Sep 07 - HP Ships New HP Jornada PDAs with Microsoft
Pocket PC 2002 Software. Hewlett-Packard Company (NYSE:HWP) today
announced shipment of two new color personal digital assistants --
the first PDAs to feature the robust Microsoft(R) Pocket PC 2002 Premium
Edition software. Offering mobile professionals greater power and
expandability, the HP Jornada 565 and 568 PDAs will be unveiled publicly
for the first time at today's DEMOmobile conference in La Jolla, Calif.
"HP envisions a world in which mobility radically transforms
how consumers and business professionals operate and manage their
daily lives," said Jean-Luc Meyer, worldwide marketing manager,
HP Embedded and Personal Systems Organization. "These new PDAs
offer cutting-edge technology to address the needs of mobile professionals."
"The HP Jornada 560 PDA series is one of the best designed yet
to come to market," said J. Gerry Purdy, Ph.D., president and
chief executive officer, Mobile Insights, Inc., a market research
firm based in Mountain View, Calif. "All the desirable and leading
technologies have come together beautifully in one lightweight, thin
device that optimizes productivity and entertainment capabilities
for the most discriminating mobile professional. With the built-in
CompactFlash Type 1 extended slot, IT professionals are going to find
it easy to adapt it to many enterprise situations."
Expandable and Versatile
The HP Jornada PDAs offer mobile professionals a portable solution
to maximize efficiency and provide the freedom to enhance productivity
and personal creativity. Users can access critical business information,
browse the Internet, check e-mail, communicate with other PDAs, PCs
and printers, and capture, share and edit digital images while on
the go(1)(2).
(Note: Wireless Internet use requires separately purchased modem and
service contract. Check with service provider for coverage and availability
in your area. Not all Web content available.)
Featuring a built-in CompactFlash Type 1 extended slot, the HP Jornada
PDAs allow users to add memory cards and optional accessories such
as wireless network solutions and the HP Pocket Camera. Unlike other
PDAs, HP's devices feature a removable/rechargeable 14-hour, lithium-polymer
battery and HP Safe Store, which offers an additional 8 MB of FlashROM
for backing up vital data and applications(3).
Providing increased versatility for the professional on the go, the
HP Jornada PDAs feature a vibrant, 16-bit front-lit TFT reflective
color screen for excellent indoor and outdoor viewing and an Intel(R)
StrongARM 206 MHz high-performance processor for quick access to information.
Software Solutions
Microsoft's latest Pocket PC operating system, Pocket PC 2002 Premium
Edition, provides a robust suite of applications ideal for both mobile
professionals and enterprise customers. Applications include: Pocket
Outlook, Pocket Word, Pocket Excel, Pocket Internet Explorer, Terminal
Services Client, MSN Messenger, Microsoft Reader 2.0 and Microsoft
Windows(R) Media Player 8 for Pocket PC.
U.S. Availability, Pricing and Support
The HP Jornada 565 and 568 PDAs are now shipping to retail outlets
with expected availability on Oct. 4 in North America. The HP Jornada
565 PDA features 32 MB RAM and has an estimated retail price of $599(4).
The HP Jornada 568 PDA features 64 MB RAM and has an estimated retail
price of $649(4). A $50 mail-in rebate is planned to be available
for both products from Oct. 4 through the end of the year. Both PDAs
are backed by a one-year limited warranty.
Additional information about HP Jornada PDAs and handheld PCs is available
at www.hp.com/jornada.
Sep 07 - QPS Launches Three
New Que! DVDBurners. QPS, Inc. (www.qps-inc.com)
announced that it has launched three Que! DVDBurners to meet the increased
demand for its DVD products.
These DVD-R, DVD-RAM drives include the internal IDE/ATAPI Que! DVDBurner,
the external QUE! USB 2.0 DVDBurner, and the external QUE! Fire DVDBurner.
All are shipped with a complete suite of software including MedioStream's
encoding/decoding and authoring software.
"Our new DVDBurners will dramatically change the way users store,
share and distribute data and video content. Ours are the only drives
that provide true random-access editing power to the digital content
on large capacity DVD media. Both DVD-R and DVD-RAM discs can be used
with these drives. These drives enable users to create their own DVD
movies by writing DVD-R General discs and playing them on most computer
DVD-ROMs and Generation 2 players, as well as future set-top players,"
said Pierre Abboud, vice president of QPS. "The Que! USB 2.0
DVDBurner is the world's first DVD combination drive that features
the fast USB 2.0 interface."
Each drive is shipped with MPEG-2 encoding software, which enables
the creation of high quality DVD discs with full audio tracks rivaling
Hollywood-style DVDs. They can write 4.7GB of data (over two hours
of video) on DVD-R General discs. The discs are very affordable and
versatile storage media for video authoring, data and image archiving,
and other applications. Users can also write and rewrite DVD-RAM discs
with a 4.7/9.4GB capacity.
QPS ships a complete software suite, which enables the capture, transcoding,
pre-authoring, authoring, pre-mastering and mastering capabilites
needed to produce the highest quality data and video DVDs every time.
The MedioStream neoDVD authoring software is a complete publishing
solution that simplifies DVD burning and allows the consumer to easily
create and burn DVD discs. It has an automatic PAL/NTSC conversion
feature that allows created discs to be viewed anywhere in the world.
The Internal model is priced at $549 and the External FireWire and
USB 2.0 models are priced at $699. All models are available immediately.
Sep 07 - I/OMagic Launches New
Sound Card Line-up. I/OMagic Corp. (OTCBB:IOMC), a leading developer
and marketer of digital entertainment and peripheral PC products,
today announced that it has launched a new line-up of sound cards
products into the retail marketplace.
The three new cards -- the "Storm Surge," the "Hurricane
Extreme," and the "Typhoon Theatre" -- are based on
ESS Technology's (Nasdaq:ESST) Canyon3D(TM)-2(TM) PCI audio accelerator
family.
"We're excited about bringing a new line of high quality sound
cards into the retail channel," said Tony Andrews, vice president
of engineering/product development for I/OMagic Corp. "There
is something for everyone in this line-up. Quality of sound, engineering
expertise and rich 3D digital audio -- all at extremely affordable
prices."
William K. Wong, ESS Technology's vice-president of marketing stated:
"We are proud to team with I/OMagic on this fantastic portfolio
of home-theater sound cards. Canyon3D-2 based cards deliver the most
powerful audio acceleration for PC gaming that is currently available
in the market. ESS Technology is focused on providing high-end digital
entertainment products and is pleased that I/OMagic is using our solution
to offer unrivaled audio performance at price points that everyone
can afford."
The I/OMagic "Storm Surge" is an entry level, multi-channel
PCI sound card. It is a four-speaker solution and features up to 48
DirectSound3D hardware accelerated streams. Other highlights include
front and surround analog outputs, up to 48 kHz playback/record. MSRP
is $39.99 for the "Storm Surge."
The I/OMagic "Hurricane Extreme" is a premium audio solution
for four-speaker applications and features up to 64 DirectSound3D
hardware accelerated streams. It includes award winning PowerDVD playback
software with Dolby digital decoding of DVD on four speakers and Dolby
headphone technology. The Hurricane Extreme also includes a five-band
hardware equalizer, S/PDIF-Out and is bundled with music and games.
MSRP is $49.99.
And finally, the "Typhoon Theatre" is a 5.1 Channel PCI
sound card that is a first-class audio solution for six-speaker applications
such as DVD home theater. This multi-channel card has up to 96 DirectSound3D
accelerated streams and also packs the award-winning PowerDVD software,
featuring Dolby digital decoding of DVD on six speakers and Dolby
headphone technology. The Typhoon Theatre also includes S/PDIF digital
output for Dolby digital AC-3 via a universal RCA connector and is
bundled with music and games. MSRP is $69.99.
Visit the I/OMagic Web site at www.iomagic.com.
ESS Technology's Web site address is: www.esstech.com.
Sep 07 - Samsung Introduces
SpinPoint V40 Series 40GB/Platter Hard Disk Drives. Samsung Information
Systems America, Inc. today announced the availability of its SpinPoint
V40 Series of hard disk drives.
Featuring 40GB per platter technology, 2.9 bel acoustic noise, 8.9ms
average seek time, 2MB buffer DRAM, and Ultra ATA-100 interface, this
new addition to Samsung's 5400 RPM SpinPoint family is a leading edge
hard disk drive solution for the desktop PC and consumer electronics
market.
"SpinPoint V40 Series provides spacious storage capacity of up
to 80GB -- suitable for the handling of massive multimedia content
such as movies and MP3 songs, and offering itself as an optimal storage
solution to a variety of blooming digital consumer electronics devices
as well as desktop PC systems," said No-Kyung Park, vice president
of strategic marketing at Samsung Storage Division. "SpinPoint
V20 (20GB/Platter) and V30 (30GB/Platter) Series have been very successful
products. The recognition on the quality of those products enabled
Samsung to engage with new strategic OEM customers. Accordingly, our
financial performance this year has been also improved a lot despite
of the sluggish market situation. We expect the V40 Series to provide
us with the opportunity to further expand our OEM customer base and
improve our market position."
With the introduction of the V40 Series, Samsung continues to demonstrate
the quality and reliability of its SpinPoint hard disk drive products.
Incorporating an advanced mechanical platform designed to minimize
the intensity of external shock transmitted to the most critical components,
the V40 Series improves on its already competitive shock protection
capability to industry leading 350G. In addition, the V40 Series also
maintains the top-of-the-class acoustic performance both during idle
and seek conditions with Samsung's NoiseGuard(TM) and SilentSeek(TM)
technologies.
"SilentSeek(TM) technology is distinguished from other noise
suppression technologies in that it is designed to minimize the generation
of acoustic noise, rather than suppress the emission of it,"
said Dr. Debasis Baral, vice president of R&D at Samsung Storage
Division. "We've been putting considerable resources into the
development of technologies that will improve acoustic quality and
mechanical robustness. The positive customer responses we have been
receiving on reliability and quietness of SpinPoint products are the
result of teamwork between the hard disk drive R & D center and
Samsung Advanced Institute of Technology."
Volume shipments of the V40 Series products have begun -- offering
20GB, 40GB, 60GB, and 80GB capacity points. OEM qualifications are
in progress with major PC manufacturers.
Visit the company's Web site at www.samsunghdd.com.
Sep 06 - SanDisk and Sony Agree
to Cooperate On Memory Stick. SanDisk Corporation (Nasdaq:SNDK)
and Sony Corporation today announced they have signed a cooperation
agreement involving the Memory Stick.
Under the agreement, Sony will supply SanDisk with Memory Stick media
that SanDisk will resell under its own brand through its retail channel.
SanDisk will also supply under market-competitive terms a portion
of Sony's NAND flash memory requirements.
The two companies also agreed to jointly develop, separately manufacture
and sell the next generation of Memory Stick that will incorporate
advanced features such as significantly higher performance and storage
capacities. Suehiro Nakamura, executive deputy president of Sony Corporation
said "We are very pleased to announce the collaboration with
SanDisk on Memory Stick. Our partnership with SanDisk, a world leader
in memory cards, will allow us to increase Memory Stick market share
and build a strong position to make Memory Stick as the standard of
digital recording media in the world."
Eli Harari, SanDisk president and CEO, hailed the agreement as "a
significant milestone for SanDisk. Sony and SanDisk share a common
vision for exciting new digital audio/video applications that will
require the next generation Memory Stick. We are very pleased that
Sony has invited us to contribute our expertise and intellectual property
in flash memory cards to jointly develop the next generation of Memory
Stick. This agreement enables SanDisk to sell every major flash memory
card form factor so we can truly be a one-stop shop to our retail
customers. We are also encouraged by Sony's plan to purchase our NAND
flash components because Sony is one of the largest consumers of NAND
Flash Memory components today."
SanDisk plans to commence worldwide shipments of Memory Stick and
accessories to its more than 29,000 retail outlets over the next two
quarters. Sales of NAND components to Sony are expected to begin towards
the end of the year.
The companies can be found on the Web at www.sandisk.com
and http://www.world.sony.com.
Sep 06 - SONICblue Introduces
Broadband Digital Video Recorder. ReplayTV changed home entertainment
forever with the introduction of the first digital video recorder
(DVR) in 1998, allowing consumers to pause live television. Now, SONICblue(TM)
(Nasdaq:SBLU) is giving consumers even more control. The company is
launching the first home-networked DVR, a revolutionary product with
broadband connectivity that lets consumers store up to 320 hours of
television or other media, share video clips between rooms in the
home or with friends outside the home, as well as playback recorded
programs without commercials. The world's first home video server,
the ReplayTV 4000, can also be used to store photos and home movies.
SONICblue's new ReplayTV 4000 models connect to a cable modem or DSL
for fast and easy transferring of video over broadband and can share
video throughout the house via a home network.
"Families can now create their own video library, collecting
their favorite movies and programs without commercial interruption,
along with family videos and photos that can be easily retrieved for
viewing at anytime," Ken Potashner, CEO and chairman, SONICblue,
explained. "These products are just the tip of the iceberg, in
terms of what's coming from SONICblue. We plan to introduce a series
of exciting products and services for the connected, digital home
that will bring enjoyment to the consumer."
SONICblue, a leader in the converging Internet, digital media, entertainment
and consumer electronics markets, acquired ReplayTV just weeks ago
in a move designed to further advance its lead in the digital entertainment
market.
"ReplayTV has been a great innovator in digital video, and we
believe that the launch of the ReplayTV 4000 bolsters SONICblue's
leadership position in the digital video space," Potashner said.
"This product is yet another offering from SONICblue that changes
the way people think about entertainment and productivity."
SONICblue's new ReplayTV series is available in four models: ReplayTV
4040 with up to 40 hours of storage for $699; ReplayTV 4080 with up
to 80 hours of storage for $999; ReplayTV 4160 with up to 160 hours
of storage for $1,499; and the ReplayTV 4320 with up to 320 hours
of storage for $1,999.
The ReplayTV 4040, 4080, 4160 and 4320 can be ordered from www.SONICblue.com
or www.replaytv.com.
Sep 06 - General Mills Cereal
Boxes to Include Popular Family Software Titles. The next generation
of cereal box prizes is coming to a store near you. Now through September,
14 million General Mills cereal boxes each feature full-version, top-selling
Hasbro family game software titles including Monopoly Jr. and Boggle.
Each CD-ROM features the interactive version of one of five popular
Hasbro family games - Monopoly Jr., Chutes and Ladders, Boggle, Operation,
or Ultimate Yahtzee published by Infogrames Interactive, Inc. and
distributed by Infogrames, Inc. (Nasdaq:IFGM).
Through the years, cereal box prizes have often reflected major cultural
trends and interests. For instance, a 1930s cereal bowl offer featured
an innovative new substance called plastic and, as millions of families
purchased their first automobiles in the 1950s, kids clamored to get
their hands on miniature license plates, making them one of the most
popular cereal giveaways ever.
Now, the trend is technology. In fact, parents are eager for their
children to become computer whiz kids. A nationwide survey of 1,000
adults shows that that the majority of parents (51 percent) would
rather their child have the talent to master computers like Bill Gates
than play sports like Michael Jordan (20 percent), sing like Whitney
Houston (8 percent), or act like Susan Sarandon (4 percent).
The same survey, conducted by General Mills, shows that 90 percent
think computer games can be good educational tools for kids. But quality
software often comes with a high price tag. Most adults (53 percent)
say they expect to pay at least $25 for a desirable children's software
title. But with this new promotion, the software's free with a box
of cereal.
"We've taken cereal premiums to a whole new level," said
General Mills promotion manager Pam Kermisch. "We've always tried
to stay ahead of the curve when it comes to providing the most innovative
cereal prizes out there and I think families will be thrilled with
our latest offering."
"These are games everyone can enjoy, and this is an original
and fun way to bring them directly to our target audience of kids
and families," said Heather Fineman, manager of OEM and Licensing,
Infogrames Interactive Inc.
The CD-ROMs are attached to specially marked boxes of Cheerios, Honey
Nut Cheerios, Lucky Charms, Golden Grahams and Cinnamon Toast Crunch.
Since each CD-ROM is visible on the front of the cereal box, consumers
can easily collect all five games.
General Mills can be found on the Internet at www.genmills.com.
Seo 06 - USB Implementers
Forum Announces USB On-The-Go Specification. The Universal Serial
Bus (USB) Implementers Forum today announced the release for public
comment of the proposed On-The-Go Supplement to the USB 2.0 Specification.
This supplement defines a method for portable devices to expand upon
their basic personal computer (PC) connectivity by communicating directly
with selected peripherals.
The USB standard was initially designed to provide a common interface
between a PC and its peripherals. Today many peripherals such as MP3
players, digital cameras, personal data assistants (PDAs) and cell
phones are taking advantage of USB's low cost, high speed and widespread
host port availability.
As portable devices increase in popularity, there is a growing need
for them to communicate directly with each other when a PC is not
available. The On-The-Go Supplement addresses this need for mobile
interconnectivity by allowing a USB peripheral to have the following
enhancements:
-- Limited host capability to communicate with selected other USB
peripherals
-- A small USB connector to fit the mobile form factor
-- Low power features to preserve battery life
A device with the above features is referred to as a dual-role device
and can take on the role of either host or peripheral when connected
to other USB devices. Unlike a PC, a dual-role device is not required
to support all possible types of USB peripherals. However, each USB
On-The-Go product must operate as a peripheral with existing PCs in
accordance with the USB specification.
Once adopted, the On-The-Go Supplement will allow manufacturers to
develop devices with exciting new capabilities. An MP3 player could
be connected to another MP3 player to transfer music files. A camera
could be connected directly to a printer to print out a picture. A
PDA could be connected to a cell phone to enable mobile web surfing.
"USB brought great ease-of-use and performance to PC connected
devices, resulting in USB devices shipping in the hundreds of millions
of units. This proliferation has created a demand for connection between
non-PC devices," said Martin Reynolds, vice president at Gartner
Dataquest. "USB On-The-Go delivers host capability to any device
that can usefully attach to a USB peripheral, and will further the
adoption of USB as a standard for simple high-performance connectivity."
Publication of the 0.9 revision of the supplement, available at www.usb.org/developers/onthego,
is viewed by the industry as a signal to manufacturers that the essential
technical content is complete. Ratification of the 1.0 revision of
the supplement is expected by the end of this year, after a public
review period. The first product shipments based on the specification
are anticipated in 2002.
Sep 05 - Fujitsu to Quadruple
Hard Drive Capacity in 2 Years. Fujitsu Ltd., one of the leading
suppliers of hard drives and computer peripherals, today announced
its intention to aggressively leverage a major hard disk drive technology
breakthrough from Fujitsu Laboratories, as it implements its recently
announced push for market leadership in the fast-growing enterprise
and mobile HDD markets.
Fujitsu Laboratories recently announced the achievement of a world
record breaking recording density of 106.4Gigabits per square inch,
which gives hard disk drives about three times the recording density
of the latest models currently available.
Hard disk drives integrating this increased areal density of 106.4Gigabits
per square inch will become available within two years. The benefits
will be apparent in PCs, laptop computers and consumer electronics
devices with a 2.5" hard disk drive that will have a storage
capacity of more than 110GBytes, enough to record 20 DVD-quality movies
-- a capability that Fujitsu believes will eventually mean the end
of the 3.5" desktop drive market.
The technology announcement comes just weeks after Fujitsu Limited
announced an aggressive plan to capitalize on exploding demand for
enterprise HDD products for servers and storage devices, growth in
the mobile HDD segment, and emerging markets for smaller hard drives
in consumer-oriented household appliances, audio-visual products and
other non-PC applications. To accommodate the new push, Fujitsu Limited
will shift development, manufacturing and sales resources away from
the 3.5" IDE desktop drive market that recorded negative growth
in the first half of 2001.
This breakthrough further extends Fujitsu Limited's hard disk drive
technology leadership, breaking the previous world record of 56Gbits
per square inch announced last year by Fujitsu Limited.
"This is yet another example of Fujitsu's technological leadership,
and we are excited about the prospect of bringing to market hard disk
drives with this technology," said Mike Chenery, vice president,
advanced product engineering at Fujitsu Computer Products of America,
Inc. "This breakthrough underscores our quest for hard disk drive
leadership, particularly in the laptop and consumer electronic appliances
markets, as it will make our 2.5" drive the logical choice for
personal video recorders and other non-PC applications."
Details of the new technology were announced by Fujitsu Laboratories
Ltd. at the Magnetic Recording Conference in Minneapolis, Minn., on
August 20. The press release can be found at www.fujitsu.com.
Sep 05 - Micron to Demonstrate
DDR333 SDRAM Platforms. Micron Technology, Inc., today announced
that it will demonstrate multiple DDR333 SDRAM platforms at the VIA
Technology Forum, held in Taipei, Taiwan (September 4-5), Tokyo, Japan
(September 7), Beijing, China (September 11), and Munich, Germany
(September 13). These platforms will feature Micron's DDR333 SDRAM.
Micron will demonstrate a Micron chipset and system, which utilizes
DDR333 SDRAM memory modules and features a PCI-X bus, as well as a
64-bit PCI 2.2 bus. Micron designed this as a development chipset
to enable system developers and designed the chipset, motherboard,
and DDR SDRAM components and modules. With DRAM technology becoming
increasingly complex, Micron is focusing on ways to help its customers
implement new high-performance DRAM products. "We developed our DDR
SDRAM platforms as reference designs that our customers can use in
designing DDR SDRAM systems," said Mike Seibert, Micron's Strategic
Marketing Manager. "Micron is the only memory company conducting system
technology development to help enable our customers. We are providing
customers with the various tools and resources they need to develop
system-level products using cutting-edge memory technology. We are
also working with customers on design guidelines for DDR333 technology."
Micron was the first company to demonstrate a DDR266 system and continues
to collaborate closely with key suppliers to drive leading-edge system
technology. The company worked with multiple motherboard suppliers
to develop DDR333 systems. Micron recently demonstrated its DDR333
platform at the Intel Developers Forum. ALI is also demonstrating
platforms using Micron DDR333 SDRAMs.
To learn more about Micron Technology, Inc., visit its Web site at
www.micron.com.
Sep 05 - ALi Introduces Southbridge
Supporting Ultra ATA/133 Hard Drive Interface. Acer Laboratories
Inc. (ALi), one of the world's leading integrated circuit solutions
provider, today announced the southbridge M1535D+ supporting Maxtor(R)'s
(NYSE:MXO) Fast Drive ATA/133 hard drive interface technology. Overpowering
potential IDE bottlenecks while providing superior system performance,
ALi's new southbridge M1535D+ expeditiously transfers data between
the hard drive and the main system up to 1.3 times faster than current
technology.
"ALi's heritage has long been recognized for exceeding customer's
demands by aggressively pushing out the industry's most innovative
technology in the shortest time frame. Once again, today's announcement
of the M1535D+ accentuates our commitment to develop the most cost
effective and energy efficient southbridge technology available on
the market," said Dr. Chin Wu, president of ALi. "The technological
breakthrough of the new Ultra ATA/133 interface is crucial in providing
swift and even data transfer between memory and hard drive. Through
working closely with Maxtor, ALi is optimistic the Ultra ATA/133 will
be deemed the de facto standard of the PC industry."
"We are thrilled to have an industry leader, such as ALi, integrating
the Ultra ATA/133 interface into their next generation portfolio of
products. ALi's new southbridge M1535D+ is an ideal solution that
allows PC systems to perform at their finest -- without the menace
of data bottlenecks," said Ted Deffenbaugh, vice president of
product strategy at Maxtor.
Ultra ATA/133 is a new hard drive interface technology that utilizes
the current IDE interface transmission. The new interface, which is
1.3 times faster than earlier Ultra ATA/100 technology, is also backward
compatible to ATA/66 and /100. For more information on Maxtor's Ultra
ATA/133 Fast drive technology, visit www.maxtor.com/fastdrive.
ALi's M1535D+ is equipped with ATA 66/100/133, super I/O, audio processing,
software modem, keyboard controller, fast infra-red (FIR), hot key
power on, SPDIF, and 6 USB port. In addition to support for X86 architectures
for Intel, AMD, Transmeta and RISE, ALi's M1535D+ can be used with
a wide array of platforms, including most major CISC and RISC CPUs,
as well as Information Appliance products, set top boxes, web pads,
blade servers and work stations.
ALi is available on the web at www.ali.com.tw.
Sep 05 - Epson Introduces
New Low Cost Ink Jets. Epson America today announced two new four-color,
desktop color ink jet printers targeted specifically for value-driven
customers and PC bundlers.
The EPSON Stylus C60 (priced at $79, following a $20 mail-in rebate)
is designed to give customers the maximum combination of quality and
affordability, while the Stylus C40UX provides a substantial added
value to PC manufacturers' and computer dealers' bundle packages.
Both printers incorporate Epson's award-winning Micro Piezo(R) ink
jet technology in addition to several new features that enhance image
quality. Special algorithms are now used to automatically detect and
smooth the edges of low-resolution graphics often found in Web pages
and low-resolution digital photos.
Variable sized droplets -- a feature that previously was available
only on higher-end Epson printers -- are now being used with these
models to achieve greater detail, brighter colors and sharper images.
Additional algorithms have also been developed to achieve greater
color accuracy and more lifelike skin tones in photographs.
EPSON Stylus C60
The EPSON Stylus C60 is optimized to deliver the best possible combination
of image quality and speed available among any sub-$100 printer on
the market.
In addition to using 2,880 x 720 dots-per-inch (dpi) hardware resolution
and ink droplets as small as four picoliters, the printer can quickly
output up to 12 pages per minute (ppm) of black text and up to eight
ppm of color graphics and text. Furthermore, the Stylus C60 can print
an 8" x 10" photo on a variety of media using its "Photo"
mode in as little as 3 minutes, 11 seconds and offers both USB and
parallel connections.
EPSON Stylus C40UX -- Best Value in Bundle Printers
Offering a maximum resolution of 1440 x 720 dpi hardware resolution
along with six picoliter droplets, the EPSON Stylus C40UX is designed
to add significant value to any PC bundle system. This printer can
output black text at speeds of up to eight ppm and color graphics
up to 3.5 ppm. Additionally, the Stylus C40UX features a built-in
USB interface and an innovative, space-saving design -- ideal for
the home user with limited desk space.
"Beyond just speed and print quality, a huge advantage with all
of our printers is that there are no hidden ink costs associated with
achieving better performance," said Rodrigo Catalan, product
manager, consumer ink jet printers, Epson. "Whereas some manufacturers
don't include the special ink cartridges that are sometimes required
to achieve their rated print speeds or peak levels of performance,
our printers ship with all of the necessary items in their original
boxes to produce peak-performance output, without the hassle of making
another trip to the store to spend more money on other ink cartridges."
The EPSON Stylus C60 is currently being sold through computer superstores
and specialty retail stores nationwide, mail order, PC manufacturers,
the Internet and Epson's own site www.epsonstore.com.
The EPSON Stylus C40UX is being bundled with various computer packages
from numerous manufacturers and resellers.
Sep 04 - Hewlett-Packard and Compaq Agree
to Merge. Hewlett-Packard Company (NYSE: HWP) and Compaq Computer
Corporation (NYSE: CPQ) announced today a definitive merger agreement
to create an $87 billion global technology leader. The new HP will
offer the industry's most complete set of IT products and services
for both businesses and consumers, with a commitment to serving customers
with open systems and architectures. The combined company will have
No. 1 worldwide revenue positions in servers, access devices (PCs
& hand-helds), and imaging & printing, as well as leading
revenue positions in IT services, storage, and management software.
The merger is expected to generate cost synergies reaching approximately
$2.5 billion annually and drive a significantly improved cost structure.
Based on both companies' last four reported fiscal quarters, the new
HP would have approximate pro forma assets of $56.4 billion, annual
revenues of $87.4 billion and annual operating earnings of $3.9 billion.
It would also have operations in more than 160 countries and over
145,000 employees.
Carly Fiorina, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of HP, will be
Chairman and CEO of the new HP. Michael Capellas, Chairman and Chief
Executive Officer of Compaq, will be President. Capellas and four
other members of Compaq's current Board of Directors will join HP's
Board upon closing.
"This is a decisive move that accelerates our strategy and positions
us to win by offering even greater value to our customers and partners,"
said Fiorina. "In addition to the clear strategic benefits of
combining two highly complementary organizations and product families,
we can create substantial shareowner value through significant cost
structure improvements and access to new growth opportunities. At
a particularly challenging time for the IT industry, this combination
vaults us into a leadership role with customers and partners -- together
we will shape the industry for years to come."
Capellas said, "We are creating a new kind of industry leader
-- one founded on customer success, world-class engineering, and best
of breed products and services. In sharp contrast to our competitors,
we are committed to leading the industry to open, market-unifying
architectures and interoperability, which reduce complexity and cost
for our customers. With this move, we will change the basis of competition
in the industry."
More information cna be found at www.hp.com
or www.compaq.com.
Sep 04 - Nokia confirms GPRS
programs are on track, addresses technology outlook. Matti Alahuhta,
President, Nokia Mobile Phones, today in New York reiterates Nokia's
intention to release its GPRS products according to its announced
plan.
The first units of the Nokia 8310 will become available in September,
while the Nokia 6310 will start selling in the 4th quarter, and the
Nokia 8390 at the end of 2001. Alahuhta, speaking at an investor conference,
also gives updates on various mobile phone industry related topics.
His presentation will be available as a live WebCast on www.nokia.com/investor
from 12.50 to 1.30 pm EST and will also be archived for later viewing
at the same site. Extracts of Alahuhta's speech have been highlighted
below.
"With the GPRS business system, our industry is moving to a new
level of complexity, which means that careful attention has had to
been paid to the smooth functioning of all elements of the entire
system before the volume roll-out of terminals and services. This
year we estimate the GPRS terminal market volume to be about 10 million
units but expect its share of the GSM handset market to rise to over
50% in two years' time. Our GPRS phone tests give us confidence that
our products will perform to high expectations when they are released
to the market.
"A key element in the overall success of GPRS is the ability
of multiple vendors to consistently test GPRS features between infrastructure
and terminals in order to deploy interoperable products in the market.
I am happy to say that all leading manufacturers are unanimous on
the importance of moving GPRS forward as a joint effort, following
a commonly agreed process of interoperability testing in relation
to new features. This kind of broad industry consensus is essential
for the successful rollout of the new mobile services.
"GPRS technology is an important shift in our industry because
of packet switching. For the consumer, this means being 'always connected'
to services. But the fundamental transformation in our industry comes
through a combination of several additional evolving technologies.
WAP/XHTML, Java and Multimedia Messaging Service (MMS) will all contribute
to the creation of a new growth wave, which is rapidly approaching.
Within 12 months Nokia will introduce a wide array of new mobile phones,
including new product concepts, based on these technologies.
"The expansion of personal messaging over MMS will follow the
phenomenal success of SMS based transactions. According to external
estimates, over 200 billion SMS messages will be transmitted in GSM
networks this year. We will start delivering MMS in our products during
the first half of next year. Our first dual-mode GSM/WCDMA 3rd Generation
(3G) terminal will also be an MMS-enabled imaging phone.
"As a natural evolution of the 2G and 2.5G technologies, 3G will
further enhance the mass market proliferation of mobile services.
For the consumer, this transition will be a seamless process, becoming
visible in the rising quality of the services. Much of what we envisage
of the 3G services and applications is already possible today with
the Nokia 9210 Communicator, which we are delivering at full capacity.
But similar features are rapidly cascading to several other product
categories. For example, Web access is quickly becoming a standard
feature in mobile phones: we estimate the market volume of browser
phones to be over 200 million this year, while 90% of all phones sold
in 2005 will be Web-enabled.
"Our 3G product programs are proceeding very well. A couple of
weeks ago we completed the world's first 3GPP Release 99 December
00 version standard compliant end-to-end WCDMA call in Finland, using
our actual commercial terminal prototypes in GSM and WCDMA modes.
We have now reached the target density in the chipset integration,
allowing us to implement both GSM and WCDMA protocols into the same
chipset. The following week we completed the first international WCDMA
call between Finland and NTT DoCoMo's FOMA network in Japan. These
steps give us the confidence to reiterate that the first Nokia 3G
terminals will start shipping in the 3rd quarter, 2002 with volumes
rising into the millions during the 4th quarter. As further evidence
of Nokia's capabilities across all mobile technologies, we have today
announced the successful completion of a CDMA2000 high-speed packet
data call on a Nokia prototype handset powered by a Nokia CDMA chipset.
Nokia can be found on the Web at www.nokia.com.
Sep 04 - New Sharp Notebook
Redefines Ultra-Mobility. Sharp Systems of America, a U.S. unit
of Sharp Corporation, the recognized world leader of LCD technology,
today announced a significant new notebook computer, the Sharp PC-UM10,
demonstrating an engineering breakthrough in notebook design.
Sharp's PC-UM10 defines "Ultra-Mobile" for the industry,
weighing in at under three pounds and only 0.65" thick. Powered
by an Intel(R) Pentium(R) III 600 MHz ULV processor, configured with
128MB RAM and a 20GB hard drive, running the Windows 2000 operating
system and offering up to nine hours of battery life the PC-UM10 is
a perfect balance of performance and weight, ideally suited for today's
business travelers.
In June, Sharp Systems announced its entry into the U.S. notebook
computer market with the high-performance PC-AR50 with its industry
leading SXGA+ high-resolution screen. Now, extending that line with
the next-generation PC-UM10, Sharp has given notice of its position
as a serious contender in the battle for notebook market share.
Sharp's PC-UM10 features a magnesium casing for lightweight durability,
with an advanced keyboard that provides a full 3 mm key stroke and
retracts when the screen is closed, as well as Sharp's unique frameless
LCD display, all in a breathtaking new design.
Sharp's superior screen quality is legendary and this notebook features
a 12.1" XGA (1024 x 768) display with proprietary AGLR technology
(anti-glare, low reflection) to deliver crisp, clear images, fully
saturated blacks, and a color range of 16 million colors.
"The new PC-UM10 combines ultra-mobility with full-functionality,"
said Craig Rittenhouse, vice president of marketing and product planning
for Sharp Systems of America. "With all of the features required
by those who need to conduct their business outside of the office,
the PC-UM10 is enough PC for even the most demanding business traveler."
To ensure that the highly mobile PC-UM10 is also extremely capable,
an optional port bar, CD-ROM drive, floppy drive and extended life
battery will be offered.
Available at the end of September, the Sharp PC-UM10 is competitively
priced with an estimated street price of $1,999.
More information can be found at www.sharp-business.com.
Sep 04 - Free Rabbit Media
Player Makes Viewing Online Videos Fast and Easy. Rabbit Media,
Inc. (www.getrabbit.com) today released Rabbit(TM), a free media player
that lets users view online videos easily and instantly. With Rabbit,
movie previews, short films, amateur videos, humorous clips, etc.
may be seen on Windows PCs without searching, broken links or browsers.
After downloading and installing Rabbit, type the name of a clip,
or pick one from a drop-down list and see it.
"We created Rabbit to make the best online video content available
to almost everyone," said Shep Bostin, executive vice president
at Rabbit Media, Inc. "Our Rabbit player and Web site at getrabbit.com
are the fastest ways to see the latest movie previews. Rabbit will
change the way teenagers and young adults choose movies they wish
to see. Rabbit lets viewers play previews, chat about them with buddies,
and check out current local show times - all with a few mouse clicks.
Rabbit is a moviegoer's best friend."
Rabbit plays QuickTime and Windows Media Player files. It eliminates
the need to understand file formats, or adjust connection speeds and
player settings, and it has thousands of movie previews and clips,
and adds new ones daily. Users can tell their 'buddies' about cool
videos with Rabbit's built-in AOL Instant Messenger(TM) support.
Rabbit Benefits:
-- Rabbit is free. Unlike RealPlayer and QuickTime, users don't
have to upgrade to paid software versions to get all of Rabbit's features.
-- Movie previews, popular short online films, the latest clips of
your favorite bands or TV shows, and other cool clips are now available
on Rabbit.
-- Just type the name of a video clip in the Rabbit slot and click
Play. There is no wading through search engine results, answering
questions about connection speeds and file formats, or searching movie
sites for videos.
-- Rabbit is compatible with the most popular file formats, including
QuickTime, MPEG, AVI and ASF video.
-- As with popular MP3 players, users can choose the look-and-feel
of their Rabbit player by selecting a 'skin' with a customized background
and buttons to give it the look they like. Skins can be created with
a simple program like Windows Paint and the Rabbit Skin Editor(TM)
(available by September 1st).
-- By using its built-in integration with AOL Instant Messenger(TM)
(AIM), Rabbit users may share video clips with friends who can view
them immediately. No more searching, cutting and pasting, or worrying
about what media players friends use.
-- Users can click Rabbit's 'Tickets' button to find theatre locations
and showtimes for current movies.
-- Rabbit is available now at www.getrabbit.com.
Sep 04 - 31.1 Million U.S.
Households Will Have a Broadband Connection by 2005. According
to a recently published Report, "Cable Modem Providers Continue
to Lead the High-Speed Internet Charge: The Yankee Group's Predictions
on Consumer Broadband Services," cable will continue to dominate
the U.S. residential broadband market over the next four years. Cable
operators are uniquely placed to drive broadband penetration, resulting
from greater availability, lower prices, and quicker provisioning.
Competing technologies such as satellite and fixed wireless, however,
will slowly gain market share. By year-end 2005, approximately 15.7
million households in the United States will subscribe to cable modem
service. In comparison, DSL will grow to 10.5 million households;
satellite, 4.5 million households; and multichannel multipoint distribution
system (MMDS)-based and other fixed wireless access, approximately
359,000 households. This comprehensive study incorporates research
conducted by analysts from the Yankee Group's Consumer Market Convergence,
Internet Market Strategies, Media & Entertainment Strategies,
and E-Networks & Broadband Access research and consulting practices.
Among the factors outlined in the Report as having an impact on the
growth of high-speed access are the widespread availability of broadband
cable to U.S. homes, continued slow DSL provisioning times, tiered
pricing, and bundled content packages, in addition to bundled voice,
video, and data packages offered by satellite and other providers.
The Report points out that as service and price packages are standardized
across multiple platforms, the type of broadband access will become
secondary to the value-added services and content that the provider
offers its customers.
The Yankee Group can be found on the Web at www.yankeegroup.com.
Sep 02 - Sunday Shopping
Watch.
Special Discounts and Financing. In addition to sales on specific
items, the following store-wide sales are advertised this week. Some
stores are also having special Monday Labor Day sales.
Best Buy is giving away 1 year of free MSN with any computer purchase.
They are also offering $100 mail-in rebates on all advertised desktop
packages and notebooks, and 12 month no interest financing on all
computer purchases over $598.
Circuit
City is offering $100 instant
rebates on all Intel processor desktop packages and notebooks.
Office Depot has no store-wide
sales this Sunday (individual items may be on sale).
CompUSA is offering free home
installation and Windows XP upgrade for desktops and laptops..
Staples is giving away 1 year of free
MSN with any computer purchase. They are also offering no payments
or interest for 6 months on purchases over $498 and
Internet
Rebates. All stores continue to offer 3 year, $400 Internet Rebates.
Please see our article, What You Need
to Know About Internet Rebates and Free PCs, for an in-depth discussion
of Internet Rebates.
Definitions. A complete system/package is defined
as a computer with monitor and printer or scanner.
A build-to-order system is customized at the retailer
and then ordered from a vendor's store. In addition to the computer's
stated price, you still pay sales tax and shipping charges (if you
order direct from the vendor without going through the chain store,
you may not have to pay sales tax and you could get a better warranty).
* Prices discussed in this article. Advertisers
typically deduct the $400 Internet rebate from an items true price.
We report all prices without subtracting the $400 Internet rebate,
however all other rebates and discounts are usually subtracted.
Caution about advertised prices.
When reading advertisements, read the fine print of the ad to make
sure you know what is being advertised and what it cost. For example,
many advertisers will show a complete system with computer, monitor,
and printer but advertise a price for the computer only.
|
Best Deals this Sunday
|
|
Category
|
Product Description
|
Price* (see above)
|
Store
|
|
Best Celeron Deal
|
HP 900 MHz complete system
|
$799
|
Best Buy, Circuit City
|
|
Best Pentium III System
|
HP 1 GHz complete system
|
$949
|
Circuit City
|
|
Best Pentium 4 System
|
Compaq 2 GHz build-to-order complete system
|
$1697
|
Office Depot
|
|
Best Duron System
|
Compaq 900 MHz complete system
|
$999
|
Office Depot
|
|
Best High End Athlon System
|
Compaq 1.2 GHz complete system
|
$1099
|
Best Buy
|
|
1. Best Low Cost Notebook
|
Toshiba 800 MHz Celeron with DVD
|
$999
|
Best Buy
|
|
2. Best Low Cost Notebook
|
Compaq Duron 850 MHz with DVD
|
$1199
|
Best Buy
|
|
Best High-end Notebook
|
Compaq AMD Athlon 1 GHz with DVD
|
$1599
|
Best Buy
|
Additional Information. For additional technical
information, advice on how to buy a laptop or desktop, and vendor
and manufacturer links, please see our Computer
Buying Advice page.
About Sunday Shopping Watch. Sunday Shopping Watch appears
every Sunday (except some holidays like Easter and Christmas) in our
News and Rumors column. It is a review of the highlights of local
(Dayton, Ohio) computer chain store advertisements. While we can not
guarantee your local chain store has the same items, this article
should help you to make informed buying decisions.
[ Previous
Weeks Computer News and Rumors ]
