here's a snip:
"MSI has long been one of the leaders in innovative designs for motherboards in the Taiwan market. MSI's presence in Taiwan and the Asia-Pacific region is vast and plentiful. One of the reasons this is the case is for the fact that MSI can pack a lot of features on to their motherboards and sell them at a competitive price. Today Cameron "Sov" Johnson takes a look at MSI's 845E Max2 BLR motherboard which is based on the Intel 845E chipset. Does it continue on with the trend of great motherboards from MSI? Read on and find out our opinion!"
Posted by Pablo Aguilar
AOpen AX4B Pro-533, Intel i845E review @ Processor Emporium
July 19, 2002
Processor Emporium have just posted a review of AOpen's i845E based AX4B Pro-533.
Here's a snippet:
"Overall the AX4B Pro-533 builds upon the achievements of the excellent AX4B. This board combines superb stability with speed which makes it a rather convincing package. The stability of the AX4B Pro-533 is simply stunning, with the only limitation being placed upon it by our “Willamette” test chip at overclocked speeds. With a “Northwood” based Pentium 4 B we have no doubt that this board would retain its impressive stability.
Aopen have also included some excellent features on this board including an Integrated Promise ATA-RAID controller along with features such as USB 2.0 and an integrated LAN controller."
Posted by Pablo Aguilar
MSI KT3 Ultra2-BR Socket-A motherboard review @ The Hardware Zone
July 19, 2002
Hardware Zone bring you a first look at MSI's newest KT3 Ultra2-BR motherboard. Based on the revised VT8235 south bridge, this baby now comes with Bluetooth.
"The board is reliable and its performance was acceptable. It is not as fast as the Chaintech 7VJL Apogee but its overclockability is superb. Thanks to MSI's excellent design, we managed to overclock the FSB to 166MHz - something that not many boards could do (both the Chaintech and Gigabyte boards compared in this review could not reach 166MHz FSB)."
Posted by Pablo Aguilar
Review of the Cybercooler CC-290 & NK-360 coolers
July 19, 2002
Thanks to the people at Cybercooler we have now the opportunity to review a pair of coolers, not CPU coolers, but system wide coolers, like the CC-290, with dual fans, which claims to blow 80 CFM, and the NK-360, a pad for notebook cooling, with three fans, claiming a 52 CFM of air movement. Read the article...
Posted by Chris Verr
Jobs unveils new iPods and iMac
July 17, 2002
Apple Computer CEO Steve Jobs on Wednesday defended the company's switch to the Mac OS X operating system and unveiled new iPod digital-audio players and a new flat-panel iMac.
Jobs used his keynote speech at the Macworld trade show here to make a flurry of other announcements as well, such as details about new syncing software, the next update to OS X and the end of free iTools.
The most dramatic announcement focused on iPod. The new players include ones built specifically for computers that use Microsoft's Windows operating system.
Apple lowered the price of the existing 5GB iPod to $299 from $399 and a redesigned 10GB model to $399 from $499. The 10GB model will come with a new case and remote control and is 10 percent thinner than its predecessor.
Jobs also introduced a 20GB iPod for $499. The new iPods for Macs will be available in stores in early August, Jobs said.
"But there's one more little thing," Jobs said, in his classic way of unveiling something big. "So today we are introducing iPod for Windows."
Source: ZDNET News
Full article: Click here.
Posted by Pablo Aguilar
CoolingFlow Protector XP reviewed @ Burnoutpc.com
July 17, 2002
BurnOutPc.com has just posted their review on the CoolingFlow Shim.
You can take a look at it by clicking here.
Posted by Pablo Aguilar
Thermaltake Volcano 9 HSF Review @ TweakTown
July 17, 2002
TweakTown has just posted a review of the Thermaltake Volcano 9 HSF.
Here's a snip:
"For those looking for good cooling and a lower operating noise level there have been few choices. Thermaltake has a new cooler out that they think will handle the load PLUS give you lower volume in the noise category. Can their new heatsink really deliver? Come join TweakTown as they delve into this very question while testing out the Thermaltake Volcano 9 HSF. It is a tall order to fill, so let's see if Thermaltake can handle the heat!"
Posted by Pablo Aguilar
Triplex Xabre 400 Pro AGP 8x GPU Review @ AusPCWorld
July 17, 2002
AusPCWorld announce their Triplex Xabre 400 Pro AGP 8X GPU Review.
Here's a blurb:
"The Triplex Xabre 400 Pro AGP 8X is the first video card to utilise AGP 8X with DirectX 8.1 Support, another silver PCB and topped to beat the Geforce 4 MX 440 series, does it have what it takes?"
Click here to read the full article.
Posted by Pablo Aguilar
PC makers to start taking the Tablets
July 16, 2002
The punters are not buying desktop PCs; they are beginning to lose interest in buying notebooks; corporates are still flocking to Dell but staying away in droves from PC resellers. What is a poor PC maker to do?
Answer, according to In-Stat/MDR, is to extend into new markets with different format mobile devices - tablet PCs, Internet terminals(?), and Microsoft Mira-powered displays and the like.
Tablet PCs, the Next Big Thing for ooh a decade and then some, are characterised by In-Stat as "a promising technology that is coming onto the market at a bad time". Corporates are the key target buyers and they and they won't unlock their purses in a hurry. Also people will have to get used to pen input. Upshot, take up will be slow at first, ramping up to rapid growth come 2005-2006.
Mira displays, on the other hand are "an interesting concept that combines the PC with the Web Tablet, allowing consumers to access their PCs via wireless displays." But they are going to be pretty rudimentary at first. Wait until the next-gen devices out in early 2004 and capable of handling video streaming and other multimedia apps. These will "convince consumers to take a serious look at this product".
Source: Theregister.co.uk
Full article: Click here.
Posted by Pablo Aguilar
DFI NB76-EA review @ PC Hardware
July 16, 2002
PC Hardware reviewed the NB76-EA, the 845G based motherboard from DFI. Although this is a motherboard targeted to home and office users the reviewer was able to find several aspects which needed to be discussed.
Take a quote:
"Mountable in the front part of the case in a 3.5" bay, the card reader is able to work with a Memory Stick interface and with Secure Digital Memory Card interface. We will talk about these features later because they deserve to be discussed. There are six PCI slots, one AGP (the card is based on 845G, that's why it has an AGP slot), one CNR and two DIMM slots. The motherboard has onboard sound, video and LAN which is quite usual for a home targeted product. Unlike the chipset based video, the LAN motherboard features are powered by a RTL8100BL chip and the audio is driven by ALC650."
Click here to read the article.
Posted by Pablo Aguilar
Compaq Presario 722US Notebook Review @ Amdmb.com
July 16, 2002
Amdmb.com has posted a new review, this time of the Compaq Presario 722US notebook computer based around the Duron 1.1 GHz processor. It is compared against a 1 GHz Athlon notebook as well as a value PC.
Quote:
"These AMD based laptops have excellent 2D video support in both Windows and Linux, but are definitely not 3D graphics or gaming machines. For programmers and Linux users like me who do not need 3D graphics, these Athlon and Duron laptops offer a tremendous value of full-featured integrated peripherals and high performance without breaking the bank."
Posted by Pablo Aguilar
Acer FP751 LCD Review @ AusPCWorld
July 16, 2002
AusPCWorld announce their Acer FP751 17" LCD Monitor Review.
Here's a blurb:
"If you re the kind of person that has minimal desk space and like most people who use computers on a daily basis have degrading eye sight, this is for you. The Acer FP751 Monitor is considered the mid range LCD provided by Acer. This monitor is manufactured by Acer Australia and has some cool features such as the I-Key and built in USB hub"
Posted by Pablo Aguilar
Review of the Abit Media XP
July 16, 2002
The Media XP is, primarily, an interface that allows users to store data on Memory Stick (MS), Compact Flash (1 & 2), and Secure Digital (SD) removable media cards. That's not all though. The Media XP's more interesting features, in our minds, are its multimedia abilities; it comes equipped with a number of ports and connectors, including a microphone jack, a headphone jack, two USB 2.0 and an Firewire/IEEE-1394 connector. Read the article...
Posted by Chris Verr
Storage strategies in disarray
July 15, 2002
Managers like 'rabbits in headlights', says survey
Storage managers are struggling to keep control of storage as it expands almost exponentially, according to research conducted by VNU Business Publications.
Sponsored by storage management software provider Sagitta, the survey involved 251 telephone interviews with readers of vnunet.com's sister publication Computing who have a direct influence on their company's storage management strategy.
The results showed that storage needs will double over the next two years, from a level already 150 per cent up in three years. For public sector organisations the growth is even higher.
But poor utilisation of existing storage, lack of measurements to assist the management of costs, backup difficulties and an apparent lack of coherent plans for storage upgrades, all point to a situation out of control.
The survey confirmed and carried forward research conducted through focus groups in March, which found that few organisations had a clear storage strategy.
Source: Vnunet.com
Full article: Click here.
Posted by Pablo Aguilar
AMD'S newest mobile processor delivers exceptional notebook PC performance for business and home consumers
July 15, 2002
HP and ACER Europe unveil powerful systems based on the new mobile AMD Athlon(tm) XP processor 1800+-
SUNNYVALE, CA-JULY 15, 2002-AMD today introduced the high-performance mobile AMD Athlon(tm) XP processor 1800+ with QuantiSpeed(tm) architecture. With AMD PowerNow!(tm) technology, the newest mobile AMD Athlon XP processor gives business and home consumers a dynamic power management tool for performance on demand and enables a cooler, quieter notebook PC.
"Notebook PC enthusiasts trust and depend on AMD to deliver an exceptional computing experience with leading-edge software application performance," said Ed Ellett, vice president of marketing for AMD's Computation Products Group. "AMD is dedicated to excellence and continuously innovates with the customers' needs in mind. The newest addition to the mobile AMD Athlon XP processor family gives business and home consumers greater choices in the notebook PC market with solutions they can rely on for true, high-performance computing."
Notebook PCs powered by the mobile AMD Athlon XP processor 1800+, based on 0.13 micron technology, are available today from Hewlett-Packard Company and ACER Europe.
"AMD mobile processors offer the ultimate price performance and are consistent with HP product offerings that serve our consumer and small office notebook PC users," said Jonathan Kaye, notebook product marketing manager, HP Personal Systems Group. "The introduction of the newest mobile AMD Athlon XP processor will provide customers who rely on HP notebook PCs a broad range of performance and features for their specific computing needs."
"The introduction of the new notebook Acer Aspire 1300, featuring the mobile AMD Athlon XP processor 1800+, provides users with a powerful platform designed to deliver exceptional performance for a wide range of applications, from office work to personal entertainment," said Gianfranco Lanci, president ACER EMEA.
AMD's high-performance mobile processors enable infrastructure partners to jump-start system performance by offering notebook PCs based on the mobile AMD Athlon XP processor and double data rate (DDR) memory. Systems featuring DDR memory can provide business and home consumers performance gains on memory-intensive applications such as Internet content creation, gaming and office productivity. With QuantiSpeed architecture, the mobile AMD Athlon XP processor 1800+ also enables extreme performance for the Microsoft(r) Windows(r) XP operating system.
"The ATI RADEON IGP320M chipset enables exciting new platforms and provides today's mobile customers with feature-rich, high-performance graphics in a power-efficient design," said Rajesh Shakkarwar, director of marketing, Integrated Products, ATI Technologies Inc. "The ATI RADEON IGP320M chipset can enable DDR memory technology on the AMD Athlon mobile platform, further enhancing performance of systems based on the AMD Athlon XP mobile processor."
Availability
The HP Pavilion ZE1250 notebook PC featuring the mobileAMD Athlon XP processor 1800+ is available today at retail stores in the United States. The Compaq Presario 900 series notebook PCs will also feature the new AMD Athlon XP processor 1800+ and is expected to be available later this month directly through www.hp.com.
Notebook PCs based on the mobile AMD Athlon XP processor 1800+ are also available today from ACER Europe in its Acer Aspire 1300 series.
Pricing
The new mobile AMD Athlon XP processor 1800+ is priced at $335, in 1,000-unit quantities. For pricing on other AMD mobile processors, please visit: http://www.amd.com/pricing
About the Mobile AMD Athlon(tm) XP Processor
The mobile AMD Athlon XP processor features QuantiSpeed architecture, which incorporates a nine-issue, fully pipelined superscalar micro-architecture, a superscalar floating-point unit, hardware data pre-fetch, and exclusive and speculative Translation Look-aside Buffers (TLB). Other features of the mobile AMD Athlon XP processor include support for AMD's 3DNow!(tm) Professional instruction set for enhanced multimedia capabilities, and AMD PowerNow! technology for extended battery life.
The mobile AMD Athlon XP processor is compatible with AMD's Socket A infrastructure, and supports the advanced 200MHz and 266MHz
AMD Athlon front-side bus options. The mobile AMD Athlon XP processor based on 0.13 micron technology maintains Socket A and pin compatibility with AMD's mobile processors manufactured on 0.18 micron technology, while adding a 266MHz front-side bus option to enable greater performance.
Mobile AMD Athlon XP processors are manufactured using AMD's 0.13-micron copper process technology in Fab 30 in Dresden, Germany.
Posted by Pablo Aguilar
MSI K7D Master-L Mainboard Dual MP @ ViperLair
July 15, 2002
MSI has spruced up their excellent K7D Master with some extra hardware features, such as LAN, but more importantly for enthusiasts, the K7D-L now sports MSI's red PCB. They even managed to tweak performance slightly.
"Many people fail to see any reason to pay $600 for a mainboard, memory and processors when they can get a decent KT333 combo for under $300. Is building an SMP capable system worth all of the cash? It is really a matter of personal taste. SMP systems do tend to be more stable and perform better than their single-CPU cousins, but whether or not the extra stability and performance is worth an extra $300 can be debated forever."
Posted by Pablo Aguilar
iROCK 520 Digital MP3 Player & iROCK 300W FM Wireless Transmitter Review @ Tweaknews.net
July 15, 2002
Tweaknews.net has released yet another Hardware review onto the internet.
Snippit:
"These two products have it all, quality, good construction, lots of features and one of the smallest MP3 players and FM transmitters on the market. I personally love these products and use them everyday whether I use the small MP3 player during a workout, or by using the transmitter in in car on the way home to listen to MP3's without constantly burning them onto a disc. If you have never tried a MP3 player, go get one!! You won't know how you enjoyed a workout as much without it."
Click here to read the full review.
Posted by Pablo Aguilar
Chaintech 7VJL Apogee Socket-A motherboard @ The Hardware Zone
July 15, 2002
Here, The Hardware Zone have whipped out the latest Chaintech 7VJL Apogee review with all the numbers and description of the product that you're dying to know.
"The new Chaintech 7VJL Apogee comes in a radically new design with some of the best bundles ever included with a motherboard. Featuring the new Body Theater utilizing C-Media's latest XeaR audio technology, users who purchase this board will get to enjoy 4.1/5.1-channel surround audio with just two speakers. How do you do that? Read on to find out more"
Click here to read the review.
Posted by Pablo Aguilar
Review of the SS40G XPC barebone system
July 15, 2002
The SS40G XPC is fundamentally a motherboard that is pre-installed in a case that comes complete with the necessary power-supply. Th board itself has quite a few features, including a 6-channel, 5.1-compatible CMI 8738 sound-card, an SiS315 graphics-card with S-Video-Out, a Realtek 8100B network controller, and an IEEE1394/"FireWire" controller. Read the article...
Posted by Chris Verr
New Athlon to launch in stormy seas
July 12, 2002
Advanced Micro Devices will have good news for customers next week, but bad news for investors.
The good news comes Monday, when, according to sources close to the company, the chipmaker will launch a new mobile Athlon XP 1800+ processor for notebook PCs.
The new 1800+ chip will run at 1.53GHz, a 66MHz boost over AMD's 1.47GHz Athlon XP 1700+, making the new processor the chipmaker's fastest mobile offering to date. It's also AMD's first new mobile announcement since April, when the company introduced the mobile Athlon XP.
The bad news, however, arrives Wednesday, when AMD reports earnings for the second quarter.
The company's numbers for the quarter will come in lower than originally expected, owing to weaker-than-anticipated sales in key areas such as consumer PCs in the United States and Europe.
Source: ZDNET News
Full article: Click here.
Posted by Pablo Aguilar
Parhelia vs. GeForce4 Ti Antialiasing Quality Comparison @ 3DCenter
July 12, 2002
3DCenter have posted a screenshot comparision of Parhelia´s and GeForce4 Ti´s antialiasing quality with their AATest tool. The Parhelia chip has some issues in applying antialiasing on some polygon edges at the moment.
The article is in German, but you can view the screenshots and draw your own conclusions.
Click here to read the full article.
Posted by Pablo Aguilar
The Plextor PleXCombo 20/10/4012A Review @ Hothardware
July 12, 2002
Tonight Hothardware have put the wraps on a review of the Plextor PleXCombo 20/10/4012A CD-RW/DVD ROM Drive.
"Over the years, Plextor has built themselves a reputation for designing premium quality CD drives that incorporate the latest technologies available. Because of this, Plextor has been able to deliver some of the best drives available and today we will be taking a look to see if this remains true with their latest addition."
Posted by Pablo Aguilar
Antec TruePower 550watt Power Supply Review @ TweakTown
July 12, 2002
TweakTown has just posted a review of Antec TruePower 550watt Power Supply.
Here's a snip:
"Power Supply Units, or PSUs, can often be overlooked as an unimportant product when it comes to choosing the specifications for your PC. For quite a while now Enermax have had control over the high-end PSU market but just recently Antec have entered as a challenger with their TruePower line of PSUs which are being marketed right toward the enthusiast user. After almost four weeks of torture testing, TweakTown has completed their review of the Antec 550watt PSU which includes extensive testing to see if the stated specifications do indeed hold true."
Posted by Pablo Aguilar
Micron cranks handle on next-gen memory
July 11, 2002
Memory manufacturer Micron this week demonstrated the first system running DDR-II SDRAM, the next generation of memory.
DDR-II is seen as a necessary redesign to increase memory speeds as predecessor DDR-I runs out of steam. Broadband Internet access, 3D graphics, wireless communications, high-speed networking and higher processor clock rates are all driving the need for more memory bandwidth. DDR-II is expected to be the next mainstream memory standard, although it is not expected to be widely available for at least another year.
Micron was not the first company to produce DDR-II memory--Samsung said at the end of May that it had produced memory modules using 512Mb DDR-II SDRAM chips, and expects to be in volume production of the new modules with 512Mb DDR-II SDRAM chips in late 2003.
Although Micron's DDR-II chips are only 256Mb, the development of a working system is an important step toward building chipsets and motherboards that can support the new memory.
"We believe this is the first desktop PC with DDR-II memory," said Terry Lee, Micron's director of advanced technology, referring to the development system encased in a large clear acrylic case. With no chipsets currently available to support DDR-II memory, the system used a specially built PCI expansion board into which the memory modules plugged.
Source: ZDNET News
Full article: Click here.
Posted by Pablo Aguilar
Soyo Dragon Ultra Platinum review @ Viahardware.com
July 11, 2002
Viahardware.com have posted a review on the Soyo Dragon Ultra Platinum KT333 based motherboard. This feature packed motherboard has something to please everyone.
Heres a snip:
"Today we are taking a second look at Soyo's flagship motherboard for AMD processors. In our KT333 roundup, VH did not give the original Dragon Ultra a very good rating, due to some seemingly unacceptable performance. As a show of good sportsmanship, Soyo requested that we review the Platinum version of this board, after a few bug-fixes and some enhancements. The Dragon line or products comes with an excellent set of features and the industry's best package. The real question that is probably on everybody's minds would be: "How does the Platinum perform?"."
Posted by Pablo Aguilar
Jazz ROCCO 5.1 Dolby Digital/DTS Speaker System Review @ RADIATIVEnz
July 11, 2002
RADIATIVEnz have just posted a review on the Jazz ROCCO 5.1 Dolby Digital/DTS Speaker System.
Snip:
"A lot of people tend to disregard or completely forget about the sound system attached to their PC. However sound can play a huge part in your overall computing experience. RADIATIVEnz managed to get their hands on the Jazz ROCCO 5.1 Dolby Digital/DTS Speaker System. Let's take a look and see what this product has to offer."
Posted by Pablo Aguilar
Abit's AT7 & IT7 MAX Motherboards Reviewed @ HotHardware.Com
July 11, 2002
Tonight on HotHardware.Com, they have reviewed two of the most talked about motherboards in recent history, the VIA KT333 based Abit AT7 and Intel i845E based IT7. These are the first two motherboards in Abit's "Legacy Free", MAX series of products that eliminate the PS/2, Serial and Parallel ports found on most of the competing products currently on the market. Both of these boards are packed with features and proved to be excellent performers and overclockers.
Click here to read the full article.
Posted by Pablo Aguilar
MS to ship 64-bit .NET preview this month
July 10, 2002
Microsoft is to ship the McKinley version of its 64-bit .NET Server preview software to PC manufacturers later this month. It being tagged Microsoft Windows Advanced Server, Limited Edition version 1.2, one can reasonably conclude that it is not finished as such, but if we're going to provide software for Intel hardware as soon as it's out (which is what we've said we'll do, isn't it?) then LE it has to be.
This edition, though, is "based on the same 64-bit development code that will be delivered in the Windows .NET Server family," while the earlier Itanium LE version, which shipped (or not, depending on how you interpret Limited Edition) last year, was based on Windows 2000.
So we currently have a Win64 roadmap that runs approximately as follows. 64-bit .NET Server ought to be with us by the end of the year, around the same time as the 32-bit version, while Windows XP 64-bit Edition version 2003 is scheduled to roll out in Q1 2003.
Source: Theregister.co.uk
Full article: Click here.
Posted by Pablo Aguilar
ASUS A7V333 (KT333) Review @ OCAU
July 10, 2002
OCAU have checked out Asus's KT333 solution - the A7V333. This is of course a SocketA board with DDR333 memory support. It's certainly not the cheapest of the KT333 lineup but with good reason - it packs in extra features like ATA133 RAID, USB2.0 and FireWire as well as being a decent performer.
A snip:
"The IDE headers and ATX power socket are going to be fiddly in a minitower, being right under where cables will come out of devices in the case drive cages. Despite the potential fiddliness of the RAM slots mentioned above there's plenty of room around the CPU socket for large coolers. The absence of a fan on the North Bridge heatsink is interesting - there are standard chipset cooler mounting holes in the board if you wanted to try an aftermarket product, but the stock cooler is fairly hefty and, depending on the CPU cooler you use, might get enough airflow to keep the North Bridge chip cool anyway. Be careful when removing the heatsink though - the edges are sharp, as the Band-Aid on my index finger proves."
Click here to read the full article.
Posted by Pablo Aguilar
Abit Siluro Ti4200 vs. Triplex Millennium Ti4200 article @ TweakTown
July 10, 2002
TweakTown has posted an article comparing the Abit Siluro Ti4200 to the Triplex Millennium Ti4200.
Here's a snip:
"Since nVidia released their GeForce4 line of graphics chipsets, the most anticipated and sought after of them all has been the Ti4200. It provides high performance and can be overclocked to near-Ti4600 levels, yet it sells for half the price which is precisely the reason why the Ti4200 has become so popular. Today TweakTown takes a look at two of these Ti4200's from Abit and Triplex to find out which is the best value for your money!"
Click here to read the full article.
Posted by Pablo Aguilar
SiS Xabre 400 GPU review @ The Hardware Zone
July 10, 2002
SiS makes its big comeback in the mainstream graphics business with the latest Xabre 400 GPU. Does it have what it takes to bring down the GeForce4 MX 440 and RADEON 7500?
Click here to find out.
Posted by Pablo Aguilar
Review of the Soltek SL-85DR2 mainboard
July 10, 2002
The SL-85DR2 that we'll be testing today is based on the Intel 845E chipset, which was designed to support Pentium 4 chips with 533MHz FSBs. Unlike other manufacturers, Soltek has not tinkered with the i845E's settings in order to support DDR333 memory. Rather, they have stuck to the specifications, and included only the recommended support for DDR200, and DDR266. Read the article...
Posted by Chris Verr
Itanium 2 partners: Ready, steady...wait?
July 9, 2002
Microsoft, Unisys, several Linux developers and a host of other high-tech companies pledged their allegiance to Intel's Itanium 2 processor this week but generally acknowledged that their products for the processor won't roll out overnight.
Microsoft will start to come out with an Itanium 2 version of Windows Advanced Server next month but won't issue a version of Windows XP for workstations until the first quarter of 2003. Windows.Net enterprise and data-center servers for Itanium will ship to manufacturers this year but likely won't be in customers' hands until next year.
UnitedLinux, a consortium of Linux developers that includes SuSE and Turbolinux, said a version of the Linux OS designed to run on a variety of Itanium 2 machines will come out in the second half of the year.
SGI, NEC, Unisys and European computer manufacturer Bull also announced that they will build Itanium 2 products, with most arriving later this year.
Source: ZDNET News
Full article: Click here.
Posted by Pablo Aguilar
Samsung 181T TFT LCD review @ RatedPC
July 9, 2002
RatedPC has published a review of Samsung 181T LCD display. This 18 LCD offers top of the line specs within its price range, which makes it easy to recommend to anyone that has been in the market for a high quality display and is willing to spend a little extra.
"Upon opening the box, I was introduced to one of the best looking upscale monitors I have ever seen. The 181T has a very small border with the control buttons designed tightly and neatly on the bottom of the screen; the goal had been minimal footprint and it is certainly achieved here. The construction of the monitor is sturdy and has a high quality feel to it. The image quality is simply one of the best in its class. The other main LCD manufactures in the market such as NEC, Viewsonic, and Sony also have similar models in the same price range, but Samsung has managed to pull away and offer something better than all others here as you will see in the comparison that follows."
Click here to read the review.
Posted by Pablo Aguilar
Hercules 3D Prophet 8500 128MB Review @ HotHardware.com
July 9, 2002
HotHardware.com West Coast Tech Journalist, Chris Angelini, has posted his viewpoint on the Hercules 3D Prophet 8500 128MB card.
Click here to read it.
Posted by Pablo Aguilar
Intel 845G & P4 2.53GHz Article @ Tweakers Australia
July 9, 2002
Tweakers Australia has just posted an article about the Intel 845G chipset and the new Pentium 4 2.53GHz processor. I know it's a little dated, but still, I thought it would be worth publishing before we get into the retail board reviews.
Here's a snip:
"In May we saw the release of Intel's 845E chipset, the latest mainstream P4 DDR platform incorporating a 533MHz front-side bus speed teamed with the new ICH4 Southbridge. We also saw their 845GL chipset, still using the older 400MHz front-side bus and no AGP slot, but integrated video. Last but not least we were introduced to the 845G chipset, essentially a hybrid between the 845E and 845GL chipsets utilizing the 533MHz front-site bus, ICH4 Southbridge, AGP as well as integrated video."
Click here to read the full article.
Posted by Pablo Aguilar
GEIL PC3500 433MHz DDR
July 9, 2002
GeIL announce the first PC3500 433MHz DDR in the market! We achieve such high speed with hand picked GeIL GL2000 6ns DDR chip fitted with our own ultra low noise PCB and cover with pure copper heat spreader.
PC3500 433MHz DDR are available in 265MB and 512MB.
URL: http://www.geilusa.com/proddetail.asp?linenumber=7
Posted by Chris Verr
Top dog Itanium won't be there long
July 8, 2002
HP barking up the wrong tree say analysts
HP has launched the first of a range of servers based on the Itanium 2 processor which it helped co-develop with Intel.
To accompany the launch HP also released a set of self-congratulatory benchmark results which it claims puts the servers above and beyond the performance of both UltraSparc III and Power 4 systems.
But analysts remain unconvinced over the validity of the results saying they will not look that good for long. "Intel's performance assertions are as yet unproven," said Richard Fichera, research fellow at Giga Information Group.
"Competing processor architectures, especially Sun's UltraSparc IV, which is due out next year, and future enhancements to IBM's Power architecture, will offer substantial performance improvements that will once again reduce Intel to a follower in performance."
Source: Vnunet.com
Full article: Click here.
Posted by Pablo Aguilar
Thermalright SLK-800 review @ Legion Hardware
July 8, 2002
Legion Hardware has just finished a review on Thermalright's HSF the SLK-800!.
"After recently winning our big 46 HSF roundup with the AX-7, Thermalright are back once again. There has not been much else happening in the HSF department, in fact the last coolers we looked at were from Cooler Master. The Cooler Master Heat Pipe & Alps HSF’s looked very cool however when it came to cooling they didn’t live up to their cool appearance. However, we do not believe this will be the case with Thermalright’s new SLK-800 HSF unit. Based on the highly successful SLK-600 the new 800 version brings the ability to support 80mm fans. This means more airflow can be delivered from a slower fan, which is also much quieter."
Posted by Pablo Aguilar
EPoX BlueTooth EP-4BEAV Mainboard preview @ Tweakers.com.au
July 8, 2002
Tweakers Australia has posted a preview of the EPoX BlueTooth EP-4BEAV Mainboard.
"EPoX sent us word today of their latest creation, the EP-4BEAV motherboard with support for the new wireless networking/communication technology known as BlueTooth. Here's a snip from what they had to say: "EPoX decided 3 months ago that the two products should work harmoniously together and they're right! Our Mainboard Design and Communication Department worked closely to bring the newest way to connect the world closer to your fingertips. EPoX introduces the latest Intel 845-based EP 4BEAV mainboard that combines the newest wireless BlueTooth communication technology all integrated into one motherboard to enhance your computing experience. The striking 4BEAV is built with the notion of speed and stability while drawing the freedom and connectivity of BlueTooth technology."
Click here to read the full article.
Posted by Pablo Aguilar
PC2-C Koolance case review @ Burnoutpc.com
July 8, 2002
BurnOutPC has just posted their review on the PC2-C Koolance case.
Quote:
"Today I'm looking at something different, this time a complete water-cooling kit inside a computer, you may have heard about Koolance? if not here is some background from their company."
Posted by Pablo Aguilar
IBM blades cut it for Giga
July 5, 2002
IBM's launch of high-end enterprise blade servers in Q3 has earned the thumbs up from analyst firm Giga.
Giga reckons that IBM's e-server BladeCenter by a "slim margin" to better recent high-end blade server announcements from Dell and what it believes Compaq (HP) will deliver. BladeCenter, like competitive offerings, is designed for mid-range applications or database servers, rather than lower-power edge services.
IBM's server blades "are the highest performance dual-CPU blades announced to date by a major vendor", it reckons. Giga gives IBM's blades the edge because of the presence of redundant Fibre Channel data paths and an embedded FC switch option for the chassis.
Each of IBM's blades will have a pair of 2.2GHz Intel Xeon-DP (Prestoria) processors with support for up to 8GB of memory. They use the same ServerWorks Grand Champion LE chip set found in many standard two-way rack mounted servers. They can be expected to have similar performance.
Source: Theregister.co.uk
Full article: Click here.
Posted by Pablo Aguilar
Lian Li PC-50 Aluminum Tower Review @ Neoseeker.com
July 5, 2002
Neoseeker.com have posted Alex's review of the PC-50 from Lian Li.
Here's a bit:
"Today, we'll be looking at a case from a company at the front lines of aluminum case development, Lian-Li. The case, Lian-Li PC-50 sports many of the features that users have come to appreciate from a Lian-Li case over the years. These being removable motherboard trays, intake and blow fans, thumbscrews galore, and of course the exquisite brushed anodized aluminum exterior. One thing that confused me was that the PC-50 isn't exactly a mini-tower or a mid-tower, it's somewhere in between. So this mini/mid tower can offer the advantages of a small, easy to handle portable mini-tower while maintaining the expandability of a mid-tower."
Click here to read the full review.
Posted by Pablo Aguilar
Gigabyte GA-8IGX socket-478 motherboard review @ The Hardware Zone
July 5, 2002
How does the new GA-8IGX compare against Intel's D845GBV motherboard? Find out why The Hardware Zone think Gigabyte's version of the 845G is superior.
"Overall, the Gigabyte GA-8IGX is a fast and reliable performer that comes with good overclocking features. Although most of its on-board peripherals were stripped (judging from the vacated areas for the CT5880 audio chip, Promise PDC20276 ATA133 RAID controller and VT6306 FireWire controller), the GA-8IGX does come with most of the standard on-board features such as audio and LAN."
Click here to read the full article.
Posted by Pablo Aguilar
SilentDriveT (Hard Drive Enclosure) review @ 3dgameman.com
July 5, 2002
"The SilentDrive" Enclosure is an excellent product for anyone who is interested in keeping their Computer(s) quiet by reducing Hard Drive noise by over 90%. The only major drawback from this design is the enclosure traps in heat and therefore increases Hard Drive temperatures drastically.
Click here to read the full article.
Posted by Pablo Aguilar
$200,000 reward for Linux on the Xbox
July 4, 2002
Game on for development challenge
An anonymous donor has offered $200,000 to find a simple and legal way to run the Linux operating system on Microsoft's Xbox.
The Xbox consists of IBM PC-based hardware running a stripped-down version of the Windows 2000 kernel. The project aims to provide a version of GNU/Linux for the games console so that it can be used as an ordinary computer.
The donor, whose identity is known only to the project leaders of the Xbox Linux Project, will offer $100,000 for the completion of each of two projects.
Project 'A' consists of four tasks: replacement Bios (basic input-output system); kernel and Xfree drivers; Kernel logic; and XBE bootloader.
The largest part of the award, $55,000, will go to developers who get an IBM PC-like Bios to run on the machine and allow it to boot Linux from a hard disk, either by permanently installing the device or using it to modify the existing hardware.
Source: Vnunet.com
Full article: Click here.
Posted by Pablo Aguilar
Sony CPD-G410R 19" Monitor Review @ The Tech Zone
July 4, 2002
Getting tired of that 17" monitor? Want to upgrade to something bigger and better but can't afford the cost and space of a 21" monitor? Then Sony may have the answer for you. Their new CDP-G410R is a 19" FD Trinitron monitor with a completely flat screen. And I do mean flat!
The Tech Zone has the full review here.
Posted by Pablo Aguilar
MSI K7D Master Rev. 1 review - MSI's latest Dual AMD motherboard @ Via Hardware
July 4, 2002
Today Via hardware posted a review of the MSI K7D Master, Rev. 1. This is MSI's latest offering in the dual AMD market. Included in the new revision is MSI's red PCB, a functional USB (USB 2.0 still included), and other motherboard changes.
Here's a quote from the review:
"The last time we looked at the K7D Master, AMD still had not finished fixing the USB problem with the AMD 768 Southbridge. Nevertheless, the K7D Master did well, and they included a USB 2.0 card to get around the broken USB problem. The latest revision has a few changes, the most obvious being that it is in MSI's traditional red PCB color."
Posted by Pablo Aguilar
NEC, IBM Japan to sell used PCs
July 3, 2002
Japan's NEC and IBM Japan will start luring corporate customers to return used personal computers and resell them to tap growing demand for cheaper second-hand models, a Japanese paper reported.
Sales of second-hand PCs have been done largely through retailers since manufacturers have been reluctant to resell their own models for fear of cannibalizing sales of new models.
But the two firms hope to tap demand by lowering PC disposal and recycling costs, which are normally shouldered by the customers, the Nihon Keizai Shimbun (Nikkei) said in its Wednesday online edition. A spokesman for NEC America declined to comment.
The Japan operation of IBM hopes to start reselling used computers as soon as it obtains a license from the environment ministry to collect and recycle used PCs from corporate clients, the paper said.
Tim Ohsann, a spokesman for IBM, declined to comment on its Japan operation, but said 15,000 PCs are collected weekly by IBM worldwide.
"At least 10,000 units are collected in the U.S., some of them refurbished, some of them resold, some of them recycled," Ohsann said.
Source: ZDNET News
Full article: Click here.
Posted by Pablo Aguilar
Soyo Dragon Ultra KT333 Review @ Amdmb.com
July 3, 2002
Amdmb.com has finished up a review of the latest motherboard from Soyo, the Dragon Ultra Platinum board based on the KT333 chispet. Much like the previous boards in the Dragon series, Soyo has included a lot of options that overclockers and performance users once, and rounded it off with a very nice list of features that any PC user would appreciate.
Quote:
"Getting past all that, the Soyo Dragon Ultra motherboard is a very good motherboard in its own light. It has good performance up there with the majority of the KT333 motherboards as well as a good amount of overclocking features and memory tweaking settings. It has IDE RAID and USB 2.0 to top off the full feature list. Having the 6-channel audio and the on-board 10/100 network interface just adds the icing on a good overall setup. Though, you will end up paying for all these goodies with the money out of your wallet as the Soyo Dragon Ultra is among the most expensive of the boards."
Click here to read the full article.
Posted by Pablo Aguilar
Samsung 181T TFT Monitor Review @ DeviantPC
July 3, 2002
DeviantPC has posted a review of the 18.1" Samsung 181T TFT Monitor.
Snip :
"The Samsung 181T 18.1" TFT costs about £700 in the UK and about $900 in the US. This is about as much for a top of the range 17" TFT, but why is it so cheap? Is it because the TFT panel is not very good? Is it because the customer support is lacking or is it because the general build quality is poor? Maybe it's due to a totally different reason. Read on and find out."
Posted by Pablo Aguilar
MSI's 845G MAX-L Reviewed @ HotHardware.Com
July 3, 2002
Tonight, Hothardware has reviewed the MSI 845G Max-L. This Socket 478 motherboard, powered by the Intel i845G chipset, is packed with useful features, like on-board sound and video. It also sports a Bluetooth transceiver for a wireless connection to many different types of hardware. If you are about to pick up a new P4, you'll definitely want to check this board out...
Click here to read the full article.
Posted by Pablo Aguilar
Can a chip help computers see in 3D?
July 2, 2002
A Silicon Valley start-up believes it can improve computer vision by combining a custom-designed chip with the way humans see.
Human brains judge how far away objects are by comparing the slightly different view each eye sees. Tyzx hopes to build this stereo vision process into video cameras.
The Palo Alto, Calif.-based start-up has encoded a processing scheme into a custom chip called DeepSea, allowing the processor to determine not only the color of each tiny patch of an image but also how far away that patch is from the camera.
The technology could be a boon for surveillance systems, strengthening the ability to track people in banks, stores or airports. But stereo vision could have wider uses as well, helping focus a computer's attention and cutting down on the amount of data that needs to be crunched.
For instance, a vacuuming robot trying to discern a table leg through pattern recognition could avoid getting caught up in examining the wallpaper in the background. Similarly, vehicles could use the technology to detect obstacles in their path while filtering out visual noise.
Source: ZDNET News
Full article: Click here.
Posted by Pablo Aguilar
Gigabyte GA-8IEXP i845E Motherboard Review @ Tweakers Australia
July 2, 2002
Tweakers Australia has just posted a review of the Gigabyte GA-8IEXP i845E Motherboard.
Here's a snip:
"Most i845E and i845G board I've seen up to date feature a passive heatsink for cooling the Northbridge, whilst this time around Gigabyte has gone for an active design to carry out the job - more precisely, a stylish gold colored cooler. Neighboring the cooler lies one standard AGP slot, six white PCI slots and one CNR slot. CNR or Communications and Networking Riser slots are all the rage these days, neglecting the fact that most people don't even know what they are, let alone have a use for them. Nevertheless Gigabyte provides you with one of these little brown slots, which may very well come in handy somewhere in the near future."
Posted by Pablo Aguilar
OCZ Dominator2 and OCZ Goliath SE Heatsink Review @ RADIATIVEnz
July 2, 2002
Radiativenz.com have just finished a review on two heatsinks hailing from the OCZ stables - the OCZ Dominator2 and Goliath SE.
Snip:
"OCZ are well known for developing performance products with overclockers in mind. However, their products are quite unknown among the general hardware community here in New Zealand and are pretty hard to find. So we decided to do some investigation to see if they lived up to the reputation they had developed overseas."
Click here to read the review.
Posted by Pablo Aguilar
XFX 64MB GeForce4 Ti4200 Review @ Icrontic
July 2, 2002
The GeForce4 Ti4200 is certainly a hot item for many gamers looking for the best price/performance. Today Icrontic have a look at the XFX Graphics 64MB GeForce4 Ti4200 and they compare it to a 128MB Ti4200 card.
Here's a blurb of the review:
"Feeling a little adventurous I started off by pushing the core up from 250 MHz to 300 MHz, as was pleased to see it run perfectly through the strenuous Code Creatures Benchmark Demo. From there, I went up in 5 MHz increments up to 310 MHz with full stability, 10 MHz faster than a stock GeForce4 Ti4600. At 315 MHz I would get small flickering dots and other random artifacts while running the demo test. I tried removing the stock thermal paste in favor of some Arctic Silver 3 but still got artifacts while benchmarking. To test the RAM I reduced the core back to stock speed and started off by increasing the memory speed to 550 MHz. Piece of cake. My next step was 575 MHz, which also ran without a hitch. In the end, I was able to push the RAM to a very impressive 600 MHz, which is excellent considering that there is no passive cooling on the memory chips."
Click here to read the full article.
Posted by Pablo Aguilar
