Hardware Archive

"In November, you'll be able to buy a new laptop that's spillproof, rainproof, dustproof and drop-proof. It's fanless, it's silent and it weighs 3.2 pounds. One battery charge will power six hours of heavy activity, or 24 hours of reading. The laptop has a built-in video camera, microphone, memory-card slot, graphics tablet, game-pad controllers and a screen that rotates into a tablet configuration. And this laptop will cost USD 200."

LinuxCertified today announced its next generation laptops optimized for engineering and scientific community. Powered with Ubuntu 7.04, these laptops focus on high performance and scalability. The laptops come pre-configured with many of the common tools used by technical users. The two new laptop models are: LC2464DC, a 64 bit (based on dual-core Turion 64X2) laptop, and LC2520DC, sporting a 17" screen with accelerated 3D Graphics based on nVidia GeForce Go 7700.

For the first time the components that underlie quantum computing's great potential - qubits - have been linked on chips like those in conventional computers. Two US research teams used superconducting circuits to make two of the quantum components linked by a quantum information cable or bus. The bits that work together on calculations in a normal computer can exist in two states - either 0 or 1. But qubits can inhabit both at once, allowing them to process many calculations simultaneously when they get together.

Computer enthusiasts in the developed world will soon be able to get their hands on the so-called 'USD 100 laptop'. The organisation behind the project has launched the 'give one, get one' scheme that will allow US residents to purchase two laptops for USD 399 (GBP 198). One laptop will be sent to the buyer whilst a child in the developing world will receive the second machine The G1G1 scheme, as it is known, will offer the laptops for just two weeks, starting on the 12 November.

"The next step in the silicon industry's steadfast pursuit of ever smaller and faster chips has been unveiled. Intel has shown off what it says are the world's first working chips which contain transistors with features just 32 billionths of a metre wide. Their production means the industry axiom that has underpinned all chip development for the last 40 years, known as Moore's Law, remains intact. Speaking to BBC News, Dr Gordon Moore said that he expected the proposition that bears his name should continue 'for at least another decade'."

Intel and others plan to release a new version of the ubiquitous Universal Serial Bus technology in the first half of 2008, a revamp the chip maker said will make data transfer rates more than 10 times as fast by adding fiber-optic links alongside the traditional copper wires. Intel is working with fellow USB 3.0 Promoters Group members Microsoft, Hewlett-Packard, Texas Instruments, NEC and NXP Semiconductors to release the USB 3.0 specification in the first half of 2008, said Pat Gelsinger, general manager of Intel's Digital Enterprise Group, in a speech here at the Intel Developer Forum.

Unicap has an article on the Asus EeePC. "In spring 2007, Asus announced the EeePC, a low cost, small sized mobile computer, which is expected to be available to the public in October 2007. The system is equiped with a 900 Mhz ultra low power Intel CPU, a 7'' LCD monitor, 512 MBytes of RAM and uses flash memory as permanent storage. On the software side, the system comes with a custom version of Xandros Linux preinstalled."

Starryhope.com has a quick review of one of the Dell Ubuntu laptops, and concludes: "Overall, as a Linux geek, I'm very happy with my decision to get the Inspiron 1420N. The notebook is by far the fastest I've ever used and it's comfortable to work with on a desk or on your lap. The price is reasonable and comes in quite a bit cheaper than a Macbook. Unfortunately, Dell and Canonical have fallen short of releasing a truly great product. With just a little extra work and closer attention to the pre-installed software and drivers, they could be shipping the perfect Linux notebook. The way it is now, I wouldn't recommend this notebook for anyone who's not a seasoned Linux geek." The review is slightly outdated (two weeks old) but interesting nonetheless. In addition, Dell may also pre-install Ubuntu on servers.

Taiwan's leading computer seller Acer is to take over US PC maker Gateway in a USD 710m deal. The takeover will create the world's third largest producer of personal computers, with shipments of more than 20 million PCs and sales of USD 15bn. The deal may also see Acer try to block Chinese rival Lenovo from buying Packard Bell's operations in Europe.

The Nivo is a new 'ultra thin' client device under development by British, not-for-profit organization Ndiyo. Its principle intended market is developing nations and the project is based upon a non-profit model. The aim of the project is to create hardware and software that can lower both financial and technical skill cost of computer service provision.

"A new startup out of MIT emerged from stealth mode today to announce that they're shipping a 64-core processor for the embedded market. The company, called Tilera, was founded by Dr. Anat Agarwal, the MIT professor behind the famous and venerable Raw project on which Tilera's first product, the TILE64 processor, is based. Tilera's director of marketing, Bob Dowd, told Ars that TILE64 represents a "sea change in the computing industry", and the company's CEO isn't shy about pitching the chip as the "first significant new chip architectural development in a decade". So let's take an initial look at what was announced about TILE64 today, with further information to follow as it becomes available."

"Can you imagine a computer history museum that has to be packed up and put away each winter and then unpacked each summer, and which has three potbellied pigs as its mascot? I can, because I've just visited the DigiBarn, a wonderful trip down silicon memory lane that's nestled into a 19th-century farmhouse deep in the Santa Cruz mountains, about 90 minutes south of San Francisco."

Dell has launched two PCs in Europe with Ubuntu 7.04 Linux factory installed. The Inspiron 6400n and the Inspiron 530n are now in the UK, Germany and France, as Dell's initial response to calls from Linux enthusiasts for the open source operating system to be pre-installed.

"Lenovo, the world's No. 3 PC maker, said on Monday it would start selling laptop computers preloaded with Linux software from Novell instead of Microsoft's Windows operating system." Ars Technica has more on the announcement. "ThinkPad customers will soon have a new configuration option, as Lenovo and Novell have announced that the popular laptops will begin shipping with SUSE Linux Enterprise Desktop 10 (SLED) preinstalled. Although the ThinkPad has been certified for Linux for some time, this marks the first time Lenovo will ship a laptop with Linux preinstalled - while providing both hardware and OS support." Lenovo is the third big name to sell consumer computers with Linux installed (after Dell and Acer).