Posts Tagged ‘Windows 7’
Hp Releases Pavilion All in One MS214IN Desktop
The HP MS214in has the same design as most HP laptops and desktops. The combination of glossy black with silver has become a trademark of HP now, and makes it looks quite elegant. The design of the stand is similar to that of the Apple iMac. It is not carved out of metal, but the build of the plastic body is pretty decent.
The 18.5-inch widescreen has a resolution of 1366 x 768 and the display portrays colors quite well. HD movie looked pretty good on it but we felt that the maximum brightness was a bit too low for our liking. This is especially evident when you are sitting in a sunny room. A speaker strip placed right below the LCD panel emits fairly audible sound with decent clarity. A webcam above the screen delivers decent clarity and a speedy frame rate.
The peripheral ports are placed conveniently at the sides. On the left, we got two USB ports, a card reader and headphone/microphone jacks. On the right, we have a tray-loading DVD writer and buttons to increase or decrease brightness. There is not a button to turn the display off though, which is slightly disappointing. The rest of the ports, including a LAN, four USB, and an S/PDIF are placed at the back.
Another sore point that needs to be mentioned is that, unlike most all-in-one PCs we have seen, the HP Pavilion is powered by a chunky adapter that adds to table clutter. We would rather have liked it to be integrated into the body so that a single power cable would run to the electric socket.
The HP MS214in is powered by a dual-core AMD Athlon X2 that runs at 1.5 GHz. That, along with the 2 gigs of RAM and a 7200 rpm drive, keeps Windows 7 Home Basic running at a fair pace. But the Home Basic version does not have Windows 7s full Aero UI that apart from looking fancy also improves usability.
The ATI Radeon HD 3200 is an entry-level dated graphics chip. It’s better than Intel onboard GMA4500 graphics,but definitely not suitable for running modern games at their fullest settings. This was evident when we ran the Street Fighter IV benchmark. At max settings,it belted an un-playable 11.7 frames per second. Thus, games that are a couple of years old can run smoothly with toned down settings.
The power-draw of this PC while idling ranged between 42 to 44 watts. On full load, it shot up by just 10 watts, drawing a steady 55W. It consumes almost half power as compared to its elder Touchsmart 300 cousin. Thats comparatively low power consumption for an entire PC. This is possible thanks to the power-efficient Athlon 3250e processor. Another reason could be the lower-than-usual max brightness.Due to the older AMD chipset used, it has only support for Wi-Fi 802.11 b and g. This could be a problem if you’re using an 802.11n router, as you wouldn’t get the faster connectivity that 802.11n standard supports.
The HP Pavilion All-in-One MS214in Desktop.Since this is a niche segment device, such pricing can be expected. An entry-level Lenovo IdeaCenter A600 (30112VQ) model also costs the same. But it comes with a faster 2 GHz Intel dual-core processor, a bright 21.5-inch full HD (1920 x 1080 pixel) display and a 500GB hard drive. It’ll be a good choice if you want to watch a lot of HD content. The only sore point is its Intel X4500 graphics.
Multitouch Eee PC With Swiveling LCD
You want a netbook but, for some strange reason, are hankering after one that is also a tablet. Well look no further, here we have a convertible Eee PC that is said to pack Intel’s Pine Trail chip.
French language site, Blogeee, reports that this little baby will see an April release and is confident that there will be no delays. While the specifications are not yet solid, Blogee says we can expect a 10.1-inch backlit, 1024×600, LED display (resistive multitouch), the Atom N450, a choice of either 1GB of 2GB of DDR2 and up to 320 GB of storage (along with 500GB of Asus WebStorage). Both the RAM and storage depend on which version of Windows 7 you want (Windows 7 Starter, Windows 7 Home Basic or Windows 7 Home Premium).
The multitouch Eee PC also boasts 3 x USB 2.0 ports, VGA, a multicard reader, the obligatory 0.3 megapixel webcam, Bluetooth 2.1 + EDR, 802.11b/g/n and will be available in black or white.
No word on price or a U.S. release but let us know if you’re interested and we’ll keep you posted!
Microsoft: Windows 7 Isn’t Killing Batteries
Microsoft has said that the battery problems currently plaguing a number of Windows 7 users are not caused by the operating system.
Last week Microsoft said the company was investigating whether or not Windows 7 caused laptop battery life to deteriorate. People who have installed Windows 7 (stretching back as far as the RC release last June) say that their computer’s battery life has taken a huge hit. One user reported that before Windows 7, he used to get seven hours of battery from his brand new laptop. Once he had installed Windows 7, it dropped to four hours on a full charge and even then, it was an optimistic four hours. Others said their laptop was telling them to replace their battery altogether.
Microsoft yesterday posted to its MSDN blog network and explained that to the best of its knowledge, Windows 7 is not destroying customers’ batteries.
“Several press articles this past week have drawn attention to blog and forum postings by users claiming Windows 7 is warning them to “consider replacing your battery” in systems which appeared to be operating satisfactorily before upgrading to Windows 7,” Microsoft says. “These articles described posts in the support forums indicating that Windows 7 is not just warning users of failing batteries – as we designed Windows 7 to do this – but also implying Windows 7 is falsely reporting this situation or even worse, causing these batteries to fail.”
The company clarifies that this is not an issue with Windows 7:
“To the very best of the collective ecosystem knowledge, Windows 7 is correctly warning batteries that are in fact failing and Windows 7 is neither incorrectly reporting on battery status nor in any way whatsoever causing batteries to reach this state. In every case we have been able to identify the battery being reported on was in fact in need of recommended replacement.”
Microsoft goes on to explain how the battery replacement warning works, detailing that Windows 7 has a set threshold of 60 percent degradation (that is the battery is performing at 40 percent of its designed capacity). When your battery reaches this level of degradation, Windows 7 will suggest you replace your battery.
The company reiterates that this is a feature exclusive to Windows 7, so folks running Vista or XP could have thought their battery was fine, when in reality it was deteriorating the whole time.
HP Launches New Netbook Mini210
Hewlett-Packard India, has expanded its Mini notebook portfolio (netbooks) with the launch of HP Mini210.
With the broad HP Mini portfolio, including the previously introduced Mini 110 and HP Mini by Tord Boontje, customers have a choice of sleek companion PCs that let them stay connected from anywhere. The HP Mini by Studio Tord Boontje is crafted with environmentally friendly materials.
“The new HP Mini210 range has been conceptualised after extensive research to offer the best Digital experience and a variety of options to consumers. With a full breadth of color and feature options, we are inspiring, engaging and equipping the digital generation with unexpected fun and endless possibilities,” said Rajiev Grover, Director Mobility Business Unit, Personal Systems Group, HP India. “In todays market its about development of a continuum of devices that meet consumers’ unique needs. We are helping consumers discover the world of possibilities by infusing innovation, technology and design into our new range of HP Mini notebooks,” added Grover.
The HP Mini210 boasts of the latest Atom 450 with advanced features and power packed applications for all users’ computing needs including chicklet keyboard, touchpad with multi gesture support, stereo speakers, wireless LAN, integrated webcam, Bluetooth, Microsoft Windows 7 OS and battery life of more than 9.5 hours.
Starting at 1.22 kilos (with HDD) and measuring less than 1-inch thin, the HP Mini 210 is available in a colorful choice of stylish Black Crystal, Silver Crystal, Pacific Blue or Sonoma Red HP Imprint finishes.
With a 10.1-inch diagonal standard or optional BrightView Infinity HD LED widescreen display and an island-style keyboard that is 93 percent of a full-size QWERTY keyboard, the 210 also features a built-in WLAN, webcam, microphone, GPS-ready system and optional 3G broadband connectivity.
Users can keep their music in sync with HP QuickSync software. The software synchronizes files created or edited on the road with a home or business PC over a wireless connection when connected to the same network. HP QuickWeb allows users to access the web without booting up the notebook by simply pushing a button. HP Cloud Drive allows users to access their synchronized content including documents, photos and music from the cloud without having to store it on a local drive. With HP MediaStream users can stream multimedia content from one PC to another over the Internet, without requiring data to be downloaded.
In addition to viewing HD content on the Internet, users can experience their own personal multiplex via an optional Broadcom Crystal HD Enhanced Video Accelerator, which allows users to enjoy up to 1,080-pixel HD content.
The HP Mini210 costs Rs. 16,000 onwards.
Microsoft Boasts 90,000,000 Windows 7 Sold
Even when Windows 7 launched into a warm reception (and brisk sales), Microsoft didn’t reveal exact sale numbers for its new OS – until today.
Microsoft CFO Peter Klein announced at the Morgan Stanley Technology, Media & Telecom Conference that Windows 7 has sold 90 million licenses to-date.
Up until recently, Microsoft’s company line when boasting about Windows 7 sales is that is the fastest selling operating system in history, but without any accompanying number.
This news comes just days after the expiration of the free use of Windows 7 Release Candidate.