Recently in Desktop PCs Category

Dell has just unveiled XPS 730 H2C Four-Barreled Gaming Horsepower Chassis for hard core gamers. Now you can play Crysis at Full 1920x1200 Resolution and 30+ FPS with Quad Graphics. This premium quality Desktop is the most powerful system available in the market. It equips Patent-Pending H2C Cooling Solution that makes the CPU cool. Consumers can choose from the available painted Anodized Aluminum H2C Chassis or Silver Brushed Aluminum Air-Cooled Chassis with Optional X-View Clear Panel.

"There is a measure of satisfaction involved in delivering products that meet the expectations of a unique set of customers who are incredibly knowledgeable, passionate, intense and competitive," said Arthur Lewis, head of Dell's gaming group. "With XPS and Alienware gaming systems we've been progressively delivering an awe-inspiring experience to gamers and now, with the XPS 730, we've set the bar for a truly kick-ass gaming experience."

Supporting optional quad-core processors and Enthusiast System Architecture (ESA), the Dell XPS 730 H2C is powered by NVIDIA® nforce® 790i Ultra SLI ® chipset with standard ATX motherboard. The system comes installed with four hard drives. While the air-cooled XPS 730 is priced at $3,999, the XPS 730 H2C can be purchased at $4,999.

Apple is getting ready for Mother's Day with a new iMac series. If you were about to buy one, hold your horses just yet and wait for a couple of more days.

Here's what a new iMac will offer:

• Faster processors - 6MB L2 cache


• Faster 1066 MHz front-side bus across the entire line


• 2GB of memory standard in most models


• 3.06 GHz Intel processor - for the 24-inch iMac


• the high-performance NVIDIA GeForce 8800 GS graphics - for the 24-inch iMac

These last few days it was rumored a new iMac will pack Intel's upcoming Core 2 Duo Extreme X9100 chip, in preparation for the future "Montevina" Centrino 2 which is supposed to deliver better results for less power consumption. After all that talk it appears that the new iMacs aren't using Montevina, but a 45nm Penryn 3.06GHz chip with a 1066MHz frontside bus.

I am on an environmental writing spree today and after telling you all about the new Credo accessories I simply have to show you what Dell has in store for its buyers. The picture above is the eco-friendly PC which is said to be 70% less energy consumer and 81% smaller than a mini tower Dell PC (but bigger than the Asus EEE). Michael Dell says about it: "These are important issues. When you think about our industry, we produce 260 million computers a year. There's a responsibility that comes with that."

It's only logical for Dell to invest more and more in electronics, specifically in laptops and desktops, meant to reduce overall energy consumption. Further more whether you own one of their products or not, you can be part of this ecological movement by joining one of their programs: "Plant a Tree for Me" (for private buyers) or "Plant a Forest for Me," (for companies).

Fujifilm, best known for its cameras and photographic film, has unveiled the MV-SR567, a new workstation for detection of breast cancer. This new computer will work together with Fujifilm's FCR Digital Mammography system, which assists physicians in detecting breast cancer through analysis of images taken using the FCR system. The Computer-Aided Detection System is expected to improve the accuracy of diagnosis and aid in early detection of breast cancer. According to the press release, a complete set of MV-SR567 including one CAD-equipped computer and one display monitor will be available in Japan for 20,000,000 yen starting immediately.

In CES 2008, Logitech has introduced the new Logitech Cordless Desktop MX 5500 which is comprised of a Bluetooth keyboard and a mouse. The mouse in this combo is the Logitech MX Revolution cordless laser mouse. The keyboard for this pair has a built-in LCD which could be used to view time and date, temperature, Web site favorites and song and track title when playing music. You can even use the LCD as a calculator. It also has hotkeys configured for Windows Vista. The mouse features a scroller and Logitech's patented One Touch Search. You can use this pair for up to 30 feet away from your desktop -- simply plug the USB Bluetooth device (which can be used as Bluetooth connectivity for other devices such as cell phones) on your computer and you're good to go. The Logitech Cordless Desktop MX 5500 will be available in the US late this month and on Europe by late February with a retail price of USD$169.99.

More pics after the jump.

Following the success of its retail stores in the U.S., Apple plans to establish 40 new stores worldwide and strengthen its foothold in the international markets starting next year. Aside from the latest store in 14th Street of New York City, Apple will open its first store in Sao Paolo, Brazil this month and will set up another one next year inside Shopping Marketplace.

In the U.K., three stores are already planned. One retail store will be built in the Convent Garden area in London while the other will open late next year in Westfield London Mall. The third store is yet to be announced.

The company is also in talks with Mexico City to negotiate a space in Torre Mayor office complex, a 33,000 square foot retail space and the tallest building in the city.

The latest Dell desktop computer made available for order (online) is the XPS 420, with prices from $1,500 to $2,500, you will certainly have a nice system that comes with a 20-inch LCD monitor.

There are 3 models that have big differences on the hard-drive, processor, and optical drive. The low-end model is named “Media Powerhouse” and comes with an Intel Core 2 Duo Processor running at 2,66Ghz, which is the same processor used in the medium model called “Performance and Productivity”. On the other hand there is the best model, called "Ultimate Entertainment" that features an Intel Core 2 Quad-Core processor running at 2.4Ghz.

The hard-drives can go from 320GB (for the two first models) up to 500GB for the last and most expensive model. Another difference is that the first two models only have a CD/DVD burner, while the last model has a Blu-Ray drive.

Seagate announced its 1 terabyte monster desktop hard drive with built-in government-grade encryption. Calling it the strongest security available for desktop PCs, the Barracuda FDE - Full Disk Encryption - hard drive is the world's first 3.5 inch desktop hard drive with native encryption to prevent data theft.

Thanks to AES encryption, the Barracuda FDE delivers security for powered-down systems. The interesting part is that logging back on requires you to enter a pre-boot user password. Assuming that users are smart enough to reset any default password, this gives you a better sense of security. I don't know about you, but it does to me. With capacities up to 1 TB, the 7200 rpm drive is ideal for your home or office needs.

The Barracuda FDE is based on Seagate's DriveTrust technology, the drives are easy to install and operate. Drive-level security means that there's no need for additional patches, updates or upgrades. Of course, you will have to wait just a few more months. The drive will be officially launched some time in 2008. No word on the pricing yet.

PCMag has reviewed the Gateway DX430X Desktop Computer which came out with 4 starts out of 5, not bad at all.

The system that costs between $1,344 and $1,454 comes with an Intel Core 2 Duo Processor, 2GB of memory in the RAM department, a graphics card provided by nVidia – GeForce 8800 GTS, a hard-drive containing 500GB of storage capacity, and a 19-inch widescreen LCD monitor which is probably the aspect that makes the price a bit high.

On the good side we have the new style combined with a good performance, many inputs + outputs, and also a praised removable hard-drive bay.

Sony had already announced the Vaio type L19, but it seems like they have upgraded the computer and now present the Vaio LT19U, which is a bit more expensive and has better specifications overall.

Basically this is an all-in-one system, much like the iMac, but with a different operative system and not so impressive specs. The Vaio LT19U has a 22-inch widescreen that provides a big resolution of 1680x1050.

It is powered by a Core 2 Duo T7500 processor, it has 2GB of DDR2 RAM memory, and a hard-drive with 500GB. The graphics card is from Nvidia, more specifically a GeForce 8400GT with 256MB.

Here's a quick entry for those of you guys living in Australia. Dell is giving out several great options for their Dell Insipron Desktops. You can get an Inspiron that suits you and get up to $100 cash off. The choices include the Inspiron 530 Mini Tower that is designed to meet all your home entertainment needs. It comes with an Intel® Dual Core Processor, 1GB Memory, NVIDIA graphics card and 22" widescreen monitor. You can get $100 cash off and no delivery fee for only $1,099.

Next they have the Inspiron 1501 Notebook that features an AMD Athlon™ Dual Core processor, 1GB Memory, 120GB Hard Drive and 15.4" Widescreen where you can get $50 cash off and no delivery fee by just paying $899.

Actually there are a lot of offers included in the emails that came to us. But for further information, you can check out their website here and take full advantage of this wonderful opportunity.

The Haier G71 is not your usual laptop. It is packed with a glossy blue body that makes it stand out from the market of black laptops and white macs. Haier Computer presented its 17.1-inch notebook pc ‘G71’ in Beijing, which attempts to replace the desktop pc. The G71 adopts Intel's Centrino Santa Rosa platform and Nvidia GeForce Go 7950, and supports 1920 x 1200 resolution. It features a large 17.1-inch wide screen (16:10) display that makes it perfect for gaming sessions, film viewing, and other online activities.

If you are tired of the same old black, silver, or white laptops, then the Haier ultra glossy, ultra bold blue might be the way to go. As of the moment, no word has been said on the pricing and the availability of this laptop.

Haier is a producer of household appliances ("white goods"), including air conditioners, laptops, refrigerators, etc. Its headquarters are in Qingdao, Shandong, China. They are now the third largest white goods manufacturer in the world. Haier Group reported sales of over $12 billion across all divisions in 2005.

Sony's VAIO X Living VGX-XL70S brings a Windows XP personal computer with video recording capabilities to your living room. The VIAO X Living comes fitted with both digtal and analog tuners to allow recording of two channels simultaniously. Users can choose from either single or dual 500 GB to provide plenty of storage for all your favorite tv shows and movie recordings. The X Living PC is certified by the Digital Living Room Network Alliance and is guaranteed to interconnect and exchange content with other certified devices.

You can also save a few hundred dollars and go with the VAIO X Video Station VGX-XV80S, which is a somewhat lower end model of the VAIO X Living model. The X Video Station lacks in a built-in computer, but includes more storage and recoding capabilites. Since there is no built-in computer, a network connection is required to access the VGX-XV80S's video vault. With support of up to 4 hard-disk drives the X Video Station can store up to 2TB of storage, which adds up to roughly three weeks of video! Additionally this bad boy sports eight analog TV tuners for simultanious recording up up to eight channels.

It will be Available in Japan and State Side USA.

Logitech unveiled the new Cordless Desktop Wave keyboard/mouse combo, featuring a stylishly designed ergonomic keyboard with special keys for Windows Vista. The Whack received a review unit a couple of days ago and I have been running a 24-hour burn in test and other usual tests on the combo. The mouse that comes with the combo package is the Logitech LX8 Cordless Laser Mouse.

Setting up the USB transceiver (pictured below) and installing the drivers took just under 10 minutes and after inserting the batteries (provided in the package!) in the keyboard and mouse, I was up and running.

The keyboard design is way better than any laptop or regular keyboard I have seen. I have an Acer Future keyboard at home - another one of those ergonomic ones with a little trackpad and split spacebar - so I know how important and useful the keyboard design is. Logitech has definitely upped the ante with the Cordless Desktop Wave keyboard.

The different key heights to conform to the shape of your fingers is definitely appreciated, and you can throw away your old keyboard for good. The Vista keys are pretty much useless to me at the moment as I am still using Windows XP. The Calculator button is a convenient feature that I found myself using quite often. There are also programmable F-keys - quick shortcuts to your favorite apps and games.

You gotta hand it to Sony. They make some pretty interesting gadgets. This time it's the Sony Vaio Type L 19 PC/monitor. Powered by an Intel Core 2 Duo processor, the new Vaio packs in a whole lot of features into the available space.

At a depth of just 19 cm, the Vaio Type L is sleek, while the transparent frame makes it the center of attraction in your room. What's more, it supports digital TV and allows you to record shows. A Blu-ray disc drive along with DVD+/-R and CD-RW is available.

There's also a video camera on the Vaio. It features a huge 750GB hard drive and Nvidia GeForce 7600 for graphics. Bundled with Windows Vista and Office 2007 for your productivity needs.

Prices start from ¥159,799 (US $1,299).

HP has presented a new computer for the Korean market, it has a strange name - V7046kr - but that doesn't mean nothing about the quality of the product, as a matter of fact, the desktop computer looks pretty good, at least in terms of design.

Inside the machine there are Intel parts on the processor - Intel Core 2 Duo E4300 at 1.8Ghz - and on the graphics card - Intel GMA 950. As for the RAM memory, it is on the DDR2 category and contains 1GB. The hard-drive is a big one with 250GB of capacity, and last but not least there is the usual Windows Vista (Home Premium) as the operative system.

The keyboard has some special characteristics that can be described as hot-keys placed on each side, there are some small sized keys as well that provide not-so-normal functions. One strange detail is the inclusion of a built-in speaker on the system.

Puget Custom Computers has recently started shipping the first computers using DDR3 memory, more exactly last Friday on June 30. Inside their customizable systems there is a chipset from Intel - P35 - a motherboard from ASUS - P5K3 - and also Kingston's low latency HyperX 1375Mhz modules.

This new kind of technology is expected to have some good improvements, such as producing less, heat, being twice as faster as its previous version named DDR2, and offer lower voltages.

But while it is good to have all the speed that Puget Custom Computers has to offer, there is a price for that luxury which in this case is pretty expensive. A Liquid Cooled Workstation for example, costs $5,572.59, and that price is without adding some basic accessories.

Our goal has been to be consistent early adopters in the enthusiast market. We've successfully accomplished that again with this release, and we're looking forward to delivering the high performance of this new line to the eager masses.

Acer's Aspire L320 desktop PC wins the Best Choice of Computex Taipei 2007 Award. With a small, stylish design the Aspire L320 are up to 10-times smaller than a traditional tower PC. The L320 is the provides the perfect balance for size, performance, and cost of a PC. The full-featured media center PC system features Intel Viiv technology and Intel Core 2 Duo processor to deliver faster processing with up to 40% less energy consumption and 7.1 Channel High Definition Audio deliver clear acoustics for theater-like entertainment.The L320 impliments a copper heatsink and heat pipe design with three airflow passages complimented by ultra-quiet fans to provide an efficient air flow system to keep the PC running at a lower operating temperature. The Acer Aspire L320 which was also awarded by Germany's Red Dot design competition is available in a stylish silver/black color scheme.

Creative unveiled the new Live! Cam Optia AF, one of the first PC webcams with auto-focus feature that's truly plug-and-play. That's right, no more messy driver CDs or BSODs.

The Live! Cam Optia AF is equipped with a 2 megapixel sensor and Live! View technology for high quality video. With the Audio FX software that comes with the camera, users can modify their voices to reflect different accents or even change the voice from male to female or vice versa.

Then there's also Video FX, that lets you go all goofy with your videos, where you can add a hat or a wig. Reducing the background audio are the dual adaptive-array microphones. Expect seamless integration with Yahoo! IM, AIM and Windows Live Messenger.

Priced at US $129.99, the Creative Live! Cam Optia AF is out now.

Creative

Vigor Gaming Computer announces the release of its Force Recon QXN gaming system. The Force Recon QXN base model comes standard Intel's recently introduced Core 2 Extreme Quad-core QX6800 processor. The new Intel processor is made up of four separate processing cores in a single package, which increases it’s multitasking ability.

The complete system are enclosed in a Vigor FORCE screwless chassis w/aluminum trim, which can be custom painted and includes Tornado Air Ventilation System. The system comes standard with 1GB RAM, two 150GB hard drives, 16x DVD+CD-RW Combo drive, and a floppy drive with an 8-in-1 card reader. Vigor Force Recon QXN offers onboard Gigabit PCI Network Card and PORTS for adding peripherals including 1 Parallel, 1 Game/Midi, 1 IEEE 1394 Firewire and 10 USB ports. Vigor also uses an NVIDIA GeForce 8800 GTX video card with 768MB DDR3 575MHz and DVI and TV input, to provide clear, crisp graphics with great performance.

All units are loaded with Microsoft Windows Vista 32-bit Home Edition and is backed by a three year limited parts and labor warranty. The base price starts at $3499, and can continue to climb higher with the many self-build options available direct from Vigor.

Popular Science recently did a nice piece on some upcoming technological innovations, one of which was the transparent monitor. Universal Display Corporation of New Jersey, as well as other companies, are working on developing see-through conductive materials to replace the one last part that is still visible - the grid of circuits that delivers power to pixels. Otherwise, displays are already capable of 75% transparency when turned off. This is thanks to electroluminescent films known as organic light-emitting diodes (aka OLEDS). Doesn't that sound neat?

For those professionals that deal with computing and memory intensive applications that require speed and performance in their computers, check out the Appro XtremeWorkstation. The workstation can handle two to four AMD Opteron 8000 series processors, and offers a 128GB DDR2 memory, providing four times the graphic, processor and memory bandwidth. If high performance computing is what you are looking for, then this is just what you need. Appro offers an affordable, quiet, energy efficient computing experience with Appro XtremeWorkstation series.

Via

One Voice Technologies, Inc. has announced today the upcoming release of their Media Center Communicator v3 for Windows Vista that will allow users to simply speak to play music, videos, watch recorded tv, or play photo slide shows on the Xbox 360 gaming consoles. The device can control up to 5 Xbox 360s connected to a Windows Vista computer.

With the Media Center Communicator v3, you can control both the main Windows Vista computer and the Xbox 360 console using voice commands. There's no fumbling for remotes - all you have to do is say something like "Xbox play American Idol" and it will load up the content for you. The device recognizes a wide range of accents, and there's no need to talk in a strange way - just talk like you normally would.

Other than controlling your entertainment, the Media Center Communicator can also be set up for a variety of other home automation tasks, such as setting thermostats, lighting, security cameras, and so on.

For a video demo of the Media Center Communicator v3, you can check out One Voice Technologies website.

PFU, a Fujitsu company, has announced the release of the Happy Hacking Keyboard Lite2 for Macs in both an English version arrangement, as well as a Japanese version arrangement. The Happy Hacking Keyboard Lite2 is a small, compact keyboard for use with Mac computers. It is available in the color "Snow White".

The keyboard is USB compatible, and has a top key which adminsters the Mac private hallmark, as well as a multimedia key and an eject key. With the include drivers, this keyboard also supports customization of the keys. The keys themselves are full-size, as is spacing, but by reducing keys to a minimum requirement, miniturization is possible to almost an A4 half size. The Happy Hacking Keyboard Lite2 for Mac is compatible with Mac OS 8.6 to Mac OSX v10.x.

Lenovo has introduced the new USB 2.0 Super Multi-Burner Drive with LightScribe. This external device allows you to copy music, video, or data and create professional labels. Features of the device include read/write speeds of up to 24x to CD and 8x maximum writing to DVD.

The multi-burner drive is extremely lightweight and slim for ultimate mobility. With the included LightScribe feature you can burn professional quality labels on LightScribe compatible CDs and DVDs. The Lenovo US 2.0 Super Multi-Burner Drive has read/write capabilities for DVD-R Dual Layer and DVD+R Double Layer media.

The drive also includes the easy-to-use Multimedia Center for Think Offerings software, WinDVD movie navigator software, WinDVD Creator Plus video editing software. When used with suppored computers such as the ThinkPad X40/X41, X Series Tablet, and X60 series notebooks, a power adaptor is not required for normal operation.

The Lenovo USB 2.0 Super Multi-Burner Drive with LightScribe will be available for purchase on January 26 for $249.95.