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Showing posts with label COMPUTER. Show all posts
Showing posts with label COMPUTER. Show all posts

Computex 2011: MSI Unveils Wind Top All-in-One PC Series

Posted by Abhishek Tuesday, 7 June 2011 0 comments


At Computex 2011, popular brand MSI unveiled at the event, its latest range of Wind Top series – Wind Top AP2000 and Wind Top AP2011. The desktop range has been readied keeping in mind the varying needs of MSI’s dynamic clientele, MSI stated. The Wind Top AP2000 is MSI’s All-in-One PC AP2000. The Wind Top series, MSI states upholds the needs of the business men and other professionals. Here’s a look at the specifications in detail:
Soaring high...
Soaring high...


  • Intel Pentium Processor P6200 (2.13 GHz)
  • Genuine Windows 7 Home Premium 64 bit
  • 20” 16:9 widescreen single touch panel (1600*900)
  • 2GB DDR3 Memory, Max to 8GB
  • 500GB Hard Drive
  • Tray-in DVD Super Multi
  • 1.3M Webcam and Microphone

In addition to the specifications mentioned above, MSI claims to have added several features including LED panels on their All-in-One desktop range to enhance its inclination towards global environment protection trends. Since LED panels consume 30 per cent lesser electricity, they seem to be a friendlier option.

Yet another one, in the series that was unveiled was the Wind Top AP2011 that comes packed with Intel’s second generation Core processor with immense power, which MSI claims is apt for multitasking purposes.

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WWDC 2011: Apple Teases Us with Logos of Upcoming Launches

Posted by Abhishek Friday, 3 June 2011 0 comments


Apple is gearing up for its annual Worldwide Developers Conference (WWDC), which is set to take place at San Francisco, next week. But unlike every year, this time around they have given the world a sneak peek into some of the services which are set to be launched at WWDC 2011. Posters at San Francisco’s largest convention and exhibition complex, Moscone Center are showing off Apple’s upcoming services namely the Mac OS X Lion, iOS 5 and iCloud.
Logos of Mac OS X Lion, iOS 5 and iCloud revealed
Logos of Mac OS X Lion, iOS 5 and iCloud revealed


The iCloud was named by Apple in a press release on Tuesday, but no image had been associated with it at the time. However, now as the posters suggest the iCloud logo has an app like appearance. The next logo to be previewed was the iOS 5; and like the iOS 4 logo it is mostly similar in design but now has a 5 instead. And finally with the OS X Lion, the logo is with a face of a Lion in a circle. In addition to these standalone posters there is a poster showing OS X Lion + iOS 5 + iCloud = WWDC 2011. Additional banners are put up at the Moscone Center which are still under wraps.

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Computex 2011: ASUS Announces Crosshair V Motherboard Series

Posted by Abhishek Thursday, 2 June 2011 0 comments


Just a while back, AMD announced their new range of 9-Series chipsets and in absolute rhythm, ASUS have launched their latest iteration in the Crosshair Series of motherboards, called the Crosshair V Formula. The motherboard not only supports the AM3+ FX socket, but also has support for Athlon II and Sempron 100 Series of processors. What’s nice to know is that this motherboard will also be supporting Bulldozer series of processors.
More power and more support
More power and more support


Crosshair V Formula has an ATX form factor and supports up to 32 GB of RAM on the four RAM slots that most standard motherboards feature today. Apart from that this also supports the AMD 3-Way SLI and 3-Way CrossfireX modes for NVIDIA and AMD’s graphic cards respectively. There are three PCIe 2.0 expansion slots for dual x16 speeds or x8,x8 and x16 speeds. The motherboard has plenty of USB ports with as much as six USB 3.0 ports and 12 USB 2.0 ports. Being the latest motherboard, the Crosshair V Formula also has ASUS’ UEFI BIOS menus to interact with the hardware directly.

The pricing hasn’t been announced as yet, but stay tuned for more information on the Crosshair V Formula.

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Computex 2011: ASUS Eee PC X101 Runs MeeGo

Posted by Abhishek Monday, 30 May 2011 0 comments


Now here’s a surprise. At the Computex fair in Taipei, ASUS has unveiled the Eee PC X101, an ultra-thin netbook at 17.6mm and ultra-light at 950g, which has both Windows 7 and MeeGo variants. The Eee PC X101 has a 10.1-inch display, 802.11 WiFi b/g/n and an Intel Atom N435 processor, which will probably be unveiled later at Computex. It will also come in X101H variant, which will have a SSD hybrid hard drive.
MeeWants one of these.
MeeWants one of these.


Here’s what ASUS had to say about the Eee PC X101: “ASUS evolves the Eee PC further with new models that take netbooks to ever-greater heights. The new Eee PC X101 has been designed from the start to be the perfect ultraportable for modern mobile users, with its Intel MeeGo operating system incorporating full support for a wide range of social networking services. Eee PC X101 Series netbooks are also offered with the Windows 7 operating system, and models ship with both solid state and mechanical hard drive storage configurations.”

The base MeeGo model will cost a mere $200 (~Rs. 9,000) which is pretty good. We hope to hear more about this series of netbooks soon.

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Origin Launches EON17-S Laptop with 4.8 GHz Processor

Posted by Abhishek Sunday, 29 May 2011 0 comments


Now, typically, we would cover local product launches but this latest laptop called the EON17-S from Origin got our attention. Origin PC is known for its PCs and notebooks in the international market. Their new notebook is powered by Intel’s Core i7 2920XM processor, which is common on high-end gaming laptops. Origin PC has overclocked the 2920XM to 4.8 GHz from its stock speed of 3.6 GHz. Origin also gives its customers the options to choose a slower processor.
More power than most desktops
More power than most desktops


Some of the other components available for customization are the memory and the graphics solution. Users can add up to 32GB of memory and even a high-end graphics solution such as the NVIDIA GeForce GTX485M or AMD’s Radeon HD6970M GPU.  The notebook sells with a 17-inch full HD display and there is also the option for a 3D display in place of the standard one. If required, RAID can be setup as well and Origin provides the option of a 512GB SSD in place of the 750 GB 7200 rpm drives. The EON17-s doesn’t come cheap. The cheapest configuration of the EON17-S laptop sells for around $1759 (Rs. 80,000) and that’s including most of the components mentioned above

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ASUS To Unveil an Ultra Slim Eee PC

Posted by Abhishek 0 comments


Remember the ASUS teasing us about a new device on Facebook. Well, it looks like they are at it again, by adding another shadowy figure to the list. But this time, we may have an idea as to what the new product could be.
Another teaser...
Another teaser...


According to Notebook Italia, ASUS is going to unveil an Ultra Slim Version of the Eee PC netbook. The website dug out a picture that looks remarkably similar to the one shown in the teaser. The image shows the familiar Eee PC netbook design, but has lost every single inch it could spare in order to gain the Ultra Slim moniker.
This is what it could look like
This is what it could look like


Nothing else is known about the device. What processor will it run on or most importantly, what operating system will it have. With Computex only a few days away, and two more products to reveal, ASUS certainly has our interest peaked.

Full Story

ASUS To Unveil an Ultra Slim Eee PC

Posted by Abhishek 0 comments


Remember the ASUS teasing us about a new device on Facebook. Well, it looks like they are at it again, by adding another shadowy figure to the list. But this time, we may have an idea as to what the new product could be.
Another teaser...
Another teaser...


According to Notebook Italia, ASUS is going to unveil an Ultra Slim Version of the Eee PC netbook. The website dug out a picture that looks remarkably similar to the one shown in the teaser. The image shows the familiar Eee PC netbook design, but has lost every single inch it could spare in order to gain the Ultra Slim moniker.
This is what it could look like
This is what it could look like


Nothing else is known about the device. What processor will it run on or most importantly, what operating system will it have. With Computex only a few days away, and two more products to reveal, ASUS certainly has our interest peaked.

Full Story

Dell Inspiron 580 Desktop PC

Posted by Abhishek Friday, 27 May 2011 0 comments


Dell’s Inspiron series of laptops and desktop PCs, that target mainly home and SOHO users, are very different from the high-end and gaming rigs. However, if you look at the performance of some of them, they offer very good value for money. A fine example is the Inspiron 580 desktop PC.


Design
At the first glance this machine looks quite sober and elite and it is, but only in terms of aesthetics. The performance of this PC says more, but let’s leave that part for a bit later. Onward, the cabinet has a glossy piano-black front panel with a faint white design, and the combination looks quite smart. So be it at home or at work, it will suit both environments. With a very no-nonsense design, the only prominent button in front is the power button on the lower half of the front panel.

The other button is slightly disguised; it’s the one next to the optical drive cover, which slides the tray out when pushed. The point is that there’s no fluff and messy buttons and lights, it’s a simple, sober-looking machine.
Even in terms of build quality, the front panel is plastic and the side and top covers are metal with black matte powder coating on them. All-in-all, it’s a great-looking combination. Connectivity is quite simple, and it’s a 10-minute out-of-the box plug-n-play setup. Arrange the PC, connect the bundled monitor, and wired keyboard and mouse, and it’s ready.


Features
The main highlight, in terms of features, is the core hardware, rest, aspects like the ports on the motherboard and the front panel ports connected to the headers are rather common. This PC features mainstream hardware with decent graphics, which is why; it’s an ideal machine for home entertainment and even for a SOHO setup.


Built around an H57 chipset and powered by a mainstream processor, the machine has 4 GB DDR3 RAM, a 500 GB hard drive and an Nvidia GT310 GPU. So, this rig suffices for daily computing chores and is able to handle video and audio editing without hiccups.

Full Story

Dell Inspiron 580 Desktop PC

Posted by Abhishek 0 comments


Dell’s Inspiron series of laptops and desktop PCs, that target mainly home and SOHO users, are very different from the high-end and gaming rigs. However, if you look at the performance of some of them, they offer very good value for money. A fine example is the Inspiron 580 desktop PC.


Design
At the first glance this machine looks quite sober and elite and it is, but only in terms of aesthetics. The performance of this PC says more, but let’s leave that part for a bit later. Onward, the cabinet has a glossy piano-black front panel with a faint white design, and the combination looks quite smart. So be it at home or at work, it will suit both environments. With a very no-nonsense design, the only prominent button in front is the power button on the lower half of the front panel.

The other button is slightly disguised; it’s the one next to the optical drive cover, which slides the tray out when pushed. The point is that there’s no fluff and messy buttons and lights, it’s a simple, sober-looking machine.
Even in terms of build quality, the front panel is plastic and the side and top covers are metal with black matte powder coating on them. All-in-all, it’s a great-looking combination. Connectivity is quite simple, and it’s a 10-minute out-of-the box plug-n-play setup. Arrange the PC, connect the bundled monitor, and wired keyboard and mouse, and it’s ready.


Features
The main highlight, in terms of features, is the core hardware, rest, aspects like the ports on the motherboard and the front panel ports connected to the headers are rather common. This PC features mainstream hardware with decent graphics, which is why; it’s an ideal machine for home entertainment and even for a SOHO setup.


Built around an H57 chipset and powered by a mainstream processor, the machine has 4 GB DDR3 RAM, a 500 GB hard drive and an Nvidia GT310 GPU. So, this rig suffices for daily computing chores and is able to handle video and audio editing without hiccups.

Full Story

Linux vs Other Operating Systems : 7 common myths busted

Posted by Abhishek Monday, 23 May 2011 0 comments


Introduction

When it comes to operating systems people have always looked up to Windows and Mac OS X as the front-runners of the OS battle. However, due to recent efforts of the ever-growing Linux community, this scenario has changed only to accommodate Linux as a beleaguered underdog. Thanks to its escalating popularity amongst desktop users worldwide, the open source operating system has already been deemed as a serious competitor to Windows and Mac OS X . Similarly on the server side, many corporations are switching to Linux due to its reliability and speed. So then, what is it that makes Linux so special when contrasted with other OS’s namely Windows and Macs? Why are many people switching to an operating system that is not only free but is not even backed by any multi-million dollar corporation? This article answers many such questions.

Why not Windows or Macs?

Ok, let us tackle the problems with Windows and Macs first. Windows, developed by Microsoft Corporation, is the Operating System with the largest market share. However, this doesn’t make it the best when it comes to quality and consistency as it is constantly marred with problems of viruses and malware. Also, the initial investment in a Windows PC is much higher than what a consumer expects to pay. First it is the cost of the hardware itself, then the cost of the license to run Windows, then an Office program, and finally to protect it all, a decent antivirus software. In short, the license may carry an affordable price tag but the expenses finally pile up to burn a large hole in the consumer's pocket. As for computers that come with Windows pre-installed, the cost of antivirus, Office utilities and other non-free programs usually overrides the buyer's budget. Furthermore, the version of Windows provided is usually Home or Business edition, which lacks many features the Ultimate version provides.
Coming to Macintosh computers, they, unlike Microsoft, prefer to sell their software bundled with their own hardware. Apple claims that their design, feature-set and stability are much superior to any of Microsoft products; even if it comes at a very high price point. Nevertheless, Macs, despite their holier-than-thou attitude towards Windows and Linux, are far from being the perfect computers. Consumers and Microsoft employees frequently complain that Macs are significantly overpriced than a normal laptop/PC. Apple does have many quality programs for its users but most of them are highly priced and are not open source. Furthermore, Apple has gained notoriety for making closed, locked-down Mac exclusive products thus creating a walled garden of their own.
Note: The points mentioned above are not intended to offend any Windows or Mac lovers. I'm merely pointing out that Windows and Macs, contrary to popular belief and marketing claims, are far from being perfect and flawless products.

Why Linux?

After pointing out all the downsides of Windows and Macs, I come to the main point, that is, why should anyone switch to Linux. We all know that it is for geeks, don't we? Besides, how good can an OS be if it completely free and open source? Let's tackle all these questions one by one.

Myth 1: Linux is just for geeks

Linux is for everyone. While Linux based distributions like Ubuntu, Linux Mint and Fedora are developed with the non-technical user in mind, Slackware and others appeal to the more geeky ones. Believe it or not, installing Ubuntu is actually easier than a Windows installation , and using it requires no special skills. 

Myth 2 : Linux can’t handle Excel, Word, Powerpoint

Linux can handle all the major file formats when it comes to documents as it comes with a powerful opensource Office suite called Openoffice.org (soon to be replaced by Libreoffice). So, apart from doing all the spreadsheets, presentations, and word processing out of the box, Linux can do tasks like publishing, image editing using only free and open source applications.


Myth 3 : Linux is free, so it sucks.

Many people think that Linux, because it is free, cannot be considered as a 'product', and thus, it may not be as good as Windows and Macs. This belief however, is completely wrong. Linux is the result of contributions by millions of users from all around the world, and it is through their incessant efforts that Linux continues to be free. Besides, what’s bad about being free anyway? After all, the best things in life are free; aren’t they?

Myth 4 : Desktops are dead, so is Linux

With the rapid emergence of smartphones, tablets and a myriad of handheld devices running powerful softwares, the popularity of desktops is slowly falling. However, this process is slow, and many have denied the fact that desktops will get replaced by devices like tablets; at least for the next 5 years. Whichever way the paradigm shifts, Linux enthusiasts won't be disappointed as almost all the next-gen gadgets being developed are already capable of running Linux. Consider for example, Android smartphones which are rapidly overtaking Apple's iphones; these devices are running on Android Operating System which is based on … yes, you guessed it right … Linux. Also when it comes to tablets, Android powered tablets have started appearing in the market ready to take on Apple's ipad. Finally, with the steady growth of Linux based netbooks, one can without any doubt, conclude that whatever happens to desktops, Linux isn't dead or dying; it is in fact, the future.

Myth 5 : But Linux can’t handle my favorite software XYZ which is windows-only.

Linux maybe not be capable of running a particular program like Photoshop, but it does have an opensource alternative with equivalent features called Gimp. Many such closed-source programs exist to which Linux provides great open source alternatives. A good way to find those is through this site which provides a list of quality alternatives to many leading applications. Furthermore, a popular software called Wine makes it possible for Linux users to run many Windows programs without any virtualization or emulation. If that too, doesn't suit the user, he or she can always try dual booting which many Linux users do.

Myth 6 : Linux can’t do gaming

Windows, unlike Linux and Macs can always boast of the thousands of games it is capable of running. However, that doesn't mean gaming is an Utopian concept to the Linux world. Many indie developers have started developing games for Linux , and of course many games that run on Windows work flawlessly on Linux thanks to softwares like Wine, PlayonLinux and Transgaming Cedega. Here’s a list of the much-awaited games for Linux in 2011. 

Myth 7 : Linux lacks support.

While Microsoft and Apple both boast of an excellent support, Linux, by default doesn't offer any professional support. To make up for the lack of support, Linux offers multiple ways of seeking help; one such way is through forums .The Linux community is very large and simply posing a question in a forum, one gets a reply within a few minutes and sometimes seconds. Don't believe me? Try asking a valid, Linux related question on linuxquestions.org and a helpful reply will come quicker than you expect. For the impatient ones, there is IRC; that is, internet relay chat, where many developers and users hang out to helping other users. If that isn't adequate, one can always buy professional support offered by Ubuntu, which comes at a fair and reasonable price.

Conclusion

Summing up, Linux in almost all aspects matches up to its closest competitors and in some areas outstrips them hands down. That said, Linux’s market share still stands at a meager 2% thanks to widespread vendor lock-ins and a general lack of awareness amongst non-technical folk. This fallacy however, is slowly being overcome only to make the software world a free and better place.

Full Story

Linux vs Other Operating Systems : 7 common myths busted

Posted by Abhishek 0 comments


Introduction

When it comes to operating systems people have always looked up to Windows and Mac OS X as the front-runners of the OS battle. However, due to recent efforts of the ever-growing Linux community, this scenario has changed only to accommodate Linux as a beleaguered underdog. Thanks to its escalating popularity amongst desktop users worldwide, the open source operating system has already been deemed as a serious competitor to Windows and Mac OS X . Similarly on the server side, many corporations are switching to Linux due to its reliability and speed. So then, what is it that makes Linux so special when contrasted with other OS’s namely Windows and Macs? Why are many people switching to an operating system that is not only free but is not even backed by any multi-million dollar corporation? This article answers many such questions.

Why not Windows or Macs?

Ok, let us tackle the problems with Windows and Macs first. Windows, developed by Microsoft Corporation, is the Operating System with the largest market share. However, this doesn’t make it the best when it comes to quality and consistency as it is constantly marred with problems of viruses and malware. Also, the initial investment in a Windows PC is much higher than what a consumer expects to pay. First it is the cost of the hardware itself, then the cost of the license to run Windows, then an Office program, and finally to protect it all, a decent antivirus software. In short, the license may carry an affordable price tag but the expenses finally pile up to burn a large hole in the consumer's pocket. As for computers that come with Windows pre-installed, the cost of antivirus, Office utilities and other non-free programs usually overrides the buyer's budget. Furthermore, the version of Windows provided is usually Home or Business edition, which lacks many features the Ultimate version provides.
Coming to Macintosh computers, they, unlike Microsoft, prefer to sell their software bundled with their own hardware. Apple claims that their design, feature-set and stability are much superior to any of Microsoft products; even if it comes at a very high price point. Nevertheless, Macs, despite their holier-than-thou attitude towards Windows and Linux, are far from being the perfect computers. Consumers and Microsoft employees frequently complain that Macs are significantly overpriced than a normal laptop/PC. Apple does have many quality programs for its users but most of them are highly priced and are not open source. Furthermore, Apple has gained notoriety for making closed, locked-down Mac exclusive products thus creating a walled garden of their own.
Note: The points mentioned above are not intended to offend any Windows or Mac lovers. I'm merely pointing out that Windows and Macs, contrary to popular belief and marketing claims, are far from being perfect and flawless products.

Why Linux?

After pointing out all the downsides of Windows and Macs, I come to the main point, that is, why should anyone switch to Linux. We all know that it is for geeks, don't we? Besides, how good can an OS be if it completely free and open source? Let's tackle all these questions one by one.

Myth 1: Linux is just for geeks

Linux is for everyone. While Linux based distributions like Ubuntu, Linux Mint and Fedora are developed with the non-technical user in mind, Slackware and others appeal to the more geeky ones. Believe it or not, installing Ubuntu is actually easier than a Windows installation , and using it requires no special skills. 

Myth 2 : Linux can’t handle Excel, Word, Powerpoint

Linux can handle all the major file formats when it comes to documents as it comes with a powerful opensource Office suite called Openoffice.org (soon to be replaced by Libreoffice). So, apart from doing all the spreadsheets, presentations, and word processing out of the box, Linux can do tasks like publishing, image editing using only free and open source applications.


Myth 3 : Linux is free, so it sucks.

Many people think that Linux, because it is free, cannot be considered as a 'product', and thus, it may not be as good as Windows and Macs. This belief however, is completely wrong. Linux is the result of contributions by millions of users from all around the world, and it is through their incessant efforts that Linux continues to be free. Besides, what’s bad about being free anyway? After all, the best things in life are free; aren’t they?

Myth 4 : Desktops are dead, so is Linux

With the rapid emergence of smartphones, tablets and a myriad of handheld devices running powerful softwares, the popularity of desktops is slowly falling. However, this process is slow, and many have denied the fact that desktops will get replaced by devices like tablets; at least for the next 5 years. Whichever way the paradigm shifts, Linux enthusiasts won't be disappointed as almost all the next-gen gadgets being developed are already capable of running Linux. Consider for example, Android smartphones which are rapidly overtaking Apple's iphones; these devices are running on Android Operating System which is based on … yes, you guessed it right … Linux. Also when it comes to tablets, Android powered tablets have started appearing in the market ready to take on Apple's ipad. Finally, with the steady growth of Linux based netbooks, one can without any doubt, conclude that whatever happens to desktops, Linux isn't dead or dying; it is in fact, the future.

Myth 5 : But Linux can’t handle my favorite software XYZ which is windows-only.

Linux maybe not be capable of running a particular program like Photoshop, but it does have an opensource alternative with equivalent features called Gimp. Many such closed-source programs exist to which Linux provides great open source alternatives. A good way to find those is through this site which provides a list of quality alternatives to many leading applications. Furthermore, a popular software called Wine makes it possible for Linux users to run many Windows programs without any virtualization or emulation. If that too, doesn't suit the user, he or she can always try dual booting which many Linux users do.

Myth 6 : Linux can’t do gaming

Windows, unlike Linux and Macs can always boast of the thousands of games it is capable of running. However, that doesn't mean gaming is an Utopian concept to the Linux world. Many indie developers have started developing games for Linux , and of course many games that run on Windows work flawlessly on Linux thanks to softwares like Wine, PlayonLinux and Transgaming Cedega. Here’s a list of the much-awaited games for Linux in 2011. 

Myth 7 : Linux lacks support.

While Microsoft and Apple both boast of an excellent support, Linux, by default doesn't offer any professional support. To make up for the lack of support, Linux offers multiple ways of seeking help; one such way is through forums .The Linux community is very large and simply posing a question in a forum, one gets a reply within a few minutes and sometimes seconds. Don't believe me? Try asking a valid, Linux related question on linuxquestions.org and a helpful reply will come quicker than you expect. For the impatient ones, there is IRC; that is, internet relay chat, where many developers and users hang out to helping other users. If that isn't adequate, one can always buy professional support offered by Ubuntu, which comes at a fair and reasonable price.

Conclusion

Summing up, Linux in almost all aspects matches up to its closest competitors and in some areas outstrips them hands down. That said, Linux’s market share still stands at a meager 2% thanks to widespread vendor lock-ins and a general lack of awareness amongst non-technical folk. This fallacy however, is slowly being overcome only to make the software world a free and better place.

Full Story