The Mini PC Nova Lite PX24 has been unleashed by the boys at ASUS and a fine piece of kit it looks too. They claim that it is the world’s smallest PC to offer 1080p HD playback. Here are a few more bits and pieces about the unit
* dedicated graphics card pumping out 1080p
* 241 x 183 x 51 mm
* low 26db noise level
* built-in speaker with 5.1 channel optical outputs
* 1.2 GHz Intel Celeron 220 CPU
* 2 GB memory
* SATA II HDD either 160 or 250 GB capacity
* sports Vista with Media Centre software
* HDMI and DVI-I outputs
* DVD drive
Yet again no Blu-Ray love - guys the war is over - and no price tag as of yet either. So we’ll hold back on the cheers or booes for the moment but as far as looks go, we’ll give the Nova Lite a definite ‘Sexy’ mark.
What happens when you overclock a 3.2GHz Intel Core 2 Extreme QX9770 to 4.0GHz? You get the re-vamped Alienware Area-51 ALX, that’s what. The backroom boys at Alienware have ramped up the ALX to a stunning 4.0 GHz of processing gaming speed. 4.0 GHz is described as the processor’s “maximum stable output” and just to prove how extreme 4.0 really is, the unit comes with a liquid-cooling system to prevent meltdown mid-gaming session. Needless to say its other specs are just as exciting
* choice of twin NVIDIA GeForce 9800 GPUs or an ATI CrossFireX configuration with dual ATI Radeon 3870 X2 cards
* up to 4GB of 1,600 MHz Corsair Dominator DDR3 memory
* two 500GB HDDs in RAID-0
* dual-layer DVD burner
* dual ethernet ports
* optional Blu-Ray burner
Now for the downside, the basic model with one video card, 1GB of RAM and obviously without Blu-Ray burner will set you back over US$5,500. Ouch! Of course tacking on a few more bells and whistles will sky-rocket that tag up over the US$7,000 mark and that’s before you start looking at monitors and speakers. Not for the financially faint-hearted. However we’re sure that the package matches its price tag in performance so once you’ve fragged your way through your first session, the dent in your wallet will just be a distant memory.
I’m always on the look out for weird and wonderful designs in the tech world and the UNI from Richard Choi certainly fits the bill.
The modules compartmentalise your PC into its different functional areas, STORE for storage, THINK for CPU etc. This allows easy and convenient removal and upgrade of each area without having to hack into your PC box. Data transmission between the modules is provided by the Network HomePlug technology (200 Mbps) and wireless USB (480 Mbps).
I must admit the concept is excellent and the design stylish however I have noticed a change in the way desktops are built these days. Not so long ago warnings of warranty invalidation were slapped all over the outside of your box in case you were tempted to whip out a screwdriver and delve inside. But my latest desktop has no labels and in fact the insides are definitely designed with ‘user upgrade’ in mind. So I think Richard may have missed the boat with the UNI concept, 10 out of 10 for style Richard but 0 for timing.
Back in January we showed you the World’s Smallest PC. Well now we may have another contender for the title. Calao, a small French firm based in the Alps, is about to launch a USB based Linux single-board computer, the USB-9260. It measures a cute 3.3 by 1.4 inches and runs at 190MHz. Not exactly speedy but what do you expect from a ‘puter you could lose in your laptop bag!
As for memory, it has 64MB of SDRAM and 256MB of flash, and there’s an ethernet port with a couple of USB 2.0 ports as well. These little puppies will probably be of more use for industrial or manufacturing purposes but could still be a status symbol at the next Linux users convention.
Dell will start to sell its PCs via Wal-Mart retail stores in the US from June 10. This is a major shift for the manufacturer which relied on direct sales throughout its 23 year existence.
Consumers will be able to buy a $700 PC with accessories through Wal-Mart and Sam’s Club stores in the US and Canada. Dell were unable to provide details of what was included in the accessories package.
Dell PCs will cozy up along side PCs from HP, Acer and Gateway on the shelves at Wal-Mart which are already sold by the chain.
According to PC World there appears to be two main reasons for the shift
But the direct-sales business model is no longer such an advantage, since competing PC vendors say they have learned their lesson and trimmed their own costs. And critics note that buyers in developing countries don’t trust their postal systems enough to purchase expensive PCs through the mail.
Hopefully this should be good news for all PC consumers.
We’ve all seen the PC vs Mac ads by Apple, there are plenty of them. But now it’s time for the PC to counterattack, with the help of director Laurie McGuinness, who created four small hilarious clips, with the same character personalities (the PC being older, “boring”, and the Mac being younger and cooler), but this time the Mac doesn’t get the spotlight. What I liked about the clips is that they’re not made in order to harm the Mac, and they don’t deny the qualities portraied in the Mac ads, but they observe the PC’s own qualities, without denying the Mac’s. So, without more description, here are the clips:
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Dell will start to sell its PCs via Wal-Mart retail stores in the US from June 10. This is a major shift for the manufacturer which relied on direct sales throughout its 23 year existence.
