Here we go with another week in review. Monday IDC released their data on the number of CPUs shipped for Q3 2009. The number of CPUS shipped grew 23% for the quarter compared to the previous year. ZiiLABS unveiled its new ZMS-08 Blu-ray quality media processor this week. The processor promises to be full 1080p HD video support and more for portable devices like tablets.
Dell’s compact desktop, the Inspiron Zino HD, has finally made its way out of the shadows and into your online basket. Teased all the way back in August, the Zino HD might only measure 7.75 x 7.75 x 3.5 inches but Dell have squeezed in up to AMD’s Athlon Neo X2 6850e 1.8GHz processor, up to 1TB of storage, 8GB of RAM and an optional optical drive; you can even have discrete graphics, in the shape of ATI’s Radeon HD 4330.
Sprint have announced their first EVDO-enabled netbook, though they don’t quite seem to have figured out the magic tipping point that really pulls in the customers. The carrier is offering a Dell Inspiron Mini 10 with integrated EVDO Rev.A, but rather than do the sensible thing and hack great chunks off the up-front price (while knowing you’ll make it back with the mandatory two-year agreement) their netbook is in fact $199.99, and that’s after the rebate.
Weeks are flying by and it’s time for another week in review. Monday we learned that a new hack was available from the iPhone Dev Team that adds MMS to first generation iPhones and tethering to 3.1.2 OS for the later iPhone models. We also found out that Microsoft is set to issue a new update for the Xbox 360 that will break unauthorized storage devices. That means that some gamers will be unable to access the saved game data after applying the new update.
Here we go again with another week in review for your perusal. A mystery Android-powered MID tipped up this week looking very much like those renderings of the Apple tablet to my eyes. It’s cool to see android showing up on so many devices. Logitech unveiled an update to the coolest racing wheel ever, the G25, called simply enough the G27. The new wheel promises more accurate force feedback effects and keeps with the slick clutch and gated shifter we loved from the G25.
Dell may have canned their Inspiron Mini 12, but they’ve replaced it with a new CULV ultraportable in the shape of the Inspiron 11z. The new notebook has an 11.6-inch display running at 1,366 x 768, paired with Intel’s Celeron 723 1.2GHz processor, 2GB of RAM and a 250GB hard-drive. Thanks to stepping up to CULV rather than Intel’s Atom range, the 11z gets past the CPU/storage limitations the chip company insists upon; that should mean buyers get a more capable ultraportable for their money.
The end of the week is here again and here we go with a rundown of some of the coolest stories we have seen this week. Monday marked the day the Asus Eee PC 1101HA went on sale in America. The rig is a netbook in name only; the beastie is expensive at about $430. The same day Gigabyte quietly unveiled the T1028X convertible touchscreen netbook. The device has a screen resolution of 1366 x 768 and other than the screen, the rest of the machine is typical netbook fare.
Dell’s latest mini-desktop, the Inspiron Zino HD, has broken cover, but the company obviously has some blackmail-quality information about Engadget and Gizmodo as neither site are spilling the details of what’s inside the low-profile box. Known so far is that there’s an optical drive, plenty of ports and interchangeable top covers with various patterns and finishes.
Dell have confirmed that they are killing off the Inspiron Mini 12, the company’s 12-inch netbook, leaving only 10-inch models in the company’s range. According to a posting on the Direct2Dell forums, the decision to axe the Mini 12 is in response to the “sweet spot” of 10-inch models that Dell has found buyers prefer.
If there’s one thing this dour economy is good for, it’s pushing down prices. Walmart have just announced that they’ll be offering a $298 notebook, the Compaq Presario CQ60-419WM, complete with a 160GB hard-drive and 3GB of RAM, from July 26th at 8am. The promotion is part of the retailer’s back-to-school sale, and they’re unsurprisingly warning that stocks will be limited.
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