Archive for January, 2008
« Previous Entries Next Entries »How-to get Windows XP past the June 30th cutoff (or not)
Tuesday, January 29th, 2008Filed under: Desktops, Laptops
While it looked like Mac users couldn’t wait to get their hands on the latest version of Apple’s operating system, their Windows counterparts seem to have been a little more reticent about picking up Microsoft’s oft-delayed Vista upgrade — so much so that Redmond decided to both extend XP’s shelf life by six months as well as offer an unprecedented “downgrade” service on select SKUs. Well with the June 30th cutoff fast approaching, PC World decided to take a look at your options for procuring an XP license after that date, but unfortunately, the picture isn’t too pretty. Basically, personal users looking to purchase less than 25 licenses but not a new machine have almost no recourse; your only surefire move is to buy a new box pre-installed with Vista Business or Ultimate from an OEM opting to continue with that downgrade service. Still, caveat emptor: support for consumer versions of XP ends on April 14, 2009, and with it, the end of your Patch Tuesday celebrations.
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Intel issues product discontinuance notice for seven Merom chips
Tuesday, January 29th, 2008Filed under: Desktops, Laptops
Oh, Merom. It felt like just yesterday that we were shaking our heads in disappointment after reading lackluster reviews and wondering when you’d finally make an appearance in Apple’s MacBook Pro. Thankfully, times change, and with Intel’s mobile Penryn stealing all the limelight of late, we ’spose it’s about time the Merom lineup cashed out its 401(k) and sailed off to Maui. According to a PCN (product change notification) from the chip maker, the Core 2 Duo T7200, T7600, T5500, T5600 and LV L7200 are being flagged for discontinuation along with the less potent Celeron M 520 and 530. Granted, the whole family will still be available to ship until sometime in 2009, but for us, it’s on to bigger smaller and faster things. [Warning: PDF read link]
[Via TGDaily, image courtesy of Gutenberg]
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Windows 7 isn’t headed for 2009, says Microsoft. More like 2011.
Monday, January 28th, 2008Filed under: Desktops, Laptops
Hey, it’s not Microsoft’s fault that 2011 sounds like the realm of jet pack VR massage cars, but it’s certainly a long ways away any way you slice it. Contrary to previous rumors of Microsoft planning a Windows 7 release sometime in 2009, Microsoft has apparently gotten in touch with WinVistaClub and set the record straight: Windows 7 is in “planning stages,” and development will take approximately three years. Microsoft wouldn’t comment on that supposed leak we spotted last week, and of course denied any implications that development was being accelerated to make up for Vista shortcomings. We can’t help but wonder how different the OS landscape will look three years from now, with Linux rapidly reaching feature and usability parity, while Apple plugs away at OS X and cloud computing lands everywhere, but we’re sure Vista SP1 won’t be the last bid Microsoft makes at this generation.
[Via The Inquirer]
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How would you change Dell’s XPS One?
Friday, January 25th, 2008Filed under: Desktops, Features
Back in October of last year, we all wondered just what impact Dell’s leaked XPS One would really have on the all-in-one PC, nay, computer market, and truth be told, we’re still waiting for something definitive. Sure, the first press shots were emanating with all kinds of sexy (for a Dell), and this thing was teased more than any single hunk of plastic and metal ever should be, but it still maintained a certain aura that kept people anxious for release day. Shortly after going on sale in mid-November, reviewers from all walks of life managed to fall innocently in love with Round Rock’s latest, but as with most other XPS machines, we’re fairly certain the discerning crowd that this piece is aimed at will find plenty of reasons to nitpick room for improvement.
If you were given a round-trip ticket to Texas with keys to the XPS One’s design laboratory, what would be your first (and second, and third…) order of business? Are you honestly satisfied with the graphics performance? Is the built-in display that you’re now stuck with up to snuff? Does it really look as good in your humble abode as it did in a classy New York City furniture store? Of course, we fully understand that Dell must have done something right here for ole Walt to highly praise it, and while we’re sure the current incarnation of the One may suffice for many, we want to hear your vision of One.one. Shout it out below!
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This could be the first video footage of Windows 7
Friday, January 25th, 2008Filed under: Desktops, Laptops
Obviously a lot of people cried fake when those screenshots purporting to show Windows 7 Ultimate popped up — possibly because they looked a lot like rebadged Vista screens — so the blogger who originally posted the images has followed up with a video for proof. And we do have to say, if this is fake, someone put a hell of a lot of work into pulling it off, from creating a new bootup screen to hacking the source code to adding fresh Media Center options. ThinkNext tells us that this release — known as Milestone 1 — expires in May of this year, although if Redmond and its team of crack Enemy of the State-types have anything to say about it, this particular blog will not be getting another preview copy next time around. Video after the break.
[Via Softpedia, image courtesy of ThinkNext, thanks Joshua]
Continue reading This could be the first video footage of Windows 7
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AMD talks specs on Fusion, continues to release nothing
Friday, January 25th, 2008Filed under: Desktops, Laptops
At this point we’ve heard so much and seen so little of AMD’s Fusion hybrid CPU / GPU chip that we’re honestly starting to consider it vapor — AMD first announced it in 2006, after all. Still, the company’s VP of marketing chatted up PC World about new Fusion chips today, saying that a 45nm notebook-optimized version codenamed “Swift” based on the Phenom core would be the first off the line. That doesn’t line up with the last roadmap we saw out of Sunnyvale, which had the first Fusion chip based on the workstation-class Bulldozer core, but hey, we’ll let AMD say whatever it wants, just as long as see some actual chips sometime soon.
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links for 2008-01-25
Friday, January 25th, 2008
Credit Cards - Loans, Mortgages, Insurance, Investing, Savings
(tags: credit cards)
Dell’s XPS One (PRODUCT) RED is a charitable rip off
Friday, January 25th, 2008Filed under: Desktops
The whole consumer motivation for (PRODUCT) RED is that a donation is made to those in need at no (obvious) additional expense to you. It’s The Man who makes the donation, you’re just pulling the trigger with the purchase of something presumably wanted anyway. But the (PRODUCT) RED XPS One confuses this whole system, at best. The RED XPS One costs an extra $300 over the regular XPS One’s base configuration. For that, you do get a bump — but it’s software only. More specifically, your $300 premium upgrades you to Microsoft Office Home and Student 2007 (found online for ~$100 or less) and Vista Ultimate (~$300 or less), instead of stock Microsoft Works 8.5 (~$15) and Vista Home Premium (~$200 or less).
Based on those retail prices, you’re locked into almost $200 in add-ons that Dell and Microsoft will happily mark-up to $300 — $80 of which is donated to the Global Fund. Never you mind that the full-featured Vista Ultimate (even with RED-themed desktops, screensaver, and widgets) adds very little value to the vast majority of home users when compared to Vista Home Premium. Or that Microsoft says that “Vista Home Premium is the preferred edition for home desktops.” So why bother with Ultimate on the XPS One in the first place, except to up the perception of greater value? It’s not like this all-in-one desktop will ever step foot inside of an enterprise cubicle. Our advice: save your $300 and just give some cash directly, it might work out better for your taxes anyway.
[Thanks, Justin M.]
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First shots of Windows 7 leaked? And by 7, we mean Vista.
Thursday, January 24th, 2008Filed under: Desktops, Laptops
There’s no telling how legitimate these shots might be, and it’s quite clear that these screens won’t be giving us any juicy details about Windows 7 anytime soon, but we couldn’t pass on images that purport to be the first from a super-secret test build of Windows 7 seeded to “key partners.” So, anything to see here? Not that we can tell, from the looks of things we’re looking at a copy of Vista with the name “Windows 7 Ultimate” tacked on, but there’s no telling what’s happening under the hood. We know we can’t wait to pay another few hundred dollars for a barely noticeable upgrade to Vista that will re-break all driver support, how about you?
[Thanks to everyone who sent this in]
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Dell and Microsoft get official with (PRODUCT) RED gear
Thursday, January 24th, 2008Filed under: Desktops, Laptops
We knew Dell and Microsoft would be giving some of their gear the Bono treatment this week, but the two companies and the AIDS-in-Africa relief project unveiled their partnership in style today at Davos. Just like we’d heard, the XPS m1530, m1330, and XPS One machines are all going crimson, as well as the 948 AIO printer. Microsoft’s kicking in a special (PRODUCT) RED-themed edition of Vista Ultimate to keep things special on the OS tip, and obviously you’ll feel better about things with donations of $50 - $80 of each machine’s purchase price going to RED, and $5 on the printer (hey, those margins are low enough as it is). All the new stuff should be available by the end of the week in the States, and by January 31 in 30 additional countries — or right now for your viewing pleasure in the gallery.
Gallery: (RED) XPS M1330
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