While significantly larger and heavier than a standard all-in-one machine, the fact that HP’s managed to cram full-sized processors, storage, RAM and Quadro (mobile) graphics into the Z1 is astounding. Even more so is the engineering that’s gone into the folding, flipping design, which allows end-users access to the components by folding the unit flat and opening the screen module. The hinge and piston mechanism allows for quick and safe opening of the 27-inch screen.

Once open, you’re greeted with a sight that’s familiar to anyone who’s used a full-sized Z-family workstation. Heat is separated into four zones, with the 400w power supply, Quadro graphics card, CPU and memory isolated behind fans and panels. All are easily removable, as are the power supply, hard drive chassis and DVD/Blu-ray drive. Note the use of standard desktop parts for the storage and RAM: two 3.5-inch or 2.5-inch storage drives and up to four 8GB full-sized memory DIMMs can be added.

Other touches include three mini-PCI slots (one occupied by a WiFi/Bluetooth module) an internal mount for USB-based license keys, a 1080p webcam and a set of four front-facing SRS speakers. The graphics card uses a MXM standard, which will require custom cards from Nvidia – the base model uses Intel integrated graphics, but Quadro 500M, 1000M, 3000M and 4000M graphics cards are optional. Standard PCI-E cards will not work.

Close the lid and turn to the side, and you’ll see standard audio in and out, two USB 3.0 ports and a 4-card multifunction reader, plus Firewire and the external view of the disc drive. The 27-inch screen gets a resolution of 2560×1440. Back connections include four standard USB 2.0 ports, Ethernet, audio in and out plus SPDIF. There’s only one video-out with a Display Port, but HP has created a unique port that handles both input and output. If necessary, the HP Z1 can be used as a display only, with a hotkey that switched between modes.

The stand itself took considerable engineering, as it has to support the 40+ pound weight of the unit itself, fold down flat and release with a single button. In its upright mode it can be tilted backwards and forwards by about 25 degrees, and lifts up and down by 100mm. When folded flat a back handle allows for easy carrying, and removing the stand completely reveals a standard VESA mount.

The hardware itself is very impressive, with minimalist styling intended to draw the eye of fashion-conscious designers. You’ll be able to buy the Z1 yourself in April, with a fully configurable spec sheet (though the custom Nvidia Quadro cards won’t be available separately at first). The base model of the HP Z1 Workstation will start at $1899.

Check out our hands-on video below, with Chris Damir, HP’s Director of R&D Platforms & Technology for Workstations.

This newest version of Chrome is a stable release, this meaning it’s not a Beta like the mobile version is, and should have absolutely no glitches while you’re using it on a daily basis. This version has Google using their “Omnibox” term again to describe the URL bar, this being because of its ability to also search for items should you type in anything other than a url. Chrome’s newest desktop version here has two steps in the Onmibox:

1. You type in your url and it suggests what you’re likely looking for.

2. Your most likely option is pre-rendered as you continue to type, this giving you an extra few instants of time added to every query!

It’s brilliant! We’re hoping it works out to be as magical as it seems, of course. Chrome browser here also updates Security measures to warn you of malicious downloads. Chrome has for a while not checked on executable files such as EXE and MSI for you PC users, and now if the executable file does not match a whitelist of approved bits, the next step is taken. The next step is Chrome checking with Google for more information on the website you’re using, seeing if its been know to host malicious downloads in the past. You’ll be safe here, folks, safe as you can be!

Updates will be coming to Chrome OS soon as well, but for now everyone using the Chrome web browser on their desktop or laptop machine will be updated automatically or manually through the Google Chrome homepage – get your preload on!

The invitation doesn’t give any clues as to how the actual consumer version of Windows 8 will be any different from the versions we’ve seen thus far, so we must assume that we’ve essentially seen it all already – but you never know! This version of Windows 8 should let us in on the newest version working on both desktop computers and tablets, and should give us an idea of when manufacturers will be releasing devices with the newest system on devices natively. Will 2012 be the year that Windows makes its triumphant return to the mid-class between mobile and desktop?

We’ll be live at the events on Wednesday, February 29th, 2012, and you can join us in our Mobile World Congress 2012 portal right here: [MWC 2012] Don’t forget then to stick around for the rest of the MWC 2012 action which will surely bring some surprises alongside the releases we’ve been teased with over these past few weeks between CES and now. Can’t wait!

The article points to more interest in the well-known multitasking benefits of multiple screens, though apparently a desk full of monitors is becoming something of a status symbol for the office set. Two, three and four-monitor setups are no longer the stuff  of day traders, video editors and NASA mission control – NEC says that 30-40% of its corporate customers buy multiple monitors for their office employees. The rising sales are accompanied by larger individual monitors: the median size has increased to 21 inches, up from 18 inches in 2006.

As someone who’s used dual and triple monitor setups at home and work for years, I can attest to their effectiveness personally. It isn’t just the extra space, either – a pair of 20-inch monitors allows windowing and isolation of tasks that’s cumbersome on a larger and usually much more expensive 30-inch display. And with better software handling of multiple displays in later versions of Windows and OS X, not to mention the lower prices among display vendors, it’s never been easier to expand your workspace. Desktops with discrete graphics cards generally make things simple, but laptop users needn’t be left with just one additional screen: companies like Matrox offer USB, DVI and DisplayPort options for expanding to anywhere from two to six additional displays.

But the biggest plus for more mainstream adoption of multi-screen systems might be the users themselves. IT administrators have been using multiple-monitor setups for decades, but now that more and more professional adults are literate in manipulating their computers, they’ve gained the confidence for “advanced” tasks like juggling dozens of programs and tasks across an expanded virtual display. And gamers are jumping on the bandwagon as well, with both ATI and Nvidia offering tailor-made solutions for full-screen gaming on up to six monitors at once.

As we move into the so-called post PC era, there’s at least one thing that tablets and other mobile devices can’t duplicate yet. Nothing beats the productivity boost from a well-implemented multiple monitor array.

The machine is made to be able to cool the hot hardware inside very efficiently. The new system is similar to the original with a top port liquid reservoir. The new machine is smaller than the original, but maintains the same cooling capability.

It has removable HDD cages inside and has 140mm radiators and aluminum top panel. There are three radiators inside, and the tubing used is 13mm for high flow. The pump used puts out 4.5 gallons per minute. The case can dissipate 2,500 watts of heat effectively. The supreme cooling means you can order the CPU inside overclocked right out of the box by up to 30%.

There’s also liquid cooling, and if you’re feeling particularly flush you can pair up the Radeon HD 7970 with up to three of its friends, since quad CrossFireX setups are supported. A multitude of SSD and HDD options are on offer, including a capacious (and painfully expensive) 600GB Intel 320 Series SSD and 512GB Crucial M4 SATA 6G.

Blu-ray, various case colors and finishes and factory overclocking all allow you to customize each MAINGEAR system to suit your particular taste and budget. Both the SHIFT and the F131 are available to order – with the Radeon HD 7970 – from today.

It also has NVIDIA GeForce GT 650M 2GB graphics and optional 3D support, making it a reasonable prospect for gaming, too. Both it and the Lenovo IdeaCenter B340 have picture-in-picture for TV and computing, switchable at the touch of a button, and – since the TV tuner is independent from the PC – you can use both AIOs just as a TV. 720p webcams and a choice of DVD or Blu-ray drives round out the key specs; both will go on sale in June, priced from $699.

As for the IdeaCentre K430, that offers dual graphics support (either NVIDIA SLI or ATI CrossFireX) and twin HDDs, along with a choice of Intel Core processors paired with up to 32GB of DDR3 memory. Up to 4TB of HDD or 128GB of SSD storage are on offer, and there’s a removable 500GB hard-drive in a caddy in the front bay. It will go on sal in May, from $599.

Finally, the diminutive Lenovo H520s will arrive in June from $499. Few specs on this one, but Lenovo will be loading it with various family-friendly apps and tools to make drive maintenance and networking straightforward.

Like the Omni 27, the HPE h9 Phoenix gets HP’s freshly-renamed HP Magic Canvas interface and software suite, brought over from the touchscreen TouchSmart series and given a non-touch revamp. That’s joined by LinkUp, the company’s laptop-sync tool, and Beats Audio, while HP also preloads a copy of role-player RIFT.

A trio of internal hard-drive bays and optional liquid cooling round out the key specs, and there’s a useful “valet tray” on the top with charging ports for your phone or iPod and audio connections for easily plugging in headphones when the Phoenix is lurking under your desk. Expect it to go on sale on January 8, priced from $1,149.99.

The Vivtar DVR 790HD takes on a camcorder form factor for ergonomic handheld shooting and sports a 5.1-megapixel sensor. It offers 4X digital zoom and a 2.7-inch LCD viewing screen that can display 3D images as well as support 3D video playback.

The ViviCam VT135 packs a 12.1-megapixel 3D-capable camera into a point-and-shoot form factor. It offers 5X digital zoom as well as a 2.7-inch 3D-capable LCD viewing screen. Both cameras will sell for just $99 and will be available at Target.

[via ChipChick]

But the IdeaCentre Q180 isn’t just good looks in a tiny package, it boasts a whole slew of multimedia features to double as a compact home theater system. It features Full HD 1080p graphics processed by an AMD Radeon HD 6540A 512MB graphics with DirectX 11, 7.1 surround sound, and an optional Blu-ray Disc drive that also supports 3D playback. It’s powered by an Intel Atom D2500 dual-core processor with up to 4GB of DDR3 RAM and up to 750GB of HDD storage or 128GB of SSD storage.

It also features plenty of ports, including USB 2.0, USB 3.0, VGA, HDMI, and an SD card reader. And, it works with an optional new enhanced multimedia remote keyboard that costs $79.99. Just the IdeaCentre Q180 itself starts at $349 and is available now on Lenovo’s website.

The first of two machines, the Acer Veriton Z2620G, features an Intel® Core™ i5-2400s quad-core chip (6MB cache, 2.50 GHz with Max Turbo Frequency up to 3.30GHz) with nothing less than NVIDIA GeForce GT 520M for graphics. This device is the more expensive of the two devices and starts at $849.99. Both devices have the same monitor and basically the same set of insides beyond the processor, and we’ll get to the rest after the second unit listed next.

The Acer Veriton Z2610G, the less expensive of the two machines here, runs on an Intel Pentium G620 dual-core processor (3MB cache, 2.60GHz) and has slightly less fantastic Intel HD Graphics. This unit starts at $649.99. Both units are available in a black and silver chassis and have a lovely 20-inch widescreen LCD display.

The display on both of these units has a 1600 x 900 pixel resolution as well as 4GB DDR3 SDRAM with the option to upgrade to 8GB through its two open memory slots. You’ll also have a 500GB SATA hard drive for optimum space, a SuperMulti optical drive, and Acer Proshield for data safeguarding. Proshield comes with BIOS import and export, an encrypted hidden drive, and a virtual file shredder for those of you that love to toss in all your virtual letters without opening them. Data recovery is handles by Acer’s One-Button Recovery function which has access to your original factory default or the last system backup you initiated.

Both of the Veriton units in this post are available in the USA via Acer authorized retailers now and come with a one-year limited warrantee. Both units come with Adobe Reader, Windows 7 Professional, and of course, Internet Explorer.

Of course a multi-monitor setup is nothing without the computing power inside to back it up. Inside you’ll find an Intel Core i7 processor and up to 16GB of RAM. This computer has the ability to be configured with quad- and hex-core processors, two 1TB hard disks, and comes stock with a Blu-ray burner and Windows 7 right out of the box. All of this fits inside a tiny 7.5-inch tall black box that I’m sure you’ll not mind popping right out there on your home office desk.

Of course why on earth would you use this setup for office work, (complete with your 16 monitors, whichever you choose them to be,) when you could play GAMES with it. You’ve also got internal 6Gbit/s SATA connections to 8-channel HD audio, several high-speed USB 3.0 ports, and Shuttle’s improved air intake system as well as their proprietary “Heatpipe” liquid cooling system. How gigantic will you make it get?

When you do start to consider how big you’ll get here, consider this: you can go for any one of the many different Matrox M-series multi-monitor display boards. You could choose one or two M9128 dual-monitor, M9138 triple-monitor, M9140/M9148 quad-monitor, or M9188 octal boards. If you choose the M-Series PCI Express (PCIe) x16 boards, you’ll get up to 2560 by 1600 resolution on as many as eight monitors at the same time. Use two of these boards at once and you’ll have the full 16 monitors at once.

Pick a setup up today at Shuttle.eu or at any one of several online retailers inside Europe (or outside, if you’re feeling rich.) The base build costs 1446 EURO which rings in at 2013 USD. Grab it now!

This is the HP TouchSmart Elite 7320 All-in-One PC, a Windows 7 device that you’ll more than likely want to upgrade to Windows 8 when the time comes. Why? Because it’s got a 21.5-inch diagonal widescreen 1920 x 1080 pixel resolution display with full multi-touch capabilities. LED backlighting, wide viewing angles at 160 degrees vertical and 170 degrees horizontal, and the ability to tilt the whole thing on its access from 0 degrees vertical to 30 degrees backwards at will. Integrated VESA mounting ability [Flat Display Mounting Interface, in other words] for planting this PC on your wall, desk, or basically any other surface makes this a PC of many trades.

The person you see in the video above is Randall Martin of HP Desktop Design, the same pro you saw a few days ago showing off the TouchSmart 9300, another very Windows 8 capable device (in the future, that is, as again both this 7320 and the 9300 both run Windows 7 until the full release of Windows 8 when you’ll have to load it yourselves).

NOTE: The PC you see here one of several in the 7320 line, this being the 420 model.

This line has the choice of Intel® 2nd Generation Core™ i3, i5 or i7 processors, and SATA hard drives up to 1 TB and Slim Blu-Ray Combo Drives for all your disk-loading needs. Your memory max is at 8 GB 1333 MHz DDR3 SDRAM, there’s about a billion ports including 2 USB 3.0 ports, 4 USB 2.0, headphone jack, audio line out, power connector, RJ-45, and both TV coax connector and IR-Emitter with TV tuner option only. All this and MORE starting in at $850 USD, pick one up at HP right this second!

To see the rest of the Elite coverage we’ve got from this HP tour, head to the [HP Elite portal] where all your dreams will come true!

As you’ll see in the hands-on video we’ve filmed below, you’ll first of all see that you’re able to run *Windows 7 inside your Mac inside a separate window. Now those of you familiar with newer Mac systems’ ability to run Windows through Bootcamp will immediately start comparing this method to that, of course. You can then run Windows apps inside this windows – but who wants to do that, that’s much too complicated, right? Instead you can use what they call Coherence Mode in which you can run Windows apps on your Mac desktop with Windows running completely in the background. You’ll know which apps are native to Windows by the tiny red double column, the Parallels, that is, sitting on the lower right-hand side of the icons for each Windows app.

What’s neat about this working with Lion is that not only do your Windows apps sit inside your Launchpad aside the rest of your Mac apps, they’re able to fly back and forth with your normal set of gestures once you’ve got them open as well. Simple and totally correct.

Then there’s something wild – similar to how you’re able to virtualize running Windows inside a window (as stated above), you’re also able to virtualize an instance of OS X Lion. That means you’re running Lion inside a window inside of Lion, in this case, a situation which of course leads everyone in the internet world to think of the film Inception – how deep can we get? Developers can of course make use of this by working inside this window without the fear of busting up their OS with buggy apps.

Then there’s something extra sweet – the iOS app. Alongside the launch of Parallels Desktop 7 comes the iOS app which works on both iPads, iPhone, and iPod Touch which allows you to run instances of Windows so you can run Windows app or even your whole desktop from your Mac – this being a mirrored copy of your desktop now running seamlessly on your iOS device. Slick! This works wherever you have an internet connection – this meaning it works over Wi-fi, of course. The first thing one thinks of when they see this situation is, of course, can I run Flash videos? Yes, yes you can run Flash videos. It appears that Parallels has sort of beat Adobe to the punch. Winning?

The final thing you’ll see in the video is a couple of rows of software boxes (they still sell software in boxes?!), one of them a row of “for Mac” editions and the other “Switch to Mac Edition”, the latter being different simply in its addition of some tutorials for Mac for people who’ve never before used the platform. It all sounds pretty fabulous, yes?

Also note that we filmed this hands-on look at the software at Pepcom’s 2011 Holiday Spectacular – you can see all hands-on videos we’ve filmed for the event by heading to our big [Pepcom Holiday Spectacular 2011 portal] if you like to look at brand new awesome gadgets and software.

On Monday, details on the Windows 8 Explorer file manager interface were revealed showing what looked to be a very traditional Windows UI without any Metro elements. Reactions were mixed with many confused as to what direction Microsoft was heading with its Windows 8 interface. Well, Sinofsky is attempting to answer that and says that it is a “balancing act” of trying to get both interfaces working together harmoniously.

Sinofsky writes in his post:

Some of you are probably wondering how these parts work together to create a harmonious experience. Are there two user interfaces? Why not move on to a Metro style experience everywhere? On the other hand, others have been suggesting that Metro is only for tablets and touch, and we should avoid “dumbing down” Windows 8 with that design.

He proceeds to address each of these concerns, saying that the fluid and intuitive Metro interface is great on the tablet form factor, but when it comes down to getting serious work done, precision mouse and keyboard tools are still needed as well as the ability to run traditional applications. Hence, he explains that in the end they decided to bring the best of both worlds together for Windows 8.

With Windows 8 on a tablet, users can fully immerse themselves in the Metro UI and never see the desktop interface. In fact, the code for the desktop interface won’t even load. But, if the user needs to use the desktop interface, they can do so without needing to switch over to a laptop or other secondary device just for business or work.

A more detailed preview of Windows 8 is expected to take place during Microsoft’s Build developer conference in September. It’s been rumored that the first betas may be distributed to developers then along with a Windows 8 compatible hardware giveaway.

While the desk may not look like anything extremely spectacular on it’s own (it being the modern minimalistic masterpiece that it is,) it’s the pulling back and down of the black piece of the desk that makes the most magic. You’ll see what’s going on in the video below, as Herman Miller specialists see a young lady working at her desk in the normal fashion, taking away the elements that aren’t working for her, replacing these then with Herman Miller pieces of furniture, the Envelop Desk included – she gets to a point in her day when she wants to lean back a bit and – what’s that – she’s got the ability to pull her desk back and down to compensate!

Based on what Herman Miller is noting was “extensive research and development,” the Envelop Desk provides “the ideal alignment of a users eyes and posture with their screen for optimal ergonomic comfort.” Sounds rather nice and comfortable to me. And what’s best? The Envelop Desk is made entirely of recyclable materials so if you ever find a desk to replace it, this piece of furniture can be broken down and turned into new desks!

This desk is going to run you right around $960 USD before shipping costs, and you’ve got a couple choices as to what you’re going to get for your surface material and base finish. Designers Bill Stumpf and Jeff Weber would LOVE for you to pick one up, and your humble narrator CERTAINLY wouldn’t mind having one for himself. ALSO Herman Miller lets us know that between the 1st and 15th of August you can get standard shipping for just $9 on all orders over $499.

The chip company hasn’t detailed what makes those three levels different, though clock speed and cache seem likely factors. Meanwhile, the Z-Series for tablets – codenamed Desna – will target Windows based slates and have a sub-6W TDP, as per the leaked slides we saw last week. The first model to use the platform will be MSI’s WindPad 110W, launched earlier this week,

We won’t have to wait until 2012 and Trinity for the first Bulldozer products, however; AMD confirmed that the first mainstream chips – including Zambezi for desktops and Orochi for servers - will arrive in Q3 2011. The new 9-Series chipset that will support them is already available, the company said, and will be showing up in products from next month.

AMD also brought BlueStacks on stage for a demonstration of the company’s Android virtualization software for Windows-based devices. That will allow Z-Series based slates to run Android apps alongside Windows software.

The Screen

The TouchSmart 610 has a 23in full 1080p 16:9 wide screen, and uses one of our favorite screen technologies called IPS (in-plane switching). IPS panel technology provides wide horizontal and vertical viewing angles as well as bright clear contrast. The only knock on IPS is that it is quite glossy and will reflect room and ambient light. HP also included a feature called optical touchscreen technology which conveniently allows you to use the screen even if wearing gloves, and allows the use of other objects like a stylus as well.

The stand that holds the 23in screen is where the true usefulness of using touch on a desktop comes in. The stand, which holds the monitor upright at 90 degrees, also allows you to slide the monitor down 60 degrees so that it almost lies flat on the desk. Writing, drawing and using touch are enhanced in this mode as it feels more natural than when upright.

The touch experience is sound but still has a few issues with accuracy. I’m also looking forward to support for more than two finger multi-touch.

Hardware Specs

The design is one of the best of all the TouchSmart designs i’ve used. I covered the unique stand above, but the overall form factor is quite tight and fits nicely as an all-in-one on any desk or in any room. The bezel has a black matte finish and the built in speakers and microphone are designed nicely along the bottom.

There is a side slot-loaded DVD player which can be upgraded to Blu-Ray if desired. On the side is also a 6-in-1 digital memory card reader for easy transport of videos, photos and more.

For wireless connectivity the TouchSmart 610 includes 802.11 for WiFi and Bluetooth technology as well.

The CPU is a high-end Intel Core i7-870 and is also available with a Core i5-660 or Core i3-560. The other specs are good as far as desktop PCs go. On top of the Core i7 you get 8GB of SDRAM, two 1TB hard drives (set up in a RAID 0 array), and 1GB AMD Radeon HD 5570 graphics.

The TouchSmart 610 also comes with Beats Audio technology that overall delivers a rich and robust audio experience. Playing music from the TouchSmart using the built in speakers was as good, if not better than the multiple integrated iPod speaker systems I have.

Software

The TouchSmart 610 ships with Microsoft Windows 7 Home Premium. Not only does the TouchSmart come with the latest and greatest TouchSmart 4.0 software but it also comes pre-loaded with a variety of TouchSmart Apps. These TouchSmart Apps have been specifically designed for the TouchSmart and include games, photo and video editing software, a media player, a web browser that is touch-enhanced, even Facebook and Twitter, and a lot more. HP also has a download center where you can explore and download new TouchSmart Apps.

My kids enjoyed nearly all of the pre-loaded games, including ones from the Cartoon Network and Build-A-Lot which is similar to Sim City.

One of the pre-loaded games I enjoyed playing was R.U.S.E by Ubisoft, which is a real time military strategy game. The unique elements of this game were quite compelling when you add the ability to use your fingers to direct the strategy of your army. Below is a quick video demo HP made that I think shows it off quite well.

Overall Experience and Favorite Things

The element of touch and touch software on an all-in-one is one of the biggest features of the TouchSmart and, in my opinion, one if its more compelling offerings. By having a touch screen desktop I found myself relying on the mouse less but still using the keyboard for all forms of text entry. One of the more satisfying experiences with the TouchSmart has been seeing how my kids who are 8 and 6 used the PC.

Using a mouse is a bit of a learning curve for young kids, where touch is natural. Both my girls rarely left the TouchSmart user interface because it contained so many of the elements they use regularly, such as games, the web browser and media player. This made it easy for them to use the computer and not need me to constantly come up and help them get out of a screen they didn’t mean to get to. They have finally found a computer they can use that allows them to interact naturally and to get more out of learning and creative games like drawing and coloring.

Conclusion

If you are in the market for all-in-one PC you should definitely consider the TouchSmart 610. It’s so much more than just a desktop PC because of the TouchSmart software which brings new opportunities for in home computing. It’s also the one desktop that I can say with confidence could have useful features for every room in the house, with the exception of the bathroom perhaps.

The TouchSmart starts at $899 and can be found online at HP’s website or at other major retailers.

Many people think of Linux as if it’s an operating system in competition with Windows. This isn’t really the case. There are some vocal users among the community that live to fight against the corporate machine, but most of us, we just like choices. Linux itself isn’t an operating system in the strictest sense of the word. Linux is just an idea about how an operating system works. The easiest way to think about it is as if every individual installation of Linux is it’s own operating system. That’s the principal difference between Windows and Linux. With Microsoft in your corner, you are playing their game. You’re in their Twilight Zone. Linux on the other hand… it’s all you baby.

With a little bit of effort the user can customise anything. Enterprising and generous hackers package their customized systems into distributions, each with a distinctive flavor. In fact, we love to call the various distributions different flavors of Linux. That’s a key term. There won’t be a quiz. Linux comes in as many flavors as there are programmers with a desire for something different from what’s out there. That’s it’s strength. Look up any of these to see some of the different possibilities; Linux Mint, Ubuntu, Crunchbang, E-Live, Debian, Red Hat, SUSE.

GNOME isn’t a distribution. It isn’t a flavor. So what is it?

GNOME is a lot of things really. It’s an expansive project that aims to provide a wide array of software tools. It’s meant to be an all-in-one automagic software package that you can install on any Linux system to get a functional and diverse desktop environment. The 3.0 Release changed a lot of the look and feel of the GNOME system. GNOME The new release is designed with the cloud in mind. It took them five years, and here it is.

Right now the new version of GNOME is supported by the openSUSE and Fedora projects. Those are Linux distributions, or distros for the cool kids. You can browse to here to try it out on a USB stick or a LiveCD.

[via Linux Journal]

Compulab actually have two versions they’re showing: the slimline model we’ve seen already, and a thicker version that offers a 2.5-inch internal hard-drive bay. OS can either be loaded onto a microSD card in a dedicated slot, onto the 32GB SSD in the slimline Trim Slice, or onto the HDD of the bigger model. It’ll launch with Ubuntu, but the company is working on adding Android 3.0 Honeycomb support by the time the tiny desktop launches.

Compulab expects the first Trim Slice units to ship at the end of April 2011, with pricing at around $250 for the SSD version or around $300 for the HDD version when they hit stores. At that price, we could see it being very popular among both consumers and developers.

There’s also Bluetooth, a full-sized SDHC slot and a microSDHC slot, up to 64GB of SATA SSD storage and S/PDIF digital audio. Other ports include four USB 2.0, one USB Device port and a serial port; Compulab say that more than one OS will be preinstalled out of the box, though don’t actually specify which platforms that will include.

Not bad for something measuring just 5.1 x 3.7 x 0.6 inches. Pricing is yet to be confirmed, but Compulab expects the Trim Slice to be “priced higher than a streamer, but lower than a tablet” when it goes on sale in April.

[via TGSpot]

Press Release:

CompuLab is Introducing Trim-Slice – the first NVIDIA® TegraTM 2 based desktop

Haifa, Israel – 24-Jan-11 – CompuLab is introducing Trim-Slice – a miniature desktop computer powered by NVIDIA Tegra 2. With 0.6″ thick all-metal housing, Trim-Slice is CompuLab’s smallest and most energy-efficient computer to-date.

NVIDIA Tegra 2 integrates a 1 GHz dual-core ARM Cortex A9 and an ultra-low power GeForce GPU onto the same chip, making it the most powerful ARM based system-on-chip available today.
“Trim-Slice is designed to unleash the full potential of NVIDIA Tegra 2” said Irad Stavi, Director of Business Development at CompuLab. “Trim-Slice feeds the Tegra 2 with all the ingredients for supporting high performance CPU: 1 GB RAM, SATA SSD and dual SDHC for storage and GbE networking. Users can experience the outstanding multimedia capabilities of the Tegra 2 through full-HD HDMI, dual-head display and 5.1 channels digital audio.”

“CompuLab demonstrated many times over its expertise in power-efficient system design.” said Igor Vaisbein, Trim-Slice Project Manager at CompuLab. “The ultra-low power of NVIDIA Tegra 2 enabled designing Trim-Slice into a miniature form-factor with unprecedentedly low-power envelope while providing rich multimedia capabilities and PC-like user experience”.

High performance, low-power, rich I/O and miniature rugged design, position Trim-Slice as an attractive solution for a variety of applications – media player, IPTV, infotainment system, signage, gaming or even desktop replacement to name a few.

Trim-Slice differs from most other ARM based solutions by being a commercially available open platform for software developers.
“The software eco-system on ARM is evolving quickly” said Mike Rapoport, Director of SW Development at CompuLab. “The open-source community and ISVs need an ARM development platform that is versatile, open and powerful. Trim-Slice meets that by incorporating PC-like performance, memory, storage, display, I/O and networking in an open platform that allows installation of any supported OS and application. CompuLab will offer more than one OS working on Trim-Slice out-of-the-box.”
CompuLab will cooperate with ISVs that select Trim-Slice as a reference platform.

Specifications
• CPU: NVIDIA® TegraTM 2 Dual Core ARM Cortex A9 1GHz with integrated ultra-low power GeForce GPU
• Memory: 1 GB DDR2-800
• Storage :
o Full size SD (SDHC)
o Micro SD (SDHC)
o SATA SSD (up to 64GB)
• Networking:
o 1 GbE
o WiFi 802.11n + BT
• Display :HDMI 1.3 full-HD + DVI (dual head)
• Audio: Stereo line-out, line-in, 5.1 digital S/PDIF
• Video in: PAL/NTSC
• I/O:
o 4 USB2 ports (480 MBps)
o 1 USB device
o RS232 Serial port
• Extension: JTAG, 2 UARTs, SPI
• Housing: Fanless all-metal nickel-plated die-cast
• Dimensions: 130mm x 95mm x 15mm – 5.1” x 3.7” x 0.6”
• Power: 8-16V DC, 3W average
Availability
CompuLab expects to start accepting orders from Trim-Slice in April. “Trim-Slice pricing is yet to be finalized” said Mr. Stavi. “It will be priced hig¬her than a streamer, but lower than a tablet”.
Trim-Slice is guaranteed for long term availability of 5 years. It will be available in several configurations and will be offered to OEMs looking to re-brand the product.
About CompuLab
CompuLab is a leading designer and manufacturer of embedded computing products since 1992. CompuLab’s fit-PC line of miniature, fanless PCs – introduced in 2007 – positioned CompuLab as an industry leader in the field of miniature, fanless industrial PCs. CompuLab headquarters are located in Haifa, Israel with offices in St. Petersburg, FL.

Central Station seamlessly connects all elements of the of your mobile computer, including notebook PC, display, peripherals, network, and AV, to its own monitors.

Here’s how it works. Instead of plugging in all of your peripherals such as keyboard, mouse, printer, etc. to your desktop, the user will plug them into the central hub. Then, once the USB connector is inserted into a laptop, bring the laptop within 3.2 feet of the Central Station and you will be immediately presented with a full desktop experience right from your laptop.

The monitor and hub solutions come in both 23- and 27-inch options and will both sport WLED backlighting when it’s made available in March of this year.

As for the K330, that has a choice of up to Core i7 CPUs, up to 16GB of DDR3 memory, and twin RAID-0 hard-drives for up to 4TB of storage. There’s also the option to switch out the standard DVD drive for a Blu-ray alternative, and an optional TV tuner.

The Lenovo IdeaPad Y460p and Y560p laptops will go on sale come January 11, 2011, priced from $849 and with a choice of metallic grey or white interiors. As for the IdeaCentre K330, that will go on sale early in 2011, priced from $699.

Press Release:

Lenovo Takes Multimedia Computing to New Heights with Three New Idea Products: IdeaPad Y460p, Y560p and IdeaCentre K330

RESEARCH TRIANGLE PARK, NC – December 09, 2010: Lenovo (HKSE: 0992) (ADR: LNVGY) today introduced the IdeaPad Y460p, IdeaPad Y560p and IdeaCentre K330, which all sport high-performance processors and are packed with multimedia features. The new PCs are perfect for young adults who seek the ultimate multimedia experience for watching movies, listening to music and playing games.
“Lenovo is continuously expanding its product line to provide consumers with the latest advancements in multimedia and entertainment capabilities,” said Dion Weisler, vice president, business operations, Lenovo. “The Y460p, Y560p and K330 all feature speedy performance and advanced processing in a sleek form factor. Immense storage and high-quality graphics make these ideal for those looking for a superior and easy multimedia experience.”

IdeaPad Y460p and Y560p – High Performance Entertainment System in a Sleek Design
The powerful and stylish IdeaPad Y460p and IdeaPad Y560p are high-performance notebooks that come packed with top multimedia features, perfect for entertainment seekers, gamers or those consumers who are always creating content to share with friends. Featuring the Second Generation Intel® Core™ Processor family, these 14-inch and 15.6-inch PCs are available with up to Intel® Core™ i7 processors. With up to 750 GB HDD and up to 8GB DDR3 1333 memory, consumers now can store more movies, music and games while enjoying enhanced-application performance. Lenovo’s RapidDrive feature combines 32GB SSD and HDD capacity to speed up system performance. The Y460p and Y560p, which come with 16:9 widescreen, also meet Lenovo’s Windows 7 Enhanced Experience certification, providing up to 33 percent faster boot up and 50 percent faster shutdown time as well as rich multimedia capabilities and easy system maintenance tools.
Consumers who are looking for the ultimate entertainment setting will be pleased with the spectacular sound quality of the Y460p and Y560p, which is made possible by JBL speakers and Dolby® Home Theater™. The beautifully engineered notebooks come with OneKey™ Theater, allowing users to experience richer images and enhanced sound while watching movies with just the press of a button.
Available with a metal hairline etching exterior and the choice of two interiors, metallic grey and white, the Y460p and Y560p are designed for easy use with a one-handed hinge open feature and user-friendly ports. Other key features include OneKey Rescue and Lenovo’s VeriFace™ face recognition.

IdeaCentre K330 – The Power Performance Desktop
The all new IdeaCentre K330 desktop is the ideal PC for consumers who want the most thorough computing experience and desire the very best in aesthetics and high-performance capabilities. Boasting a sleek and powerful design with a metallic and vibrant color scheme, the K330 features up to Intel® Core™ i7 processors with Intel® Turbo Boost Technology 2.0. This ultimate desktop experience comes with up to 16GB DDR3 memory, increasing user multi-tasking capabilities, twin RAID0-configured hard disk drives1 and up to 4TB HDD storage, providing plenty of space for multimedia.
The K330 desktop is packed with fun-enabling features to maximize time spent gaming, surfing the Web and utilizing all of its multimedia attributes. The Power Control Switch provides easy changing between three convenient power modes for the fan and CPU speed – Turbo Red for high speed and power performance, Auto Blue for regular operation and Cool Green for the silent, energy-saving mode. The entertainment doesn’t stop with the K330, thanks to advanced features, including an integrated DVD or Blu-ray Disc™ drive, optional TV Tuner and HD graphics support. With full HD 1920×1080 resolution and DirectX 11 graphics, users can experience vibrant video imaging and high-power gaming effects.
The IdeaCentre K330 also features the Lenovo Dynamic Brightness System2 to adjust screen brightness based on ambient light and the Lenovo Eye Distance System3 to alert users when they are too close to the screen for ultimate eye protection. The OneKey Recovery makes data backup and recovery a simple one-touch task while the tool-free CPU design eliminates the need to use a screwdriver to open the K330 so upgrades and replacements are quick and easy.

Pricing and Availability4
The Lenovo IdeaPad Y460p and Y560p laptops are available beginning January 11, 2011 and will start at $849. The IdeaCentre K330 will be available in early 2011 and will start at $699. All of the devices will be available on Lenovo.com.

For the latest Lenovo news, subscribe to Lenovo RSS feeds or follow Lenovo on Twitter and Facebook.

About Lenovo
Lenovo (HKSE: 0992) (ADR: LNVGY) is dedicated to building exceptionally engineered personal computers. Lenovo’s business model is built on innovation, operational efficiency and customer satisfaction as well as a focus on investment in emerging markets. Formed by Lenovo Group’s acquisition of the former IBM Personal Computing Division, the company develops, manufactures and markets reliable, high-quality, secure and easy-to-use technology products and services worldwide. Lenovo has major research centers in Yamato, Japan; Beijing, Shanghai and Shenzhen, China; and Raleigh, North Carolina. For more information see www.lenovo.com.

1 Optional feature; requires using twin-matching hard drives.
2 Requires Lenovo monitor with webcam.
3 Requires Lenovo webcam. Prices do not include tax or shipping and are subject to change without notice and is tied to specific terms and conditions. Reseller prices may vary. Price does not include all advertised features. All offers subject to availability. Lenovo reserves the right to alter product offerings and specifications at any time without notice.
4 Prices do not include tax or shipping and are subject to change without notice and is tied to specific terms and conditions. Reseller prices may vary. Price does not include all advertised features. All offers subject to availability. Lenovo reserves the right to alter product offerings and specifications at any time without notice.

Acer’s Predator range has been through a few iterations now, each putting high-end hardware into an eye-catching case and promising a generally budget-friendly alternative to rival machines from Alienware and others. The AG5900-U3092 is a little less eye-searing in its color scheme – previous Predators have been all-orange, with shifting drive bay panels and odd mechanical flaps – but it’s still solidly made and has a little theater in its design. The DVD burner, for instance, opens up like a Predator’s mouth.

Inside, Acer has paired Intel’s 2.93GHz Core i7-870 processor with 8GB of DDR3 1333 memory, a 1.5TB 7,200rpm hard-drive and ATI Radeon HD 5850 video card with 1GB of its own memory. There’s also a 16x DVD burner, integrated audio and gigabit ethernet, and two spare PCI-E x1 slots and a single PCI slot. Connectivity includes four USB 2.0 ports on the front, eight on the back, two PS/2, three audio ports and a multi-format memory card reader. No integrated WiFi, but Acer do throw in a USB keyboard and optical mouse, while the OS is Windows 7 Home Premium 64-bit.

Considering it’s a reasonably large chassis, there’s understandably a decent amount of upgrade potential in the Predator. Two hard-drives slot in at the front on simple tray-style bays, though while it’s easy to access the trays, they’re not hot-swappable. Open the left-hand panel, meanwhile, and there are another two 3.5-inch drive bays, this time facing out toward the side. The molded plastic top section of the chassis angles the USB and audio in/out ports up, useful considering the PC will mostly likely be sat on the floor under a desk, and also has a tray which can hold your iPod or other gadget while it charges.

Power on, and one thing is clear: Acer has sold a fair chunk of its soul to the bloatware devil. As well as the usual McAfee and Office 2010 trials, Netflix, eSobi and WildTangent have got their claws into the Predator, and then there’s Adobe and Acer’s own tools. Yes, some users might find them useful, but we’ve a feeling most will, like us, consider them pointless annoyances and have to spend a not-insignificant length of time uninstalling them.

When we’d done that, we turned to benchmarking. Our first step was Geekbench, a synthetic test of process and memory performance we run on all desktop and notebook systems. The Predator AG5900 scored 9,315, with particularly strong CPU performance as you’d expect.

That puts it certainly higher than most desktops, though it falls short of some of the more spec-heavy gaming models we’ve tested in recent times. iBUYPOWER’s beastly Paladin F Series – which we reviewed all the way back in March – scores more than 50-percent more, at 15,710, with its hexacore Core i7-980 Extreme CPU; it’s also more than twice the price of the Acer, however. It’s worth noting that the Predator’s fans are reasonably quiet, even when the system is under full load.

We then looked to PCMark Vantage for some more in-depth testing. Overall, the Acer scored 8,986 PCMarks, with unsurprisingly high scores in the gaming (9,766) category. Again, that’s well under half what the iBUYPOWER system managed, but it’s also worth noting that in the test games we looked at, we had no problems running the most recent titles at maximum resolution. Yes, the Predator isn’t the fastest machine out there, but right now it doesn’t have to be in order to make it comfortably equipped for what owners might be throwing at it.

In the end, it’s the balance between price and performance that makes the Acer Predator AG5900-U3092 a strong contender. There are undoubtedly more powerful gaming PCs on the market, but they generally can’t match Acer’s pricing; at $1,349.99, it’s a few hundred dollars cheaper than a similarly specified Alienware desktop. We’d liked to have seen USB 3.0 as standard, and hot-swappable drive bays, though the Predator isn’t a server and the latter probably isn’t something most owners would miss. Acer’s Predator-series chassis designs might be pretty crazy, but the AG5900 is actually a reasonably sensible buy.

It’s certainly compact enough to get lost under your HDTV, just 5.7 x 3.9 x 2.0 inches and made of sturdy metal and silver plastic. Although there are rubber feet for standalone use, you can also VESA mount it to the back of your display. Ports include audio in/out/microphone on the front, together with two USB 2.0 and a miniUSB, then VGA, HDMI, two further USB 2.0 and gigabit ethernet on the back. There’s also a DC power input – the external PSU is a reasonably small block – and a connector for the optional WiFi antenna.

Although described as barebones, there’s not a huge amount that the ARTiGO A1100 is missing. It comes with VIA’s single-core 1.2GHz U2500 Nano processor and the company’s VX855 MSP, the latter combining the GPU, Northbridge and Southbridge into a single chip. All the buyer need fit is a 2.5-inch SATA hard-drive and a stick of DDR2 SODIMM memory (up to 2GB). VIA don’t add WiFi as standard, but do offer an optional board which is easily connected, and there’s an optional SD card reader too.

Setup, then, is pretty straightforward, though you obviously also have to add the OS of your choice. Though the U2500 is happy with 64-bit platforms, don’t expect to get the full Windows 7 Ultimate experience from the A1100: the VX855 falls short of Aero compliance, meaning much of the graphical niceties in Microsoft’s flagship OS are absent, and multitasking with anything but the most basic of tasks is wishful thinking.

Opt for Windows XP or a Linux OS, however, and things are a whole lot slicker, though you might fall foul of VIA’s DirectX 9 limitations. We generally prefer the more flexible VLC over Microsoft’s own Windows Media Player app, but the VX855 lacks hardware acceleration for anything other than WMP. That leaves you at the mercy of the CPU.

In use, it’s a quiet system; not fanless, but the tiny 25mm fan is a discrete whirring and likely to be drowned out by whatever else is in the room. Unfortunately it’s also not especially capable, and the ARTiGO A1100 box gets very hot in use. We’d have happily accepted a little extra noise – and perhaps a slightly larger chassis – for a bigger, more effective fan. The miniUSB port is a neat addition, however, allowing you to hook the PC up to another computer and treat it as an external drive.

The CPU/GPU pairing was sufficient to play 720p HD video smoothly, but 1080p HD was less successful; at best we had some mild stuttering, while at worst there were multiple dropped frames and mis-matched audio. Obviously with no integrated optical drive or TV tuner, the ARTiGO’s HTPC credentials aren’t entirely solid. Office tasks and basic photo editing were more in line with the PC’s abilities, just as long as you’re content to do one thing at a time.

If the performance isn’t quite up to regular HTPC standards, neither is the basic functionality – at least not right now. We were unable to set the ARTiGO A1100 to boot up with its HDMI output active, instead finding it would always default to the VGA output. VIA is apparently working on a firmware update to fix this, but until that’s released it’s a frustrating flaw.

As with all barebones PCs, perhaps, the VIA ARTiGO A1100 isn’t really suited to a regular home user. With a street price of around $230 (budget $45 for the WiFi b/g adapter and $25 for the SD card reader) it’s cheaper than a prebuilt nettop, certainly, but factor in the time and money required to install an HDD, memory and OS, and then tweak the latter into giving the best performance with the CPU/GPU pairing, and you’re facing what’s obviously an enthusiast’s product.

If you’ve the patience and inclination, there’s plenty of potential for the VIA nettop. Its frugal power consumption makes it an ideal embedded device, as long as you’re willing to pretty much dedicate it to a single purpose: a simple file server, for instance. Unfortunately, what it won’t do is broaden VIA’s market among home users, at least until the company rolls out updated versions with faster, dual- and quad-core versions of the Nano CPU.

The ThinkStation C20′s diminutive stature is down to its rack-mount friendliness: with the optional brackets you can stack up to 14 of them in a standard 42U rack.  Of course, it also means a smaller footprint – either on the desk or underneath it – for users with just one C20.  Aesthetically it’s Lenovo’s usual somber black handiwork, with the front panel mostly vent meshwork aside from a single optical drive – in this case a DVD burner – together with FireWire, two USB 2.0 ports, audio in/out and the power button.  On the top edge is a recessed handle lined with soft-touch plastic, which makes moving the C20 particularly straightforward.

On the back, there are three fans (two system fans, one in the PSU) together with more meshwork and a further eight USB 2.0 ports, a gigabit ethernet port, two S/PDIF digital audio ports, analog surround audio outputs and a serial port, together with whatever graphics outputs your choice of video card offers (more on that in a moment).  The side panel opens to reveal a surprisingly straightforward internal layout, with tool-less mounts making upgrades and modifications relatively simple despite the comparatively small space.

There are some neat touches, too, some of which are obvious to the user and others less so.  Lenovo has used over 50-percent post-consumer recycled plastic and low-noise fans, which is always good, and the front panel port labels are backlit which makes plugging in peripherals simple when the C20 is under a desk or in a dim server room.

Of course, the real meat is what’s inside the chassis, and Lenovo sent over a loaded ThinkStation for us to test out.  The range kicks off at $1,199 with a single 2.0GHz Intel Xeon E5503 processor and 1GB of RAM, but our C20 has a pair of 2.66GHz Intel Xeon (Westmere) X5650 processors for a total of twelve cores.  There’s also 8GB of DDR3 memory, a 500GB hard-drive and an NVIDIA Quadro FX 4800 video card, with Windows 7 Professional 64-bit as the OS.  Expect to pay around $6,774 for a similarly specified C20, though this isn’t the most outlandish configuration you could opt for.  Faster Xeon chips are on offer, together with up to 48GB of memory across six DIMM slots, dual graphics cards, a Blu-ray burner and twin hard-drives (HDD or SSD) with optional RAID.

The NVIDIA Quadro FX 4800 deserves some attention, considering it alone adds $1,475 to the C20′s sticker price.  Currently near the top of NVIDIA’s workstation card range, it targets animators and designers running graphics-intensitive applications like 3D rendering.  At its heart is the new GT200GL GPU, with 192 CUDA cores, paired with 1.5GB of dedicated memory and 384-bit memory width; together, NVIDIA says the FX 4800 is capable of 76.8GB/s memory bandwidth, crunching 300 million triangles per second and 38 billion texels per second.

Of course, the CUDA cores are flexible in their abilities, and rather than being limited to pure graphics rendering they’re in fact each an individual multi-threaded processor.  Compatible software – which generally means the latest image, CAD and other high-end apps – can take advantage of any unused cores to speed up other processing tasks, offset from the PC’s main CPU(s).  As for outputs, you get two DisplayPort, one dual-link DVI-I and a stereo audio port, with a max 2560 x 1600 resolution and NVIDIA 3D Vision/3D Vision Pro compatibility.  It’s worth remembering that – if your wallet can hold up to it – you can outfit the C20 with two of these cards.

It came as little surprise, then, to find the ThinkStation C20 blitzed our benchmarks.  We started off with Geekbench, a synthetic test of processor and memory performance, and the Lenovo ThinkStation C20 scored a massive 19565.  That was primarily held back by memory performance and bandwidth; the processor scores themselves were well in excess of 20k.  The closest score in our benchmark database is the iBUYPOWER Paladin F Series, which packs a single Intel Core i7-980 Extreme, and was around 400 points lower (though it’s also in the region of $3,000 less than the C20).

We then turned to PCMark, which is a broader test of system abilities.  Overall, the ThinkStation scored 10030, with particular strengths in the Communication (10805), Music (7794) and Gaming (7640) tests.  Lowest score was 5250 in the HDD testing, likely a result of the single 7,200rpm drive in our review machine.  Looking back, the iBUYPOWER system (which is targeted at gamers) scored almost twice as well in PCMark, though in pro-level graphics applications the Quadro FX card of the Lenovo would likely make a more significant difference while an SSD would also help.

Still, this is mighty impressive performance from a relatively small machine, and we can’t help but be blown away by the sheer crunching ability of the dual Xeons.  In everyday use we had trouble slowing the C20 down – this isn’t a PC where opening a few dozen browser windows will cause lag – and it stayed admirably quiet too (though fan noise did ramp up as the system was stressed during benchmark testing).

The Lenovo’s price tag puts it out of contention for most people, and with its workstation credentials it’s not intended to replace high-end gaming machines. Graphics professionals, video editors or anyone looking to do vast amounts of crunching in minimal amounts of time, however – and without turning their office into a server farm – should definitely be considering the C20.  Its primarily limitation (bar price) is the mere two internal drive bays, but that’s the trade-off for its compact chassis; to be fair, Lenovo offer several larger alternatives in their S20 and D20 ranges that accommodate bigger RAID arrays.  For those unwilling to give space to such behemoths, the ThinkStation C20 delivers the power without the bulk.

As well as the Core i5-650 (with 4MB L3 cache) there’s 4GB of DDR3 memory (1GB of which is allocated to the Intel GMA HD graphics) and a 320GB 7,200rpm hard-drive (500GB is an option). Lenovo also fit a DVD burner and WiFi b/g/n, while a memory card reader and Bluetooth are optional. Above the 23-inch 1920 x 1080 display is a 2-megapixel webcam that can be physically covered up with a sliding hatch, useful for the particularly paranoid. Underneath the screen are the stereo speakers; there’s also a microphone hidden in the bezel.

Connectivity, meanwhile, includes two USB 2.0 ports, audio in/out and – if specified – the card reader on the right hand edge, while there are a further four USB 2.0 ports, gigabit ethernet, a DisplayPort output and a VGA input on the back. The latter can be employed to turn the M90z into a regular 23-inch LCD monitor, useful if you want more screen space on your laptop.

Lenovo’s stark aesthetic is an acquired taste, for sure, but there are some elements which we wish rivals would adopt. The absence of an external power brick is one – you merely plug in a regular AC cord, as you would with a normal tower unit – as is the straightforward way the rear panel of the ThinkCentre hinges up and off, and gives access to the few user-changeable components inside. An integrated carry-handle is at the top of the M90z, though it’s a heavy machine and we wouldn’t want to make a habit of transferring it from room to room.

Our review model comes with the basic wire foot-stand, adjustable between 15- and 45-degrees, but you can also choose a height-adjustable stand that lifts the M90z over 4-inches. Alternatively Lenovo offer an Extend Arm stand, that mounts to a desk and then allows you to tilt, pivot and rotate the M90z to your heart’s content.

Turned on – using the single button on the M90z’s front panel – and the screen shows itself to be bright and clear, with decent viewing angles and nicely saturated colors. Lenovo bundle a wired keyboard and mouse, so setup is straightforward, though of course you’re also expected to take advantage of the multitouch control. Unfortunately, like other Windows 7 touchscreen PCs, the ThinkCentre M90z suffers by virtue of the Microsoft OS’ mediocre finger friendliness.

Basic apps have some touch control, so you can pinch-zoom in the browser for instance, and Microsoft’s Touch Pack for Windows 7 is installed, but underneath it’s still a platform tailored to keyboard and mouse. Lenovo attempt to work around these shortcomings with their own SimpleTap app – as we used on the ThinkPad T400S – which basically offers larger, customisable shortcuts in a drop-down menu, but if you’re expecting iPad levels of finger use then you’ll be disappointed.

Otherwise, the M90z shapes up to be a pretty regular desktop computer, albeit one held back by its Intel GMA HD graphics. We ran Geekbench, a synthetic test of processor and memory performance, and the M90z scored 5294 overall. That’s actually less than Gateway’s ZX6900, which has a Core i3-530 CPU, 4GB of RAM and scored 5313. In everyday use, the ThinkCentre was happy multitasking with several browser tabs open, media streaming in the background, and IM active, but gaming and anything more graphics intensive was beyond its abilities.

It’s rivals like the ZX6900 that count the Lenovo ThinkCentre M90z out for the home market, frankly. With an MRSP of $1,019.99, the Gateway is cheaper than the $1,338 of our Lenovo review unit, but still manages to include Blu-ray, an HDMI output and eSATA. For businesses, the Lenovo’s over-engineered build quality and three-year warranty might make more of a difference, but we can’t help but think that most buyers would be better served saving their money and opting for the Core i3 version without the touchscreen. That’s still slightly more expensive than the Gateway, but likely more palatable to enterprise tastes. The ThinkCentre M90z certainly isn’t a bad all-in-one, but touch on Windows 7 isn’t the sales guarantee Lenovo were looking for.

[Image credit Chris Jagers]

From Products to Solutions

I tend to believe that as the personal technology market matures consumers will be in search more of solutions then products. In short, as consumers become more familiar with a technology or product they tend to gravitate toward solutions around those products for future purchases. Much of the personal technology made and sold today fall into the category of products. A desktop is a product, notebooks are products, and even smartphones are still largely products. Apple, I believe, has a more solutions-based product mentality then most, but still sells mostly products. The opportunity in the future, as I see it, is for manufacturers of personal technology to sell solutions instead of products.

What is a solution? By a solution I mean a set of products working together as a comprehensive whole. iPhone and iTunes on a PC is a solution. Xbox 360 and Windows Media Center on a PC is a solution. Solutions require tightly integrated hardware and software to be successful.

The reason I believe tablets may bring new life to the desktop market is because the two together could comprise of a complete solution for personal computing. Now I will admit from the outset that what I am going to propose is not a solution for everyone, however I do believe it is a solution that will appeal to a mass market.

If you look deeply at the advantages and disadvantages of desktops and tablets you will find that where one fails the other excels. For desktops the major disadvantage is mobility yet the advantage is screen size and performance. For tablets the disadvantage is screen size and performance but the advantage is portability. For the desktop the advantage is productivity for the tablet the advantage is consumption, etc. I argue that the notebook is good at all these things and perfect for those types of consumers who need, mobility, performance and productivity in one machine. I do however believe that there are others who prefer a different model, which is why I think desktops and tablets are the alternate solution. Keep in mind that is not to say that the notebook doesn’t also fit into this solution, however for a growing number of consumers I feel that may be overkill.

At my house I have a MacBook Pro 15-inch and an iPad. I do all the “heavy lifting” like creating and editing home movies, editing digital photos and extensive writing on the notebook. I have noticed at least 90% of the time I do those sorts of things I do them while I am at home. With my notebook, I am not necessarily benefiting from the advantage of mobility with the exception that I can do these sorts of “heavy lifting” from anywhere in the house. I used to use my notebook to browse the web and other sorts of simple tasks from a couch or bed setting, but that has all been replaced by using the iPad for most of my “consumption of content” needs. In my case I really have segmented the notebook to the creation and productive tasks and the iPad for the more consumption-related tasks.

I firmly believe that in my home setting I can very easily replace my notebook with an iMac and have the exact same experience as I currently have with a notebook and my iPad. This is why, if the two could work together as a whole solution, I think the desktop can re-claim its role as the hub of the digital home.

The Software Solution

What is genuinely missing in all these products and soon to be solutions is software that keeps all of a consumers data consistently in place no matter which machine they create or consume it on. For my desktop + tablet solution I would need to know that both machines always have what I need on them at all times. They both need all the same software, data, media etc and would need to always be in sync. If I create or download a file or picture on one machine I need to know that it is there on the other device without having to physically move or manage the process.

Solutions like SugarSync and DropBox do this to a degree, however if this was woven into the operating system or embedded into the actual applications, I think, it would be a much more elegant and seamless solution.

The real question is whether or not consumers could grasp on to this idea or not. Another question is whether or not manufactures could build and sell and elegant all-in-one/desktop + tablet solution.

I think the potential of packaging an all-in-one/desktop with a tablet and selling it as a packaged solution would be quite attractive to consumers once they wrap their brains around the concept. Which, if true, could give some new life to the all-in-one/desktop segment and position it again as the hub of the digital home.

Despite the frugality, the machines are still reasonably specified for nettop-style AIOs.  Both 15.6-inch and 18.5-inch desktops are available, each with Atom D510 dual-core CPUs, 2GB of RAM, a 40GB SSD (80GB optional) and GMA 3150 graphics.  Connectivity includes four USB 2.0, a VGA output, multiformat memory card reader, audio in/out and gigabit ethernet.  No WiFi, but since you’ll need a wired ethernet connection for power that’s probably no great loss.

The 15.6-inch SkinnyBytes AIO kicks off at $899, while the 18.5-inch SkinnyBytes AIO starts at $999.  The company also offers PoE touchscreen laptops, which charge via the ethernet connection rather than an AC adapter.

[via iTechNewsNet]

Press Release:

SkinnyBytes Launches New Lineup of PoE Computers (Power-over-Ethernet) with TouchScreen, Tailored to the Needs of Business and Education

GILBERT, Ariz.–(BUSINESS WIRE)–SkinnyBytes has unveiled a new lineup of PoE Computers which are AIO (All-In-One) ranging in sizes from 8.9” to 18.5”. As these systems are powered via Power-over-Ethernet they do not require AC power outlets. AC electrical power is expensive to install, and is far more dangerous than the low-voltage DC power provided by PoE. The significant cost savings coupled with a TouchScreen interface make these systems ideal for business and schools.

Value – Eliminating the need for installing an AC outlet can easily reduce the cost of installing new computers by 50% or more. Power-over-Ethernet computers are the ultimate Eco-Friendly computers consuming 90% less power than a traditional computer, drastically reducing your energy bills.

Safety – AC power is very dangerous due to the high-voltage/high-current it supplies. In classroom environments where the safety of the students is of paramount concern, it is hazardous to install AC outlets within reach of curious students. Power-over-Ethernet computers utilize low-voltage/low-current power over a standard network cable, eliminating the need to install these costly and dangerous AC electrical receptacles. This makes the PoE Computer the ideal Classroom Friendly Computers, including a standard TouchScreen interface making them perfect for interactive learning.

Technology – All of these PoE computers are compatible with IEEE standard 802.3at for Power-over-Ethernet, which describes providing up to 30 watts of power to a device over a standard network cable. Utilizing emerging technologies such as solid state drives, low-power Intel Atom Processors, LED backlighting, and passive cooling technologies that require no cooling fans, SkinnyBytes has created a product line of PoE computers that can run on a meager 30 watts of power without sacrificing performance. By eliminating moving components, we are able to reduce the power requirements of our systems by 90% compared with traditional computing systems.

All of SkinnyBytes’ systems are tailored toward business and educational institutions. No moving components translate into highly durable and reliable systems. Every system comes with Windows 7 pre-installed and a TouchScreen interface for maximum flexibility and functionality.

If you want dual hexacore chips then you’re looking at $4,999; that’s upgrading the basic dual-CPU Mac Pro, which in itself is $3,499, with a pair of 2.66GHz Xeons.  Other options include up to 32GB of DDR3 memory, four hard-drive bays to be filled (with optional RAID) and a choice of ATI Radeon graphics with either single or dual-card setups.

Ports, meanwhile, include four FireWire 800, five USB 2.0, analog and digital audio in/out, and then of course whichever graphics outputs are supported on the ATI video cards.  New Apple Mac Pro machines ship within 7-10 days.

[Thanks Simon!]

Other options include up to 24GB of DDR3 memory – though it’ll cost you $1,100 – and a choice of ATI Radeon graphics cards up to the HD 5970 2GB, for $580.  Storage kicks off at 750GB as standard, but can be expanded with up to 2TB individual drives and a choice of RAID 0/1 array settings.

Beyond that it’s the usual DVD or Blu-ray burner, multiple ports – including HDMI, USB 2.0, eSATA and S/PDIF, though no USB 3.0 – all in a reasonably slick tower case.  The new Dell Studio XPS 9100 machines are available to order now.

[Thanks Paul!]

There’s a little of the Lenovo in the Aspire X3400′s design, a solid black mini-tower (standing 10.5-inches high) with a minor splash of blue the only attempt to brighten things. Up front there’s a DVD burner, five USB 2.0 ports, a multi-format memory card reader and audio in/out; at the back there are a further four USB 2.0 ports, both HDMI and VGA, gigabit ethernet, audio in/out (with 5.1-channel support), an eSATA port, PS/2 ports for legacy keyboard and mouse (Acer’s supplied peripherals are both USB, and of reasonable quality if not anything outstanding) and of course power. Build quality is decent, with a pleasant mixture of gloss and matte black plastics.

Inside there’s a 2.9GHz AMD Athlon II X3 435 processor paired with 4GB of DDR3 memory and integrated NVIDIA GeForce 9200 graphics with a 500GB hard-drive, though no integrated Bluetooth and WiFi. Acer offer a 2.9GHz X4 635 processor and up to 1TB of storage as options, while the Aspire X3400 can handle up to 8GB of DDR3 memory. Of course, because of the small size there are no free drive bays inside: the optical drive takes up the 5.25-inch bay and the HDD occupies the 3.5-inch bay.

Software is Windows 7 Home Premium, complete with a basic array of Acer’s own applications. Probably of most interest to the HTPC aficionados likely to be eyeing the Aspire X3400 is the eRecovery Management app, which automatically makes backups of your multimedia store. There’s also the usual trial of Office Home & Student 2007 (together with a full copy of Works 8.5), a trial of McAfee, Google’s Toolbar and Nero 9 Essentials.

We benchmark tested the Acer Aspire X3400-U2012 using Geekbench, a synthetic test of processor and memory performance. It scored a reasonable 5,108, primarily thanks to a strong showing by the processor. In comparison, Gateway’s ZX6900 – which uses a 2.93GHz Intel Core i3-530 with 4GB of RAM – scored slightly higher, at 5,313. Acer’s own all-in-one, the Aspire Z5600, scored 5,475 with Intel’s 2.33GHz Core 2 Quad Q8200 and 4GB of RAM.

The Aspire X3400′s integrated GeForce 9200 graphics are certainly showing their age, and this isn’t the GPU for you if you’re hoping to do any serious gaming. While it may run titles like Crysis it’s at their very minimum settings, and you’ll still see dropped frames. Instead, think of the Aspire X3400 as a home multimedia PC, perfectly sized to slot under your TV, hook up via HDMI (with HDCP support) and act as a media player. On those terms its capabilities are far more adequate; Windows 7 Home Premium includes native media PC features, though you’ll need to add a USB TV tuner if you want to record/pause broadcast TV. It’s a shame Acer didn’t throw a remote control in the box (or at least wireless keyboard/mouse peripherals).

In use, the Acer runs reasonably quietly – there’s some fan noise which may be noticeable during quiet media playback, but nothing extreme – and shows little in the way of lag. We happily browsed several internet tabs with media playing in the background and the Aspire X3400 had no problem keeping up with us. Paired with a sizeable NAS it would certainly work well as an HTPC.

We’d like to see a bigger hard-drive as standard, and obviously the GPU falls short of anything a semi-serious gamer might be looking for, but considering the $459.99 MRSP there’s plenty to like about the Acer Aspire X3400-U2012. Solid – if not outstanding – performance together with an admirably small footprint and lashings of connectivity add up to a strong contender for your living room or home office.

Both of the new desktops use a standard clocked GTX 460 video card offering decent performance without breaking the bank. The E370 also has a liquid cooled Intel Core i5-750 CPU, 4GB of DDR3 RAM, and 500GB of storage. The machine is packed inside a cool PSI Cyclone X gaming case with prices starting at $834.

The Paladin F860 has the same GTX 460 video card and uses an Intel Core i7-930 CPU, an Asus P6T SE mainboard, 6GB of DDR3 RAM, and has a 8x Blu-ray drive and 1TB of storage. The F860 sells for $1849.

The X3 machine is a desktop with mainstream tech inside a SFF chassis and the M3 is a multitasking machine with room for growth. The X3 machine will ship with 4GB of RAM and a variety of CPUs including the Athlon II, Phenom II, Core i3, and Pentium E6600 CPUs. The desktop can also be fitted with up to 1TB of storage space and GeForce 9200 graphics.

The M3 can be ordered with Athlon II or Phenom II CPUs and HD 5450 or GeForce 9200 graphics. Storage is up to 640GB. Both machines are available now starting at $449.99.

Speaking at the Untethered conference in New York City on Thursday, Forrester analyst Sarah Rotman Epps projected her theories for the upcoming years, comparing tablets to netbooks, laptops, and desktops. Sales wise, she believes that tablets are going to sell upwards of three and a half million total units this year, and that number is going to skyrocket up to 20.4 million by 2015.

The PC is going to take a hit: 18.7 million units sold in 2010, down to 15.7 million sold in 2015. As you can see from the chart, Rotman Epps projected that tablets could actually overcome netbooks by 2012, claiming 18% versus 17%. And then, in 2013, tablets will hold 21%, while netbooks will only have 17%, and desktops a mere 20%. Indeed, it paints a very clear image, if it’s true: people will focus on the ability to get their life handled while on the move, and not necessarily stuck to a desktop. Furthermore, as tablets get more advanced, and their functionality more robust, even netbooks will fall under their massive weight. Of course, laptops will stay consistent, falling from 45% in 2010 to only 42% in 2015. What do you think? Are you going to get a tablet in the future? If so, what is it you’re waiting for?

[via TechCrunch]

Press releases are getting crammed these days. But, we can’t blame companies for wanting to shove as many products into one release as they can, especially if they all move towards one goal. In Lenovo’s case, they believe that the desktop computing market has lost its innovation, and that’s why they’re officially announcing five new products to inject some of that innovation back into the market. They’re covering pretty much all of their bases with the products herein, so if you’re interested in what Lenovo is doing for big-businesses out there, then jump after the link to find out what’s going on.

The ThinkCentre M90z is an all-in-one PC, shoved into a pretty luxurious looking 23-inch display. You get to choose from Intel’s Core i5 or i3 processors, along with DDR3 memory, your choice of either hard drive or solid state drive, a DVD player, and optional WiFi/Bluetooth connectivity. You can include a touchscreen as well, and the AIO can also come with a physical on/off switch for your webcam, if that kind of thing floats your boat.

As for the other PCs, There’s the ThinkStation C20 and C20x. The former is remarkably small, with Lenovo pointing out that it’s 40 percent smaller than the Dell Precision T5500. The small stature of the hardware makes it so that more ThinkStation C20s can be installed in a rack formation. You can choose from a list of Intel Xeon 5600 processors, and the C20x can have upwards of 96GB of DDR3 memory, with its 12 available DIMM slots. You can also have up to two NVIDIA FX4800 class graphics.

Both the Lenovo L2320x Wide and ThinkVision L2321x Wide monitors feature two-in-one features. The L2320x has a port replicator and a 21.5-inch monitor. The monitor also has the standard USB connectors, but it’s the first of its kind to also support the ability to plug in an Ethernet cable, too. The L2320x is only $259.99. The ThinkVision L2321x features a dual display, meaning you can have a full PowerPoint presentation running on one half, while something else is going on on the other, all at full size. It features both VGA and DisplayPort connectors.

Price wise, you’re looking at $899 starting for the ThinkCentre M90z, which is available right now through some select business partners with Lenovo, or you can wait to order it from Lenovo’s website later this month. The ThinkStation C20 and C20x workstations will be made available around mid-June, with prices starting at $1,199 for the C20. The C20x will be only made available through sales partners. The ThinkVision L2321x will be available in mid-July for $279.99

Press Release:

RESEARCH TRIANGLE PARK, NC – June 10, 2010: Lenovo (HKSE: 992) (ADR: LNVGY) today announced five new PC products that inject innovation back into the desktop computing space. The industry’s first large business-focused 23-inch all-in-one (AIO) desktop, the ThinkCentre M90z, blends strong performance and IT features with sophisticated style and advanced web conferencing design. The super-compact ThinkStation C20 redefines expectations for a small dual socket workstation. Meanwhile, the ThinkStation C20x offers an extra boost of memory and more powerful processors, making it the highest performance workstation of this form factor.

Lenovo is also introducing two new “first of their kind” monitors: The first port replicator monitor – the Lenovo L2230x wide – attaches to ultraportable laptops for greater convenience and productivity in the workspace. The ThinkVision L2321x wide, the first “duo” display monitor, combines two screens into one for multitasking and running legacy applications using a widescreen display.

“While more and more people are using mobile devices, there are lots of environments where desktop products simply make more sense, and these latest Lenovo products showcase how our new innovations are leading in all-in-one desktops,” said Peter Hortensius, senior vice president, Think Product Group, Lenovo. “We believe all-in-one is the future of desktops, so we created the ThinkCentre M90z to deliver everything large enterprise customers need: no compromised performance, customized ergonomic features and a full web conferencing experience.”

ThinkCentre M90z – A Full-Scale Commercial AIO

The ThinkCentre M90z has beauty and brains, packing the full performance of a traditional desktop into a slick 23-inch display. It comes equipped with choices of the latest Intel Core i5 and i3 processors, DDR3 memory, selection of hard drives or a solid state drive, a DVD player and optional WiFi/Bluetooth. The space-saving, slim AIO can fit just about anywhere in a home or office by using one of the optional ergonomic stands: frame, height adjustable, extended arm or wall mount arm.

Lenovo designers detail the story behind the design of the AIO here.
And here the Center for Severe Weather Research takes the M90z out on the road tornado chasing.

The M90z also takes web conferencing to a higher level with a number of optional features that give it both style and substance:

Optical touchscreen that can be easily cleaned/Lenovo SimpleTap interface included
Unique web camera on/off switch for physical control of the camera
Autobrightness control to intelligently save energy
Array microphone for clear audio with mute button
Touch capacitive monitor buttons for elegant convenience

While the M90z saves space and fights clutter on the desk, for IT departments, it includes a full complement of manageability features for large businesses. Lenovo’s ThinkVantage Technologies productivity tools are included, and the M90z supports Intel vPro and Lenovo’s Hardware Password Manager for encrypted hard drives. Additionally, users can easily remove the back to upgrade the AIO.

ThinkStation C20/C20x – A Fit for Finance & Wealth Management
Lenovo designed the ThinkStation C20 and C20x workstations with the ultra-compact, number-crunching performance needed to drive financial markets. With space at a premium at standard traders’ desks, the C20’s small size – it’s 46% smaller than the Dell Precision T5500 and 31% smaller than the HP Z600 – without compromising on performance. Its size allows for more ThinkStation workstations to be installed in a rack or trader desk versus the competition. An analyst can also attach and run up to eight monitors. Lenovo engineered many industry “firsts” to package high performance into such a compact design. New Lenovo-developed technologies include a patented slim, rotatable optical drive and a tri-channel cooling system.

The workstations offer:

Choices of Intel Xeon 5600 Series processors
Up to 96GB of DDR3 memory on the C20x with 12 available DIMM slots
Up to two NVIDIA FX4800 class graphics
Native SAS support on the C20x
Certified for compatibility with SBFI Trading and Control Room Furniture

“SBFI believes the smaller size and reduced heat output of the ThinkStation C20 and C20x workstations will provide greater flexibility for users who have high processing requirements and are a great match for our products,” said Andrew Plumbly, International Business Director, SBFI, Ltd. “This will enable users to do more with the space they have.’’

Lenovo L2230x Wide and ThinkVision L2321x Wide Monitors – More Than A Monitor
The Lenovo L2230x Wide and ThinkVision L2321x Wide monitors let users do more with two-in-one capabilities. The L2230x Wide monitor makes connecting from a laptop simple and economical by combining a port replicator and 21.5-inch monitor into one device. For an 11-inch laptop, the monitor provides nearly 200 percent extra display space and an easier way to work.

The monitor connects to peripherals through USB and is the first to allow direct plug in of an Ethernet cable. The L2230x Wide provides a cost effective solution at just $259.99 compared with purchasing a port replicator and monitor separately.

Lenovo engineers developed a creative solution to give business customers the best of both worlds with the ThinkVision L2321x Wide monitor. The “duo” monitor features a dual display function so users can work in split screen mode: For example, with 2:1 mode users can view full screen PowerPoint slides on one part of the display and run other applications on the other. The “duo” inputs both VGA and DisplayPort video and comes with a vertical stand that can be height adjusted.

More Gains in Green – M90z First TCO Certified Edge AIO
All of the new PC products incorporate greener designs. As the first TCO Certified Edge AIO, the ThinkCentre M90z sets a new standard for AIO environmental considerations and ergonomics. All the products are highly energy efficient by meeting Energy Star 5.0 standards. Many of the models are rated EPEAT Gold, and the products also use high amounts of recycled materials with the M90z using the equivalent of 65 plastic bottles. Other green highlights include: The C20 and C20x are the only 80 Plus Bronze Certified compact workstations and both monitors are TCO Certified Edge.

Pricing and Availability1
The ThinkCentre M90z all-in-one desktop is available beginning immediately through business partners and later this month on www.lenovo.com with models starting at approximately $899. The ThinkStation C20 and C20x workstations will be available in mid-June with models of the C20 on the web starting at approximately $1,199. The C20x will be sold through business partners. The Lenovo L2230x Wide and ThinkVision L2321x Wide monitor will be available in mid-July through the web and business partners and are priced at $259.99 and $279.99, respectively.

Along with that new gaming desktop Asus also showed off new gaming notebooks. One of the ROG notebooks called the G53 has a 15.6-inch screen and support for full 3D gaming with HDMI 1.4 support. The Asus G53 gaming notebook is the world’s first 15-inch gaming notebook with a NVIDIA 3D Vision-enabled GPU.

The Asus G73Jh notebook has an illuminated keyboard for gaming in the dark and is designed to have a style reminiscent of the F117 stealth fighter. The machine supports 1080p and is 3D ready. Asus isn’t specific on which GPU is inside the G73Jw only stating that it’s the next generation GPU. Pricing and availability on the notebooks is unknown.

AMD say their notebook VISION platforms are delivering twice the graphics performance of an Intel system, and 50-percent better graphics with a discrete ATI GPU than on an Intel system with an NVIDIA GPU.  That translates to 20-percent faster photo processing in Photoshop Elements 8 and 37-percent faster DVD transfers.  The Ultrathin CPUs will support DDR3 and Direct X 10.1 support, and AMD reckon there’s a reduction of heat output and an increase in battery life up to 8hrs of runtime.  Full details on the new range in the gallery.

As for the Mainstream CPUs, they get paired with various GPUs including the ATI Radeon HD 4500 for DirectX 11 support, or Radeon 4200 integrated graphics for systems where power frugality is more important than visual performance.  The new chips will show up in notebooks from Acer, Dell, HP and Lenovo, among many others, and are also detailed in the gallery below.

Flipping to the desktop, the new CPUs can be paired with ATI Radeon HD 5000 series or higher video cards for DirectX 11 support and gaming performance, or Mobility Radeon 4200 GPUs for more affordable setups.  There’s also USB 3.0 support from the newest chipsets.  The real news today is that AMD’s VISION system for desktops splits the range into three categories, for easier selection, and will be available in machines from Acer, ASUS, Dell, HP, Lenovo, MSI and Toshiba from today.

Press Release:

PC Manufacturers Triple Number of Notebook Platforms that Feature VISION Technology from AMD[1]

AMD Refreshes Notebook Platforms and Introduces VISION Technology for Desktop PCs

Thirty Percent More Ultrathin Notebooks and 109 New Mainstream Notebooks Based on VISION Technology Scheduled to Arrive in Time for Back-to-School Buyers2
CANNES, France —5/12/2010
From the Cannes Film Festival AMD (NYSE: AMD) today announced a complete refresh of its desktop and notebook platforms based on VISION Technology for consumer and commercial customers. Ahead of the biggest buying cycle of the year, the new notebook platforms offer up to eight hours of battery life while delivering an outstanding visual experience at a great price for the mainstream and ultrathin markets.3

“With VISION Technology from AMD, we are finally connecting how people use their PCs with the way people purchase them,” said Nigel Dessau, senior vice president and chief marketing officer of AMD. “Today, after little more than 200 days in market, our partners are introducing more VISION-based PCs than ever before; a testament to both the competitiveness of AMD platform technology and the simplified marketing approach.”

Introduced in October 2009, VISION Technology from AMD simplifies the PC buying process at the point of sale by focusing on how consumers use PCs, rather than relying upon the confusing “speeds and feeds” technical specifications that many people find difficult to understand. VISION also denotes the powerful visual experience AMD systems enable; an important feature as more consumers use their computers as entertainment hubs for sharing photos, music and videos with friends and family, watching TV and HD videos, and playing games.

AMD 2010 Mainstream and Ultrathin Notebook Platforms
In 2009, 96 million people worldwide bought PCs for entertainment purposes.4 The AMD 2010 Mainstream Notebook Platform lets consumers enjoy their movies, music and games in stunning color and clarity, seamlessly connect with friends on social networks, and edit videos and photos. The 2010 Ultrathin Notebook Platform makes it possible for consumers to enjoy a full-featured PC experience, including HD playback, in sleek and affordable notebooks that can deliver up to eight hours of battery life. Examples of the benefits the platforms provide to consumers include the following:

In testing with HQV 2.0, a VISION-based system with AMD integrated graphics achieved a video experience score almost 2x that of a comparable Intel-based system. Additionally, a VISION-based system with AMD discrete graphics scored 50% better than a comparable Intel-based system with Nvidia discrete graphics.5
Enjoy photos with greater color, clarity and definition by cleaning up photos up to 20 percent faster with Adobe Photoshop Elements 8 than competing mainstream notebooks.6
Transfer entertainment fast and convert DVDs to play on game consoles in up to 37 percent less time than a comparable competitive mainstream notebook.7
Experience up to 80 percent smoother gaming performance in Call of Duty® 4: Modern Warfare™, compared to a comparable competitive mainstream system.8
AMD 2010 Desktop Platform

AMD’s new mainstream and enthusiast desktop platforms are designed to deliver superior performance while alleviating unnecessary spending associated with competing platforms. The new platforms are enhanced with the latest graphics technology for stunning HD digital media and immersive 3D entertainment, and multi-core performance for seamless multi-tasking, including the new six-core AMD Phenom™ II X6 processor. Examples of the benefits the platforms provide to consumers include the following:

Share movies with friends 30 percent faster than with comparable competing PCs.9
Organize digital libraries 40 percent faster, using facial recognition to categorize photos, than competing desktop PCs.10
Build a complete AMD-based system featuring the AMD Phenom™ II X6 processor with all the necessary components and monitor for less than the price of our competition’s only six-core desktop processor.11
Systems featuring these notebook and desktop platforms with VISION Technology from AMD will be available beginning today and through the end of the year from original equipment manufacturers (OEM) and System Integrators including Acer, ASUS, Dell, HP, Lenovo, MSI and Toshiba.

The new machine uses a liquid cooling system that Digital Storm called the Sub-Zero system, which obviously is incapable of chilling the CPU to sub zero temperatures. The company claims that the liquid cooling solution is capable of allowing the CPU to be overclocked to 4.4GHz and higher.

The machine is available in performance, enthusiast, and extreme versions. All of the versions use the Intel Core i7 930 2.8GHz CPU and 6GB of DDR3 RAM. The EVGA X58 motherboard and a 750W PSU is also used in each system. The performance version has a GTX 470 video card, the enthusiast version has a HD 5870 video card, and the extreme has a GTX 480 video card. Pricing starts at $2387, $2535, and $2693 respectively.

Video demos after the cut

As for the compact desktop, that’s the HP Compaq 6005 Pro Ultra Slim, with a choice of various AMD Sempron, Athlon or Phenom CPUs along with up to 8GB of RAM and ATI Radeon HD 4200 graphics.  SSD storage is optional, while ports include 10 USB 2.0 and DisplayPort.

Meanwhile the existing HP TouchSmart 600 now gets Beats Audio support, together with new Core i3 and i5 CPU options.  Demo videos of HP’s new range below, but be warned; they’ve given the 6005 Pro a bizarre “sexy voice” which may just leave you having nightmares.

HP Compaq 6005 Pro Ultra Slim Desktop:

Corel Paint It! On the HP TouchSmart:

Press Release:

HP Offers Powerful Performance and Energy Efficiency in Desktop PCs for Consumers and Businesses

Beats Audio and new touch applications now available on HP TouchSmart PCs

PALO ALTO, Calif., April 21, 2010 – HP today introduced two energy-efficient, space-saving desktop PCs along with updates to its TouchSmart PC, including new Intel™ Core® processor options, an enhanced experience with Beats™ Audio and new touch applications from Corel® and Roxio.

The HP All-in-One200 features an ideal balance of form and function, offering consumers the performance of a traditional tower and monitor in one sleek, integrated design.

The HP Compaq 6005 Pro Ultra Slim desktop PC delivers business users energy efficiency, productivity and security in a small, sleek design.

“HP has expanded its portfolio with compelling desktop offerings for consumers and businesses who want great performance and design,” said Anneliese Olson, director, Worldwide Product Marketing, Desktop PCs, HP. “These new offerings consume less energy and are proof of our commitment to reducing waste in the design, manufacturing, packaging and transportation of our products.”

The HP All-in-One200 is simple to set up and features an integrated webcam, built-in wireless LAN and HP’s MediaSmart software suite. Additional features include:

21.5-inch diagonal, high definition LED display; display is mercury free and uses less energy than previous-generation displays

ENERGY STAR® 5.0 qualified; EPEAT® Silver registration

First consumer desktop to include some BFR/PVC free components

The HP Compaq 6005 Pro Ultra Slim desktop (USDT) is an enterprise-grade performance PC designed with the environment in mind. Featuring VISION Pro technology from AMD, the HP Compaq 6005 Pro USDT delivers high-performance computing in a compact design. HP’s second business PC and the first AMD PC in the industry to be BFR/PVC free from the wall to the mouse, the HP Compaq 6005 Pro USDT offers an 87-percent-efficient power supply, along with meeting ENERGY STAR® qualifications and EPEAT® registration.

Engineered to reproduce the sound quality found in music studios, Beats Audio is now available on the HP TouchSmart 600. The HP TouchSmart 300 and 600 PC series also now feature new built-for-touch applications, including Paint It! by Corel and Roxio CinemaNow.