Posts in PC & Peripherals
Total 2 pages : [1] 2
Lenovo takes off IBM mask
Rich Brown | Feb 24, 2006
Lenovo smartly hung on to the ThinkCentre and ThinkPad desktop and notebook brands when it bought IBM, but the China-based company didn't buy IBM's computer business eight months ago just to maintain the status quo. Where the ThinkCentre and ThinkPad brands have a hold on the corporate market, Lenovo's new 3000-series notebooks and desktops aim to infiltrate the small-business segment with budget configurations and price tags. You won't find fancy dual-core CPUs, wide-screen LCDs or other high-end features in these systems.
The C100 notebook ranges from US$599 (S$973.14) to US$999 (S$1,622.98), which will get you a 15-inch standard-aspect screen in a 2.81kg system that ranges from old Celeron M to Pentium M CPUs and a modest array of other features. The J100 and J105 desktops (Intel- and AMD-based, respectively) come in fixed configurations, cost from US$349 (S$566.99) to US$799 (S$1,298.06) (without monitor) and have CPUs ranging from AMD Sempron and Intel Celeron D to low-end AMD Athlon 64 and Pentium 4 chips. All systems come with a set of security and reliability tools in a package called Lenovo Cares. They're also all designed to evoke the image of their ThinkCentre and ThinkPad forebears but with a decidely less corporate edge to them.
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Mario and Goomba
Juniper Foo | Feb 15, 2006
Ever taken the Ink Blot Test? Then you'll either have plenty of fun with this one. Or not. To put you out of your misery, these are, believe it or not, PC mice. We've seen rodents in all shapes and sizes. But the Nintendo Mouse: Mario and Nintendo Mouse: Goomba get our vote for most ouch-worthy rodents to use. Certainly not recommended for long-term usage, though if you're a Mario Brothers collector, US$15 won't prove too painful, at least, for your wallet.
Via fosfor gadgets
See Goomba | Mario | packaging
Price: US$14.95
Availability: At liksang.com
Device: Mice
Basic specs: 9cm, two-button mouse
Intel and Skype play foul
Rich Brown | Feb 15, 2006
News.com tracked down the details behind the recent Intel/Skype announcement and we recommend you check out the story. In short, the two companies announced a partnership last week that involves Skype designating Intel dual-core chips as its preferred hardware for a limited time. If your PC has an Intel Pentium D in it, it will let you run up to a 10-person conference call compared to the 5-person limit it applies to single-core systems and, more ominously, dual-core AMD Athlon X2-based PCs as well.
The problem is that the Intel chips' added capabilities aren't the result of any special VoIP sauce that AMD's chips don't have. By all appearances, the benefit to Intel-based PCs exists only because Intel and Skype signed a partnership. If the software allows it, chances are that a dual-core AMD chip could handle Skype just as well as an Intel chip, if not better.
On one level, these tactics are nothing new. Graphics card vendors have been doing it for years by partnering with various game developers to "optimize" for a specific GPU. Still, we've never liked the idea of placing artificial limits on technology, especially with no warning to consumers. Not that VOIP is the most vital task out there, but if you recently purchased an AMD Athlon X2 PC, we can't imagine that it feels too good waking up to the news that Skype sold you out.
Sony prices and dates Blu-ray discs, DVD/UMD bundles
David Rudden | Feb 10, 2006
The battle of the formats is coming to a climax. With optical drives and consumer electronic products already available for Blu-ray and HD-DVD standards, upcoming studio titles for the former have set their prices for the next generation of high-definition home movies.
Sony released some pricing details yesterday on its studio titles for the upcoming Blu-ray format. New releases will retail for US$23.45 (S$38.21), while catalog titles such as the Van Damme-Rodman classic Double Team will sell for US$17.95 (S$29.25). Also of note is Sony's plan to bundle DVDs with its UMD (Sony's proprietary PSP disc) counterpart. The combos will work out to US$28.95 (S$47.17), which is considerably cheaper than the over US$40 (S$65.17) you'd have to pay to buy them separately. Sony is considering applying the combo ethic to Blu-ray as well, likely depending on how well the current generation ones fare at retail. Expect to see Blu-ray titles hit store shelves in summer and the first wave of DVD/UMD combos on March 28 in the US.
Wallet Flash
Juniper Foo | Feb 06, 2006
When it comes to USB flash drives, there's tiny, and then there's thin. If you fancy the latter, check out Israeli company Walletex's wallet-friendly USB flash, now in Singapore. As a bit of pedigree, the Wallet Flash has picked up kudos from both CES 2006 and Stuff UK magazine. What we like is that in spite of its fragile design, this is one tough cookie that can withstand spills and heat. The connector nub on the side plugs directly into any USB port, and is double-sided, meaning it'll work even if you flip the card over. Nifty alternative for those who don't like carrying their USB flash drives on keychains or lanyards.
See upclose | in use | thinness
Price: 128MB at S$59.90 (US$36.75); coming in Feb/Mar, 256MB (S$89.90), 512MB (S$119.90), 1GB (S$179.90)
Availability: Cool Asia Distribution, Singapore
Device: USB flash drive
Basic specs: 1.9mm thin, double-sided USB connector, waterproof, temperatur tolerant, USB 2.0
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