CrunchGear » PCs

Gateway One ZX series gets Windows 7 and touchscreen features

Doug Aamoth — Wed, 07 Oct 2009 14:00:00 +0000

My gut reaction to seeing these all-in-one computers is that they might make a nice addition to a dorm room or an aging couple’s den. But then Gateway goes and says something like this:

“The powerful One ZC6800 Series is a no-compromise, high-performance configuration entirely suitable for serious gaming.” I roll my eyes and then look for the actual specs, to find…

Windows 7 Home Premium
23-inch touchscreen LCD at 1920×1080 resolution
Intel Core 2 Quad CPU at 2.33GHz
Intel GM45 Express Chipset (ah ha! – that’s not for gaming!)
ATI Mobility Radeon HD 4670 with 1GB DDR3 memory (whoa, curve ball – that’s for gaming)
8GB of DDR3 RAM – eight!
1TB SATA hard drive for data storage
64GB solid state drive for OS and programs
DVD burner, card reader, 6 USB ports, eSATA port, HD webcam, Wi-Fi, Ethernet
Hybrid TV tuner with remote control, wireless mouse and keyboard
MSRP of $1400

That’s actually a pretty impressive list of features for $1400. Sure, it’s not exactly “no-compromise” and those of you interested in “serious gaming” would probably never be caught dead with an all-in-one computer but for anyone who likes the idea of an all-in-one but has to this point been underwhelmed, this configuration may be worth a closer look.

There will also be a more budget-friendly option in the One ZX4800, priced at $749. That one includes Windows 7 Home Premium, a 20-inch 1600×900 touchscreen, 2.1GHz dual-core Pentium CPU, Intel GMA X4500HD graphics, 4GB of DDR2 RAM, and a 750GB SATA hard drive. So no SSD, TV tuner, or ATI graphics, but a much more manageable price tag.

Various configurations will be available in late October/early November, with the loaded-up configuration referenced in the beginning of this post due out “later in Q4.”

Gateway Introduces New Gateway One ZX Series All-in-One PCs [Press Release]

The Mac Versus PC Debate Has Never Been Clearer

MG Siegler — Thu, 23 Jul 2009 19:40:21 +0000

“Our goal is not to build the most computers. It’s to build the best.” That was Apple COO Tim Cook two days ago during Apple's quarterly earnings call. Sure, it may sound like spin from an executive who doesn't have a better answer as to why Apple isn't competing in the low-end of the market, and thus, gaining market share. But it's not. You need look no further than numbers released today by NPD to understand Apple's strategy. Its revenue share of the "premium" price market — that is, computers over $1,000 — is a staggering 91%. This means that 9 out of every 10 retail dollars that is spent on PCs in that price range, goes to Apple, as Betanews' Joe Wilcox points out. That, for lack of a better word, is insane. Analysts and journalists are often quick to point out Apple's relatively low overall market share (less than 10%). But that completely misses the point of Apple's Mac business. If Apple wanted to make a range of low-end computers, it absolutely could. And such machines would sell like crazy, boosting Apple's market share. But there would have to be some trade-off in quality, and perhaps more importantly to Apple, to its high margins. And as it has proven time and time again, it has no desire to give up either.

Review: Averatec D1133 18.4-inch All-In-One PC

Doug Aamoth — Wed, 01 Jul 2009 20:40:03 +0000

In a move to offer inexpensive all-in-one computers to consumers, many companies are fitting Intel’s Atom processors into small form factor PCs and selling them for around $500 to $600. Averatec has adopted a similar approach with the D1133 but has instead bumped the CPU up to a dual-core 1.5GHz AMD chip along with ATI Radeon 3200 graphics and then priced the system to move at $599.

That extra CPU speed, satisfactory graphics chipset, and 2GB of RAM turn the D1133 from a netbook-on-your-desk into a decently-equipped home PC that can be used for more than just simple web surfing — all at a very nice price.

Features and Specs

AMD Athlon X2 3250e CPU at 1.5GHz
ATI Radeon 3200 graphics with 512MB built-in memory plus 512MB shared system RAM
2GB RAM (512MB shared with graphics card)
250GB SATA hard drive (5400RPM)
18.4-inch widescreen LCD at 1680×945 resolution
DVD burner, Wi-Fi, built-in 1.3-megapixel web cam
Four USB ports, headphone/microphone ports, DVI out, 4-in-1 memory card reader
Weighs nine pounds, tilting LCD screen, entire unit is wall-mountable
Windows Vista Home Premium
MSRP of $599

Aesthetics

The D1133 is a nice-looking piece of equipment. When I first took it out of the box, it felt like a $1000+ machine. The screen is attached to the base by a shiny, adjustable neck and the plastic surrounding everything provides a smooth, reflective, elegant touch. The entire setup definitely looks like it’s worth more than $599.

The major detraction from the overall design is the use of a wired USB mouse and keyboard. They’re both colored to match the design of the computer but the plastics used are non-reflective and kind of cheap-feeling. They also result in a couple of cords coming out of the back of the machine, which makes everything look somewhat less appealing. The power cord can be pretty easily hidden but the keyboard and mouse cables can not.

This move was no doubt done in the interest of saving money, though, as a Bluetooth chip along with a wireless mouse and keyboard would have added perhaps an extra $50 to $100 to the bottom line.

LCD Screen

The D1133 features an 18.4-inch LCD screen with a 1680×945 resolution, which provides ample room for displaying full web pages along with a couple smaller programs or the Windows Sidebar taking up about 1/4th of the right-hand side of the desktop.

Unfortunately the screen suffers from some pretty aggressive reflections, especially when watching movies and TV shows with dark scenes. The LCD just doesn’t get bright enough to ward off reflections. Even at full brightness, you’ll still see your own reflection against darker backgrounds.

It’s not nearly as noticeable against lighter backgrounds, though, but it’s still something to consider.

Power

The D1133 certainly won’t replace your main gaming computer but it’ll run circles around any standard Atom-based machine. The Windows Experience Index score is a 3.0, dragged down by Aero performance, but I was able to watch 1080p and 720p video clips without any problems and simple gaming like an older version of Tiger Woods Golf (2006) and Sim City 3000 ran just fine.

The computer runs cool and quiet and is able to multitask quite well, even with several tabs open in Google Chrome, music playing, and TweetDeck updating constantly. Running Geekbench 2 on the machine returned a score of 1611 (full report here) which puts it in line with a PowerMac G5. So it’s not a huge beast when it comes to churning and burning, but it’s no slouch either. Vista actually ran really well, on the whole.

Other Features

The built-in web cam is decent, if unspectacular (see it in use here, that’s me in the upper right-hand corner). I was a bit disappointed that the mic doesn’t handle noise cancellation very well — I wasn’t ever able to carry out a Skype call without using a headset as people on the other end would always complain about being able to hear themselves.

The DVD Super Multi drive is a nice touch, as is the built-in card reader. And I thought the ability to wall-mount the entire computer was thoughtful, too. You basically fold the screen down against the body and there are VESA mounts on the underside of the computer. Very cool.

Note that the LCD screen can be positioned vertically but it doesn’t swivel horizontally — so up and down, yes; side to side, no.

The built-in 1.5-watt speakers are okay at low levels but actually popped and crackled at maximum volume during gaming, while listening to music, and while using Skype. So you’ll want to use headphones or hook up external speakers if you’re a stickler for volume. When set at about 50%, though, everything sounds fine (if a bit tinny).

Conclusion

If there’s a main sticking point to this machine, it’d be the reflective screen. Other than that, there aren’t any big enough problems to warrant a non-purchase. Those of you looking to use the machine in a bright, well-lit room to watch movies and TV shows may find yourselves dealing with reflections on a fairly regular basis, though.

Aside from that, the Averatec D1133 is a great option for budget-conscious shoppers looking for a nice-looking all-in-one computer. It handles just about every straightforward computing task with ease thanks to the CPU, RAM, and GPU combo while still maintaining an affordable price point.

Those looking for a second machine might find the D1133 to fit the bill as well. It’s powerful enough to handle most of what you’d do on your main computer and doesn’t take up much space at all. I used it far more often than I thought I would and enjoyed the experience as it proved to be a more-than-capable machine for checking RSS feeds and websites, playing games, and typing up posts while my main computer was busy doing stuff like rendering video.

Averatec D1133AH1-E1 [ShopAveratec.com]

You too can buy 1,000 zombie PCs for pennies on the dollar!

Nicholas Deleon — Thu, 18 Jun 2009 18:30:59 +0000

You know those “have-a-penny/need-a-penny” jars you find at 7-Eleven and whatnot? Here’s a cool way to kill a few hours: go around your town collecting pennies. Then, with said pennies, buy a whole bunch of zombie PCs, then start your own botnet. You’ll be the coolest kid in the neighborhood.

What am I talking about? A California company, Finjan, has put together a report that lists the going rates for zombie PCs. You can buy 1,000 infected PCs for the paltry sum of $100—and cheaper deals aren’t hard to find.(You can buy 1,000 infected PCs in Asia for $5. That’s crazy.)

Why should you care? Well, to be honest, I wouldn’t blame you if you didn’t care too much. Zombie PCs, botnets—let someone else worry about that, right? Sure, that’s one way to look at it, but the fact is, all those garbage PCs running around out there just make surfing the Internet all the more dangerous.

It could be a cheap, gift to give someone, though. “Here, 1,000 zombie PCs. Happy birthday!”

Flickr

Quick Look: 18.4-inch Averatec D1100 All-In-One PC

Doug Aamoth — Sat, 13 Jun 2009 22:00:40 +0000

The 18.4-inch D1100 from Averatec showed up at my house recently and I thought, hey, lazy Saturday — let’s set it up. I had forgotten the specs, the price, and all the relevant details but when I had gotten everything together (a process which took less than ten minutes) I can tell you that I’m impressed by how nice the computer looks.

Especially since — surprise! — it only costs $599.

The body is a nice, shiny black color, with the 18.4-inch screen resting on a chrome neck that adjusts up and down in order to reach a comfortable viewing angle. The LCD panel can be laid flat and pushed down to rest atop the machine’s body should you need to move the computer to another room.

Unfortunately, the screen doesn’t swivel from side to side — just up and down. And the wired mouse and keyboard kind of detract from the whole all-in-one idea. They just kind of look out of place with their cords running to the back of the machine. Again, though, this thing barely costs as much as a high-end netbook.

Internally, you’ve got a 64-bit AMD dual-core 3250e CPU, 250GB hard drive, 2GB of RAM, DVD burner, Wi-Fi, Ethernet, built-in 1.3-megapixel camera and, of course, the 18.4-inch screen, which features a native resolution of 1680×945 (so no 1080p, sorry) and is powered by an ATI Radeon HD 3200-series GPU.

The machine comes preloaded with Windows Vista Home Premium, which returns an Experience Index score of 3.0 — the lowest subscore being in the graphics department. Everything seems relatively snappy so far, but I haven’t really loaded anything onto the computer yet, aside from replacing IE with Google Chrome and uninstalling Norton Antivirus because it asked too many questions and wouldn’t let me close out of it without resorting to the Task Manager.

And, of course, the question on everyone’s mind: How does Tiger Woods PGA Tour 06 (that’s right, 06) play on it? It plays wonderfully. The graphics only top out at 1024×768, but everything looks nice and fluid. The sound from the tiny speakers is pretty tinny, though. Tin-like, that is.

Full review coming up once I put this thing through the paces. Here are some photos:

Averatec D1100 Series [ShopAveratec.com]

Phoenix Freeze logs you off when you walk away from your PC

Doug Aamoth — Wed, 06 May 2009 17:30:39 +0000

If you’ve never worked in an office where an unsuspecting co-worker gets an e-mail sent out on his or her behalf announcing that happy hour drinks are on the house, you haven’t LIVED! It’s the perfect way to teach someone that they should always, always, lock their computer whenever they head over to the break room to find that someone drank all the coffee and didn’t bother to make another pot. Those days may be about to end, though, thanks to Phoenix Freeze.

It’s a Windows application that senses the proximity of your cell phone to your computer via Bluetooth, assuming your cell phone’s in your pocket most of the time. When you walk away from your computer, it automatically logs you out. When you come back, you’re logged back in. Simps, dude.

Free to download at PhoenixFreeze.com if you’re interested. Here’s a demo video:

[via Notebooks.com]

Lenovo adds two desktop PCs to its business lineup

Shaila Luther — Wed, 11 Mar 2009 00:30:33 +0000

Lenovo announced two new smaller, cheaper desktop PCs today. The ThinkCentre M58e and A58 are built for the cost-conscious business consumer, with a starting price of $399. The PCs run cooler and quieter than previous ThinkCentres (as should be expected).

The A58 (pictured) will be marketed to small-to-medium-business customers as a low-cost desktop with a new design. The M58e meets Energy Star 5.0 and EPEAT (Electronic Product Environmental Assessment Tool) Gold standards, making it a greener option for mid-market and large companies. Both desktops will be available at the beginning of April. Judging from personal experience, HP and Dell dominate the business market. Lenovo will have to do better than $399 to compete with them.

Lenovo Retools ThinkCentre Business Desktops for Smaller, Lower Cost Options

RESEARCH TRIANGLE PARK, NC – March 10, 2009: Lenovo today announced that it is retooling its desktop PC portfolio to give customers two new, smaller, lower cost options. Lenovo’s new ThinkCentre A58 brings small-to-medium-business customers reliable, secure and affordable desktop technology in a new design, while the ThinkCentre M58e provides the technologies and green features that mid-market and large companies need to stay productive and efficient. With more customers demanding smaller desktop PCs today, the desktops come in tower and small form factor models.

“Customers are feeling the pinch of the challenging economic times, and are demanding PC products that give them the most value for their dollar,” said Dilip Bhatia, executive director, global desktop marketing, Lenovo. “We’ve crafted the latest Lenovo ThinkCentre desktops to give them the essential technologies they need to stay productive, reliability features and service plans to stretch their dollar further and security options to protect their business.”

Security, Reliability and Efficiency

For two layers of protection, users can combine Lenovo’s Rescue and Recovery tool included with the desktops to help in recovering and restoring lost files along with Lenovo’s Online Data Backup service to keep data backed-up in a secure, off-site location. Preloaded on both desktops, customers can try the service free with up to 5 GB of storage for 90 days.

The new desktops provide the security businesses require with features such as a fingerprint reader on several optional Lenovo keyboards for easy password management, I/O port disablement to help protect against external threats and a chassis intrusion switch to help detect tampering in the PC.

With select EPEAT Gold-rated models and models that already meet the Energy Star 5.0 criteria, which take effect in July, the ThinkCentre M58e desktop helps large enterprise customers ensure their PC technology is among the most energy-efficient and environmentally responsible on the market. For companies with large fleets of PCs, the savings can quickly add up. A ThinkCentre M58e desktop combined with a ThinkVision L1940pW monitor can save organizations approximately $40 a year over previous Lenovo desktop and monitor solutions.¹ Additionally, both the ThinkCentre M58e and the ThinkCentre A58 desktops are GREENGUARD certified, meaning they have been tested for up to 2,000 different chemical emissions.

Value-Added Tools Help Manage PC Investment

Most businesses purchase PC technology as an investment to be managed over several years. However, Gartner reports that only 13 to 16 percent of the total cost of PC ownership over the lifecycle of the PC comes from initial hardware costs, and the rest are software and ongoing management costs.² The new ThinkCentre A58 and M58e desktops help organizations manage both upfront hardware costs and ongoing management costs in several ways.

Lenovo has engineered unique, ThinkVantage Technologies on the ThinkCentre M58e and Lenovo Care tools on the ThinkCentre A58 that are included in the cost of the PC. These tools help companies avoid IT costs and lost productivity associated with individual PC usage in SMB environments, such as data recovery, as well as issues IT managers in large corporations face such as IT help desk calls, password resets, asset management and more.

Lenovo includes a variety of tools on the desktops such as Rescue and Recovery to help recover and restore files and Power Manager to easily manage and remotely control a PC’s energy usage even when it is turned off. They also include Client Security Solution, Client Security Password Manager and more.

“All of our customers have different computing requirements, but with Lenovo’s ThinkVantage Technologies (TVTs) we have the tools to service their varying needs,” said Andrew Shannon, regional vice president of sales, MCPc. “We use the TVTs with almost every customer to help build and deploy images. We have over 40 customers that we’ve helped deploy TVTs in the last several months with an emphasis on ImageUltra, Rescue and Recovery, Access Connections (laptop only) and Power Manager. It continues to be our underlying goal to help them and us save time and money.”

IT administrators can deploy and manage Lenovo ThinkVantage Technologies across a fleet of PCs through purchasing LANDesk software. Additionally, the ThinkCentre M58e desktop offers platform stability of up to 15 months for corporate customers who may deploy technology over an extended period of time.

Essential Technologies

The desktops feature technologies including choices of:

Intel Core2Quad and Core2Duo processors

Onboard Direct X10 graphics support

Support for up to 1TB of storage

Up to 4 GB memory

Blu-Ray or DVD burners

Ongoing Service and Support

Lenovo offers a variety of warranty options as well as its ThinkPlus Priority support service plans

which give customers 24×7 technical support and priority call routing, among a host of other features and tools. For those in-the-middle-of-the-night scenarios, ThinkPlus Priority support can help support critical business needs while helping businesses reduce or eliminate the need for around the clock IT staff, which can translate into significant cost savings.

For complete lifecycle management, Lenovo offers custom imaging and deployment, as well as Asset Recovery Services, a solution that provides for computer take-back, data destruction, refurbishment and recycling. Customers can also recover value from their old PCs which can then be used toward the purchase of new ones.

Pricing and Availability³

The ThinkCentre A58 and M58e desktops will be available at the beginning of April with models starting at $399. They will be available through business partners and www.lenovo.com.

PC case looks like an old-school VCR

Doug Aamoth — Tue, 03 Mar 2009 15:40:00 +0000

Yes, you could absolutely build a PC into an actual old VCR that you don’t use any more but this solution seems far easier if you’re willing to part with some of your money. I tried building a computer into an old VCR once but I gave up after figuring out how many holes I’d have to punch just to get everything to line up.

If you’re looking to build a cool-looking media PC, though, and you want to kiss it with a bit of nostalgia, this barebone system from Maplin in the UK might do the trick. You add your own RAM, hard drive, keyboard, mouse, and monitor to the preinstalled Intel motherboard and CPU.

There’s a built-in Intel GMA 900 graphics chip with an included HDMI output and a DVB-T tuner so you can get your DVR functions all up and running. That means this setup’s a Europe-only affair unless you have the wherewithal to replace that DVB-T thing with an ATSC device that’ll work with TV signals here in North America.

The Barebone Media Entertainment PC is on sale for £149.99 ($211.50 US), down from £249.99. It’s currently out of stock but this price will be good until March 17th.

Barebone Media Entertainment PC [Maplin via Red Ferret]

Homebrew boombox PC

Scott Merrill — Thu, 19 Feb 2009 16:00:08 +0000

Joey Hess, a developer contributing to Debian GNU/Linux, has shoehorned a fully functional PC into a portable boombox stereo. Two USB ports are embedded in what used to be the CD eject button, and the computer’s LEDs are visible where the CD slot used to be. The tape deck has been repurposed to provide access to a 4-port USB hub. “Hit Stop/Eject to change USB keys. :-)” You can see a thumb drive sticking out from the tape slot in the photo above!

Hess has his minimal build instructions online, and reports that the work took him three days, for a total cost of under $100. The QNAP computer Hess used is no powerhouse, but it’s perfectly suited for the task at hand: feeding audio from a hard drive to the boombox’s speakers.

OpenTech, Apple clone makers, now selling themselves on eBay

John Biggs — Tue, 04 Nov 2008 19:58:34 +0000

Good news! You can now buy OpenTech’s website, good2beopen.com (!!!) and assets for $52,000. But if you’re sneaky, you can start bidding at about $35,000 and rock out when the bidding ends in seven days. Looks like no one decided to bite in August when they tried to sell themselves the first time.

As you know Open Tech has been up for sale on the Open Tech Site. (good2beopen.com) if you go to the Open Tech Site you will see that it says we have posted an PayPal verified Secure eBay listing. Hello, the company Open Tech is still up for sale, but know on ebay. The items included in the price are:
-Sole ownership of the Open Tech Name
-The Open Tech Website and Web servers
-Trade Secrets for the Open Tech Home & XT
-Press Contacts -Corporate documents including logos
*The only Physical items that will be sent are Corporate documents and Legal Paperwork. And a USB Flash drive that contains all company information. (Logos,Pictures,Web Server Information)
A legal contract will be sent to the purchaser of Open Tech which has been signed off by the Owner of Open tech allowing full ownership of Opentech.

This is pretty hot, folks: a kind of crappy domain, IP that is available online, and “press contacts” that probably consist of bloggers like us. Rock and roll, people. Let’s all pool a dollar and put these boys out of their misery.

Review: VIA Artigo Pico-ITX Builder Kit A1000

Jeremy Kriegel — Tue, 04 Nov 2008 17:51:49 +0000

Say you needed a small PC with low power requirements to install inside a car or even inside a PCs drive bay. Well, friend, you should consider $300 VIA’s Artigo Pico-ITX. This tiny thing out-minis the Mac Mini and can run fast enough to put some of your older PCs to shame.

The Pico is an ultra-lightweight compact PC marketed to hobbyists and PC enthusiasts alike. It’s about half the size of a DVD-Drive and will even fit in a spare 5.25” drive slot – it even has the necessary mounting holes). Exact measurements are 5.9 x 4.3 x 1.8 inches (15 x 11 x 4.5 cm) and it weighs around one pound.

Suffice it to say, the unit is tiny for a functional PC. The Pico-ITX has 4 USB ports, a power button (with proper click action), power & HDD indicators, audio jacks, a standard VGA connector and standard Ethernet port; all within a vented high luster black case. There are also a slew of cables to connect up any other things you may need like a ps2 keyboard or DVD-Drive. The overall construction feels solid.

Our review unit came with a hard drive, RAM and embedded OS, but you will need to supply those separately for the retail units. There’s just the right amount of space for a standard 2.5” IDE hard drive and one memory module (uses SO-DIMM DDR2 533 MHz module). The maximum supported memory is 1GB – not much by today’s standards, but enough to run most applications.

Once connected, the system booted up into Windows CE Embedded 6.0 in around 15 seconds – not bad. Sadly, Windows CE 6.0 just doesn’t cut it unless you need a super light weight OS. Getting XP installed was a pain, but it can be done without a CD. Linux is also supported. VIA’s support website mentions that Vista is unsupported at this time – but considering the overall spec for this, performance would be abysmal. Noise levels were negligible.

Built around a VIA Esther (C7) CPU clocked at 1 GHz the Pico can accomplish many smaller tasks just fine. Geekbench rating for this kit was 384. Note: I wouldn’t use this to recode video, but it’s perfect as a mini media center for a car or for a home web server. One of the most attractive features is the low power consumption. With power consumption around 13 Watts (20W loaded) the Pico will cost less than $25 to run non-stop for a year.

Bottom Line
While this is not going to break any compute records, it is a solid platform to build upon.

Product Page

Dell kicks XPS One line up a notch with 24-inch LCDs

Doug Aamoth — Thu, 30 Oct 2008 15:00:00 +0000

The Dell XPS One line of all-in-one PCs has added two new models, each with 24-inch screens (the other models have 20-inch screens) and 4GB of RAM, standard.

One starts at $1,699 and features a quad-core Intel Q8200 processor, Vista Home Premium, DVD burner, 4GB of RAM, 320GB SATA hard drive, integrated Intel GMA X4500HD graphics, and a SoundBlaster Audigy HD sound card.

The other starts at $1,999 and includes everything mentioned above except it’s got a 750GB SATA hard drive and a 512MB NVIDIA GeForce 9600M GT video card.

CrunchDeals: $400 off $999-and-up HP desktops

Doug Aamoth — Fri, 24 Oct 2008 15:00:00 +0000

I actually found it kind of difficult to spec an HP desktop up over $999 but if you’re able to swing it, you can get $400 lopped off the top by using coupon code DT7708 at checkout. Be advised, though, that the d5000 series and the TouchSmart series aren’t eligible for the savings.

The coupon code will last until its been redeemed 900 times, so keep that in mind if you’re the type of person who tends to either dawdle, dilly-dally, or both. Not a bad deal if you’re looking to load up on a new desktop.

HP Shopping [via dealnews]

CrunchDeals: Decked-out HP desktop for $649.99

Doug Aamoth — Wed, 01 Oct 2008 16:20:00 +0000

If you’re still into desktop PCs, have I got a deal for you. You can get an HP Pavilion m9400t with 4GB of RAM, a 320GB hard drive, and a Blu-ray drive for $649.99, which includes free shipping. Here’s what to do:

Hit this link right here to go to HP’s shopping site.
Click on the "Customize & Buy” link next to “Base configuration."
Change the operating system to the 64-bit version of Vista Home Premium (it’s the second selection).
Grab the free upgrade to 4GB of RAM.
Add the Blu-ray DVD player & Lightscribe SuperMulti DVD burner for $150.
Use coupon code DT4523 to get $400 off of the $1049.99 purchase price – the coupon only works for stuff over $999.

Enjoy!

HP Pavilion Elite m9400t [shopping.hp.com via dealspl.us]

Thermaltake Xpressar RCS100: Fridge-like cooling

Doug Aamoth — Thu, 25 Sep 2008 16:15:00 +0000

The Thermaltake Xpressar RCS100 is basically a mini-fridge PC case, keeping the insides at a cool 50 to 70 degrees. How is this possible? I have no idea, except that it’s “the world’s first DC inverter-type micro refrigeration cooling system,” according to the Inquirer. Also, it looks pretty clean inside — not as many tubes and whatnot as a typical water-cooled system.

The first systems will work to cool Intel’s Core 2 Extreme chips. Thermaltake is developing support for dual CPU and even GPU cooling as well. Everything’s still being tested, so no word on price or availability yet but it should maybe fall somewhere in between water cooling and VapoChill setups.

Shuttle D10 with 7-inch LCD touchscreen

Doug Aamoth — Thu, 18 Sep 2008 15:30:00 +0000

My personal jury is still out when it comes to computers with built-in touchscreens. On laptops, sure, go for it. On desktops, eh, I don’t know. Take the Shuttle D10, for instance. It’s got a 7-inch LCD screen built into it. Okay, I guess, but the screen’s only got an 800×480 resolution according to Akihabara. You’re gonna need to hook a monitor up to it no matter what.

I could see this kind of thing being useful for, say, a car PC project or maybe, just maybe, a media center-type thing. As far as pricing and availability goes, it appears that the D10 will be available in Japan this week with configurations starting at just under $500 US. Not sure if or when it’d make it stateside, though. Most of the Shuttle stuff ends up here sooner or later, though, so we might actually see this thing.

Specs:

Choice of Core 2 Duo E4000 series, E2000 series, or Celeron 400 series CPU
2GB RAM
4 USB ports

No mention of an actual monitor output, so you may have to add your own graphics card if you want to use more than just the 7-inch screen.

[via Akihabara]

Odd Iogear KVM cable is actually pretty cool

John Biggs — Mon, 25 Aug 2008 15:45:47 +0000

I’m a huge KVM fan. I followed them all through high school and was really upset when the broke up. Not a lot of people could do proto-punk-reggae like those guys and even 311 don’t hold a candle to their work. That said, this is another kind of KVM. It’s essentially a USB cable that you connect to two computers. The host computer can then bring up the guest computer’s desktop and you can drag and drop files back and forth.

When would you use this thing? If you had a PC at home and wanted to connect a laptop, for example, or if you wanted to run multiple PCs at once. It is a true Keyboard-Video-Mouse switch simply because you use the host’s keyboard to control the guest.

The $129.95 device is available now and even has a midpoint USB slot for adding external storage or a printer.

IOGEAR Introduces Industry-First KVM Switch Enabling
Control of a Second Computer with a Laptop
Allows users to conveniently transfer files between machines

Irvine, CA – August 25, 2008 – Consumers can now easily access another computer
using their laptop with IOGEAR’s USB Laptop KVM Switch. The product is the first KVM
switch that enables a laptop to replace the traditional keyboard, mouse and monitor on
a second computer. The product is on display at RetailVision, August 25-28, 2008, at
booth #603.

For on-the-go users, the USB Laptop KVM Switch provides file transfers and convenient
switching between a desktop or a secondary laptop. The product simply connects two
computers via USB 2.0 ports and enables individuals to manage both computers with
the laptop. The product also comes with built-in file transfer utility software that lets
consumers drag and drop files or create backup copies between machines.

In addition, the USB Laptop KVM Switch contains an integrated USB 2.0 port to connect
devices, such as printers, scanners, external hard drives, digital cameras, speakers,
MP3 players and Webcams, which users can access directly from the laptop. Using a
laptop as the console eliminates energy- and space-consuming desktop keyboards,
monitors and mice. The USB Laptop KVM Switch also features desktop scaling that
modifies the desktop computer’s resolution to be compatible with a laptop screen.

“Our USB Laptop KVM Switch provides laptop users a simple space- and device-saving
solution compared with traditional KVM switches. It also makes file sharing easy,
sparing users from having to set up a network,” said Miranda Su, executive vice
president at IOGEAR. “We strive to develop innovative technologies that address
growing consumer needs. The laptop is the preferred device for mobile computing and

we make it easier for road warriors to bridge the gap between their on-the-go, home and
work lives.”

The USB Laptop KVM Switch is compatible with Windows® 2000, XP and Vista
operating systems. The product is available immediately for $129.95 MSRP from all
major catalog and online resellers, as well as select retail outlets.

For further information on IOGEAR and its connectivity solutions, please visit
www.iogear.com. To subscribe to an RSS feed of IOGEAR press releases, please go to
http://lewiswire.com/us/index.php?client=15 and click on ‘Subscribe to RSS’.

About IOGEAR
IOGEAR, Inc., headquartered in Irvine, CA, offers innovative technology solutions that are fun, stylish and
help people enjoy daily life. A consumer electronics leader, the company provides a range of KVM
(Keyboard, Video, Mouse) and KVMP (Peripheral), Connectivity, Networking, A/V Digital Home, Mobility
and Desktop solutions.

IOGEAR’s products decrease office clutter and energy consumption, reduce electronic waste, enable
computer sharing at home and in the office as well as enhance mobility and efficiency when on-the-go. As
one of the only true manufacturers in the industry, the company offers high-quality solutions backed by
the service and support that consumers demand. Additionally, IOGEAR’s Customer Advocacy Team is
available any time day or night at 1-866-946-4327, providing assistance and welcoming feedback
regardless of time and location.

IOGEAR is an environmentally-conscious organization that emphasizes conserving natural resources to
employees and customers through its GREEN initiative. The company has a dedicated timeline and list of
goals to achieve before the close of the decade to ensure its products are as eco-friendly as possible and
its packaging utilizes 100% recyclable and biodegradable materials.

Build your own Atom-based desktop PC (or Car PC)

Doug Aamoth — Thu, 14 Aug 2008 12:59:45 +0000

Here’s a nice little weekend project. You can pick up a barebone MSI Wind system (not the netbook, the desktop version) from Newegg for $140. It’s one of the first desktop systems to use Intel’s power-sipping Atom processor (1.6GHz). You’ll need to add RAM (it uses laptop RAM) and a hard drive (or CF card) to this kit, and maybe even a little Wi-Fi card if you’re feeling adventurous.

The board itself has an internal Compact Flash slot that shares an IDE channel, so you could stick a big CF card in there instead of a hard drive. That’s a nice touch right there. Maybe build a Car PC or something. There’s also a mini-PCI slot if you wanted to add that Wi-Fi card I mentioned in the previous paragraph. Might as well, huh?

MSI Wind PC Intel 945GC 1 x 200Pin Intel GMA 950 Black Barebone [Newegg]

iBuyPower releases a trio of video machines, holds a contest

John Biggs — Wed, 06 Aug 2008 20:20:53 +0000

The Bot

iBuyPower just released three PCs dedicated to handling and upload video. The Video Bot, Pro, and Extreme each use Pinnacle Dazzle DVD Recording Software and Adobe Premier Elements and the two highest end models, the Pro at $1,799 and the Extreme at $4,299, include Blu-Ray burners.

To win one of the PCs, entrants should pop over to WinAPC and submit their favorite gaming moments. Full spec sheet follows.

The Pro

El Monte CA – August 06, 2008 – iBUYPOWER, know for it’s innovative and powerful gaming PCs, is excited to
launch its new line of Video PC’s. The Video PCs’ are built with the amateur videographer on mind – individuals
who prefer to shoot video rather than stills, and post their experiences on sites like You Tube. The iBUYPOWER
Video PC line includes the Video Bot, Video Pro, and Video Extreme, which are priced at $1,299, $1,799, and
$4,299 MSRP respectively.

The Video Bot, housed in an NZXT Appollo case, features the Intel Core 2 Quad Q9300 CPU, nVidia 9800GT
GPU, and 4 GB of DDR-2 RAM. Customers looking for a little more power will find it in the Video Pro. iBuyPower
packed an Intel Core 2 Quad Q9550 processor, ATI HD 4850 graphics card and 8 GB of DDR- 2 RAM into a
Gigabyte Poseidon case.

The Video Extreme however, is built to be just that – extreme. Housed in a Thermaltake Armor case, the Video
Extreme is stocked with the best components available – an Intel Core 2 Quad Extreme QX9770 CPU, ATI HD
4870 graphics card, 8 GB of DDR-3 1333 RAM, Blu-ray burner and a 1200W power supply.

“Millions of people visit sites like YouTube to share their videos everyday, yet before now no computer
manufacturer has built a pc dedicated to the needs of this community,” said Darren Su, Vice President of
iBUYPOWER. “We decided it was time to provide these aspiring filmmakers with a professional video editing
solution.”

All three of the iBUYPOWER Video PCs come with Adobe’s Premier Elements 4.0 editing software, built-in 8
channel surround sound, Microsoft Windows Vista Home Premium 64-Bit Edition, a 12-in-1 card reader/writer and
a 3 year limited warranty.

As part of the launch iBUYPOWER is giving away a Video Pro System, a $1,799 value, to the winner of the
Favorite Gaming Moments YouTube Contest. Contestants will upload videos they create of them reenacting their
favorite gaming moments. The contest will run through August with a winner being selected from a group of ten
finalists by the You Tube community in the second week of September. Visit www.iBUYPOWER.com/WinAPC
for contest details.

The Extreme

RSOL Jive PC could potentially run OS X if you want it to

John Biggs — Mon, 28 Jul 2008 19:43:29 +0000

Hey, friend! Want to make perhaps about $10,000? Why not try selling bare-bones Intel PCs and claim that they can run OS X or even, dare we say it, Ubuntu. Following in the footsteps of Psystar and iOpenTech, RSOL is offering an OSless PC, called the Jive, for $628 that you can then install OS X onto. How? They won’t say. They will say:

Due to the complex configuration of the RSOL PC Multi-Platform Desktop computer, installing or reinstalling the OSx86 operating system should only be performed by users who have a thorough understanding of the open source technology necessary that allows a modified version of Mac OS X® software to run on our models. RSOL PC provides no software support for your non-Windows operating system. NOTE: RSOL PC does not recommend, endorse or participate in the unauthorized distribution or illegal use of copyrighted software.

It seems that everyone with an OEM’s telephone number and a dream are now selling these OSless chaps. Do not be fooled: you could feasibly install OS X on any old PC. These folks aren’t selling anything special. They do, however, have a horrible name: “Can I get my money back?” “YeRSOL.”