*
Why Google GPhone Won't Kill Apple iPhone
John Cox, Network World
Google is putting the final touches on a mobile-phone project, but unlike Apple's iPhone the so-called GPhone is all about software for mobile carriers and mobile advertisers.
Google's goal is to extend its dominance in online advertising to the emerging mobile advertising market, which is small today but expected to grow dramatically in the years ahead, according to a news report in the International Herald Tribune.
The report says Google is expected to unveil details later this year, and handsets with the software could appear in 2008. But about 30 prototype phones are reported to be 'in the wild' as Network World Microsoft Subnet blogger Alex Lewis discovered firsthand last week.
Apple's iPhone revolutionized user expectations about how mobile handsets should look, feel and behave. (You can find our extensive iPhone coverage by starting on our search page). The iPhone's success has sent manufacturers scrambling to not merely match but surpass its features.
But Google's GPhone is an open source phone operating system. There has been a growing interest and sophistication in Linux-based software and development tools for mobile devices.
The Herald Tribune article, citing both unnamed "industry source familiar with the project" and industry executives, outlines two possible directions for Google's ambition. One is to develop and deploy a vastly cheaper alternative to Microsoft's Windows Mobile operating system. The second is to loosen the grip that carriers have on the software, devices and services that can run on their closed cellular nets.
As the report makes clear, either direction -- or even both together -- create powerful rivals for the online search-engine giant.
AT&T have spent billions of dollars upgrading their networks, establishing relationships with customers, subsidizing phones and creating their own mobile Internet portals," the Herald Tribune reports. "Now they want to make sure those investments pay off, in part, through mobile advertising, and they see Google and other search engines as competitors."
Instead, those carriers are turning to new companies, such as JumpTap and Medio Systems, whose products can be relabeled as the carrier's own brand.
The GPhone project has ignited intense speculation on the Web. A search on Google's own Web site turns up over 2.7 million references to "GPhone." One of them is a Wikipedia entry, which sifts an array of news accounts for details and clues.
Google seems to be banking on the growing popularity and appeal of a Linux-based mobile platform. The Linux Phone Standards (LiPS) Forum released its first specification last June. More sophisticated, full-blown mobile Linux operating systems are emerging from new companies, such as a la Mobile. Big handset makers, such as Motorola, are betting heavily on Linux for the future.
But the mobile Linux market remains fragmented, and that may give Google the opening it needs to leverage its name-recognition and search-engine expertise in a new, still-forming market.
Friday, October 12, 2007
Hacker's Claim to Revive "Bricked" iPhones
Hackers Claim to Revive 'Bricked' iPhones
It's unclear, however, how permanent any "unbrick" fix will be, or whether changes to the hacks that allow modifications will survive the next Apple iPhone update.
Gregg Keizer, Computerworld
Hackers have come up with at least one way to "unbrick" iPhones disabled by a firmware update Apple Inc. issued two weeks ago, developers of both paid and free unlock software said Thursday.
The iPhoneSIMFree, a commercial venture that was the first to publish a point-and-click unlock hack last month, has announced Version 1.6 of its software, and claimed that it could bring any bricked iPhone back to life. The iPhoneSIMFree hack is sold through a network of online resellers for between US$60 and $99. "SimFree v1.6 release is now capable of completely restoring/repairing software unlocked 'bricked' iPhone[s]," promised the site run by an unknown number of unnamed hackers.
However, another unlock hacking group, the iPhone Dev Team, urged owners of bricked iPhones to sit tight. "Free unlock of 1.1.1 is coming soon," said someone identified as netkas on the Hackint0sh message forum this morning. Hackint0sh is where the Dev Team posts official and unofficial updates to users of its free open-source unlock hack. "Don't know right now about bricked iPhones, but I guess we can reflash them now and back to working state. So, wait a bit and don't use ipsf [iPhoneSIMFree]," netkas added.
The iPhone Dev Team and iPhoneSIMFree have been working feverishly since Sept. 27, when Apple released the 1.1.1 firmware update, to restore bricked iPhones to working condition. Dev Team has also been trying to recover the ability to modify the device with third-party applications.
It's unclear, however, how permanent any "unbrick" fix will be, or whether changes to the hacks that allow modifications will survive the next iPhone update from Apple.
It's unclear, however, how permanent any "unbrick" fix will be, or whether changes to the hacks that allow modifications will survive the next Apple iPhone update.
Gregg Keizer, Computerworld
Hackers have come up with at least one way to "unbrick" iPhones disabled by a firmware update Apple Inc. issued two weeks ago, developers of both paid and free unlock software said Thursday.
The iPhoneSIMFree, a commercial venture that was the first to publish a point-and-click unlock hack last month, has announced Version 1.6 of its software, and claimed that it could bring any bricked iPhone back to life. The iPhoneSIMFree hack is sold through a network of online resellers for between US$60 and $99. "SimFree v1.6 release is now capable of completely restoring/repairing software unlocked 'bricked' iPhone[s]," promised the site run by an unknown number of unnamed hackers.
However, another unlock hacking group, the iPhone Dev Team, urged owners of bricked iPhones to sit tight. "Free unlock of 1.1.1 is coming soon," said someone identified as netkas on the Hackint0sh message forum this morning. Hackint0sh is where the Dev Team posts official and unofficial updates to users of its free open-source unlock hack. "Don't know right now about bricked iPhones, but I guess we can reflash them now and back to working state. So, wait a bit and don't use ipsf [iPhoneSIMFree]," netkas added.
The iPhone Dev Team and iPhoneSIMFree have been working feverishly since Sept. 27, when Apple released the 1.1.1 firmware update, to restore bricked iPhones to working condition. Dev Team has also been trying to recover the ability to modify the device with third-party applications.
It's unclear, however, how permanent any "unbrick" fix will be, or whether changes to the hacks that allow modifications will survive the next iPhone update from Apple.
DLP Color Processing
Texas Instruments Boosts DLP Color Processing
New mainstream DLP chip sets will incorporate BrilliantColor technology formerly reserved for high-end projectors and DLP TVs.
Melissa J. Perenson, PC World
Anaheim, CA -- Texas Instruments' BrilliantColor technology, a formerly high-end color processing technology for DLP-based projectors and displays, will be available in mainstream projectors by the end of the year, the company announced Tuesday at the InfoComm conference and trade show here. (DLP stands for Digital Light Processing, also invented by the company.) Six projector models with BrilliantColor were announced at the show--including units from Mitsubishi and Optoma--with more than 70 projectors expected to ship with the technology by December 2007.
According to Texas Instruments, its new BrilliantColor-equipped DDP2230 chip set can produce a wider color palette by blending up to six different colors instead of three. The chip set uses a six-segment color wheel to reproduce images, with cyan, magenta, and yellow segments in addition to the standard red, green, and blue.
Texas Instruments first introduced BrilliantColor two years ago; the color processing technology later debuted in DLP televisions and in expensive home theater projectors. Now the algorithms are being incorporated across chip sets aimed at mainstream use.
"We're constantly improving our capability to produce the chips," says Peter F. van Kessel, Texas Instruments' general manager for DLP products. "We're taking advantage of the latest chip-making technologies to take the complex BrilliantColor algorithms and cram them into a very cost-effective chip. This allows us to increase capability without increasing cost. And it allows BrilliantColor to be used in value projection products. It's going to show up everywhere, from the value $699 projector all the way up to the most capable high-performance, high-brightness single-chip models."
In addition to improving the color processing algorithms behind BrilliantColor, Texas Instruments has improved color quality in other ways as well. "We've worked with the lamp manufacturers to develop variable illumination. This lamp pulsing technology allows us to apply boost to the lamp power, and in particular, boost colors. For example, we can boost the yellows or reds, to make those colors more vivid," explains van Kessel. "The six colors allow you to make much more effective use of lamp spectrum, and the lamp pulsing technique allows us to recover some of the brightness we normally would give up. We can get a brighter color and achieve a better color performance without sacrificing the brightness."
A version of the new chip will be able to produce native WXGA, 1280-by-800-pixel-resolution images. Wide-screen imaging technology is slowly starting to trickle down into data projectors, a category that's been slow to follow notebook manufacturers' lead in the progression to wide screens.
Format War Redux
The market for front projector technologies is about evenly split between Texas Instruments' DLP approach and the rival 3LCD technology. The improved BrilliantColor technology could give DLP projectors an edge over similarly configured 3LCD models. Texas Instruments and 3LCD are continually trying to one-up each other in an effort to gain market dominance; among their proponents, discussions of the two technologies often verge on the religious.
If you want to buy a projector with BrilliantColor, do your research: Not all DLP projectors will integrate the new Texas Instruments chip set just yet. Ultimately, says van Kessel, "Our goal is to have BrilliantColor capability for all of our chip sets. That's not the situation today. But within the next year, that's something that should be reachable."
New mainstream DLP chip sets will incorporate BrilliantColor technology formerly reserved for high-end projectors and DLP TVs.
Melissa J. Perenson, PC World
Anaheim, CA -- Texas Instruments' BrilliantColor technology, a formerly high-end color processing technology for DLP-based projectors and displays, will be available in mainstream projectors by the end of the year, the company announced Tuesday at the InfoComm conference and trade show here. (DLP stands for Digital Light Processing, also invented by the company.) Six projector models with BrilliantColor were announced at the show--including units from Mitsubishi and Optoma--with more than 70 projectors expected to ship with the technology by December 2007.
According to Texas Instruments, its new BrilliantColor-equipped DDP2230 chip set can produce a wider color palette by blending up to six different colors instead of three. The chip set uses a six-segment color wheel to reproduce images, with cyan, magenta, and yellow segments in addition to the standard red, green, and blue.
Texas Instruments first introduced BrilliantColor two years ago; the color processing technology later debuted in DLP televisions and in expensive home theater projectors. Now the algorithms are being incorporated across chip sets aimed at mainstream use.
"We're constantly improving our capability to produce the chips," says Peter F. van Kessel, Texas Instruments' general manager for DLP products. "We're taking advantage of the latest chip-making technologies to take the complex BrilliantColor algorithms and cram them into a very cost-effective chip. This allows us to increase capability without increasing cost. And it allows BrilliantColor to be used in value projection products. It's going to show up everywhere, from the value $699 projector all the way up to the most capable high-performance, high-brightness single-chip models."
In addition to improving the color processing algorithms behind BrilliantColor, Texas Instruments has improved color quality in other ways as well. "We've worked with the lamp manufacturers to develop variable illumination. This lamp pulsing technology allows us to apply boost to the lamp power, and in particular, boost colors. For example, we can boost the yellows or reds, to make those colors more vivid," explains van Kessel. "The six colors allow you to make much more effective use of lamp spectrum, and the lamp pulsing technique allows us to recover some of the brightness we normally would give up. We can get a brighter color and achieve a better color performance without sacrificing the brightness."
A version of the new chip will be able to produce native WXGA, 1280-by-800-pixel-resolution images. Wide-screen imaging technology is slowly starting to trickle down into data projectors, a category that's been slow to follow notebook manufacturers' lead in the progression to wide screens.
Format War Redux
The market for front projector technologies is about evenly split between Texas Instruments' DLP approach and the rival 3LCD technology. The improved BrilliantColor technology could give DLP projectors an edge over similarly configured 3LCD models. Texas Instruments and 3LCD are continually trying to one-up each other in an effort to gain market dominance; among their proponents, discussions of the two technologies often verge on the religious.
If you want to buy a projector with BrilliantColor, do your research: Not all DLP projectors will integrate the new Texas Instruments chip set just yet. Ultimately, says van Kessel, "Our goal is to have BrilliantColor capability for all of our chip sets. That's not the situation today. But within the next year, that's something that should be reachable."
Palm Centro
First Look: Palm Centro
Palm's Centro is a big step forward in a small package.
Yardena Arar, PC World
If, like me, you own an aging and increasingly bulky-looking Palm Treo but are reluctant to abandon the Palm OS, the Centro may be the interim smart phone you've been waiting for.
I say "interim" because the shipping unit I received today still lacks features that are routinely available on competing Windows Mobile and BlackBerry devices--most notably Wi-Fi and GPS support. But to get a Palm-like package equipped with those amenities, we'll probably have to wait for the Linux-based successor to the Palm OS, which isn't expected to appear before 2008.
And given what the Centro does deliver--Palm OS in its most contemporary and petite package yet, plus good mobile broadband support via Sprint's EvDO network--it's very attractively priced, at least for new users who sign up for a two-year Sprint contract and an all-you-can-eat data plan. The rebates associated with those contracts bring the device's nominal $400 price down to a palatable $100.
Slimmed-Down Hardware
The Centro is significantly tinier (4.2 by 2.1 by 0.7 inches) and lighter (4.2 ounces) than its Treo kinfolk, and its smooth plastic case feels comfortable in the hand.
But it's definitely made of cheaper stuff than the Treo. I found the removable battery cover a bit fragile and somewhat difficult to remove and replace. As I struggled to snap it into place, I worried that the cover might break. Similarly, the skinny black plastic stylus feels as though it might snap in two if you looked at it cross-eyed.
I was confused by the small plastic door on the side labeled 'Micro SD': You can pull out the door with a fingernail, but the only way to insert the card is after you've first opened the battery cover. It would have made more sense if Palm had designed the door not to open at all unless the user removes the battery cover. As matters stand, the door is one more thing that might break if handled roughly.
Because the device is so small, its keyboard keys are proportionately diminutive, and I feared that typing would be an unpleasant experience. But Palm has done a good job here. The keys are coated in a squishy plastic that keeps your fingertips from slipping, and the keyboard's smaller size didn't slow me down much.
The transflective 2.4-inch 320-by-320 color touch screen looks good, though it's smallish. The navigation controls--an oval pad; buttons for the phone interface, the main Palm OS menu, the calendar, and e-mail; a red on/off button; and a green Send button--were responsive and easy to use.
A Decent Phone, Too
To test the Centro's performance as a cell phone, I made several phone calls--with excellent results. The people at the other end sounded as good as on a landline, and they reported that I sounded great, too.
The phone supports Bluetooth, but I didn't have a chance to try it out with a Bluetooth headset (none was included in the package we received for testing).
Web browsing with the Blazer browser over Sprint's EvDO network was a sheer delight, especially since I'm used to the rather pokey speeds of AT&T Wireless's EDGE network on the Treo. Pages seemed to leap onto the screen, especially from sites that have been optimized for mobile browsers. Even nonoptimized sites appeared quickly.
E-mail setup went smoothly, but to use the Centro with my Windows Vista PC, I had to install new Palm desktop software that doesn't support e-mail sync over the USB sync cable.
One plus is that the Centro supports concurrent instant messaging sessions with the three supported IM services (AOL, MSN and Yahoo--a welcome development for anyone who has friends on more than one of these services.
Palm's Centro is a big step forward in a small package.
Yardena Arar, PC World
If, like me, you own an aging and increasingly bulky-looking Palm Treo but are reluctant to abandon the Palm OS, the Centro may be the interim smart phone you've been waiting for.
I say "interim" because the shipping unit I received today still lacks features that are routinely available on competing Windows Mobile and BlackBerry devices--most notably Wi-Fi and GPS support. But to get a Palm-like package equipped with those amenities, we'll probably have to wait for the Linux-based successor to the Palm OS, which isn't expected to appear before 2008.
And given what the Centro does deliver--Palm OS in its most contemporary and petite package yet, plus good mobile broadband support via Sprint's EvDO network--it's very attractively priced, at least for new users who sign up for a two-year Sprint contract and an all-you-can-eat data plan. The rebates associated with those contracts bring the device's nominal $400 price down to a palatable $100.
Slimmed-Down Hardware
The Centro is significantly tinier (4.2 by 2.1 by 0.7 inches) and lighter (4.2 ounces) than its Treo kinfolk, and its smooth plastic case feels comfortable in the hand.
But it's definitely made of cheaper stuff than the Treo. I found the removable battery cover a bit fragile and somewhat difficult to remove and replace. As I struggled to snap it into place, I worried that the cover might break. Similarly, the skinny black plastic stylus feels as though it might snap in two if you looked at it cross-eyed.
I was confused by the small plastic door on the side labeled 'Micro SD': You can pull out the door with a fingernail, but the only way to insert the card is after you've first opened the battery cover. It would have made more sense if Palm had designed the door not to open at all unless the user removes the battery cover. As matters stand, the door is one more thing that might break if handled roughly.
Because the device is so small, its keyboard keys are proportionately diminutive, and I feared that typing would be an unpleasant experience. But Palm has done a good job here. The keys are coated in a squishy plastic that keeps your fingertips from slipping, and the keyboard's smaller size didn't slow me down much.
The transflective 2.4-inch 320-by-320 color touch screen looks good, though it's smallish. The navigation controls--an oval pad; buttons for the phone interface, the main Palm OS menu, the calendar, and e-mail; a red on/off button; and a green Send button--were responsive and easy to use.
A Decent Phone, Too
To test the Centro's performance as a cell phone, I made several phone calls--with excellent results. The people at the other end sounded as good as on a landline, and they reported that I sounded great, too.
The phone supports Bluetooth, but I didn't have a chance to try it out with a Bluetooth headset (none was included in the package we received for testing).
Web browsing with the Blazer browser over Sprint's EvDO network was a sheer delight, especially since I'm used to the rather pokey speeds of AT&T Wireless's EDGE network on the Treo. Pages seemed to leap onto the screen, especially from sites that have been optimized for mobile browsers. Even nonoptimized sites appeared quickly.
E-mail setup went smoothly, but to use the Centro with my Windows Vista PC, I had to install new Palm desktop software that doesn't support e-mail sync over the USB sync cable.
One plus is that the Centro supports concurrent instant messaging sessions with the three supported IM services (AOL, MSN and Yahoo--a welcome development for anyone who has friends on more than one of these services.
Thursday, October 11, 2007
Apple Macbook
Apple MacBook Pro Review
reviewed by crazyguy....................
The MacBook Pro is Apple's latest notebook and their first with Intel's new attempt at notebook dominance, the Core Duo. It represents the near peak of current notebook technology in terms of power, making only a few compromises for the sake of a slim profile and a better battery life. I am a college student who has been lusting over notebooks for the past two years, but with so many choices and every promising notebook seemingly always lacking in an essential area I was paralyzed by indecision (and a lack of funds). I will be attending Law School next fall and the time has finally come when owning a notebook is no longer an option. Luckily, notebook technology is better than ever, and I finally had some notebooks to choose from that represent nearly everything I have wanted since I first got the idea in my head that I needed one. I have simple needs: gaming capable graphics card, near desktop power, low weight, bright screen, decent battery life, and sweet looks (you know, the basics).
Once I saw the Core Duo I knew the day had arrived and that any laptop I bought was going to have it. I have to have a laptop before August so that took out waiting for the 64bit Core Duo sequel that is coming out sometime later this year or early next year (Merom).
The notebooks I considered getting were the W3J, the Acer 8204, and the new MacBook Pro from Apple, all top of the line machines which had the Radeon X1600 and the new Core Duo. The Apple wasn't really an option because the Law School I am attending requires a Windows machine. The Acer just had too many complaints of a poor screen and other problems, although I know people who are enjoying the machine just fine. I actually ordered the W3J last week but was dismayed to discover that my preorder wasn't made quite soon enough and I was going to have to wait even longer if I wanted that option. My preorder was cancelled about 4 days after the announcement of Boot Camp, which was not just a hack, but the promise of an (in the future) officially supported dual boot program. I'm no fool, and I wasn't going to spit the notebook gods in the face. I had been given a sign, and 24 hours later I picked up my (educationally discounted at $2,299) brand new MacBook Pro. This is my first Apple ever, but with the safety net of Boot Camp, I figured the time to dive in was now.
Specifications of the MacBook Pro reviewed
* 2.0 GHz Intel Core Duo
* 667MHz frontside bus and main memory
* PCI Express architecture
* 100GB 5400 Serial ATA hard drive
* ATI Mobility Radeon X1600 with 256MB memory on 16-lane PCI Express
* ExpressCard/34 slot
* Dual-link DVI, VGA adapter included
* One FireWire 400 port, two USB 2.0 ports
* Optical digital and analogue audio I/O, built-in microphone and stereo speakers
* Slot-loading SuperDrive
* Illuminated keyboard, scrolling TrackPad
* Built-in AirPort Extreme (802.11g), Bluetooth 2.0+EDR, and Gigabit Ethernet
* Mac OS X Tiger with iLife '06, featuring iWeb
Design and Build
The design and build of the MacBook Pro is top notch. For someone who has used and handled (although admittedly never owned) several Dells, HPs, and Compaqs (dang their University contracts) the step up in quality was very much appreciated.
Several compromises were made to slim the MacBook Pro into a 1" package. The first was to ditch the dual layer 8x dvd burner in favor of a (3mm slimmer) 4x single layer burner. A bummer, but I do must of my burning on my PC, and I haven't burned a DL disc in my life.
The thin but strong aluminum chassis inspires confidence and there are extra features for the paranoid like the motion sensor, which is used to lock up the hard drive in the event of any sudden movement detected. Someone even made a program called iAlert, which you can use to protect your computer from theft. When alarmed (with the included remote used for Front Row), the laptop will start screeching and flash the screen if someone were to pick it up. It is quite funny and yet, amazingly useful for someone like me who might be tempted to leave my notebook at a table in the school library to take a quick leak. As for the screen, it has very minimal flex when torque is applied to it. Overall, you get the feeling that this laptop is the refinement of previous versions in many ways (much like the current iPod compared to the then amazing 1st Gen iPod).
Benchmarks (All run in Windows XP using Boot Camp Beta with default drivers provided by Apple)
The effort put in by the MacBook Pro shows that that it is not as fast as one might expect from a 2.0GHz Core Duo, but it is amazing that you can even run it under Windows without a hiccup. Given that the CPU is identical to the one found in the Dell Inspiron, which posts a score 8 seconds lower, it is clear that Apple has some room to optimize. The score obviously smokes the Pentium M.
Notebook Time to Calculate Pi to 2 Million Digits:
Notebook Time to Calculate Pi to 2 Million Digits
Apple MacBook Pro (2.0GHz Core Duo) 1m 24s
Samsung X60 (1.66GHz Core Duo) 1m 29s
Dell Inspiron e1505 (2.0GHz Core Duo) 1m 16s
HP dv8000z (1.8 GHz Turion-64 ML-32) 2m 12s
Dell Inspiron 6000D (1.6 GHz Alviso Pentium M) 1m 52s
Lenovo ThinkPad T60 (2.0GHz Core Duo) 1m 18s
Sony VAIO S360 (1.7 GHz Dothan Pentium M) 1m 57s
Dell Inspiron 600m (1.6 GHz Pentium M) 2m 10s
Sony VAIO S380 (1.83 GHz Alviso Pentium M) 1m 42s
I ran both '05 and '06 versions of 3DMark. Below are the results I got and how they compare to other notebookst:
3DMark05 Results:
Notebook 3DMark 05 Results
Apple MacBook Pro (2.0GHz Core Duo, ATI X1600 128MB 2866 3D Marks
Lenovo ThinkPad Z60m (2.0GHz Pentium M, ATI X600 128MB) 1659 3DMarks
ThinkPad T43 (1.86GHz, ATI X300 64MB graphics) 727 3DMarks
Asus V6Va (2.13 GHz Pentium M, ATI Radeon Mobility x700 128 MB) 2530 3D Marks
Fujitsu n6410 (1.66 GHz Core Duo, ATI X1400 128MB) 2,273 3DMarks
HP dv4000 (1.86GHz Pentium M, ATI X700 128MB) 2536 3D Marks
Acer TravelMate 8204WLMi (2.0GHz Core Duo, ATI X1600 256MB) 4157 3DMarks
3DMark06 Results:
Notebook 3DMark 06 Results
Apple MacBook Pro (2.0GHz Core Duo, ATI X1600 128MB 1,528 3D Marks
Sony Vaio SZ-110B in Speed Mode (Using Nvidia GeForce Go 7400) 794 3DMarks
Alienware M7700 (AMD Athlon FX-60 Nvidia GeForce Go7800GTX) 4,085 3DMarks
Asus A6J (1.83GHz Core Duo, ATI X1600 128MB) 1,819 3D Marks
Sadly, I found out about the underclocked X1600 after I bought the MacBook. A similarly specced Acer 8204 gets about 3,900 (of course people can coax even more out of them) in 3DMark05. The MacBook's X1600 is clocked at 310/300 core/memory, which is about 30% less than the 425/425 that other X1600s are set at. I had no problems upping the core past 400, but anything over 315 on the memory caused an instant lockup of windows. I know others have had better luck with upping memory, but the core is more important in this situation anyway. With 400/310 I got a score of 3313 in 3DMark05. The laptop seemed stable at this setting. I didn't bother trying to go any higher than this.
Some Thoughts About Performance
My main reason for gaming on a laptop was a little piece of crack I like to call World of Warcraft. I was a little saddened by the reduced clock of the X1600, but this baby plays WoW like a fiddle. With plenty of system and video memory, even torturous Ironforge (or Orgrimmar) visits are doable with everything turned up to maximum. Gameplay is about the same as the X800 PRO on my desktop and so it wasn't hard to make the switch. I haven't yet purchased Oblivion, so I can't tell you how that runs, but Half-Life 2 plays smoothly.
Having never been an Apple user, I can't tell you if it is that much faster than a PowerPC Apple. From what I can tell, everything seems lightening fast. I was a little worried when it took ten seconds to launch Firefox for the first time, but the very next day they released a patch that sped that up to about two seconds. Navigating the web on a fast connection is quick and snappy. I'm writing this review on the 30 day Microsoft Word:Mac trial that comes preinstalled and so far things are smooth with that as well. Extracting a 700MB divx file seemed quicker than on my AMD 3000XP+ desktop. All in all I am pleased with the performance of the MacBook and I feel like it is plenty adequate for my power hungry needs.
Keyboard and Touchpad
The keyboard is very nice with great travel for the keys and very useful function keys along the top for changing the volume and brightness. It also includes keys for Apple's famous backlit keyboard, which is set by default to use the ambient light sensor to come on when it gets dark. The trackpad is enormous and nice, although as a windows user I lament the loss of a right click (ctrl-click is slowly becoming habit). One cool feature is the two-finger scroll. As soon as you put too fingers on the trackpad any movement you do will scroll up and down or side to side. It is actually very natural and way better than using that little strip on the side of your trackpad like other laptops have. I also miss dedicated home and end keys, which are integrated into the four-way directional keys in the lower right. Considering that smaller notebooks have managed that (like the W3J), I'm a little disappointed. I'll get used to it I imagine.
Ports
I don't know why S-Video had to go, but Apple is more than willing to sell you a DVI to S-Video cable if you want one.
Left side view of ports: Power cable, USB, Audio in, and Audio Out (both optical), and a ExpressCard Slot
Right side: DVI, Ethernet, 400 FireWire, and USB
Back view: One massive vent runs along the back
Front view: The power button and the 4X DVD-R slot load adorn the front
The battery has a cool feature that lets you check your battery life without turning the MacBook on.
Screen
The Apple engineers made a tough choice to shave 60 precious vertical pixels off an already widescreen aspect in order to integrate the high quality iSight cam. It still isn't as wide as the 16:9 movies I like to watch so it doesn't bother me at all that this was done. I'm one of those crazies who actually uses the web cam so I consider it a fair trade. The resolution is way better than the one found on the W3J, which was one of the things that bummed me about that notebook (1440x900 vs 1280x768)
The horizontal viewing angle on this thing is insane. It's practically 180 degrees, although it is kind of hard to see anything on the screen at that point. The vertical angle is not quite as good. It has about a 15 degree sweet spot with the picture losing brightness and inverting white and black too far beyond that.
I took a look at this screen in my school's computer store before I bought this notebook and it is definitely one of the things I really liked about this laptop. With claims of being 67% brighter than the already bright PowerBook it replaces, this screen is a testament that you don't have to go and fight glossy to get colors that sing and contrast that pops. As far as I am concerned this is the best notebook screen I have ever seen. There is absolutely no ghosting in any game I have tried and HD encoded trailers from Apple's own website look amazing. Solid colors on the screen do have a kind of textured look that some people have commented on, but I actually kind of like it. It is not very noticeable and it kind of gives everything an "organic" look. Try before you buy, but I give it a 9.5 out of 10 (gotta leave room for improvement).
It's pencil art me! (Taken with one of iSight's art effects) (view larger image)
Battery Life
Battery life is good but not great. I get about 3 hours and 15 min with half brightness (more than adequate) when I am using my laptop to type stuff up and browse the web. I haven't tried to play WoW on the battery, but I never plan to so I am pretty pleased with it. It is pretty good juice for such a slim notebook.
Wireless
Wireless works great and has decent range as far as I know. My apartment is pretty small so the "Airport Extreme" has no problems dropping out of strong signal strength. It does seem to have better pickup than my wife's IBM T40. I do appreciate that in OS X it automatically connects to the strongest available wireless network.
Sound
The speakers dominate the left and right side of the keyboard. Bass is obviously not great, but it is pretty decent sound for a laptop if you ask me. The placement of the speakers helps to project the audio so you don't have to worry about your belly blocking the sound (like front mounted speakers found on the HP line). Volume is fine for the movies (divx) I've seen and the audio output with headphones is great.
Heat and Noise
The notebook is surprisingly cool when it runs off the battery. Everything throttles down to extend battery life and things are only slightly warm. When the notebook is plugged in and everything throttles up this sucker gets very hot. The aluminum chassis acts like a big heatsink soaking up the heat and radiating it out. The strip along the back on the bottom gets especially hot. On top, the back of the left speaker grill gets very hot as well, which is understandable as this is right where the X1600 sits. It is no wonder they clocked the graphics back. Oddly enough, it doesn't seem to get any hotter when I have an intense gaming session going. I'm not sure if that is because it is not throttling back at all when no gaming is going on or what, but I am going to investigate this some more. This is the price you have to pay for putting top of the line components inside a 5.5 pound, 1" thick case. In any case (haha), I wouldn't put the MacBook on your laptop when it is plugged in unless you are wearing jeans, or are not planning on having any children in the future.
Noise is another story altogether. Perhaps related to the heat issue, this thing is completely silent. In a totally silent room, with my ear hovering above the keyboard, I can hear the faint sound of what I assume is the X1600 fan going. Any more sound in the room, like my own breathing, and I cannot hear anything. The DVD drive likes to makes some noise, especially when you install something, but it is not too bad.
Boot Camp
Boot Camp -- what will it be, OS X or Windows?
We've already seen what this puppy can do with some Windows based gaming and benchmarks, but I feel I should tell you some other stuff about it as well. A smooth dual boot experience is an absolute must for me, as I have to have a Windows machine for Law School. I am pleased to report that for all intents and purposes, it works great. There are some niggles in Windows XP that I'm sure will be worked out with subsequent releases. These include:
* No function keys...the "F" keys work the way they do in windows which means they don't change the volume, the screen brightness, etc...
* The audio isn't muted when you plug the headphones in...
* The iSight camera does not work
As you can see, these are hardware related and will just require some better drivers from Apple to fix. The "Windows" key is mapped to the "Apple" key and the eject button on the laptop still works.
Other than these little things, I had absolutely no problems running any Windows software that I tried. Things will only get smoother from here.
Random Thoughts and Conclusion
This laptop is extremely cool. For someone like me that means warm fuzzies and no buyers remorse. It is kind of crazy that last week I was a lifelong user and builder of PC computers and now I own my first notebook and also my first Mac. So far, I have no regrets. I will always own a PC, but OS X has impressed me a lot. My first pang of "uh oh" hit when I ran 3DMark05, but I still feel like the computer has enough juice to play games for the next couple of years. More importantly, it's smaller and quieter than the other options I looked at which I feel more than makes up for it. Perhaps this notebook is more expensive than other options out there, but none of them are quite this small, quite this cool, and still pack quite this much punch. In my opinion, the Acer 8204 is the only thing that comes close (right now anyway) and it is priced very similarly. Considering how much the first Apple Titanium's cost, this thing is practically a basement bargain. I'm always sad to see money go, but in this case, I wouldn't ask for it back. In the end, isn't that all that matters?
Pros:
* Very well built
* Great overall performance
* Smaller dimensions and weighs less than other laptops in its class (1lb less than the Acer 8204 for example)
* Can run Windows XP or OS X (and potentially Linux)
* Very quiet
* Amazingly bright non-glare type screen
* High quality web cam
* Decent battery life
* Plays WoW like a champ
* Comes with a remote for media and powerpoint
Cons:
* Somewhat hot when plugged in
* Boot Camp not quite ready for the masses
* Underclocked GPU
reviewed by crazyguy....................
The MacBook Pro is Apple's latest notebook and their first with Intel's new attempt at notebook dominance, the Core Duo. It represents the near peak of current notebook technology in terms of power, making only a few compromises for the sake of a slim profile and a better battery life. I am a college student who has been lusting over notebooks for the past two years, but with so many choices and every promising notebook seemingly always lacking in an essential area I was paralyzed by indecision (and a lack of funds). I will be attending Law School next fall and the time has finally come when owning a notebook is no longer an option. Luckily, notebook technology is better than ever, and I finally had some notebooks to choose from that represent nearly everything I have wanted since I first got the idea in my head that I needed one. I have simple needs: gaming capable graphics card, near desktop power, low weight, bright screen, decent battery life, and sweet looks (you know, the basics).
Once I saw the Core Duo I knew the day had arrived and that any laptop I bought was going to have it. I have to have a laptop before August so that took out waiting for the 64bit Core Duo sequel that is coming out sometime later this year or early next year (Merom).
The notebooks I considered getting were the W3J, the Acer 8204, and the new MacBook Pro from Apple, all top of the line machines which had the Radeon X1600 and the new Core Duo. The Apple wasn't really an option because the Law School I am attending requires a Windows machine. The Acer just had too many complaints of a poor screen and other problems, although I know people who are enjoying the machine just fine. I actually ordered the W3J last week but was dismayed to discover that my preorder wasn't made quite soon enough and I was going to have to wait even longer if I wanted that option. My preorder was cancelled about 4 days after the announcement of Boot Camp, which was not just a hack, but the promise of an (in the future) officially supported dual boot program. I'm no fool, and I wasn't going to spit the notebook gods in the face. I had been given a sign, and 24 hours later I picked up my (educationally discounted at $2,299) brand new MacBook Pro. This is my first Apple ever, but with the safety net of Boot Camp, I figured the time to dive in was now.
Specifications of the MacBook Pro reviewed
* 2.0 GHz Intel Core Duo
* 667MHz frontside bus and main memory
* PCI Express architecture
* 100GB 5400 Serial ATA hard drive
* ATI Mobility Radeon X1600 with 256MB memory on 16-lane PCI Express
* ExpressCard/34 slot
* Dual-link DVI, VGA adapter included
* One FireWire 400 port, two USB 2.0 ports
* Optical digital and analogue audio I/O, built-in microphone and stereo speakers
* Slot-loading SuperDrive
* Illuminated keyboard, scrolling TrackPad
* Built-in AirPort Extreme (802.11g), Bluetooth 2.0+EDR, and Gigabit Ethernet
* Mac OS X Tiger with iLife '06, featuring iWeb
Design and Build
The design and build of the MacBook Pro is top notch. For someone who has used and handled (although admittedly never owned) several Dells, HPs, and Compaqs (dang their University contracts) the step up in quality was very much appreciated.
Several compromises were made to slim the MacBook Pro into a 1" package. The first was to ditch the dual layer 8x dvd burner in favor of a (3mm slimmer) 4x single layer burner. A bummer, but I do must of my burning on my PC, and I haven't burned a DL disc in my life.
The thin but strong aluminum chassis inspires confidence and there are extra features for the paranoid like the motion sensor, which is used to lock up the hard drive in the event of any sudden movement detected. Someone even made a program called iAlert, which you can use to protect your computer from theft. When alarmed (with the included remote used for Front Row), the laptop will start screeching and flash the screen if someone were to pick it up. It is quite funny and yet, amazingly useful for someone like me who might be tempted to leave my notebook at a table in the school library to take a quick leak. As for the screen, it has very minimal flex when torque is applied to it. Overall, you get the feeling that this laptop is the refinement of previous versions in many ways (much like the current iPod compared to the then amazing 1st Gen iPod).
Benchmarks (All run in Windows XP using Boot Camp Beta with default drivers provided by Apple)
The effort put in by the MacBook Pro shows that that it is not as fast as one might expect from a 2.0GHz Core Duo, but it is amazing that you can even run it under Windows without a hiccup. Given that the CPU is identical to the one found in the Dell Inspiron, which posts a score 8 seconds lower, it is clear that Apple has some room to optimize. The score obviously smokes the Pentium M.
Notebook Time to Calculate Pi to 2 Million Digits:
Notebook Time to Calculate Pi to 2 Million Digits
Apple MacBook Pro (2.0GHz Core Duo) 1m 24s
Samsung X60 (1.66GHz Core Duo) 1m 29s
Dell Inspiron e1505 (2.0GHz Core Duo) 1m 16s
HP dv8000z (1.8 GHz Turion-64 ML-32) 2m 12s
Dell Inspiron 6000D (1.6 GHz Alviso Pentium M) 1m 52s
Lenovo ThinkPad T60 (2.0GHz Core Duo) 1m 18s
Sony VAIO S360 (1.7 GHz Dothan Pentium M) 1m 57s
Dell Inspiron 600m (1.6 GHz Pentium M) 2m 10s
Sony VAIO S380 (1.83 GHz Alviso Pentium M) 1m 42s
I ran both '05 and '06 versions of 3DMark. Below are the results I got and how they compare to other notebookst:
3DMark05 Results:
Notebook 3DMark 05 Results
Apple MacBook Pro (2.0GHz Core Duo, ATI X1600 128MB 2866 3D Marks
Lenovo ThinkPad Z60m (2.0GHz Pentium M, ATI X600 128MB) 1659 3DMarks
ThinkPad T43 (1.86GHz, ATI X300 64MB graphics) 727 3DMarks
Asus V6Va (2.13 GHz Pentium M, ATI Radeon Mobility x700 128 MB) 2530 3D Marks
Fujitsu n6410 (1.66 GHz Core Duo, ATI X1400 128MB) 2,273 3DMarks
HP dv4000 (1.86GHz Pentium M, ATI X700 128MB) 2536 3D Marks
Acer TravelMate 8204WLMi (2.0GHz Core Duo, ATI X1600 256MB) 4157 3DMarks
3DMark06 Results:
Notebook 3DMark 06 Results
Apple MacBook Pro (2.0GHz Core Duo, ATI X1600 128MB 1,528 3D Marks
Sony Vaio SZ-110B in Speed Mode (Using Nvidia GeForce Go 7400) 794 3DMarks
Alienware M7700 (AMD Athlon FX-60 Nvidia GeForce Go7800GTX) 4,085 3DMarks
Asus A6J (1.83GHz Core Duo, ATI X1600 128MB) 1,819 3D Marks
Sadly, I found out about the underclocked X1600 after I bought the MacBook. A similarly specced Acer 8204 gets about 3,900 (of course people can coax even more out of them) in 3DMark05. The MacBook's X1600 is clocked at 310/300 core/memory, which is about 30% less than the 425/425 that other X1600s are set at. I had no problems upping the core past 400, but anything over 315 on the memory caused an instant lockup of windows. I know others have had better luck with upping memory, but the core is more important in this situation anyway. With 400/310 I got a score of 3313 in 3DMark05. The laptop seemed stable at this setting. I didn't bother trying to go any higher than this.
Some Thoughts About Performance
My main reason for gaming on a laptop was a little piece of crack I like to call World of Warcraft. I was a little saddened by the reduced clock of the X1600, but this baby plays WoW like a fiddle. With plenty of system and video memory, even torturous Ironforge (or Orgrimmar) visits are doable with everything turned up to maximum. Gameplay is about the same as the X800 PRO on my desktop and so it wasn't hard to make the switch. I haven't yet purchased Oblivion, so I can't tell you how that runs, but Half-Life 2 plays smoothly.
Having never been an Apple user, I can't tell you if it is that much faster than a PowerPC Apple. From what I can tell, everything seems lightening fast. I was a little worried when it took ten seconds to launch Firefox for the first time, but the very next day they released a patch that sped that up to about two seconds. Navigating the web on a fast connection is quick and snappy. I'm writing this review on the 30 day Microsoft Word:Mac trial that comes preinstalled and so far things are smooth with that as well. Extracting a 700MB divx file seemed quicker than on my AMD 3000XP+ desktop. All in all I am pleased with the performance of the MacBook and I feel like it is plenty adequate for my power hungry needs.
Keyboard and Touchpad
The keyboard is very nice with great travel for the keys and very useful function keys along the top for changing the volume and brightness. It also includes keys for Apple's famous backlit keyboard, which is set by default to use the ambient light sensor to come on when it gets dark. The trackpad is enormous and nice, although as a windows user I lament the loss of a right click (ctrl-click is slowly becoming habit). One cool feature is the two-finger scroll. As soon as you put too fingers on the trackpad any movement you do will scroll up and down or side to side. It is actually very natural and way better than using that little strip on the side of your trackpad like other laptops have. I also miss dedicated home and end keys, which are integrated into the four-way directional keys in the lower right. Considering that smaller notebooks have managed that (like the W3J), I'm a little disappointed. I'll get used to it I imagine.
Ports
I don't know why S-Video had to go, but Apple is more than willing to sell you a DVI to S-Video cable if you want one.
Left side view of ports: Power cable, USB, Audio in, and Audio Out (both optical), and a ExpressCard Slot
Right side: DVI, Ethernet, 400 FireWire, and USB
Back view: One massive vent runs along the back
Front view: The power button and the 4X DVD-R slot load adorn the front
The battery has a cool feature that lets you check your battery life without turning the MacBook on.
Screen
The Apple engineers made a tough choice to shave 60 precious vertical pixels off an already widescreen aspect in order to integrate the high quality iSight cam. It still isn't as wide as the 16:9 movies I like to watch so it doesn't bother me at all that this was done. I'm one of those crazies who actually uses the web cam so I consider it a fair trade. The resolution is way better than the one found on the W3J, which was one of the things that bummed me about that notebook (1440x900 vs 1280x768)
The horizontal viewing angle on this thing is insane. It's practically 180 degrees, although it is kind of hard to see anything on the screen at that point. The vertical angle is not quite as good. It has about a 15 degree sweet spot with the picture losing brightness and inverting white and black too far beyond that.
I took a look at this screen in my school's computer store before I bought this notebook and it is definitely one of the things I really liked about this laptop. With claims of being 67% brighter than the already bright PowerBook it replaces, this screen is a testament that you don't have to go and fight glossy to get colors that sing and contrast that pops. As far as I am concerned this is the best notebook screen I have ever seen. There is absolutely no ghosting in any game I have tried and HD encoded trailers from Apple's own website look amazing. Solid colors on the screen do have a kind of textured look that some people have commented on, but I actually kind of like it. It is not very noticeable and it kind of gives everything an "organic" look. Try before you buy, but I give it a 9.5 out of 10 (gotta leave room for improvement).
It's pencil art me! (Taken with one of iSight's art effects) (view larger image)
Battery Life
Battery life is good but not great. I get about 3 hours and 15 min with half brightness (more than adequate) when I am using my laptop to type stuff up and browse the web. I haven't tried to play WoW on the battery, but I never plan to so I am pretty pleased with it. It is pretty good juice for such a slim notebook.
Wireless
Wireless works great and has decent range as far as I know. My apartment is pretty small so the "Airport Extreme" has no problems dropping out of strong signal strength. It does seem to have better pickup than my wife's IBM T40. I do appreciate that in OS X it automatically connects to the strongest available wireless network.
Sound
The speakers dominate the left and right side of the keyboard. Bass is obviously not great, but it is pretty decent sound for a laptop if you ask me. The placement of the speakers helps to project the audio so you don't have to worry about your belly blocking the sound (like front mounted speakers found on the HP line). Volume is fine for the movies (divx) I've seen and the audio output with headphones is great.
Heat and Noise
The notebook is surprisingly cool when it runs off the battery. Everything throttles down to extend battery life and things are only slightly warm. When the notebook is plugged in and everything throttles up this sucker gets very hot. The aluminum chassis acts like a big heatsink soaking up the heat and radiating it out. The strip along the back on the bottom gets especially hot. On top, the back of the left speaker grill gets very hot as well, which is understandable as this is right where the X1600 sits. It is no wonder they clocked the graphics back. Oddly enough, it doesn't seem to get any hotter when I have an intense gaming session going. I'm not sure if that is because it is not throttling back at all when no gaming is going on or what, but I am going to investigate this some more. This is the price you have to pay for putting top of the line components inside a 5.5 pound, 1" thick case. In any case (haha), I wouldn't put the MacBook on your laptop when it is plugged in unless you are wearing jeans, or are not planning on having any children in the future.
Noise is another story altogether. Perhaps related to the heat issue, this thing is completely silent. In a totally silent room, with my ear hovering above the keyboard, I can hear the faint sound of what I assume is the X1600 fan going. Any more sound in the room, like my own breathing, and I cannot hear anything. The DVD drive likes to makes some noise, especially when you install something, but it is not too bad.
Boot Camp
Boot Camp -- what will it be, OS X or Windows?
We've already seen what this puppy can do with some Windows based gaming and benchmarks, but I feel I should tell you some other stuff about it as well. A smooth dual boot experience is an absolute must for me, as I have to have a Windows machine for Law School. I am pleased to report that for all intents and purposes, it works great. There are some niggles in Windows XP that I'm sure will be worked out with subsequent releases. These include:
* No function keys...the "F" keys work the way they do in windows which means they don't change the volume, the screen brightness, etc...
* The audio isn't muted when you plug the headphones in...
* The iSight camera does not work
As you can see, these are hardware related and will just require some better drivers from Apple to fix. The "Windows" key is mapped to the "Apple" key and the eject button on the laptop still works.
Other than these little things, I had absolutely no problems running any Windows software that I tried. Things will only get smoother from here.
Random Thoughts and Conclusion
This laptop is extremely cool. For someone like me that means warm fuzzies and no buyers remorse. It is kind of crazy that last week I was a lifelong user and builder of PC computers and now I own my first notebook and also my first Mac. So far, I have no regrets. I will always own a PC, but OS X has impressed me a lot. My first pang of "uh oh" hit when I ran 3DMark05, but I still feel like the computer has enough juice to play games for the next couple of years. More importantly, it's smaller and quieter than the other options I looked at which I feel more than makes up for it. Perhaps this notebook is more expensive than other options out there, but none of them are quite this small, quite this cool, and still pack quite this much punch. In my opinion, the Acer 8204 is the only thing that comes close (right now anyway) and it is priced very similarly. Considering how much the first Apple Titanium's cost, this thing is practically a basement bargain. I'm always sad to see money go, but in this case, I wouldn't ask for it back. In the end, isn't that all that matters?
Pros:
* Very well built
* Great overall performance
* Smaller dimensions and weighs less than other laptops in its class (1lb less than the Acer 8204 for example)
* Can run Windows XP or OS X (and potentially Linux)
* Very quiet
* Amazingly bright non-glare type screen
* High quality web cam
* Decent battery life
* Plays WoW like a champ
* Comes with a remote for media and powerpoint
Cons:
* Somewhat hot when plugged in
* Boot Camp not quite ready for the masses
* Underclocked GPU
NINTENDO Wii
NINTENDO Wii
Features and Design
A few misconceptions we should get out of the way up-front.
Despite being tagged as a "next-generation" console, the device's custom IBM-designed, PowerPC-based "Broadway" processor and ATI "Hollywood" GPU won't go toe-to-toe with PS3 or even last year's Xbox 360. Roughly twice as powerful as a GameCube, the Wii doesn't wow so much for its performance or polygon-pushing power. (Although games like the sweeping fantasy landscape- and otherworldly dungeon-sporting The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess or reflective water- and real-time terrain deformation-boasting Excite Truck still look a tangible order of magnitude sharper than less-sophisticated predecessors, even if they won't make veteran joystick jabbers' jaws drop.) Frankly, with graphical output capped at 480p widescreen displays, it's not the type of machine you'd buy to, say, show off a shiny new plasma or LCD HDTV.
On a positive note though, despite what you may have heard, the gizmo isn't just for kids either. A 62 title-strong launch lineup of new releases (including Trauma Center: Second Opinion, Red Steel and Rayman: Raving Rabbids) and classic favorites (e.g. downloadable, software-emulated editions of Ice Hockey and Super Mario 64) offers something for nearly everyone. And while you only get one game in the box – physical gesture-powered athletics outing Wii Sports, featuring baseball, boxing, bowling, golf and tennis challenges played by mimicking actual racquet swings or strike-scoring scooping motions – it's enough to quickly demonstrate the gadget's nigh-universal appeal.
Meaning that if the basic underlying idea (being able to immerse oneself to a greater degree in medieval dungeon crawls by wielding the TV remote-style controller like a sword or employ it gently in medical simulations as if you were controlling a surgeon's scalpel) sounds even remotely appealing, there should be no question. Nearly $50 cheaper than its next closest competitor and unlike anything currently released to retailers to date, it's worth standing in line – if not necessarily camping out – on November 19 to plunk $250 down for your own personal model.
Wondering what that not inconsiderable sum buys you, given that the standard package is sold as a system bundle? (Or worse, $699 mandatory minimum investment including added accessories and games, as certain gouge-happy retailers are all-too happy to offer.) Opening the box reveals the following contents: The Wii itself, a system stand for vertical positioning, one remote control, a "nunchuk" thumb-stick add-on, an AC adaptor, a composite video cable (sorry, component cable sold separately), sensor bar, sensor bar stand and two AA batteries used to power the Bluetooth-enabled gamepad. (Up to four controllers can function wirelessly from up to 30 feet away, and act as pointing devices at distances as much as 15 feet from the sensor.)
Slim and trim, the sleek, all-white unit (available now in iPod-type coloring only, upon which stains and markings will sadly show up clearly, though differently-shaded alternatives are surely coming) measures just 8.5" x 6" x 2", or approximately the size of three stacked DVD cases as advertised. Not only does it run quietly and coolly, as opposed to the noisy, nigh nuclear meltdown-inducing beast that is an Xbox 360. It can also be positioned horizontally or vertically as desired, with the mounting stand offering additional stability for those of us who can't resist the latter, sharper-looking option. Backwards-compatible with GameCube titles, both outings like Resident Evil 4 or Super Smash Bros. Melee and new, Wii-exclusive discs are inserted into a slit-like opening on the unit's front, which – while opening the possibility of scratching or kids accidentally damaging models by trying to force-feed the unit.
Reset, power and eject buttons can also be found on the machine's face, with sensor bar, AC and A/V cable connectors hidden around back. Two USB 2.0 ports also adorn the machine's rear, presenting the possibility of upcoming add-ons such as keyboards or additional storage solutions. Games are currently saved to 512MB of internal flash memory, with SD cards – there's a reader on the front for archiving files or pulling pictures off digital camera – and GameCube memory cards (two ports to insert them into rest on the side) also providing extra room. Side-mounted slots for four GameCube controllers are further offered, although all openings can be covered with flaps which handily disguise them. Interestingly, the Wii has some heft to it as well, and feels surprisingly damage-resistant for such a small system. (A blessing, no doubt, for toddler-packing parents…)
Features and Design
A few misconceptions we should get out of the way up-front.
Despite being tagged as a "next-generation" console, the device's custom IBM-designed, PowerPC-based "Broadway" processor and ATI "Hollywood" GPU won't go toe-to-toe with PS3 or even last year's Xbox 360. Roughly twice as powerful as a GameCube, the Wii doesn't wow so much for its performance or polygon-pushing power. (Although games like the sweeping fantasy landscape- and otherworldly dungeon-sporting The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess or reflective water- and real-time terrain deformation-boasting Excite Truck still look a tangible order of magnitude sharper than less-sophisticated predecessors, even if they won't make veteran joystick jabbers' jaws drop.) Frankly, with graphical output capped at 480p widescreen displays, it's not the type of machine you'd buy to, say, show off a shiny new plasma or LCD HDTV.
On a positive note though, despite what you may have heard, the gizmo isn't just for kids either. A 62 title-strong launch lineup of new releases (including Trauma Center: Second Opinion, Red Steel and Rayman: Raving Rabbids) and classic favorites (e.g. downloadable, software-emulated editions of Ice Hockey and Super Mario 64) offers something for nearly everyone. And while you only get one game in the box – physical gesture-powered athletics outing Wii Sports, featuring baseball, boxing, bowling, golf and tennis challenges played by mimicking actual racquet swings or strike-scoring scooping motions – it's enough to quickly demonstrate the gadget's nigh-universal appeal.
Meaning that if the basic underlying idea (being able to immerse oneself to a greater degree in medieval dungeon crawls by wielding the TV remote-style controller like a sword or employ it gently in medical simulations as if you were controlling a surgeon's scalpel) sounds even remotely appealing, there should be no question. Nearly $50 cheaper than its next closest competitor and unlike anything currently released to retailers to date, it's worth standing in line – if not necessarily camping out – on November 19 to plunk $250 down for your own personal model.
Wondering what that not inconsiderable sum buys you, given that the standard package is sold as a system bundle? (Or worse, $699 mandatory minimum investment including added accessories and games, as certain gouge-happy retailers are all-too happy to offer.) Opening the box reveals the following contents: The Wii itself, a system stand for vertical positioning, one remote control, a "nunchuk" thumb-stick add-on, an AC adaptor, a composite video cable (sorry, component cable sold separately), sensor bar, sensor bar stand and two AA batteries used to power the Bluetooth-enabled gamepad. (Up to four controllers can function wirelessly from up to 30 feet away, and act as pointing devices at distances as much as 15 feet from the sensor.)
Slim and trim, the sleek, all-white unit (available now in iPod-type coloring only, upon which stains and markings will sadly show up clearly, though differently-shaded alternatives are surely coming) measures just 8.5" x 6" x 2", or approximately the size of three stacked DVD cases as advertised. Not only does it run quietly and coolly, as opposed to the noisy, nigh nuclear meltdown-inducing beast that is an Xbox 360. It can also be positioned horizontally or vertically as desired, with the mounting stand offering additional stability for those of us who can't resist the latter, sharper-looking option. Backwards-compatible with GameCube titles, both outings like Resident Evil 4 or Super Smash Bros. Melee and new, Wii-exclusive discs are inserted into a slit-like opening on the unit's front, which – while opening the possibility of scratching or kids accidentally damaging models by trying to force-feed the unit.
Reset, power and eject buttons can also be found on the machine's face, with sensor bar, AC and A/V cable connectors hidden around back. Two USB 2.0 ports also adorn the machine's rear, presenting the possibility of upcoming add-ons such as keyboards or additional storage solutions. Games are currently saved to 512MB of internal flash memory, with SD cards – there's a reader on the front for archiving files or pulling pictures off digital camera – and GameCube memory cards (two ports to insert them into rest on the side) also providing extra room. Side-mounted slots for four GameCube controllers are further offered, although all openings can be covered with flaps which handily disguise them. Interestingly, the Wii has some heft to it as well, and feels surprisingly damage-resistant for such a small system. (A blessing, no doubt, for toddler-packing parents…)
Tuesday, October 2, 2007
Sony Unveils Latest Reader Digital Book
Sony Unveils Latest Reader Digital Book
Sony's paperback-sized Reader, available this month, can hold up to 160 books.
While it may not pack the sales bang of Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, the latest edition of Sony Electronics Inc.'s Reader Digital Book could turn some heads among gadget lovers when it is released this month.
Sony announced the latest edition of the Reader, model PRS-505, on Tuesday, and said it will be available in the U.S. this month at Sony Style stores and on the Sony Style Web site as well as at Borders Inc. book stores. For US$300, people will get a paperback book-sized Reader in either silver or dark blue, which can hold up to 160 books.
A Sony spokesman was unable to provide a specific date for the launch of the new Reader.
To get people started on their new Reader, Sony is offering credit for 100 classic books, including the works of Shakespeare and Jane Austen, on Connect, an eBooks store set up by Sony. The site includes 20,000 eBooks, including the latest editions of many top authors and much of the New York Times Bestsellers' list. It doesn't include any books in J.K. Rowling's Harry Potter series.
Improvements to the reader include nearly twice the storage space, a battery that will last around 7,500 page views, new controls that are redesigned to mimic page-turning and allow quicker navigation, and a USB (Universal Serial Bus) port allowing the transfer of data from a PC. The new Reader also includes slots for Memory Stick Duo and SD memory cards to increase storage capacity.
An auto-sync feature with the new edition allows users to create a folder for books and documents on their computer with which they can automatically synchronise the Reader.
Sony's paperback-sized Reader, available this month, can hold up to 160 books.
While it may not pack the sales bang of Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, the latest edition of Sony Electronics Inc.'s Reader Digital Book could turn some heads among gadget lovers when it is released this month.
Sony announced the latest edition of the Reader, model PRS-505, on Tuesday, and said it will be available in the U.S. this month at Sony Style stores and on the Sony Style Web site as well as at Borders Inc. book stores. For US$300, people will get a paperback book-sized Reader in either silver or dark blue, which can hold up to 160 books.
A Sony spokesman was unable to provide a specific date for the launch of the new Reader.
To get people started on their new Reader, Sony is offering credit for 100 classic books, including the works of Shakespeare and Jane Austen, on Connect, an eBooks store set up by Sony. The site includes 20,000 eBooks, including the latest editions of many top authors and much of the New York Times Bestsellers' list. It doesn't include any books in J.K. Rowling's Harry Potter series.
Improvements to the reader include nearly twice the storage space, a battery that will last around 7,500 page views, new controls that are redesigned to mimic page-turning and allow quicker navigation, and a USB (Universal Serial Bus) port allowing the transfer of data from a PC. The new Reader also includes slots for Memory Stick Duo and SD memory cards to increase storage capacity.
An auto-sync feature with the new edition allows users to create a folder for books and documents on their computer with which they can automatically synchronise the Reader.
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