Aug 30 - Toshiba and NEC Jointly Propose Next Generation DVD Format.
Toshiba Corporation and NEC Corporation today jointly proposed to
the DVD Forum a next-generation, high-capacity, blue-laser DVD format
that will allow manufacturers to continue to use existing DVD plant
and equipment and so minimize the investment required for the transition
to next-generation DVD players and drives. Adoption of the proposed
format will bring benefits to hardware and software developers, manufacturers
and consumers.
The format proposed by Toshiba and NEC covers both read-only discs
that are used to distribute high-definition movies, and read-and-write
discs. The format utilizes a short wavelength blue laser and the same
disc technology used in current DVDs -- back-to-back bonding of two
0.6mm thick, 120mm discs.
The proposed format increases the capacity of read-only discs to
15GB for a single-sided, single-layer disc, and to 30 GB for a single-sided
dual-layer disc, and pushes the capacity of read-and-write discs,
which currently are single-sided with a single-layer, to 20GB. Today's
single-sided dual-layer read-only discs have a capacity of 8.5 GB,
while read-and-write discs (single-sided, single-layer only) can store
up to 4.7GB of data. The increased capacity of the proposed format
is achieved by employing a blue laser, and by utilizing the two companies'
new signal-processing and phase-change media recording technologies.
In addition, Toshiba and NEC will shortly propose a 40GB single-sided,
dual-layer read-and-write disc to the DVD Forum.
Toshiba and NEC's proposal is based on the following four advantages:
1. It meets manufacturers' needs by enabling use of the same
manufacturing infrastructure as current DVD, which minimizes
disc production costs.
2. It supports development of backward compatible players that
can playback current and next generation DVD.
3. Like the current DVD, it is easy to realize a disc that does
not need a cartridge, which allows slim drives that can be
integrated into portable equipment.
4. It is easy to realize dual-layer discs, as the back-to-back
bonding of 0.6mm-thick discs is the same as for current DVD.
Toshiba and NEC will together submit technical data to the DVD Forum
that is necessary for the standardization of the next-generation,
high-capacity, blue-laser DVD.
The companies can be found online at www.toshiba.com
and www.nec.com.
Aug 30 - IBM Introduces Ultraportable
ThinkPad X30. IBM today introduced the ThinkPad X30 notebook,
a 3.6-pound portable computer that uses a combination of IBM-patented
power management technology and a unique design to stretch battery
life to eight hours, when fully equipped with an optional second battery.
The ThinkPad X30 is designed to be able to use two batteries at the
same time --one internal and one optional extended life battery that
easily attaches to the bottom of the system.
The patented power-saving techniques intelligently manage the power
consumption between the two batteries, and analyze how much power
is needed to perform a specific task in a specific environment. The
system then reduces the power to each of the major subsystems appropriately.
The power management technologies were developed as part of IBM's
company-wide initiative to address the energy needs of computing.
The ThinkPad X30, which uses more than 25 newly-patented technologies,
boasts a series of other firsts in the ultraportable category. It
offers IBM's innovative Access Connections wizard, which allows users
to easily manage both wired and wireless connections, and to switch
from one location to another. It is also the only ultraportable in
the market today to feature on select models integrated TCPA-compliant
security and IBM Rapid Restore PC, the one-button disaster recovery
solution that lets customers easily recover previously saved data
after a software crash with one press of a button.
"The ThinkPad X30 and its unique battery options deliver all-day
computing for people who want to take their computers with them anywhere
and everywhere -- not just when they're traveling," said Fran
O'Sullivan, general manager, PC products and services, IBM Personal
Computing Division. "They don't want to trade computing power
for longer battery life. This new ThinkPad notebook makes that goal
a reality, in an ultraportable package with up to eight hours of optional
battery life, and no compromises on computing function."
The X30 is capable of running up to five optional communications
capabilities simultaneously: modem, Ethernet, IrDA, Wi-Fi wireless
and Bluetooth.
Pricing and Availability
Models of the ThinkPad X30 will be generally available Sept. 3, with
prices starting at $1999. For more information , visit IBM at www.ibm.com.
Aug 30 - Netscape Launches Netscape 7.0
Browser. Netscape Communications, a subsidiary of America Online,
Inc. (NYSE: AOL), today announced the release of Netscape 7.0, the
latest version of Netscape's browser software, designed for consumers
who want to get the most from their time online.
Optimized for the activities people most frequently engage in on
the Web -- browsing, searching, communicating, downloading, shopping,
and listening to music -- Netscape 7.0 offers consumers a faster,
more convenient browsing experience through a set of new features
that include:
-- Quick Launch -- Speeds the start-up time for the browser and allows
consumers to get online faster than ever.
-- Tabbed Browsing -- Lets users keep track of multiple sites or
pages simultaneously by maintaining numerous sites as tabbed pages
within a single browser window. Users can easily click between pages
using a tabbed interface, allowing users to browse the Web faster-and
stay organized.
-- Click-to-Search -- Allows users to easily run a search on any
word or phrase in the text of a web page without having to leave that
page. Users simply highlight the word or phrase using their mouse
and choose "Web Search". Results appear in a separate window
and in the Search tab in My Sidebar.
-- Instant Messaging -- AOL(R) Instant Messenger, within Netscape
7.0, now includes several new features that make it more convenient
and customizable than ever, including support for Buddy Icons, file
transfers and Buddy Alerts. In addition, Netscape 7.0 now provides
built in access to the ICQ service.
-- Netscape Mail -- The new and more powerful Netscape Mail has been
enhanced with user-friendly features such as Quick Search and simplified
Mail Filters to make it easier for consumers to efficiently organize
and manage all their online communications.
Netscape 7.0 is available for free download at: www.netscape.com/browsers.
Aug 30 - ATI's MOBILITY RADEON 9000 to
Power Compaq Presario 2800T. Coinciding with the launch of the
world's first mobile graphics solution with programmable pixel and
vertex shaders, ATI Technologies Inc. (TSX:ATY, NASDAQ:ATYT), the
number one supplier of notebook graphics worldwide, announced today
that HP Corporation (NYSE: HPQ) has chosen the MOBILITY(TM) RADEON(TM)
9000 mobile visual processor for its new Compaq Presario 2800T series
notebook personal computers.
The Compaq Presario 2800T with MOBILITY RADEON 9000 will begin shipping
in September, and will be among the first notebook PCs to include
ATI's latest mobile graphics solution, which dramatically outperforms
the fastest competitive product.
The MOBILITY RADEON 9000 is the first notebook graphics solution
that accelerates and 'de-blocks', or removes blocky artifacts from,
Internet-streamed video, and lets users take full advantage of new
business presentation software that makes use of live 3D models for
more inspiring, compelling presentations. The MOBILITY RADEON 9000
is also the only mobile graphics chip that gives users the full visual
experience of games that use the latest pixel and vertex shading technology,
which are expected to number over 100 titles by Christmas.
"Users who want MOBILITY RADEON 9000's spectacular graphics
performance and advanced 3D features will be able to place their order
via HP's website by early September," said Reuven Soraya, Director
of Marketing, Mobile Business Unit, ATI Technologies Inc. "We
are delighted HP has moved so quickly to market with the MOBILITY
RADEON 9000-powered Compaq Presario 2800T, now among the fastest,
most advanced notebooks in the world."
Visit ATI at www.ati.com. Visit
Compaq at www.hp.com.
Aug 29 - ATI unleashes MOBILITY RADEON
9000. Hailed by industry experts as the most significant advancement
in mobile graphics technology since ATI Technologies Inc. (NASDAQ:ATYT)
(TSX:ATY) brought 3D graphics acceleration to notebooks in 1999, the
MOBILITY(TM) RADEON(TM) 9000 visual processor was announced today
at a worldwide launch event that brought together media, game developers,
independent software vendors (ISVs) and computer manufacturers from
North America, Europe and Asia.
The MOBILITY RADEON 9000 visual processor dramatically outperforms
the fastest competing chip, and is the first mobile graphics processor
equipped with fully programmable pixel and vertex shading technology,
which is required for true-to-life photo-realistic special effects.
The impressive list of new features found in the MOBILITY RADEON
9000 includes:
-- Hardware support for version 1.4 programmable pixel and vertex
shaders: ATI's SMARTSHADER(TM) technology takes full advantage
of the advanced new features in Microsoft(R) DirectX(R) 8.1
and means even the newest and most advanced 3D games will be
fully supported;
-- The world's first mobile quad-pipe 3D architecture: Four
parallel rendering pipelines to power the most challenging
games and 3D business multimedia applications with amazing
speed;
-- POWERPLAY(TM) 3.0, a significantly enhanced version of ATI's
industry-leading power management technology which extends
battery life in 3D applications and DVD playback, enabling,
for example, full playback of feature-length movies.
Enhancements include a new user interface and more user
control over power management features, and improved
power-to-performance ratios;
-- Industry-leading Internet video streaming: New FULLSTREAM(TM)
technology leverages pixel shaders to accelerate video, remove
blocky artifacts and improve the quality and scalability of
streaming video;
-- Flexible multiple display architecture supported by
HYDRAVISION(TM), ATI's desktop management software enabling
productive and effective use of multiple displays and
presentation software.
-- A host of other features including ATI ZOOM (to quickly and
easily toggle between screen resolutions), an improved
ratiometric expansion filter which provides clearer, crisper
text and 2D graphics, and frame modulation, which makes 18-bit
LCD panels look like high quality 24-bit panels.
"Consumer mobile is a fast-growing segment, and must deliver
graphics performance on par with a desktop system to be compelling,"
said Martin Reynolds, GVP and Research Fellow, Gartner Dataquest.
"New-generation graphics controllers, in conjunction with the
advanced rendering features of DirectX 8.1, are paving the way for
games that will establish the PC as the best personal gaming platform
for 2003; their mobile siblings will, for the first time, bring that
same recognition to mobile computers."
Notebooks featuring the MOBILITY RADEON 9000 will ship almost immediately,
beginning in September. Visit ATI's Web site at
www.ati.com.
Aug 30 - Verbatim Announces New 16x-24x
Ultra Speed CD-RW Discs. Verbatim(R) Corp. achieved yet another
first today with the announcement of its new DataLifePlus(R) 16x-24x
certified Ultra Speed CD-RW discs. With the ability to write and rewrite
at speeds of up to 3.5 MB/sec -- the industry's highest rewriting
speed -- users can burn a 10MB file in less than 3 seconds.
Advanced Technologies
The development of two unique technologies -- Advanced Super Eutectic
Recording Layer (Advanced-SERL(TM)) and a new recording method --
paved the way for Verbatim to become the first and only manufacturer
currently capable of providing Ultra Speed 16x-24x CD-RW media.
To ensure high reliability and durability at 24x speed, Verbatim's
new Ultra Speed 16x-24x CD-RW discs are manufactured with Advanced-SERL,
a new patented recording layer developed by Verbatim's parent company,
Mitsubishi(R) Chemical Corp. (MCC). Advanced-SERL overcomes the difficulties
in CD-RW re-writing to ensure sufficient erasability at high speeds,
reduction of media noise during erase/rewrite cycles, and a long archival
life.
To achieve the industry's highest re-write speed, Verbatim's 16x-24x
Ultra Speed CD-RW discs incorporate a new writing method called the
2T Writing Strategy. The new writing method was required because at
24x and higher recording speeds, conventional recording technology
cannot generate enough "cooling time" for creating stable
amorphous marks. Verbatim's 2T Writing Strategy overcomes this issue
to provide stability of the recorded mark as well as supporting quality
high-speed erasure.
Recognized as a breakthrough in ultra-speed recording, the 2T Writing
Strategy is already gaining widespread support from leading drive
and IC makers and has been proposed as the standard for 24x CD-RW
recording.
Verbatim DataLifePlus 16x-24x CD-RW media delivers more than 1,000
overwrites and an archival life of more than 30 years, making it a
cost-effective storage solution for a wide range of applications.
To ensure the broadest compatibility with Ultra Speed CD-RW drives,
Verbatim provides its 16x-24x CD-RW discs to leading Ultra Speed CD-RW
drive manufacturers for high-speed testing.
Pricing, Availability
The new DataLifePlus 16x-24x CD-RW media will be available in singles
and multi-packs through retailers, Internet resellers and distributors
in September for a suggested retail price of $1.49 per disc. Verbatim
backs the quality of its complete line of DataLifePlus media with
a lifetime warranty.
Visit the company's web site at www.verbatim.com.
Aug 29 - Survey Finds Many Businesses
Still Unprepared for Disasters. For many businesses, the terrorist
attacks of Sept. 11, 2001, significantly increased concerns about
business continuity and recovery from disasters-man-made or natural.
The attacks also have caused business leaders to place a greater importance
on their families-including calling home more often and taking more
time off to be with family members.
At the same time, despite the impact that the terrorist attacks of
Sept. 11 had on many businesses, one in four medium to large businesses
nationwide still do not have business continuity plans to respond
to disasters or emergencies. And, for the companies that do have plans,
19 percent have not tested those plans in the last five years.
According to the survey, last year's terrorist attacks led more businesses
to make business continuity and disaster recovery planning a top priority,
and caused nearly three-quarters of businesses with plans in place
prior to Sept. 11 to recognize the need to update or improve their
planning.
"Since Sept. 11, we have seen more and more companies take steps
to protect their business by ensuring the reliability and availability
of their networks and securing their critical applications and data,"
said Eric Shepcaro, vice president, AT&T Business Continuity Services.
"In today's 24x7 economy, companies need business continuity
plans that are updated and tested regularly before an emergency occurs.
These plans need to address technology back-up systems and, even more
importantly, the human factors associated with responding to man-made
and natural disasters."
The survey found that almost 40 percent of companies with plans have
organized a team or process to focus on business continuity and disaster
recovery planning. And almost 20 percent have either created or plan
to create a new position to address business continuity.
Since Sept. 11, 2001, 73 percent of companies with business continuity
plans have reviewed and evaluated them. Of these companies, many recognized
the need to plan for interruption of operations for a longer period
of time than may have been anticipated (65 percent) and the need to
identify employees by locations and how to reach them in an emergency
(63 percent).
Other areas identified for updating include:
Communicate with employees during or immediately after a disaster
- 58 percent;
Develop evacuation plans for threatened or attacked facilities - 54
percent;
Implement an employee communications or training program - 45 percent;
and
Plan for the unanticipated loss of human life - 30 percent.
The terrorist attacks also had a direct effect on work behaviors
and attitudes. Forty three percent said they reach out more to their
families than before, and 39 percent take more time off to be with
their families.
Other survey findings include:
More than half of the companies surveyed said that network and information
technology (IT) security has become a more critical, strategic issue
since Sept. 11;
Companies in the Northeast were more likely to say their current plans
are comprehensive enough, while Midwest companies were least likely;
67 percent said they are more concerned about who has access to their
buildings, offices and other locations since Sept. 11;
Of the 77 percent of companies that had business continuity plans
in place prior to Sept. 11, 2001, 56 percent said these plans have
always been a priority; and
21 percent would not accept a job in a high-rise building.
About AT&T
AT&T can be found on the Web at www.att.com.
Aug 29 - Global Broadband DSL Subscribers
Approach 26 Million. News that broadband DSL use has jumped to
25.58 million households and small businesses around the world was
revealed by industry analyst firm Point Topic today at the DSL Forum
Summit meeting. "Strong global subscriber growth of 36% in the
last six months - an additional 6.8 million subscribers - is evidence
of the demand for the real added value that broadband DSL delivers,"
says William Rodey, chairman of DSL Forum. "We are making good
progress towards our target of 200 million DSL broadband subscribers
worldwide by 2005."
"In the face of economic pressures, adding close to one million
DSL subscribers in 6 months in the USA alone is a clear vote of confidence
in broadband DSL and the benefits it delivers, by both residential
and small business customers," Rodey says. "South Korea
has already reached mass market status with DSL operating on 26.14%
of all phone lines in the country."
Growth was strongest in the six months in South and South East Asia
(124%), Middle East & Africa (123%) and Latin America (63.13%)
but each of these regions had a deployment base of less than half
a million DSL subscribers in use at the end of 2001.
As of the first half of 2002, the Asia Pacific region has 42% of the
world's broadband DSL subscribers, whereas North America currently
has 26% of the world's DSL subscribers and Western Europe follows
with 25%. Subscriber growth in Western Europe exceeded 50% in the
six-month period, compared to 19.2% in North America.
DSL Forum Working Group meetings continue in London until Thursday,
29 August 2002. More information on DSL Forum is available from its
industry site www.dslforum.org. Information
tailored to end-users is available on www.dsllife.com.
Aug 29 - Canon MultiPASS Products Feature
More Productivity. Recognizing the increasing market demand for
multifunction office devices, Canon U.S.A., Inc., introduces two new
desktop flatbed multifunction products (MFPs) with even greater functionality
to extend the productivity of small office and home office users.
The Canon MultiPASS F60 offers printing, scanning and copying while
the MultiPASS F80 adds faxing capability. Both products also offer
the extra convenience of direct photo printing and high-speed borderless
printing and copying and both MFPs feature Canon's patented Advanced
MicroFine Droplet Technology for exceptional output quality. 
"The new MultiPASS F60 and F80 products demonstrate our depth
in the fast-growing flatbed MFP market and offer an even stronger
feature package for customers in search of an all-in-one device,"
said Hiroaki Yokoyama, director and assistant general manager of marketing
for Canon U.S.A.'s SoHo Products Division.
"By adding hardware and software to facilitate borderless photo
printing -- a feature that is in high demand -- Canon's new MultiPASS
products incorporate the best of Canon's digital imaging technology
and will offer shoppers an extremely competitive choice among the
other products now crowding the MFP shelves."
The Canon MultiPASS F60 and F80 are based on Canon's S750 printer
engine, and offer print and copy speeds of up to 20 pages-per-minute
(ppm) for black-and-white and 13 ppm for color, based on letter size
output.
The MultiPASS F60 and F80 create photo-quality prints with a resolution
of up to 2400 x 1200 dpi, due to Canon's Advanced MicroFine Droplet
Technology. This revolutionary ink ejection process separates and
ejects prescribed-volumes of ultra-fine ink droplets from a high-density
multi-nozzle head with precise accuracy, enabling high-speed, high-quality
printing.
The MultiPASS F80's 30-page automatic document feeder (ADF) enable
printing and copying on an assortment of media, including plain paper,
glossy photo paper, transparencies, magnet sheets and even t-shirt
transfers.
To satisfy the demands of today's digital camera users, both the
MultiPASS F60/F80 include a PCMCIA Type II memory card slot so that
Canon and other selected brand digital cameras can print directly
to the all-in-one unit. The PCMCIA adapter will support a variety
of memory cards, including Compact Flash, Smart Media, Memory Stick,
and Secure Digital.
Rounding out the needs of the home office user, the MultiPASS F60
and the F80 can also copy and scan. Both MultiPASS units copy in color
at resolutions of 1200 x 1200 dpi and can reduce or enlarge originals
from 25 percent to 400 percent in one percent increments. Scanning
can be performed on the generous-sized platen or on through the automatic
document feeder (ADF) on the F80, with color optical resolutions of
up to 600 x 1200 dpi.
The Canon MultiPASS F60 and F80 will be shipping in mid-September
at retailers nationwide at a suggested "street" price of
$299 and $399, respectively. For more information, visit www.usa.canon.com.
Aug 29 - New Mail Tool Lets Users Create
Printed Cards with Microsoft Outlook. Touchpoint, Inc., the personalized
direct mail technology company, on August 27 announced the release
of Touchpoint MailTM for Outlook®, a tool that extends the capabilities
of Microsoft® Outlook to enable users to create and mail commercial
quality printed cards from their computer.
Touchpoint custom-prints the full-color 5x7 folded cards and postcards
-- personalized with the user's handwritten signature, logo, message,
and choice of stamp -- and sends them first class U.S. mail the next
business day.
Touchpoint Mail for Outlook is a simple program that allows users
to send cards quickly - typically, in under two minutes. A "Send
Card" button appears in the standard Microsoft Outlook toolbar,
and in each Contact window in Outlook. Sending a card takes three
easy steps:
1. The user clicks the Send Card button to select a cover design
and create messages anywhere inside the card.
2. The user selects one or more recipients from the Contact list
in Outlook.
3. The user previews the completed card before submitting the order.
Orders placed by 5pm Pacific time are custom-printed and mailed first
class the next business day -- letting users avoid unloved chores
like waiting in line to purchase stamps, looking up addresses and
finding a mailbox.
Touchpoint Mail for Outlook uses the same award-winning premium quality
digital printing technology that powers Touchpoint partners such as
MSN Photos, USPS.com, Ofoto and MarthaStewart.com, as well as corporate
clients like Macy's, Hewlett Packard and American Express.
"It's as easy as sending e-mail, but the impact of sending a
real, custom-printed card is infinitely more personal and powerful,"
says Bill Chasse, president and CEO of Touchpoint. "That translates
to deeper business relationships and improved revenue results. Touchpoint
Mail turns Outlook into a secret weapon for any busy sales executive."
Touchpoint Mail is available for free download at www.touchpointmail.com,
and at various download sites including CNET's
www.download.com. Pricing for the cards is available via subscription
(10 cards/month costs $9.95, which includes card printing and mailing
services and domestic first class postage; larger subscriptions plans
are available which bring the price per card down as low as $0.63).
For users who prefer not to subscribe, a "pay as you go"
model is offered in which cards cost $1.99/card ($1.49/postcard) plus
postage.
Aug 28 - AMD Announces Athlon MP Processor
2200+. AMD (NYSE:AMD) today introduced the AMD Athlon(TM) MP processor
2200+, built on AMD's state-of-the-art 0.13-micron copper process
technology, to provide the high performance and reliability demanded
by businesses for their servers and workstations. AMD's 0.13-micron
manufacturing technology allows processors to achieve higher performance
while lowering power requirements, all on a smaller die size.
Today's announcement marks the third and final member of the AMD
Athlon processor family to transition to 0.13-micron copper process
technology. AMD Athlon processors for mobile and desktop systems transitioned
to this advanced technology earlier in 2002.
"Business users are demanding higher performance to increase
productivity and our 0.13-micron copper process technology allows
AMD to make that a reality," said Ed Ellett, vice president of
marketing for AMD's Computation Products Group. "In addition,
IT managers tell us they need longer product life cycles to get them
through the tight IT budgets facing many enterprises today. With the
AMD Athlon MP processor's stable Socket A infrastructure, AMD can
help lower total cost of ownership and protect a company's technology
investment."
The AMD Athlon MP processor 2200+ is compatible with Microsoft(R)
Windows(R) and Linux operating systems. With its QuantiSpeed(TM) architecture
and Smart MP technology, the AMD Athlon MP processor 2200+ can integrate
smoothly into existing infrastructures, providing the stability and
manageability that IT managers require.
Performance of a system powered by AMD Athlon MP processors is enhanced
by the AMD-760(TM) MPX chipset, which provides high-speed peripheral
connections for increased productivity and is compatible with all
AMD Athlon MP processors.
Availability
Systems featuring the AMD Athlon MP processor 2200+ are expected
to be available immediately from more than 34 manufacturers worldwide.
Pricing
The AMD Athlon MP processor 2200+ is priced at $224 in 1,000-unit
quantities. For additional information on pricing, please visit www.amd.com/pricing.
Aug 28 - Epson Introduces New Sub-$100
Photo Quality Ink Jet. Epson America today announced the launch
of the EPSON Stylus C62 -- the company's newest and most advanced
all-purpose, sub-$100 ink jet printer to date.
The Stylus C62 replaces the Stylus C60, sells for $79 (after a $20
mail-in rebate) and offers several new features designed especially
for value-driven customers.
The Stylus C62 is Windows and Macintosh compatible and takes advantage
of a unique and highly advanced imaging technology known as Resolution
Performance Management(TM) (RPM(TM)). This feature gives the Stylus
C62 the ability to place up to six different ink droplet sizes as
small as four picoliters and resolution levels as high as 5,760 x
720 optimized dpi for sharper text, greater detail and brighter colors.
The printer's Micro Piezo print head can also produce up to 14 pages
per minute (ppm) of black output and up to 10 ppm in color(1). It
can even print an 8" x 10" photo on a variety of media using
its "Photo" mode in as little as 3 minutes, 7 seconds and
offers both USB and parallel connections.
The Stylus C62 takes advantage of Epson's quick-drying dye inks that
not only give users rich colored images, but also the freedom to handle
printed images immediately without smudging. A convenient ink level
tracking chip is also included on each cartridge to provide users
with current ink quantities and on-screen, easy-to-follow instructions
that automatically instruct users how to replace empty cartridges.
The EPSON Stylus C62 is currently shipping to computer superstores
and specialty retail stores nationwide and can also be purchased through
mail order, PC manufacturers, the Internet and Epson's own site www.epsonstore.com.
Aug 28 - Logitech Offers New QuickCam
Web Cameras. Logitech (Nasdaq:LOGI) (Switzerland:LOGN, LOGZ) today
announced the new Fall 2002 lineup of its popular QuickCam web cameras
--QuickCam® Pro 4000 and QuickCam® Zoom.
These cameras enable high-quality video instant messaging and let
users capture premium videos and still images on the PC. 
"The QuickCam family continues to be top sellers in the web
camera market," Junien Labrousse, senior vice president of Logitech's
Video Business Unit. "We wanted to take this line to the next
level by including features such as digital zoom, which lets users
share more of their lives while communicating with applications like
video instant messaging. Both cameras will ship with Logitech®
IM Video CompanionTM, which enables users to share live video with
MSN® Messenger and AOL Instant MessengerSM."
QuickCam Pro 4000 can capture 1.3 megapixel still images and 640x480
video with its high-quality VGA CCD sensor. Its precision swivel base
moves the camera up and down and rotates 360 degrees. Software enabled
digital zoom offers the option to pan, tilt and zoom up to five times
the normal viewing size. QuickCam Pro 4000 includes a built-in microphone
and a convenient snapshot button. It ships with MGI® VideoWave
and PhotoSuite software for studio-quality PC video and photo editing.
QuickCam Pro 4000 will retail for $99.95 and will work with Windows®
98 and higher, as well as Macintosh® OS 9.
With a fresh new look, QuickCam Zoom delivers true VGA (640x480)
still pictures and videos. As its name suggests, QuickCam Zoom also
includes the digital zoom feature, which works well to pinpoint details
especially during video instant messaging sessions. It includes a
built-in microphone, making it easy to add audio while instant messaging
and creating video clips. QuickCam Zoom will retail for $79.95 and
will work with Windows 98 and higher.
QuickCam Zoom and QuickCam Pro 4000 are currently available in retail
outlets and online at www.logitech.com.
Aug 28 - CTX Introduces 23 Inch LCD FlatView
Monitor. CTX International Inc., a leading manufacturer of high
performance displays and multimedia projectors, has expanded its FlatView
line of LCD monitors with the introduction of the new H2300, a 23"
display aimed at high-end professional users.
As the largest LCD panel in the FlatView Series, the H2300 (23.1"
diagonal viewable area) is perfectly suited for professionals in industries
such as imaging, design, financial, medical, manufacturing and education.
The Macintosh and PC compatible H2300 provides 1600 x 1200 true resolution,
a reduced footprint with VESA wall mount capabilities, low power consumption,
high-contrast capabilities, and emits almost no magnetic fields. These
features combined with superior image quality ensure that critical
data and images are optimally displayed. This model also features
analog and digital connectivity and spectacular viewing angles, making
the user experience more convenient and comfortable.
"With the dramatic drop in the price of LCDs, the demand for
high performance display products has increased significantly in every
market," said Larry Wei, president and CEO of CTX International.
He continued, "The addition of the H2300 delivers on our commitment
to provide powerful display solutions to end users who require superior
performance and reliability at an affordable price."
Positioned to be the best value 23" monitor in the category,
the H2300 is available through authorized distributors and resellers,
with a manufacturer's suggested retail price of $2,995 and an estimated
street price of $2,795, currently well below competitive models.
Visit CTX at www.ctxintl.com.
Aug 28 - Other World Computing Releases
v2.2 of XPostFacto for Older Macs. Other World Computing, a leading
provider of products and services for the Macintosh marketplace, today
announced the availability of version 2.2 of its industry-acclaimed
utility, XPostFacto.
The software utility developed by Ryan Rempel and exclusively licensed
through OWC, allows owners of computers unsupported by Apple to install
and boot the latest Apple operating system, Apple OS X 10.2, a.k.a.
Jaguar, and lower.
"XPostFacto is up-to-date with the current operating system
offered by Apple," said Larry O'Connor, president of OWC. "Ryan
has worked numerous hours and through various beta versions to develop
XPostFacto 2.2, which now allows loyal Apple users of older machines
to install Jaguar -- Apple OS X 10.2 -- which was announced at Macworld
New York and recently released to consumers.
"XPostFacto is a revolutionary product that gives life to older
Macs, and has helped thousands of loyal OWC customers and Apple computer
aficionados."
XPostFacto currently works with the 7300, 7500, 7600, 8500, 8600,
9500, and 9600 PowerSurge models, and the clones based on these systems,
i.e. UMAX S900 and J700, PowerComputing PowerWave and PowerTower Pro,
and the Daystar Genesis and Millennium. The utility also works with
the Beige G3s, and with some limitations, on the original PowerBook
G3, the 2400 and the 3400.
Changes to XPostFacto 2.2 since its last non-beta release, version
2.11, include the following:
-- Support for Mac OS X 10.0.x through 10.2 `Jaguar';
-- Support for the Beige G3s;
-- Support for UltraTek IDE cards (along with OWC's firmware
update);
-- Support for some additional PowerComputing models;
-- Support for leaving onboard video disconnected when using a
video card; and
-- Improved documentation
For more changes and additional documentation on the utility's capabilities
and limitations, please visit http://eshop.macsales.com/OSXCenter/XPostFacto.
The program is available for free download and use by consumers.
Aug 27 - Intel Ships 2.8 GHz Pentium
4. Intel Corporation today introduced new versions of the Intel(R)
Pentium(R) 4 processor -- the world's highest performance desktop
microprocessor. Intel also is shipping New Pentium 4 processors at
2.50, 2.60, and 2.66 GHz.
At speeds now up to 2.8 GHz, the new processors allow consumers to
enjoy a richer PC experience with broadband audio and video content,
games, music, photos and movies.
"The latest Pentium 4 processors, when combined with Intel's
newest chipsets and the latest operating systems, make computers higher
performing and more capable," said Louis Burns, vice president
and general manager of Intel's Desktop Platforms Group. "A consumer
can scan photos three times faster and edit photos more than four
times faster than they can with an older computer."
The Intel Pentium 4 processor is by far the leading microprocessor
for consumers and business users worldwide. With a 512K Level 2 cache,
a choice of 400 or 533 MHz system bus speeds, and manufactured on
Intel's leading 0.13-micron process, the Pentium 4 processor continues
to set new standards for high-performance PCs.
Leading Performance for the Digital Lifestyle
With high-performance PCs, consumers can dramatically reduce the
time it takes to encode digital media such as music, pictures, and
movies. A computer based on the Pentium 4 processor operating at 2.8
GHz can convert more than five one-hour videotapes to MPEG-4 digital
video in the same time a 500 MHz PC can convert a one-hour videotape.
Compared to a 500 MHz PC, consumers can edit photos more than four
times faster with a PC based on the Pentium 4 processor 2.8 GHz.
Performance, Pricing and Availability
The Pentium 4 processor at 2.8 GHz delivers the world's highest Microsoft
Windows* desktop processor performance as measured by SPEC CPU 2000*
with a SPECint_base2000* score of 976 and a SPECfp_base2000* score
of 915.
Intel also is shipping boxed Intel Pentium 4 processors up to 2.8
GHz to Intel authorized distributors for system integrators worldwide.
The table below shows Intel's new high-performance desktop processors
available today, with prices in 1,000-unit quantities.
Intel(R) Pentium(R) 4 processor 2.80 GHz 512K 533 MHz $508
Intel(R) Pentium(R) 4 processor 2.66 GHz 512K 533 MHz $401
Intel(R) Pentium(R) 4 processor 2.60 GHz 512K 400 MHz $401
Intel(R) Pentium(R) 4 processor 2.50 GHz 512K 400 MHz $243
For more information on Intel product performance, refer to www.intel.com/performance.
Aug 27 - HP Announces New All-in-one
Printers. HP (NYSE:HPQ) today announced a new family of all-in-one
printers designed from the ground up to meet the changing needs of
consumers. The company's all-in-one lineup offers consumers breakthrough
print, scan and copy technologies that historically have been reserved
for the newest single-function devices.
With a compact, modern design, affordable prices and industry-leading
photo quality, the new HP PSC 2110 and HP PSC 2210 all-in-one printers
round out the company's largest product rollout of personal printing
and digital imaging products this year.
"After listening to consumers' needs, HP is delivering a full
range of digital imaging products that produce photos that look like
they were developed by a professional photo lab," said Larry
Lesley, senior vice president, HP Personal Printing. "With these
all-in-ones we've built on our printing and imaging heritage and expertise
to bring consumers -- without compromise -- the latest print, scan,
fax and copy technologies in one convenient and affordable device."
Product Features
-- Up to 4,800 x 1,200-optimized dots per inch (dpi) for
clearer, brighter and sharper photo-quality printing;
-- Color layering technology from Photoret IV -- HP's innovative
photo resolution enhancement technology that delivers
true-to-life digital photos and fast, professional results for
brilliant everyday color printing (Photoret IV with optional
photo cartridge only);
-- Six-ink printing with an interchangeable photo cartridge;
-- Exclusive and enhanced HP Photo Proof Sheet technology to
print faster -- select a border and choose the size of your
printed photo from one device without involving your computer;
-- Non-PC printer options -- the HP PSC 2210 all-in-one allows
you to print directly from your digital camera's memory card,
such as Compact Flash, Secure Digital, SmartMedia and Sony
Memory Stick;
-- Fast print speeds -- the HP PSC 2110 all-in-one prints up to
14 pages per minute (ppm) in black while the HP PSC 2210
prints up to 17 ppm in black;
-- Premium photo supplies -- photos resist fading for generations
with optional six-ink printing when used with HP Premium Photo
papers;
-- Small, convenient, innovative design;
-- Fast, convenient flatbed faxing in black or color for sending
short faxes and receiving faxes of any length.
HP's exclusive and newly enhanced Photo Proof Sheet allows consumers
to easily print their photos from a HP PSC 2210 all-in-one printer.
To print a sheet with thumbnails of the images, consumers insert a
memory card into the card slot and press the proof sheet button. The
consumer then selects the desired photo(s) and size by filling in
the appropriate bubbles with a dark pen, and then scans the page.
Once the proof sheet is scanned, the selected pictures will be printed
automatically from the same machine.
Consumers also can print borderless photos on HP's 4 x 6-inch HP
Premium Photo paper and can reduce and enlarge the size of an original
copy from 25 to 400 percent, making these devices ideal for the home
or office.
With HP's recently introduced Premium Photo Papers and enhanced HP
inkjet cartridge technology, consumers can easily capture and print
images that rival the quality and color of traditional photos and
will last for generations.
U.S. Pricing and Availability
The HP PSC 2110 and HP PSC 2210 all-in-one printers are expected
to ship to U.S. retailers within the next four weeks. The HP PSC 2110
all-in-one will sell for an estimated U.S. retail price of $249 and
the HP PSC 2210 all-in-one will sell for an estimated U.S. retail
price of $399.
Both products come with a one-year limited warranty backed by HP
Customer Care service and support and are available direct from HP
via www.hpshopping.com or
at consumer electronics stores nationwide.
Aug 27 - 'True' Broadband Could Bolster
U.S. GDP by $500 Billion a Year. With the implementation of a
"true" broadband infrastructure, advanced countries, could
add sizeable incremental growth to their GDP (gross domestic product).
Dataquest Inc, a unit of Gartner Inc. (NYSE: IT and ITB) has modeled
the impact of ubiquitous broadband based on the United States and
estimates the incremental increase as $500 billion annually for each
of the next 10 years.
The International Telecommunications Union (ITU) has tracked the
historical relationship between the GDP per capita and telephone penetration
in each country on a worldwide basis. Gartner Dataquest applied this
principle of correlation of teledensity and GDP per capita to create
a broadband model.
While many consumers associate the term broadband with the typical
384 kbps downstream that service providers offer today, Gartner Dataquest
defines "true" broadband as broadband to the home with aggregate
downstream capability of a minimum of 10 Mbps. Gartner Dataquest analysts
said boosting bandwidth to this rate could drive tremendous change
and opportunity in today's depressed technology segment and lead to
overall broader economic benefits.
The bottleneck to achieving this economic boost is the "last
200 meters" access to the home. Solving this will allow higher
bandwidth applications to flourish, which in turn will utilize backbone
capacity in place today.
"For example, mass deployment of 10 Mbps connections to the
consumer will result in the need for deployment of a vastly more capable
backbone," said Martin Reynolds, vice president and research
fellow for Gartner. "The deployment of a new network will demand
continuous upgrade of communications equipment, driving years of growth
in user devices as well as networking hardware."
The proliferation of the Internet, mobile phones, advanced communications,
and computing devices and e-commerce have already profoundly changed
our world. These changes mark the beginning of a new age of anytime/anywhere
connectivity and the emergence of the networked world. This phenomenon
foretells a dramatic transformation in the very nature of our economies,
societies and governments as well as interpersonal and international
relationships. The various regions of the world are all experiencing
this transformation at varying rates of speed.
"The participants in today's economic activities cannot tolerate
slow, unsophisticated narrowband communications without suffering
a loss of productivity, just as participants of yesterday's industrial
age economic activities benefited considerably by the availability
of even a modicum of communications capability," said Kathie
Hackler, vice president and chief analyst for Gartner Dataquest's
worldwide telecommunications and networking group.
While there can be substantial rewards with a "true" broadband
environment, there are risks to even the largest companies, given
the evolution of the industry structure and the enormous investment
required to achieve a goal of ubiquitous broadband. Even with a national
commitment and unified goal, the physical deployment will take years.
"In the United States and other developed countries, an effective
initiative will include a public and private sector and participation
in education, content creation and intellectual property protection
to promote the benefits of broadband," said Ron Cowles, principal
analyst for Gartner Dataquest's worldwide telecommunications and networking
group.
This analysis is provided by Gartner Dataquest's worldwide Telecommunications
and Networking group. This group provides an analysis for the full
spectrum of telecom and networking issues. To keep up to date on the
latest telecommunications issues, visit Gartner's Telecommunications
Focus Area at http://www.gartner.com/1_researchanalysis/focus/telecom_fa.html.
Aug 27 - I/OMagic Corp. Ranked #1 Seller
of CD-RW Drives. I/OMagic Corporation (OTCBB:IOMC), a leading
developer and marketer of optical storage, digital entertainment,
multimedia and computer input devices, announced today that for the
third consecutive quarter it was ranked the top seller of CD-RW drives
in North America, as reported by NPD Intelect, the computer industry's
leading point-of-sale tracking service. NPD Intelect also reported
that industry sales for CD-RW drives reached more than $100 million
dollars in Q2 2002.
"We are especially proud of again earning this number one market
share ranking because it is based on sell-through, surpassing competitors,
such as Sony, TDK, Creative Labs, Memorex and Philips," said
Paul T. McCauley, vice president of Marketing for I/OMagic Corporation.
"We believe this achievement clearly demonstrates strong consumer
confidence in our CD-RW products, which are sold under all three I/OMagic
brands, I/OMagic, Hi-Val and Digital Research Technologies, across
all of our major accounts, such as Best Buy, Circuit City, CompUSA,
Costco, Office Depot, OfficeMax, Radio Shack U.S. and Future Shop
of Canada.
"Furthering I/OMagic's continued dominance in the data storage
arena, where CD-RW drives lead our optical storage product mix, the
Company now also offers a new technology platform -- the DVD+RW/+R
drive. This latest platform is a technological next-step from the
CD-RW drive, giving users the ability to easily store movies and videos,
as well as back-up and archive huge amounts of data at about 6.7 times
the capacity of a CD-RW disc.
For more information, visit the I/OMagic web site at www.iomagic.com.
Aug 27 - EPSON Introduces Stylus C82
Photo Quality Ink Jet. Advancing off the platforms of one of its
most successful and popular products to date, Epson America is launching
a new ink jet printer that provides even greater performance and value
for home and small office customers.
The new EPSON Stylus C82 takes the throne as Epson's new flagship,
all-purpose ink jet printer, selling for $149 and offering customers
several new technical advancements including improved formulas of
Epson's long-lasting DuraBrite(TM) inks.
The Stylus C82 replaces the Stylus C80 and is Epson's fastest four-color
desktop printer ever made, using a new high-speed Micro Piezo print
head that delivers up to 22 pages per minute (ppm) in black and up
to 11 ppm in color.
This printer also takes advantage of a unique and highly advanced
imaging technology known as Resolution Performance Management(TM)
(RPM(TM)). This feature enables the Stylus C82 to place up to six
different ink droplet sizes as small as three picoliters at resolution
levels as high as 5,760 x 720 optimized dpi for sharper text, greater
detail and brighter colors.
"This product is tailored especially for customers who demand
the highest level of text and photo quality possible on plain or recyclable
paper in addition to fast output, reliability and low cost of operation,"
said Steve Semos, product manager, consumer ink jet printers, Epson.
"Once again, we've engineered a lot of new hardware to give customers
industry-leading performance, but it's the advancements in our DuraBrite
inks that really make it stand out like no other printer on the market."
Enhanced DuraBrite Inks -- Water-Resistant Prints that Last up to
80 Years
Epson has engineered a more advanced formula of DuraBrite inks --made
exclusively for the Stylus C82. These pigment-based inks are designed
to not only produce durable, detailed output on a variety of media,
but also offer richer colors and even greater highlight and shadow
detail than the previous formula used with the Stylus C80.
Unlike prints from traditional dye-based inks, output from DuraBrite
color and black inks can be submerged in water without the ink coming
off the page. This feature is designed to give creators of fliers,
menus, signs, postcards and almost any other printed output the ability
to produce documents and images that will withstand damage caused
by moisture-based threats such as rain, spills or people with wet
hands.
DuraBrite inks also have a light-resistance rating of up to 80 years
on certain specialty media and an unmatched 70-year rating on plain
paper, making it possible to safely place prints in areas where light
would normally cause images to fade quickly.
The EPSON Stylus C82 is currently shipping to computer superstores
and specialty retail stores nationwide and can also be purchased through
mail order, PC manufacturers, the Internet and Epson's own site www.epsonstore.com.
Aug 26 - HP Increases U.S. Printer Market
Share Nearly Five Percent. HP (NYSE:HPQ) today announced that
IDC's U.S. Printer Tracker confirmed the company's leadership in the
overall printer market for the second quarter of 2002, gaining nearly
five percent market share over the first quarter of 2002. Maintaining
its No. 1 position, HP achieved its highest market share -- just under
50 percent -- in five quarters.
The IDC Printer Tracker reported that HP's print leadership in the
black and white laser printer market, a 77 percent market share, was
critical to HP's overall market leadership. HP leads in the 14 pages
per minute (ppm), 14-20 ppm, 21-30 ppm, 31-44 ppm and 45-69 ppm categories
of the black and white laser printer market, capturing the print needs
of virtually all business sizes.
In the color inkjet printer segment, HP maintained its position as
the market leader with a 46 percent market share, up three percent
from the first quarter. HP's all-in-one inkjet printers also contributed
to the overall leadership in the color inkjet market.
"HP is clearly committed to extending and solidifying its leadership
in the printer market, having recently invested $1 billion in its
inkjet platform alone," said Angele Boyd, group vice president,
IDC.
"Our strides in market share leadership are due to customer
responsiveness and unmatched reliability -- key elements to providing
our customers with what they want and need," said Lee Ray Massey,
senior vice president, Americas, HP Imaging and Printing Group. "HP's
continued growth and leadership in the printing industry will be fueled
by these ongoing priorities as well as upcoming innovations, such
as transformational plays in digital imaging, digital publishing and
commercial services -- solid strategies that are not easily overcome
by other companies."
Information about HP is available at www.hp.com.
Aug 26 - VIA Introduces P4MA Pro MicroATX
Mainboard. VIA Technologies, Inc, a leading innovator and developer
of silicon chip technologies and PC platform solutions, today announced
the VIA P4MA Pro Micro ATX mainboard for the Intel® Pentium®
4 and Celeron® platforms, featuring the VIA ProSavageDDR™
P4M266 chipset with an integrated S3 ProSavage8™ AGP graphics
engine.
The VIA P4MA Pro delivers a highly integrated feature set optimized
for building flexible, cost-effective Pentium 4 and Celeron-based
solutions for today's totally connected, multimedia home and business
computing environment. Based on the VIA ProSavageDDR™ P4M266
chipset, the P4MA Pro combines the cost saving and convenience of
the ProSavage8™ integrated graphics engine with the flexibility
of an optional external AGP 4X port.
Memory support is provided through VIA's highly renowned DDR266 SDRAM
controller while an extensive connectivity feature set includes onboard
USB 2.0, 10/100 LAN, and ATA/133. VIA's onboard 6 channel audio solution
rounds out this robust multimedia platform.
The four USB 2.0 ports on the VIA P4MA Pro enable seamless connectivity
to all the latest high speed multimedia devices and peripherals such
as digital video cameras, advanced media disk drives, and the next
generation of scanners and printers while also providing backwards
compatibility with established USB 1.1 standard devices.
An onboard VIA VT1616 audio codec provides six channels of studio
quality, crisp, digital surround sound. The P4MA Pro is VIA Smart5.1™
compliant. Smart5.1 technology detects 6 channel audio operation and
auto-configures the mainboard's three jack audio I/O to output to
front, rear, and center/subwoofer 6 channel speaker systems.
For further details visit VIA's website at
www.viavpsd.com.
Aug 26 - SimpleTech Introduces 512MB
Secure Digital Memory Cards. SimpleTech, Inc. (Nasdaq:STEC), a
leading provider of flash-based storage and custom and standard memory
solutions, today announced that its 512MB SD (Secure Digital) memory
cards are available for immediate delivery.
SimpleTech's 512MB SD card is next-generation removable flash storage,
combining fast data transfer rates of 10MB/sec. and high capacity
in a slim, compact design, making it the ideal solution for SD-compatible
handheld devices, including cameras, video recorders, PDAs, MP3 music
players and smart phones, as well as digital projectors, photo printers
and voice recorders.
The 512MB capacity is the latest addition to SimpleTech's family
of SD memory cards, at manufacturers' suggested retail price of $389.
SimpleTech also offers SD cards in 32MB, 64MB, 128MB and 256MB capacities.
About the size of a postage stamp, the SD memory cards measure 24mm
x 32mm by 2.1mm (LWD) and weigh only 3 grams.
"The addition of the 512MB card gives consumers the full range
of capacities currently available," said David Abbott, flash
product manager for SimpleTech. "Our SD cards deliver the performance,
reliability and capacities to meet the needs of a broad range of applications,
from mobile handheld devices and electronic books, to GPS systems
and other digital appliances."
For more information, visit www.simpletech.com.
Aug 25 - NETGEAR Launches 802.11a Wireless
Router. NETGEAR Inc., a worldwide provider of easy-to-use, high
performance networking products at prices affordable to homes and
growing businesses, today announced the availability of the industry's
first available 802.11a cable/DSL wireless broadband router.
The easy-to-use NETGEAR 802.11a Cable/DSL High-Speed Wireless Router
(HR314) is the newest member of an award-winning line of networking
products, combining the high-performance benefits of an 802.11a-compliant
wireless access point built-in with the functionality of a full-featured
router and the convenience of connectivity through a 4-port 10/100Mbps
switch.
Based on Atheros' award-winning (AR5000) WLAN chipset technology,
the dual-processor-equipped HR314 provides wireless data transmission
speeds of up to 72Mbps in "turbo" mode in the 5.4 GHz spectrum
and securely connects multiple PCs to a broadband modem connection,
such as a DSL or cable modem, delivering cost savings and freedom
from a "tethered" network connection.
It is ideal for growing businesses and homes with bandwidth intensive
requirements, such as home entertainment networks that stream audio
and video.
"We are pleased to once again be the first company to deliver
a cutting-edge networking technology to the market," stated Patrick
Lo, CEO and chairman of the board of directors of NETGEAR.
"The availability of the new 802.11a router provides much more
than just a higher performance wireless network solution. By connecting
an ME102 802.11b wireless access point to the new router, customers
can effectively create a network that works with both 802.11a and
802.11b networking equipment, providing investment protection and
a migration path from their legacy wireless products."
In addition to the protection afforded by Network Address Translation
(NAT) routing, the HR314 features better encryption than that of 802.11b
wireless products, up to 152 bits and supports VPN pass-through for
deployment into security-conscious remote sites.
Backed by a three-year warranty and 24/7 technical support, the
NETGEAR 802.11a Cable/DSL High-Speed Wireless Router will be available
via retailers, direct marketers and e-commerce sites, at a list price
of $553.
For more information visit the company's Web site at www.netgear.com.
Aug 25 - Sunday Shopping Watch.
Best Sunday Deals - Almost all desktops and notebooks
were good buys in the categories we follow. (See our Best
Sunday Ad Deals Table below for specific system prices.)
Weekly Comparison. System prices were a little
lower than last week.
Notebooks - Notebook prices were lower in all
categories.
Desktops - Pentium 4 desktop prices were lower due to special
sales and Athlon XP prices went up a little. Celeron prices were the
same as last week.
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.)
BestBuy is offering 6 months of free MSN with any computer purchase
or you can get $200 off a computer purchase when you sign up for 24
months of MSN.
Additionally, they are giving $200 mail-in rebates on all Pentium
4 desktop and notebook packages, and $100 mail-in rebates on all Celeron
desktop package.
Circuit City is now giving
away 3 months of free AOL (instead of a free year of CompuServe) on
any in-store computer purchase. In addition they are giving $100 off
all desktop packages and notebooks.
Office
Depot
has 6 month no interest, no payment financing for purchases over $298.
CompUSA has no ad this Sunday.
Staples is offering $200 off any computer
purchase with 2 year MSN contract.
Compare
to Online Prices - Compare the Sunday ad prices to
those being offered at DealTime, it searches over 160 online computer
stores.
Shopping Alert on Lower Priced
Desktops. Many lower priced Celeron/Duron desktops made
by almost all computer manufacturers should be carefully investigated
before purchase.
Most of these low priced desktops have no AGP video expansion slot,
no onboard dedicated video RAM, no CD-RW drive, and very few empty
PCI expansion slots. These computers will be very difficult to upgrade,
and they have poorer performance than other desktops that do not have
integrated audio and video chips on the motherboard.
Often by spending $200-$400 more for a Pentium 4 or Athlon XP based
system, you can get twice the performance, more features, and you
will have an upgradeable computer that will serve you well for another
3 years.
If you choose the $700 Celeron/Duron system to save a few bucks, keep
in mind that in a year or two you will probably want to replace it.
Note on the "Loaded Celeron" Intel
Celerons at speeds of 1.7 GHz or faster are potentially upgradeable
to Pentium 4 processors. Slower Celerons are not socket compatible
with the Pentium 4.
These faster Celeron systems are more like a low end Pentium 4 system
as they often include: 400 MHz bus speed, DDR RAM, CD-RW or DVD drives,
and flat screen monitors.
About Windows XP. It has been a little over 10
months since Windows XP began to be bundled with new computers. Windows
XP became available for separate purchase on October 25, 2001. For
more information on Windows XP see our Windows
XP Upgrade Guide.
Internet Rebates. Most stores are no longer
advertising 3 year Internet rebates. Check with your local store before
you buy. 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 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 Ad Deals this Sunday
|
|
Category
|
Product Description
|
Price* (see above)
|
Prices up or Down this Week
|
Store
|
|
Best Celeron Deal
|
HP 1.3 GHz complete
system
|
$529
|
no
change
|
Best Buy
|
|
1. Best Low-cost Pentium 4
|
Compaq 2.0 GHz complete system (build-to-order)
|
$718
|
first
time
listed
|
Best Buy
|
|
2. Best Low-cost Pentium 4
|
Sony 2.0 GHz complete system
|
$1099
|
-$100
|
Best Buy
|
|
Best High-end Pentium 4 System
|
Compaq 2.53 GHz complete system (build-to-order)
|
$1475
|
first
time
listed
|
Best Buy
|
|
Best Low-cost Athlon XP System
|
Compaq 1800+ complete system
|
$869
|
+$50
|
Circuit City
|
|
Best High-end Athlon XP System
|
None Advertised
|
|
|
|
|
1. Best Low-cost Notebook
|
Toshiba 1.5 GHz Celeron with DVD/CD-RW
|
$1249
|
no
change
|
Best Buy
|
|
2. Best Low-cost Notebook
|
Compaq Athlon XP 1400+ with DVD/CD-RW (build-to-order)
|
$1049
|
near
lowest
price
|
Staples
|
|
1. Best High-end Notebook
|
Compaq 2.0 GHz Pentium 4 with DVD/CD-RW
|
$1475
|
first
time
listed
|
Best Buy
|
|
2. Best High-end Notebook
|
Toshiba Pentium 4-M 2.0 GHz with DVD/CD-RW
|
$1599
|
-$300
|
Circuit City
|
|
|
|
Peripherals
|
|
Best Sunday Deal
|
ATI Radeon 9000 Pro 64 MB DDR
|
$129 (after rebates)
|
first
time
listed
|
Best Buy
|
|
Best Sunday Deal
|
Maxtor 80 GB 7200 RPM hard drive
|
$99
(after rebates)
|
first
time
listed
|
Best Buy
|
|
Best Sunday Deal
|
Maxtor 40 GB external hard drive with USB
2.0 card
|
$149 (after rebates)
|
first
time
listed
|
Staples
|
|
Best Sunday Deal
|
Memorex 40X CD-RW
|
$49
(after rebates)
|
first
time
listed
|
Staples
|
|
|
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 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.
| Top |
