Posted 10/29/09 at 11:45:59 AM by Paul Lilly

We suspect there's going to be a lot of interest in Motorola's upcoming Droid smartphone, which is set to launch on November 6. And if you're itching to get your hands on one, Best Buy is already taking preorders for the handset, and the best part is they'll remove the hassle of dealing with the $100 mail-in-rebate and issue the kickback as an instant savings instead.

"We're excited to feature this new device for our consumers, as it represents the latest and greatest in mobile technology," said Best Buy Mobile President Shawn Score. "Bringing the Droid to Best Buy Mobile expands our already unmatched assortment of smartphones allowing customers to compare high-end devices like the iPhone 3GS, HTC Hero, and Droid all under one roof. The fact that customers can purchase the phone first at Best Buy through the pre-sell is an added bonus."

This is similar to what Best Buy did with the Palm Pre, and we imagine an even better turn out this time around. Motorola's Droid is poised to become the first Android 2.0-based smartphone, and has the best chance of all Android handsets to date at challenging Apple's iPhone.

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Posted 10/21/09 at 12:30:00 PM by Paul Lilly

Harry Potter may have what it takes to defeat the evil wizard Lord Voldermort, but J.K. Rowling's character proved no match for Microsoft, who's upcoming Windows 7 took the Amazon UK preorder crown previously held by Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows.

"The launch of Windows 7 has superseded everyone's expectations, storming ahead of Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows as the biggest grossing preorder product of all-time at Amazon.co.uk, and demand is still going strong," says Brian McBride, Amazon UK MD.

Who cares, right? Not so fast. This serves as more proof that even after stripping away all the marketing hype and rave reviews, people are actually buying the OS rather than being scared off by past failures (Vista) and any fears that their hardware may not be up to snuff.

Or as Gizmodo puts it, "technology is more powerful than magic." To put it into perspective, Windows 7 was able to drum up more sales in the first 8 hours of preorder availability than Vista was able record altogether.

One more day, folks.

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Posted 08/19/09 at 08:14:12 AM by Pulkit Chandna

Microsoft has turned British passports into Windows 7 discount coupons. According to the British arm of tech website Cnet, the full version of Windows 7 Home Premium will be selling for about $105 (£65) in the UK, at almost half its US price, which is $200 (£122). The full version in the UK is even cheaper than the upgrade version on the other side of the Atlantic. The upgrade version costs $120 (£72) in the US. 

An Amazon.co.uk spokesperson told Cnet that this unbelievable price is to stay indefinitely. However, Microsoft is still to return the website’s call for comment on the issue. Ask your British cousins to carry some spare Windows 7 Home Premium copies in their baggage the next time they sail across.

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Posted 07/11/09 at 10:11:30 AM by Paul Lilly

July 11 crept up fast, and ignoring the "or while supplies last" clause, today is the last day you can preorder upgrade versions of Windows Home Premium and Professional at reduced rates. For those of you who have been without Internet and managed to avoid any computer savvy friends for the past week, pre-sale pricing runs $50 for Premium and $100 for Professional, down from $119 and $199, respectively. Get the full scoop on pricing here.

You can choose among several online retailers participating in the preorder program, which include:

• Amazon
• Best Buy
• CostCo
• Frys
• Office Depot
• Office Max
• Sam's Club
• Staples
• Tiger Direct
• Walmart
• Newegg
• Nebraska Furniture Mart

For those of you not yet ready to jump on the Windows 7 bandwagon but fear the reduced rates may be too good to pass up, there's a chance Microsoft will release a Family Pack good for up to three PCs. Rumors of the Family Pack spread like wildfire when a handful of online retailers leaked the product SKU along with pricing information (most of those pages -- though not all -- have since been pulled, probably at the request of Microsoft). It looks like the Family Pack will run about $145, but bear in mind no official word has come out of Redmond. As Clint Eastwood would say, 'Are you feeling lucky?'

Plenty more Windows 7 coverage right here on Maximum PC:

Windows 7 Buyer's Guide: Which Edition is Right for You?
Windows 7 Upgrade Guide: All Your Questions Answered!

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Posted 06/22/09 at 07:56:30 AM by Paul Lilly

Not a whole lot separates Asus' upcoming Eee PC 1005HA from the already available 1008HA launched earlier this year. We're talking about a user-replaceable battery, a slightly thicker shell, and, according to Engadget, no more recessed ports and port doors.

Familiar specs include an Intel Atom N270 processor (1.6Ghz), 1GB of DDR2 memory, 160GB hard drive, WiFi, 1024x600 LCD display, and Windows XP. But it's the removable battery that might ultimately make the 1005HA more popular than the 1008HA, even though Asus claims up to 8.5 hours of run time on the stock 6-cell unit.

No word yet on when the new model will ship, but you can grab one on preorder from Amazon for $350.

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Posted 10/09/08 at 11:47:56 AM by Paul Lilly

Power users have been chomping at the bit in anticipation of Intel's upcoming Core i7 platform, and some sites have already begun cashing in through pre-order sales. But as is often the case, being first means you'll likely pay the most.

Most of the pre-order parts are being found overseas, such as the MSI X58 Platinum motherbaord that was recently listed for over $300, or the MSI Eclipse spotted selling for as much as $413.

And it's not just MSI. As Fudzilla discovered, the Asus P6T Deluxe (the same board spotted with a warning label cautioning against running RAM voltage higher than 1.65V or risk damaging the CPU) was seen selling for $444. That's still cheaper than the Asus P6T Deluxe "OC Palm Edition," which at least one vendor had on pre-order for a staggering $492.

On the processor front, Canadian e-tailer PCVOnline is taking pre-orders on the Core i7 920 (2.66GHz), 940 (2.93GHz) and 965 Extreme Edition (3.2GHz) for $340, $650, and $1100 respectively. These aren't quite as overpriced as the above motherboards, as official bulk pricing is expected to set at $284, $562, and $999 respectively.

Anyone out there willing to pay pre-order pricing for day 1 bragging rights?

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Posted 07/14/08 at 02:15:39 PM by Paul Lilly

Back in April, Australian PC maker Pioneer Computers leaked details on the processors Intel will use in its Centrino 2 mobile platform, and now the Aussies are back at it again. This time, Pioneer Computers is taking preorders for laptops built using unreleased quad-core mobile processors from Intel, claiming the CPUs will be available within one to two weeks.

The upgrade doesn't come cheap, with Pioneer Computers charging $1,390USD to boost its DreamBook Style 9008 laptop from a Core 2 Duo P8400 to a Core 2 Extreme QX9300. The upgrade alone more than doubles the cost of the laptop in its default configuration - ouch!

Intel hasn't yet listed the QX9300 on its most recent price list, but the high end part will pack four cores clocked at 2.53GHz each, along with a beefy 12MB of on-chip cache, according to Pioneer.

Intel declined to comment, as it does with all "unannounced products," but that doesn't mean you can't. Would you be willing to double up the cost of your notebook for twice as many cores and more cache?

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