HP Launches New Compaq 8200 Elite All-In-One PC

Just a few days after announcing that it was planning to shut down its PC business, HP has launched an all new all-in-one desktop aimed specifically at business customers.



Branded the HP Compaq 8200 Elite, this computer comes with a 23-inch HD LED display as well as your choice of either Windows 7 Professional, Ultimate or Home Premium as your operating system.



While all-in-one computers like this aren't really breaking stories, this one is a bit of a surprise given HP's previously reported stance on computers. HP announced last week that it would discontinue its TouchPad tablet and basically shutter its WebOS operation.



In addition to that, HP also stated that it is looking to find a new direction for its PC business, the Personal Systems Group (PSG), as it refocuses the attention of its business around software solutions instead.



According to a statement that was recently released by HP, "HP will consider a broad range of options that may include, among others, a full or partial separation of PSG from HP through spin-off or other transactions."



The HP Compaq 8200 Elite is the first device from the company to use Intel's second generation Core vPro technology in order to boost performance and hard drive access. Moreover, the device comes with a one year license to HP Virtual Rooms which allows you to set up online conference centers for meetings or presentations.



The HP Compaq 8200 Elite will also come with up to 8GB of memory, the option of solid state drives and hardware-based encryption. Employees will also find an integrated webcam as well as integrated speakers with SRS premium sound.



The HP Compaq 8200 Elite all-in-one computer is available now for a starting price of $999. This price nets you an Intel Pentium dual-core G850 processor as well as all the other standard features.



Source: CNET - Sweeping changes don't halt HP all-in-one PC launch

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Cutting Costs Sees an Increase in Profits for Dell

Good news recently came out of Dell as the computer company reported that its net income for the last quarter nearly tripled as Dell benefited from lower computer component costs and growth in certain areas of its more profitable product lines.

Dell's shares rose 5% in extended trading, beating analysts' adjusted net income estimates but coming a bit short of revenue estimates. For Dell's first three months, which ended on April 29th, Dell earned $945 million, which equals about $0.49 per share, which was higher than the $341 million, $0.17 per share of last year.

If you exclude one-time items, Dell earned $0.55 per share which easily beat the numbers expected by Wall Street. Analysts polled by FactSet estimated adjusted earnings of $0.43 per share. Revenue rose only 1% to $15.02 billion from $14.9 billion last year, which was short of the predicted $15.4 billion. Product revenue remained the same at $12.1 billion with services revenue rising 6% to $3.0 billion.

Dell's consumer section, which accounts for nearly 20% of the company's revenue, dropped 7% to $3.0 billion as well. Consumer demand also fell more than anticipated and in an interview, CFO Brian Gladden attributed some of the cause to "the market for consumer PCs being saturated in developed countries." He also added that "while tablet computers are still a small portion of the PC market, there's clearly an impact for them on consumer demand for traditional PCs."

Revenue from large enterprises increased by 5% to $4.5 billion with revenue from small and medium-sized businesses increasing 7% to $3.8 billion. Public sector revenue, on the other hand, saw a decline of 2% to $3.8 billion. Dell saw the biggest gain in servers and networking. In this category revenue rose 11% to $2.0 billion. Sales of desktop PCs fell 8% to $3.3 billion with mobile PCs rising 3% to $4.7 billion.

Dell has been working hard to increase their proportion of server computers, data storage devices and technology consulting services sold. According to Dell, these areas are more profitable than the company's base PC business. However, compared with one year ago, most of Dell's product categories accounted for nearly the same percentage of revenue and computers for consumers, and businesses continued to make up over half of Dell's revenue.

However, Dell's gross margin, which is still an indicator of the efficiency of Dell's business, came in at 22.9% which was higher than the 20.4% expected by analysts from Reuters. Dell's strategy of focusing on more profitable areas of business and cutting back on lower-margin offerings is working extremely well according to Gladden.

Andy Hargreaves, an analyst for Pacific Crest, thinks that Dell's gross margin is "impressive" and stated that "Dell should be able to keep it up for now." Hargreaves also stated, "They do have the potential to sustain margins long-term, but in order to do so they have to drive toward more services-oriented businesses."

Taking a look at this current quarter, Dell is predicting that revenue will rise by a percentage in the mid-single digits over the first quarter, slightly faster than its seasonal 2% to 3% growth. Analysts are expecting somewhere around $16 billion. Dell continues to expect revenue to grow 5% to 9% for the full fiscal year which implies a total of $64.6 billion to $67 billion with analysts expecting around $64.4 billion.

Dell saw shares rise $0.86, or roughly 5.4%, to a total of $16.76 in extended trading. The stock finished regular trading down $0.10 to $15.90.

Source: The Associated Press - Dell profit jumps as computer maker cuts costs

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Scientists Try to Make a Schizophrenic Computer

So, in my time as a blogger I have written about some pretty interesting things. I have also written about some pretty strange things and even some downright absurd things. However, this story may just be in a league of its own.

A recent study by researchers at the University of Texas in Austin along with researchers from Yale University was set on creating the thinking of a schizophrenic mind on a computer. Yeah, that's right, they are trying to make a computer a schizophrenic by using a virtual network.

Their research is based on something known as the hyperlearning theory of schizophrenia. This theory maintains that the disease schizophrenia stems from an inability to forget or ignore non-essential information.

In their work, the research teams taught a series of stories to a computer model known to them as DISCERN. Using natural language processing, the computer is able to map out the different stories in a manner similar to the human brain. In the researchers' model, a simulated dopamine release was used to mark significant information as DISCERN learned the stories. What this means is that DISCERN more or less forgot less and perceived more information as being important.

When the researchers asked DISCERN to recant the stories, the computer did so while producing strange and delusional narratives from the information it was given. According to the Science Blog, "After being re-trained with the elevated learning rate, DISCERN began putting itself at the center of fantastical, delusional stories that incorporated elements from other stories it had been told to recall. In one answer, for instance, DISCERN claimed responsibility for a terrorist bombing."

The Science Blog went on to say, "In another instance, DISCERN began showing evidence of "derailment" - replying to requests for a specific memory with a jumble of dissociated sentences, abrupt digressions and constant leaps from the first- to the third-person and back again."

Even though this study is very interesting and the computer did show similarities to actual schizophrenic symptoms that were disturbingly similar, DISCERN is not concrete proof of the hyperlearning hypothesis. It is simply a simulation and the relevance of the output is interpreted by humans. However, the unique approach to the study, modeling a cause of a brain disorder and comparing the results to actual cases, is stunning overall and could even prove to be a powerful new tool for doctors, psychologists and psychiatrists.

Source: Geekosystem - Scientists Attempt to Induce Schizophrenia on a Computer

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"Revolution: The First 2000 Years of Computing" Exhibit Opens at the Computer History Museum

Whether it be art museums, history museums, museums that focus on a specific event in history or some other kind, people love going to museums. However, the majority of museums are generally more fun for the elderly, buffs of the certain genre or elementary school field trips. But there is one museum that caters to a different type of visitor, a more technological visitor, the Computer History Museum, and this week they have something new for all the tech junkies out there.

This week the Computer History Museum opened a $19 million, 25,000-square-foot expansion with a new signature exhibition known as "Revolution: The First 2000 Years of Computing." This new exhibit, after being in development for over six years, represents the most comprehensive physical and online exploration of computing history in the world. It spans everything from the abacus and slide rules all the way to robots, Pong and the Internet.

According to John Hollar, CEO of the museum located in Mountain View, California, "Many times, people coming to the museum have very basic questions: 'How did that computer on my desk get there? How did that phone I've used for so long get smart?' It's an exhibition that's primarily aimed at a non-technical audience, though there's a ton of great history and information for the technical audience as well."

The exhibition has been specifically designed to be accessible to visitors in a multitude of ways. This includes documents, video presentations, over 5,000 images and 1,100 artifacts in 19 galleries. The exhibit also features hands-on interactive stations that will demonstrate the principles of computing like being able to pick up a 24lb Osbourne computer or playing a game of Pong, Pacman or Spacewar.

There are many key artifacts in the exhibit including a 1956 IBM 305 computer as well as its 350 hard drive, the first commercially available machine of its type which practically took up an entire room and only held 5MB of data. Guests will also get to see the console of a 1950 Univac 1, the first household computer, a complete installation of the original IBM System/360, the dominate technology in mainframe computing for nearly 20 years and a Cray-1 supercomputer which was the world's fastest from 1976 to 1982.

Guests will even get the opportunity to see "The Utah Teapot", the device graphics designer pioneer Martin Newell used as his 3D computer model at the University of Utah. The teapot became the standard reference for computer graphics and the more realistic the designers could make the teapot, the better their graphics engine was considered. The ENIAC, which was built during World War II and was the world's first large-scale computer to run at electronic speed, is also on display.

"This is one of the greatest electronic computers ever invented," stated Holler. "We've made this a very human story. We've tried to talk about not just what happened, but what mattered in history. What mattered often boils down to the people who were the great innovators and the problems they were trying to solve, and so much of the exhibit is devoted to those important stories."

The ceremonial opening, which took place yesterday, contained a number of technological legends like Apple co-founder and engineer Steve Wozniak, computer programming pioneer Donald Knuth, video game inventors Al Alcorn and Steve Russell and IBM's first female fellow Fran Allen. The galleries of the exhibit will have many legends of the computing world speak as part of a series entitled "Revolutionaries".

Guest can also partake of an oral history program with over 40 interactive stations featuring the legends of computing. The stations will contain archived interviews with pioneers like Chuck Thacker from Xerox's Palo Alto Research Center and John Atanasoff who built the first digital computer in 1939. Holler added, "We often say, 'wouldn't it have been great to have been able to talk to Michelangelo as he painted the Sistine Chapel?' We can do that."

The exhibit is open now and is sure to be the highlight of any computer or tech lover's trip to the museum. If you love technology, history, computers or all of the above, then this is one place you have to visit before you die. Put it on your bucket list or tattoo it to the inside of your eyelids. Do whatever it takes to remember to go and see this exhibit.

Source: PC World

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Mega-Collaboration Power with MultiMouse

Bartels Media has developed and recently released a program that allows up to 50 different Windows users to all control the desktop of one central computer. This can be extremely useful for collaborating, training, brainstorming, and document building.

So how exactly does this work? Well, MultiMouse uses a wireless or Ethernet connection that transmits each user’s mouse movements and text inputs. Other than having one of these two connections, no other additional hardware is necessary for MultiMouse to be completely functional. Also, so as to avoid confusion, each users cursor has a nametag so everyone will know who is sharing what.

This program is available at a starting price of $139. This version includes a five user license, but versions of the program can be purchased to accommodate up to 50 users. Teacher’s are even given an educational discount. To learn more about MultiMouse check out the trial version that can be downloaded the MultiMouse website.

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Gateway Upgrades Their ZX Series

On Wednesday, Gateway updated their ZX series that includes mid-ranged and high-end all-in-one desktop computers.

Now Gateway is offering their ZX4300 line with the option of AMD’s Athlon II X2 processor, and their ZX6900 with either Intel’s Core i3 or Core i5 processor. The ZX6900, which is one of Gateway’s high-end PCs, can also be equipped with a Blu-ray reading drive. Both of the series also offer touch-screen technology that works perfectly with the included Windows 7 Home Premium operating system.

The Gateway One ZX6900-01e now comes standard with an Intel Core i3-530 processor, 4GB of DDR3 memory, a 640GB hard drive, slot-loading Blu-ray player/DVD burner, integrated Intel GMA graphics, 802.11b/g/n Wi-Fi, and 23-inch widescreen touch panel that features 1,920 x 1,080 resolution. Also included are HDMI and eSATA ports that allow for more connectivity options. This PC is available from Gateway for $1,019.99.

The Gateway One ZX4300-01e is more of a mid-ranged desktop compared to the ZX6900. It features an AMD Athlon II X2 235e processor, 4GB of DDR3 memory, a 640GB SATA hard drive, DVD burner, integrated ATI Radeon HD 4270 graphics, 802.11b/g/n Wi-Fi, and 20-inch touch panel widescreen monitor with 1,600 x 900 resolution. This model is available through Gateway for $749.99.

Both of these desktops from Gateway include webcams and a variety of free software. They are both excellent PCs. The upgrades from Gateway are certainly a welcome change.

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The Apple iMac 27-inch (Core i7)

Desktop computers have been forced to change their faces in order to not be considered obsolete. They are constantly being outdone by the convenience and speed of laptops, notebooks, and netbooks. The Apple iMac 27-inch (Core i7) is a fantastic example of an multimedia, all-in-one desktop computer. In many ways, it resembles its predecessor, the Apple iMac that featured a Core 2 Duo processor, except this iMac 27-inch (Core i7) is much faster.

The Apple iMac 27-inch (Core i7) is designed very much like the rest of the iMac line from Apple. It features brushed aluminum which surrounds a black glass frame. Also included is a sturdy metal arm, that tilts in a variety of different directions and angles, that suspends the screen over your desk for a sophisticated look. The back of the iMac is described as “clean.” Helping this “clean” look is the fact that the iMac 27-inch (Core i7) comes standard with a wireless keyboard and mouse. The MagicMouse that is included with this desktop has a multi-touch surface that allows for clicking and swiping. The back panel of the computer has audio in/out jacks, four USB 2.0 ports, a FireWire 800 port, the Mini Display Port (in/out), and a Gigabit Ethernet port.

The iMac 27-inch (Core i7) features a vibrantly lit screen with 2,560 x 1,440 resolution. This allows for easy spreadsheet editing and presentation of projects. You can also simply plug in an external monitor to give you more screen space. This can be done by utilizing the Mini DisplayPort to hook up another monitor or device.

On the side of the iMac there is a slot-loading DVD player/burner. Unfortunately for some reason, Apple does not allow for the option of Blu-ray. This was one of the very few disappointments to be found with the iMac 27-inch (Core i7).

Included with your iMac is the iLife suite that is comprised of iPhoto, iMovie, GarageBand, and iTunes. These are some great programs that allow for immense creativity. The system comes standard with 4GB of DDR3 memory and can hold up to 16GB. To replace the hard drive it is necessary to take apart the iMac, so external expansion is the best way to go.

The iMac 27-inch (Core i7) runs on an Intel Core i7-860 processor with 2.8GHz that can be boosted up to 3.46GHz when it is necessary to provide more computing power. The Core i7 processor also supports HyperThreading which allows you to compute eight streams of data at once. This is a great computer for multimedia purposes. This iMac is also great for gaming. It features ATI Radeon HD 4850 graphics that allows for smooth gameplay.

The Apple iMac 27-inch (Core i7) is an extremely powerful multimedia desktop computer. It is fast, sleek, up-to-date, and feature-filled. The only possible drawback for most people would be the price tag. It is listed at $2,199 direct from Apple. That may seem like a lot to put out for a desktop computer, but for those that have the cash for such a purchase, they will be getting everything they could ever want from the iMac.

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Make Your Computer Last Longer

The average computer lasts anywhere from two-five years. Eventually, your computer will tear up beyond repair or become so out-of-date that you can no longer use the latest software or accessories along with it, and you'll have to begin the dreaded, inevitable search for a replacement. Buying a new computer is a hassle if you don't know exactly what you're looking for and you aren't familiar with what's current. And of course, with today's economy and job market, you're probably cutting corners whenever possible. New computers can be expensive. Here are a few tips on how you can make your current computer last longer.

If your computer is older and it's running well, there's no need to get rid of it just yet. If you're using it for simple tasks such as word processing, surfing the internet, or manging pictures, age shouldn't be much of a factor. Routine maintenance will keep your computer running smoothly, save you money, and maybe even extend the life of your PC.

The temperature can have a big impact on your computer and cause a lot of damage. Computers generate a lot of heat and at one time had to be stored in climate-controlled rooms. You don't need to keep your living room or home office at a set temperature, but you do want to keep your PC from overheating. Make sure it's not left in direct sun too long and make sure it's properly ventilated.

You'll also want to keep your computer clean. Extra dust on or around your PC can trap heat and making your cooling fan work even harder. This can lead to lots of wear and tear, and eventually to your fan giving out all together. Be careful where you place the computer. Putting the machine on the floor can lead to lots of dirt and dust build-up. Also avoid any rooms with heavy dust build-up. Of course, no matter how careful you are, your computer is going to accumulate some dust, so you might want to blow it out with compressed air every so often.

Laptops are becoming extremely popular and generally don't last as long as desktops. You may leave your laptop plugged in all the time, but leaving it plugged in is bad for your battery. Apple even recommends users don't keep their laptops constantly plugged in and use the battery at times. A typical battery lasts 300-500 charge cycles, but if you find your battery struggling to stay charged, replacing it is a good idea and an inexpensive way to prevent yourself from having to buy a whole new computer.

Restarting your computer is another way to keep things flowing. Most people reboot when they hit trouble, hoping for a fresh start when the computer comes back on and this is actually a good idea. However, many people also leave their computer running 24/7. There's no set time as to how often you should reboot, but rebooting can give your computer a fresh start, speed things up, and serves as a small refresher to your PC.

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Never Use These Passwords

Computer security is more important than ever these days and one of the most simple things you can do to protect yourself is come up with a password that is not easy to guess. Sure, it's tempting to come up with something easy for your own benefit; with all of passwords we have to remember these days, you probably find yourself forgetting your passwords if you don't keep careful documentation of them, but an easy password is like an invitation to anyone looking to steal your information.

According to researchers at the University of Maryland's James Clark School of Engineering in College Park, unsecured computers are hacked into over 2,000 times a day or every 39 seconds. Study leader Michel Cukier says it's a lot more common than you think, "Most of these attacks employ automated scripts that indiscriminately seek out thousands of computers at a time, looking for vulnerabilities. Our data provide quantifiable evidence that attacks are happening all the time to computers with Internet connections. The computers in our study were attacked, on average, 2,244 times a day."

Hackers are experts at coming up with passwords. For example, many people use their user name as their password. If you think you're being clever, guess again. 43% of the time, hackers are able to guess passwords by simply guessing that it's the user name. So what other kind of passwords are common and easily guessed? Below is a list of the ten most common passwords:

1. User Name
2. User Name with 123 at the end
3. 123456
4. the word "password"
5. 1234
6. 12345
7. passwd
8. 123
9. test
10. 1

If any of these sound familiar, you probably need to change your information immediately. In addition, you might want to reconsider your user name if it's one of these top ten common user names:

1. root
2. admin
3. test
4. guest
5. info
6. adm
7. mysql
8. user
9. administrator
10. oracle

Once a hacker gains access to your computer, any number of things can happen. According to the study, the first things they do are check your software configuration, change your password, check your hardware and software configuration again, download a file, install the downloaded program and run the downloaded program.

But why are they doing this? Often, they are creating a "botnet." A botnet monitors your computer and reports back to the hacker. They can lead to fraud or identity theft, disrupt other networks or damage computer files, and lots of other criminal activity.

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Safe Eyes 6.0 Parental Internet Control Program

There are a variety of different types of parental control programs out there right now. Some force your kids to behave themselves while utilizing the Internet by reporting all of their actions to you. Other programs tend to stress parent-child communication instead of using strict control. Now the majority of these programs fall somewhere in between these two extremes. There goal is to keep kids from mistakenly or purposely finding sights that you want them to stay away from. Safe Eyes 6.0 is taking the middle ground. It has been deemed a “family Internet manager,” meaning that it is trying promote parent-child communication while still keeping its protective features.

The new 6.0 version is set up in a much different manner than the previous Safe Eyes program. When you log into the administrator page, there is a list of topics such as Web sites, music, games, internet messaging, videos, etc. that you can view the history of. This new page is a lot easier to navigate as it is a lot less busy. Safe Eyes is for both Mac and Windows platforms, so instead of utilizing either platform’s standard help system, Safe Eyes has designed built-in help pages. It is also important to notes that unlike many other parental control programs, Safe Eyes works exactly the same on either a Mac or Windows platform.

User Profiles
With Safe Eyes, you are the given the ability to install your program on up to three computers in your household, and once you create user profiles, they will be shared on all the different computers. You can create up to 10 profiles with Safe Eyes.

The settings page will allow you to see an overview of the settings of each account, including the administrators account. Also on this page, you will be able to make any high-level changes that are necessary.

Internet Filtering and Searching
Safe Eyes conveniently gives you the ability to block dozens of websites without having to specifically go through and name all of those sites. Safe Eyes has a list of dozens of categories that you can block automatically. They also allow you to select an age range that will then automatically block certain categories that they believe to be generally inappropriate. You are also given the opportunity to chose low, medium, or high filtering under each category.

You can also turn on safe search which will not allow your child to see search results for certain terms that they might try to look up. Things that you may specifically block with safe search include any search that might have profanity, sexually-suggestive material, or any other thing you defined as “bad” for that user.

Videos and Music
On sights like YouTube, kids can find anything from news items to porn. Many parents may feel the need to just block this sight entirely, but Safe Eyes has worked hard to filter through sites such as YouTube. Safe Eyes will filter out any inappropriate content on YouTube by checking metadata, tags, titles, and YouTube’s “inappropriate” flagged content. Safe Eyes will also filter through movie and TV clips by examining their MPAA movie rating or FCC TV rating. You can easily customize which user can view what kind of rated content by determining whether they can see G and TV-G, PG and TV-PG, or PG-13 and TV-14. Safe Eyes monitors videos from sites like Hulu, ABC, NBC, FOX, and iTunes. With sites like iTunes, Safe Eyes will restrict your child from downloading songs that have explicit lyrics.

The activity report that can be found on the administrator’s page will show you all videos that have been watched by users and all of the videos that have been blocked from your child. On this page, you can easily view what your child has been watching by clicking on a thumbnail next to contents summary. This makes monitoring what your children are watching quite easy.

Instant Messaging and E-mail
Safe Eyes has come up with a unique way for you to be able to monitor your kids emailing. You are given the ability to block any e-mails that your child receives except from senders that you yourself have whitelisted. It will also allow you to see all of the messages that your child receives including those that have been blocked.

Safe Eyes has not yet developed anything that will monitor Facebook or Myspace chatting, but it does check up on AIM, MSN Messenger, and Yahoo! Messenger. If you choose to monitor your child’s web conversations, Safe Eyes will record every conversation that your child has online so that you can check up on them.

Game and Program Control
The control over the games that your child plays is quite easy to use. You can simply block any game websites that you don’t want your child to access. Choosing what programs you want your child to be able use is just as easy. Simply block all of the programs that you don’t want them to use and you’re set. Blocking games and programs is very straightforward with Safe Eyes, but the issue with Safe Eyes is that all kids have to do to get around the block is launch a renamed copy of the blocked program.

Protecting Your Personal Information
Kids have a tendency to sometimes reveal a little more personal information then you would like. You probably don’t want your child broadcasting things like your address and phone number, so what Safe Eyes does is let you decide what personal items you don’t want each child to be able to reveal. If your child violates the personal guidelines that you set down for them, Safe Eyes will alert you immediately. Although it would be nice if the program simply didn’t allow your child to post such information, at least it keeps you informed.

Instant Alerts
Safe Eyes gives you a variety of different ways to be notified when your child is violating the settings that you have set down for them. You can be notified via e-mail, phone, or text message. When you first set up all of the accounts on your computer, you choose a sensitivity level for each child. If that child reaches that sensitivity level then you will be immediately notified about what it is that triggered the alert.

Report Configuration
The administrator pages are very easy to navigate. Reports are stored by default. At first you will see the “today’s activity” page, but you can select any date range that you wish to examine. The main page gives you a basic summary of Web sites that have been blocked or allowed as well as the top searches and sites that have been visited. When you dig more deeply into the report, you can easily find all of the URL’s of the sites that have been visited or blocked.

On another page, you can see videos blocked and watched, music choices, and IM conversations, while in yet another section you can see all games and programs that have been used. On the social networking tab, you can view if your child has posted any personal information or profanity. Also, all of the e-mails that your child has received or sent can be viewed in a section as well.

Overall, Safe Eyes 6.0 is a very helpful and useful parental control program. It has a variety of different features that really do allow you to protect your child to the best of your ability. If you’re looking for a good parental control program, Safe Eyes definitely is a program that you should consider.

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Dell Has a Tablet Computer Too...

For the last few months, in the tech and gadget world, the Apple iPad, has been all the rage. But Apple isn't the only company working on a tablet computer. Dell, for example, is currently working on building the Mini 5 (though the name may change). According to the company, the five-inch touchscreen will debut in "a couple of months," but they wouldn't give away any pricing information. The iPad will sell for anywhere from $500 - $830.

The Mini 5 will feature a five-megapixel camera on the back, as well a front-facing webcam-like camera that can be used for video-conferencing. In addition, it will have a standard 3.5mm headphone jack, Wi-Fi and 3G connectivity options, and a Qualcomm Snapdragon 1-GHz processor. It will run Google's Android operating system (version 2.0 or higher), and has a 16:9 aspect ratio - the iPad's is 4:3. Due to the size, it'll look more like a Sony PSP than an iPad.

Wired.com spoke to Neeraj Choubey, the general manager of the tablets division at Dell and he had this to say about the device, "It’s a device optimized for media consumption. It will offer the full web-browsing experience so you have something that you are holding in your hand that replaces everything the smartphone does and takes on quite a bit of the features of a laptop."

He also said the computer will be the first in a series. Others would have varying screen sizes, potentially creating better competition for the iPad. Most people don't realize that tablet computers have been around for years; they just aren't very popular. Many experts believe the iPad will change all that and drive up the competition. With the Mini 5 coming out, this is something Dell seems to understand.

Dell already sells some mobile products, but not in the United States. Its smartphones are available in Brazil and China. The Mini 5 would most likely take advantage of the apps that are available on the smartphones. Also, it's expected to have specialized tools, programs for business users, strong movies and music experience, web surfing, flash, and quick access to email, YouTube, Amazon's MP3 store. In addition, it will have spreadsheet, presentation maker, and documents, as well as supporting voice recognition. All of these features will set the standard for Dell's entire line of tablets.

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The All-in-One Sony VAIO VPC-L117FX/B

I have not really been keeping up with desktop computers, but when I took a look, I discovered that the all-in-one Sony VAIO VPC-L117FX/B was definitely one of the most feature-filled promising all-in-one computers out there.

Honestly, the VAIO pretty much looks like 24-inch HDTV. It can easily blend in to anywhere you might place a smaller HDTV. It could really replace a bedroom TV because it has the built-in Blu-Ray player, ATSC tuner, and HDMI-in ports. You can even easily connect a gaming system, like the Playstation 3, or a set-top box like the one from your cable company into the computer with the HDMI-in ports. The VAIO’s built-in tuner can quickly grab HDTV signals over the air and display them in Windows 7’s built-in Media Center interface. The picture on the VAIO is crystal clear and noise-free. Like I said, its like watching on a high quality HDTV.

The system is wall mountable which is a feature that I thought was cool. You do have to buy a separate mounting kit, but I think it would definitely be worth it. There is also a space in the base of the system that comes in handy giving you plenty of room to store your wireless keyboard and mouse. It seems that Sony just thought of every possible convenient way to place and store everything concerning the VAIO.

The VAIO includes five USB ports, a FireWire/i.Link port, and features a 24-inch 1,920 x 1,080 resolution (which is true 1080p HD). Also included with the system is 802.11b/g/n Wi-Fi and an IR remote control that allows you to operate the system almost completely wirelessly.

The beautiful screen of the VAZIO VPC-L117FX/B is a full blown touchscreen. The screen is multi-touch enabled and can utilize the standard Windows 7 touch commands such as flick, swipe, pinch, and rotate. VAZIO’s quad-core processor makes the system a little bit more responsive than the HP TouchSmart 600. The VAZIO also comes standard with the VAIO Media Gallery. This program is a unified multimedia viewing interface that gives you the ability to easily view your music, photos, and videos. From the Media Gallery, you are able to quickly create slideshows and then export them to VAIO Movie Story. Movie Story is an easy way to create home movies compiled of pictures and video clips from your digital camera or cell phone. You are then able to burn your movie to a DVD of Blu-Ray disk, export it to a Sony Media device, or save it in several different media forms to your computer.

The VAZIO features Google’s Chrome as their default browser, but Internet Explorer 8 is definitely the main browser for a reason. All of the touch navigation works much better in IE8. Everything is much smoother and commands are much more responsive with IE8, but hopefully Google will be improving their interface with time.

Besides the very helpful software that everyone wants on their computer, the VAZIO VPC-L117FX/B really doesn’t have any bloatware to bog down the hard drive. The systems comes standard with a copy of Microsoft Works and features an installer for the 60-day trial of Microsoft Office. There are really no stray files that you will have to worry about cleaning up on your computer.

The VAZIO VPC-L117FX/B features a Intel Core 2 Quad 8400S processor and Nvidia GeForce GT 240M graphics giving it a very high performance rating. The VAZIO is only one second behind the Gateway FX6810-01 at the Windows Media Encoder Test making it a fantastic choice for someone looking for a multimedia packed computer.

The Sony VAIO VPC-L117FX/B is a bit pricey coming in at $1,999.99, but if you consider all the features, I think that it is worth it. If you purchase the VAZIO you are getting a computer that includes a Blu-Ray player and burner, the HDTV-like screen, polished touch technology, and so many other incredible features. If I was looking for a desktop computer the VAZIO VPC-L117FX/B would definitely be at the top of my list.

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Smoke? Apple Won't Honor Your Warranty

If you're a Mac owner and you're thinking about taking your computer in to have some repair work done, you better think twice is you're a smoker. If recent incidents are any indications, smoking isn't just hazardous to your health, it's also hazardous to your Apple warranty.

Recently, a few Apple customers in different parts of the country were told the company wouldn't provide repair service on their Macs due to the fact that the computers had been exposed to cigarette smoke. Residue found inside the computer was called a biohazard and health risk. In both cases, both customers still had plenty of time left on their official warranties.

Though they didn't make a formal statement, Apple says its stands by the decision and they say their repair centers have the authority to make their own decisions. They even cited OSHA rules which include the dangers of being exposed to nicotine. However, Consumerist.com points out that several computer materials are also on the hazardous materials list, including sucrose, calcium carbonate and talc.

While the policy is certainly understandable, Apple's warranty information says absolutely nothing about cigarette smoke and this seems slightly unfair to customers who assume they will be able to get service on their expensive computers. And as Yahoo.com points out, how much smoke exposure is too much? "If a technician doesn't like cigarette smoke and your computer smells a bit smoky, it probably won't get serviced," the website's Tech department points out and they are probably right.

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Lenovo Unveils Six New Windows 7-Friendly Computers

Lenovo's new computers aren't just Windows 7-friendly, they also include Enhanced Experience software that improves system boot and shutdown times. Three new laptops, the IdeaPad U150, U550 and Y550P, and three new desktops, the IdeaCentre B500, K300 and H230, were introduced by the company last week. Each one runs Intel processors ranging from the Core 2 Duo hips to the Core i7 PC processor.

The Enhanced Experience software comes from a Lenovo collaboration with Microsoft. It includes multimedia tools that produce quality graphics and maintenance tools that improve data recovery and back-up, as well as anti-virus protection. It boots Windows 7 up to 56% faster than Windows XP and Vista and shuts down in as little as five seconds.

The new laptops range from high performance to slim and light. The Y550P features the Intel Core i7 processor and Nvidia discrete graphics. The 15.6 inch screen is Lenovo's most powerful laptop and it will set you back $1,149. The U150 is only half an inch thick and weighs under three pounds, with a 11.6 inch, high definition display. Its only $585, supports up to 8 GB of system memory and features an Intel Core 2 Duo processor. The U550 is considered the most mainstream of the laptops. For $650, you get a 15.6 inch display that runs the Core 2 Duo chip, a built-in DVD drive, and an integrated fingerprint reader.

As for desktops, the IdeaCentre B500 is an all-in-one system that features an Inteo Core 2 quad-core processor, discrete graphics, up to 8 GB of system memory and and 1 terabyte of storage. For $649, the computer comes with a 23 inch screen, JBL-brand integrated speakers, and a remote. The K300 is a tower desktop. It features a Core 2 quad-core processor, RAID-configured hard drives, and Lenovos power control switch that makes it possible to adjust power level for energy efficiency for maximum power. This one starts at $499. The H230 starts at $449 and is meant to appeal to customers looking for customization.

Lenovo isn't the only company releasing new Windows 7-compatible computers just in time for the holiday season. Acer, Gateway, Sony, and Hewlett-Packard also have new PCs on the market.

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Microsoft opens first retail store.

If you've been to any mall in the United States you've probably seen the Apple Store. A store full of every Apple product you can imagine. Well imagine that store only filled with Microsoft Products and color and you'll know what its like inside the new Microsoft Store in Scottsdale, AZ.

Microsoft feels the new store is giving customers a chance to "experience the best of Microsoft and its partners, the store offers customers a select line of laptops, netbooks, all-in-one PCs, Xbox consoles, Windows Mobile phones and one of the largest selections of third-party software titles in any store." A second store will be opening October 29, in Mission Viejo, California.

Microsoft decided a store dedicated to its products is what its customers were looking for and needed. Each store will have various sections and departments focusing on various Microsoft products and needs. You will be able to play with the technology and see how its uses can be utilized for maximum benefit.

The Scottsdale Microsoft Store has tables full of laptops, large screen tv's on the walls, and a vast collection of software and the design has been planned to maximize interaction between the customer, technology and the highly trained staff.

It will also feature a place to customize your products,“If you want to have Disney characters on your laptop or an NFL team on your Xbox, we’ll build a nice library of licensed products that you can use, or you also can bring in a picture of your dog or your family and make it custom,” said store manager, Cheryl Hibbard.

More customization features include a table to create your own ringtone for your Microsoft phone. A place to compare cell phone rates. More than just outer customization the customers can also customize their products from the inside. "Once a PC is purchased, store employees will offer a 15-minute session to help customers set up their passwords and networks, and tailor their browser, e-mail and other applications to their personal preferences. Customers can launch their computer from hibernate the minute they take it home,” she says. “With this set-up session, we’re taking the typical ‘ready to assemble’ PC ownership experience to ‘ready to run’.”

While its still fairly new and only one store, Microsoft feels confident that the stores will help with sales and customer experience with the products Microsoft and its partners have to offer. If it will compete with Apple in this arena, we will just have to wait and see.

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New Trio from eMachines

It has only been a few weeks since we saw the unveiling of the eMachines EL1300 SFF PC'S and now eMachines is throwing not one, not two, but three new full-size desktop computers with the ET1300-02, ET1810-03, AND ET1810-01. Each computer has luminous white mini-towers with matching LCD monitors, speakers, and keyboard. Each one comes with decent specs at a reasonable price with the added bonus of compatibility and style.

The ET1300-02 comes with an AMD Anthlon X2 4850e Dual-Core Processor (2.5GHz, 512KB x2L2 Cache), NVIDIA GeForce G100 graphics with 512MB, 160GB SATA (7200 RPM) hard drive, multi-in-one digital media card reader, Windows Vista Home Premium, 3GB DDR2 memory, 18x DVD+/-R/RW SuperMulti Drive featuring Labelflash Technology, VGA, DVI, AND HDMI connectors 6 USB 2.0 ports. This is the most expensive one in the trio coming in at $449.99.

The ET1810-03 steps down a little bit with it's specs. It has an Intel Pentium Dual-Core Processor E2210 (2.2GHz, 1MB L2 Cache), integrated NVIDIA GeForce 7050 graphics, 320GB SATA (7200 RPM) hard drive, multi-in-one digital media card reader, only 1 VGA port, Windows Vista Home Premium, 3GB DDR2 memory, 18x DVD+/-R/RW SuperMulti Drive featuring Labelflash Technology and 6 USB 2.0 ports. The ET1810-03 is cheaper and will only run you around $369.99.

The ET1810-01 takes even another step down. It has an Intel Celeron Processor 420 (1.6GHz, 512 KB L2 Cache), integrated NVIDIA GeForce 7050 graphics, 160GB SATA (7200 RPM) hard drive, multi-in-one digital media card reader, again only one VGA port, Windows Vista Home Basic, 2GB DDR2 memory, 18x DVD+/-R/RW SuperMulti Drive featuring Labelflash Technology, and 6 USB 2.0 ports. This one comes in at a very low $299.99.

Each machine is shipped with a matching whit luminous LCD monitor. The E182H wm display measures 18.5" widescreen with viewable TFT Active Matrix, 1366x768 (HD ready) resolution, one VGA and one PC audio inputs, 300 cd/m2 brightness, 170(H)/160(V) viewing angle, built-in stereo speakers, it is Vista Premium certified, has a 16:9 aspect ratio, CrystalBrite, 5 ms response time, 10000:1 (Dynamic) contrast ratio, 16.7M color depth and it is Energy Star certified. The monitor itself runs about $129.99.

These machines can tackle a wide array of tasks and are ideal for a wide range of uses and applications. The video card is satisfactory for those users who enjoy video, photography, or casual gaming. There is plenty of storage space which allows you to easily store music, movies and images. All in all these computers are pretty good for their price. They offer good quality and respectable specs with affordable prices.

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The Microsoft Surface

Can we make computers any more adaptable and everyday oriented than the Microsoft Surface? It is a computer that literally functions as a computer and a coffee table. The slick 30-inch tabletop turns into a completely interactive experience. It utilizes a camera-based vision system that allows multiple users to grab, move, or select things with a touch of their hand.

The vision systems that the Surface uses consists of five different cameras that allow for interaction between hands, objects, and devices. It can identify hands, fingers, paintbrushes, tagged objects, and a multitude of other items. The tagged item recognition feature is quite amazing. In order for the Microsoft Surface to uniquely identify objects, a tag is utilized. It can also be used to start a command or action. A certain tagged object could allow a cardholder to make a purchase and charge it to their card.

The Microsoft Surface’s use of hands-on interaction and mouse-less computing enables easy control, excellent viewing angles, and brilliant display for everyone surrounding the table. Another wonderful advantage Microsoft developed with the Surface is its ability to withstand almost anything. Sticky hands and spilled drinks aren’t even a concern for the rugged Surface.

As of now, the Microsoft Surface is only available for commercial purchase. It is being targeted in the business areas of financial services, retail, hospitality, health care, and automotive, but soon I believe that these dream computers will be available for everyone. Microsoft hopes to in the near future evolve the Surface to fit into a number of environments such as schools, businesses, and homes. This fantastic innovation is something to definitely watch for in future computer developments.

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HP Firebird with VoodooDNA 803

Voodoo was recently purchased by HP and this union has resulted in the Blackbird 002 and the Voodoo Envy 133 subnotebook, both of which are Editor's Choice-winning gaming computers. The newest computer to arrive from the company is the HP Firebird with VoodooDNA 803.

This high powered gaming desktop has some unique attributes to it. On interesting thing is that the guts of this desktop have many characteristics similar to those of a notebook. The rig has switchable graphics, the first ever seen on a desktop. It has a distinctive style about it which also incorporates a resemblance to the HP?Voodoo family. This computer comes with a Intel Core 2 Quad processor with 4GB of RAM and and 640GB of storage space. The Firebird runs the nVidia GeForce 9800S SLI graphics card which delivers powerful graphics quality. However, this computer does have a few things that might turn away a serious hard-core PC gamer.

First off, the performance of the device has been a little disappointing to some users. Also, the Firebird has limited upgrade ability which means you better be satisfied with what you get because you are not going to be able to do much to it. There are only two DIMM slots both of which are filled. This means you will need to swap the current 4GB of memory if you want to add more. The Firebird does have two innovative hard drive sleds. Considering they are compact and built well, you will be able to connect and disconnect multiple times. However, both of these slots are filled as well with 320GB drives. This system also lacks a set of PCI/PCIe connectors. This computer kind of resembles a gaming console. All the internal components are permanately attached, except for the memory and the hard drives.

One great thing about this system is that is completely free of anything annoying. For example, it does not come with any trialware programs or ads. The only things that occupy the the hard drives is HP total care for one year, a one year subscription to AVG Professional Anti-Virus Software, and a copy of Cyberlink DVD for the ability to play DVD's and Blu-ray. This computer also comes with a wireless keyboard and mouse.

The graphics setup for the Firebird is really innovative. It has the NVidia nForce 760s motherboard chipset. Which allows you to switch between power saving intgrated graphics and the two nVidia GeForce 9800s graphics cards. It has a save power mode for video viewing but if you want all the features in Nvidia's PureVideo HD, the discrete graphics need to be turned on.

This computer isn't your average gaming computer. It is a top-of-the-line gaming computer for a reasonable price. It has a nice, sleek design to it and the energy saving capabilities will save you a few needed bucks, especially in today's economy. And the incredible graphics can be turned up whenever you need it to. This computer was going to set you back around $2,099 but is on sale now for $1,299. If you are in the market for a good gaming desktop, the HP FireBird with VoodooDNA 803 is definitely worth a look at, especially if you are looking to save a few bucks.

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Apple iMac

I bet you thought the iMac had everything didn't you? Well you'd be wrong. But it's ok, nobody is perfect. Now the iMac comes with style, brains, and even more power. Lets face it, front side, back side, side view, upside down, which ever way you look at the iMac is great to look at. It has an incredibly slim profile but its definatley the glossy wide screen display framed in anodized aluminum and its glass cover that does it for most people. Coming in a 20-inch and 24-inch size the iMac makes your pictures and movies come alive with incredible color. Did I mention that the iMac is made with recyclable glass and aluminum? Just a side note for those of you who perfer to go green. But the monitor isnt the only thing going for that slim physique. The iMAc's keyboard also is adorned with anodized aluminum. It features crsip keys that allow for a more responsive feel, special function keys for one touch control of Mac features and 2 USB 2.0 ports that provide high-speed connectivity to your iPod, digital camera or anything else you need.

Did I mention that the iMac was pretty? Anything you view on your iMac will be a work of perfect pixel. The iMac has a flat-panel LCD screen with 1680 by 1050 resolution on the 20-inch and a 1920 by 1200 resolution for the 24-inch. The iMac offers the latest Intel Core 2 Duo processors that run at a speed of up to 3.06 GHz with advanced 45-nm process technology and 6MB of shared L2 cache. Don't speak tech? This means that the iMac runs your applications faster and better than ever before!

The iMac has up to 2GB of 800MHz DDR 2 memory standard to allow you to run more applications simultaneously and you can load up on photos, music, and videos with a serial ATA hard driveup to 320GB. Graphics more your style? The iMac comes with the ATI Radeon HD graphics standard. You also get the oppurtunity to upgrade to the most powerful graphics ever available in an iMac with the NVIDIA GeForce 8800 GS and 512MB of dedicated video memory! Also with the iMac you get Leopard, the latest version of Mac OS X, loaded with features like safari and even something called boot camp that lets you start up your Mac in Windows. And, because its a part of every new Mac, you'll get iLife '09 with iPhoto, iMovie, GarageBand, and iWeb.

You can get all this for a starting price of $1199, well worth it if you want a high quality computer loaded with tons of features.

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2008 Up's and Down's

Gartner and IDC released preliminary 2008 PC shipment numbers. They might be down now but that doesn’t mean people should write off Microsoft future earnings because of them. There were six years of growth following the decline during the late 2000 to early 2002 recession. The fourth quarter is usually the strongest for PC shipments because of holiday sales.

In October Microsoft forecast second-quarter revenue between $17.3 billion and $17.8 billion operating income between $6.1 billion to $6.4 billion and 51 cents to 53 cents earnings per share. The last time Microsoft had a big miss was during the last recession. Microsoft is going to try to avoid the layoffs.

Microsoft will be making more investments this year and is focusing on R&D investing more than $8 billion last year alone. Starting the new IT marketing campaign focusing on value will help for the new investments. Microsoft will still have trouble getting customers to continue investing in new technology when pulling back investments.

During this recession and the last there have been some mart similarities. In 2000 PC shipments were strong during the first half of the year then went really bad during the fourth quarter when holiday sales were generally off for all manufacturers. Compaq, Gateway and other OEM’s also had a steep computer sales decline and most PC makers selling through retail saw their inventories pile up.

When changing sales it will reshape which PC manufacturers and categories will dominate. Acer is becoming very popular name everywhere. Acer, Asus got first-to-market advantage which paid off in a growing category. Over the year Acer PC shipments grew more than 53 percent worldwide. It was almost double Apple’s year-over-year gains.

Portables have still been selling well despite the contracted growth. After three quarters of 40 percent or more growth the notebook shipment dropped. Even though the fourth quarter brought down sales for 2008 the worldwide PC growth was 10.5 percent.

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