Prebuilts Article (2)
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Prebuilts News (137)
Psystar Countersues Apple
Category: PrebuiltsPosted: August 26, 2008 09:33PM
Author: Dale Shuck
In a high-tech version of the man-bites-dog story, Mac clone builder Psystar has gone on the offensive against Apple. The Miami-based company was originally sued by Apple for building computers that came with its Leopard operating system pre-installed. Instead of rolling over, Psystar retained the services of a high profile Silicon Valley law firm that had successfully fought Apple in the past. Today Psystar returned fire by filing a countersuit against Apple claiming it is in violation of the Sherman and Clayton Antitrust Acts, specifically the fact that Apple's EULA forbids installing the Mac OS X operating system on non-Apple hardware, effectively bundling the hardware and operating system which Psystar is claiming is unlawful restraint of trade.
Short-Lived Clone Maker Up for Grabs
Category: PrebuiltsPosted: August 25, 2008 10:47AM
Author: Dale Shuck
When Open Tech announced it was building computers capable of running most popular operating systems, it was implied to mean Apple’s OS X as well although the company was not offering to sell its clones with the OS pre-installed a la Psystar. Now, just a month later, the only thing available for sale on the Open Tech web site is the company itself. You can have everything including the web site, the company name, trade secrets etc. for only $50,000. To make things even easier, the web site offers a PayPal link. Once your payment has been processed, Open Tech promises to send you all the information by e-mail or fax. This doesn’t sound fishy at all. Or should I say ‘phishy’?
Upstart Psystar Still Shipping Open Computing Mac Clones
Category: PrebuiltsPosted: August 14, 2008 06:55AM
Author: Dale Shuck
When tiny Psystar began building and selling Mac clones, many wondered about the legitimacy of the business. Once the wrinkles were ironed out and customers began receiving product the next round of speculation centered on how long it would take Apple to react and shut down the Miami-based company. Apple did finally file suit in California seeking, among other things, that Psystar cease operations and recall all existing units. Instead of rolling over, Psystar is sticking to its guns and retained a high-powered group of Silicon Valley attorneys that have successfully done battle with Apple in the past. In the meantime, Psystar says it is still in business and still shipping computers to customers. In a further challenge to Apple, Psystar also said it has begun making Leopard OS restore discs available to its customers free of charge.
Portugal to Get 500K Intel Classmate PCs
Category: PrebuiltsPosted: July 31, 2008 09:58AM
Author: Dale Shuck
Portugal and Intel reached an agreement that will send a half million of Intel's Classmate PCs to the country. Portugal intends to distribute the PCs to elementary school children as part of its Magellan Initiative. The units will initially be second-generation Classmates based on Intel's Celeron processors but will eventually switch to units using the newer Atom processor. The agreement represents a significant boost to Intel's Classmate design and is one of the largest deployments to date. It also may represent a blow to the One Laptop Per Chip initiative and its competing XO laptop. The OLPC project last reported having shipped a total of around 600,000 units. Intel was at one time signed up with the OLPC project but broke from the group after experiencing several disagreements and decided to strike out on its own with the Classmate.
Voodoo Eaten By HP's Consumer Division
Category: PrebuiltsPosted: July 26, 2008 03:50PM
Author: Chris Benjamin
When PC maker Hewlett-Packard bought boutique gaming rig builder Voodoo PC two years ago, many loyalists feared that HP would eventually just slap the Voodoo moniker on any average computer and market it towards the gaming segment - complete with the higher "gaming" price tag. Those fears may be much closer to realization, as HP has announced that Voodoo PC has reached the end of the line as a standalone brand, and will now be folded into HP's consumer unit where it will sell alongside the company's more bland offerings like the Pavilion and Compaq Presario. Voodoo is putting a positive spin on the move, saying that it will result in an enhanced retail presence benefitting from HP's powerful marketing machine.
Second Company to Offer Mac Clones
Category: PrebuiltsPosted: July 25, 2008 07:52PM
Author: Dale Shuck
Taking a couple of pages from Apple clone make Psystar's play book, another company is set to begin offering computers capable of running the Mac OS X operating system. Notice how we said "capable of running". That's because the company, Open Tech Inc., is either more cautious or a little wiser based on Psystar's experience and will not be selling systems with the Mac OS pre-installed. They're going to be leaving that up to the user in an effort at an end run around the Apple EULA which prohibits installing Mac OS X on non-Apple supplied hardware. In what may be a case of legal hair splitting, Open Tech claims users are allowed to install a legally purchased copy of OS X on a modified system. Somewhat akin to the mystery surrounding Psystar when it first began selling Mac clones, Open Tech is being pretty secretive and doesn't list its phone number or mailing address on its web site. Similar tactics by Psystar initially led to much speculation on that company's legitimacy. Open Tech is offering two machines for sale. The first machine, Open Tech Home, comes equipped with a dual-core Intel Pentium processor, with 3GB memory, discrete graphics card and a 500GB hard drive for $620. Their second offering ups the processor to a Core 2 quad-core processor, 4GB memory, discrete graphics and a 640GB drive for $1,200. It looks as if Apple's legal team will have yet another target in its sights soon.
Apple Sues Clone Maker Psystar - Finally
Category: PrebuiltsPosted: July 15, 2008 10:24AM
Author: Dale Shuck
A few months ago, Florida-based computer maker Psystar roused quite a bit of interest on the Internet when it began selling Apple clone machines. There was lots of speculation on the legitimacy of the company and whether the computers were actual products, or just another web-based scam. When Psystar ran into payment processing issues the controversy intensified. Most of those fears were eventually put to rest as Psystar began shipping actual machines. Speculation then turned to how Psystar was going to be able to get away with selling a clone of Apple's computers as Apple is well known for jealously protecting its intellectual property. You can put those doubts to rest as well as Apple has finally filed suit in Federal District Court in Northern California. The suit was filed July 3 and is just now becoming public news.
Dell Introduce Studio Line Of Notebooks
Category: PrebuiltsPosted: June 26, 2008 10:32AM
Author: Ben Grantham
The new Dell Studio 15 and Studio 17 notebooks will be available to buy later on this week, and aim to fill the gap between the company's low end Inspiron models and top end XPS line. They will come in 15.4" or 17" form factors and feature Core 2 Duo T9300 processors (2.5GHz), the Intel 965GM/PM chipset and the option of Intel integrated graphics or a 256MB ATI Mobility HD 3650. Screen resolutions are a respectable 1440x900 or 1920x1200, with both models coming with the usual range of ports and wireless connections. The Studio 15 will be starting at $799 and the Studio 17 at $999. Oh and let's not forget that they look quite spiffy and come in an array of colors.
HP Packs GTX 280 SLi Into Blackbird 002 Exhilaration Edition
Category: PrebuiltsPosted: June 16, 2008 01:11PM
Author: Ben Grantham
As you will no doubt have noticed, NVIDIA released its latest GPU today in the shape of the GTX 280. HP is the first to announce it will be using a pair of the cards in its Blackbird 002 Exhilaration Edition PC, which also packs in an Intel QX9770 quad-core CPU, 790i Ultra motherboard and DDR3 memory. The CPU comes liquid cooled and the whole package makes for arguably the highest performance pre-built gaming PC you can currently buy, especially as we have already seen what a single card can do. Naturally, if you have to ask how much this will cost you, then you probably don't want to know. That'll be starting at $6,600 then.
Alienware Offer QX9770 At 4GHz
Category: PrebuiltsPosted: May 22, 2008 03:27PM
Author: Ben Grantham
When it comes to pre built gaming machines which pack in the latest technology, Alienware has one of the biggest reputations. While I'm sure that most of our members would agree that putting together something with your own two hands is much more satisfying (and generally cheaper), these systems offer a package for those less inclined to spend time researching components. Alienware is now relaunching its Area-51 ALX desktop and offering an overclocked Intel QX9770 as one of the options. The quad core chip comes water cooled and clocked at 4GHz, which is pretty respectable. There is a catch however, and that is you'll be looking at north of five and a half grand to configure such a system (ouch!). If you don't fancy the look of the Alienware, then Acer are also getting into the gaming desktop market, with the Aspire Predator. I think I'll stick to building my own.
Dell Says It A'int So - XPS Line to Continue
Category: PrebuiltsPosted: May 14, 2008 11:19AM
Author: Dale Shuck
Yesterday we reported on a Wall Street Journal article which stated that Dell would be dropping several of its systems from the XPS product line in order to focus on its Alienware brand of gaming machines. Yesterday evening, a blog post from Dell’s PR department refuted that article and said that XPS gaming systems are still an important part of Dell’s lineup and will remain in Dell’s product stable, contrary to what the WSJ reported. The post went on to confirm Dell’s intention to support both product lines and pointed out how XPS has expanded beyond the gaming markets using their XPS One all-in-one PC as an example.
Dell to Eliminate XPS Desktops
Category: PrebuiltsPosted: May 13, 2008 06:21AM
Author: Dale Shuck
Dell is set to eliminate several of its high-end XPS PCs in a bid to reduce costs and boost its Alienware brand of gaming machines. Dell is in the midst of a turnaround effort aimed at reducing costs and regaining ground it has lost to other makers such as Hewlett-Packard. After Dell acquired Alienware two years ago, it continued to market its own line of XPS gaming desktops that cannibalized sales from the Alienware lineup. Dell also plans to rejuvenate the Alienware image with updated designs and materials for the cases. There is still uncertainty over the ultimate fate of the XPS lineup as Dell has begun a marketing push of that line into the Asian market beginning in India. It may be that the cuts will only affect the Western markets. There was no indication about the fate of Dell's XPS notebooks.
Apple Updates iMac Product Line
Category: PrebuiltsPosted: April 28, 2008 10:00AM
Author: Dale Shuck
Apple released updated versions of its space saving all-in-one computers today featuring Intel Core 2 Duo processors. The processors from Intel's Penryn family of 45nm CPUs have a faster 1066MHz front-side bus and include 6MB L2 cache. The entry-level model contains 1GB 800MHz DDR2 memory and a 2.4GHz processor beginning at $1,199US. Other models come standard with 2GB memory and start at $1,499 for a 2.6 GHz CPU and range on up to $2,199 for the 3.06GHz model. The top-end iMac comes equipped with a NVIDIA GeForce 8800 GS video card for improved graphics performance. Each unit sports the Leopard OS and comes with keyboard, display and Apple’s Mighty Mouse. Apple is also making a point of talking up the iMac's green side with its use of recyclables such as glass and high-grade aluminum and the fact that each model meets the latest in Energy Star 4.0 power consumption requirements.
Mac Clone Maker Has Apple Seeing Red
Category: PrebuiltsPosted: April 15, 2008 05:14PM
Author: Chris Benjamin
When the second coming of Steve Jobs commenced at Apple, Mac clone manufacturers were systematically put out of business - Steve obviously doesn't like competition. So, it should come as no surprise that Apple is trying to take a bite out of upstart clone maker Psystar, who offered a hardware setup slightly more powerful than a Mac Mini for $399. Psystar would also include a legitimate copy of Apple's OSX Leopard for an additional $155. In total, that's a $395 discount from the price of a pre-configured Mac Mini, for those keeping score. Because assembling and selling a computer bundled with an OS - Apple or otherwise - isn't illegal, Apple's lawyers seemed destined to lose this fight - that is, until Psystar offered to pre-install OSX Leopard for its customers. Deep in Leopard's End User License Agreement, the law-dogs found what would be Apple's legal foothold - from the EULA: "This License allows you to install, use and run one (1) copy of the Apple Software on a single Apple-labeled computer at a time." Since Psystar's Mac clones aren't "Apple-labeled computers", their policy of pre-installation violates the user contract. In response to Apple's legal threats, Psystar appears ready to dig in its heels, and has vowed to challenge Apple's "illegal EULA".
Thanks to kingdingeling for the tip on this story.
Liar, Liar, Pants on Fire!
Category: Mobile, Manufacturers, Monitors, PrebuiltsPosted: April 2, 2008 12:35PM
Author: Carl Dunham
Apple is facing a lawsuit over its new MacBooks due to a discrepancy in its advertising. Apple has been marketing the MacBooks with the slogan "Millions of Colors", when in fact it is only a little over 250,000 colors. In order to cut costs with MacBooks apple opted to use a 6-bit LCD versus an 8-bit, if they had gone with the 8-bit they would have been in the clear. A similar case came up last year when a pair of MacBook owners filed a suit against Apple for similar reasons. Apple eventually reached a settlement with the pair last month bringing the case to a close. Apple is not the first manufacturer to have problems similar to this, many including Dell, Viewsonic, Samsung and others have had court related problems with the marketing of their LCD's.
Intel Shows Off Atom Based Ultra Portables
Category: CPU's, Mobile, PrebuiltsPosted: April 1, 2008 07:41AM
Author: Ben Grantham
It is looking more and more like ASUS were a little ahead of the curve when it released its Eee PC, as it appears we are going to be seeing a wide range of very similar machines from a variety of manufacturers in days to come. In the run up to the Intel Developer Forum, Intel were displaying a few Atom based machines which bear more than a passing resemblence to the popular ASUS model. Of course, ASUS itself will be adopting the Atom in upcoming Eee PCs so other companies will be playing catch up on an established brand. Also, while unidentified in the original link, Engadget have fingered the third machine in the line up as MSI's Wind PC (the name being further proof that far eastern marketing departments are a little out of touch with western culture).
Cybernet to produce computers in a keyboard
Category: Mobile, Prebuilts, Small Form FactorPosted: March 30, 2008 10:56AM
Author: Andrew Robinson
What is it the 80s again? Cybernet Manufacturing Inc is producing computers in a keyboard just like you remember from the late 80s to mid 90s. (Amiga, Atari, Tandy anyone?) This time around things are slightly more advanced, The ZPC-GX31 uses Intel dual/quad core processors, can use up to 4GB of DDR2 and can house a SATA II hard drive up to 750GB. Essentially this thing is just a bulky laptop/notebook without a screen as it has a touchpad and uses mini PCI cards. Intel's G31 Express chipset provides the graphics and a Realtek AC'97 provides the audio. The unit has 4 USB 2.0 ports, 2 serial ports, a parallel port, (1) mini PCI express card slot , PS/2 keyboard and mouse ports and one (1) DVI monitor port. The system is 18.5"x9"x0.5-2.5" and has a 180W power supply making this unit weigh in at 8.5LBS (aprox. 4Kg). The baseline model starts at $699.
Mac Hacked in Two Minutes at CanSecWest
Category: Mobile, Prebuilts, Bugs / VirusPosted: March 28, 2008 07:52AM
Author: Dale Shuck
It took a security researcher just two minutes to hack into a MacBook Air in a contest held at the CanSecWest security conference. Under rules of the contest, contestants were to direct contest organizers to open emails or direct them to web pages in order to successfully crack the systems and read the contents of a certain file. Rules of engagement dictated the contestants could only take advantage of software preinstalled on the Mac. After visiting the web site, the researcher was able to seize control of the Mac. The researcher, Charlie Miller, walked away with $10,000 and the MacBook Air as prizes.
Sony Rescinds $50 Crapware Removal Fee
Category: Manufacturers, Prebuilts, General NewsPosted: March 24, 2008 06:51AM
Author: Chris Benjamin
Sony's "Fresh Start" initiative offered customers the chance to pay $50 extra to have their new machine "scrubbed clean" prior to shipping. Theoretically, this scrubbing would remove all of the usual bloatware, plus Sony exclusives like DRM-encrypted movies that require an additional $10 to unlock and play. While Sony is officially blaming the $50 charge on "internal miscommunication", I have to wonder whether Sony's decision was prompted by a consumer backlash as powerful as Coca-Cola felt when it introduced "New Coke". The upside here - other than Sony's wise policy reversal - is that we are again given proof that if sufficient numbers of consumers scream loudly enough, even the biggest corporate giant can be made to listen.
Eee PC Gets Desktop Model
Category: Manufacturers, PrebuiltsPosted: March 15, 2008 03:40AM
Author: Ben Grantham
ASUS obviously knows when its on to a good thing and ever since the original Eee PC turned out to be a big hit, it has been working on building the line-up of products based on the sub-notebook. We already have a new version of the Eee in the form of the Eee PC 900, but now you can add the Digital Home System EP20 to that list. The EP20 will run the same Linux OS found on the original Eee and features audio output and Dolby Digital Live capability. Other specifications aren't clear at the moment but there are guesses that it may be powered by Intel Atom chips, or possibly Celeron to start with. Of course the most important thing about the EP20 is that it is small, as well as quiet (24db according to ASUS). You can expect it to hit the market sometime during Q2.
Hardware Roundup: Monday Edition
Category: Video Cards, Motherboards, CPU's, Cases, Memory, Power Supplies, Mobile, Monitors, Prebuilts, Storage / Hard DrivesPosted: February 18, 2008 06:29AM
Author: Dale Shuck
Monday rolls around again and we have quite a few reviews in tour roundup this morning. For the video card section Fudzilla dissects the PowerColor HD 3850 1GB complete with a factory overclock and a ZEROTherm after market cooler. Also from the ATI camp Techgage reviews the ASUS EAH3870 X2 1GB. Moving over to the NVIDIA side, there is the Leadtek WinFast PX8800 GT ZL 512Mb Video Card from Madshrimps. This card also features a factory overclock and an after market cooler, but this one is from Zalman. If you're curious to find out how the upcoming 9600 series of cards from NVIDIA will perform you need to check out the NVIDIA GeForce 9600GT 512MB G94 review from TweakTown. We'll have to wait to see about NVIDIA's pricing and ability to deliver sufficient stock levels on this new card. PC Perspective returns with its latest news with the release of Podcast #22 - Skulltrail, NVIDIA buying AGEIA, AMD merger talk and more!. You've been treated to several articles in our roundup regarding Intel's new Skulltrail platform. Some of Intel's partners are also scheduled to release boards based on the the dual socket LGA771 configuration and HotHardware has the Asus Z7S WS Skulltrail Motherboard Exclusive Sneak Peek for your perusal. So where does that leave you if you want a single processor setup based on the LGA775 socket? Check out the Intel Core 2 Extreme QX9650 Quad Core Processor at Tech ARP. They also updated their Intel Core 2 Performance Comparison Guide to include the QX9650 numbers. For the latest in DDR3 memory, Overclockers Online evaluates the Patriot Viper Extreme 2x1024MB PC3-15000. Acrylic and home theater PCs are both segments of the specialty case market. Combine the two and you get the Sunbeam Acrylic HTPC Case and Overclocker Cafe checks it out. RBMods has a look at the Ultra X2 Extreme Edition 750W Power Supply. HotHardware also treats us to a look at a prebuilt performance system in their Maingear Ephex 3-Way SLI Gaming System review. ThinkComputers offers up a look at a pair of notebooks today with its Lenovo ThinkPad T61p 14.1-inch & 15.4-inch Laptops. With terabyte hard drives seeming to rule the roost in terms of size the sweet spot in terms of cost per gigabyte is in the 500GB-750GB models and ExtremeMHz has the Seagate 750GB SATA II Hard Drive up for review. With drive prices falling and storage requirements increasing perhaps its time to invest in a nice RAID array. The HighPoint RocketRAID 3120 at Bjorn3D is one way to achieve that goal without breaking the bank. PCSTATS has a look at the Samsung Syncmaster 275T 27-inch LCD Display, a sweet-looking display offering good ergonomic features and HDCP support.
Apple introduces the new Mac Pro
Category: Manufacturers, Prebuilts, General NewsPosted: January 9, 2008 12:47PM
Author: kingdingeling
Hardware Roundup: Friday Edition
Category: Video Cards, CPU's, Cooling, Power Supplies, Gaming, Prebuilts, CPU CoolingPosted: January 4, 2008 04:21AM
Author: Dale Shuck
Movie buffs out there will recognize the line "Round up the usual suspects" and that's just what we did today. We begin with the Sunon Waturbo Liquid Circulation Heatsink at FrostyTech. This heatsink is a bit unusual as it incorporates a liquid core with a magnetic impeller to help transfer heat away from the copper base. We found two reviews of the ASUS TOP Geforce 8800GT 512MB videocard, first at PCSTATS and then again at RBMods. Power supplies seem to be growing in capacity, and size. Do you really need a 1KW PSU or larger? Find out by watching the video review of the Silverstone OP1200 1200W at 3dGameMan and then check out the Antec TruePower Quattro 1000W Modular Power Supply at ThinkComputers. Tech ARP has updated their Desktop CPU Comparison Guide. TweakTown has a look at the GlacialTech IGLOO 5610 Series CPU Cooler. Before you install that new cooler check out the review of Tuniq TX-2 Thermal Compound from LAN Addict. We've been hearing about the problems AMD encountered with the new Phenom line of processors. To find out more about what's involved, read AMD's Phenom Processor - Beyond Erratum 298 from LostCircuits. PC Perspective takes the HP Blackbird 002 LC Gaming System out for a spin to see how HP's purchase of Voodoo PC worked out. Bjorn3D brings us a look at the VisionTek TV Wonder 650PCIe TV tuner card.
Sunon Waturbo Liquid Circulation Heatsink @ FrostyTech
Asus EN8800GT TOP Geforce 8800GT 512MB Videocard @ PCSTATS
Silverstone OP1200 1200W Power Supply @ 3dGameMan
Desktop CPU Comparison Guide @ Tech ARP
Why the Wii Zapper Sucks @ OCModShop
GlacialTech IGLOO 5610 Series CPU Cooler @ TweakTown
Antec TruePower Quattro 1000W Modular Power Supply @ ThinkComputers
Asus 8800GT Top Videocard @ RBMods
Tuniq TX-2 Thermal Compound @ LAN Addict
AMD's Phenom Processor - Beyond Erratum 298 @ LostCircuits
HP Blackbird 002 LC Gaming System @ PC Perspective
VisionTek TV Wonder 650PCIe @ Bjorn3D
Dell to Sell Computers Through Best Buy
Category: Manufacturers, PrebuiltsPosted: December 6, 2007 07:40PM
Author: Dale Shuck
First Wal-Mart and now Best Buy. Dell announced today that it will begin selling its Inspiron and XPS line of notebook and desktop computers through more than 900 Best Buy stores in the United States. Dell, best known for its direct sales model of doing business, has been looking for ways to expand the availability of its computer beyond direct sales and with this move, Dell computers will be available in nearly 10,000 stores world wide. Over the next few weeks, Best Buy will begin stocking the XPS M1330 and Inspiron 1421 and 1521 notebooks and the XPS One, and the Inspirion 530 and 531 desktops. Dell recently announced relationships with Carrefour in Europe, Staples in the U.S., Courts in Singapore, Gome in China, Bic Camera Inc. in Japan, Carphone Warehouse in the U.K. and Wal-Mart in the U.S., Canada, Brazil and Mexico.
News: Acer to acquire Gateway for $710 million
Category: Manufacturers, PrebuiltsPosted: August 27, 2007 07:56AM
Author: Dale Shuck
Acer plans to acquire Gateway in a deal valued at $710 million. This looks like a done deal, pending government approval, as it's been approved by the board of directors of both companies. Once the deal is completed, Acer should wind up as the world's number three PC maker. The deal also effectively puts an end to Lenovo's plans to acquire Packard Bell. The way that works is Gateway acquired eMachines in 2004 and has the right of first refusal to buy the remaining shares of Packard Bell from eMachines founder, who is the largest shareholder in Packard Bell. Along with this deal, Gateway announced plans to exercise that right and acquire those shares at an undisclosed price.
News: So That's What The New iMac Looks Like
Category: Manufacturers, PrebuiltsPosted: August 9, 2007 05:31AM
Author: Ben Grantham
"Our spankin' new fully-loaded 24-inch fourth gen iMac just arrived via FedEx, so for those that can't get enough of the most aluminum and glass clad Apple PC to date, we've got a ton of pics for you to pore over. Some first impressions on the device: The friendly, white packaging betrays the slick sense of style of the machine inside; Its 2.4GHz Core 2 Duo and full-size drive is way snappy -- the machine boots from cold to desktop in 26 seconds....."
News: Linux on Lenovo Laptops
Category: Operating Systems, Software, PrebuiltsPosted: August 6, 2007 12:00PM
Author: Ben Grantham
"Linux was first released to the public almost 16 years ago and was developed by Linus Torvalds, who wanted to create a non-commercial alternative to an operating system used in many universities. Linux can be freely distributed, modified and used by anyone who wants it. It is predominantly used to power web servers and while its growth on desktop computers has been limited to technology specialists, its adoption by Lenovo and Dell points to wider acceptance."
News: Is This The New iMac Keyboard?
Category: Manufacturers, PrebuiltsPosted: July 27, 2007 08:18AM
Author: Ben Grantham
"It certainly appears to share the key design of the MacBook like we heard but seeing "Photoshop" in the exif data doesn't give us a high degree of confidence here. Regardless, a forum jockey over at the Rhapsody Apple forum in Hong Kong will sell you the keyboard (s/he has more than one) for 1,200 of the local stuff or about $153.40. Word to the wise, the consensus amongst rumor sites shows the new iMac coming as early as August 7th so you might want to hold onto that wad for a few more days to see what happens."
News: Are Desktops in the Corporate World On the Way Out?
Category: Mobile, PrebuiltsPosted: July 20, 2007 08:17AM
Author: Josh Jones
I can't say I'm overly surprised to hear this. According to some industry analysts, laptop computers are on their way in the door to take the place of the once-solid desktop computer. Overall computer shipments are expected to increase over 12% this year, with laptop demand increasing 28%. Some analysts predict that by the end of Q3'07, laptops will make up approximately 50% of computer shipments in the United States. The article goes out of its way to say that the main reasons for desktop to stay in the corporate arena are because they are easier to upgrade and easier to secure so that no information can be stolen. As we have seen on countless occasions over the past couple of years, laptops that contain sensitive information being stolen is not unheard of. - Lo *News Editor*
"The trend toward notebooks is greatest in the weathiest, most developed countries where both corporate and consumer customers can afford the $200-$300 premium for a notebook that is comparably equipped to a desktop. On the consumer side, many families replace an older desktop with one or more notebooks, says O'Donnell. The fact that many colleges require students to purchase notebooks also drives this trend."
News: HP Still No.1 PC Supplier
Category: Manufacturers, PrebuiltsPosted: July 19, 2007 07:11AM
Author: Ben Grantham
"Dell has taken a hard fall, though it's at least taken steps to recovery. The Round Rock, Texas-based PC maker, in trying to reclaim its momentum with consumers is now offering a line of its PCs in Wal-Mart stores, a fairly bold move and a departure from its traditional sales model. On the other hand, adding color to its notebook lineup, announced last month, is a bit of a me-too effort. In both cases there hasn't been enough time to see whether pink laptops or Wal-Mart's pull with shoppers have had any real effect on demand for Dell PC products."
