Sep 22 - Intel Outlines Plans for Wireless Notebook
PCs, Cell Phones and Handhelds. Intel Corporation today outlined
plans for next-generation wireless mobility products designed to improve
productivity and drive new growth opportunities.
The new disclosures include enhancements for the next
Intel(R) Pentium(R) M processor, code-named Dothan; a computing platform
based on Intel Centrino(TM) mobile technology, code-named Sonoma;
and technology for upcoming Intel XScale(TM) technology-based processors
for cell phones and PDAs, code-named Bulverde. The company also announced
a chipset with new power-saving features and high-performing integrated
graphics for mobile PCs based on Intel Centrino mobile technology.
Intel Innovates on Four Key Areas of Mobility
Anand Chandrasekher, vice president and co-general manager of Intel's
Mobile Platforms Group, highlighted current and future Intel Centrino
mobile technology products and initiatives to improve the four key
requirements customers demand for mobile computing: integrated wireless
LAN capability, breakthrough mobile performance, extended battery
life and thinner, lighter designs.
"Intel and the industry have delivered on the promise of mobility,"
said Chandrasekher. "More than 130 PC designs based on Intel
Centrino mobile technology are expected to be available on the market
by the end of this year, and Intel has verified the interoperability
of Intel Centrino mobile technology with leading WLAN service providers
who operate more than 20,000 hotspots worldwide. We will build on
this success and drive continued growth in wireless mobility with
our leading-edge manufacturing, new products and platform innovations."
Intel today announced availability of the new Intel 855GME chipset,
offering new power-saving features and, when used in combination with
DDR-333 memory, delivering enhanced graphics and memory performance
for notebook PCs based on Intel Centrino mobile technology.
The chipset features Intel Display Power Saving Technology (DPST),
which maintains apparent visual experience by managing display image
brightness and contrast while adaptively dimming the backlight. Depending
on the setting and system use, this feature can reduce display backlight
power by up to 25 percent with minimal visual impact to the end-user.
When paired with DDR-333 memory, the chipset delivers higher integrated
graphics performance over the Intel 855GM chipset and can reduce power
consumption with a new graphics core that can automatically adjust
frequency when switching between AC and battery power. The Intel 855GME
chipset will be included in the Intel Stable Image Platform Program,
which aims to give customers greater platform stability and transition
planning guidance to help reduce their IT image management and support
costs.
The Mobile PC Extended Battery Life Working Group, a worldwide,
industry-wide group of companies working together to extend the battery
life of mobile PCs, also today announced new recommendations to enable
uniform and consistent power measurement of display subsystems across
the mobile PC LCD industry. The Display Subsystem Power Measurement
Recommendations are designed to promote consistency among display
vendors and drive the display subsystems to the milestone of drawing
power consumption of three watts or less.
"With the new Intel 855GME chipset, Intel has helped reduce
display power consumption and enable power savings for mobile PCs,"
said Chandrasekher. "Simultaneously, we have worked with the
industry to improve the measurement of display power, with the objective
of further enhancing mobile power management. These complementary
efforts demonstrate Intel's comprehensive approach to improving the
mobile PC experience, from industry standards to processors and chipsets
to platform-level innovation."
Intel will continue to enhance mobile PCs based on Intel Centrino
mobile technology later this year with 802.11a/b and 802.11b/g wireless
networking components and the next-generation Intel Pentium M processor,
code-named Dothan. Built using Intel's advanced 90-nanometer manufacturing
technology, Dothan has smaller transistors and employs a strained
silicon technique to enable higher performance headroom. With 140
million transistors, Dothan will also feature micro-architectural
enhancements and a 2MB power-optimized, integrated Level 2 cache for
faster memory access. Dothan revenue shipments are expected to begin
in the fourth quarter of this year.
The Sonoma mobile platform for the second half of 2004, based on
Intel Centrino mobile technology, will continue Intel's focus on delivering
the best computing experience for mobile PC users. The platform will
incorporate a future Pentium M processor; integrated 802.11a/b/g wireless
LAN capability, enabling faster wireless communication and support
for industry standard security solutions; and a new chipset, code-named
Alviso.
The chipset will include a new graphics engine and support new high-performance
industry standards such as PCI Express and ExpressCard, next-generation
DDR2 memory, next-generation physical storage (Serial ATA), and Intel's
new Azalia audio interface.
Intel: Delivering Convergence For Phones and Handheld PCs
Supporting its computing and communications convergence theme during
IDF, Intel executives noted that in addition to the number of PCs
with wireless communications capability, leading cell phones and PDA
makers have introduced devices running Intel silicon with the ability
to bring higher levels of computing power to communications devices.
Ron Smith, senior vice president and general manager of Intel's
Wireless Communications and Computing Group described how Intel is
delivering on convergence with newly available phones and upcoming
technologies. The company is enabling top brand name phone makers
to provide new features and services based on Intel technology and
the company's ability to offer complete solutions.
"Success in delivering converged devices means offering far
more than just hardware," said Smith. "It requires developing
an ecosystem of software and tools to bring new and compelling capabilities
and functions. The development community has recognized the key role
Intel is playing in this segment and is actively working to help capture
the opportunities enabled by the convergence of computing and communications."
In addition to the latest Intel-based designs, current and future
technologies will enable convergence well into the future. For example,
an upcoming Intel XScale technology based processor, code-named Bulverde,
will add camera phone capabilities and enhance low-power and multimedia
performance for cell phones and PDAs.
Another example includes the Intel PXA800EF cellular processor, the
industry's first highly integrated chip for EDGE networks. Intel's
communications expertise and ability allows the company to deliver
a wide range of wireless support - from communications protocols such
as GSM and GPRS to EDGE - all based on Intel's advanced "Wireless-Internet-on-a-Chip"
process technology.
About IDF
The Intel Developer Forum is the technology industry's premier event
for hardware and software developers. Held worldwide throughout the
year, IDF brings together key industry players to discuss cutting-edge
technology and products for PCs, servers, communications equipment,
and handheld clients. For more information on IDF and Intel technology,
visit http://developer.intel.com.
Sep 22 - Intel Unveils New
XScale Technology. Intel Corporation today disclosed key technical
details of its next-generation of Intel(R) XScale(TM) technology based
processors to be used in cell phones, PDAs and other wireless devices.
The upcoming processors, code named "Bulverde,"
will add several new features that will help enable wireless devices
to capture higher quality pictures, extend battery life and deliver
fast multimedia performance. Bulverde is a key component of the Intel(R)
Personal Internet Client Architecture (Intel(R) PCA), the company's
development blueprint for designing wireless devices that combine
voice communications and Internet access capabilities.
"Cell phone and wireless PDA capabilities are moving
well beyond just making a call or organizing personal information,"
said Hans Geyer, Intel vice president and general manager of its PCA
Components Group. "The ability to send and receive pictures,
play rich 3D games or download ring tones, video clips and music are
growing in popularity. To support the ongoing adoption of data services
and applications, the underlying technology must be able to deliver
enhanced multimedia capabilities and lower power."
High Quality Pictures and Video on a Cell Phone, PDA
The ability to send and receive digital pictures or video clips
has been one of the hottest developments in the cell phone and PDA
segments worldwide. Intel developed Intel(R) Quick Capture Technology,
an interface that allows imaging devices to connect to a cell phone
or PDA, to improve image quality and reduce the overall cost of adding
digital image capabilities for mobile devices.
Intel Quick Capture Technology provides the ability to get live
video and high-quality still images from a wide range of camera sensors
in current and future camera-enabled mobile handsets and PDAs. Intel
Quick Capture Technology consists of three primary modes of operation:
Quick View mode (providing low power, real time previews), Quick Shot
mode (providing high resolution image capture up to four megapixels)
and Quick Video mode (providing full-motion, high-quality video capture).
Steps to Lowering Power
First available in the Bulverde processor, Intel will also offer
Wireless Intel SpeedStep(R) Technology, a technology which dynamically
adjusts the power and performance of the processor based on CPU demand.
This can result in a significant decrease in power consumption for
wireless handheld devices.
Wireless Intel SpeedStep Technology advances the capabilities of
Intel Dynamic Voltage Management -- a function already built into
the Intel XScale microarchitecture -- by incorporating three new low-power
states: deep idle, standby and deep sleep. The technology is able
to change both voltage and frequency on-the-fly by intelligently switching
the processor into the various low power modes, saving additional
power while still providing the necessary performance to run rich
applications.
Advanced Multimedia Capability
Intel(R) Wireless MMX(TM) technology, announced last year, is an
advanced set of multimedia instructions that will help bring desktop-like
multimedia performance to Bulverde-based clients while minimizing
the power needed to run rich applications. Intel Wireless MMX technology
builds on the Intel MMX(TM) technology originally introduced in the
Intel(R) Pentium(R) processor family, enabling software developers
to quickly make their applications such as 2D and 3D gaming, streaming
MPEG4 video, wireless encryption/decryption, and voice recognition
available for Intel-based cell phones and PDAs.
Additional details surrounding Bulverde are expected to be available
in the first half of 2004.
Intel, the world's largest chip maker, is also a leading manufacturer
of computer, networking and communications products. Additional information
about Intel is available at www.intel.com.
Sep 22 - Intel Recognizes Most Innovative
PCs. Intel Corporation announced the winners of the 2003 Intel
Innovative PC Awards. This is the fifth year Intel has recognized
PC companies for easy-to-use systems, outstanding technology implementation
and state-of-the-art designs.
Twelve award winners earned kudos in four categories: consumer desktop
PCs, business desktop PCs, mobile PCs, and digital media adapters.
This is the first year the Intel Innovative PC Program has recognized
digital media adapter designs reflecting the trend to take music,
pictures, and even video from the PC and play it back on stereos and
TVs in the home. All 2003 entrants were tested and scored by Veritest,
an independent testing company.
"The winners of the 2003 awards illustrate how the industry
continues to increase the value of the PC to consumers by making them
easier to use, designing for specific market segments, and enabling
them to connect to other devices such as stereos and TVs," said
Louis Burns, vice president and general manager of Intel's Desktop
Platforms Group. "This year's desktop PC award winners address
the needs of the most demanding PC users with creative new system
designs based on the Intel(R) Pentium(R) 4 processor with Hyper-Threading
Technology, a technology that allows users to simultaneously handle
multiple software applications smoothly and more efficiently."
"This year's award-winning mobile PCs deliver on the promise
of Intel(R) Centrino(TM) mobile technology: thinner and lighter designs
with outstanding mobile performance, integrated wireless communications
and features to enable extended battery life," said Anand Chandrasekher,
vice president and general manager of Intel's Mobile Platforms Group.
"As the popularity of Wi-Fi continues to grow, these innovative
mobile PC designs bring more choice and flexibility to business users
and consumers who want greater freedom to connect wirelessly in new
places and new ways."
The 2003 Intel Innovative PC Award winners are:
Consumer Desktop Category Winner: Alienware* Area-51
The Alienware Area-51 is a state-of-the-art gaming machine, which
appears to look like an alien head. This PC includes a Serial ATA
drive, 6.1 channel audio and a six-in-one media card reader. It also
includes four front USB ports for connecting multiple gaming peripherals
such as joysticks, headsets and game-pads. It has a cable management
solution for easily managing the jungle of wires at the back of the
system. Accessible computer information is available on the desktop
and includes a breakdown of available drive/bay space, drivers installed
and benchmark scores.
Consumer Desktop Category Winner: HP* Media Center PC
The HP Media Center PC is an all-in-one system for creating and
enjoying media in a home or dorm room. One can easily watch and record
TV programs for in-home use, pause live TV and show instant replays.
The user can create home videos, slideshows or personal music play
lists. The HP Media Center PC includes a multi-format memory card
reader, wireless keyboard, and key function buttons on the front of
the computer that allow switching to TV, guide, music, pictures, and
videos.
Business Desktop Category Winner: Dell* Optiplex* SX270
The Dell Optiplex SX270 offers an elegant, small form factor targeted
for use with flat panel monitors in tight office spaces. The SX270
features a single, hot-swappable media bay for versatility. "Security"
is a theme in this year's business criteria and the SX270 delivers
a range of features. Dell's Chassis Intrusion Alert and Configuration
Change Alert reliably notify IT managers when a system has been opened
or disturbed. An integrated smart card reader option helps ensure
user authentication.
Business Desktop Category Winner: HP Compaq* d530 Ultra-slim Desktop
The HP Compaq d530 Ultra-slim Desktop features a small footprint
design that requires minimal desktop space and is versatile enough
to easily be configured to a tower position using the available tower
stand. It also has an under desk or on wall mounting bracket offering
additional flexibility to customize for the users' workspace needs.
It is a legacy-free design with USB 2.0 to support ease-of-use. USB
and Multibay solutions offer simple peripheral connection and hot-swapping
of devices such as CD-RW, DVD-ROM, CD-ROM, diskette drives and future
removable storage options allowing users to save time and money by
sharing drives between their desktop and HP Business Notebook.
Business Desktop Category Winner: Lenovo* YangTian* S6000
The Lenovo YangTian S6000 is a small form factor PC designed specifically
for small business users. Its integrated battery provides enough power
to save the system state to the hard disk and power off the PC automatically
in case of power disruption. The system ships with software that facilitates
backups and system restore uses. A personal firewall comes pre-installed
and a hidden hard drive partition allows the user to protect important
information from accidental deletion or intrusion.
Full Size Notebook Category Winner: Compaq* Presario* X1000 Widescreen
Notebook
The Compaq Presario X1000 Widescreen Notebook features a 15.4 inch
wide screen display and outstanding graphics making it suitable for
movie watching, gaming, side-by-side web page browsing and image editing.
The integrated secure digital/multimedia memory card slot allows the
quick transfer of digital photos, music, and other files to and from
the PC and digital cameras, printers, handhelds and other devices.
The stylish aluminum-covered system is 1.3 inches thin and weighs
6.5 pounds.
Thin and Light Notebook Category Winner: IBM* ThinkPad* T40
The IBM ThinkPad T40 weighs in at 4.5 pounds and is only 1 inch
thin. It supports secure wireless LAN connectivity using the IBM Embedded
Security Subsystem 2.0. It offers full functionality with thin swappable
media modules, a TrackPoint* pointing device, and the ThinkLight*
keyboard light. Its size allows the business professional to take
it anywhere and the ThinkLight keyboard light makes it easy to see
your keyboard even on late-night plane trips.
Mini Notebook Category Winner: Sony* VAIO* PCG-TR1A
The Sony VAIO PCG-TR1A sports an integrated CD-RW/DVD combo drive,
XBRITE* 10.6-inch wide screen, and theater-style sound using Dolby*
headphone technology. It also has an integrated swivel camera to capture
images, video, or use for videoconferencing. Its sleek design is 3.11
pounds and 1.44 inches thin.
Sub-Notebook Category Winner: Panasonic* Toughbook* CF-W2
The Panasonic Toughbook CF-W2 provides high performance, technological
innovation, and durability in a very small, portable design. This
notebook includes an integrated DVD-ROM/CD-RW combination drive and
a 12.1-inch XGA anti-glare thin-glass display technology color LCD.
It weighs 2.8 pounds and comes in a full magnesium alloy case design
with a shock-mounted hard disk drive. The Toughbook CF-W2 includes
an integrated secure digital/multimedia memory card slot, which lets
one easily upload digital images, music, and other files directly
from cameras, handholds, and other compatible devices.
PC Slate/Tablet Category Winner: Gateway* Tablet PC Deluxe
The Gateway Tablet PC Deluxe replaces a writing tablet with built-in
handwriting recognition software, Microsoft* Windows* XP Professional
Tablet Edition, and also offers peripherals such as a keyboard stand
and built-in keyboard cover. It weighs just 3 pounds and is less than
one inch thin. It is targeted at professionals who need to use their
PC while moving throughout their workplace such as teachers and healthcare
workers.
PC Slate/Tablet Category Winner: Panasonic* Toughbook* CF-18
The Panasonic Toughbook CF-18 is a convertible notebook that features
a 180-degree rotating screen. It supports pen use and was designed
using MIL-STD-810F test procedures to measure levels of environmental
reliability. Created by the U.S. government, the MIL-STD-810F specifications
cover a broad range of tests that measure the durability of equipment
used under harsh conditions.
It has a full magnesium alloy case, a shock-mounted hard disk drive
and weighs 4.4 pounds. The durability and flexibility of this product
makes it ideal for workers on-the-road in less than ideal conditions
such as military, hospital, or delivery personnel. The Panasonic Toughbook
CF-18 can be carried up a ladder, hung on a wall as a tablet or mounted
in a vehicle.
Digitial Media Adpater Category Winner: icube* Play@TV*
The icube Play@TV won in this year's first digital media adapter
category. The icube Play@TV digital media adapter enables the exchange
of digital audio, photos and video between home PCs, TVs and stereos.
It can receive digital media from a PC using 802.11b wireless networking,
and can connect to TVs and stereos using standard audio/video cables,
much like a DVD player. Play@TV's Universal Plug and Play solution
enables content to flow seamlessly throughout the home. UPnP automatically
discovers content and servers as they become available on the network.
About the Intel Innovative PC Recognition Awards
The Intel Innovative PC Awards were first given at IDF Fall 1999
and have grown to receive worldwide recognition. As part of the Intel
Ease of Use Initiative, Intel works with the PC and CE industry to
make mobile, business and consumer PCs easier for people to use and
integrate with their other consumer electronics devices. The Innovative
PC Awards highlight superior PC designs that measurably advance PC
setup, usability, expansion and maintenance. For more information,
visit http://www.intel.com/go/innovativepc.
Sep 22 - ExpressCard Standard Delivered
to Industry. The PCI-SIG(R), the Special Interest Group responsible
for PCI Express(TM), PCI and PCI-X(R) industry-standard I/O technologies,
has reaffirmed its support for the ExpressCard(TM) standard.
This standard, delivered by the PCMCIA industry group, represents
unparalleled collaboration between the PCI-SIG and the PCMCIA to deliver
a single blueprint for the next generation client interconnect technology
aimed at replacing the PC Card form factor.
By using best-in-breed technology, ExpressCard is expected to expand
its adoption across client platforms connecting internally to existing
USB and PCI Express silicon. The PCI-SIG and PCMCIA industry groups
will continue to work together to define a compliance and interoperability
program that best meets the groups' collective members needs.
"The release of the ExpressCard standard signals the start of
related product development," said Tony Pierce, chairman of the
PCI-SIG. "Our collaboration with the PCMCIA has resulted in a
high quality specification that supports the PCI Express architecture,
which is widely recognized as a breakthrough I/O technology."
"With PCI Express technology entering client platforms in 2004
it is now possible for the industry to rapidly implement and adopt
the ExpressCard technology," said Ramin Neshati, chairman of
the Serial Technology Communications Workgroup for PCI-SIG. "We
look forward to continuing the collaboration between the PCI-SIG and
PCMCIA to deliver world-class compliance programs that will fuel a
seamless delivery of interoperable ExpressCard products in client
platforms."
"Working with the PCI-SIG on a joint ExpressCard compliance
program will give consumers a tremendous advantage," said Brad
Saunders, chairman of the PCMCIA. "By leveraging PCI Express
silicon, we will be able to provide consumer-friendly features such
as plug-n-play and a hot-swap capability for desktop and notebook
users."
The PCI-SIG will hold its first PCI Express compliance workshop
in December 2003. It is expected that ExpressCard implementations
will be available for testing in 2004 when the PCI-SIG will hold additional
compliance workshops worldwide.
Further information on PCI Express architecture can be found at www.pcisig.com.
For more information on ExpressCard technology, visit www.expresscard.org.
Sep 22 - Samsung DDR2 Ready To Support
Market For Next Generation PCs and Servers. Samsung Electronics
Co., Ltd., the world leader in advanced semiconductor memory technology,
said today at the Intel Developer Forum that its advanced DDR2 memory
solutions are ready to meet the needs of a new generation of high
performance PCs and servers. Samsung's DDR2 solutions include 400/533Megabits
per second (Mbps) with a low 1.8volt feature for servers and notebook
applications and high speed 533Mbps DDR2 for desktop PCs.
"Samsung pioneered the DDR2 memory that today offers PC and
server manufacturers faster speeds, lower power and better signaling
for an enhanced computing experience," said Tom Quinn, Samsung's
US vice president of memory sales and marketing. "We are ready
with a range of DDR2 memory solutions to support systems makers as
the industry transitions to new technologies early next year. Samsung
will also continue to lead advances in DDR2 with future deployment
of DDR2 SDRAM at 667 Megabits per second (Mbps)."
"I am pleased to see that Samsung is developing DDR2 memory
technology that will support Intel's high performance desktop, workstation,
server, and mobile platforms in 2004," said Pete MacWilliams,
Senior Fellow, Intel Corporation. "This architecture will also
provide the bandwidth headroom necessary to support Intel's product
roadmap in the future."
According to market research firm Gartner Dataquest, the global
DRAM market by type in 2004 is forecast to be 62.7 percent DDR, 19.4
percent SDRAM, and 10.5 percent DDR2. Samsung continues to provide
design-in samples this year and will boost production of DDR2 to 10
percent of its DRAM production in 2004 for the seamless introduction
of the next generation technology.
Samsung began shipping engineering samples of JEDEC compliant 512Mb
DDR2 SDRAM to major chipset developers last May. For more information,
visit www.samsungsemi.com.
Sep 22 - Financial Services Providers
Should Take More Aggressive Steps to Combat Identity Theft. Businesses,
consumers and the U.S. government are becoming more aware of the prevalence
of identity theft, however it is the banks and other financial services
providers that must take more aggressive actions to fight these crimes,
according to Gartner, Inc. (NYSE: IT and ITB).
The U.S. Federal Trade Commission (FTC) recommends educating consumers
to be more careful in disseminating credit information. It said bank
regulators should establish "red flags" that creditors should
heed when granting credit, and establish stronger criminal penalties
and prosecution.
While these actions may be useful, Gartner analysts said it doesn't
go far enough. Gartner analysts advocate a more forceful approach
that focuses on the source of illegal credit -- credit card issuers,
cell phone service providers, banks, and retailers and businesses
that extend credit.
"Many financial and wireless services providers will provide
instant credit approvals when applicants answer a few personal questions,"
said Avivah Litan, vice president and research director for Gartner.
"Instead, they should conduct checks for identity theft before
issuing loans or other forms of credit."
Some of the problems have also occurred because most of the crimes
are not classified as identity thefts. This has resulted in earlier
perceptions that identity theft was not as large of a problem.
"Banks and financial services providers should consider reclassifying
all loans in which a payment date is missed as identity theft, rather
than writing off a billable item as a loss if the bill isn't paid
for 180 days," Litan said. "Such action will likely raise
creditors' appreciation of identity theft fraud, while reducing their
loan and credit losses. It will also likely motivate creditors to
attack identity theft fraud with effective solutions, and it will
ensure that innocent consumer victims remain innocent until proven
guilty. Now, it's the other way around."
A recent Gartner survey showed that seven million U.S. adults, or
3.4 percent of U.S. consumers, were victims of identity theft during
the 12 months ending in June 2003. A subsequent FTC study released
September 4 confirmed Gartner's findings. Until then, the government
was reporting less than 700,000 documented identity theft crimes.
Because this crime is often misclassified, the thieves have better
than a one in 700 chance of being caught by the federal authorities.
"While our recommendations will likely ease the pain and ramifications
of identity theft by making it harder for thieves to get credit, we
also realize it won't prevent thieves from stealing identity information
for other ends," Litan said.
For more information, visit www.gartner.com.
Sep 21 - Sunday Shopping
Watch.
Best Sunday Deals - See our Best Sunday
Ad Deals Table below for specific system prices.
Weekly Comparison. Although advertising of computer
systems was somewhat limited this weekend, there are still some very
good deals to be found.
This Sunday's Special Discounts and Financing.
In addition to sales on specific items, the following store-wide sales
are advertised this week. (Note that these
ads are for the Dayton, Ohio area. Prices or offerings may be different
where you live.)
Best Buy is offering 12 month no-interest financing on all desktop
and laptop purchases, and $100 mail-in rebates on advertised laptops
and up to $150 mail-in rebates on advertised desktop packages.
Circuit City is offering
12 months no interest on advertised desktop packages and notebooks.
Office
Depot
has no store-wide promotions this Sunday.
CompUSA has another Unadvertised
Specials promotion that you need to print and bring to your local
store to receive discounts including, 18 months no payment, no interest,
financing on purchases over $499.
Staples has no store-wide promotions
this Sunday.
Compare
to Online Prices - Compare the Sunday ad prices to
those being offered at DealTime, it searches over 160 online computer
stores.
InfoHQ Related Shopping Pages
Shopping Alerts
- Our latest shopping advisories on buying digital cameras and camcorders,
desktop computers, laptops, and other computer items.
Windows XP
Upgrade Guide - All about upgrading to Windows XP.
What You Need to Know
About Dial-up Internet Service Rebates - The pros and cons of
'free' Internet service deals. Also see our latest InfoHQ Tech Watch
Newsletter; Free
PC and Free Internet Deals.
Definitions. A complete desktop system/package/complete
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 computer manufacturer. 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).
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.
* Prices discussed in this article. We report
prices after rebates and discounts are subtracted.
Items highlighted in Black are good deals.
Items highlighted in Red means prices have
gone up and the system is not a good buy this week.
Items in normal text means prices are about the same as the previous
weeks.
|
Best Sunday Ad Deals
|
|
Category
|
Product Description
|
Price* (see above)
|
Prices up or Down this Week
|
Store
|
|
Best Celeron Deal
|
Compaq 2.6 GHz complete system with 17"
monitor
|
$659
|
-
|
Best Buy
|
|
Best Pentium 4 System
|
None
|
|
|
|
|
Best AMD Athlon XP System
|
HP 2600+ complete system with 17"
monitor
|
$709
|
-$20
|
Best Buy
|
|
1. Best Low-cost Laptop
|
Compaq 2 GHz Celeron with DVD/CD-RW
|
$699
|
-$50
|
Best Buy
|
|
2. Best Low-cost Laptop
|
eMachines widescreen AMD Athlon XP-M 2400+ with DVD/CD-RW
|
$1099
|
|
Best Buy
|
|
1. Best High-end Notebook
|
Sony 2.8 GHz Pentium 4 with DVD /CD-
RW
|
$1499
|
-
|
Best Buy
|
|
2. Best High-end Notebook
|
HP widescreen 2.66 GHz Pentium 4 with
DVD - RW dual drive
|
$1799
|
-
|
Best Buy
|
|
|
|
Peripherals and Software
|
|
Best Sunday Deal
|
Western Digital 7200 RPM 80 GB hard
drive with 8 MB buffer
|
$59
(after rebates)
|
-
|
Best Buy
|
|
Best Sunday Deal
|
Maxtor 7200 RPM 160 GB hard drive with
8 MB buffer
|
$99
(after rebates)
|
-
|
CompUSA
|
|
Best Sunday Deal
|
Western Digital 7200 RPM 160 GB hard
drive with 8 MB buffer
|
$119
(after rebates)
|
-
|
Best Buy
|
|
Best Sunday Deal
|
Western Digital 7200 RPM 250 GB hard
drive with 8 MB buffer
|
$199
(after rebates)
|
-
|
Best Buy
|
|
Best Sunday Deal
|
PNY GeForce FX 5200 Ultra 128 MB DDR
|
$129
(after rebates)
|
-
|
Circuit City
|
|
Best Sunday Deal
|
ATI Radeon 9200 Pro 128 MB DDR
|
$99
(after rebates)
|
-
|
Best Buy
|
|
Best Sunday Deal
|
Memorex 4X multiformat DVD-RW
|
$199
(after rebates)
|
-
|
Best Buy
|
|
Best Sunday Deal
|
Plextor 8X multiformat DVD-RW
|
$299
(after rebates)
|
-
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Best Buy
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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 local (Dayton, Ohio)
computer chain store advertisements. While we can not guarantee your
local chain store has the same items, this article can help you make
informed buying decisions.
Sep 19 - Intel Converged
Technologies Fuel Future Wireless Communication Growth. Intel
Corporation today outlined its plans to continue to accelerate the
convergence of computing and communications through silicon innovation.
Speaking at the Intel Developer Forum, Senior Vice President and
Intel Chief Technology Officer (CTO) Pat Gelsinger outlined Intel's
"Radio Free Intel" approach for integrating radios into
future processors and for developing adaptive radio platforms, making
wireless communication ubiquitous. Additionally, Eric Mentzer, Intel
vice president and CTO of the Intel Communications Group, discussed
Intel's plans to accelerate the deployment of broadband wireless infrastructure
worldwide.
"Over the next decade, the majority of the world will communicate
wirelessly," Gelsinger said. "Intel is accelerating the
convergence of computing and communication by bringing the benefits
of lower cost, scalability and faster-pace-of-innovation to radio
technology. As a result, wireless communication will become truly
ubiquitous and transparent to the user, making a flexible, high-capacity,
standards-based wireless infrastructure even more crucial."
The Renaissance of Radios
Intel believes that in the future ubiquitous, wireless communication
will be enabled through the deployment of industry standards and will
be powered by Intel silicon and technology building blocks. Gelsinger
indicated Intel is fueling the "renaissance of radios" by
making significant progress to develop silicon radios using industry-leading
low-cost, scalable manufacturing process technology.
The company said it successfully developed core radio components
using its 0.18-micron digital CMOS process, including the world's
fastest voltage controlled oscillator (a radio component that determine
the frequency at which signals are transmitted and received) in CMOS
operating at speeds greater than 75 GHz. By building these and other
analog radio components with a digital manufacturing process, Intel
aims to lower the cost of adding wireless capabilities to future products.
While silicon radios are at the heart of the Radio Free Intel strategy,
Intel is also developing a radio platform that will adapt to its environment
and its user. Intel has already achieved success toward the development
of an adaptive radio platform and has created key innovations in the
areas of channel estimation, adaptive modulation techniques and smart
antennas to optimize the throughput, range, power and ultimately,
the performance of wireless communication. These innovations help
to ensure development, adoption and co-existence of global wireless
standards.
Intel is also playing a significant role in the development of 802.11n,
a next-generation WLAN technology with significantly higher throughput.
The new WLAN standard would enable approximately three times the performance
of current 802.11 solutions, allowing users to transfer more data
wirelessly in a set period of time.
In addition, the company is researching adaptive communication technologies
for future devices that communicate with each other transparently
while also adapting to the dynamic needs of the user. Gelsinger said
that this new class of mobile devices, called "universal communicators"
will transparently and seamlessly connect to multiple networks and
services. He demonstrated seamless roaming across WLAN and WWAN networks
using a universal communicator prototype developed by Intel researchers.
Broadband Wireless Infrastructure
In his keynote address, Mentzer explained how wireless technology
is an important element of Intel's corporate focus on the convergence
of computing and communications. Intel's wireless product plans for
2004 will further advance broadband wireless technology. Future wireless
networking products for the Intel® Centrino™ mobile technology
platform include an 802.11b/g wireless networking component that will
be in production before the end of 2003, and an 802.11a/b/g wireless
networking component that will be in production in the first half
of 2004.
Intel's efforts to develop silicon based on the IEEE 802.16a standard
will provide a broadband wireless access alternative to existing "last
mile" methods such as cable and digital subscriber lines (DSL).
The IEEE 802.16a standard is a wireless broadband access technology
that links Wi-Fi hotspots and provides broadband wireless connectivity
to businesses and homes.
"It is expected that networks based on the 802.16a standard
will have a range up to 30 miles and the ability to transfer data,
voice and video at speeds of up to 70 Megabits-per-second (Mbps),"
Mentzer said. Intel has signed agreements with leading OEM's in broadband
wireless access equipment to deliver low-cost WiMAX-certified equipment
based on Intel 802.16a silicon in the second half of 2004.
About IDF
The Intel Developer Forum is the technology industry's premier event
for hardware and software developers. Held worldwide throughout the
year, IDF brings together key industry players to discuss cutting-edge
technology and products for PCs, servers, communications equipment,
and handheld clients. For more information on IDF and Intel technology,
visit http://developer.intel.com.
Sep 19 - Intel Demonstrates
Its First PCI Express-Based Silicon. Intel Corporation today demonstrated
its first chips based on PCI Express technology and provided an update
on its roadmap for integrating the new interconnect specification
into its computing and communications products. Intel also introduced
several new programs and tools to help accelerate adoption of PCI
Express Technology, including the PCI Express IT Network cofounded
with Dell.
During keynotes at the Intel Developer Forum, Intel demonstrated
for the first time its next-generation server and workstation chipsets,
codenamed "Lindenhurst" and "Tumwater," respectively,
and their advanced PCI Express capabilities. The server chipset demonstration
used a Gigabit Ethernet (GbE) networking application to show how PCI
Express technology enables direct connections to high-bandwidth adapters
and other components without a costly I/O bridge chip that was previously
required.
The workstation chipset demonstration focused on the capability of
PCI Express to replace the AGP8X graphics interface. PCI Express technology
doubled the performance possible with AGP8X from 2 GBps to 4 GBps,
meeting the requirements of the growingnumber of high-bandwidth applications,
such as high-quality digital photography, multimedia, advanced computer-aided
design and digital video editing. PCI Express will also be available
in next-generation desktop chipsets. All of these chipsets are scheduled
to become available in 2004.
Planned PCI Express Products
Intel also provided new insight into its future Ethernet controllers,
I/O processors, bridges and motherboards that will incorporate PCI
Express. The first wave of products, which are scheduled to roll out
in 2004, include:
Intel's future Ethernet controllers, which will use PCI Express to
achieve for the first time wirespeed, full-duplex GbE and 10 GbE connectivity
on desktop and server platforms. The controllers will roll out with
Intel's next-generation desktop and Lindenhurst chipsets.
Intel's next I/O storage processor, code-named Dobson, that integrates
PCI Express and Intel® XScale™ technologies to make high-performance
RAID on motherboard with SCSI, SATA and Fibre Channel an integral
feature of systems based on the Lindenhurst chipset.
Multiple PCI Express technology-enabled server and workstation motherboards
that feature both PCI and PCI Express slots for efficient migration
to the new interconnect technology.
The new Intel® 41210 Serial-to-Parallel PCI Bridge, a PCI Express-to-PCI/PCI-X
1.0 bridge that enables legacy adapters and add-in cards to work on
PCI Express technology-based platforms, and the complementary Intel®
41210 Development Platform to accelerate transition of legacy PCI
cards to the new interconnect technology. The bridge costs $32 in
quantities of 10,000 and the development platform is priced at $1,300.
Both products are expected be available in limited quantities the
fourth quarter of this year.
Integrated client chipsets supporting the new PCI Express technology-based
ExpressCard and Card ElectroMechanical interfaces, which will supersede
today's Cardbus and PCI technologies on future Intel client platforms.
More information about PCI Express technology is available at the
Intel® Developer Network for PCI Express Architecture website,
www.express-lane.org. For
more information on IDF and Intel technology, visit http://developer.intel.com.
Sep 19 - First Mid- and Low-Power AMD
Opteron Processors to Debut in 2004. At the Embedded Systems Conference,
AMD (NYSE:AMD) today announced that it plans to offer customers mid-
and low-power AMD Opteron(TM) processors in the first half of 2004.
The mid- and low-power AMD Opteron processors, to be available at
55 watts and 30 watts, are designed to provide customers with a wide
variety of solutions, extending into the AMD Opteron 100-, 200-, and
800- series product lines.
"AMD is once again entering new markets and offering additional
choice to our customers," said Marty Seyer, vice president and
general manager of AMD's Microprocessor Business Unit. "AMD is
already a leader in providing low power, high performance processors
to the market. With mid- and low-power AMD Opteron processors, AMD
will now enable an enterprise to employ a common infrastructure based
on AMD64 technology at all levels of its computing environment - from
high-performance clusters to blade servers."
Enterprise computing systems that require power conservation, such
as blade servers and storage devices, are gaining in popularity due
to their scalability, ease of management and cost efficiency. In addition,
mid- and low-power processors are a requirement for many server systems
housed in large computing centers where power consumption and heat
affects operating costs. The AMD Opteron processor's high memory throughput
and I/O bandwidth are ideal for products that must quickly move and
manipulate large datasets, while consuming minimum power.
"The blade server market is expected to experience tremendous
growth in the next few years," said Mark Melenovsky, Director,
Server Research with IDC. "The benefits to be recognized by enterprise
IT departments in terms of lower total cost of ownership and ease
of management will mean more and more companies will turn to blade
servers for their data center solutions."
AMD can be found online at www.amd.com.
Sep 19 - IBM Powers-up ThinkCentre Line
of Desktops. IBM (NYSE: IBM) today announced several new models
of its redesigned ThinkCentre desktop line, as well as one of the
industry's first DVD burners to support all recordable DVD formats
endorsed by the DVD Forum and DVD+RW Alliance.
These new and more powerful ThinkCentre systems also offer IBM's innovative
ThinkVantage Technologies designed to help customers reduce system
operating costs and increase productivity.
According to many industry analysts, the initial purchase price
is only about 20 percent of the cost of owning a PC. The remaining
80 percent represents the cost of deploying, managing, and maintaining
the PC. IBM ThinkVantage Technologies can help customers reduce the
number of service and support calls, reducing system downtime and
the associated expense.
ThinkCentre desktops feature IBM ThinkVantage Technologies that
improve security on select models and simplify PC "fleet management"
for IT organizations. IBM PCs are the most secure standard PCs in
the world when equipped with the Embedded Security Subsystem, which
consists of an integrated security chip and downloadable IBM Client
Security Software.
This hardware and software-based solution provides a higher level
of security for the client, providing a secure repository for storing
sensitive keys, identity information and confidential data. No other
manufacturer offers stronger security as a standard PC feature.
All ThinkCentre models include Rapid Restore Ultra, a one-button
backup and recovery solution that can easily restore previously saved
data, settings and applications after a software failure. The ThinkCentre
S50, M50 and A50p also feature the Access IBM button, a "portal
to IBM support" that taps into a rich set of onboard resources,
diagnostic tools, automated solutions, and links to updates and service
on-line for customers with Internet access.
IBM ThinkCentre models include a tool-free chassis design, which
simplifies and enhances usability. Encased in a durable steel chassis,
components inside the machine, such as the hard disk and memory, can
easily be removed by the customer, making the PC serviceable and upgradeable,
helping to limit the downtime and cost associated with on-site support.
ThinkCentre desktops also feature an innovative "caddy"
that surrounds the hard disk drive, locking it into place without
the use of tools or screws.
Select models of the new ThinkCentre S50, M50 and A50p feature an
internal architecture that capitalizes on the hyper-threading capabilities
of Intel's Pentium 4 processor, which improves performance by multitasking.
Select ThinkCentre S50, M50 and A50p models include the Intel Pentium
4 processor running at speeds up to 3.2 GHz. New models of the ThinkCentre
A30 include an Intel Pentium 4 processor running at speeds up to 3.06
GHz. In addition, select ThinkCentre models feature a 48x-32x-48x
Max CD-RW drive, enabling customers to burn CD-RW media at a fast
speed.
Format Friendly
IBM is also introducing today the Multi-Burner Plus for desktops,
one of the industry's first DVD burners to support all recording formats
endorsed by the DVD Forum and DVD+RW Alliance, including reading and
writing DVD-RAM, DVD-R, DVD-RW, DVD+R, and DVD+RW. The Multi-Burner
Plus, which also burns CDs, eases customer concerns on purchasing
burners that might support obsolete formats and provides fast burn
speeds. The IBM Multi-Burner Plus is available today for $249.
Pricing and Availability
The new ThinkCentre S50 models are priced as low as $589; the new
ThinkCentre M50 models are priced beginning at $799. Prices for the
new ThinkCentre A50p models start at $749, and at $399 for the new
ThinkCentre A30 models.
All new ThinkCentre systems announced today are available immediately
through www.ibm.com. IBM personal computers
are also available through select business partners.
Sep 19 - Market for Smartphones and Camera
Phones Heating Up. In recent quarters, shipments of smartphones
and camera phones have been heating up, according to In-Stat/MDR (www.instat.com).
The high-tech market research firm reports that, in Q1 of this year,
1.7 million smartphones shipped around the world, and the pace appears
to be quickening. Similarly, camera phones have been moving at a rapid
pace. For all of 2002, camera phones shipments totaled about 18.2
million units, and Q1 2003 shipments were 7.8 million.
However, according to Neil Strother, a senior analyst with In-Stat/MDR,
"While these two handset categories have bright futures, a look
beyond the attractive opportunities reveals some noteworthy threats
and hurdles." For smartphones high prices, technical glitches,
bulky devices, a lack of compelling enterprise and consumer applications,
and inadequate network capacity, are all presenting a barrier to acceptance.
"In addition, the perception that the devices are mainly for
mobile professionals still lingers," said Strother. Camera phones,
on the other hand, are hindered by the need for better image sensors,
more on-board memory for picture storage, longer battery life, and
network improvements to make picture sharing easier and interoperability
a reality. Privacy concerns are also plaguing the market.
In-Stat/MDR has also found that:
-- Both of these handset sub-segments are in for solid growth over
the next five years. Smartphones will be commonplace by 2007, and
camera phones should be ubiquitous. These handset categories are already
starting to merge, and, by 2008, it's likely there will be little
to distinguish them. New handsets at that time will be "smart"
in a variety of ways, and a built-in camera will be standard.
-- Smartphones will grow 94.5% on a compound annual basis through
2007.
-- Shipments of handsets with an integrated digital camera will show
a compound annual growth rate of 53.2% through 2007.
Sep 18 - Intel Delivers Products, Technologies
And Tools For The Digital Home. Intel Corporation today showed
how the digital home is becoming a reality with new products, technologies
and services that move the industry closer to the goal of enabling
consumers to enjoy content anywhere, anytime and on any device at
home.
During his keynote at the Intel Developer Forum, Fall 2003, Louis
Burns, vice president and co-general manager of Intel's Desktop Platforms
Group, discussed progress the industry has made on developing industry
guidelines for distributing digital media in the home. He also previewed
innovative new products, product designs and technologies for the
digital home. He encouraged the computing, consumer electronics and
entertainment industries to jointly make premium content available
to consumers as the next step in delivering a true digital home experience.
Burns demonstrated consumer products that are available today or
will be in the near future. This included a high-definition video
stream running on a previously unannounced desktop processor, the
Intel® Pentium® 4 processor Extreme Edition 3.20 GHz supporting
Hyper-Threading Technology1, with an additional 2 Megabytes of cache.
This new processor will be targeted at high-end gamers and computing
power users.
"The industry has made great progress toward developing interoperability
guidelines as well as innovative products and services that are helping
make the digital home a reality for consumers," Burns said. "The
next step in the digital home is enabling the availability of premium
content on the home network, giving consumers access to the type of
compelling content they want to enjoy. We're committed to continue
to work with the consumer electronics, music and film industries to
deliver the capability which, in turn, will create new business opportunities
for all."
Innovative Products for the Digital Home
Several new and innovative products will provide consumers with
a great experience in the digital home. Gateway will soon make available
the LCD Media Center*, which will serve as an all-in-one digital entertainment
device. Intel and Gateway have worked closely to bring this innovative
product to market. The media center is powered by an Intel Pentium
4 Processor with HT Technology2, a technology that allows consumers
to simultaneously run multiple programs more smoothly and efficiently.
For example, consumers can record their favorite TV show in the background
while playing a 3D game in the foreground.
Intel today introduced the Intel® 815 Digital Set Top Box Reference
Design, which delivers a powerful platform for software decode to
enable a low-cost solution delivering video-on-demand over a broadband
connection. The flexible platform will allow OEMs a fast time-to-market
solution for the fast growing IP-video on demand market segment today,
serving both digital homes, as well as the hospitality industry. The
design allows service providers to add further optional services as
they develop these market segments such as voice over IP and residential
gateway/access point. The design can also be utilized for applications
such as networked digital media recorders and personal video recorders.
Products based on the Intel design are available from Wyse technology.
Intel also showcased next-generation digital media adapters (DMAs),
devices that wirelessly transfer personal digital video, photos and
music from a PC to a TV and a stereo. The DMAs included iCube's Play@TV
and Lenovo's Media Link.
Emerging PC Technologies
Other product designs and innovative technologies will help make
products in the digital home easy and fun to use. Burns conducted
the first live demonstration of PCI Express x16 graphics, the next
generation I/O standard that will be available in solutions from graphics
vendors in 2004.
Intel announced the Balanced Technology Extended (BTX) form factor
specification, formerly code-named "Big Water." The new
form factor enables the next generation in PC system design, and is
expected to supercede the ATX family of motherboard form factors over
time. BTX will enable the industry to strike a better balance in thermal
management, system size and shape, acoustics, and performance -- all
critical attributes to innovate desktop PCs for the digital home.
BTX supports traditional desktop sizes and ensures industry specifications-based
small form factor PCs.
A new technology available from Intel in mid-2004, will help to simplify
home networking by including a wireless access point and router functionality
as an embedded feature of the PC to help minimize the need for external
equipment or cables to build a small home network. Intel also previewed
an instant on/off technology, allowing consumers to press the "on"
button and the PC is ready in a few seconds. If the PC loses power,
this technology quickly recovers without losing data or rebooting
the PC under normal operation. Intel plans to include this technology
on platforms in the next few years.
Delivering Premium Content to the Home
To make the digital home a reality for consumers, the ability to
share protected content between devices will be an important factor.
Companies across the computing, CE and entertainment industries believe
that Digital Transmission Content Protection (DTCP) over IP, a content
management technology co-developed by Intel, Hitachi, Toshiba, Sony
and Matsushita (Panasonic), is the way to accomplish this. DTCP over
IP enables digital premium entertainment content to be delivered between
digital home products over wired and wireless networks. The DTCP over
IP specification revision .9 is now available at www.dtcp.com.
Tools for Developers
In order to accelerate new product development in the digital home
ecosystem, Intel is providing a comprehensive UPnP™ technology
tools suite for leading industry hardware and software platforms.
The Intel 2003 Networked Media Product Requirements (Intel® NMPR)
document has also been released today and is intended to provide a
framework to improve interoperability among devices in the digital
home. Intel will also make available an Intel NMPR conformance and
interoperability test capability for developers. These tools and further
details can be found on the Intel Developer Network for the digital
home on Intel's developer Web site.
About IDF
The Intel Developer Forum is the technology industry's premier event
for hardware and software developers. Held worldwide throughout the
year, IDF brings together key industry players to discuss cutting-edge
technology and products for PCs, servers, communications equipment,
and handheld clients. For more information on IDF and Intel technology,
visit http://developer.intel.com.
Sep 18 - Transmeta And NVIDIA Announce
Strategic Collaboration. Transmeta Corporation (Nasdaq: TMTA),
the leader in efficient computing, and NVIDIA Corporation (Nasdaq:
NVDA), the worldwide leader in visual processing solutions, today
announced a collaboration where NVIDIA has agreed to develop its highly
integrated media communications processors for Transmeta's next generation
Efficeon™ processor, enabling exceptional multimedia and graphics
capabilities for a wide range of mobile PC platforms.
"Future PC platforms will be integrated multimedia powerhouses
that run efficiently and quietly and deliver amazing multimedia capabilities
in a small package," said Dr. Jon Peddie, multimedia and graphics
industry expert and president, Jon Peddie Research. "The combination
of Transmeta's prowess in efficient processing combined with NVIDIA's
expertise in multimedia and graphics creates a world-class partnership
that will benefit a multitude of PC platforms. Our research shows
this category to be the fastest growing and largest segment in the
PC market, and we expect a whole new class of products to emerge."
Transmeta and NVIDIA have collaborated to leverage their respective
expertise in energy efficient processor design, dynamic power management
and graphics. The companies have teamed to deliver an exceptional
combination of features, battery life, and a compact platform size
for emerging classes of small form factor computers.
"Transmeta's collaboration with NVIDIA, an industry leader,
will spur innovative graphics capabilities in mobile devices,"
said Dr. Matthew R. Perry, president and CEO, Transmeta Corporation.
"Transmeta's customers are delivering exceptional efficient computing
form factors featuring extended battery life, low heat, award winning
designs, integrated functionality and highly competitive pricing."
"NVIDIA's collaboration with Transmeta enables a new class of
ultra portable mobile computer," said Jen-Hsun Huang, CEO and
President, NVIDIA Corporation. "As the mobile computer increasingly
becomes the primary computing device for many people, the demand for
smaller form factor, low power solutions becomes apparent. By closely
collaborating with Transmeta, our combined technologies are enabling
computer makers to deliver an outstanding multimedia experience in
stunningly small, low power devices."
Transmeta's new Efficeon processor, in production during the current
quarter, provides industry leadership in delivering power efficiency
and high performance for notebooks, tablet PCs, ultra-personal computers,
silent desktops, blade servers and embedded systems.
Dave Ditzel, Transmeta's co-founder and chief technology officer,
will make a presentation about the new Efficeon processor, including
detailed specifications and benchmark data, at Microprocessor Forum
in San Jose, October 13-16, 2003.
To learn more about Transmeta, visit www.transmeta.com.
Sep 18 - Advanced CSR BlueCore
Chips Selected for Apple's New PowerBook G4 Notebooks. CSR (Cambridge
Silicon Radio), a market leader in Bluetooth silicon, today announced
that Apple has selected CSR's BlueCore chips with Adaptive Frequency
Hopping (AFH) to Bluetooth-enable its line of professional PowerBook
G4 notebooks.
Apple offers its PowerBook G4 customers Bluetooth wireless technology
to easily enable wireless exchange of data between other Bluetooth-enabled
devices including computers, cellular phones, PDAs and the new Apple
Wireless Keyboard and Apple Wireless Mouse.
The BlueCore chip offers AFH, a system that eliminates interference
between Bluetooth and other RF devices, such as WiFi (802.11) that
operate in the2.4GHz radio frequency band, by coordinating the frequency
channels of all 2.4GHz devices. As the number of computers fitted
with both Bluetooth and WiFi wireless connectivity increases so does
the value of AFH. Interoperability prototypes were made available
first by CSR and were used by the Bluetooth lead adopters including
Apple to validate the new AFH standard.
"Apple has led a number of introductions of communications technologies
to the personal computer world including Ethernet, AirPort (802.11b)
and FireWire (IEEE 1394)," said Eric Janson, worldwide vice president,
marketing, CSR. "Apple's integration of Bluetooth into their
computers will likewise accelerate its mass market adoption and CSR
is delighted to be supplying Apple's computer division with Bluetooth
ICs for its PowerBook G4 notebooks."
"Apple was first to integrate Bluetooth into its operating system
with Mac OS X and now the first to make it a standard feature across
our entire line of professional notebooks," said Greg Joswiak,
Apple's vice president of Hardware Product Marketing. "We've
worked with CSR to be first to deliver adaptive frequency hopping
to our PowerBook customers to provide an exceptionally reliable and
interference free wireless experience."
CSR's BlueCore silicon was the first single-chip to provide Bluetooth
functions, and, alongside the development and implementation of AFH,
demonstrates the progressive approach that CSR has taken with its
technology. CSR's technology and the ability to deliver in high volumes
are important deciding factors when companies like Apple are looking
for quality Bluetooth solutions.
More information about CSR can be found at www.csr.com
and the partner web site www.btdesigner.com
More information about Bluetooth can be found on the SIG web site
at www.bluetooth.com.
For more information on Apple's new PowerBook, Wireless Keyboard
and Wireless Mouse, visit www.apple.com.
Sep 18 - Denali and Rambus to Deliver
PCI Express Design and Verification Platform. Denali Software,
Inc., the leading provider of electronic design automation (EDA) tools
and intellectual property (IP) for chip interface design and verification,
and Rambus Inc. (Nasdaq:RMBS), a leading provider of chip-to-chip
interface products and services, today announced a collaboration agreement
to deliver a comprehensive PCI Express(TM) design and verification
platform.
This platform will incorporate Denali's PCI Express IP core and
Rambus' advanced PCI Express(TM) PHY core technology. As a first step
toward ensuring interoperability with PCI Express cores, the Rambus
PCI Express PHY will be verified with Denali's PureSpec verification
IP suite. This integrated platform will provide PCI Express product
developers with quick design turnaround time and will ensure compliance
and interoperability with PCI Express architectures.
"To ease the transition from the 66MHz PCI to the 2.5GHz PCI
Express standards, chip developers require robust, silicon-proven
PCI Express PHY cores," said Jean-Marc Patenaude, marketing director
for the Logic Interface Division at Rambus. "Denali is taking
a leadership role in solving the verification problem for PCI Express.
Using Denali's PureSpec Verification IP enables us to verify that
our PCI Express interface is compliant with the specification, and
more importantly, that we are interoperable with other designs using
the PCI Express standard. This is another step toward delivering fully-tested
PHY cores to our customers to help them deliver successful products
to the marketplace."
"Rambus has delivered high-speed I/O solutions to its customers
for over a decade," said Kevin Silver, vice president of marketing
for Denali. "This expertise, which is now being applied to PCI
Express interconnects, has resulted in a very strong roadmap for PCI
Express PHY products. Denali is currently engaged in over 50 PCI Express
design efforts with our Verification IP tools; leveraging this standard
solution enables us to remove the compliance and interoperability
risks for our customers and the PCI Express design community in general.
Rambus' interconnect expertise, combined with our verification IP
and PCI Express core, will provide the industry with a rock-solid
platform for this emerging standard."
"As a member of technical and communications workgroups within
PCI-SIG, Denali has been actively participating in the industry-wide
effort to define and refine the PCI Express specification," said
Tony Pierce, PCI-SIG chairman. "We appreciate Denali's continuous
commitment to further enable PCI Express technology and accelerate
adoption of its architecture."
Rambus is committed to continuing its leadership position as a PCI
Express PHY IP provider. Rambus' PCI Express IP PHY family supports
TSMC 0.13-micron and UMC 0.18-micron processes to address the needs
of graphics, chipset, switch and bridge chip applications using the
PCI Express standard.
The Rambus PCI Express PHY cell is available in evaluation chips that
have been delivered to Rambus' customers for their system development.
In addition, Rambus offers engineering services to its customers for
chip integration, package, board and system characterization, as well
as test, in order to ensure success in the development and bring up
of PCI Express-based chips and boards.
Additional information is available at www.rambus.com.
Sep 17 - Intel Details Convergence
Of Computing And Communications. Intel Corporation President and
COO Paul Otellini today demonstrated that through Intel's and the
industry's efforts, the convergence of computing and communications
is being rapidly embraced by individuals and has become a mainstream
trend. He also described new technologies Intel will bring to computing
and communications devices that will add exciting features to Intel
products in addition to providing more processing speed.
"Just two years after disclosing details on what was then codenamed
Banias, the convergence of computing and communications has gone mainstream,"
said Otellini. "As one example, the addition of more than 76,000
wireless networking cards a day to the world's computing infrastructure
makes it clear that convergence is here to stay. And this isn't just
happening in the PC area -- we're estimating by 2010 there will be
more than 2.5 billion wireless handheld devices capable of providing
communications functions combined with the processing power of today's
advanced PCs."
Otellini's comments were made during the opening address of the Intel
Developer Forum (IDF) Fall 2003. In addition to reviewing the company's
focus on convergence, Otellini also described new technologies - the
"Ts" - Intel plans to bring to market to provide end-user
benefits that go beyond processor frequency.
"It was two years ago at IDF that we committed to deliver fundamental
technologies to enable greater productivity and better experiences
for computer users," said Otellini. "We said we would continue
to lead in microprocessor performance and we've done that. We also
said we needed to create technologies specifically targeted to match
the ways individuals use computing and communications devices. Hyper-Threading
technology, with its innovative approach to enhancing the computing
experience, and Intel® Centrino™ mobile technology, which
delivers breakthroughs in mobile computing, are the first outcomes
of this effort."
The company will continue to deliver on its promise to provide greater
user benefits by supplying technologies to improve security, reliability
and media processing, among others. In the security area, the company's
LaGrande technology is designed to be a future enhancement to Intel
processors, chipsets and platforms, that when combined with optimized
software would protect against software-based attacks on computer
systems. The technology should be available in the next two-to-three
years.
"At a time when the 'virus of the week' seems to plague us all,
making our computing devices more secure through the addition of hardware-based
security must become a top priority for the industry in order to ensure
future growth," said Otellini. "However, it's important
to do this in a way that also respects the privacy rights of individuals.
Intel is committed to achieving both goals."
Another technology Intel plans to incorporate into future products
is designed to enable multiple, independent software environments
in a single PC - similar to the way mainframe class systems operate.
Code-named "Vanderpool," it is aimed at improving the end-user
experience by increasing system reliability, flexibility and responsiveness,
as well as speeding the ability to recover from computer crashes.
The company is also developing similar enhancements to improve the
processing of digital media - boosting the performance and lowering
the cost of experiencing advanced digital media capabilities. This
feature is expected to become increasingly important in the home environment.
Intel's leadership in silicon technology is the foundation for providing
benefits beyond processor speed. Advanced silicon technology will
allow Intel to meet customer requirements by packing even more new
features and functions onto smaller and smaller devices. For example,
by 2011 the company plans to be building semiconductors with circuitry
22-nm wide, with transistors smaller than a single DNA molecule. As
an example of Intel's investment in technology leadership, Otellini
made the first public presentation of an Intel silicon wafer built
on the next generation 65-nm manufacturing process.
"Intel is committed to bringing technologies to market that
end-users want and can use today," said Otellini. "We will
offer technologies such as Hyper-Threading for performance, enhanced
wireless to enable true mobile computing, LaGrande for security, Vanderpool
to improve reliability, flexibility and the overall computing experience,
along with our core silicon expertise, which underpins our ability
to enable these and other key capabilities."
Intel is also focusing its technologies and products on three areas
that will provide significant opportunities for the IT and consumer
electronics industries in the coming years: in enterprise computing,
mobile Internet clients and the digital home.
In the enterprise, convergence will create new opportunities as wireless
users tap into database and other applications on the Internet. Product
highlights from Intel in the enterprise computing area include plans
to introduce a dual core Intel® Xeon™ processor MP (code-named
Tulsa) and a multi-core Intel® Itanium™ processor (code-named
Tanglewood), among other technologies. In the mobile area, Intel is
focused on common software that can run across multiple platforms
to enable a seamless computing-communications experience.
In the digital home, the development of industry specifications will
be essential to sharing content across multiple devices. Intel's involvement
with organizations such as the Digital Home Working Group that bring
together content providers and the consumer electronics industry,
will help shape technology specifications that benefit consumers.
In a different example of industry cooperation, the development of
Digital Transmission Content Protection, over Internet Protocol (DTCP/IP)
technology by Intel and other companies will enable home users to
wirelessly share protected entertainment content among a variety of
devices in the home. Through collaboration with content providers
such as Warner Brothers and others, this technology is likely to be
a cornerstone to expanding digital home entertainment.
For more information on IDF and Intel technology, visit http://developer.intel.com.
Sep 17 - Internet Machines
Unveils PCI Express Product Line at Intel Developer Forum. Internet
Machines Corp., a fabless semiconductor developer of highly integrated
communications and I/O interconnect ICs, today introduced its iMpress(TM)
line of products at the Intel Developer Forum (IDF).
The iMpress(TM) family of PCI Express-based bridge and
switch devices offers the industry's most complete PCI Express interconnect
solution for bandwidth-bottlenecked applications, including workstations
and desktops, mobile, I/O cards, servers and blade servers, storage,
networking, and other embedded systems. Also at the IDF, Internet
Machines unveiled recently received silicon samples of its first iMpress(TM)
product offering, which is also believed to be the industry's first
PCI Express bridge device. The iMpress(TM) bridge chip was fabricated
by TSMC using its advanced .13-micron CMOS process technology.
Internet Machines' iMpress(TM) device portfolio is
based on an architecture and intellectual property developed and proven
with the currently available iMpower(TM) chipset, also from Internet
Machines. The iMpower(TM) product line provides a complete solution
for implementing packet processing, traffic management and switching
in next-generation networking and storage systems.The PCI Express-based
iMpress(TM) product family consists of:
-- PCI Express to PCI/PCI-X bridge devices: These devices allow
OEMs to transition their products from legacy PCI or PCI-X to the
rapidly emerging PCI Express interconnect standard. The iMpress(TM)
bridge products have been architected to provide design flexibility,
incorporating features such as transparent, non-transparent, forward
and reverse bridging, and to address a wide range of applications,
including intelligent and non-intelligent add-in cards and a broad
range of embedded applications.
-- PCI Express switching devices: These devices provide a flexible
interconnect solution for implementing chip-to-chip communication,
I/O links, or slots expansion by performing switching between the
PCI Express upstream port and downstream ports or peer-to-peer switching
between downstream ports. The iMpress(TM) line of switch products
spans a wide range of switching capacities, from 5GBps to 30GBps capacity
in a single chip, with integrated SerDes transceivers and requires
no other external components.
"We are excited about previewing our first PCI Express bridge
device at the Intel Developer Forum. Early on, we identified the emerging
PCI Express technology as a key market opportunity and quickly took
the initiative to establish a leadership position in this space,"
said Chris Hoogenboom, Internet Machines' CEO and f
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