Every few years, we get new interfaces. Normally, they’re spread out a bit. USB 2.0 comes out, then a new SATA version and later a new PCI Express revision. Lately, though, the trickle of new interfaces has become a deluge, and keeping up with all of them can be mind-numbing – not to mention hard on your credit card
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Let it not be said that I don’t pay attention to the demands of the readers. No sooner did I wrap up another comparative analysis of three slammin’ freeware applications for altering your desktop in new and unique ways then, well, you all talked. And talked. And talked. That’s not a bad thing, however. A number of you voiced support for your favorite applications and utilities that you use to radically transform the look of your traditional Windows desktop in some pretty awesome ways. It would be a shame to let these suggestions languish in the comments thread of an old article, however. So, this week, Freeware Files is all about you. I’ll be featuring your suggestions for applications and showing people why they should consider your alternatives for giving their desktops a refreshed look. Got it? Let’s begin! 3DNA What. The. Hell. Sorry to be so blunt, and I apologize for offending anyone’s sensitive ears. Let’s not kid ourselves, however. That’s the first think you’ll be thinking when you go to load up 3DNA, a desktop transformation that takes the concept of a 3D environment one step further… off the deep end. I kid, but it’s just that much of a radical transformation. Unlike the previously featured Bumptop, which allows you to manipulate your desktop as if it was a 3D cube of-sorts, 3DNA turns your desktop into the equivalent of Second Life.
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HP packs power and storage into a small, power-sipping package Featuring a microATX motherboard the HP Compaq 6005 Small Form Factor PC is relatively svelte, measuring 13.3 inches by 14.90 inches square and less than four inches tall. (Note: HP also sells the model 6005 in a micro-tower configuration). Built around a motherboard with an AMD 785G chipset, the system sports a 3GHz AMD B95 CPU. The “95” in B95 denotes a thermal design power (TDP) of 95W, while the “B” means “business.” These business-class CPUs are identical to their 45nm retail cousins and offer 2MB of L2 cache (512KB dedicated per core) and 6MB of shared L3 cache. As with many business desktop PCs, this system uses integrated graphics; in this case, the ATI Radeon HD 3200 core built into the 785G
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A premium ultraportable that’s light on your budget HP touts the $900 ProBook 5310m as being the world’s thinnest full-performance notebook, but its slim form factor doesn’t mean limited functionality. The 5310m ultra-portable is burly enough to satisfy demanding business users, and it boasts a price tag that won’t blow out your IT department’s budget. The 5310m, which is just .93 inches thick, was built specifically for small- to medium-sized businesses, but it breaks the mold of the blandly colored, chunky business notebooks your employees are probably accustomed to.
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According to DisplaySearch, LCD panel prices for monitors and notebooks has gone up a bit in the second half of February, while TV and netbook panels haven’t budged. We’re not talking about skyrocketing prices here, but an adjustment of +$3, on average, in the first half of February, and another +$1 in the second half. This could be just the beginning. DisplaySearch says panel makers are likely to increase notebook panel pricing due to component shortages and labor issues in China. Meanwhile, larger TV panel prices will continue to remain flat, says DisplaySearch, who pointed out that demand for 42- and 46-inch models is starting to level out.
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If the choices are to go big or go home, Panasonic (and NBC) will take the former. Just how big are we talking? Panasonic says it has been selected to provide its 152-inch Plasma display to NBC during the network’s coverage of the Vancouver 2010 Olympic Games. In addition to providing the world’s largest plasma display, Panasonic also promised to serve up technical and engineering support
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One of NEC’s solutions to cutting back on energy consumption is to go small, as in 17 inches, which is the size of NEC’s latest ‘green’ monitor, the AS171. According to NEC, the AS171 with a 4:3 aspect ratio consumes 21 percent less power than its predecessor and uses half the amount of mercury in its design. “The 17-inch AS171 display brings variety and value to AccuSync Series users,” said Lynn Gu , Product Manager for NEC Display Solutions. “We continuously see a strong demand for the 17-inch standard aspect ratio from enterprise and small-to-medium business sectors, and our goal with this display is to offer improved green technology, energy efficiency, and eco-friendly features.” One of those features is a new carbon footprint meter for tracking your carbon savings. But probably of more value to SMBs is the 2-step ECO Mode technology, which allows users to switch between two energy-savings modes
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AMD delivers the Redwood, aka the Radeon HD 5670. Versions priced at under $100 make AMD’s DX11 line more affordable than ever. But will it perform? As Nvidia struggles to get its first Fermi based graphics card, code-named GF100, AMD just keeps rolling out new versions. With the Radeon HD 5670 , AMD pushes into $100 territory.
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HP is pretty geeked about the upcoming season of “Project Runway” on Lifetime, in which contestants will have the option of using computers to sketch designs. Can you guess which PCs they’ll be using? “Technology is what’s next in fashion design. Forward-thinking designers are exploring new ways to use technology in the design process,” said Barbara Schneeweiss, vice president of Production and Development for TV and Feature Film at The Weinstein Company. Throughout the season, you’ll see contestants ditch their sketchpads in favor of Intel-equipped HP TouchSmart PCs and TouchSmart tm2 notebooks
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We know how it is. You really want a sweet Intel Core i7 PC, but it has to be small. No, small is the wrong word; it has to be tiny .
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