Posted 06/03/09 at 02:03:41 PM by Mark Edward Soper

As we told you about earlier today, Intel is taking the Pentium brand name for another go-round, this time for its CULV processors for ultra-thin notebooks. And Intel has wasted no time in rolling out the first CULV processor to get the Pentium name, the Pentium SU2700.

Introduced this week at the 2009 Computex Taipei trade show, the Pentium SU2700 is a 1.3GHz dual-core processor that has a TDP (thermal design power) requirement of only 10 watts (about the wattage output of a couple of typical night lights). The SU2700 uses Intel's 45nm process, and includes 2MB of L2 cache.

Typically, a new Intel processor is matched with a new chipset, and in this case, the Pentium SU2700's running mate is the Intel GS40 Express chipset. The Intel GS40 Express chipset includes integrated graphics that support MPEG4/H.264 video acceleration, integrated HDMI output, and acceleration for Windows Vista's Aero desktop. The GS40 also supports dual-channel DDR3 memory running at 667 or 800MHz and an 800MHz system bus. The GS40 is paired with the ICH9M I/O Controller hub to provide up to six PCI Express x1 I/O ports, up to four Serial ATA host adapters, Intel HD audio, and up to 12 Hi-Speed USB 2.0 ports. For a schematic diagram and much more technical information about the GS40 and ICH9M, download the Mobile Intel 4 Series Express Chipset Family Graphics Memory Controller Hub (G)MCH Specification Update (PDF format).

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Posted 04/28/09 at 07:09:25 PM by Mark Edward Soper

This week, Seagate announced its latest backup devices, the Replica backup appliance family. Replica is available in two versions: a single-computer 250GB model ("Single PC") and a 500GB version ("Multi-PC") that also includes a dock.

Replica's 'plug it in and forget it design' is intended to make it  a close hardware equivalent to online backup services in terms of ease of use, but it's not designed to be as flexible - or as fast - as a traditional USB hard disk. Seagate refers to Replica as a "backup applicance" for good reason: the included software makes a backup copy of your entire system, and you get a bootable recovery disc that helps you restore your system in case it dies.

While you have the option of restoring the entire PC, or just dragging individual files from Replica back to your PC in case you deleted your latest draft of the Great American Screenplay, Replica won't do drag and drop copying from your PC to Replica. Seagate's reasoning: if you want an external hard disk, get yourself a Seagate FreeAgent or FreeAgent Go, or a Maxtor OneTouch or OneTouch mini. By contrast, Replica is designed for users who don't want to think about anything after installing the software and plugging the drive into a free USB port.

So, how much will Replica cost? To find out, and for your chance to sound off, join us after the jump.

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Posted 03/05/09 at 02:25:31 PM by Andy Salisbury

A lot of people already have iPhones and iPod Touches, and it looks like now this gigantic target audience can double these handy devices as an Amazon Kindle, all thanks to a free app.

The Amazon Kindle app, which is currently available on Apple’s App Store, is completely free and gives users of it full access to the 240,000 eBooks currently available on Amazon.com (for the same price as Kindle users, of course).

While there are plenty of people that have already adopted the Kindle, one can’t help but think that plenty of them that have both are kicking themselves right now. After all, a backlit screen alone can turn the tide of battle!

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Posted 03/04/09 at 02:29:00 PM by Andy Salisbury

At this week’s CeBIT Asus unveiled the latest in their luxury notebook line, the Lamborghini VX5.

The VX5 will pack some impressive hardware under the hood, including an Intel Core 2 Quad processor, 4GB DDR3, and an Nvidia GeForce GT 130M graphics processor, but more importantly it will feature a massive 1TB SSD. It’s expected that the SSD is Puresilicion’s, which was announced earlier this year and has impressive 240 MB/sec sustained read speeds and 215 MB/sec sustained write speeds.

There’s no mention as to how much this laptop will cost or when it’s expected to release. But what we can gather is that this notebook will be pricey.

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Posted 03/03/09 at 05:20:05 PM by Andy Salisbury

This morning Asus showed off one of their newest gaming related products, the Eee Stick, which is intended to get more people into gaming. The Eee Stick will come in many different colors, and oh yeah, they look and act exactly like a Wiimote.

There’s no word yet on what crowds Asus hopes to get with their Eee Sticks, but it is clear that they’re looking to make their own stake in the casual gaming crowd.

Currently there’s no word on pricing or availability.

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Posted 07/14/08 at 04:32:42 PM by Mark Edward Soper

Microsoft has long offered hardware compatibility information for different versions of Windows, including Windows Vista. Remember the Hardware Compatibility List (HCL)? Until now, though, Microsoft has dropped the ball on making software compatibility easy to determine. With a renewed emphasis on marketing and customer satisfaction this summer, Microsoft has now created an easy-to-use one-stop shop for determining which hardware and software products will work with Windows Vista, the Windows Vista Compatibility Center.

For a quick tour of the WVCC, and to learn how you can make it even better, see us after the jump.

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