The mid-range desktop is a dying breed. With most consumers opting for laptops anyway, the primary reasons for choosing a desktop at all are to get below the $500 mark, get maximum performance for gaming or other media applications, or simply to have a semi-permanent installation with a larger screen than you an get while mobile. At $699, the Acer AM3970 represents one of a handful of models caught somewhere in the middle: a better processor and more RAM to get more oomph than budget desktops, but not so much that it’s a serious threat to machines closer to the $1000 mark. Let’s see how this one stacks up.
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‘Desktop PC’ Stories
As desktop PC sales decline, multiple monitor use is on the rise
Multiple monitor setups have long been an essential tool for computer power users and hardcore multitaskers, but it looks like the practice is rising significantly even as sales of traditional desktop PCs decline. The New York Times reports that while only 130 million desktop computers were sold in 2011, 179 million monitors were sold in the same period, with the 49 million unit discrepancy pointing towards a rapid expansion in multiple monitor use. Laptops aren't left out in the cold, since most include at least one monitor-out port, allowing for an almost instant dual-monitor setup.
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Lenovo debuts IdeaCentre Q180 as world’s smallest desktop PC
If you're really cramped on space or simply prefer minimalist styling but need a multimedia desktop PC, then Lenovo's IdeaCentre Q180 may suit your needs. The super sleek IdeaCentre Q180 went on sale today as the world's smallest desktop PC, measuring in at just about the size of a novel at 22mm thin.
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Lenovo C325 and C225 All-in-One PCs shipping now
The Lenovo C325 and C225 all-in-one PCs are now ready to ship. The C325, announced last month, features a sleek 20-inch HD+ 1600 x 900 display, while the C225 packs a smaller 18.5-inch display. Both systems sport AMD's Fusion dual-core chip in various spec configurations as well as the option of having multi-touch touchscreen display.
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Shuttle XPC H7 5820S launched with ability to work with 16 displays at once
If you've been following along with Shuttle's ever-increasing library of mini PCs, you know that they all look rather similarly simple and sleek on the outside - today there's one with a feature on the inside that'll have your sense of smallness blown out of the water. What the Shuttle XPC H7 5820S has is a new feature by the name of Matrox M-series multi-display graphics, this allowing you to work with up to 16 displays at once. You'll also find a set of other fantastic specifications inside, but it's the displays that will have you mesmerized.
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Windows Phone apps could run on Windows 8
There could be some good news for Windows Phone developers that are frustrated with the platform's current penetration of less than 2% of the smartphone market. Windows Phone apps may be able to run on Windows 8, which would mean that the time spent on developing apps for the meager platform hasn't gone to waste. Instead, the same apps may suddenly find a whole new market with the most popular computing platform in the world.
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HP Debuts Compaq 100B Desktop PC For Businesses
If you own a small business short on space and likewise on budget, then HP has a new computing solution you might want to take a look at the next time you're in the market for a business-class desktop PC. HP has just unveiled the Compaq 100B Desktop PC that's space-saving, stylish, and very affordable.
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iBuyPower unveils high-end Erebus gaming desktop
iBuyPower has announced a new gaming desktop that has some really cool features that make it well suited to the gaming enthusiast looking to get all the performance they can out of their gaming rig called the Erebus. The machine is made for overclockers that like to tweak and comes packed with liquid cooling and a lot more. The performance of the liquid cooling system inside the finned chassis is very impressive; iBuyPower claims that the system can dissipate 3400W of heat.
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Post-PC is Over! (If You Want It)
Welcome to the future, the one past Dr Frink’s vision for computers so large and so expensive that only the five richest kings of Europe would own them. This is a misquote, in so many words, of Thomas John Watson, Sr., president of IBM from 1914 until 1956, a period of some earth-shattering growth. Of course Watson, in his infinite wisdom as the world’s greatest salesman, could never have predicted an environment such as the one we live in today where Post-PC doesn’t mean that the stationary computer is gone, it means that the PC plays an inalienable role in a much bigger scheme of form factors, interfaces, and ways of connecting these devices via digital means.
HP debuts new consumer desktop computers and x2301 LCD
HP has been the leader in PC shipments for a long time. The company ships computers all around the world and is updating and refreshing its offerings all the time. HP has announced some new additions to the consumer desktop line with several new families of computers, including the Pavilion p7, Pavilion Slimline s5, and the HP HPE h8 series machines. The three new desktop lines have different configurations so the buyer can get just what they need.
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Will Crysis 2 ever see DirectX 11
For those that don't know much about Crysis 2, it is a futuristic first person shooter based in New York City. It is the highly popular sequel to the original Crysis that was released for PC only. For anyone that played it back when it was released the graphics were simply stunning. It brought my powerful quad core and my GTX 260 graphics card and computer to its knees real fast. Most gamers in the PC community were just as excited for Crysis 2 as I was, then we heard it would be launching across all 3 major platforms. This is where the DX11 discussion comes into play.
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PC Market Not Looking Pretty for Q1 2011
Research firms Gartner and IDC have come out with their quarterly look at the PC market in the US and worldwide. With some exceptions, the results are not good. Only three companies, Lenovo, Apple, and to a lesser extent, Toshiba, posted gains for PC sales in Q1. The two reports differ on how large the decline in the total market is, and also on the cause. Is it tablets? Lack of innovation in PCs? Or just a lingering hangover from big Q4 spending? See all the numbers after the cut.
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