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April 20, 2006

Dell 3007WFP 30-inch LCD Reviewed (Verdict: Just how I like ‘em: Big’n'pretty)

Filed under: PCs — Gizmodo @ 3:08 pm

large.jpgIf you want glorious picture out of your PC, get ready to shell out some bucks because this is it. The Dell 3007WFP has a higher resolution than HD and there is a good chance it may even be bigger than most of your TVs—at least in my place it would be the biggest.

This thing is a behemoth. Thirty inches of pure pleasure—or pain, if you are a gamer—will be delivered at a 2,560 x 1,600 resolution with a 700:1 contrast ratio and 11ms response time. Get out the checkbook, this mammoth will run well over 2.5 G’s, yo.

Review: Dell 3007WFP 30in TFT Monitor [Personal Computer World]

 
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April 19, 2006

Dell Deal Fiesta!

Filed under: PCs — Gizmodo @ 5:25 pm

dimension1100.jpgHot off the Hardforums wire, Dell is offering a hell of a Dimension 1100 PC deal. This $349 package features a PC with a 2.53GHz Celeron D Processor, XP Home, 256MB DDR ram, 80GB hard drive, combo optical drive and a 19-inch analog flat panel monitor. With a deal this good it is hard to say no if yourself or someone you know is in need of a low-end PC. Or hell, even if you don't need the PC there is still a shot that you could sell the desktop and end up with an extremely cheap 19-inch LCD.

Product Page [Dell]

 
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April 18, 2006

iRiver Enters UMPC Arena, Brings WiMax & WiBro

Filed under: PCs — Gizmodo @ 7:16 am

iriver_w10.jpgHow big will the market be for Ultra Mobile PCs? Will it be larger than Tablet PCs (on the high end) or PDAs (on the low end), or will it just be a small, niche market? No one knows, but iRiver is hedging its bets and releasing the W10, its first UMPC. Coming in iPod-white, this handheld is more like a PC and less like its siblings, the PDA-like Disciple D10 and D20.

One noticeable difference between this UMPC and the competition is the inclusion of WiMax and the South Korean native WiBro. However, until the US deploys any type of WiMax, it’s doubtful we’ll see this device in its current form.

iRiver preps WiMAX UMPC [Reg Hardware]

 
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Related: Intel to Ship Numerous Quad-Core Chips
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April 17, 2006

Intel to Ship Numerous Quad-Core Chips

Filed under: PCs — Gizmodo @ 12:30 pm

intel_kentsfield.jpgThis is turning out to be a banner year for chips, and the next two years will be even better. Analysts in the know are saying that Intel is fighting its way off the ropes with its Core architecture, and analyst Jim McGregor says that Intel may be planning...

"a significantly different microarchitecture in the 2007-2008 time frame that will quickly proliferate through the platforms."

This is especially tantalizing in light of the quad-core processor Intel showed at the Intel Developers Forum a couple of months ago, a chip the company code-named "Kentsfield" (pictured here). McGregor points beyond that product to more Intel quad-core processors due in 2007, including a quad-core mobile processor.

Intel preps quad-core mobile chip, new CPU architecture for 2008 - analyst [TG Daily]

 
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Bikini Babe Case Mod

Filed under: PCs — Gizmodo @ 11:01 am

bikini_babe_mod.jpgYou saw the computer case mod a guy did of his wife’s torso, and now here’s another take on the loveliest of female forms by Japanese ace PC modder Katsuya Matsumura. Nicely done. See how he did it after the jump, but it’s in Japanese, so if you don’t read that language you’ll have to decipher whatever you can from the pictures.

We’re showing you this modified PC with only the best of intentions. In fact, we worship the female form. Heck, some of us are actual females in real life!

Kat’s Land [via iZ reloaded]

 
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April 14, 2006

MacIntel vs. Wintel

Filed under: PCs — Gizmodo @ 3:36 pm

doom3skiprender.pngNow that the average Joe—you know who you are—can load XP on their Macs, let the benchmarking begin. Macologist ran about five million tests on similar and disparate machines and the MacBooks and iMacs consistently kept their heads above water. They didn't really run a summary paragraph, but all the numbers are there. While the methodology doesn't really compare Apples to, well, Apples, it's nice to see it in black and white.

Intel Mac Benchmark Smorgasbord [Macologist]

 
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Related: QuaNext Linux PC/TV
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QuaNext Linux PC/TV

Filed under: PCs — Gizmodo @ 8:58 am

 - GizmodoThis a 19-inch TV/PC combo that you switch with a remote control. It runs SUSE Linux and a Pentium 4 processor with up to 220GB hard drive and a CD/DVD player.

Designed as a home TV with web surfing and email functions, it seems to have everything we hackers love—Linux, commodity hardware, interesting design, and the potential to be very cheap in the next few months. No word on availability here, but here's hoping.

Product Page [Quataris via eHomeUpgrade]

 
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April 13, 2006

Averatec UMPC With Keyboard

Filed under: PCs — Gizmodo @ 1:40 pm

 - GizmodoHrm... well this looks promising. Averatec has a UMPC coming out with a fold out keyboard a la the Sidekick and still maintains the bells and whistles stance of so many other UMPC manufacturers. Webcam—check. Thumbstick—check. Touchscreen—check.

No CPU info, but it's got at least 512MB, 30GB hard drive, WiFi, as well as embedded 3G phone connectivity. Promising.

Averatec touts 3G, Wi-Fi UMPC [RegHardware]

 
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Samsung Q1 UMPC to Hit on Mayday

Filed under: PCs — Gizmodo @ 11:04 am

samsung_q1_22.jpgThe Samsung Q1, that ultra-mobile PC (UMPC) we’ve been hearing so much about, will reportedly be available worldwide on May 1. It’s going to be expensive, too, selling for around $1400. That sounds like a lot to pay for a glorified-yet-smaller tablet PC with a 7-inch 800×480 LCD. It has a few mildly interesting features, though, such as GPS, WiFi, Ethernet and Bluetooth. But still. If this piece of bling cost $500, that would be different.

On a hopeful note, there are sketchy rumors of Samsung introducing a sub-$700 UMPC later this year, so there’s that.

Samsung UMPC to ship worldwide 1 May [Reg Hardware]

 
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April 11, 2006

Mini-Fridge Case Mod

Filed under: PCs — Gizmodo @ 3:39 pm

dew.jpgThis project was completed with a $200 budget and most mini-fridges will run your $100 or less, but this is a nice addition to any geek’s setup. Paying two times as much to be two times cooler? I think it is worth it, just imagine how many ladies you could get with this.

Essentially it is a dismantled mini-fridge placed inside a stripped-out Thermaltake case. Add in a little shelving and, of course, a temperature gauge, for a perfect refrigerato to feed the late-night gaming urges.

Mini-Fridge Project [Via Techeblog]

 
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Vista Installed and Booted on iMac

Filed under: PCs — Gizmodo @ 7:43 am

vistaimac.jpgBy now, everyone should be familiar with Boot Camp, Apple's official solution to getting Intel-based Macs to run Windows XP. Word from the OSx86 Project is that someone who goes by the forum handle AirmanPika has successfully gotten Windows Vista to install on an iMac. Since Vista is still only in beta (and won't be available until early 2007 for consumers), it does seem a little silly to go to all the trouble to getting it to run, especially when you consider that the current method of installation requires the deletion of the Mac OS X partition. There's also a few quirks, such as the lack of Aero Glass, but for all you "because you can" people, it's something to investigate.

Vista Installed [OSx86 Project Forum] via MacNN

 
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April 10, 2006

Macintosh Ads Circa 1984

Filed under: PCs — Gizmodo @ 5:42 pm

ibmtestimonialformac.jpg

Apple purchased every last bit of advertising space in Newsweek's November/December 1984 special election issue and used all 39 pages to promote the Macintosh; GUIdebook not only scanned in every single page but went and transcribed all the text, a great read if you're in the grip of Mac nostalgia as we always are. This bit from page 14 cracked us up:

At Apple, we only have one rule:

Rules are made to be broken.

Take "Thou shalt be compatible with IBM?" for instance.

We decided there was something more important than building a computer that's compatible with another computer.

Namely, building a computer that's compatible with people.

Only 22 years later, Apple decides they've gotten the compatible with people thing down pat and it's time to get compatible with another computer working—et voila, they give us Boot Camp!

Macintosh advertisement [GUIdebook via swissmiss]

 
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Microphone PC for Flash MCs

Filed under: PCs — Gizmodo @ 5:27 pm

 - GizmodoThis case mod, made by Jeffrey Stephenson, is just about as cool as they come. Designed to look like a Unidyne microphone from days of yore, this beast contains a mini motherboard. The fact that he made this from scratch is just about amazing. Check out his other PCs, including the sexy humidor.

Mod Page [Jeffrey Stephenson via
TheInquirer]

 
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April 7, 2006

Lamp, Computer Merge, Transformers Style

Filed under: PCs — Gizmodo @ 3:30 pm

prisma.jpgV12 is an Italian-based company that makes all kinds of crazy contraptions. This is a computer that can double as a basic table lamp. Don't expect this computer to be able run F.E.A.R. at a full resolution—it seems more like a functional art piece. But the ultimate question still remains: Is it a lamp inside a computer or a computer inside a lamp?

Prisma: Computer Table Lamp [Yanko Design]

 
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XP Gaming on a Mac (Verdict: ZOMG It Works!)

Filed under: PCs — Gizmodo @ 2:20 pm

bootcampxp.jpgAmidst all of this bootcamp mumbo-jumbo it was only a matter of time before the Intel-powered Mac got a true test of strength: gaming. The guys at 1up installed Windows XP on a MacBook Pro and then installed Half-Life 2, Oblivion and F.E.A.R. for a test to see how much oomph these machines really have. The result?

…the MacBook running Apple’s official XP drivers is a robust, stable gaming platform capable of playing software from either side of the OS wars. While some are predicting this will be the beginning of the end for the Mac platform, the opposite seems to be true, at least anecdotally. At least a dozen platform fence-sitters have told me that the Mac’s newfound ability to play PC games has broken down the last barrier to their buying a Mac as their next computer.

Oblivion: Macintosh Game of the Year? [1up via Kotaku]

 
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April 3, 2006

Antec Minuet 300 Case

Filed under: PCs — Gizmodo @ 2:59 pm

minuetagain.jpgAntec has released their latest case, the Minuet 300, to cater to those micro-computer lovers. This case supports both AMD and Intel CPUs in a micro ATX form factor motherboard. It is able to stand vertically or lay horizontally and even includes 300W ATX power supply. There is also an upgraded cooling system to accommodate for the common heating problems related to small-form-factor PCs. This case is available for $89.95.

 
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March 31, 2006

We Heart Apple, Bose, and Dell

Filed under: PCs — Gizmodo @ 2:13 pm

 - GizmodoForrester Research has discovered that the top three “trustworthy” electronics manufacturers were Apple, Bose, and Dell. Microsoft scored lowest in both perceived growth and trustiness while Sony is floating somewhere in the middle.

Remember—this is not about “quality” per se, but the trust a consumer feels when purchasing a product. To see Bose hanging out way up in the corner is madness, though.

Apple, Bose, Dell tops in consumer electronics brand trust [ArsTechnica]

 
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March 28, 2006

Daewoo UMPC: Solo M1

Filed under: PCs — Gizmodo @ 12:26 pm

umpc_lucoms.jpgLooks like more than one manufacturer can play the big honking DMB antenna game. This UMPC by Daewoo’s computer arm, Lucoms, looks pretty standard and will be available in Korea in May.

It’s got a 7-inch screen, 900MHz CPU, 1.3 megapixel camera, Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, and WiBro. Suspecting this won’t be available over here and I’m already kind of getting over my Origami fetish, so more power to them.

New UMPC from Daewoo Lucoms – Solo M1 [UMPCNews]

 
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March 27, 2006

The Wonderful World of Casemods

Filed under: PCs — Gizmodo @ 12:47 pm

kana.jpgA kind reader sent in this cool cavalcade of case mods, including the Atari 800 mod, the Pokemon Laptop, and the famous Kana PC, shown here, which looks like its maker spends hours inserting and removing flash drives all over it.

We've seen these all, but it's fun to see them all in one place.

Case Mod: The Ultimate List [Neatorama]

 
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DIY: Ultra-Silent PC

Filed under: PCs — Gizmodo @ 11:59 am

Picture029.jpgWhile some people enjoy the pleasing, white-noise effect of noisy PCs, a lot of you don’t. Who’da thunk it that there is an entire website dedicated to shutting your computer up. Build Silent PC is a website that offers a variety of options for getting your PC to be a little less noisy. Most of these quieting methods require a little hands-on dirty work, so inexperienced need not apply.

Build a Silent PC

 
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March 26, 2006

Thermaltake’s Temperature Display Case Fan

Filed under: PCs — Gizmodo @ 2:30 pm

240306_iFlashMini.jpgThis Thermaltake case fan will be a big hit with the case mod crowd. The 80mm fan has a red LED to display the case temperature and Thermaltake logo while it spins at 2,000 RPM. The fan comes in two versions, the iFlash mini and the iFlash 12. The latter version trades in the logo for red, green, and blue alternating LED color. There is certainly no arguing with their claim that these will be “Coolall your eyes” — no arguing because we really don’t know what that means.

Thermaltake LED Case Fan [Digital World Tokyo]

 
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March 24, 2006

Mini PC

Filed under: PCs — Gizmodo @ 4:39 pm

linspire mini

Like the styling of the Mac Mini but don't want to run OS X, or to give Apple your money? A bunch of small companies are branding AOpen's MiniPC and bundling it with a Linux-based OS pre-installed. The Koala Mini is $499 and comes with Ubuntu, while the folks behind the Linspire OS are selling the Linspire Mini pictured above for about $399, or you can get the barebones AOpen version for between $250 to $300.

AOpen MP915-B Barebone Mini PC [eHomeUpgrade]
Koala Mini [system76]
Linspire Mini [eHomeUpgrade]

 
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March 10, 2006

CeBIT ’06: Hands-On Video of the Asus R2H

Filed under: PCs — Gizmodo @ 3:00 am

The second in our ongoing series on UMPCs in the wild. Thrill to the power of Microsoft’s Sexy Windows Shell 1.0b.

 
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March 9, 2006

CeBIT 2006: Samsung Q1 Hands-On

Filed under: PCs — Gizmodo @ 5:34 am

IMG_0663.JPGWe’ve got some video coming up, but here’s our initial impression of the Samsung Q1, the UMPC/Origami/Mini-PC/Mini-Slate that has been keeping us up at night. We’re here to tell you that yes, it’s small and light. Yes, it’ runs Windows XP. And no, it isn’t very impressive.

IMG_0661.JPGThe Q1 is simply a smaller and much lighter Tablet PC. It has a directional thumbstick, a CF slot, VGA-out, Audio-out, and a unique port for what appears to be a some sort of dock. It’s is not horribly expandable—just two USB 2.0 ports—and we didn’t get to see any of the cool UI features that they’ve been flogging on all of those videos, which means that they are going to be in software packages that MS will release later.

This is clearly a media device first. The Q1 actually has a TV tuner and big honking antenna and the screen was sharp and clear. It’s very light and kept cool even under the bright lights of CeBIT. Generally, this is a home multimedia tablet. I can’t see this make it in the business world except as a replacement for the various functions tablets serve right now.

I am not holding my breath on this one, folks. This new Microsoft media software better rock my world or I’m going to be severely pissed.

 
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March 8, 2006

CeBIT Trade Rag Reveals More Origami Details

Filed under: PCs — Gizmodo @ 8:22 pm

origami_int.jpgThe online version of CeBIT’s tradeshow newspaper is already online, revealing a bit more information about Microsoft and Intel’s Origami platform.

Obviously this thumb-typing interface is the stand out discovery, but there’s also mention in the copy of plug-in GPS and DMB-TV receivers. Strangely, there’s talk that the Samsung device can rip DVDs to its 40GB hard drive—something that’s illegal to do in the US. Perhaps there’s no Korean equivilent to the DMCA?

CeBIT News [Turnpages]

 
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