Posted 11/03/09 at 03:56:09 PM by Pulkit Chandna

Exactly a week after the much anticipated launch of Windows 7, Canonical rolled out Ubuntu 9.10 (Karmic Koala). Although it may not have been as keenly awaited as Windows 7, Karmic Koala's launch was special for a particular demographic that romances Linux, and especially its subset that dotes on Ubuntu. But early adopters of the latest Ubuntu release are having a torrid time.

Excited users have been rewarded with a plethora of problems in exchange of their bravura and enthusiasm. Karmic Koala's poor handling of graphics drivers - blank and flickering screens are quite common - and its failure to install the latest 2.6.31 Linux kernel figure prominently on the list of flaws. Also, the latest version of Ubuntu is not too good at spotting hard drives, according to initial reports.

According to a poll on Ubuntuforums.org, more than one-third of about 1,500 people polled so far have encountered some major flaws. Users upgrading to 9.10 are experiencing more issues than those opting for a fresh install.

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Posted 10/14/09 at 10:13:41 AM by Pulkit Chandna

The PC industry is keenly awaiting the launch of Windows 7 in the hope that it will deliver it from its woes. Probably, Apple also has its sights firmly fixed on the sandglass counting down to the launch, but for a different reason, of course. Apple need not be fazed by the launch, though, if Broadpoint AmTech analyst Brian Marshall is to be believed.

According to his analysis of previous Windows releases, a Windows launch has no negative bearing on the sale of Macs. In fact, previous Windows releases have acted as a catalyst for Mac sales.

"We have concluded that no negative correlation exists on Apple's (AAPL) hardware sales when Microsoft launches a new OS. Ironically, we believe new OS launches from MSFT may have even acted as a 'delayed accelerant' to AAPL's computing sales," Marshall wrote in a report.

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Posted 10/14/09 at 09:53:47 AM by Pulkit Chandna

Nokia has announced that its upcoming netbook, the Booklet 3G, will make its U.S. debut in November. AT&T and Best Buy will serve as the Finnish mobile phone giant’s launch partners. The netbook will be available for $299 with a two-year AT&T service contract.

Those not too keen on a two-year contract can buy the untethered version for $599. The choice seems to be between Mt Everest and K2. In an attempt to tap the launch of Windows 7, Best Buy will begin accepting orders for the netbook on October 22nd.

The Intel Atom-powered device features Windows 7 Home Premium, a 10.1” screen, Wi-Fi, inbuilt 3G connectivity, GPS, a 120GB HDD and 1GB RAM.

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Posted 09/23/09 at 06:41:59 PM by Pulkit Chandna

Microsoft had announced last week that Sprint, AT&T and Verizon have all committed themselves to the October 6 launch of Windows Mobile 6.5, now Digitimes’ trusted unnamed sources – the finest in Taiwan - have revealed that Microsoft has secured the backing of many other telecom carriers around the world, including NTT DoCoMO, T-Mobile, Orange, Softbank Mobile, SKT, Telstra and Telus.

According to Benjamin Tan, senior director of Microsoft's GCR Mobile Team Unit in China, there will be more than 30 smartphones running WinMo 6.5 by the end of this year. He told a congregation of reporters in China that the first batch of WinMo 6.5 phones will be supplied by 15 different handset vendors.

Digitimes added that HTC, Acer, Samsung Electronics, LG Electronics, Sony Ericsson, Toshiba, and Hewlett-Packard are among the handset vendors backing the new mobile OS.

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Posted 09/09/09 at 08:29:22 AM by Pulkit Chandna

Palm is expecting another webOS-based child. Mommy Palm announced on her blog Tuesday that she will soon be delivering her second webOS-based handset, called the Palm Pixi, in a leaner form factor than its elder brother. “Palm Pixi -- due on the Sprint network in time for the holidays -- is Palm’s thinnest phone ever,” the company announced on its blog.

The Pixi will feature a full QWERTY keyboard, EV-DO REV A, built-in GPS, a 2.63-inch capacitive display with a resolution of 320 pixel by 400 pixels, a 2MP camera with LED flash, and 8GB internal memory. Palm appears to be saving vital details regarding the Pixi’s price and launch date for a later date. Phone-cover connoisseurs will also be able to purchase stylish back covers in the "Palm Pixi Artist Series.”

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Posted 09/02/09 at 05:45:29 PM by Pulkit Chandna

The year began with speculative whispers of Zune’s impending demise. Despite all the uncertainty clouding the Zune’s future, Microsoft announced the Zune HD on May 26, 2009. The company wants to turn over a new leaf with the Zune HD. If Paul Thurrrot’s Supersite for Windows is to be believed, Microsoft has made up its mind to efface the specter of the Zune’s past. All current Zune models are being phased out as Microsoft looks to start anew with the Zune HD. Plunging demand for old-hat PMPs combined with the abysmal showing of the original Zune must have led Microsoft to this decision. The Zune HD is scheduled for release on September 15, 2009.

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Posted 07/13/09 at 10:13:55 AM by Pulkit Chandna

PC manufacturers still haven’t arrived at a consensus as to what is a netbook. Sony’s perception of a netbook manifested itself in the form of the Vaio P earlier in the year. With the launch of the Vaio P, the Japanese giant prolonged its time-honored tradition of setting outrageous prices for its products. However, Sony has tried to justify Vaio P’s exorbitant price, which starts at $900, by deliberately referring to it as an ultra-portable as opposed to a netbook.

Now, Sony is said to have informed technology website TechRadar about the future of the P series. Yes, the Vaio P does have a future. The second device in the P series will be launched later this year. Sony has promised a much improved boot-up time this time around. There is no word on its innards as yet.

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Posted 06/01/09 at 03:45:09 PM by Paul Lilly

Microsoft today let loose its new 'Bing' search engine in beta preview form, which is a few days earlier than we thought they would. For those that might have missed our previous coverage, Bing is the product of Microsoft's Kumo project, a new search engine with revamped algorithms. Microsoft is expected to spend anywhere between $80-$100 million marketing Bing, which is about 6-8 times the amount Google spent marketing its search engine in 2008.

We kicked the tires on the new search engine and our initial impression is that it has the speed to compete with Google and sports a few nifty tricks, such as the ability to customize the layout and fine tune search results. But the real tests will be how relevant Bing can kick back search results, and whether or not the general public is willing to look beyond Google, which has become so prominent as to achieve verb status.

Check it out for yourself then hit the jump and tell us what you think.

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