You're right, the iBooks are a bitch, but check out the macbook. On my macbook core duo it took 5 minutes, one screwdriver (3 screws) and a penny (to take out the battery) to replace the hard drive. The MacBook's easily replaceable hard drive is a great, but long-overdue feature. Now Apple needs to make it easier to replace the hard drive in the MacBook Pro, the iMac, and (perhaps) the Mac mini.
I'm sure the MacBook Pro will get an easy-access hard drive when they finally replace that old PowerBook chassis, but it should have had this feature a long time ago. I think this should be a standard feature for any "pro" or "business" notebook.
I'm really puzzled by the the current iMac's difficult-to-replace hard drive. The original G5 iMac, which has the same form factor as the current Intel iMac, had an easy-to-upgrade hard drive. The current iMac is a bitch to get into.
I can kind of understand the Mac mini. To get that ultra-sleek form factor, I guess tradeoffs have to be made. Also, I assume not many pros and businesses would consider the mini without knowing about its limited upgradeablility.
Intel maxes out at 4 cpus and there plan to have 4 FSB in there upcoming 4 wat xeon chip set and CSI has been pushed back to 2008 DigiTimes reported yesterday that Tigerton (along with the quad-independent-bus Clarksboro chipset) is scheduled to launch in September (according to sources at server makers). Clarksboro will have four independent point-to-point connections to the CPUs. These new chipset-to-CPU connections are not CSI, but they are supposedly more efficient than the front side bus connections Intel currently uses. The Tech Report has an interesting photo of a Tigerton/Clarksboro demo from October that shows four Tigertons lined up right next to each other with the heatsinks touching (not possible without the new point-to-point connections).
Currently, Intel's Core-based Clovertown is only available for 2-way motherboards (with two independent FSBs). Intel's 4-way boards still use the Netburst architecture and two FSBs for four CPUs. Tigerton and Clarksboro (the Caneland platform) will update Xeon MP to the Core architecture and four point-to-point buses.
the bottleneck is the dvd read/seek speed and IDE/ATAPI's single read channel limitations. The meaning of the term "ripping" (CDs and DVDs) has changed over the years to include ripping and encoding. I personally don't like this definition, but it seems to be the accepted defn nowadays. "Rip the CD to MP3s." "Rip the DVD to XviD."
I agree with aegl. Many video encoding/transcoding apps have been updated to effectively use 4+ cores.
Subject: All the more reason for Dell to sell Linux
Time for hardware vendors to start selling more PCs preloaded with Linux. Why sell Windows when Microsoft is your competition?
That reminded me: doesn't Dell beat Microsoft's price of "about $524" with their current Ubuntu desktops? TFA doesn't show detailed specs for MS's IQ PC (AMD Athlon, MS Works, Student 2007, some "specialized" education software), but "starting at $449" (today's USA prices), Dell offers their new Inspiron desktop with Ubuntu, Pentium Dual-core E2xxx (Core 2 Duo with reduced FSB and L2 cache), Intel G33 chipset w/GMA 3100 graphics, 512MB memory, and 160GB hard drive.
Maybe there's additional value in th IQ PC's software and support, but $524 doesn't seem that low to me for what looks like an entry-level AMD desktop.
Now, call me ungrateful, but 500 megs? Let's see what such a service could be good for.
1. Offsite backup.
2. Making your data "mobile", by making it available wherever you are.
3. Transfering your data to another machine (local or remote).
4. Distributing data
Should anyone have other ideas, please share them.
5. "File sharing component of the Windows Live application suite."
That's what Brian Hall, general manager of Windows Live, is calling it in a much better article from PC Magazine. According to that article, the current limited beta is also limited to 50MB per item (so I can't share my WMV HD-encoded home sex video with my friends).
Hall also says "Live Folders" can be private, public, or shared with certain users (e.g. co-workers having edit permissions on an Excel spreadsheet). I'm sure other free "storage" services allow this. E-mail notifications about shared folders can be sent to whoever is sharing the folder.
Hall seems to hint that "Live Folders" will integrate nicely with their other "Live" applications and their upcoming "Windows Live Suite." (A list of current betas, apps, and services here.) Since I don't use any Live apps, I'll wait for online reviews to see if it will be worth checking out. I'm not "camping out" in anticipation.
Yeah, normally I let people believe whatever they want and leave them be. His articles though are so extremist that I have to poke fun at them pretty regularly on here. Thankfully, Slashdot generally doesn't carry his stories anymore. I wouldn't be so thankful, yet. Daniel Eran's (writer of RoughlyDrafted) Slashdot user name is DECS and his last accepted submission (which all pimp his own site) was on May 10 (scroll to bottom of his user page). According to his pattern of recently accepted submissions, his next accepted story should occur right about... well, stay ready to poke more fun at him.
In the meantime, you have the option of ridiculing him when he posts a comment on Slashdot that reads like a mini RoughlyDrafted article, like this one from two days ago: Oh Gizmodo
I'm assuming Daniel Eran only uses one Slashdot user account to pimp his site. In case you missed it, he tried to game Digg with multiple accounts and got caught/banned from Digg:
"Photographic evidence of AlexaW and RoughlyDrafted gaming Digg just to get moron Daniel Eran's articles to the front page. (Where they promptly get buried for being inaccurate.) Several users who ONLY digg AlexaW's submissions, all of whom signed up in the last 3 weeks. Coincidence? Not a chance. This needs to be stopped immediately."
"85 percent of the nation's grazing lands are not suitable for farming... Cattle eat forages that humans cannot consume and convert them into a nutrient-dense food."
"At 435 gallons per pound of beef, 10 pounds of beef equals 4,350 gallons of water, or an annual average of 362.5 gallons per month. For a family of four, this adds up to 3 gallons per person per day. Assuming the statement refers only to the amount of grain that could be produced with the same amount of water, at 151 gallons per pound of wheat produced, this would yield.32 ounces of unprocessed wheat per person per day. In terms of their water budget, this family certainly couldnt afford daily activities liking washing the dishes (20 gallons), reading the paper (300 gallons for a single days supply of newsprint) or taking a shower (15-20 gallons for the average 15 minute shower) according to the American Water Works Association."
Here's what I don't understand, if Yahoo! stops complying with local laws, as these shareholders suggest, wouldn't it be purely and simply out of business in China?...
...if Yahoo! tries not to apply censorship laws, then it won't be able to operate in China and thus it wouldn't be any good for either Yahoo! or Chinese web-surfers, right?
Here's what I don't understand: why doesn't Yahoo just shut down the few specific services in China (e-mail, Yahoo Groups) that can result in pro-democracy critics being tortured in jail. Doesn't Yahoo have about a zillion other services that, while censored, will not force them to give up political dissidents to the torturers?
I love my Mac, but several times a day the Safari web browser crashes (Sorry, "Closes Unexpectedly") for no reason. I hope the Mac version of Safari can restore your previous browsing session after a crash (reload all tabs and page positions). Opera and Firefox do this. Internet Explorer 7 and Safari for Windows don't. I think this is a must-have feature for tab-hoarders like me (my record is 80 tabs when I knew I had to disconnect my net connection).
7600 GT 256mb on my iMac. Sure, not the quickest card, but not bad. Don't know where you're getting your info from. To be fair, that's only available on the 24" iMac (released August 2006), which starts at $2125 configured with an underclocked 7600 GT. All other iMacs are Radeon X1600 or GMA 950.
IMO, that doesn't seem like a good choice for Mac 3D gamers. DaveWick79 was clearly incorrect in saying the Radeon X1600 was the iMac's best GPU, but I agree with what I think is his point. A gamer that's satfisfied with playing simple or older 3D games will be fine with a Mac with X1600 or 7600 GT graphics (for now). Most gamers that like to play the latest 3D games would rather have the option of choosing a GeForce 7900 or 8800 with the option simply upgrading the graphics card for the next few years.
The best the PC had going was still Doom. Marathon did everything Doom did and more, actual story, 3D environment (you actually had to aim up at that guy on the high platform,) overlapping map areas, etc...
...The PC side didn't one-up them until Quake in 1996; characters modeled in 3D, angled platforms...Marathon couldn't do true ramps, but instead stair-stepped such areas. (I only checked the dates for Doom(93), Quake(96), Duke(96), Unreal(98), any I missed?)
For a "true" 3D environment (including shooting), there was Descent, which was released in February 1995, two months after Marathon (December 1994). Descent is a first-person shooter viewed from a spaceship's cockpit, so it might not count. The Terminator: Future Shock (December 1995) was true 3D. (Yes, it's based on the movie.)
Also, any list of "great" innovative first-person shooters should include GoldenEye 007 (August 1997, Nintendo 64). Since you mentioned Unreal (May 1998), I might as well mention Half-Life (November 1998), which I think set a new standard in FPS storytelling.
The GeForce 3 DID first come to the Mac, although windows support came very quickly after. Since I wasn't 100% certain, I couldn't resist Googling for confirmation. (Damn you! Damn you to hell!) Here's the first relevant link I got:
During Steve Jobs' Tokyo Keynote last February, Mac fans everywhere became delighted to hear of NVIDIA's continued Mac support with their release of the GeForce 3. Moreover, Mac gamers were exceptionally pleased to learn that the GeForce 3 would debut on the Mac first. Although the card was anounced five days before the PC version, PC owners got a hold of the card before most Mac users due to manufacturing delays (It's the thought that counts though).
My original comment looks more negative than I intended. Mac expos usually deliver, but their gaming-related announcements have been dubious IMO.
Also, the edge window size controls don't show up. I can't tell if you're kidding (no winking smiley) or if you expect this feature (since it's a Windows app). However, just in case you didn't know, OS X windows (and almost all Mac apps) don't have "edge window size controls." You can only "drag resize" from the lower right corner. I would have expected Apple to adopt XP's/Vista's edge windows siz controls, but I guess they haven't.
So, if your Safari window is near the bottom or right edge of the screen and you want to make it larger, you need to move the window to the left/up before resizing it (rather than simply dragging the left or top edge). Let the UI debates begin!
I remember Steve Jobs demoing Halo at a keynote. It was impresive. So impresive MS bought one of the largest mac game shops...Bungie. Don't you remember Steve Jobs bringing out John Carmack at MacWorld Tokyo to demo Doom 3 and the GeForce 3 (first GPU with programmable shaders). Steve boasted that the GeForce 3 was "coming first to the Mac," which turned out to be bullshit. Then when Doom 3 was released, the Mac version was much slower (even on dual G5 workstations) than the Windows version.
By the way, what the heck is "TrueLife (glossy)"? I have the option to have it or not have it for my screen, at the same price, but it sounds like a load of MarketSpeak. It's a shiny LCD surface (popular on "home" notebooks) that can make images look sharper and colors look richer. However, it also adds an annoying reflective glare. There's some good photos showing these reflections at John Siracusa's rant about the MacBook's glossy display:
The better choice really depends on whatever is important to you. If you put a lot of value on por.. err... photos and video, then you might like the glossy display. If reading text is more important to you and your lighting conditions are unpredictable, then you might want the traditional matte-finish display.
I decided to upgrade the memory from 512MB to 2GB (+$200) ...
Intel® Pentium® dual-core proc T2080(1MB Cache/1.73GHz/533MHz FSB ...
15.4 inch Wide Screen XGA Display with TrueLife(TM)(glossy)
2GB Shared Dual Channel DDR2 SDRAM at 533MHZ, 2 DIMM ...
Intel® Graphics Media Accelerator 950
You might want to consider 667MHz dual channel memory (+250 at Dell, cheaper elsewhere) because the integrated GMA 950 graphics shares memory bandwidth with the rest of the system. 533MHz memory might be fine for 2D, but 3D operations (at 1280x800) can easily saturate the available memory bandwidth. I haven't tried the optional Compiz OpenGL-accelerated window manager yet (called "Desktop Effects" in Ubuntu and disabled by default), but I'm sure it benefits from extra memory bandwidth. If you don't see a future for Compiz, then perhaps 533MHz memory will be good enough.
Plus it cracks me up that guys who spend $2500 for Macbooks actually think they're getting the highest quality hardware. (is there a notebook offered today with an 8 bit panel?) Lenovo/IBM ThinkPads with FlexView panels (like this T60p) have 8-bit IPS LCDs. Most notebooks are 6-bit, though. http://www.thinkwiki.org/wiki/TFT_display#Flexview _.28IPS.29
but from everything I see blu-ray seems to be the winner. I have only seen once place sell HDDVD, everyplace has at least a few blu-ray, even the mom-pop store down the road has some blu-ray movies for rent. I think it's too early to declare a winner when hardly anybody is buying those Blu-ray (or HD DVD) movies. Did you know that a popular new standard-definition DVD release will sell way more DVDs in one week (e.g. 4 million for Happy Feet) than all Blu-ray and HD DVD titles combined since the launch of the two formats (less than 2.5 million)?
http://arstechnica.com/news.ars/post/20070423-why- early-high-def-disc-adoption-rates-dont-really-mat ter.html
Yes, Blu-ray is ahead for now. But the current number of high-def movie buyers is just a drop compared to standard-def DVD. The number of available high-def titles is also very low. When a significant portion of standard DVD buyers switch to high-def, then the "standings" in this stupid race might matter.
Remember when standard-def DVD players were $500 and hardly any titles were available? The difference: DVD had no real competing formats and it had the support of all studios, computer makers, and home electronics makers. Ah, those were the good ol' days.
At any rate, Circuit City is selling one for $300. That is cheaper than any standalone Blu-Ray player I've seen out there. That's only until June 16, unless the HD DVD Promotional Group extends their $100 instant rebate promotional campaign. Until then, some Toshiba HD DVD players get an instant $100 rebate. Since the Toshiba HD-A2 player is $400 MSRP, its price will be $300 until June 16.
Note that before the promotion, the HD-A2 could be bought for $350 (free shipping) at Amazon.com. It seems that they raised their pre-rebate price back up to MSRP ($400) for this promotional period. I think it's safe to assume the price will be back at $350 (without rebate) after June 16. That's still significantly cheaper than a standalone Blu-ray player. To me, that's still too much to waste (for either format) when this stupid format war has barely even started.
I know of a number of organizations that were bit by the Dell Inspiron 1100/1150/5100/5100/5160 systems. (As someone that works day-to-day with fixing notebook computers, we run into a lot of these systems).
Maybe I'm missing something, but why would an 'organization' ever even buy an Inspiron?
Inspiron's are consumer level garbage. Random parts that differs from one minor version to another, cutting edge components with cutting edge drivers, etc.
If an organization is buying dell, it should be buying Latitudes, OptiPlex's and Precisions. Lots of bennies there too, in addition to the higher quality parts.
Also North American-based support (for Latitudes, Optiplexes, and Precisions). A quick look at the specs/features should make it obvious that Inspirons and Dimensions are made for home users and inappropriate for "organizations."
However, it bugs me to see these cheap models on Dell's "business/organizations" sites. Businesses are just assuming (without doing enough research) that Inspirons/Dimensions are appropriate because they're offered on Dell's business section. They shouldn't even be there.
3. A simple plastic drip filter holder with a decent filter Porcelain cone filter holders are available for those who think they can taste plastic in their coffee. They're not as easy to find as the plastic ones (Amazon.com doesn't have 'em), but they're reasonably priced (about $10). Here's what one looks like: http://www.kitchenkapers.com/porcelain-4-cone-filt er.html
I've also been told that drip brewed coffee has less cholesterol than pressed or percolated coffee I think you brought up a very important point, but I have a nitpick. Coffee, like all plant-based foods, has no (or insignificant trace amounts of) cholesterol. However, the metal filters in presses and percolators allow more compounds to pass through (e.g. flavorful oil), some of which seemingly raise blood cholesterol in drinkers (according to some recent studies). Paper filters seem to trap whatever compounds raise blood cholesterol, but sacrifice some flavor in the process.
Because of these health concerns, I use paper cone-shaped filters and a ceramic cone to hand-brew coffee (stir the grounds after adding water) straight into a thermal carafe. I occasionally use my french press when I score some fresh beans and want to get the "full experience." I should check out the Chemex.
Now my take on this.
1. The PS3 has a built in Blu-Ray player and like it or not there are 3 million of those already out there and will probably be over 6 million produced this year. Granted it isn't 10 or 15 million but it is still 6 million. Will HD-DVD even produce 500k? More than 3 million standard definition DVD players have been sold in the U.S. in the first three months of 2007. More than 19 million SD DVD players were sold in 2006. More than 125 million DVD players have been sold since 1997. That's just U.S. sales, not world sales. http://www.thedigitalbits.com/articles/cemadvdsale s.html
What's my point? I think 3 million players is an insignificant drop in the future HD video player market. If the price of HD DVD players drops below whatever the "magic price point" is before Blu-ray does, and the studios start offering most of their movies in high-def format (they hardly release any Blu-ray/HD DVD titles now), then HD DVD can easily overtake Blu-ray.
Lets be honest here. If it wasn't for Microsoft, this battle would have been over in the U.S. already. Wouldn't Intel's support of HD DVD keep this battle alive? Or is Intel on HD DVD's side because of Microsoft's influence?
I'm surprised by the replies to you, but I guess I shouldn't be. "Safe following distance" seems to be the first thing drivers forget/disregard from driver's education and their state's "driver handbook". It's a very simple and sensible concept, but many drivers just don't seem to get it.
If you cannot avoid an accident in front of you, then you are probably following too close. If the driver behind you is following too close, then that driver will probably rear-end you when you slow down to avoid an accident. Let that driver pass you and increase your following distance just like you would on a rainy day. Why is this so hard to understand?
Oh, and by the way... if you already bought a couple tracks of an album and want to complete the album, iTunes will let you grab the rest of the album for the album price less the money you already paid toward the tracks you already have... even THOUGH as a portion of a full album the per track price is less than 99 cents, they're still letting you apply what you have paid thus far to an album price, rather than a prorated per-track album completion price. That feature is called Complete My Album. It's a very nice feature, but I think it's important to mention its one big limitation: this deal expires 180 days after you buy those individual tracks from the album. For all those songs you bought more than 6 months ago, you get no discount for buying the rest of the album.
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I'm sure the MacBook Pro will get an easy-access hard drive when they finally replace that old PowerBook chassis, but it should have had this feature a long time ago. I think this should be a standard feature for any "pro" or "business" notebook.
I'm really puzzled by the the current iMac's difficult-to-replace hard drive. The original G5 iMac, which has the same form factor as the current Intel iMac, had an easy-to-upgrade hard drive. The current iMac is a bitch to get into.
I can kind of understand the Mac mini. To get that ultra-sleek form factor, I guess tradeoffs have to be made. Also, I assume not many pros and businesses would consider the mini without knowing about its limited upgradeablility.
Currently, Intel's Core-based Clovertown is only available for 2-way motherboards (with two independent FSBs). Intel's 4-way boards still use the Netburst architecture and two FSBs for four CPUs. Tigerton and Clarksboro (the Caneland platform) will update Xeon MP to the Core architecture and four point-to-point buses.
I agree with aegl. Many video encoding/transcoding apps have been updated to effectively use 4+ cores.
Time for hardware vendors to start selling more PCs preloaded with Linux. Why sell Windows when Microsoft is your competition?
That reminded me: doesn't Dell beat Microsoft's price of "about $524" with their current Ubuntu desktops? TFA doesn't show detailed specs for MS's IQ PC (AMD Athlon, MS Works, Student 2007, some "specialized" education software), but "starting at $449" (today's USA prices), Dell offers their new Inspiron desktop with Ubuntu, Pentium Dual-core E2xxx (Core 2 Duo with reduced FSB and L2 cache), Intel G33 chipset w/GMA 3100 graphics, 512MB memory, and 160GB hard drive.Maybe there's additional value in th IQ PC's software and support, but $524 doesn't seem that low to me for what looks like an entry-level AMD desktop.
1. Offsite backup.
2. Making your data "mobile", by making it available wherever you are.
3. Transfering your data to another machine (local or remote).
4. Distributing data
Should anyone have other ideas, please share them.
5. "File sharing component of the Windows Live application suite."That's what Brian Hall, general manager of Windows Live, is calling it in a much better article from PC Magazine. According to that article, the current limited beta is also limited to 50MB per item (so I can't share my WMV HD-encoded home sex video with my friends).
Hall also says "Live Folders" can be private, public, or shared with certain users (e.g. co-workers having edit permissions on an Excel spreadsheet). I'm sure other free "storage" services allow this. E-mail notifications about shared folders can be sent to whoever is sharing the folder.
Hall seems to hint that "Live Folders" will integrate nicely with their other "Live" applications and their upcoming "Windows Live Suite." (A list of current betas, apps, and services here.) Since I don't use any Live apps, I'll wait for online reviews to see if it will be worth checking out. I'm not "camping out" in anticipation.
Zonk is an editor on Slashdot.
And peter deacon (the article's submitter) is DECS (see DECS's submissions at the bottom of his user page).If you haven't figured it out, DECS is Daniel Eran, the blogger behind the blog RoughlyDrafted.
In the meantime, you have the option of ridiculing him when he posts a comment on Slashdot that reads like a mini RoughlyDrafted article, like this one from two days ago: Oh Gizmodo
I'm assuming Daniel Eran only uses one Slashdot user account to pimp his site. In case you missed it, he tried to game Digg with multiple accounts and got caught/banned from Digg:
- PROOF that Roughly Drafted is SPAMMING/Gaming Digg with multiple accounts
- "Photographic evidence of AlexaW and RoughlyDrafted gaming Digg just to get moron Daniel Eran's articles to the front page. (Where they promptly get buried for being inaccurate.) Several users who ONLY digg AlexaW's submissions, all of whom signed up in the last 3 weeks. Coincidence? Not a chance. This needs to be stopped immediately."
- RoughlyDraftedBUSTED
- RDMBusted2
He did submit an accepted story using the name "redrum", but his DECS user page reveals that DECS was the actual submitter.5Kg of beef requires the same amount of water to raise as the average family uses in a year.
I'm not claiming bullshit, but that sounds suspiciously like PETA propaganda. Here's some counter-propaganda from a non-biased source: Cattlemen's Beef Board and National Cattlemen's Beef Association! (Yes, I'm joking about "non-biased.") ...if Yahoo! tries not to apply censorship laws, then it won't be able to operate in China and thus it wouldn't be any good for either Yahoo! or Chinese web-surfers, right?
Here's what I don't understand: why doesn't Yahoo just shut down the few specific services in China (e-mail, Yahoo Groups) that can result in pro-democracy critics being tortured in jail. Doesn't Yahoo have about a zillion other services that, while censored, will not force them to give up political dissidents to the torturers?IMO, that doesn't seem like a good choice for Mac 3D gamers. DaveWick79 was clearly incorrect in saying the Radeon X1600 was the iMac's best GPU, but I agree with what I think is his point. A gamer that's satfisfied with playing simple or older 3D games will be fine with a Mac with X1600 or 7600 GT graphics (for now). Most gamers that like to play the latest 3D games would rather have the option of choosing a GeForce 7900 or 8800 with the option simply upgrading the graphics card for the next few years.
The best the PC had going was still Doom. Marathon did everything Doom did and more, actual story, 3D environment (you actually had to aim up at that guy on the high platform,) overlapping map areas, etc...
...The PC side didn't one-up them until Quake in 1996; characters modeled in 3D, angled platforms...Marathon couldn't do true ramps, but instead stair-stepped such areas. (I only checked the dates for Doom(93), Quake(96), Duke(96), Unreal(98), any I missed?)
For a "true" 3D environment (including shooting), there was Descent , which was released in February 1995, two months after Marathon (December 1994). Descent is a first-person shooter viewed from a spaceship's cockpit, so it might not count. The Terminator: Future Shock (December 1995) was true 3D. (Yes, it's based on the movie.)Also, any list of "great" innovative first-person shooters should include GoldenEye 007 (August 1997, Nintendo 64). Since you mentioned Unreal (May 1998), I might as well mention Half-Life (November 1998), which I think set a new standard in FPS storytelling.
- GeForce 3 - Is It Worth It?
My original comment looks more negative than I intended. Mac expos usually deliver, but their gaming-related announcements have been dubious IMO.During Steve Jobs' Tokyo Keynote last February, Mac fans everywhere became delighted to hear of NVIDIA's continued Mac support with their release of the GeForce 3. Moreover, Mac gamers were exceptionally pleased to learn that the GeForce 3 would debut on the Mac first. Although the card was anounced five days before the PC version, PC owners got a hold of the card before most Mac users due to manufacturing delays (It's the thought that counts though).
So, if your Safari window is near the bottom or right edge of the screen and you want to make it larger, you need to move the window to the left/up before resizing it (rather than simply dragging the left or top edge). Let the UI debates begin!
GeForce3 puts Mac at the head of GPU field
A first look at Doom 3 Mac benchmarks
And we all shine on.
The better choice really depends on whatever is important to you. If you put a lot of value on por.. err... photos and video, then you might like the glossy display. If reading text is more important to you and your lighting conditions are unpredictable, then you might want the traditional matte-finish display.
I decided to upgrade the memory from 512MB to 2GB (+$200)Intel® Pentium® dual-core proc T2080(1MB Cache/1.73GHz/533MHz FSB
...
...
You might want to consider 667MHz dual channel memory (+250 at Dell, cheaper elsewhere) because the integrated GMA 950 graphics shares memory bandwidth with the rest of the system. 533MHz memory might be fine for 2D, but 3D operations (at 1280x800) can easily saturate the available memory bandwidth. I haven't tried the optional Compiz OpenGL-accelerated window manager yet (called "Desktop Effects" in Ubuntu and disabled by default), but I'm sure it benefits from extra memory bandwidth. If you don't see a future for Compiz, then perhaps 533MHz memory will be good enough.15.4 inch Wide Screen XGA Display with TrueLife(TM)(glossy)
2GB Shared Dual Channel DDR2 SDRAM at 533MHZ, 2 DIMM
Intel® Graphics Media Accelerator 950
Note that Newegg.com has 2GB 667MHz kits starting at $80 ($5 shipping).
http://www.thinkwiki.org/wiki/TFT_display#Flexvie
http://arstechnica.com/news.ars/post/20070423-why
Yes, Blu-ray is ahead for now. But the current number of high-def movie buyers is just a drop compared to standard-def DVD. The number of available high-def titles is also very low. When a significant portion of standard DVD buyers switch to high-def, then the "standings" in this stupid race might matter.
Remember when standard-def DVD players were $500 and hardly any titles were available? The difference: DVD had no real competing formats and it had the support of all studios, computer makers, and home electronics makers. Ah, those were the good ol' days.
Note that before the promotion, the HD-A2 could be bought for $350 (free shipping) at Amazon.com. It seems that they raised their pre-rebate price back up to MSRP ($400) for this promotional period. I think it's safe to assume the price will be back at $350 (without rebate) after June 16. That's still significantly cheaper than a standalone Blu-ray player. To me, that's still too much to waste (for either format) when this stupid format war has barely even started.
Inspiron's are consumer level garbage. Random parts that differs from one minor version to another, cutting edge components with cutting edge drivers, etc.
If an organization is buying dell, it should be buying Latitudes, OptiPlex's and Precisions. Lots of bennies there too, in addition to the higher quality parts.
Also North American-based support (for Latitudes, Optiplexes, and Precisions). A quick look at the specs/features should make it obvious that Inspirons and Dimensions are made for home users and inappropriate for "organizations."However, it bugs me to see these cheap models on Dell's "business/organizations" sites. Businesses are just assuming (without doing enough research) that Inspirons/Dimensions are appropriate because they're offered on Dell's business section. They shouldn't even be there.
Because of these health concerns, I use paper cone-shaped filters and a ceramic cone to hand-brew coffee (stir the grounds after adding water) straight into a thermal carafe. I occasionally use my french press when I score some fresh beans and want to get the "full experience." I should check out the Chemex.
1. The PS3 has a built in Blu-Ray player and like it or not there are 3 million of those already out there and will probably be over 6 million produced this year. Granted it isn't 10 or 15 million but it is still 6 million. Will HD-DVD even produce 500k? More than 3 million standard definition DVD players have been sold in the U.S. in the first three months of 2007. More than 19 million SD DVD players were sold in 2006. More than 125 million DVD players have been sold since 1997. That's just U.S. sales, not world sales.
http://www.thedigitalbits.com/articles/cemadvdsal
What's my point? I think 3 million players is an insignificant drop in the future HD video player market. If the price of HD DVD players drops below whatever the "magic price point" is before Blu-ray does, and the studios start offering most of their movies in high-def format (they hardly release any Blu-ray/HD DVD titles now), then HD DVD can easily overtake Blu-ray.
I'm not saying it will happen, I'm just saying it's way too early and the current sales numbers are way too insignificantly small to predict a winner. Did you know that Borat sold more DVDs in one week than all Blu-ray and HD DVD titles combined since the launch of the two formats?- early-high-def-disc-adoption-rates-dont-really-mat ter.html
Lets be honest here. If it wasn't for Microsoft, this battle would have been over in the U.S. already. Wouldn't Intel's support of HD DVD keep this battle alive? Or is Intel on HD DVD's side because of Microsoft's influence?http://arstechnica.com/news.ars/post/20070423-why
If you cannot avoid an accident in front of you, then you are probably following too close. If the driver behind you is following too close, then that driver will probably rear-end you when you slow down to avoid an accident. Let that driver pass you and increase your following distance just like you would on a rainy day. Why is this so hard to understand?