WHY YOUR NEXT PC SHOULD BE A MAC

If you spend more time trying to get your computer to work and less time doing what you want, it’s time to get a Mac. Because Apple makes both the software and the hardware, everything works together, just as it should. That’s why people who get a Mac love a Mac. And why you will, too. Learn more

IBM Adds POWER Virtualization to SOA Strategy

ARMONK, NY - 15 Mar 2007: IBM (NYSE: IBM) today announced it has taken technology originally developed to help customers shift IT processing resources during periods of peak activity -- such as dealing with unpredictable surges in internet traffic or processing increased levels of stock transactions -- and merged these virtualization capabilities with its service oriented architecture (SOA) offerings. An SOA is a business strategy that more closely aligns the use of information technology with the goals of the company.
Specifically, virtualization capabilities on the IBM System p servers combined with IBM middleware for SOA will allow customers to maximize existing hardware and software resources to centralize administrative tasks, streamline business processes and improve overall system performance, resulting in a more efficient organization.
These new offerings, known as the 'System p Configurations for SOA Entry Points,' use virtualization technology in an SOA, to ensure more balanced, flexible use of resources throughout a company. IBM has identified five SOA entry points -- people, processes, information, connectivity and reuse -- based on its success helping customers achieve business results through SOA. IBM has created five corresponding entry point configurations of hardware, virtualization and software to further simplify and accelerate the creation of an SOA while making the most of a company's existing resources.
IBM's Advanced POWER Virtualization technology for an SOA allows a single server to be divided into multiple partitions which can each run different operating systems such as UNIX and Linux and multiple applications. It also allows processing resources to be instantaneously shifted from one partition to another when they are needed in times of peak demand to provide business flexibility. In addition, the optional High-Availability Cluster Multiprocessing (HACMP™) program can provide fail-over protection in an SOA to provide continuous availability.
"The new System p Configurations for SOA Entry Points combines the best of IBM server and virtualization technology with IBM software to make it easier to deploy new systems in an SOA," said Ross Mauri, general manager, System p, IBM Systems and Technology Group. "This powerful combination will help customers adapt to business changes with a flexible infrastructure, reduce IT costs, increase quality of service and simplify the utilization of system resources."
These new configurations combine selected IBM System p servers with IBM WebSphere, Tivoli and Information Management software. These tested configurations also include a detailed reference architecture for use by customers, business partners or IBM client IT architects. Based on in-depth experience and proven best practices, IBM Global Services or a qualified IBM Business Partner can help customers use these new configurations to help lower the cost and accelerate their entry to SOA.
"IBM's SOA entry points are based on work completed with thousands of customers using SOA to solve business problems," said Tom Rosamilia, general manager, IBM WebSphere Software. "The new System p Configurations for SOA Entry Points combines the best in IBM server and software technology to help customers start with or expand existing service oriented architectures."
The initial five configuration family members are:
System p Configuration for SOA Entry Point - Process
System p Configuration for SOA Entry Point - People
System p Configuration for SOA Entry Point - Information
System p Configuration for SOA Entry Point - Connectivity
System p Configuration for SOA Entry Point - Reuse Each configuration will include: reference architectures, installation, system setup, configuration guides, certification of the Software stack on System p, common integration patterns at a stack level, best practices for problem prevention at a stack level, role specific stack documentation, answers to common operational questions at a stack level and appropriate customer-use cases. The configurations will initially be available later this spring starting with System p Configurations for SOA Entry Points - Process.
About IBM

Compaq Adds New Solutionware Areas to Compaq activeAnswers

JOHANNESBURG, September 14, 1998-Compaq Computer Corporation (NYSE: CPQ) today announced new content on activeAnswers, the industry's leading source for computing services and solutions . Compaq activeAnswers, a subscription-based extranet, enables Compaq solution partners, resellers, and customers to implement standards-based computing solutions quicker, safer, and more efficiently.
Today’s announcement expands the activeAnswers portfolio to include new solutions for implementing industry leading, packaged enterprise applications:activeAnswers for E-Commerce. A suite of reference guides, tools, and methodologies for planning, deploying and operating scalable commerce-enabled storefronts. Also featured is the Distributed Internet Server Array (DISA) Architecture, a set of guidelines and services for constructing reliable and scalable Internet applications using industry-standard hardware and software technologies. activeAnswers for Check Point FireWall-1 featuring ProSignia and ProLiant Firewall Servers–Check Point Series. Technical guides and installation procedures to enable the implementation of Check Point firewall software on Compaq servers. activeAnswers for Oracle Data Mart Solutions. Packaged knowledge and expertise for simplifying Business Intelligence Solutions (BIS) implementations. activeAnswers for Microsoft Exchange Server. Tools and content to implement enterprise-class mail and messaging systems based on Microsoft Exchange. A Charter Membership for five concurrent activeAnswers users (R13,628; each additional license R1,211) allows access to every new solution area added through 1998 and the option to apply the full amount of the fee to a 1999 subscription. To subscribe to activeAnswers, visit www.compaq.com/activeanswers. For information on Compaq Internet Solutions, visit www.compaq.com/internet. For information on the DISA architecture, see www.compaq.com/solutions/internet/disa.html. Company BackgroundFounded in 1982, Compaq Computer Corporation is a Fortune Global 100 company. Compaq is the second largest computer company in the world and the largest global supplier of personal computers. For more corporate information, see: http://www.compaq.com/.
About HP
HP is a technology solutions provider to consumers, businesses and institutions globally. The company’s offerings span IT infrastructure, global services, business and home computing, and imaging and printing. For the four fiscal quarters ended April 30, 2005, HP revenue totaled $83.3 billion. More information about HP (NYSE, Nasdaq: HPQ) is available at http://www.hp.com/.
([1]) Gartner Research “Magic Quadrant for Data Center Outsourcing, 2005” by R. T. Matlus, W. Maurer. June 22, 2005.
(2) Gartner Research “Magic Quadrant for Data Center Outsourcing in Western Europe, 4Q04” by G. Tramacere, C. Da Rold. March 1, 2005.

This news release contains forward-looking statements that involve risks, uncertainties and assumptions. If such risks or uncertainties materialize or such assumptions prove incorrect, the results of HP and its consolidated subsidiaries could differ materially from those expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements and assumptions. All statements other than statements of historical fact are statements that could be deemed forward-looking statements, including the expected development, performance or rankings of products or services; statements of expectation or belief; and any statement of assumptions underlying any of the foregoing. Risks, uncertainties and assumptions include the development, performance and market acceptance of products and services and other risks that are described from time to time in HP’s Securities and Exchange Commission reports, including but not limited to HP’s Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q for the fiscal quarter ended Jan. 31, 2005, and other reports filed after HP’s Annual Report on Form 10-K for the fiscal year ended Oct. 31, 2004. HP assumes no obligation and does not intend to update these forward-looking statements.
The Magic Quadrant is copyrighted June 23, 2005, by Gartner, Inc. and is reused with permission. The Magic Quadrant is a graphical representation of a marketplace at and for a specific time period. It depicts Gartner's analysis of how certain vendors measure against criteria for that marketplace, as defined by Gartner. Gartner does not endorse any vendor, product or service depicted in the Magic Quadrant, and does not advise technology users to select only those vendors placed in the "Leaders" quadrant. The Magic Quadrant is intended solely as a research tool, and is not meant to be a specific guide to action. Gartner disclaims all warranties, express or implied, with respect to this research, including any warranties of merchantability or fitness for a particular purpose
Printable version

BUY A BETTER GRAPHICS

'http://digg.com/hardware/CPU_Vs_Graphics_Card';OK, they are not the most objective source, but graphics processor manufacturer nVidia does make a pretty convincing argument for spending more money on a computers graphics card and less on the main processor—in certain conditions.

3-D Gaming: Real, or Really Lame?

To me, nobody's got Fisher Price and its 65-year-old View-Master beat when it comes to 3-D. Sure, its paper discs are only capable of conveying still images, but no matter how many so-called 3-D movies, games, ads, or even football matchups I've seen over the years, nothing's come close to duplicating the awe I experienced the first time I ever peeped into those famous red binoculars. So, it was with great anticipation that I test drove the new GeForce 3-D Vision gaming goggles from Nvidia this week.
The $199 kit is comprised of a pair of Max Headroom-esque glasses and an IR emitter that jacks into a spare USB port. The "sold separately" requirements are any Nvidia GeForce Series 8 (or higher) graphics card and a 3-D Vision-ready display (either a 120Hz Dual-Link DVI monitor, one of a myriad of Mitsubishi DLP TV models or the DepthQ HD 3-D projector by LightSpeed Design).
Up until now, my first and last experience with three-dimensional gaming was Rad Racer, which careened onto the Nintendo Entertainment System way back in 1987. The game shipped with a pair of those classic creature feature-style cardboard specs and dropped into 3-D mode anytime you pressed the Select button. The resulting gameplay was more nauseating than it was three-dimensional and not something you really wanted to be subjected to for more than two consecutive minutes.
Well, things have changed a bit in the last two decades, and the Nvidia 3-D experience is pretty awesome. Setup is fairly straightforward: You have to dump your old Nvidia divers and install some new ones, but after that you're ready to go. The way it works is that each of the lenses on the pair of glasses is actually an LCD that can go either completely dark or become completely transparent depending on the signal it receives from the IR emitter. The dark/light state of each lens flip-flops rapidly, showing the left eye one image and then the right eye a slightly different one, which fools the brain into thinking it's seeing one single image with depth of field. This happens so rapidly (60 times per second, to be precise) that there's no flicker detectable by the human eye.
The greatest virtue of 3-D Vision is that it's already compatible and preconfigured to work with more than 300 existing games, including most of today's biggest titles. Within minutes of receiving the kit, I was squaring up three-dimensional headshots in Call of Duty: World at War. And, boy, did those exploding skulls look amazing. 3-D Vision does an exceptional job of immersing you in a game -- to the point that you can't help but wonder how far off full-blown "virtual reality" gaming really is. I got completely lost in the experience of following my squadron out of a prison camp, then onto a beach and up into the jungle. Put simply, the entire experience was just way more convincing.
Nicely, the IR emitter has a dial on the back that allowed me to fiddle with the depth of field to my liking. I also appreciated the fact that the glasses can fit over the prescription reading specs I use at the computer. Another little bonus is that the glasses come with various nose-bridge pieces to accommodate different-sized beaks.
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The Pigskin Experiment: 3-D Football
TagsSciTech, The Grouse, Tom Conlon, 3-D, NVIDIA, VIDEO GAMES, videogames, virtual realityBut what I liked most about 3-D Vision is that it doesn't fall into the same gimmicky trap that every other 3-D experience inevitably does when it throws things right at your face or whizzes them directly under your nose. Yeah, this kind of stuff may solicit a "Whoa" out of me the first time I see it, but it always becomes so tired and predictable so fast (read my take on the recent 3-D football experiment for more on that). This isn't the case with 3-D Vision because it's using existing content that was never specifically built with 3-D glasses in mind. I can only hope that new games don't start resorting to these lame tactics as 3-D gaming becomes more popular.
Of course, I've got my gripes -- this is The Grouse, after all. My first has to do more with 3-D in general, though, and it's the fact that I always find it hard and somewhat painful to focus on something directly when it's in 3-D. Nvidia's technology is no different. If I try to look right at something, whether it's a squad member in Call of Duty, an evolutionary abomination in Spore or a brains-hungry zombie in Left 4 Dead, it actually hurts my eyes. But if I kind of step my eyes back, so to speak, and try to soak in the entire picture at once, it looks really impressive. Now, it's one thing to train yourself to "unfocus" if you're watching a movie, but that's not so easy to do in a video game where a lack of focus will get you killed.
My other complaint is a familiar one to this column, and that's price. 120Hz Dual-Link DVI monitors aren't exactly commonplace quite yet, so to experience 3-D Vision you're more than likely going to have to shell out for a fancy new display. Nvidia bundles a 22-inch Samsung with the glasses kit for a combined $598. Of course, if you don't happen to have a GeForce Series 8 or higher GPU, that's another couple of hundred bucks you'll be parting with. Suspending technological reality for a moment (and business reality, too), it would be nice if the 3-D glasses just worked with my existing monitor and GPU, and without the need to give up a USB port.
That's why, ultimately, 3-D Vision isn't for everyone. If you're a hardcore PC gamer who's hands are superglued to the keyboard and mouse, then 3-D Vision is an investment that will improve your day-to-day life by a factor of 1,000. The more casual gamer will want to wait it out, let prices come down, and see if the technology even takes off and gains widespread acceptance. For others, being able to watch Lara Croft prance around in three dimensions in Tomb Raider: Underworld is worth the price of admission.

Asus X83VB-X2

Product summary
The good: Dedicated graphics chip in a budget laptop; 4GB of RAM.
The bad: Unreadable labels on touch control buttons; smaller hard drive than similarly priced laptops.
The bottom line: Asus' X83VB-X2 is a pleasant surprise for casual gamers -- a generic-looking budget 14-inch laptop with discrete graphics.
Price range: $679.99
CNET editors' review
Reviewed by: Dan Ackerman
Reviewed on: 03/02/2009
Released on: 02/01/2009
Editors' note: This review is part of our Winter 2009 Retail Roundup, covering specific configurations of popular laptops that can be found in retail stores.
With most of the laptops in our Winter 2009 Retail Review Roundup sporting a fairly uniform set of components and features, any entries that break the mold in a significant way have a good chance of standing out from the crowd.
In the crowded Budget category of retail laptops, ranging from $600 to $899, we were pleased to find the $679 Asus X83VB-X2, a 14-inch system notable for its discrete Nvidia GeForce 9300 graphics. Sure, it's no gaming powerhouse, but casual gamers (and World of Warcraft addicts) will appreciate the extra gaming muscle in such an inexpensive laptop.
The trade-off comes from a smaller hard drive than some of the other systems in the same category, and some typically Asus-like design weirdness, such as the quick-launch keys with the virtually invisible labeling.

Price as reviewed
$679
Processor
2.0GHz Intel Core 2 Duo T6400
Memory
4GB, 800MHz DDR2
Hard drive
250GB 5,400rpm
Chipset
Mobile Intel GM45 Express
Graphics
256MB Nvidia GeForce 9300M GS
Operating System
Windows Vista Premium (64-bit)
Dimensions (WD)
14.1 x 10.4 inches
Height
1.4 inches
Screen size (diagonal)
15.4 inches
System weight / Weight with AC adapter
6.8/6.7 pounds
Category
Mainstream
The 14-inch chassis of the Asus X83VB-X2 reminded us of the Toshiba A305 line, as both are made of dark glossy plastic, with similar tapered key keyboards and oversized silver mouse buttons. It's fingerprint prone, to be sure, but the back of the lid on the Asus at least had a unique look, with lighter blue speckles against a dark blue background.
While we liked the large touchpad and massive mouse buttons, the row of quick-launch keys above the keyboard was particularly vexing. The tiny keys are hard to hit, and the tiny label above each one is nearly impossible to read. They do, however, cycle between power profiles, change the screen brightness, and turn off and on the Wi-Fi antenna. Our review unit also came loaded with proprietary software and desktop advertising shortcuts, including Asus' Webcam and facial recognition tools, and come-ons for Lojack for Laptops, a Geek Squad online support service, and a casual games service from Best Buy.
The 14.1-inch wide-screen LCD display offers a 1,280x800 native resolution, which is standard for a screen this size. The display's thick, glossy bezel is a little distracting, but the screen itself is actually less glossy, (although far from matte), which makes it easier to see in a well-lit room.


Asus X83VB-X2
Average for category [mainstream]
Video
VGA-out, HDMI
VGA-out, HDMI
Audio
Stereo speakers, headphone/microphone jacks
Stereo speakers, headphone/microphone jacks
Data
5 USB 2.0, mini-Fire-Wire, SD card reader, eSATA port
4 USB 2.0, SD card reader
Expansion
ExpressCard/54
ExpressCard/54
Networking
Ethernet, 802.11 b/g/n Wi-Fi
Ethernet, 802.11 b/g/n Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, optional WWAN
Optical drive
DVD burner
DVD burner
The five USB connections is great for a budget system, but we're concerned that Bluetooth is becoming the first thing PC makers cut when trimming costs in sub-$1,000 laptops (Dell, Toshiba, and others are equally guilty of this omission).
Most of the systems in the Budget section of our Winter 2009 Retail Roundup (covering laptops from $600 to $899), have Intel's 2.0GHz Core 2 Duo T6400 CPU. Performance among the Intel-based systems was virtually identical, but the Asus X83VB-X2 was consistently faster by (if only by a matter of seconds) than most of the competition. The two AMD-powered systems in our lineup, the HP dv4 and HP dv7, fell more significantly behind the pack.
Any of these T6400-powered systems are perfectly adequate for basic Web surfing, working on Office documents, and media playback--although running too many applications or opening too many windows at once can lead to some slowdown.
The included Nvidia GeForce 9300 isn't going to satisfy hardcore gamers, but if you're willing to turn down the resolution, you can get a playable experience from many current games. We only got 16.4 frames per second in Quake IV at 1,280x800, but turning down the graphics options anecdotally improves that. The new Quake Live online shooter is also a good option.
The Asus X83VB-X2 ran for 2 hours and 49 minutes on our video playback battery drain test, which is a bit shy of our recommended 3-hour minimum battery life for 14- and 15-inch laptops, putting it right in the middle of the pack of budget retail laptops.
Asus includes an industry-standard one-year parts-and-labor warranty with the system. The company's support Web site has improved much over the past few years, and includes easy-to-find driver downloads and a brief FAQ section. Retail stores offer a variety of extended warranty plans with your laptop purchase, but they're generally expensive and hard to use, so we do not recommend them.

Dell Adamo 1.2GHz Core 2 Duo

Dell have officially announced the Adamo line of laptop computers. At CES, a lower spec model was spotted with a 13.4 inch screen.
The latest, which is due on March 26th will have a 1.2GHz Core 2 Duo U9300 processor and an integrated Intel X4500 graphics adapter. 2GB of RAM will be found inside along with a 128GB SSD. It weighs just 4lbs which is a pound more then the Mac Book Air. The Adamo is a brand just like the Inspiron range and looks rather good as it’s covered in Aluminium. Expansion wise, this model has 3 USB ports, an eSATA jack and it has an ultra small PSU. The cover closes magnetically which is another nice touch.
The downside to all this is that it will cost a hefty $1999 when launched shortly. If only it were a bit cheaper and a bit more powerful

Dell Goes Upscale With Adamo Laptop

Round Rock, Texas - The way it came on the scene, it could have been a rare perfume or a designer handbag, undaunted by the roiling economy.
The first rumors of it surfaced in December on a lifestyle magazine's blog. A few weeks later, it was spotted in the arms of runway model Hollis Wakeema in a Las Vegas hotel.
Then came its Web site: Black and white fashion photos fade in and out as cool piano notes drop and melt into a warm, smooth beat. Prepare to fall in love, the site reads.
Now, go buy the laptop.
Specifically, Dell Inc.'s new $2,000-and-up laptop. The computer maker was entering the ultra-thin notebook race Tuesday with the Adamo, from the Latin for "to fall in love with."
The aluminum-body laptop comes in two colors, "onyx" and "pearl." It boasts a 13-inch screen and, with a depth of less than two-thirds of an inch, is thinner than both Apple Inc.'s 0.76-inch MacBook Air ($1,800 and up) and Hewlett-Packard Co.'s 0.7-inch Voodoo Envy notebook (from $1,900).
Even the customer support package goes upscale. Dell will guarantee the same team of service representatives for $99 for a year or $349 for three.
Dell, known for affordable, no-frills computers, leaned away from consumer-electronics tropes and toward the seductive imagery of couture as it designed a marketing campaign to fit the Adamo. The leap Dell is asking consumers to make from its core brand would be a risk in any economy, let alone the worst recession of the personal-computer age. PC sales are sliding and the lone bright spot in the market appears to be small, inexpensive "netbooks," Adamo's polar opposite.
Round Rock, Texas-based Dell reworked its consumer PC lineup about two years ago, shortly after ceding market leadership to Hewlett-Packard. Dell had fallen a few steps behind partly because people started craving gadgets with flair. Meanwhile, Apple was nurturing consumers' love for their iPods and using that connection to sell them well-designed laptops, too.
Dell knew it needed to "bring more brand lust and more got-to-have kind of products into the mix," said Michael Tatelman, the company's vice president of global consumer sales and marketing. The new consumer team, led by Ronald Garriques, a former Motorola Inc. executive, mapped a tiered strategy that ranged from the value-conscious Inspiron laptops to powerful, expensive - and vaguely menacing-looking - Alienware machines for gamers.
As Dell began plugging what Tatelman called a hole at the high end, designers from inside and outside the company were pitching blueprints for computers that didn't fit into any of the existing Dell lines. So once the design was hashed out, Tatelman and his team worked with Enfatico, an agency built just for Dell by global advertising conglomerate WPP Group PLC, to figure out how to sell it.
Dell declined to say how much the company spent on the Adamo campaign, but Tatelman said it "ranks among the bigger product launch campaigns that we do."
Tatelman's team penned a brief manifesto to be used as inspiration as the campaign took shape: "Love. Life begins with it. Ballads celebrate it. Battles start over it. Lives are changed by it. Some will die for it. There are no rules for it. Some will never find it. Others never lose it. We were inspired by it."
The resulting Web sites, magazine advertisements and other promotions would be unrecognizable as a technology ad campaign were it not for a "by Dell" tag line.
"This is a bit more experiential than just a story about a PC. The craftsmanship of this product is more like a fine watch or jewelry," Tatelman said. "I'd like to think that someone getting a gift of a pearl Adamo for an anniversary would be ... proud to get that kind of gift."
At the International Consumer Electronics Show in January, Dell hired Wakeema, the model, to give journalists an arm's-length glimpse of a thin black laptop with the power switched off. (A few people were later allowed to photograph Adamo running Windows.)
While some industry watchers were disappointed by the scarcity of details, Dell's move had the intended effect of building buzz. The company said its Adamo Web site has logged 800,000 unique visitors in the past month, and that about 15 percent have entered an e-mail address to learn more.
Tatelman seemed unfazed by the challenge of launching a luxury brand in a brutal financial environment. Dell's outlook for Adamo sales is "very modest," Tatelman said, and added that a primary goal is to broaden people's perception of Dell from its value-conscious roots.
David Reibstein, a marketing professor at The Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania, said at first he thought the Adamo teaser site, with its seductive images and music, was promoting a new cologne.
"Part of that is going to catch people's attention. It's hard to get recognition in this day and age with your latest laptop, particularly when you're coming in as a follower with the ultra-thin," Reibstein said.
He said he understands Dell's attempt to get people to connect emotionally with Adamo; that's what would push them to buy Dell over another brand. But he pointed to two things working against it. Not only is this a terrible time for a luxury-brand launch, but the PC maker may have a hard time gaining credibility for a high-end product that still carries the budget-friendly Dell name. He compared the move to Marriott International Inc.'s decision to keep its name away from its Ritz-Carlton hotels, or Toyota Motor Corp.'s choice to launch Lexus as a separate brand.
Adamo could work with time and patience, Reibstein noted - two qualities in short supply in the tech industry.

Intel® Core™2 Processor with vPro™ technology

Keep your workforce more secure, managed, and mobile. With security and manageability built right onto the chip, Intel® Centrino® 2 with vPro™ technology provides hardware-assisted remote isolation, diagnostics, and repair, so you can manage your mobile workforce remotely, even if the system's OS is unresponsive.¹ And with exceptional dual-core performance, 5X better wireless performanceO and the longest possible battery life.²Now you can also get notebooks with Intel Centrino 2 with vPro technology in astonishingly thin and light packages. As the smallest version of Intel® Centrino® processor technology yet-50 percent smaller-you're most mobile workforce can enjoy the sleekest full-featured and performance packed notebooks³ along with improved energy efficiency and power savings.°View performance benchmarks for Intel® Centrino® 2 with vPro™ technologyDownload the product briefLearn more about business PCs with Intel® vPro™ technologyTake business PCs to the next level with PCs with Intel® vPro™ technologyWhite paper: Intel® Centrino® 2 with vPro™ technology and Intel® Core™2 Processor with vPro™ technology

Intel® Core™2 Processor with vPro™ Technology

Designed from the ground up to empower IT while meeting the demanding needs of business, the Intel® Core™2 processor with vPro™ technology provides enhanced security, remote manageability, and industry–leading performance¹ so you can spend more time on strategic initiatives while reducing PC issues and downtime.²Learn more about PCs with Intel® vPro™ technologyTake business PCs to the next level with PCs with Intel® vPro™ technologyWhite paper: Intel® Centrino® with vPro™ Technology and Intel® Core™2 Processor with vPro™ TechnologyEnhanced security and manageability featuresOffering hardware-assisted security and manageability features built on the chip, PCs with Intel Core 2 processor with vPro technology allow IT to:Remotely isolate, diagnose, and repair infected PCs, even if the OS is unresponsive and outside of the corporate firewall²Get added protection against viruses, attacks, and unsolicited tampering enabled by agent presence checking and hardware defense filters³Program PCs to connect automatically to receive software updates and patches even if the PC is asleep or powered down and without effecting the PC userConduct hardware and software inventory up to 94 percent faster², saving on IT time and resources while maintaining accurate asset inventory. Having up-to-date licenses helps to ensure that you're only paying fees for software you're actually usingGet broad industry support from leading manageability and security independent software vendors (ISVs) such as Symantec, LANDesk, HP, Microsoft, Cisco, and more that take advantage of the hardware-assisted benefits built into Intel Core 2 processors with vPro technologyIndustry-leading performance¹Delivering next-generation performance and energy efficiency, PCs with Intel Core 2 processor with vPro technology allow IT to:Decrease energy requirements without compromise to performance with Intel Core 2 processor with vPro technology based on next-generation hafnium-based 45nm Intel® Core™ microarchitecture, offering reduced electrical current leakage, and increased performance while meeting ENERGY STAR*f requirements

Intel Core 2 Duo E6300 & E6400: Tremendous Value Through Overclocking

Over a week has passed since our Core 2 Extreme & Core 2 Duo review and although the dust is finally starting to settle, not all questions have been answered. We're still hard at work on investigating issues like 64-bit performance and comparing performance per Watt across more applications, but today we're here with another piece of the puzzle: a look at the Core 2 Duo E6300 and E6400.The E6300 and E6400 are particularly attractive members of the Core 2 family because of their fairly low cost; unfortunately their performance isn't as easy to predict because they are currently the only two Core 2 processors that don't have a 4MB L2 cache. We already illustrated in our earlier review that the larger L2 cache found in the E6600 and above is good for up to 10% of a performance boost depending on the application, but the fact of the matter is that the cheapest 4MB Core 2 Duo is $316 while you can have the E6300 and E6400 for $183 and $224 respectively.In addition to the question of performance, there's also the issue of overclockability. We've already seen that the high end Core 2 Duo and Core 2 Extreme CPUs are fairly overclockable, thanks in no small part to Intel's 65nm manufacturing process, but what about at the low end? Can you take a $183 Core 2 Duo E6300 and through overclocking achieve performance similar to the more expensive E6600 or even the almighty X6800? It's been a while since we've even wanted to overclock an Intel CPU in order to get better performance. In the past we'd simply recommend buying AMD, but with Core 2 Duo the overclocking prospects are too intriguing to ignore.New PricingAMD hasn't been sitting idle; this week its extremely aggressive price cuts go into effect, making the Athlon 64 X2 a more affordable CPU in many cases compared to Intel's Core 2 processors. AMD also announced its intentions to acquire ATI Technologies, but we'll save that discussion for a forthcoming article.The new pricing structure can be seen below:CPU Clock Speed L2 Cache Price Intel Core 2 Extreme X6800 2.93GHz 4MB $999 Intel Core 2 Duo E6700 2.66GHz 4MB $530 Intel Core 2 Duo E6600 2.40GHz 4MB $316 AMD Athlon 64 X2 5000+ 2.6GHz 512KBx2 $301 AMD Athlon 64 X2 4600+ 2.4GHz 512KBx2 $240 Intel Core 2 Duo E6400 2.13GHz 2MB $224 AMD Athlon 64 X2 4200+ 2.2GHz 512KBx2 $187 Intel Core 2 Duo E6300 1.86GHz 2MB $183 Intel Pentium D 945 3.40GHz 2MBx2 $163 AMD Athlon 64 X2 3800+ 2.0GHz 512KBx2 $152 Intel Pentium D 915 2.80GHz 2MBx2 $133 Intel Pentium D 820 2.80GHz 1MBx2 $113 Intel Pentium D 805 2.66GHz 1MBx2 $93 The Athlon 64 X2 5000+ is now cheaper than the Core 2 Duo E6600, which was really necessary considering that the E6600 is faster than the Athlon 64 FX-62 across the board. If the E6600's street price ends up being significantly higher than the table's suggested $316, the 5000+ (assuming its street price is not also inflated by demand) will be a nice alternative.The E6400 is now more expensive than the X2 4200+, a comparison that we will be able to look at in-depth today to determine a winner at the low $180 - $230 price range.And finally we have the E6300, which now is a more expensive competitor to our long-time favorite: the Athlon 64 X2 3800+. Today we'll find out for sure if the E6300 will be the low-cost dual core CPU to have.
Posted by milliniummiles at 3:03 PM 0 comments

NEW INTEL

Intel Ad Campaign Showcases Benefits Of Intel® Centrino® Mobile Technology For Entertainment On-The-Go SANTA CLARA, Calif., Sept. 26, 2005 – In its fall advertising campaign breaking this week, Intel Corporation showcases the digital entertainment benefits of the Intel® Centrino® mobile technology platform for laptop PCs. The eight-country campaign consists of television, print, online, retail and outdoor elements."As computing and communications converge, Intel technology innovation continues to reshape how people live, work and play," said Eric Kim, vice president and co-director of Intel's Sales and Marketing Group. "Intel's fall advertising campaign specifically promotes the benefits of Intel's innovative mobile platform technology and the new and exciting ways Intel is transforming the digital entertainment experience for people around the world."Ads for Intel Centrino mobile technology take a fun and humorous approach to address how consumers worldwide are increasingly interested in using their laptop PCs as all-in-one entertainment systems that can be used almost anywhere, anytime, without wires. The campaign promotes the benefits of the brand as the essential technology ingredient for the ultimate mobile entertainment experience around and outside the home.The television ads feature well-known entertainment personalities sitting on consumers' laps. Each celebrity – actors John Cleese, Lucy Liu and Tony Leung; singer Seal; pro skateboarder Tony Hawk; and soccer star Michael Owen – represents different entertainment genres, such as games, movies and music. The metaphor of an entertainer sitting on the consumer's lap in place of a laptop PC illustrates how Centrino mobile technology enables a vibrant, realistic mobile entertainment experience. "The ads creatively use personalities that are well-recognized worldwide in a memorable way to effectively reinforce the brand attributes and benefits of Intel Centrino mobile technology for entertainment," said Kim. The print ads will feature the blue and magenta Intel Centrino mobile technology logo and deliver quick benefit statements on digital entertainment, such as "For incredible movie experiences in your lap, get Intel Centrino in your laptop." The Intel Centrino mobile technology platform includes a mobile processor, related chipsets and 802.11 wireless network capabilities that have been designed and tested to work together. In addition to wireless networking capability, the technology platform enables extended battery life, thinner and lighter laptop PC designs and outstanding mobile performance. Since its introduction in 2003, more than 200 laptop PC designs have been introduced based on Intel Centrino mobile technology.McCann Worldgroup in New York created the television, print, online, outdoor, retail and promotional advertising for the campaign that runs through the end of the year.About IntelIntel (NASDAQ: INTC), the world leader in silicon innovation, develops technologies, products and initiatives to continually advance how people work and live. Additional information about Intel is available at www.intel.com/pressroom and blogs.intel.com.Intel is a trademark or registered trademark of Intel Corporation or its subsidiaries in the United States and other countries.* Other names and brands may be claimed as the property of others