If you wanted to make your desktop computer more power efficient without investing a cent in a new motherboard with hardware power saving mechanisms, you could read The Intel Underclocking Guide and do the procedure similar to what Nikola Stojanovic has described at IT-Co.biz.
Samsung launches Omnia - a Windows-based touchscreen smartphone
Samsung has launched Omnia - a touchscreen smartphone similar in look and feel to the Apple iPhone. The Omnia features an on-screen Qwerty keypad and intuitive drag-and-drop functionality similar to the iPhone. It also offers a 3.2" screen, push email, and full internet browsing in portrait or landscape views depending on which way up the phone is held. Storage capacity is up to 16GB. Unlike the iPhone, however, the Omnia uses Windows Mobile and runs Microsoft Office Suites. It also includes a 5-megapixel camera. ~
According to The Wall Street Journal, Dell has begun approaching its contract computer manufacturers with offers to sell off its plants. Some 60 manufacturing and technology facilities across 20 countries might be offered to different third parties. WSJ notes that Dell has a chance to sell factories to contract manufacturers and make orders from the new owners. This strategy would make Dell's factories more attractive to the prospective buyers, looking to do business with Dell on the long-term basis. Some manufacturing facilities would not be attractive because of the high labour costs and contracts with the governments (fixed local employment rates). ~
Across Asia to Europe and the U.S. the mini-note proliferation continues to build worldwide momentum. Industry insiders are predicting an estimated 5.2 million units will have been sold by the end of this year, rising to a staggering 50 million units by 2012. Everex has introduced their second generation of the Cloudbook mini laptops, the CE1220J and the CE1221J, sporting 8.9" screens, and in an exclusive back-to-school offer with Walmart, customers in the U.S. can purchase an Everex Cloudbook on-line for US$299. Brunen IT recently released their second generation mini-note, the One A120. Commodore Computers showed their UMMD8010/F Netbook at IFA in Berlin last month. Medion will launch a rebadged version of the MSI Wind mini-notebook, joining 11 other companies. The Medion Akoya Mini E1210 will be released tomorrow through Aldi stores. Amazon already provides Akoya mini for 399 EUR. The 10in netbook E1210 is pitched by the firm at businesses and consumers alike, and is being touted as a do-all machine. It offers wireless, IP telephony, Windows XP Home Edition, a larger screen with a resolution of 1024 x 600 and an Intel Atom chip. Fujitsu-Siemens Computers has announced its entrant into the low-cost mini-laptop market for mobile users. The japanese-german company will offer Amilo Mini Ui 3520 in October. FSC's mini weighs about 1kg, has an 8.9in display and runs Windows XP Home edition. It has a choice of 60GB or 120GB hard drives and, like many of the newer mini-laptops, is based on Intel's 1.6GHz Atom processor with 1GB of memory. One way the Amilo Mini differs from other models is that it has clip-on covers that let owners change the colour of the system. A six-cell battery will be available from December. Fujitsu-Siemens has equipped the Amilo Mini with an ExpressCard slot for expansion, enabling extra functions such as a wireless datacard to be added. It also has two USB ports and a 4-in-1 Flash card reader slot. For communications, it supports 802.11b/g Wi-Fi and Bluetooth. Korean gian LG will offer a mini laptop PC called Netbook X110. It is similar in size and specification to models such as the Asus Eee PC and Acer Aspire, but LG has yet to disclose a price. Available from late October, the Netbook X110 is based on Intel's 1.6GHz Atom mobile processor with 1GB memory, 80GB hard drive and a 10in display. It will be pre-loaded with Windows XP Home edition. However, while the Netbook will be available with integrated 3G wireless capability in some countries, the UK version – available initially through Phones 4u – will not. Instead, buyers will be offered this as an option using a USB dongle, according to LG. The Korean company's officials said the Netbook has an 82-key full-size keyboard to make typing easier, while its weight at nearly 1.2kg is slightly heavier than some rival models. Despite this, it has only a three-cell battery pack as standard, which may imply a relatively short battery life when on the move. The LG Netbook will be initially available in white or pink, with a black model to follow later. ~
If you wondered what is Dell's answer to the armada od netbooks (that's how Intel refers to all ultra portable PC-based devices with 8-10" screens and small QWERTY keyboard, capable of running Internet and Office apps), here's an answer.
Being an Intel partner, Dell has been engaged in development of a very small portable PC from the start. However, Dell's decision to wait was based on the fact that Dell doesn't have a low brand that would be suitable for marketing underpowered, heavy and uncomfortable devices available at that time. Unlike HP, Dell wanted to have the best possible CPU for its miniature portable notebook-like Internet device.
Being a Microsoft partner, Dell knew that Windows is a way to go for most of the users. Thus Dell waited a bit longer, for the rest of the hardware platform parts to catch up in performance and price, to be able to run Windows as smoothly as customers would expect it.
Dell has teamed up with Box.net to offer purchasers an additional 2GB of free online storage, which can be incrementally expanded to as much as 25GB for a fee.
The waiting is over now. Later on, Dell will offer its netbook with the Ubuntu Linux customized withe the Dell interface (Launcher bar). See the specifications after the "Read more" jump.
For the last three months of year 2008, Advanced Micro Devices plans to launch 7 different CPUs for different sockets. On October 8th AMD plans to announce a Brisbane core derivate Athlon X2 5050e Dual-Core for classic desktop use. It will be clocked at 2.6GHz and dissipate up to 45W of power. AMD will unveil the Toliman core, high-end desktop CPU called Phenom X3 8850 Triple-Core. It will be clocked at 2.5GHz and with one core short of two Athlon X2 5050 CPUs would waste the same ammount of electricity.
Colder November release date will bring three cooler CPUs: Athlon X2 3250e Dual-Core CPU with the Brisbane core, Athlon 2650e (Single-Core) CPU with the Lima core, as well as yet unknown Ultra-Value Client CPU solutions for OEMs. The dual-core Brisbane is clocked one gigahertz lower than the triple-core Toliman, but it tops at 23% of the energy wasted by Toliman. Most of the time the Brisbane powered Athlon X2 3250e will consume much less energy than the TDP rated 22W. If that's too much for you, how about 15W TDP promised by the Lima single-core CPU clocked at 1.6GHz?
In time for Christmas, AMD will once again release Phenom X3 8850, but with unlocked multipliers (a.k.a. Black Edition).
The best of breed Quad-Core Phenoms with undisclosed model numbers will wait until December to reach OEMs and test labs, with embargo valid until January 8th 2009. There would be two Phenom X4s tuned for 2.8 and 3 GHz. The winter is probably the best time to use these monsters as additional heaters, as they would sink down 125Wh of energy per hour. ~
Intel's latest low-cost, low-specs quad-core CPU, the Core 2 Quad Q8200 with 4MB of L2 cache runs at 2.33GHz (1333 MHz FSB, 95W TDP). It costs Intel partners $224 to get one of these in quantities of 1,000.
Intel has also unveiled a low cost dual-core CPU, the Core 2 Duo E5200 dual-core processor running at 2.5GHz, equipped with 2MB of second level on-die memory. It is intended to operate on 800MHz front-side bus. The greatest thing about it is that it costs $84 in quantities of 1,000, and that it can be easily overclocked. ~
