Items tagged with XP
Maybe it's just me, but the unexpected words "ready for download now" referring to a Microsoft product seem... unusual. Microsoft was outlining the features and interoperability of its next generation web browser at the MIX show in Las Vegas yesterday, and shocked a lot of developers by announcing it was ready to download right away as Beta release. Dean Hachamovitch, general manager of the Internet Explorer team at Microsoft, said IE 8 Beta 1 delivers increased interoperability, offers developers better predictability when designing sites, and will feature full support for CSS (Cascading Style Sheets) 2.1 when released to manufacturing.Internet Explorer 8 Beta 1 includes integrated developer...
Read more...
Windows Vista: complaints, complaints, complaints. Rightfully so, however. Was XP the last good OS from Microsoft?Everybody's talking today about "Drivergate" — internal Microsoft e-mails that show senior Microsoft executives personally struggling to use hardware products sporting the "Windows Vista Capable" sticker. The e-mails also show that Microsoft lowered its standard for some hardware compatibility, apparently to help Intel impress Wall Street.This revelation is simply the latest in a long series that add up to one inescapable conclusion: Windows Vista sucks. (And making it cheaper won't help, either.)Microsoft needs to learn to stop using email. Honestly, every case...
Read more...
Dell just took the wraps off their latest XPS desktop system for gamers and enthusiasts today and this time around the new systems are targeted at being more affordable. The new XPS 630 we’ve evaluated here at HotHardware, is Dell's new customizable machine with support for NVIDIA dual-GPU SLI graphics, the latest dual and quad-core Intel processors, and a slick chassis design that will turn heads at your next LAN party. Click the link below and check it out...Dell XPS 630 Desktop Gaming PC Evaluation...
Read more...
If you've followed the tech sector for any appreciable amount of time, you've no doubt heard the tale of Dell Inc. - one of those stories where a guy with a dream founded a company and eventually built it into a corporate giant. Right from the beginning, Michael Dell believed that the future of PC sales involve building and selling customized IBM PC-compatible computers directly to home users. The first computer of their own design, labeled the "Turbo PC" helped the company gross more than 73 million dollars in its first year alone. And by the turn of the century, Dell would become the largest seller of personal computers,...
Read more...
DELL BRINGS FULL-THROTTLE GAMING WITHIN REACH The XPS 630 Delivers Elite Gaming Features, Technologies and Upgradability at an Affordable Price With a starting price of $1,249, the XPS 630 delivers stellar performance and innovative features, all in a sleek, compact brushed-aluminum chassis. Gamers won’t outgrow the XPS 630 because it’s based on a standard ATX chassis, making future upgrades easy. It’s ATI CrossFire and NVIDIA SLI-ready, and will support Corsair memory and Intel Extreme processors. Gamers can tweak performance by overclocking processor and memory through the control panel."Since its inception, the Dell XPS line has been committed to delivering aggressive, competitive...
Read more...
In what many are calling an object lesson to computer repair shops that lose customer's PCs, Raelyn Campbell has filed a $54 million dollar law suit over the loss of her $2100 laptop at Best Buy.On the surface $54 million seems like a lot, but consider what this customer was put through. First she paid the $300 fee for the extended warranty, then she drops off the laptop to be repaired. For three months she frequently returned to the store checking on the status of her machine until she was eventually told that her computer was simply missing along with whatever personal data she had on it. It's certainly easy to see how she'd be upset, but Best Buy obviously thinks that $54...
Read more...
Dell XPS M1730 Laptop Continues To Rule Mobile Gaming ArenaAddition Of NVIDIA GeForce 8800M GTX With Dual SLI Technology Delivers 49 Percent Increase In Benchmark Performance Over Previous Generation Video Graphics Award-winning XPS M1730 and XPS M1730 World of Warcraft edition gaming laptops now support dual NVIDIA® GeForce® 8800M GTX graphics(2x512MB) with NVIDIA SLI™ Technology Delivers cinematic video experience with DX10 games like Crysis, and BioShock playing at high details and high resolution. XPS M1730 laptop configured with GeForce 8800M GTX with SLI technology are capable of posting up to a 13,500 3DMark 2006 score,[i] a 49 percent benchmark performance...
Read more...
The Asus Eee PC is a nifty laptop. And it became a sort of talisman of hope for Linux fans. Windows Vista demands too many resources for a stripped down lappie, and Linux seemed to fit the bill for the OS. The 800 pound gorilla at Microsoft is still XP, and it's in the room with the penguin now.Asus has formally launched its bonsai laptop, the Eee PC, in Japan, pre-installing the machine with Windows XP Home Edition rather than Linux.The machine's specifications proved to be those of the standard 4GB solid-state disc model - the Eee PC 701, aka the 4G, though in Japan it's called the 4G-X.In addition to 4GB of storage, the 0.92kg 4G-X has 512MB of DDR 2 memory, a 7in, 800 x 480 display,...
Read more...
AMD Equips OEMs To Deliver The Ultimate Visual Experience™ With Forthcoming AMD LIVE!™ Ultra Desktop and Notebook PCs —AMD LIVE! Explorer PC Software to Deliver Immersive HD Entertainment on Innovative AMD Platforms Combining Powerful Computing and Graphics—SUNNYVALE, Calif. -- January 8, 2008 --AMD (NYSE:AMD) today announced AMD LIVE!™ Ultra, a new PC brand to help consumers identify forthcoming desktop and notebook PCs designed to deliver the ultimate visual entertainment experience. AMD LIVE! Ultra-branded PCs will be powered by AMD multi-core platforms for desktop and notebook PCs, codenamed “Spider” and “Puma”, respectively. Thanks to innovative AMD technology, such as...
Read more...
Linux users might actually agree with this "false positive". On the other hand Microsoft breathes a sigh of relief, as for once the antivirus software in question is not Windows Live OneCare.The security company's systems had decided that a virus called Huhk-C was present in the explorer.exe file, leading to its confinement or, in some cases, deletion. As Windows Explorer is the graphical user interface (GUI) for Windows' file system, this made it difficult to perform many common tasks within the operating system, such as finding files.David Emm, a senior technology consultant at Kaspersky Lab, told ZDNet UK on Friday that the company was still examining its checklist to find out why the false...
Read more...
I'm sure many have not forgotten the Sony laptop battery debacle. Well, Li-ion batteries have that problematic potential of overheating and exploding or catching fire. Toshiba has developed a new design, called SCiB, or Super-Charge ion Battery which should eliminate many of the drawbacks of Li-ion batteries, and not just overheating.According to a Toshiba press release, the SCib can recharge to 90% capacity in 5 minutes (!), will last for 10 years even under constant recharging conditions (compare that with a Li-ion battery, which generally starts to lose the ability to hold a charge after a year or so), and won't explode or short-circuit."This is a truly innovative battery. The excellent performance...
Read more...
Why do I say "sneaks out?" Because while Microsoft was pretty open about Windows Vista SP1 RC1 releasing to the public this week, as well as Office 2007 SP1, it was tight-lipped about Windows XP SP3 RC1. Why not? After all Forrester Research has noted that XP remains Vista's biggest rival.Microsoft has begun making a near-final Release Candidate (RC) test build of Windows XP Service Pack (SP) 3 available to anyone interested in trying out the new build — the same way that it is doing with Vista SP1.Microsoft has begun posting XP SP3 RC documentation to its Microsoft Download site, which is open to the general public. And the XP SP3 RC bits are available from various file-download sites on the...
Read more...
Hello Everyone. Just in case you're the type who likes to jump right down to the news, we’re writing to let you know that we’ve just posted a new article here at HotHardware in which we evaluate the brand new Dell XPS M1730 high-end gaming notebook. This machine is the first of its type to include an AGEIA PhysX processor along with its pair of GeForce 8700 GTs running in SLI mode, multiple hard drives, and top notch LCD. We have plenty of information regarding the slick WoW edition of this notbook as well, in addition to some exclusive pics of the ‘Figureprints’ available to owners of the golden ticket. What golden ticket you ask? Read the review and find out...Dell...
Read more...
Dell's XPS brand is instantly recognizable in computer hardware and gaming circles. Whether you've owned one or not, there is no debate that XPS branded machines, desktops and notebooks alike, are serious competitors in the high-end and ultra high-end performance markets. While the XPS brand is over fourteen years old, it didn't receive acceptance from enthusiasts until rather recently. It wasn't too long ago that the thought of a machine from Dell that could compete with the best boutique builders both in terms of style and performance would evoke blank stares.While the XPS brand has always stood for performance, it hasn't always been easy to tell. With early XPS systems, there was often...
Read more...
Are you a real World of Warcraft fan? Do you read the fan fiction, own the figurines and have a WoW desktop background? Can't get enough of the Warcraft universe and you want to take it with you everywhere you go and your laptop just ain't cutting it? Dell has exactly what you need. Today, Dell is announcing the XPS M1730 World of Warcraft Edition. However, this isn't just any XPS M1730 series notebook with a WoW Edition badge slapped on. Dell, in collaboration with Blizzard, took a loaded XPS M1730 and gave it a serious makeover. Two different lid designs are available for Horde and Alliance players. Dell XPS M1730 WoW Edition (Horde)In addition to the redesigned chassis, the World of Warcraft...
Read more...
Although we know Windows XP SP3 isn't going to be feature-laden, it does offer, according to tests, a noticeable speed increase. And on Monday Microsoft increased the beta coverage of SP3 by making it available to MSDN and Technet subscribers.Microsoft late Monday expanded its beta test of Windows XP Service Pack 3 to subscribers of its MSDN and TechNet programs, releasing what is being called a "near-final release candidate." The move is likely harbinger of a public beta, as the latest SP3 code will be in the hands of far more than the 15,000 who originally were given access in mid-November.As we know, SP3 is a rollup of all previously released XP updates consisting, according to Microsoft of...
Read more...
Dell has produced a 'tweener for their XPS line of high-end laptops. The 15" XPS 1530 fits rights between their 13" and 17" systems.While the M1530 is certainly larger than the M1330, it's not exactly a heavyweight at a mere 5.78 pounds.While the new M1530 doesn't come with an LED backlight screen option like the M1330, standard features include a high-definition 15.4-inch display, WiFi wireless networking, a slot-load optical drive, DirectX 10 capable graphics, touch-sensitive media buttons and HDMI support.Users can also choose from Intel Core 2 Duo processors ranging from 1.5 to 2.6 GHz, a 128 or 256 MB Nvidia GeForce graphics processor, and hard drives ranging from 64 GB for a solid...
Read more...
ASUS Xonar Series Revolutionizes the PC Audio Soundscape -- World’s first PCI-Express audio card Xonar D2X and the smallest USB audio station Xonar U1 revitalize gaming audio and simplify home theater upgrades -- FREMONT, CALIFORNIA (November 27, 2007) – Adding to the success of the company’s entry into PC audio, ASUS®, worldwide leader in component and notebook design and manufacturing, today extended its product offerings by introducing the world’s first PCI-Express (PCI-E) interface audio card Xonar D2X; and the stylish USB based audio station Xonar U1. The Xonar D2X is the first sound card in the industry to address the audio challenge for gaming under the Windows Vista®...
Read more...
Last week testers reported that Windows Vista SP1, at least in Release Candidate (RC) form, is still somewhat of a slowpoke. Those same testers have run their suite against Windows XP SP3, and the results are quite different.Windows XP Service Pack 3 (SP3), the update scheduled to release next year, runs Microsoft Corp.'s Office suite 10% faster than XP SP2, a performance testing software developer reported Friday.Devil Mountain Software, which earlier in the week claimed Windows Vista SP1 was no faster than the original, repeated some of the same tests on the release candidate of Windows XP SP3, the service pack recently issued to about 15,000 testers."We were pleasantly surprised to discover...
Read more...
Yes, we realize it's just a roll-up of fixes for the most part, but without the Autopatcher project, we really need a new baseline for system builds.Around 15,000 testers now have access to XP SP3, and Microsoft says it plans one last public beta release before releasing the final bits next year. The same individuals are testing Vista SP1 RC Preview, although Microsoft has also promised a public SP1 build. Although XP SP3 is more of a roll-up of existing hotfixes and should be completed before Vista's first upgrade, Microsoft will likely delay its release and use SP1 to encourage holdout XP users to upgrade to Vista. While we know Vista sales haven't been up to par (at least, by Microsoft's standards),...
Read more...
AMD Delivers HDTV Experience for Mac®ATI TV Wonder™ 650 Combo USB for Mac offers both analog and HDTV broadcast receptionSUNNYVALE, Calif. -- November 14, 2007 --AMD (NYSE: AMD) today announced the new ATI TV Wonder™ 650 Combo USB for Mac® – a new HDTV experience for Mac users. ATI TV Wonder 650 Combo USB for Mac integrates two TV tuners to receive off-the-air ATSC/HDTV broadcasts as well as analog television programming. This new TV tuner solution joins AMD’s six TV Wonder™ offerings for the PC platform.AMD is also powering the new 20 and 24-inch iMac® models with the amazing graphics power of ATI Radeon™ HD 2400 XT, including 128MB of GDDR3 video memory,...
Read more...
There haven't been too many law suits that have this kind of far-reaching industry-wide consequences: PCI-Express itself has come under attack by Microlinc LCC according to their latest filing in Texas.Perhaps the strangest part of all is that this suit will put even rivals AMD and Intel on the same side, not something that is accomplished that often:“As a result, Intel is named alongside nine other companies that the plaintiff believes are contributing to the perceived infringement. Intel's rival AMD is included for using PCI Express for its mainboards, as is NVIDIA. Large computer makers Apple, Acer, Dell, Gateway, HP, Lenovo, Sony, and Toshiba are all accused of aiding Intel by building desktops...
Read more...
