Source:  DesktopReview.com

Dell has just introduced to the market a new all-in-one PC, this time it’s larger than the older 20-inch model.  The XPS One 24 is based on a 24-inch display with 16:9 aspect ratio. Capable of up to 1920×1080 pixel resolution, the PC runs on an Intel Core 2 Quad Q8200 processor with 4GB RAM standard.  Other standard features include an integrated Intel GMA X4500HD graphics, high definition analog and digital TV tuners TV tuner, Bluetooth 2.0, 802.11a/b/g/n wireless connectivity, an 8x Super-Multi DVD+/-RW slot-loading optical drive, and a wireless keyboard and mouse set specially designed for the XPS One 24.

An NVIDIA GeForce 9600M GT graphics card with 512MB video RAM is optional, as well as a Blu-ray drive.  A larger hard drive is also optional.

The original 20-inch XPS One sold for $999, and the XPS One 24 starts at $1,699.  The additional equipment and upgrades are just about worth the $700 premium.

I’ve been wondering why there’s not a lot more all-in-one PCs on the market.  It’s more elegant, saves on desktop space, it has less wires running all around the place and the monitor is hardwired to the case.

Of course, trade-offs for the all-in-one form factor include:  a fixed non-upgradeable casing; cooling problems; and the monitor is hardwired to the case.  For some this is a deal-breaker.  The monitor has a longer lifespan than the rest of the computer.  You would expect to replace the hard disk in three to five years, and the rest of the computer after 5 years, but you expect to still be using the monitor even after five years.

All in all, if you’re into all-in-one form factors, this looks good.

Cloud computing is that part of the computing experience where the applications are on the web, allowing for access anywhere, as well as for groupware capability.  One of the successful implementations of this concept is with SalesForce.com, Google Docs, as well as some other implementations of a base stations.

The whole concept of cloud computing is that the physical computer is less of a repository for both program and data, and more of a terminal with the data and program residing on the net.  The web browser now becomes the virtual computer and platform for accessing, editing and manipulating the documents.  As a groupware function, this will allow any member of a group to store, access and edit the documents as well as discuss this online with other members wherever they may be.

Microsoft seems serious in implementing their own model of cloud computing.  The next versions of MS Office will have the capability to store the document or spreadsheet on the web, and be accessed for editing on the web as well.  And since this is Microsoft, this will be an add-on service (for a price) for buyers of MS Office.  This is not a bad model.  Microsoft already gives its users space to store their documents on the web and this is just a step forward for their cloud computing model.

One good thing with Microsoft’s plans is that it puts impetus for more software manufacturers to have offerings on the web, not just for file, photo, music, and video sharing but also for office productivity and other office function specific software.

About ten years ago, when Compaq was at the height of its company buying spree, Compaq had a product demonstration for its latest line of notebooks.  Called the M-series for mobile computing, the M-series also introduced magnesium alloy casings.

Magnesium alloys are more commonly used in mag wheels or magnesium alloy car wheel rims, as well as for high-performance bicycle frames.  The alloy itself is light, and strong and rust free.  It’s a low maintenance metal, but expensive to manufacture.

As part of the demonstration, it was explained that due to the process of creating the casings, and allowing them to cool gradually, it is not possible to create smooth surface chasis for the notebooks.  The manufacturing process resulted in a crinkly exterior unique to each case.  At first glance, each notebook with the magnesium alloy case looked the same, but on closer inspection, there were minute differences between casings due to the crinkly surface.

Since that time, there have not been too many announcements about magnesium alloy casings being used by other notebook manufacturers.  Truth is, while most computer market segments are trying to cut down on prices, high-end notebooks can maintain their costs and prices.  And to that end, it would be natural for manufacturers of high-end notebooks to give value for money with the use of aluminum alloy casings.

I was thinking about this when the latest series of Mac notebooks were announced.  This time, during the presentation it was emphasized that the notebook casings started out as a solid block of aluminum, which was carved out for the space for the notebook’s innards.  That was important to explain because aluminum is one of those metals which are not easy to forge and shape, but soft enough to carve.  The metal gouged out could easily be recycled anyway.

Between the plastic casing of the Apple iBooks and the aluminum casing of the MacBooks, the MacBooks are more “green” because the aluminum can be recycled.  It’s an easy enough fact to forget but the consumer and Mac user should be increasingly aware of the manufacturer’s responsibility to recycle computer parts.  Unfortunately, more and more notebooks are being made with plastic in order to save on costs.  I can’t say I can blame them as consumers will usually buy the cheaper model if there’s no differentiating factor between the available choices.

Among other things which was left unsaid during the presentation and release of the new Apple iBooks and MacBooks is that Apple is the undisputed leader in that market segment.  Apple notebooks sell at a premium compared to other notebooks.  And in the above $1000 notebook market, Apple is number 1.  In fact, further segmentation would show that in the more expensive notebook segment, Apple has a higher market share.

This is significant because Apple traditionally has never fought over market share in any price segment.  What’s surprising is that Apple is now going to release sub-$1000 notebooks.  This may be just a toe to test the waters, but if ever the netbook market continues to grow and explode, it’s a sure bet that Apple would be fielding something in that market.

Whenever I buy a new computer the main problem has always been migrating the contents of one hard disk to the other.  In most instances, this is pretty straight-forward.  Even with advances in technology, there’s always some sort of backward compatibility to fall back on to do the job.

For instance, migrating to SATA from IDE (also called parallel-ATA or PATA) could be done on the hardware side because in all probability, the new motherboard still has an IDE port.  With that, it’s a matter of disconnecting the IDE hard disk from the old PC and connecting it as a separate physical drive in the new computer.  (Of course, that assumes that all things are equal, like the operating system, file ownership, logins, etc.)

This gets a bit complicated though when the data transfer is from new technology to old technology.  For instance, transferring data from a SATA drive to an IDE drive, without any SATA port on the computer. It’s a bit complicated but not insurmountable.

There are several options.  The first option is to buy a SATA controller daughter card.  The other option is to get a SATA drive casing with a USB connector.

The first option is straight-forward as well.  Just open up the computer; plug in the SATA controller daughter card; connect the SATA hard disk to the daughter card and power supply; and you’re off and running.  Of course, on Windows, you would have to detect the daughter card first and you might need to fiddle around a bit with the BIOS settings in order for the computer to read the SATA hard disk.  But all in all, this option will have a the SATA hard disk as a separate drive which is readable by Windows and data transfer is a matter of copying files and folders from one hard disk to another.

To me, the second option is a lot better.  It gives the option to have an external USB drive with a SATA hard disk inside.  Again, this is fairly straight-forward.  Insert the SATA hard disk into the external USB SATA drive enclosure, making sure you connect the power supply and the SATA data cable.  After properly closing the external drive, and connect this to a USB port on the target computer.  The external drive should be instantly detectable and mounted on the computer.  Again, transferring data is just a matter of copying files from one drive to the other.

The above solutions come at almost the same price.  There’s practically no difference between the cost of a SATA daughter card and an external USB drive enclosure for a SATA hard disk.  Unless of course the SATA daughter card also happens to be a RAID controller card, which is a lot more expensive.

Admittedly, the above recipe sounds easy on paper.  For the most part it is, though I am partial to the elegance of the external USB SATA drive as a solution.  Unless of course, there’s money to spend on a RAID card, and an extra SATA drive or two or three to play with.

Source:  Emotiv

This is the start of the road for the ultimate controller.  No mouse, no trackpad, no joystick, no trackball ever and no cable from mind-controlled controller to the PC.  This is the EmotivEPOC.

What it does is put together 14 sensors to the head and read your mind.  If you’ve ever watched “Back to the Future” where Doc Emmett Brown opens the door to Marty MacFly wearing a metallic head-scanner, this is the logical successor.  And in plastic in 21st Century appropriate colors.  It even looks like it was made by Fisher Price.

It starts off as a headset.  It looks like a regular headset but without the headphones and mic.  It has 14 sensors which touch the skin and reads electrical impulses.  And to control a computer game, you have to think the game.  Instead of using the joystick to flank left or right, you just think about the action in your head, and the computer avatar will do it.

Potentially, game developers can help by adding more facial expressions to the avatar, and more life-like movements.  Additionally, it promises to have faster responses and reaction times, because the gamer is already thinking of the action, and there’s no intermediate human interface device to interpret the action.  This is pretty neat.

But seriously, this is not a toy.  Emotiv had already showcased the controller’s capability by using it to control a wheelchair.  And with continuous development, it is anybody’s guess how far this will go.  Quadriplegics can use this not just to play computer games, but also to talk with a real-time assist from the PC, as well as to move the wheelchair around.

As a human interface device, this can be extended for use as a remote controller (with commands running through the PC).  The only question to my mind is how to train a person to use it.

List price is $299.

Since the 1980’s the personal computer has taken over the world.  And also, since the late-1980’s viruses have taken over the personal computer.

Strictly speaking, this is only true of PCs running MS-DOS (or PC-DOS) and later, the Windows operating system.  For the rest of the world, the minority, viruses have been practically non-existent.  As a common definition, a virus is a piece of code or program within a program which attaches itself to a host program (the infected program) and then replicates (and does other things) once the host is ran.

Among features and benefits lists of operating systems, PCs running Windows are at a disadvantage when viruses are discussed.  There’s practically no virus running on UNIX/Linux based systems (which include the Mac’s OS X).

There are some who say that the only reason that Windows has lots of viruses is because it is the most popular operating system around.  And this logic points out that if the Mac were more popular, then there would be more viruses attacking OS X.  The latter logic fails because the Mac has always had a market share ranging from 7% to 10% of yearly sales of all PCs, but the number of viruses on the Mac almost nil.

As I understand the architecture of these Operating Systems, the reason viruses are rampant on Windows and not on UNIX/Linux is a fundamental difference of development philosophy.

Windows started from a base of MS-DOS, which was a single-user operating system.  MS-DOS may have borrowed commands from UNIX, but it was designed for a single user machine.  And as a single-user machine, there was no need to build security between users.  It was an open design.  You turn on the PC, and you can do anything you want with it.  (About 10 years ago, my kids started up the PC and inadvertently renamed the Windows folder. That kind of thing happening is still possible with the XP and Vista.)

On the other hand, from the very beginning, UNIX was designed with the thought to multi-user functionality.  That means that UNIX would be used by any number of users at any point in time.  This raised the issue of security, where one user cannot open anyone else’s files or folders.  UNIX was designed to be a closed system.  Something like a sandbox.  Users are given a sandbox to work in, and everything else outside it are off-limits.  That includes system files, and other user’s files.  And by default, if someone owns a program, it won’t run on anyone else’s space.  This seems like overkill in some ways.

So what happens when a virus comes along?  If there were no anti-virus program on Windows, the code will reside in memory, run in the background, replicate itself, and play with the system files as well as other files it’s supposed to play with.  On UNIX/Linux, even without any anti-virus programs, the virus will have to be downloaded as a program, and explicitly run by a user.  Once the virus or the infected program tries to attach itself to the system files, the system will ask the user for admin-level password (using the “sudo” command).  And only then will it be able to do damage.  But in order to infect other machines, it would again have to ride on someone’s files and downloaded, explicitly, by a user.

So, yes, there is a Mac OS X virus.  But it’s still waiting for “sudo” access in order to run.

A while back, there was a point in time when Iomega storage devices were the backup media of choice for desktops, small office and home office environments.  Now that it’s an EMC company, it’s again becoming more aggressive in the backup media and data storage market for personal use, small office and home office.

Iomega recently announced the StorCenter ix2, with up to 2TB of storage.  With the wealth of features, this device is primarily designed for the home network, as well as for the small office and for personal use.  It promises to be the easiest way for anyone on the LAN to secure, protect, access and share their movies, mp3 files, photos, and other data.

This network appliance is easy to configure, and with only four mouse clicks, the 2 terabyte storage is ready to go live on the LAN.

Accessible through the LAN via a GigaBit ethernet port, the heart of the ix2 are two high performance SATA-II hard disks.  Additionally, it has two USB ports for USB printers for network print sharing, a USB Bluetooth dongle for direct uploads, or external USB drives to add incremental storage capacity.

The backup software is easy to use, and on setup, it can tag folders on the computers connected to the network as data sources for automatic scheduled backups.  Any changes on these folders would reflect on the next scheduled backup.  The ix2 is compatible with Windows, Mac and Linux computers, and can connect up to two printers or two external hard drives via the USB ports.  It can also transfer data via Bluetooth, but that would have to use an optional USB dongle.

Among other things it has an iTunes server.  Seems that most terabyte size personal data storage and backup appliance coming out these days has an iTunes server as a standard feature.  To make access to media files a whole lot easier, it supports Universal Plug-and-Play (UPnP) and Digital Living Network Alliance™ (DLNA) certified devices.  This means that DLNA-compliant devices can access, store and playback directly from the ix2. These electronic devices include consumer electronics and home entertainment products; and mobile devices such as cell phones, music players, and personal digital assistants.  An easy setup will install the ix2 as a robust media server for digital content for all the family members to enjoy.

Since Iomega is an EMC company, the ix2’s  makes use of the EMC’s expertise in the enterprise data storage space.  The software is a hardened Linux operating environment with a suite of other programs which incorporate EMC storage technologies with the capability of adding new storage management features in the future.

For the corporate environment, the ix2 can be used as data storage for surveillance cameras.  Pretty neat feature as a standalone device.  This can be used for real-time recording of what goes on in the office during or after office hours.

The StorCenter ix2 Network Storage appliance 1TB has a list price of $299.99; while the StorCenter ix2 Network Storage appliance 2TB has an SRP of $479.99.

There’s lots of talk about Vista problems, about how XP support is being extended further, and how Windows 7 development is being accelerated to replace Vista.  Around all of these, Apple is releasing a new round of notebooks and upgrades to their notebook line.  And added to the mix is the current financial crisis.

I am not an economist, nor a finance person, but if my (non-finance) job is affected by the financial health of banks — very big banks — then I think I’d better take a look at how the bottom line gets affected by technology on hand.  To better understand this, take the case of the Millenium bug.

There were a lot of companies which changed their computer acquisition cycles in 1999.  Instead of replacing their computers every three years, some companies were forced to acquire new PCs in 1999, to circumvent any possible problems with millenium calculations.  The effect for computer companies came along in 2003 and 2004.  The expected rollover of equipment did not come along as expected and companies deferred their acquisition to 2005.  This put a bite into the bottom-line of computer companies.  Companies which made a hit in 1999.

Now with the global financial crisis hitting the bottom line, there’s an effort to cut on capital expenses and running costs of doing business.  These include electricity, manpower, hardware and licensing.   With the bottom-line in management’s sights, IT suddenly is taking a hard look at open source software.  Not just corporate IT, really, but specially small office/home office and consumer use as well.

Open source software has traditionally been frowned upon, not because of any technology but because of two important considerations:  support and user-experience.  Support is usually seen in terms of the phone and problem resolution turn-around times.  The issue there is that if you use any Open Source software, there might not be any number to call.  Open Source would counter that the support is there, but you would have to seek it through the web, by asking for solutions through forums or by searching for solutions.  Once a user can get past that, it should solve the support problems.  This is mainly a problem with non-technical users.

The other problem, user experience, is a biased concern.  The resistance to change is a hard sell and a chicken-and-egg question:  how are you going to prove that an interface is easy to learn, if your user does not want to use it in the first place.

Open source software like linux and Open Office can deliver the same functionality, with good or better support levels.  But linux and Open Office will have to bring something to the table to make the transition more palatable or more acceptable.  It’s very possible that with the credit crunch, when money is closely watched, the cost of software (specifically Windows and MS Office against linux and Open Office) might tip the balance.

I’ve used Linux and Open Office, and I’ve been trying to look at it from a newbie’s viewpoint and it can be a viable alternative, with an easier than expected learning curve.  And the price point is unbeatable.  It’s free.

A 13-layer network security appliance for the desktop or notebook, the Yoggie Gatekeeper series is a powerful accessory for personal use.  The Gatekeeper comes in two flavors:  the Gatekeepter ExpressCard and the Pico.

The only difference between these two devices is their size.  The ExpressCard is about credit-card sized attachment, and the Pico is a USB stick about the size of a thumb drive.

The concept behind the Yoggie Gatekeeper is to offload all network security duties to the device.  This lessens the burden the PC’s CPU.  All network traffic is routed through the device and run through filters.  The devices themselves are full-fledged computers on a card, it uses a 520 MHz Intel Xscale processor with 128MB RAM running Linux.

Effectively, the computer’s CPU is liberated from the task of securing itself.  With the Gatekeeper as an attachment, any attacks can be nipped in the bud, away from the computer.  Security updates are also left to the Gatekeeper.  The PC will have practically no appreciable performance degradation while using the Gatekeeper.

Other benefits include:

• Offload security processing from laptops and PCs, improving performance
• Web-based configuration interface
• No need to install heavy software products that “pop up with confusing messages”
• Internet updates on hourly basis, without disturbing the user or hampering laptop resources
• Remove Gatekeeper and all network connections are stopped
• Centralized, all-in-one security
• Competitive pricing to software-only products

Among its security features are:

• Adaptive Security Policy;
• Multi-Layer Security Agent (Patent pending);
• Layer-8 Security Engine (Patent pending);
• URL Categorisation and Filtering;
• Anti-spam;
• Anti-phishing;
• Anti-spyware;
• anti-virus;
• Transparent e-mail proxies (POP3 and SMTP);
• Transparent Web Proxies (HTTP; FTP);
• Intrusion Detection System/Intrusion Prevention System;
• VPN Client;
• Stateful Inspection Firewall.

What this all means is that the small office/home office desktop, or the game home PC or the netbook in the internet cafe browsing the WiFi can all have the same server room high-level security.  This all in one device is very comprehensive and packed with best-of-breed features from different software and network security manufacturers and enclosed in a hardened OS.

Lots of thoght was put into designing the Gatekeeper.  And more than enough consideration was given to what else is not covered, that new technology was included in the package.

The price is competitive at below $200.

I have two computers at home, both with DVD burners, and everyone in my family has their own USB thumb drives (either a 2GB or a 4GB drive), and all of this storage space sometimes seems to be not enough.  With the cameras, mp3s, and CD-audio files as well as all those downloads, the free space shrinks pretty fast if you don’t keep an eye on it.  I guess if I had one more PC, I’m pretty sure to be looking very hard at a network-based external storage solution.

A network storage solution looks like a good option for a small office or a home-based network which does is not yet prepared for an NAS or SAN solution.  (Besides, NAS and SAN are both expensive propositions.)

But a simplified small-scale network storage might be cost-effective enough.  The basic requirements for a small office/home office solution would be that it is attached via the LAN, it has RAID 0/1/5, it has an integrated (no-brainer) client software which would allow for scheduled backups, and it should have enough space on the drives.

Western Digital is expanding their line of external storage with the release of ShareSpace.  The network storage solution in this case is a 4-bay 4TB stand-alone connected to the network via GigaEthernet.  It also has a USB port for one-touch backup of a USB flash disk.  This is a step-up from the standard external storage and hard disk that they also offer (with capacities of up to 1TB).  Besides being a network backup solution, it can also serve as an iTunes server, it has a built-in FTP server and is MS Vista-ready.

On top of that, this is not a data center appliance, but something you can put on top of your desk.  It was designed to be quiet, cool and energy-efficient.  It consumes up to 33 percent less power compared with other network storage and backup solution.

If you stacked up several external hard disks and created a RAID disk around them totalling 1GB, you might end up with a cheaper system.  Except that you would have to connect this to a PC and traffic would be going through the firewire port.  The resulting hardware solution would be a shared folder on the external drive, with processing done by the host PC.  You would also have to install a third-party backup software on the PC for the scheduled backup.  The total cost might be cheaper, but you would have the PC choking every so often.  Specially if it was running Windows.

ShareSpace has two variants: 2TB and the 4TB.  The 2TB model can be configured for RAID 0 or RAID 1.  The 4TB model can be configured for RAID 0, 1 or 5.

Since this is attached to a GigaBit LAN, the unit has to be attached to a GigaBit switch.  The advantages of a fast backup would be lost if it was not using a switch.

The 2TB ShareSpace has a suggested retail price of $699, and the 4TB model has a suggested retail price of $999.